METHI PULAO

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cups, basmati rice
10-15 cashew nuts

1 cup, fresh fenugreek leaves (methi), chopped
7-8 nos, garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large tomato, pureed
1 onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup, thick yoghurt
1/2 tsp, black pepper powder
1-2 green chilies
1 bay leaf
2 inch stick cinnamon
10-12 nos, black peppercorns
½ tsp, garam masala powder
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp, oil
1 tbsp, ghee
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Clean, wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes.
2. Cook rice with the salt and enough water.
3. When rice is 90% done, drain the water completely, keep the rice aside.
4. In Heavy bottom pan, heat oil and ghee and fry onion slices and drain them out and keep aside for garnishing.
5. Now fry cashew nuts as well and drain them out and keep aside for garnishing.
6. Now add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Fry for few seconds.
7. Add chopped garlic and cook till golden brown in color. Add ground tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
8. Add chopped fenugreek leaves and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
9. Add yoghurt, stir continuously until combined well.
10. Add green chilies, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, salt and lemon juice, mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
11. Finally add rice over the masala, cover and simmer (dum) for 15-20 minutes or till done.For this keep the pan on a tava on very low flame or in oven in an oven proof dish at 150* C.
12. Once cooked, very gently give a random mix just once or twice. Do not mix it too much
13. Garnish with fried onions and cashewnuts.
14. Serve hot with raita and chutney of your choice or have it just as it is.