CHUTNEY CHAWAL चटनी चावल

CHUTNEY CHAWAL चटनी चावल

One of my most favorite Pulao cousin is "CHUTNEY CHAWAL" I always marvel at its sheer appeal to my senses. It is a combo of Cilantro/Kothmir and Mint/Phudina as the chief flavour combination with other spices in train. Best enjoyed with Onion Raitha and pickles. But I love to wolf it down without any side dish.





INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups of Basmati Rice/common rice (if you don't like basmati)
2 Medium sized Onions made into paste
2" piece of Ginger
10 cloves of Garlic
1 bunch (medium sized) of Mint leaves
1 bunch of Cilantro same as above
The chutney of both the above should be at least one cup.
1/2 cup of Green peas
1/2 cup of Beans (sliced and cut in 1" size)
1 Large potato diced into small 1/2" cubes
1 small lemon (optional)
8 Green Chillies (increase or decrease the chillies as per taste)
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering and frying

SPICES

4 2" pieces of cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
8 cardamoms
1 spoon Jeera (cumin seeds)
1 Bay leaf
1 spoon of Garam Masala Powder


METHOD OF PREPARATION

Cook the rice for Biriyani / Pulao fashion so that each grain remains separate. Remember to pre salt the rice while cooking. Fry onion paste in a little oil till oil separates. Remove from flame and set it aside to cool in a cup. Similarly fry Garlic-Ginger paste and set it aside. Make long slices of chillies and fry in a little bit of oil till nice aroma starts coming. Steam cook vegetables till 3/4 cooked. Put quarter spoon of sugar and a bit of salt while cooking green vegetables. The Green colour will stand out beautifully. Set it aside.

SECOND STAGE OF PREPARATION

Take the fried onion paste in a kadai, add ginger garlic paste . Mix on a low flame. Now add all the 3/4 cooked vegetables to kadai and stir fry for about two minutes. Add Garam masala and cook only for one minute. Now make chutney of Kothumalli and Mint leaves . REMEMBER NOT TO MAKE A PASTE OR ELSE MINT WILL TURN BROWNISH BLACK. to stop this add just a pinch of sugar.

Take this chutney and add it to the Kadai now. Stir fry only for three minutes. Add chillies to the veg,mass in Kadai. Add salt to taste. Remember that the Rice is pre salted. At this stage, if you want, you can add juice of Lemon for taste. This is optional.

Stir the pre mix taking care that the vegetables are not mashed. Now taste for any addition of salt or chillies etc.

Take an ounce of cooking oil add the dry spices as mentioned above.Heat on a medium flame. When cloves start puffing , add the temperings to the pre mix of vegetables in the kadai.

Take care to see that the whole thing is semi solid and not watery.

THIRD STAGE OF PREPARATION

When the spiced mix is sufficiently cool, start mixing with the rice bit by bit. Take care to turn the rice carefully so as not to break the grains.

When the mixing is over, the Chutney Chawal is 3/4 the ready. This is because the spices and Rice have not mixed as yet. After about one hour, put some water in a big vessel, put the CHUTNEY CHAWAL on steam cooker stand in the aluminium container. Cover both Chawal container and the larger container separately.

NOW PUT IT ON A STOVE AND INDIRECTLY STEAM COOK FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO 30 MINUTES.OR HEAT IN A MICRO OVEN FOR 5 MINUTES. (After removing from micro, let it stand for 10 minutes).This is a variation of DUM cooking. Your CHUTNEY CHAWAL is ready. Serve steaming hot.!!!
Wait for appreciation by your guests and loved ones.

You can make Onion Pachadi/ Raita as a side dish. I personally like Onion Pachadi.
PS. Even though the recipe seems a bit complicated, in actual practice it is not so.

Enjoy!!!!!