Vegetable pilaf

From Sangita Desai

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 ½ to 3 cups water
4 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter) – Sangita says you can use as little or much as you’d like
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
½ cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod
1 ½ teaspoon salt (I thought 1 teaspoon was better)
1 cup of mixed vegetables (frozen or fresh)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium potato, sliced
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro for garnish
pinch garam masala and chili powder (optional)

Method

1. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Fry onion and potato until golden brown. Keep aside.
3. In a nonstick pan, heat oil on medium heat.
4. Add cumin seeds and all the whole spices and stir until they start sputtering.
5. Add ginger and garlic and green chilies and stir for a minute.
6. Add the veggies and mix well for some time.
7. Add the rice. Mix well and continue to stir for some time.
8. Add water and salt, mix well.
9. Cover the pan and let cook until rice gets tender. (15-20 minutes)
10. Garnish with fried onion, potato and cilantro.
11. Serve with any vegetable curry, buttermilk, or itself.

Tip

1. You can also add a couple of finely chopped tomatoes to add extra zest to the dish.
2. You can also add beans, raisins, and dry nuts like cashews, almonds, etc.