Quick Fix Meal :- Peas-Carrot Pulav with Channa sidedish

Peas-Carrot Pulav : Within an hour i had to prepare lunch.I had some frozen peas and shredded carrots left in the fridge (didn't go to farmer's market that week).We had this peas and carrot pulav in an Indian Restuarant in Boston.Both of us liked it.So i tried it and Murugesh liked it a lot.It will taste great with any chicken or mutton as side dish.Lack of time,ingrediants i made mashed channa/kondakadalai masiyal(in tamil) as side dish.Here is my version of the pulav.

Ingrediants

• Basmati Rice-2 cups
• Green Peas-1/2 cup
• Carrot-shredded 1/2 cup
  
• Seasonings-Cinnamon 1 stick,clove 3,cardamon 3 ,bayleaves 3 ,cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
  
• Onion-1 small finelly chopped
  
• Cashews-1 tsp
  
• Oil-2 tsp
• Ghee-3 tsp
• To grind-cumin seeds 1 tsp,green chilli 5,ginger 1 inch,garlic 2 pods
• Salt-as required

Method

This pulav and side dish took me less than an hour to make.Ofcourse most of the work was multitasking.First wash the rice,soak in water.Put the grinding ingrediants in the blender and run it until all are well blended.While it is blending,chop the onions. Switch on the stove and heat the cooker.Add oil,ghee,seasoning ingrediants,saute it for 30 secs.Add cashews and fry for about 40 secs.Add the chopped the onions and saute for 2 mins.Add the grinded mixture and saute for 3 to 4 mins until the raw smell goes.Add the peas and carrot and mix it well with the masala.Add rice with 4 cups of water(use the same cup you used to measure rice).Add salt and close the cooker.Crank up the heat between high-medium high.Dont put the weight.Wait for the pressure to escape thru the nozzle.It takes about 5 minutes depends on the cooker.(This is the time i switch to make the side dish leaving the cooker to do its thing).Now simmer heat to medium and open the cooker and stir the rice and mix it well again and close the lid.At this stage,the rice is cooked half way.Wait for another 3 minutes or so.If pressure escapes thru the nozzle forcely,open the lid,take some rice and press it between your fingers to see if it cooked 3/4.If so,close the lid and move the cooker away from heat,but keep is closed so that in the remaining pressure it is cooked fully. (I normally open the cooker only before serving lunch).

After writing the method,i viewed back to see if everything is correct.Oh my god! it looks like a small essay.But believe me this is a simple dish eventhough the procedure looks like an essay.Thats beacause i have tried to explain the multitasking :).

peas-carrot pulav with mashed channa sidedish,our lunch today

Mashed Channa/Kondakadalai masiyal

Ingrediants

• White channa-1 can or you can soak it the previous night and pressure cook it the next day.
• Tomato-1 medium finely chopped
• Onion-1 medium finely chopped
• Cilantro-6 stripes finely chopped
• Powders-red chilli 1/2 tsp,corriander 1/4 tsp,MTR channa masala 1/4 tsp
• Seasoning-fennel seeds 1/2 tsp,Whole red chilli chrused 2,curry leaves 1 stripe,cinnamon 1/2 inch stick
• Oil-2 tsp
• Salt-as required
  

Method

Mash most of the channa with a fork.It is ok to leave some of it unmashed.Heat a pan,add oil and season it.Saute for 30 secs.After that add the chopped onions and saute until it turns color.Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes are cooked.Add the mashed channa and mix it with the onions and tomatoes.Add all the powders and cook in medium-high heat closed with a lid.Mash it now and then with the spatula.Add salt.If it is thickned,then remove from fire and add chopped cilantro.

mashed channa/kondakadalai masiyal

Variations

• For pulav,add more green chillis if you want it more hot.

Cooking time

• Pulav-30 minutes
• Channa dish-15 to 20 minutes
• Cleaning,putting food on table-10 minutes