Nuts n’ Berry Pulao

When I think of pulao, only one thing comes to mind that it is a makeover to a simple rice dish in which it is accessorised with as many ingredients as you can think. A regular rice dish is so humble and versatile that by adding a few other things, it becomes the whole meal in itself like pulao, biryanis or one-pot meals etc.

By adding veggies, meats or nuts it does not only becomes tasty but also colourful which works as an appetizer. All these add the nutritive value to the pulao.

Today when I decided to prepare a veg pulao, I added nuts and berries( as these were left in my pantry in sufficient quantity after baking a nuts’n berry cake)to it and few of these things along with mix veggies took it’s taste to another level. Cranberries, raisins and dried apricots gave it sweet-sour taste n nuts added the crunch to the veg pulao. Let me share the recipe with all of you

Nuts n Berry Pulao

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1 – Long grain basmati rice – 1 cup (250 gms  )Washed and Soaked for 20 minutes

2 – Sufficient water for boiling or 4 cups

3 – Thinly sliced Onion – 1 big sized

4 – Thinly sliced carrot – 1 big sized

5 – Green peas – 1/4 cup

6 – Mixed nuts and berries (cashew, pistachios, raisins, cranberries and dried apricots) 1/2 cups or 125 gms

7 – Milk – half cup

8 – Ghee – 1 tbsp

9 – A few saffron/Kesar strands

10 – Salt – to taste

1 – In a saucepan keep the rice for boiling

In the meantime, pan fry onion and carrot slices till golden brown

2 – Blanch peas and transfer them to cold water so that they do not lose colour

Let the rice boil until 75% or until 1 bite is left

3 – Strain the rice through a sieve and keep aside

4 – Mix milk, ghee and saffron strands and heat them to combine everything

5 – In the same pan in which veggies were fried spread half of the rice as 1st layer

Spread half of cooked veggies and berries n nuts as the 2nd layer

Again rice as a 3rd layer and remaining veggies, berries n nuts as 4th or last layer

6 – Sprinkle milk- ghee mix all over and cover the lid

Cook this pulao at very low flame for more 10 minutes

7 – Switch off the gas and let it remain covered for a few more minutes in its steam

Heavenly tasty veg berry pulao is ready to relish with plain curd or raita