Corn Pulao

Blogging Marathon# 27: Week 4/ Day 3
Theme: Miscellaneous - Cooking Rice on Stove top
Dish: Corn Pulao/ Pilaf

I made this one pot Corn Pulao for my lunch today. Rice is cooked along with the veggies. There was a time when I tried to cook rice using the open pot method, it would either end up uncooked or burnt at the bottom. I have gotten better over time and now I make decent rice dishes without using the pressure cooker.
This corn rice has both corn kernels and baby corn. It is lightly spiced, so I served it with some tomato raita. It makes for a filling and delicious weeknight meal. Add some paneer or soy chunks or other protein to make this a complete meal. This is another recipe adapted from the Telugu cooking show I have been talking about a lot in my previous posts.

I used frozen corn which is already cooked, but if you are using fresh corn and it is a little tough then boil it first before adding it to rice. Also for the baby corn, I used the ones from the can, if you are using fresh then boil them as well.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Corn Kernels - 1 cup (thawed if frozen)
Baby corn - 1 cup, cut into 1" pieces
Green chilies - 2-3
Cashews - 2tbsp
Ginger + garlic paste - 1tsp
Mint leaves - 1 cup, chopped
Cilantro - 1 cup, chopped
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Cardamom pods - 3
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and keep it hot until ready to use.
• Heat 1tbsp of oil; add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cook until they start to smell fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Next add the chopped onions and green chilies. Cook until onions turn translucent. 
• Add cashews and cook for a minute.
• Then add ginger + garlic paste, cook for another minute. Next add the corn kernels and baby corn. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Time to add the herbs and salt. Mix well and cook until they start to wilt a little bit.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan. Mix gently to coat with the veggie & herb mixture. Now add the hot water, mix well and cook covered on medium-low flame until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Resist the temptation to open the lid before 10 minutes. 
• Gently fluff the rice and serve hot with your favorite side dish. I served with some onion-tomato raita.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 27.