Soyabean Matar Pulao with Basmati Rice

Alright, alright -I admit to to being spoilt .After eating long grained , fragrant and beautiful basmati rice which literally melts in your mouth, all my life ..I find it difficult to adjust to coarser, thicker rice .Eating freshly cooked basmati rice is like eating fluffy ,little white peices of heaven .I will also admit that with passage of time I have come to understand the virtues of different varieties of rice..

Did you know that the word ‘basmati’ means fragrant, and refers to the nutlike flavor and aroma of this small, but long grained rice. It has been used in India and Pakistan for thousands of years and is excellent with curries. Several varieties are now grown in the U.S., such as Texmati and Kasmati, and all are growing in popularity. (One U.S. company has made an effort to patent Basmati rice and trademark the name). Their flavor is very good, but not quite up to real imported Basmati. (www.foodreference.com)

The other main ingredients of my pulao which are soyabean and peas are rife with proteins .I make matar pulao often but soyabeans make this dish much more protein packed and give it a twist .I love it and think you all should try it .

So let's get cracking

You need :
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 black cardamom seeds
6 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup cooked soyabeans (boiled in salted water)
2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
salt to taste

This is how you make it :
Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet over low heat. Add thecumin, cardamom seeds and peppercorns .Cook for a few minutes to bring out the aroma of the spices. Add the green peas to the pan, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of water and rice to the pan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the cooked soyabean and cook until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.

Cover the skillet and let the rice sit for a while .S erve when its fluffy with cool cucumber raita and pickle .