Nuts Pulao

Today I am gonna share another easy and healthy lunchbox recipe. This recipe gives hand when I am running out of veggies. Nuts are essential for the growing children and everyone in the family. Taking them regularly will satisfy our daily protein requirement. As it is mild spicy, kids will like it for sure.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups (soak for 30 mins)
Nuts - 3/4cup - 1 cup(Cashews, Badam, Pista, Dry Grapes)
Saffron strands - 3-4(soak them in a tbsp of warm water)
Onion - 1/2 of a small onion. (sliced lengthwise)
Green Chilies - 2-3
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 1/2tbsp
Mint & coriander leaves - a few

Dry garam masala:
cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
cloves - 2
Elachi -2
Bay leaf - 1
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Anistar - 1

Preparation:

1. Soak Rice for 30 mins, drain and keep ready.
2. In Rice cooker heat 2 tsps of oil and add the dry garam masala listed above.
3.Add Nuts to it and give a saute. (Just fry them until the cashews turn golden brown)
4. Now add chopped onions, green chilies and saute well.
5. When the onions are translucent add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
6. Once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste leaves, Add chopped mint leaves and give a gentle mix.
7. Add rice, soaked saffron strands(with water) and stir gently without breaking rice grains.
8.Measure the required water to cook the rice.(for the rice variety I cooked, used 1:1 ratio)
9.When the rice cooked 80%, cut and spread the butter pieces on top of it and close the lid.
10. Once the rice cooked let it rest for 10 mins and then mix it with a fork.
11.Spread some chopped coriander leaves and serve with Raitha, and curry of your choice or just with chips.

Note:
1.I cooked using electric rice cooker. If you use pressure cooker, you may bring the water to boil and add the butter cubes before closing the lid. leave it for one whistle.
2. I used the nuts as it is. If you like you can chop them into pieces and add.
3.If you like, instead of soaking, you can just crush the saffron strands and add while sauteing nuts.
4.You can reduce the nut quantity to 1/2 a cup if you feel the quantity I used is too much for you.
5.do not miss / add too much of dry grapes. they give a mild sweet and tangy taste.