Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable pulao is my favorite any given day. The flavors, the colors, the goodness of vegetables and the ease of making it, are the reasons for me to make this dish quite regularly. Also you do not really need to make any curry when you make pulao, it is best eaten with raita.
Pulao is made in various ways in different households. Few ingredients can differ here and there, however the basic remains the same.
Here's the recipe I follow.


Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Water - 4 cups
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 or 2
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Cloves - 2-3
• Black Cardamom - 1
• Star Anise - 1
• Black Peppercorns - 3-5
• Onion - 1 medium
• Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup or adjust to preferance
• Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Pulao Masala - 1 tsp (optional )
• Salt -to taste

Mixed Vegetables ( my choice )- green beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, sweet corn. You can add paneer cubes also.

However, the above mentioned list is just my choice, there are other vegetables you can add if you like too like bell pepper, mushrooms etc. 

Directions: 

• Soak basmati rice for half an hour , drain and keep aside.
• In a big heavy bottomed pot, heat oil. 
• Add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, peppercorns and cumin seeds.
• Add sliced onions and saute till translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.
• Add all the powders like cumin , coriander, pulao masala. You can add a pinch of turmeric powder if you like it to be yellow in color.
• Add all the vegetables ( sliced or cubed ) and fry them for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add rice which has been soaked and drained. Fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add hot water , salt and cook it covered, stirring a couple of times in between. Don't stir too many times.
• Turn off the flame when the rice is almost cooked. Keep is covered, it will get cooked completely by the steam.
• Mix it very gently making sure not to break the rice grains.
• Serve with any raita of your choice.

If you are making in the rice cooker, soak the rice in the cooker bowl. Do the points 2 to 7 and add that vegetable and spice mix to the rice in cooker pot , add salt  and mix. Cover the cooker and turn it on.

I do not add chillies to the pulao to avoid confusing chillies for green beans. Instead, I make my raita spicy and add chillies to it.

You can add saffron mix or artificial food color to add some more color to the pulao. Food Color is totally optional , please avoid if you do not like anything artificial :)