A note if you choose to not use a pressure cooker:

Pre- cooked rice will not blend well with the ground masala without taking an additional step.

Place the mixture in an oven proof casserole covered with foil.  Poke a few holes in it.  Broil with low heat in the oven for 10 minutes or until you get a nice aroma.  This creates a partial ‘Dumm‘ effect.  ‘Dumm’ means cooking with trapped steam on a low flame. Dumm  avoids the need of excess water and helps the spices fully penetrate into meat, rice or vegetables.

Kale Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients

• Rice – 1 cup Basmati rice, washed  and drained.
• Onion – 1/2, chopped into small thin long slivers and halved.
• Potato – 2 small , diced.
• Carrot – 1 ,chopped into small thin triangle pieces.
• Kale – Bunch, washed thoroughly and finely chopped.
• Frozen/  fresh Peas – 1/2 cup.
• Oil/ Ghee –  2 tbsp.
• turmeric – 1 tsp.
• Salt – to taste.
• Hot water – 2 cups.

  Seasoning

• Star Anise – 2
• Cinnamon – 1 small sticks
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cardamom – 3
• Cashew nuts – 4 , broken into small pieces.

  Ground Pulao Masala

Grind the below ingredients into a fine paste with a 1/4 cup water.

• Shredded fresh / frozen coconut – 1 tbsp.
• Cloves – 3
• Cinnamon stick -1 small piece
• fresh mint -1 cup, washed and thoroughly drained.
• cilantro -1 cup, washed and thoroughly drained. coarsely chopped.
• Green chilie -1 (optional), cut into small pieces.
• Garam masala – 1 tsp.
• red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp
• Onion – 1/4 piece, sliced
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Garlic – 2 cloves

Alternative to the Ground paste you can use 1 tbsp of Biryani masala powder.

Method

1. Heat oil/ ghee in a pressure cooker or a regular pan if not using a pressure cooker,
2. Add bay leaf, Star Anise, cinnamon and  cardamom  to the heated oil/ ghee.
3. When the spices give out an aroma add cashew nuts and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add onion and sauté till it turns transparent.
5. Add Kale and sauté until Kale is tender.
6. Add carrot, potato and peas sauté for 5 minutes.
7. Add rice and sauté for 5 minutes. (skip this step if using pre cooked rice without the pressure cooker)
8. Add salt and ground pulao masala/ Biryani masala powder, mix well.
9. Add 2 cups of hot water.  Mix the contents and place the pressure pan lid.  When steam blows out of the cooker place the whistle.
10. Let the pulao cook for 15 minutes or when the whistle blows 1 time.

If you’re not using a pressure cooker, ignore steps 7,9 and 10. Add the contents into pre cooked rice and allow them to meld as per the note in the side column.

*When the cooker cools the Pulao is ready to be served with raita or vegetable gravy.

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