Hariyali Dhingri Pulao (Mushroom Green Pilaf)

This is a Pulao recipe which has a lush hue green touch to it. The name "Hariyali" aptly justifies this dish as it includes both the popular green herbs (coriander & mint) in this recipe. Apart from these, the small green peas makes the dish look so beautiful & appetizing that you just cannot stop eating when you put that one spoonful of this green rice into your mouth.

"Dhingri" means mushroom, makes this pulao all the more meaty that your kids who don't eat mushrooms, will not even know that they are eating one. It melts in your mouth just like that. Perfect treat for the vegetarians. Served with some spicy gravy and yoghurt raita, you have made your day.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basmati rice/long grain rice (washed)
• 250 gm button mushrooms (washed, cut each one length wise into 3-4 pieces)
• 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozn)
• 1 big onion (finely sliced)
• 40 gm coriander leaves
• 40 gm mint leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chilli
• 1" stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 pods cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Switch on the rice cooker / pressure cooker. Fry the washed rice in it (without oil) for 3-4 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
2. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves & the green chilli to a wet paste. Keep aside.
3. Pour in the ghee to the rice cooker / pressure cooker & let it get hot. Add in the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom & the cloves. Fry for 30 seconds. Now add in the finely sliced onion to it . Saute well till it gets light golden.
4. Add in the ginger-garlic paste, the green wet paste to it & saute for another minute. Add in the peas & mushrooms at this stage & mix well for another 2 minutes.
5. Now add the earlier kept fried rice to it & mix all together until the green colour is coated all over the rice & mushrooms.
6. Add 3 & 3/4 cup of water to it. (the proportion of long grain rice and water should be always 1:1.5, but when there is vegetables added, it will be 1:1.75).
7. Add salt at this stage. Give the rice a good stir & close the rice cooker / pressure cooker. If you are cooking in a rice cooker, it will be do the job for you. If you are using a pressure cooker then keep the heat in medium & wait for 1 whistle. Immediately turn it down to low heat & keep for 2-3 more minutes & then switch it off. This will make the rice cook perfect and avoid sticking to each other.
8. Open the lid when the pressure is gone & give a gentle stir with a fork as all the mushrooms would be on the top of the rice. Tip it to the serving dish.
9. Serve hot with a good yoghurt relish or an Indian spiced gravy.

Sending this recipe to the event to "Cooking with Herbs & Flowers - Mushrooms" guest hosted by http://food4kidz.blogspot.com & hosted by http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com