Aarsis Ultimate Pea Pulao Recipes

PEA AND PEANUT PULAO WITH PICKLED BEET RAITA

Steps:

• Put the rice in a strainer and rinse under cool water three or four times, until the water runs clear. Place the strainer in a bowl of water and let the rice soak, about 20 minutes. Drain the rice well.
• Meanwhile, warm the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin, cardamom and bay leaf and cook until the spices sizzle and become aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the drained rice to the pot. Cook until the water evaporates from the rice grains and you can hear a gentle snap, crackle and pop, 1 to 2 minutes. (The rice will smell ever so slightly nutty.) Pour in 1 3/4 cups hot water and season with a big pinch of salt. Cover the pot, turn down the heat to low and cook 15 minutes. (Don't take the lid off while cooking!)
• Meanwhile, pour the peas into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water and microwave 2 minutes. Set aside. Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Place a clean kitchen towel over the top and pop the lid back on. If the rice felt a little wet when you fluffed it, return the pot to the burner for 3 to 5 minutes -t he residual heat will cook off the excess water. If the rice felt pretty good, let the pot sit off the heat, undisturbed, 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and kitchen towel from the rice. Sprinkle with the peas, peanuts and mint. Squeeze the lemon wedge on top and season with a little more salt; stir well with a fork. Serve with the raita.
• Combine the yogurt, beets, cucumber, pomegranate seeds and mint in a bowl. Season with a big pinch of salt, the cumin and black lime. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

TOMATO, SCALLION, AND PEANUT PULAO (PILAF)

Steps:

• Wash the rice. This is one of the most crucial steps in creating a delicate pulao, where each grain of rice is separate from the other. Pour the rice into a large bowl and fill with fresh water. Gently wash the rice, running your hand through the rice without breaking the grains. The water will go smoky. Pour off the water and fill the bowl again. Wash, drain, and repeat 3 or 4 times until the water runs clear. By washing the rice in this way, you've just removed the excess starch from the rice so the grains won't stick together.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil until it's shimmering, but not smoking. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves - they should sizzle as they hit the oil. Saute gently until their woodsy aromas waft up into your nostrils.
• Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and the chopped scallions and saute 1 minute or so until they soften.
• Add the rice to the pot, season with salt, and saute gently until the grains aren't sticking together anymore and the rice turns translucent, about 2 minutes. You should also start to smell the basmati's gentle aroma. This smell always reminds me of my mum!
• Add the can of tomatoes and stir. Cook about 2 minutes to get rid of some of the excess liquid.
• Add the water and salt and turn the heat up so that the contents of the pot come to a boil. Then turn the heat down as low as it can go, put a lid on it, and cook for 15 minutes. Don't take the lid off at all during this process! Once the 15 minutes are over, resist the temptation to take the lid off again. Let it sit 5 minutes off heat. This will steam the rice and give you a nice, fluffy pulao.
• Finish with a flourish of peanuts and a sprinkling of the scallion greens and serve.
• Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.
• Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

BLACK-EYED PEAS PULAO

Steps:

• Pour the rice into a large bowl and wash in plenty of water, swirling the rice with your hand. The water should go cloudy. Drain, and wash again in fresh water. Repeat this process until the water runs clear (4 to 5 times). Fill the bowl with fresh water and let the rice soak about 30 minutes (this will give you nice long, delicate grains of rice). Drain, reserving 2 cups of the water for later. The grains should have fattened up a bit and turned opaque.
• In a small heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat, add the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted and the foam has subsided, add the cumin seeds. They should sizzle when they hit the fat! Once the cumin seeds have darkened, add the asfoetida powder (this is an Indian trick said to prevent the less desirable after effects of the beans!). Stir, and then add the onions, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves. Sprinkle with a touch of salt to draw out some of the onion's moisture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Fresno chile and saute for 30 seconds.
• Add the rice - as soon as it hits the fat, it will release its loamy fragrance into your kitchen. Sheer bliss! Stir gently, because the grains are pretty fragile at this point. Cook, stirring frequently but gently, until the grains turn translucent again and don't clump together, 2 to 3 minutes. Each grain should be its own emancipated self!
• Add the black-eyed peas, water and salt. Bring to a full boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the rice is cooked and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover and allow to steam 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve!

PEA PULAO

Steps:

• Wash the Basmati rice well in running water and keep aside to soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place rice in a fine sieve to allow excess water to drain.
• Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. When it is hot, add the onions and cook until soft.
• Add the peas and stir well. Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the 3 cups of water, turmeric and salt to the rice mixture, and set it up to boil over a medium flame.
• Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the flame to a simmer and cover the pan. Cook until the water seems to have almost disappeared (tiny holes will form on the surface of the rice).
• Pour the 1/2 cup of warm water over the top of the rice, and cover the pan again. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes, and then turn off the fire.
• Allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes and serve hot.

AARSI'S ULTIMATE CABBAGE AND PEAS

Steps:

• 1) Cut Cabbage length wise in to thin strips and discard the inner hard part and white stems as shown in the video. Rinse with fresh water and set aside to drain.
• 2) In a pan, heat oil; add cumin seeds, turmeric powder and asafetida. Once they start splattering, add the green peas and cabbage.
• 3) Add coriander powder, garam masala and red chili powder. Mix to combine and let this cook for fifteen minutes on medium low heat. Stir regularly.
• 4) Taste the cabbage to see of its fully cooked. It should be slightly crunchy.
• 5) When cabbage is soft and translucent, add salt along with a tbsp of water. Mix to combine and cook for a four minutes. Water will help lift all the flavors stuck at the bottom of the pan.
• 6) Taste again to check the level of salt.
• Tips:.
• 1) Using frozen peas is important to avoid extra moisture. Thawing them under hot water will result in a runny dish.
• 2) Using extra virgin olive oil will overpower the authentic flavor of this dish.
• 3) You can also add diced potatoes to this.
• 4) Serves as great burrito or grill sandwich filling.
• 5) Wonderful as a salad too!

CASHEW NUT AND PEA PULAO

Steps:

• Heat the ghee or vegetable oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds. Whey they start to sputter, add the cumin seeds, peanuts, cashew nuts, peas curry leaves and turmeric. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and fry carefully until the grains are well coated in oil. Add the water and salt, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Garnish with the shredded coconut and coriander and set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

AARSI'S ULTIMATE PEA PULAO

Steps:

• Method:.
• Wash and soak the rice for half hour. In a pan, heat ghee and add asafetida, cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves and black pepper kernels, cashews and raisins. Now add water, along with coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder and salt. Place a lid and let the broth come up to a boil. Now add rice and peas. Stir and place the lid back. Rice should be ready in 10-12 minutes. Do not stir often to avoid breaking of rice. Serve with Raita or Mint Chutney!
• Tips:.
• Do not over/under soak the rice Always take one part rice to two parts water for perfect rice cooking.