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October 12, 2007

Vegetable Pulao - 5 Star Style and a Me-Me





Home made pulaos. There’s something so homely about them. Despite the masala and the grinding, I just love sitting down for a meal with freshly made pulao in front of me. The 5 star pulao is a different species altogether. Pristine white, picture perfect, with just a few vegetables that add a dash of colour. It is a dish that goes well with just about anything. And that is the catch. I like my food to be one dish meals as long as I am the one making it. When someone else is cooking, I am a different animal.


This is beautiful party dish and I make it for all the parties that I don’t throw and serve it to all my guests who aren’t there. And so as you can see from my photograph, this, too, has become a lunchbox item. Amma loves this pulao and it is thanks to her that I gave it its name. There are those who call this fried rice. Now, to me, fried rice is Chinese and my 5 star pulao is Indian. And I was just telling a friend recently, I still can’t tell the difference between a pulao and a biryani.


This goes very well with dal of any kind, but I packed it with some spicy raita. And I always add as many vegetables as I can. So my pulao isn’t the white picture perfect thing you are served in the buffets of 5 star hotels. It has far less white and more than just a dash of colour.


1 cup Basmati Rice
1 cup Carrot, cut in long pieces
1 cup Beans, cut in long pieces
1 cup Peas
1 tbsp Oil
5 Cloves
2” stick of Cinnamon
3 Cardamoms
1 tsp Peppercorns
Salt to taste



Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and fry for a minute. Add the vegetables and fry for another minute. Add the rice and salt and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 ¾ cup hot water and cook on a slow flame for 1 whistle. When done, fluff the rice a little and serve.




Easy breezy 5 star pulao. If you pack it in your box, and have a microwave at work, make sure to pack lots because people are going to be queuing up at your table as the aroma of your pulao draws them there. (Picture Jerry wafting in the air following the smell of cheese! Yeah yeah, Tom and Jerry still crack me up.) But you do get the picture, don't you?
Sig of Live to Eat has tagged me for the Fantastic Four Meme.


4 Places I’ve lived:

The 4 that I have the fondest memories of:

Chennai , India
Bangalore , India
Hyderabad, India
Poughkeepsie, USA

4 Jobs I’ve had:

The 4 that shaped me:

HR Head
Translator/Interpreter
Music Instructor and Teacher
Cashier

4 Favorite places I’ve holidayed:

Orlando – For the best childhood memory
Singapore – For everything it meant to me
Paris – For the sights, the food and the people
Coorg/Manali - For not being able to decide where I had more fun.

4 Favorite foods:

Pizza: the way Amma makes it
Paruppu Urundai and Vazhaippoo Paruppu Usli
Dali Saar and Avrya Bendi
Mushroom Alfredo Pasta

4 Places I’d rather be:

Somewhere in the mountains
At the beach (even Elliots will do!)
Home having a drink
My workplace is fine. I love it here.

4 bloggers I like to tag:

Nandita
Sia
Asha

Lakshmi

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Talk about the convenience of cooking one dish meals - my favourite has to be Bisi Bele Bhaath. Unfortunately we don't eat rice much (about once in 10 days at the max) :( - so I am back to all the rolling.

Raaga said...

if I am cooking, it is always rice :-) and you've been tagged girl.

Saju said...

Yes, you are so right. The aroma of freshly cooked pulao is so enticing. It looks delish

Padmaja said...

hey Raaga, it does look like five star served one, delicious and Meme was amazing to read, u were a music teacher??
wow!!!

Siri said...

The 5 star style pulao (smells) looks great raaga. even I donno the diff b/w a pulao and biryani..:)
good that u have been tagged.. we got to know more about u gurl..:)

Finla said...

Raaga you can send me anytime your 5 star pulao. It is excelent

Sia said...

love one pot meal and bisibele baath and biriyani tops my list:)
here is the difference bet pulao and biriyani:
Pulao is made by the absorption method of cooking rice. Biryani is made by the draining method of cooking rice.In pulao the base ingredient is mixed with the rice, while in biryani the main ingredient is at the base of the vessel. In biryani lot of aromatic masala is used. Pulaos are relatively less spiced (www.uppercrustindia.com)
it was fun reading ur meme raaga and thanks for tagging me:) i will post my meme sometime soon .
have a gr8 weekend darling:)

FH said...

Pulao looks yum. Arvind loves Pulaos too, my kids love it only if I take out all the whole spices like cloves.God forbid,if they bite into one! They will be off Pulaos for ever!:D
You were in US too. Great to read all these.Thanks for tagging, might do it next week or so!:))

Raks said...

Your pulau looks lovely and enjoyed reading ur ME ME.!!!!
At last I too got cleared what's the difference bet pulau and briyani..Thro ur blog from Sia..:D

Bindiya said...

Lovely pulao, I think it is pulao season, I posted a recipe too, raaga, this looks delicious.

Apple said...

That's a nice recipe n meme Raaga..Good to know about your interests...I love music...

Padma said...

That VP has 7 star appeal to it, nice reading your fantastic fours...and knowing a bit more about u

Anonymous said...

Delicious Pulav Raaga... And it was nice knowing about You!!

Kribha said...

That's a cute name(5-star) for your pulav. I too love one pot dishes and these pulavs have always been a life saver for many dinners. Like you, I too add a lot of vegetables to the rice. Nice to read your meme and know more about you.

Bong Mom said...

Lovely pulao and enjoyed the MeMe, do you still teach music ?

musical said...

Aren't pulaavs the best! Just pulaav and some raita has come to my rescue so many times. Quite a lovely pulaav it is, Raaga. Ekdum 5 star :).

And cute me-me :).

Sig said...

Wow that was fast :) Loved reading the meme.... You've had some interesting jobs, unlike me :) And you'd rather be at work!!! Wow You must really love your job :D

Beautiful Pulao darling, the rice looks so white... 5 star it is :)

bee said...

we got married very close to poughkeepsie. now, if you'd added saffron, you could've submitted it for an event. maybe you could've sneaked in an imaginary peach as well. :D

Rohini's kitchen said...

Pulao looks delicious. Nice to know about u.

remya said...

lovely 5star pulao...a nice meme...

Mansi said...

Hey Raaga,

I just noticed you are a singer and cook too, just like me! I also left my music training without completing visharad by one year, and I so regret it at times!!

loved reading your meme! btw, could you update your events calendar with AFAM-Peach for October(hosted on my blog)

Rina said...

Luv the Veg pulav, anytime.

Rajitha said...

ha ha...so when someone else is cooking u want the royal treatment huh!! nice pulav and you were an interpreter..that is so cool...for which lang??

Raaga said...

@Saju: Yup... the aroma is just great. Thanks. I'm unable to comment on your blog... but have been facing the same problem with several now.

@Padmaja: Thanks. At one time in life, I dabbled in different things that all shaped me :-)

@Siri: Thanks :) Now Sia has explained it beautifully

@Happy: Send me your address!!

@Sia: What would I do without you? Thanks a ton girl.

@Ashakka: I was there as a child. Third Grade :)

@Raks: Thanks. Thank Sia!!

@Bindiya: Let me go check.

@Apple: I live and love music. That’s why the singing chef

@Padma, Cinnamon and Kribha: Thanks

@Sandeepa: Thanks. Not any more. I plan to become a student again though.

@Musical: Yeah… always comes to the rescue :)

@Sig: Part-time mostly. So I got a chance to dabble in different stuff.

@Bee: Wow… my dad worked at IBM in East Fishkill. I should have had the forethought!!!

@Rohini, Remya, Rina: Thanks

@Mansi: Will do. Even I regret giving up learning.

@Rajitha: Girl… you make it sound like you’re ANY different!! I’ve learnt 4 foreign languages, but French and German gave me bread and butter before I moved to HR for the jam :-)

Daily Meals said...

Hi Raaga,
Pulav looks yummy...nice to read your Meme...

ushaprashanth said...

Hi Raaga!
Pulav looks very nice!!! and your meme is interesting to read!!!! you have been to many places.. that's great !!

KayKat said...

5 stars for your pulao! :)

I love that paruppu usli is one of your favorite foods - that's top on my comfort food list!

Sreelu said...

Hey Raaga, lovely pulav and nice to know you through your meme,music instructor job is pretty impressive, what kind of music do you sing ? would love to hear you sing :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

Favourite four meme is nice dear! Better than the middle name memw!:)) On a lazy day I too love to cook a bisibelebath or pulav! Everything in one go
Southindian rasam sambhar curry kootu , My god so much work!:))

TBC said...

I love these one pot meals. Pulao looks good especially in the first pic.
Your meme was a fun read. You worked as a music teacher? With a nmae like yours how could you not? ;-)