A vegetable pulao that will give any mutton biriani a run for its money.

Basmati rice - 3 cups
Slices bread - 4
Cubed vegetables - 4 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cloves - 10
Green cardamoms - 6
Small stick cinnamon - 4
Salt - 2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Tomatoes chopped - 6

Grind together

Almonds - 20
Cloves garlic - 10
Grated ginger - 2 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoon
Aniseeds - 1 tablespoon
Mint leaves - 10 – 12
Bunch green coriander - 1

Wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Drain. Spread on a try to dry.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut into cubes. Deep fry in oil till golden. Remove on a paper so the extra oil can drain. Reserve.

Vegetables include cauliflower, french beans, carrot and peas. You may add any vegetable of your choice.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a thick bottomed degchi. Season with the whole garam masala, slightly bruised. When they turn a shade darker, add the rice; fry till it looks parched. Add hot water, double the amount of rice and 13/4 tablespoon. Salt. Cover and cook on a low heat till the rice is done and the water evaporated. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a karahi and add the vegatables. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add a little salt. Cover and cook over a low heat till done. Do not add water. The vegetables will cook in its own juice.

Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a pan and fry the onions till a light brown. Add the green chilli, saute a bit, add the ground masala and chilli paste. Stir fry till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy and well mixed with the masala.

Mix the vegetables into the masala and stir till the masala coats the vegetables. Add to the rice. Toss gently till everything is uniformly mixed.

Serve hot garnished with fried bread crontons. All it needs is a raita to complete the meal.

Just let your guests taste this. You’ll be flooded with requests for the recipe.

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts - 2 tablespoon
Raisin - 2 tablespoon
Udad dal - 1/2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 8 – 10
Cloves - 4
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Green Cardamoms - 4
Dry red chillies, broken - 4
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Salt - 11/2 tablespoon

Pick, wash and soak rice for half an hour. Heat the ghee and lightly fry the cashes and raisins. Remove and reserve.

Heat the same ghee in a non – stick degchi. Add the udad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, whole garam masala, broken red chillies and coconut, fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and fry for another few minutes till the rice is well coated with ghee.

Heat the milk and add to the rice along with the salt. Cover when it comes to a boil. When the water reaches the level of the rice and you find holes appearing on the surface, lower heat and put on a tawa underneath. Cook till the rice is done.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve hot garnished with fried cashewnuts and raisins. Serve with a raita.

Ingredients
Rice – 1 cup
Large coconut – 1
Refined oil – 3 tbsp
Large onion, chopped – 1
Green cardamoms – 4
Cloves – 2
Stick cinnamon – 1
Pepper corns a spring of curry leaves – 10
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hard boiled eggs – 2
Method:
Wash and drain the rice. Grate the coconut and extract. 1 cup thick and 1 cup thin and 1 cup thin coconut milk. Finely chop the onion.
Heat the oil in a strong dechi and saute the onion till a light brown. Add pepper corns, cardamoms, cloves and curry leaves and fry lightly. Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes.
Add both the extractions of the coconut milk, heated, turmeric and salt and bring to a boil on high heat.
Cover and reduce heat. Cook till all the moisture is absorbed and the rice done. Fluff up gently with a fork and serve.
Garnish with sliced hardboiled eggs.

Ingredients
Tomatoes – 2
Onions – 2
Finely chopped spinach – 1 cup
Refined oil – 2 tbsp
Ginger – garlic paste – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Cooked rice – 3 cups
Grated cheese – 2 tbsp

Method:
Finely chop the tomatoes and onions. Steam the spinach. Mix the spinach with 1 tbsp. oil, salt, pepper and ginger – green chilli paste.
Mix the rice with most of the tomato, onion, salt and remaining oil.
Grase a round ovenproof dish. Spread one part rice on it. Top with half the spinach mixture. Do likewise once more. Lastly garnish with the remaining finely chopped tomato, onion and grated cheese.
Bake in an oven preheated to 200 degree C / 400 degree F for 20 -25 minutes.
Unmouls and serve hot witha salad.

Ingredients
basmati rice – 1 cup
cream – 1/2 cup
milk – 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Vegetable mix:
oil – 2 tbsp
capsicum, finely chopped – 1 large
onion, finely chopped – 1 large
tomato puree – 1 cup
tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp
Salt, pepper and red chilli powder to taste
ajwain – 1/2 tsp
mixed vegetables like – 2 cups

Method:
Peas, carrot, cauliflower, french beans, all diced small 2 cubes cheese greated for topping.
Pick, wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Boil in enough water and cook till just done. Strain, set aside.
Vegetables:
Heat the oil in a karahi. Fry onion and capsicum till soft. Add tomato puree alongwith the other ingredients except cheese. Cook, covered for 5 minutes.
Grease a baking dish. Spread half the rice. Top half the vegetable mix over it. Repeat once more. Cover with the cheese.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degree C / 360 degree F for 20 minutes.
Variation:
Spinch puree may be mixed with the rice.

Ingredients
Refined oil – 1/2 cup
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Chopped spring onion – 1/2 cup
Capsicum, chopped – 1
Peas, cooked – 1/2 cup
Boiled corn kernels – 1/4
Boiled rajma – 1/ 2 cup
Medium tomato, diced – 1
Cooked rice – 3
Diced pineapple – 1 cup
Soyabean sauce – 1 tbsp
Fish sauce – 11/2 tbsp
Salt and pepper – to taste
Palm sugar or brown sugar – 1 tbsp.

Method:
Heat the oil in a karahi. When hot add the ginger garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
Add spring onion, capsicum and peas and fry, stirring constantly. Add the corn, rajma and stir – fry. Add tomatoes and pineapple and stir for a minute.
Now, stir in the rice, soya sauce, fish sauce, salt pepper and sugar. Stir to mix well. The rice should be well coated with the sauces.
Serve hot.

Ingredients
aubergines – 4 large
olive oil or refined oil – 4 large
onions, chopped – 2 large
cloves garlic, crushed – 4
celery sticks, chopped (optional) – 6
mushrooms, chopped – 200 gm
peas, boiled – 100 gm
brown rice, cooked – 12 tbsp
wahnuts, ground – 100 gm
tomato puree – 5 tbsp
chopped parsley or coriander leaves – 4 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste,
grated cheese – 150 gm

Method:
Prick the aubergines all over, cut in half and place cut side down on a grased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven at 190 degree C / 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in pan, add the onion and fry until softened. Add the garlic and celery and fry till soft for 5 minutes. Add peas, mushrooms and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in rice, walnuts, tomato puree, parsley and seasonings. Turn off heat.
Scoop the flesh from the aubergines, without breaking the skins; chop finely and mix with the fried mixture. Pile back into the aubergine skins; sprinkle with the cheese and place under a preheated grill until heated through. Serve immediately.
Variation:
Instead of cheese, bread crumbs dotted with butter can be used.

Ingredients
A must for any party of mine
basmati rice – 300 gm
1 medium onion, finely sliced
almonds – 15
raisins – 1/4 cup
sultanas – 1/3 cup
cashewnuts – 20
ghee – 1/2 cup
pepper corns – 5
cloves – 4
black cardamoms – 2
bay leaves – 2
pices cinnamon – 2
ginger – garlic paste – 2 tsp
water or stock – 450 ml
brown sugar – 2 tbsp
salt – 11/2 tsp
fresh pomegranate seeds for garnishing

Method:
Pick, wash and soak rice for half an hour. Fry the sliced onion till brown. Take out and drain on a piece of paper.
Fry the dry fruits in a little ghee. Remove. Heat the remaining ghee in a pressure cooker and season with the whole spices. When these turn a shade darker add the ginger – garlic paste and rice. Fry till the rice turns opaque.
Add the water or stock, heated, brown sugar, fried onion, fried dry fruits and salt. Close cooker and cook for one whistle. Let the cooker cook on its own.
Serve the rice on a rice plate garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds.