Tomato and Peas Pulao

                           Wish you all a very Happy New Year

Hope everyone is in holiday and new year mood,after a week of baked goodies for the holidays,today I am back with a rice dish.This is yet another colorful rice with the ripe tomatoes and plumpy green peas with the flavor of coconut milk,which is a one pot meal.Its a good option for lunch box with simple raita,potato fry or chips,home made fryums.Now on to the recipe of mildly tangy tomato pulao....

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Basmathi rice	11/4cups
Tomato	5-6nos(medium size)
Green peas(soaked)	1/2cup
Onion(thinly sliced)	2nos.
Ginger&garlic paste	1tbs
Green Chilly	5-6nos.
Chilly powder	1/2tsp
Coriander powder	1/2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4tsp
Thick coconut milk	1cup
Mint leaves	10-15 leaves
Coriander leaves(chopped)	as needed
Salt	to taste
Ghee	1tbs
Oil	1tbs

For seasoning

Ingredient	Quantity
Cloves(lavangam)	4nos.
Cinnamon	2 inch piece
Star anise	2nos.
Fennel seeds(sombhu)	1/2tsp
Cardamom(elakkai)	2nos.

Method

                            Soak the rice for 30 minutes,heat a pressure pan or cooker with oil and ghee,season it with the ingredients given for seasoning.Saute the onion and green chillies with a pinch of salt to transparent then ginger and garlic paste.Now add the mint and tomatoes,cook till mushy.

Add all the powders,salt and stir it for a minute then add the soaked rice,mix it everything gets mixed well.

Now add the coconut milk and 11/2 cups of water,allow it to boil.

Once its boiled add the green peas and coriander leaves,cover it with the lid and keep it in a medium flame for one whistle.Then keep it in the low flame for 5 minutes and turn off the stove.Open the lid after the pressure subsides and gently mix it.

Serve it with raitha or chips.

• Tomatoes can be pureed in the blender and used,ripe tomatoes gives nice color and taste to this recipe.
• Cashews can also be added while sauteing the onions which gives extra rich taste.
• A tsp of lemon juice can be added for extra tangy taste.