Matar Pulao

Matar pulao is light and quick to prepare and truly delicious. I often serve it with raita, shami kebabs and salad and on Eid it's a must have lunch with a succulent chicken chargha or tandori chicken....

Ingredients:

500 gm rice (soaked for 20 minutes)

1 ½ cups matar (Peas)

¼ cup oil

2 medium onions thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes finely chopped

1 tsp garlic paste (mixed in ¼ cups of water)

1 tbsp Cumin Seeds

8-10 black peppercorns

4-5 cloves

2 black cardamoms

1 inch piece of cinnamon

1 Bay leaf

 ½ tsp red chili powder/crushed red chilies

Salt (to taste)

Method:

1)      Take a large pan and heat oil, (keeping in mind that the rice will double after cooking, plus chick peas are also added so you will need to have enough space in the pan), add onion and fry till they get slightly brown.

2)      Add in the garlic paste (be careful as the water we added in garlic paste tend to splutter), fry it for a minute or two and add chopped tomatoes, cumin seeds, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and chili powder.  Fry for some time. Add the peas and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3)      Now add 3 cups of water and salt, Let the water boil and taste the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness to be a bit more than you want, but don’t add too much.

4)      Once the water starts to boil add the rice (remember to drain the rice first).  Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every now and then, and then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking covered until the water is almost evaporated, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly.

5)      Once there is very little water left in the rice, and you can see a few bubbles forming reduce the heat to as low as possible, and cover the pan by using a tight lid (or kitchen towel and placing it over the pan then placing a lid on top of it). Cook on low heat, till the water gets absorbed and rice done, for about 10-15 minutes. Switch off the flame and Serve hot with raita, salad and kebabs or chicken chargha.