Methi Pulao

methi pulao

                I usually make this Methi Pulao for my kid’s lunch box, so I make this with minimum spices and no ground garam masala is used.  I just use whatever veggies are in stock like potatoes, carrots, green peas and sometimes capsicum too, as my 2 yr. old loves capsicums. Sometimes I use kabuli chana  or paneer  or soya chunks, whatever my 8 yr old chooses to go with. No matter what you use, the aroma and taste of the fresh methi leaves is dominant. if you are interested check my Methi Biryani / Menthaku Biryani , makes a good lunch box meal for adults.

Ingredients

½ cup of rice (soaked for atleast 10 mins)

½ cup of tightly packed fresh methi leaves /  fenugreek leaves

1 tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)

Salt as needed

Oil as needed, (I usually use 1 tbsp or a little more) (I do not use ghee as it hardens the rice once it is cool)

Fistful of green peas (can use any veggies as you desire)

1 small onion

1 green chili (optional)

200 ml water or thin coconut milk(adjust as needed)

Dry spices

1/8 tsp shahi  jeera  or cumin

½ bay leaf

4 cloves

Small cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

1 strand of mace

Small piece of star anise

Few pepper corn or little pepper pow

Method

1.   Soak rice for atleast 10 mins, drain and set aside

2.   Pluck the methi leaves from the stems and rinse in lot of water. I soak for a while for the mud to settle down.

3.   Heat a pan with oil, add spices and sauté for a min

4.   Add onions and fry till they turn translucent. Add carrots and potatoes if using at this stage.

5.   Add ginger garlic paste and fry till you get an aroma. takes around a min
6.   Pour water, add salt. bring the water to a boil

7.   Add the rice and green peas and cook till the rice is ¾ done.

8.   Chop and add methi leaves.mix well. Cover and cook till the rice is fully done. methi leaves do not need long time to cook, so I wish to add at the end, this way the aroma  and nutrients are retained

Variations: if you wish you can use coconut milk for cooking this pulao. you can saute methi leaves seperately in 1 tsp oil and add at step 8, but i find no difference