Microwave Jeera Pulao

Jeera Pulao is a famous rice dish from North India.It is a simple and tasty variation.You can enrich it by using butter instead of oil and adding a few cashews as garnish and serve it as such or with any gravy.It goes well with vegetable kurma.Usually rice varieties are served with yogurt based side dishes called Raita and some crispies.


Jeera Pulao is usually prepared with the fragrant Basmathi rice but for a change I made it with brown rice.You can follow the same method with the regular/ Basmathi rice but just adjust timings. [Brown rice takes a longer time to cook].Also the quantity of water used may vary with the variety of rice used.This Jeera Pula was a little chewy but delicious and definitely healthy.

I used:

Brown rice - 1 cup
Jeera / Cumin seeds- 2 teaspoons
Onion-1 finely sliced
Green chillies-3 ,slit
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Clove-1
Cinnamon- a small piece
Cardamom- 1
Bay leaf-1
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Wash and soak brown rice for half an hour.Drain and keep aside.
2. In a large microwave proof bowl,put in oil,cumin seeds,onion,ginger garlic paste,curry leaves, cloves, cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaf.
3. Mix well and microwave on high for 3 minutes or till onion is translucent.Stir once in between.
4. Into the same bowl add 3 cups of water,salt and the rice and cover and cook for 20 minutes or till the rice is done.Stir a couple of times in between.
   
5. Let it stand in the microwave for 2 more minutes.

Serve as such or with a raita[Raita varieties can be found here] / crispies like pappadam or chips / vegetable kurma .

Piping hot Jeera pulao!!!

Incidentally this happens to be the 200th vegan post in my blog.Do take a look at the other Vegan varieties at Seduce Your Tastebuds.

Happy cooking....