Methi Pulao - வெந்தயக் கீரை சாதம் - Step by step

   Methi is a medicional plant, with so many health benefits. It helps to control sugar level in our blood. So try to infuse this leaves in your cooking . Today I tried methi pulao, which is very healthy and flavourfull.I have to bluff to Rohith this is spinach rice. He was happy to have .Ashwath as usual, messed the rice on his plate,with 4 or 5 servings into his tummy. Yes , he is going to be 2 and wants to eat on his own.

    I am just fiddling along with my new SLR settings. So kindly bear with my pictures. Will surely try to master with the manual mode.

 

Ingredients:

1.Basmati rice   -    1 cup

2.Methi leaves   -    1 cup or a fistfull

3.Coconut milk  -    2 cups

4.Onion              -    1 (thinly sliced)

5.Green chillies  -    2

6. Cinnamon sticks -  1/2 inch

7.Cloves               -     2

8.Brinji leaf          -     2

9.Fennel seeds      -     1/2 tsp

10.Oil                   -      2 tbsp.

11.Ghee                -      1 tbsp.

12.Salt                   -      as needed

13.Cilantro leaves -      for ganishing 

14.Cashews           -      few

15.Ginger garlic paste -   1/2 tsp

16.Garam masama pwdr -  1/4 tsp

 

 

Method:

*Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the rice over a colander for 20 minutes. Separate the leaves of the methi and wash it thoroughly.Take a bowl, add little salt and mix the methi leaves with it. Leave it for 5 minutes. This way the bitterness of the methi leaves may go.

 

*Take a pan or a dutch oven like mine. Add ghee and fry the cahsews till golden brown. Take the cashews and keep it aside.

* With the ghee, add oil and temper with the whole garam masalas.

* Add thinly sliced onions and green chillies. Sprinkle salt to the onion to cook fast.

* Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté it well. Make sure don't burn the ginger and garlic paste, then it will taste bitter.

* Now squeeze the water from the methi leaves and add it to the pan. Give it a stir.The leaves should wilt.

* Once the leaves lost its moisture, add the garam masala pwdr and mix.

* Add the soaked and drained rice to the pan. Slightly fry it .Take care not to break the rice.

* Add the coconut milk to the pan .Adjust salt to taste.

* Cover and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. If you are going to use pressure cooker, then cook the rice for a whistle and lower the flame ,keep in dhum for 15 minutes. My dutch oven took 18 minutes to cook the rice. Once the rice is cooked, I turned the flame off and kept the dutch oven unopened. This will help the rice to get separated.

* The rice will look like this, after keeping in dhum. Garnish with fried nuts and chopped cilantro.

Notes:
* There will be slight bitterness in the rice, which is not that noticeable.
* Adding coconut milk is optional, we can replace it with water also.
* If we want, we can also add some chilli pwdr to the rice.
* We can also add some lemon juice to the rice.