– Cardamom – 4

– Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

– Cloves – 6

1. Soak basmati rice in water for 15-20 mins and then drain the water.

2. In a wide pan, heat some oil and add cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks and cardamom. Saute them for a minute or two. Then, add chopped onions, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste to the pan and saute until the onions are pale brown.

3. Put all the chopped vegetables and cilantro into the pan now and fry them for a few minutes.

4. Add salt, turmeric, red chill powder, yogurt and fry for a few minutes.

5. In a rice cooker, take the soaked rice with about 4+(1/4) cups of water (less than double the amount of rice) and add the vegetable mixture to the rice.

6. Once, the rice is done you can add a few drops of saffron mixed with water and garnish with cilantro.

7. Relish this vegetable pulao with any curry or raita.

Notes/Tips:

– Yogurt is basically added here to bind all the masalas and the vegetables together. It also adds some needed moisture to the pulao.

– Since, the rice was already soaked for about 20 mins and yogurt also added some moisture, the amount of water needed is less than usual double the amount of rice.