This simple green pea pulao, matar pulao, features rice simmered in stock with bursts of flavour from the green peas.
My grandmother recorded this recipe as coming from Rajasthan, but it is common throughout India, particularly where there was a Mughal influence.
Given its simplicity, it is an ideal accompaniment to many of the meat or poultry recipes in this book. It is not much harder to prepare than a simple rice dish and adds no more cooking time.
This is the way we usually do rice at home, unless it is to accompany something complex, when we would just do plain rice.
For this recipe, we suggest using sella rice, a parboiled basmati rice. It is readily available from Indian grocers.
You could well replace the peas with almost any single vegetable of choice, provided you consider the size, texture, and density of the vegetable. Carrot, diced into pea-sized pieces, works well. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, do not. If you want to mix vegetables then you are heading down the path of a vegetable pulao, a more complex dish.
This is a simple family dish. Easily prepared and suitable for most meals.
the recipe
equipment
- large bowl
- deep pot with lid
ingredients
- 400 g sella rice - see notes
for cooking
- 2 tbsp gingelly oil
- 5 cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- ½ stick cassia
- 3 green cardamom pods - broken open
- 1 indian bay leaf
- 1 red onion - chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tomatoes - chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 75 g green peas
- 850 ml water
instructions
- Place the rice in a large bowl and rinse it in cold water, using your hand to stir it thoroughly. Discard the water and repeat this step twice more to remove any excess starch. Note that after the third rinse that the water will not be clear but will be noticeably less cloudy than after the first rinse.
- Drain the rice, then cover with luke-warm water. Soak for one hour.
to cook
- Heat the pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil, and when hot, add the cloves, black peppercorns, cassia, cardamom pods and the bay leaf. Fry for about one minute, until the spices start to sizzle.
- Add the onion, sprinkle with the salt and fry, stirring frequently, for ten minutes or until the onion is turning golden brown.
- Increase the heat to medium, then add the tomatoes and turmeric to the pan. Mix well and fry, stirring frequently, for five minutes. You want the tomatoes to soften and to see the oil separating from the masala.
- Drain the rice and add to the masala. Mix well, and fry, stirring continuously, for two minutes. The grains of rice will start to look translucent and will be well coated with the masala and oil.
- Add the greens peas and mix well.
- Add the water and very gently mix. Bring to the boil, mix again, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid or heat and steam will escape.
- Remove the pot from the heat and gently fluff the pulao with a fork. Cover the pot with a tea towel and replace the lid. Stand for another ten minutes.
to serve
- Transfer to serving dish by inverting the pot and serve.
notes
private notes
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