Horse Gram & Brown Rice Veg. Pulao

 

         Check out this healthy and an amazing veg. pulao prepared with Horse Gram and Brown Rice. It is a one pot meal that can be enjoyed with some raita and papad as an accompaniment. The recipe is very simple, easy and takes very little time to dish out. Except for the fact that both the lentils and the brown rice needs to be soaked overnight. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          Horse Gram Lentil (Kulthi / Kollu / Ulavalu) is not too familiar and the name itself may not sound appealing to the ears. But this humble lentil contains an amazing number of nutritional benefits. 

          It is a rich source of protein, calcium, iron, fibre and is also low in fat, relieves constipation and is diabetic friendly. It can also be sprouted and made into salads and soups. 

           Brown rice on the other hand is much better than white rice as it is unpolished and has a lot of fibre content. So this dish is a healthy combo of Horse Gram and Brown Rice. 

• 1/4 cup Horse Gram Lentil, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup Brown rice, soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1" ginger, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 & 1/2 cups chopped mixed veggies (beans, carrot, cauliflower & green peas)
• salt to taste
• handful of coriander & mint leaves, chopped
• 8-10 roasted cashew nuts
• 1 & 1/2 cup hot water
• coriander leaves to garnish 

          Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker. Temper with bay leaves, dry red chilies and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Stir fry till light brown. 

          Now add the tomatoes and all the dry spices (except salt). Mix everything well and cook well till the tomatoes are slightly mashed.

          Add the chopped veggies and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the soaked lentils and rice. Give it a stir and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

          Add the chopped mint-coriander leaves, roasted cashew nuts and salt, followed by hot water.

          Stir well to combine everything well and pressure cook for 2-3 minutes on a low to medium flame. 

          Keep aside for 15 minutes before opening the lid. Fluff it up with a fork and serve with raita and papad as an accompaniment.

Heat ghee & oil in a pressure cooker. Temper with bay leaves, dry red chilies & cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

         Add onion, ginger, garlic & green chilies. Stir fry till light brown. 

             Now add the tomatoes & all the dry spices (except salt). 

       Mix everything well & cook well till the tomatoes are slightly mashed.

                   Add the chopped veggies & sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

 

Add the soaked lentils & rice. Give it a stir & continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

      Add the chopped mint-coriander leaves, roasted cashew nuts & salt, 

           followed by hot water. Stir well to combine everything well.

Pressure cook for 2-3 minutes on a low to medium flame. Keep aside for 15 minutes before opening the lid. Then fluff it up with a fork.

                   Serve with raita and papad as an accompaniment.

Prawn Pulao

          Prawn Pulao is an easy and a delicious one-pot meal that can be dished out in a jiffy. It is a combination of prawns, rice, saffron milk and all the other essential spices. In this version of mine, I added some potatoes too, for a wholesome meal to be relished with raita. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 250 gms. prawns, deveined & cleaned
• 1 potato, cubed
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. ghee or as preferred
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2" cinnamon stick
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 6-7 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 2 pathar ke phool
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp. ginger, sliced
• 3-4 green chilies, slit
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup water
• a pinch of saffron
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• handful of coriander-mint leaves
• 2 tbsp. fried onions

          Soak the saffron in the milk and keep aside. Marinate the potatoes & prawns separately with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes. 

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil & fry the potatoes and prawns separately till light brown. Drain them and keep aside.

          Add the ghee to the pan and temper with cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, star anise and pathar ke phool.

          Saute for a few seconds and then add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Fry on a medium flame till light brown.

          Now add all the dry spices (except salt) and saute well. Add the rice and continue to stir fry for 2 minutes.

          Then add the fried potatoes, fried prawns, saffron milk, water, fried onions, salt and chopped coriander-mint leaves.

          Transfer to a vessel and pressure cook for 2 whistles. When it cools down a little, fluff it up with a fork and serve with raita.







Note - 
1. You can directly do in a pressure cooker. As the quantity of rice was less and my cooker was too large, I preferred to cook in a vessel.

                 Marinate potatoes & prawns separately with a pinch of salt & turmeric 
                 powder for 10 min. Heat 2 tbsp. oil & fry potatoes & prawns separately
                 till light brown. Drain them & keep aside. 

                 Add ghee & temper with cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, star anise
                 & pathar ke phool.

                   Sauté few seconds & add onion, garlic, ginger & green chilies. Fry on 
                   medium flame till light brown.

                                Add all the dry spices (except salt) & sauté well. 

                                Add rice & continue to stir fry for 2 minutes.

                                 Transfer to a vessel.

                                 Add fried potatoes, fried prawns, saffron milk, water.....

                                 Also add fried onions, salt & chopped coriander-mint leaves.

                                  Pressure cook for 2 whistles. 

                                 When it cools down a little, fluff it up with a fork.

                                 Serve with raita.