It’s a Monday, still a holiday, because it’s Columbus Day!! I feel such long weekends come with plenty of time. Because all things get done by the weekend and you get a free Monday, which is just yours. So I decided to make my whole day cookilicious. But before heading to the kitchen, I video called at my home in India, as I had more than regular time today to gossip with my mommy! Luckily baba was home and he told me that how he misses my recipes. Specially the pulao/ pilaf. He was teasing my mom that when his daughter was home, he never had the same dish twice in a month. So my mummy teased him, ask her to blog her recipes and I will make them for you. What a motivation to execute my holiday plan! So today I decided that I will blog most of my recipes. Because, although there are ample of recipes on Internet for a single dish, everybody has their own way of preparing it. Then why not write them down your own way? So, I am starting with a recipe, which my baba misses the most, and which is a regular at my home.

Veggie pulao is a simple and quick recipe yet rich in look and taste. For this, we simply steam basmati rice with spices and veggies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mixed vegetables (Green peas, French beans, carrots, cauliflower etc)
• 1 cup rice
• 1/3^rd cup chopped onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 2 inches cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 5 peppercorns
• 4 green chilies
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 inches ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used coconut oil)
• Salt as per taste

Procedure: 

• First rinse rice well in water and then soak for 15 minutes.
• Crush ginger, garlic and chili together in a mortar & pestle.
• Heat oil in a pot and add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and peppercorns. Sauté till the spices release their aroma.
• Add crushed ginger-garlic & chilies.
• Now add onion and sauté till it becomes translucent.
• Add vegetables and mint and sauté for a minute or so.
• Add one and half cup of water and bring to boil. Once water starts boiling, add soaked rice and keep a lid on the pot.
• Cook till rice is done and serve with salad.