Cilantro-Coconut Pulav

One pot meals are always preferred when I wake up late in the morning, since I have to pack lunch box for my husband. They can be made in jiffy and filling too. One more good thing about it is that you can add any vegetables that you like. I mostly use carrots, potatoes, green beans, cauliflower etc., I have a very good chopper that helps me cut vegetables pretty fast in seconds. I had cut some vegetables to make pulav for a potluck party, but since somebody else made rice, I din't have to make it. I preserved those chopped vegetables in the refrigerator and made that pulav today, by adding little cilantro and coconut to add good flavor.

Here is how you make it:

Make into paste:
1 medium size bunch cilantro (kothimeera)
1" piece ginger (allam)
3-4 garlic cloves (velli ulli payalu)
2 green chillies (pachi mirchi)
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

Other Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
1 tsp shah jeera
3 green cardamom (elaichi)
4 -5 cloves (lavangam)
3 pieces cinnamon (dalchini)
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion chopped to medium size
2 -3 medium size carrots chopped into small pieces
2 medium potatoes chopped into small pieces
1 bunch mint (pudina)
1 tbsp Biryani-Pulav masala (any brand of your choice)
Salt as per taste

Wash basmati rice, soak in water and leave it aside until you fry the vegetables. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add all the masala ingredients (shahjeera, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon) and fry for a second. Add the vegetables along with mint leaves and let them get half done on medium flame. Add the grinded masala paste, pulav masala powder and fry for one more minute. Now add rice also and fry for a minute and then add water, salt as required. Cover the pressure cooker and let it cook until 3 whistles and switch off the stove.

Serve it with onion raitha. It tastes great even with out any accompaniment.

This goes to Akila of Learning to Cook for her event Dish name starts with C.