This easy one-pot rice dish is a great accompaniment to curry (such as this Low-Fat Butter Chicken) or can be enjoyed with plain yogurt for a light meal. Good quality basmati rice (I use this brand) is the key to this perfect fluffy, aromatic rice dish.
Fat Free Matar Pulao
Ingredients
- 2 cups Uncooked Basmati rice
- 2 cups Frozen peas (or frozen mixed vegetables for vegetable pulao)
- 1 spray Olive or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 2 Green cardaom pods
- 2 Whole cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Black cardamom
- 1 Star anise
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 3 cups Hot water
- 1 tsp Salt (or per taste)
Instructions
- Place the rice in a sieve and wash under a cold tap until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in the sieve.
- In a medium bowl, soak the frozen peas (or vegetables) in tap water for 2-5 minutes to partially thaw them. Stir the water after a minute to make sure the water hasn't turned to a thin layer of ice. You may have to drain and refill with tap water if that happens.
- While the peas thaw, spritz a large pot with olive or avocado oil and heat the pot on Medium-high heat. Crush the whole spices in a mortar and pestle to break them a little (do not crush them into a powder). Once hot, add the cumin seeds and the lightly crushed whole spices to the pot.
- As the cumin starts to splatter, add the turmeric, stir in the rice, and saute for about a minute until the rice turns bright white.
- Now add hot water to the pot and bring it to a boil. When it starts bubbling, drain the peas (or vegetables) and stir them into the pot, add a teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until the rice is cooked.
