Matar Pulav( Rice with Green Peas)

Matar Pulav

Peas have such lovely green color and sweet taste and when cooked with rice the whole appearance and of rice becomes too tempting to resist.  It is a very simple dish to cook but amazing in taste. In Northern India it is a preferred dish of rice in winters as lots of fresh green peas are available in winters. Innovation in the kitchen is every mothers forte, who has to pack the lunch box for the school going children.I used to get my reward when my children used to come grinning happily from school with every grain of the packed food polished off. Matar pulav is very convenient to keep in lunch box with pickle /chutney.

                         

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time:  30min.

Servings: Makes three large servings.

Ingredients required for Matar Pulav:

• 150gm. Rice
•  250gm. Fresh peas removed from pea pods

Peas

• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1-2 Bay leaves

Condiments for Matar Pulav

• 4-5 Black Pepper pods
•  1 Black cardamon
• 1/2Inch Cinnamon stick
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1/2 Tea spoon Salt (Or to taste)
• 5ml. Ghee/ cooking oil
• Water

Directions for Making Matar Pulav

• Wash rice and soak it in 150ml. water.
• Take soaked rice and cook it in a pan with large amount of water till the rice grain are almost done.
• Drain all water and if the grains are sticking to each other pour water to remove excess starch and allow all water to drain off.

Boiled rice

• Take ghee/ oil in wok and heat on high flame.

Oil being heated in wok

• When ghee/oil is hot add jeera and bay leaves,cinnamon,cloves,pepper.

Bay leaves,cloves,Black cumin,Pepper cinnamon added to hot oil

• When the seedssplutters before it starts getting dark brown add peas and stir for 2min.

Peas added when the cloves and other seeds splutter

Peas mixed with in oil and spices

• Lower the flame and add drained boiled rice. 

Boile rice added to oil, spices and peas

• Add salt,turmeric powder,red chili powder.

Turmeric,Red chili powder,salt added to rice and matar

• Mix nicely and gently.

All spices mixed with rice and matar

• Cover and cook for 5 min. on low flame, with occasional stirring.

Rice and matar with spices being cooked on low flame

• Hot Matar pulav with beautiful yellow and green color is ready to be served.

Delicious Matar Pulav ready to be served

Matar Pulav

 Matar pulav goes best with curd/raita, pickle/chutney. Dal or any gravy is not really required as it is a complete dish by itself. 

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

   Tips:

• While boiling rice in pan take excess water which can be drained once the rice is cooked.
• Take thick bottom pan to boil rice.
• Do not over cook peas. They will loose color,flavor and taste.
• If you are uncomfortable in boiling rice in pan pressure cook and then wash in flowing water to remove excess starch so that the grains of rice do not stick to each other.

Suggested Variations:

• A quicker version:-
             Quick fix way of making this pulav is add peas, jeera, cinnamon,cloves,bay leaves,turmeric,red chili powder salt ghee/ oil, water to soaked rice and cook in the pressure cooker. Pulav will be ready in 5 min.
• If fresh peas (matar) are not available preserved green peas can be used.
• While boiling rice few pieces of lemon grass can be added.It gives wonderful flavor to the rice.
• Few drops of lemon juice can be added and mixed to the Pulav just before removing from gas. It will change the color of pulav to lemony yellow color.

Upama ( Low calorie dish prepared from Semolina)

Upama

Upama is very low calorie but high on nutrition and easy to digest. I was introduced to it by one of the hostel warden in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and I just loved it and now my family loves the Upama made by me. It is a savory dish mainly made in southern part of India but eaten by most of the Indian with equal zest. So what is stopping you!!! Try it with porridge and fruits as a combination for breakfast and make your family healthy.

Preparation time: 5-10 min.
Cooking time: 15 min.
Servings: Serves generous helping for 4 people.

Ingredients Required For Upama : 

• 150 gm. Suji (Semolina)

Roasted semolina(suji)

• 100 gm . Finely cut mixed vegetables.(carrot, french beans, peas, cauliflower). 

Mixed vegetables

• 1 Medium size finely cut Onion.
• 1'' Ginger piece (grated).
• 1 Medium size finely cut Tomato. 

Finely cut Tomatoes

• 2Tea spoons finely chopped Coriander leaves.
• 4-5 Curry leaves.(sweet neem leaves)
• 2 Tea spoons Urad dal.
• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds.
• 1/2 Tea spoon Mustard seeds.
• 2 Green chilies finely cut.
• Salt to taste.
• 10 ml. cooking oil.
• 150 ml. Water.

Direction To Make Upama 

• Take a thick bottom wok and roast suji to light golden color on low flame.
• Keep the roasted suji aside in a bowl.
• Put oil in the wok and let it heat .
• Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, urd dal and cook for 1 min. The mustard seeds, cumin seeds will split and urd dal will become golden in color.
• Add onions and cook till transparent in color.

Onions being cooked to transparent stage
after seasoning with mustard seeds,
cumin seeds, curry leaves and urd dal.

 

• Add green chillies, ginger and cook for 1/2 min.
• Add all vegetables and cook for 2-3 min. 
• Add tomatoes and cook till they become soft.
• Add roasted suji and mix thoroughly so that the vegetables get coated with suji. 

Mixed vegetables, tomatoes, suji being cooked

• Add salt and mix again.
• Add water and mix 

Water added to the mixture of suji and vegetables.

• Cover and cook on low flame for 10 min.

After adding water the wok is covered and kept on low heat

• Add coriander leaves mix nicely.
• Cover and remove from flame 

Tips : -

• Suji can be roasted and stored this makes the morning work easy as well as avoids suji getting spoiled ( infested with pests).
• Never use Pumpkin, Brinjal, Baigan, bottle gourd (Lauki), cabbage, Drum sticks,in upama.

• Upama can be used as evening snack also.Filling yet light.   

Upama ready to be garnished and served

Upama is ready to be served and of course eaten with coconut/ground nut chutney / Coriander mint chutney 

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

/ Hariyali chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

Suggested Variations :

• To make it more attractive for children you can add cashew, raisins, cherry in little amount.
• Instead of suji finely broken wheat for upama can also be used.