Wednesday 21 October 2015

Vegetable Pulao.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Plus it's accidentally vegan.
I know! Who could have thought that I would turn a meaty Pakistani classic vegetarian? Let alone vegan.
It was only when I was writing up the recipe afterwards, that I noticed the absence of yogurt and butter. And, anything meat-based for that matter.
And honestly, with this one-pot vegetable pulao, you do not miss the meat. There's no taking chicken/lamb out of the freezer to defrost. It's just a case of chopping up your chosen veg and getting to cook. 
Plus if you're tight on time, feel free to use mixed frozen veg. Plus plus, on the whole vegan thing? I drowned my rice with plenty of coriander yoghurt when it came to eating. Oops.

Pulao, previously: chicken pulao // lamb pulao // pea pulao // quick pilau rice.

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Vegetable Oil
2. Cinnamon Stick
3. Black Peppercorns
4. Cloves
5. Black Cardamom
6. Cumin Seeds
7. Onion
8. Garlic Paste
9. Ginger Paste
10. Salt
11. Crushed Red Chilli Flakes
12. Garam Masala
13. Carrots
14. Broccoli
15. Water
16. Basmati Rice
17. Sweetcorn
18. Mild Peppers
19. Fresh Coriander

Bismillah, let's begin!

First job, wash and soak the rice. You'll need 445 grams (about 16 ounces) Basmati Rice.

Rinse the rice in a few changes of water until the water runs clear, not cloudy. Then, cover with enough water to cover the rice and leave to soak until needed - about an hour. I always do this first - that way it'll be ready to go in.

Next job, brown the onion. You'll need 1 Onion.

Give it a peel.

And, a dice.

Then, place a saucepan with high sides over a medium heat.

Pour in about 5 tablespoons Vegetable Oil.

Add in the whole spices:
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Black Peppercorns
2 Cloves
1 Black Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Let them sizzle in the hot oil until fragrant.

Then, add in the diced onion.

Give the onions a good stir.

Fry the onions for about 10 minutes until dark brown. This is what'll give the pulao its flavour. 

Next, ginger paste and garlic paste.

Add 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste.

Be careful here - the paste will make everything spatter. You may even want to take the pan off the heat for a few minutes like we did.

Next, 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste.

Once they're both in ..

... stir them in well.

Then, add in:
2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Chilli Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Stir in the spices and fry them for a minute or two.

Now, it's time for the veggies. You can use any you like - I did carrots, broccoli and sweetcorn. Frozen is also fine. I used 2 large Carrots.

I peeled them.

Sliced them through the middle.

Then, through the middle again.

Before dicing them up.

Until I had a plateful of them.

And, in they went.

Next, 1/2 head Broccoli.

The best part of the broccoli, in my opinion, is the stalk. Here's how I prep it. I slice it off.

Trim off any straggly bits, slice it into sticks and dice them.

As for the florets, cut them into roughly the same size.

Into the pan they go!

Stir-fry for a few minutes.

Pour in a splash of water, if the pan gets too dry.

Then, it's time for more water. You'll need 1 litre and 75ml Water.

Pour in the water.

Give it a stir and bring to the boil.

Then, turn the heat to the lowest and simmer for 10 minutes. This'll help cook the veggies a little.

After 10 minutes, uncover.

Drain the rice.

And, add it to the pan.

Along with tinned sweetcorn.

I drained 285 grams Tinned Sweetcorn.

And, added it in.

Bring to the boil.

And, let the rice absorb most of the water - on a medium heat, this should take about 5 minutes.

Time to steam! Cover the rice with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat to the lowest. Steam for 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, we can prep the finishing touches. You can add any fresh herb or tender veg you like, but I used 5 small Mild Peppers.

I gave them a slice.

Then, grabbed a handful of Fresh Coriander and sliced that up too.

After 20 minutes, the rice is done!

In go the peppers.

And, the fresh coriander.

Give everything a gentle toss.

And, we're done!

Platter it up and get ready to serve!

This pulao is so much lighter than it's meaty counterparts.


And, had it with this bitter gourd curry as part of vegetarian night.

But on it's own, it's the best. With a simple yoghurt chutney, I think it'll be perfect for your dinner tonight.

Full Written Recipe:

Vegetable Pulao.

Prep Time: About 15 minutes.
Cook Time: About 40 minutes.
Serves: About 6-8 people.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Black Peppercorns
2 Cloves
1 Black Cardamom
½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
2 teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Chilli Flakes
½ teaspoon Garam Masala
2 large Carrots, peeled and diced
½ head of Broccoli, sliced
1 litre and 75ml Water
445 grams Basmati Rice, washed, soaked and drained
285 grams tinned Sweetcorn, drained
5 small Mild Peppers, sliced
Handful Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

Method

First, soak the rice. Rinse the rice in a few changes of water until the water runs clear, not cloudy. Then, cover with enough water to cover the rice and leave to soak until needed – at least an hour.

Next, brown the onion. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add in the whole spices – cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, black cardamom and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle and become fragrant then add in the diced onion. Stir and then fry the onions for a good 10 minutes until dark brown.

Now, add the seasonings. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir in. Then, add in the salt, crushed red chilli flakes and garam masala. Stir for a minute or two.

Add the vegetables. Put in the diced carrots and sliced broccoli. Stir-fry for a few minutes and add a splash of water, if the pan is too dry.

Next, pour in the water. Bring everything to the boil, then turn the heat to the lowest. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Time for the rice and corn! Uncover the pan and add in the drained rice. Also, add in the sweetcorn. Bring everything to a boil and let the rice absorb most of the water.

Very important - taste for salt. Taste the liquid in the pan – it should be quite salty. We added an extra 1 teaspoon to ours.

Time to steam! Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat to the lowest. Steam for 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed.

Add the finishing touches. Gently stir through the fresh coriander and peppers.

Time to serve! Eat with coriander green chilli yoghurt and enjoy!

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Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your pulao,

Wasalaam!


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