Pudina Pulao

Lunch at my place is Pudina Pulao and papad.....my kids love it!

Ingredients
Onion - 1 big (keep 1/2 for grinding)
Tomatoes - 1
Carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, capsicum - any combo - 1 cup cut vegetables
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup
Cumin- 1 tsp
Bayleaf - 2
Cloves - 4
Salt, Chilli powder(add little only) & Garam masala to taste

Grind to a paste
Onion - 1/2
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1inch
Green chilli - 1 small
Mint - 1 handfull
Poppyseeds - 1tsp
Cashewnut - 1tsp
Coriander - little

Method
In a deep pan, add 1 tbsp butter or ghee. Fry the spices (cumin, bayleaf & cloves) for a min. Add 1/2 cut onion and fry until transparent. Add capsicum (if required) at this stage and fry for another 3 to 4 mins. Then add tomatoes, ground paste and chilli powder, salt, garam masala. Fry for 5 mins.

Now add the vegetables, 1/2 cup water and simmer covered for 10 mins.

When vegetables are half cooked, add the basmati rice and cook closed for 5 mins. Let the rice soak all the masala.

Now add the balance 11/2 cup water and 1/4 cup coconut milk and cook with closed lid on low heat until all water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Keep closed (dum pakana) until it is served.

Serve after 15 mins with Raita or papad!