Basmati rice 1 cup Bay leaf 1 Cardamom 1 Paneer cubes 1/2 cup Green peas a handful (optional) Capsicum 1/2 Onion 1 Cumin powder| jeera powder 1/2 tsp Garam masala 1/4 tsp Chaat masala or tandoori masala 2 pinches Salt to taste Oil 1 tbslp + 1 tsp Lemon juice few drops To roast and grind Onion 1 Green chili 1-2 Garlic 4 pods Fresh cream 1 tblsp or Cashew nuts 7 Kasoori methi 1 tsp Mint leaves one handful Coriander leaves little Oil 3 tsp
Wash and soak the basmati rice in 1 cup of water. Keep the ingredients given under the table “to roast and grind”
Cut the onions roughly and peel the skin of the garlic. Roughly chop the mint and coriander leaves. In a pan add 3 tsp of oil and add the roughly chopped onions,green chili, garlic pods and cashew nuts (if using fresh cream add while grinding) Cook in a medium low flame till the onions turns nice golden brown. This is the main key in the recipe. Ensure that the onions should be nicely browned, be careful not to get it burnt.
Add the roughly chopped mint and coriander leaves and switch off the flame after a minute. Add the kasoori methi too.
Allow this to cool completely. Grind this into a fine paste. If adding fresh cream add it now. If you need water while grinding add 1-2 tblsp from the water which we soaked the rice.
In a pressure cooker add 1 tblsp of oil and add the cardamom and bay leaf. You can add cinnamon, clove and star anise too. Add the ground paste to this and cook in a low flame for 2 minutes.
Now add the paneer cubes and add the cumin powder, salt and garam masala. If adding green peas add now.
Mix well and add the soaked rice. Keep the water aside. Cook the rice for a minute and add the water. Add the lemon juice to this.
Cover the pressure cooker and cook this till one whistle. After that keep it in a very low flmae for 5 minutes and switch it off. While the rice is getting cooked chop 1 onion and the capsicum into cubes.
In a pan add 1 tsp of oil and the cubed capsicums and onions. Add a dash of salt and the tandoori masala or chaat masala. Cook till the onions become nice golden colour. This is also a highlight of this pulao. So do not skip this step.
Open the cooker and add the roasted onions and capsicum. Mix well .
Hara bara pulao is ready to serve.
Serve this pulao with any raitha of your choice. We had with onion raitha.
Thank you very very much.
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