Beet Pulao

My summer indulgence is still at its peak and continues to make me dream which is why I changed the header with some of my favourite Summer images. Ice creams, adventure, nature ,and watching children play and of course playing the games people play.

That is me perched on that rock, from my cycling trip to Jallori Pass the Summer before last. The gully football picture is taken at Aut, where I saw the village children playing football with a small rubber ball and what a scuffle it was!!

Jr.H had an opinion as always:)! She did not like it - "is this not a food blog?", she asked and continued, "I cannot understand why you have put those two pics there?" I replied, "go, get your own blog and do what you like!" She twitches her nose in response, and so do I!

I know she makes sense!! Probably I am indulging myself too much - maybe I will change it after a week or two days:)

Of late, vegetables and fruits seem to be sabotaging my efforts in staying close to a theme!! I tried tarte tatins with black plums to get purple and they turned red. Then I used oranges to get bright orange and they turned pale in my orange saffron rice. This time I used beets for a pink shade but nothing happened! My pulao is still only a bright yellow!

Otherwise, it is one easy thing to make - perfect for lazy lunches and dinners and lazy moms too:). Besides being a quick one pot meal, this is nutritious and easy to carry to school and office accompanied by chips or raita. Aahhhh..... you saw the wine there? Not right in the morning but it is just one teeny weeny shot glass (maybe 10ml). Excusable indulgence, I guess:).

I feel odd giving the recipe as there isn't any actually. It is just another pulao with a slight twist! But still, here it is:

Recipe - Beet Pulao
(A twist to the regular pulao)
Ingredients:
Rice (I used kolam but any long grain, low starch rice will do) - 1 cup
Veg. stock/wate r mixed with 3tbsp. of grated beetroot - 2 cups

Clove (Lavang/laung) - 2
Cinnamon (Dalchini) - 1" stick
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 2 pods crushed
Bayleaf (Tejpatta) - 1
Cumin seeds (Jeera dana) - 1 tsp.

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Chilli powder - As per taste (I did not use it!)
Asafoetida (Hing) - A pinch

Onions, sliced - 1 small
Potatoes, diced - 1 medium
Carrot, long wedged - 1 small (Did not have)
Beans , 1" bits - 2 or 3

Mint - to garnish
Oil - 1 tbsp.

Method:
Clean rice and set aside to drain.

Heat a tbsp. of oil in cooker and splutter cumin seeds. Add the rest of the spices at (B), and saute till the cloves puff.

Add the onions, and saute till transluscent and then follow it up with the rest of the vegetables. Add 1/2 salt and saute for a minute. Add water/stock and allow it to come to a boil.

Add the rice, stir, season with salt and cook till just done. I close the cooker, put on the whistle, cook on high for 3-4 minutes, and on low for 5 minutes before switching off. Remove when it naturally cools. Grains should remain separate.

Garnish and serve.

The kids and I had it for packed lunch at school and office respectively. Pulaos are always loved so I won't go on much about the taste. It is only a matter of preference!

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Other rice delicacies on TONGUE TICKLERS......