Pudina Vegetable Pulao (Mint flavored Vegetable Pilaf) -- (Revisiting Old Recipe)

Blogging Marathon# 45: Week 4/ Day 3
Theme: Revisiting Old Recipes
Dish: Pudina Vegetable Pulao

One problem with blogging regularly is that I am constantly trying out new recipes to post here on the blog and don't usually find time to go back and cook old recipes. Whenever Valli has 'Revisiting recipes' theme for blogging marathon, I make sure to sign up for it so I get a chance to remake the dish and redo the photos.

This Pudina Vegetable Pulao is from my early blogging days way back from 2006 -- more than 8 years back. This was the fanciest rice dish I knew in those days and made it regularly until my pulao & biryani repertoire started growing and this simple one pot meal became a rarity in my house.

I made this dish when I was short of time and wanted to make something really quick with not too many dishes to clean.  I used frozen veggies and cooked the rice in the pressure cooker for a quick and easy one pot meal. I harvested the last of my mint leaves for this season and used it in the dish.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1½ cups (soaked in water for at least ½ hr)
Potatoes – 2 small or 1 medium
Mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas) – ½ cup (I used frozen mixed vegetables)
Onion – 1 medium thinly sliced
Pudina (Mint) – ½ cup
Green chilies – 2-3
Chili powder – ½ tsp
Ginger-garlic paste – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste

Spices:
Cinnamon – 1” stick
Cardamom – 2-3 pods
Bay leaf – 1
Cloves – 2-3

Method:

• Make a paste of mint and green chilies adding very little water. 
• Heat 2tbsp of oil in pressure cooker. Add all the spices and sauté for 1minute. Add onions and ginger-garlic paste fry till translucent. 
• Add all the veggies, mint-chili paste mix well. After the veggies sweat out for about 5 minutes, add rice, chili powder, garam masala, salt and water.
• Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Serve hot with onion raita and chips.

Lets check what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 45.