Combo Festive Menu : Tricolor Pulao and Potatoes with roasted poppy seed

Today I'm posting a popular and easy-to-make Vegetable Pulao recipe which fits any occassion. You can entertain any unexpected guests with this or can serve on any festive occassion or family celebration. This Pulao is called "Tricolor pulao" because three different colored vegetables are used here. It's really very easy to make and takes very little time to prepare. I made this for one of the festive day's dinner during Durga puja time along with a side dish of Potato, Potatoes with roasted poppy seeds and a chicken curry, Balti chicken. It was a nice combo, today I'll share the pulao and potato recipe, but the Balti chicken in next post.

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice : 1 cup
Bay leaves : 2
Cardamom pods(green) : 4-5
Cloves : 4-5
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Carrot : 1(diced)
Green beans : 1/2 cup(cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
Green Peas : 1/3 cup
Corn(frozen/fresh) : 1/3 cup
Onion : 1(finely chopped)
Cashew Nut : 10-12 nos. (lightly fried)
Paneer(Indian cottage cheese) Cubes : 1/2 cup(lightly fried from all sides)
Water : 2 cups
Ground Cumin/cumin powder : 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Ghee/clarified butter : 2 tblsp.
Fresh Coriander leaves to garnish

Method :

Wash the rice and soak in cold water for about 1/2 an hour.
Heat little oil in a pan, lightly fry cashew nuts and then paneer cubes. Set aside.
In the same pan, add rest of the oil, when hot, add bay leaves, cardamoms and cloves and cumin seeds, wait till dry spices start to crackle, then add chopped onions and fry until lightly browned. Then add diced carrots, chopped green beans and cook, stirring for few minutes.
Drain the soaked rice and add to the pan. Stir well to mix. Then add peas, corn and cashew nuts. Add ground cumin now and stir to mix everything. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Then add measured water and add salt.
Bring it to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat until all water is absorbed.
When all water is fully absorbed, add fried paneer cubes, mix well and then add ghee on the top and fluff the rice very gently to mix the ghee with whole rice.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Potatoes with Roasted Poppy Seeds
It's a dry dish, goes very well with Pulao, Biriyani or even with Puris or Parathas.

Ingredients :

Potatoes : 3-4(peeled and cubed)
White poppy seed : 3 tblsp.
Black mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Onion/kalonji/black cumin seed : 1/2 tsp.
White Cumin seed : 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seed : 1/2 tsp.

Dried red chillies : 1-2(chopped into small pieces)
Turmeric powder : 1/2-1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method :

Peel the potatoes and then cut into small cubes.
Heat a tawa or a flat bottomed pan over a medium flame. When it is hot, reduce the flame and add poppy seeds. Stir them around the pan until they are one shade darker, should not blacken. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
Heat oil in a pan, fry the cubes of potatoes until they are light brown in color. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
To the same oil, add mustard seeds. When they begin to crackle, add fennel, white cumin, black cumin and chopped up dried red chillies. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until chillies turn little dark, then add fried potaoes. Add turmeric powder and salt now. Stir well and add enough warm water to cook the potatoes until tender but not overcooked. Cover with lid and cook.
Grind the cooled poppy seeds in a dry grinder until they are half ground, not into powder. When potatoes are tender, add ground poppy seed paste. Stir well in low flame until all potatoes are nicely coated with poppy seed paste.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot immediately.