(Fragrant Basmati rice cooked with fresh Fenugreek Leaves, fresh Pigeon Peas, Whole Spices and Coconut Milk)
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Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Inspiration: MahanandiIngredients:
2½ cups Basmati Rice, washed & soaked in water for 20 mins and drained
2 packed cups Fresh Fenugreek Leaves
1 cup Toor Lilva/Fresh Pigeon Peas (Original recipe uses Green Peas)
1 large Red Onion, roughly chopped or sliced
3-4 Green Chillies, slit (adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
½ cup Coconut Milk, fresh/canned
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves, lightly crushed
4 green Cardamoms, bruised
2 Bay Leaves
5-8 Black Peppercorns, crushed
½ tbsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp Ghee (no Oil please!)
Few Cashews, roasted to golden in little Ghee
Salt to taste
Add cumin seeds and stir
well. Once it starts to crackle, add onion, ginger-garlic paste and
green chillies and sauté till onions turn translucent, about 2 mins.
Mix in fresh fenugreek leaves and stir fry till the leaves starts to
wilt, about 2 minutes.
Now you can either proceed to cook in thick
bottomed vessel or pressure cooker or microwave oven. I usually cook
rice in microwave or pressure cooker.
To cook in thick bottomed
vessel, mix in rice and sauté for a minute or two till every grain is
coated with ghee. Add lilva along with salt to taste and water (about
4½ cups). Cover the lid and simmer the heat and let it cook undisturbed
for 20 minutes.
To cook in pressure cooker, mix in rice and sauté
for a minute or two till every grain is coated with ghee. Add lilva
along with salt to taste and water (about 4-4½ cups). Cover the lid,
place the pressure cooker weight and reduce the heat to medium. Let it
cook for 15-17 minutes or 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure cooker cool
little and release the pressure completely before you open the lid.
To
cook in microwave, transfer the contents from pan to microwave safe
dish. To this add basmati rice, coconut milk, lilva and salt to taste.
Next add water (about 4 cups should be enough) and mix well. Close the
lid and cook it in microwave for 18-20 minutes. Once cooked, let it
cool a little before you proceed to mix the rice. This way you will get
perfectly cooked rice.
Once the rice is cooked thoroughly, gently
mix roasted cashews. Serve this delicious bowl of Methi-Lilva Pulao
with any spicy Curry of your choice or plain yogurt/raita and enjoy.
Most of the points used in this article are taken from the Maharishi Ayurveda news letter.