Beetroot Pulav

Beets in any form were not acceptable by me in my childhood days. It was only that after I got married I was introduced to a lot of veggies by my hubby as he is a person who cannot live without vegetables. I gradually started liking many vegetables which were shunned by me as a child and now I too cannot cook everyday without any of the veggies. Luckily my children also like vegetables and beetroot is one of their favourites.
Recently I came upon this pulav in Supriya Raman's Ode2Food blog and gave it a try with some variations here and there and all at home were happy with it.

Ingredients :

1 large beetroot or 2 medium (washed, peeled and cut into cubes of any size )
2 cups Basmati rice ( washed and soaked for 30 minutes )
1 cup chopped onion
2 - 3 cloves garlic
3 - 4 green chillies
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves
1 tsp. Kitchen king masala
1/2 tsp. pepper powder
1 tsp. jeera
2 normal green cardamom pods / 1 black cardamom
4 cloves
1 small cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. ghee or butter or oil ( I mixed 1/2 ghee and 1/2 oil )
Salt to taste
4 cups water


Method :

1. Heat oil/ghee in a pressure pan, add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and jeera. Once they get fried, add the chopped garlic, mint/coriander leaves, onions, green chillies and saute for a few minutes till the onions turn transluscent.

2. Add the chopped betroot and saute for a while till the betroot is half cooked. Add the drained rice, pepper powder, kitchen king masala, salt and mix well.

3. Pour the measured amount of water and give a stir and cook covered without the weight for 10 - 15 minutes on medium low till the water evaporates and the rice is cooked.

4. Serve hot with pappad and raita.

Krishnaarpanam