Vegetable Pulao
1 1/4 cups basmati rice (A long-grain rice
with nutty flavor and firm texture, possibly due to the fact that it is aged.
Basmati comes from the Hindi word meaning fragrant; and has been used in India
and Pakistan for thousands of years and is excellent with curries. Several
varieties are now grown in the U.S., such as Texmati and Kasmati)
1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds (An aromatic spice
with a distinctive bitter flavor and strong, warm aroma due to its abundant oil
content. Cumin "seeds" are actually the small dried fruit of an
annual plant in the parsley family. Native to the Mediterranean, cumin is
hotter to the taste, lighter in color, and larger than caraway, another spice
it's sometimes confused with. Sold whole or ground, the seeds come in three
colors: amber, white or black. Amber is most widely available, but the black
has such a complex flavor it should not be substituted for the other two. Cumin
is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean and Mexian
cuisines, and is one of the main ingredients in curry powder.), to your desire
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, to your desire
1 bay leaf 6 whole cloves (Cloves are small nailed shaped
flower buds that are dried. They have a sweet, somewhat penetrating flavor.
Cloves can be bought whole or ground. Ground cloves are commonly used in
baking. Cloves are native to Indonesia. The word is derived from the French clou,
meaning "nail." Cloves are harvested mainly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
and India. Whole cloves are often used when preparing ham they are poked into
the skin on the outside of the ham. This gives the ham flavor and is
decorative)
2 black cardamom pods
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (The inner bark of
a tropical evergreen tree, harvested during the rainy season when piable and
then dried into curls sold as sticks or ground into a powder.With its warm,
sweet flavor, cinnamon is one of the biggest workhorses on the spice shelf.
Cooks often use it to flavor baked goods and drinks, but cinnamon also works
wonders in stews and sauces. The best cinnamon is Ceylon cinnamon = canela =
Sri Lanka cinnamon = true cinnamon. Indonesian cinnamon has a similar taste,
but larger quills. Much of the cinnamon sold in the United States is cassia
cinnamon, which isn't as well regarded.)
1/2 teaspoon ginger (A subtropical plant
grown for its nobby root (rhizome or underground stem). The root has tan skin,
ivory to pale green flesh, and a peppery, slightly sweet flavor. Ginger is
planted in August or September using the previous year's crop. Ginger takes
about nine months to reach maturity. After the flowers appear, the tops begin
to die, leaving the ginger rhizomes ready to harvest Ginger is a mainstay of
Asian and Indian cooking and is used grated, ground and slivered. Ginger juice
is the juice of the root. Candied or crystallized ginger is ginger cooked in a
sugar syrup, while preserved ginger is in a sugar-salt mixture: both of these are
used primarily for sweets and desserts. Pickled ginger, used as a palate
cleanser with sushi, is ginger preserved in sweet vinegar), finely minced
1 teaspoon garlic,
finely minced 3 green chilies,
sliced in half 1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato,
chopped 1/2 cup green peas salt, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice salt
Cooking Process:
1. Rinse rice thoroughly, and then soak it in water for about 45
minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds,
allowing them to heat until they begin to change color.
3. Then add turmeric, bay leaf, cloves cardamom pods and cinnamon.
4. Then add ginger, garlic and chilies.
5. Cook on medium heat for just a minute.
6. Next, add the onion, tomato and green peas, and cook for 3
minutes.
7. Now, drain the water from rice and add rice, stirring gently for
a minute to combine thoroughly.
8. Add 2 and 1/2 cup of water, and add salt to taste.
9. Cook on high heat, stirring gently but continuously.
10. When water is almost absorbed, add lemon juice.
11. Lower your heat, cover the pan, and allow it to continue cooking
for approximately 7 minutes or so, until the rice is completely cooked.
12. Serve immediately.
| 
