Andhra Style Veg Pulao

Step 1: Prepare Masala Paste

Take a small piece of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, 1 star anise, 1 marathi moggu, 1 small piece of nutmeg, 2 pieces of mace, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp peppercorns, 2 small pieces of stone flower, 1 piece of roughly chopped ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 1 piece of fresh finely chopped coconut, 1 medium-sized roughly cut tomato, a small amount of coriander leaves, and mint leaves in a mixer jar. Grind these ingredients without adding any water first.

Step 2: Fine Grind Masala

Add some water to the mixer jar and grind again until it becomes a nice, smooth, and fine paste. Keep this aside.

Step 3: Sauté Whole Spices and Cashews

Take a deep pot, add about 2 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil. To this, add 1 bay leaf and about 15 whole cashew nuts. Roast these ingredients until the cashews are golden brown in color.

Step 4: Sauté Onions and Chillies

Once cashews are golden, add 2 medium-sized finely chopped onions and 3 slit green chillies. Sauté until the onions are slightly golden in color.

Step 5: Cook Potatoes

Add 1 nicely cut potato to the pot. Sauté for about 2 minutes.

Step 6: Add Cauliflower and Other Vegetables

After 2 minutes, add 1 bowl of cauliflower florets and mix. Then add 1 cup of carrot, 1 bowl of cut beans, and 1 bowl of fresh peas. Mix well.

Step 7: Season and Steam Vegetables

Add 1 tsp of rock salt (or regular table salt) and mix. Add about 1 tbsp of water, mix well, cover the pot with a lid, and cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes on low flame until they soften up.

Step 8: Add Masala Paste

At this stage, add the ground masala paste. Mix the masala with vegetables and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low flame.

Step 9: Add Soaked Rice

Add 1 cup (250 ml) of basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes and excess water drained) to the pot. Gently mix the soaked rice along with the masala, making sure the rice grains do not break.

Step 10: Add Water and Adjust Seasoning

After the masala coats all the rice grains, add 2 cups of water (using the same 250 ml measuring cup for rice). Gently mix everything. Check for seasoning and add 1 tsp salt if required.

Step 11: Cook Pulao

Cover the pot with the lid. Keep the flame on low and cook the pulao for about 15 minutes.

Step 12: Rest and Serve

After 15 minutes, turn off the stove and let it sit on dum for the remaining heat. The pulao is perfectly cooked and fluffy. Serve nice and hot with onion raita, salan, or boondi raita.

• Grind spices without water first, then add water for a fine paste.

• Add potatoes first as they take longer to cook.

• Don't add too much water to vegetables to prevent them from getting mushy.

• Gently mix rice to prevent grains from breaking.

• Let pulao rest on dum after cooking for perfect fluffiness.

• Serve with onion raita

• Serve with salan

• Serve with boondi raita