Spinach Pulao

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice – 1 cup
• Clarified butter or ghee – 1 tsp
• Shahi Jeera or Black cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Finely chopped spinach – 2 cups (fresh or frozen)
• Shredded carrots – 1 cup
• Small onion – 1
• Tomato – 1
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp (1″ ginger and 2 to 3 garlic cloves)
• Frozen peas – 1/4 cup
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
• Aniseed – 1
• Green cardamom – 2
• Bay leaf – 1
• Chili powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water – 1 1/2 cups
• Oil

Method of Preparation:

1. Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes and drain it and let it sit for 3 minutes.
2. Heat oil in pan, add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf.
3. Fry for a minute and add thinly sliced onions and fry till the onions become translucent.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for a minute.
5. Now add spinach, carrot and chopped tomato. Cook for 3 minutes at medium heat.
6. Add peas, salt, chili powder and coriander powder and add little water if required. cook for 3 more minutes and turn off the stove.
7. Heat clarified butter or ghee in another pan, add black cumin seeds and let it splutter.
8. Add soaked and drained basmati rice and fry for a couple of minutes at medium heat till the ghee and cumin seeds coat it well. Remove from heat.
9. Add the spinach gravy and rice to rice cooker or pressure cooker and add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook.
10. If you are using pressure cooker, cook for one whistle.
11. Let it cool and once done add fresh cut coriander before serving
12. Serve hot with raitha.

Raitha:

1. .Beat Yogurt

2. Add cumin powder, salt, one green chilly and raita masala

3. Add coriander