Restaurant Style Vegetable Pulao With Raita - South Indian Veg Biryani Recipe

I got this restaurant style veg pulao recipe from a friend who is an expert in cooking non-veg recipes. She shared her South Indian style Vegetable pulao recipe with me. In Karnataka, all my friend call it as vegetable pulao/palav. In my house, mom and MIL call these kind of recipe as either biryani or vegetable rice. I tried this recipe for the first time. It came out super flavourful and tasty. When you cook this biryani, I bet your house will be scented with this masala flavour. U can feel the smell in your hands even after you finished eating it:) I am not exaggerating, its true. Try it :) Its totally my kind of recipe with full masala flavour.

Whenever my neighbours make biryani, I keep sniffing the aroma. Every time I feel like rushing to their house to get the recipe. As they cook mostly non-veg biryani, I hesitate to ask because I was thinking the same flavours cannot be achieved with vegetables. I thought its only because of chicken or mutton. Of course chicken/mutton may also be one of the reasons. But the major thing is the masala/spices we use. I got to know this only after making this biryani. U’ll get the taste and smell of non-veg biryani when you try this recipe. Its a keeper recipe for vegetarians like me.

If you make this for parties, make it directly in electric rice cooker like i did in my tomato rice recipe but with generous amount of oil and ghee. Rice cooker helps to keep the pulao hot till u eat. Last week i attended a birthday party. They kept this rice in their menu. It was awesome.So I thought of sharing this recipe before posting the party menu.

Ok, enough of boring, let us move on and see how to make spicy veg biryani & raita with step by step pictures :)

Click here for Masala vada recipe, Curd Rice recipe 

Spicy vegetable pulao

Spicy vegetable biryani/pulao recipe - Truly flavourful

Cuisine: Indian Category: Lunch Yields: Serves 3

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 240ml

To soak in water Basmati rice - 1cup Water - 1.5 - 1.75 cups To saute in oil Cooking oil + ghee – 2tbsp + 2tsp Bay leaf – 1no Star anise – 1no Lichen or Black stone flower – Kalpasi – 1/2 tsp (please see the picture in step by step & refer notes) Vegetables - 3/4 cup (carrot-1no ,beans-8nos, green peas-1/4cup, potato - 1no) Big onion – 2 nos (medium sized) Red chilli powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp To grind Big onion - 1/4 no (use only quarter piece) Green chillies - 3- 4 nos (small finger size) Mint leaves - 10 nos Fennel seeds - 3/4 tsp Cinnamon - 1 small piece Clove -2 nos Cardamom - 1 no Ginger - 1 inch piece Garlic - 5-6 pods(small) Cashews - 2 nos (optional)

HOW TO MAKE HOTEL VEG PULAO - METHOD

Wash and soak the basmati rice for at least 30-45 minutes. Else you have to add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Chop all the vegetables and onions(finely)  & grind the masala. Keep it ready. In a pressure cooker or rice cooker base, heat oil+ghee and add the bay leaf, star anise and kalpasi. Then add the onions, saute for a minute or two. Now add the ground masala paste. Wash the jar with very little water and add it. Saute well in medium flame till you get a nice aroma(People sitting in living room will definitely come to your kitchen by the aroma;)) Add turmeric and red chilli powder. Saute for a minute. Lastly add the vegetables and required salt. Mix well. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it. Mix well for a minute. Lastly add 1.5-1.75 cups of water (depending on the basmati rice brand) and a tsp of ghee and pressure cook in low flame till one whistle or 10-12 minutes. Remove, mix with a fork like ladle. Serve hot with any raita.I served with mixed vegetable raita and its recipe follows. Click here for Masala vada recipe, Curd Rice recipe

Note

Do not add more mint leaves and onion than the above mentioned quantity. Do not use turmeric powder to get white colored pulao. Add more green chillies if you want too spicy. Add oil/ghee generously when you make for parties or guests. If you have Lichen or Black stone flower - Kalpasi, please add it. Mostly U’ll get this ingredient in biryani masala packet. It gave a nice smell to the pulao. Please click this link to see the picture of this ingredient. Skip if you don’t have it. Adding water depends on the amount of soaking. If you soak for one hour, add 1 to 1.5 cups of water. Here I used around 1.75 cups of water after soaking the rice for about 15 minutes as my husband likes that way. I used India gate basmati rice.

RAITA FOR PULAO/BIRYANI

This raita was served along with this pulao in that party. It was a nice combo for this pulao. We loved it.

Mixed vegetable raita

Raita recipe for pulao/biryani

Cuisine: Indian Category: Lunch side dish Yields: Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Total Time: 10 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To mix in curd Finely chopped big onions - 2 nos Finely chopped cucumber - 1/2 no(small size) Finely chopped green chillies – 1-2  nos if small  Grated carrot – 1 medium no Salt - as needed Fresh thick curd – 2-3 cups

HOW TO MAKE RAITA - METHOD

Finely chop all the vegetables. Mix well in a big bowl adding the required salt. Just before serving add the curd, Mix well without adding water. Tempering is not needed. Serve with pulao/biryani. Note Cucumber will leave water and the mixture will become watery if you mix curd in advance. So add curd only 10 minutes before serving. After mixing, if you feel the mixture is too thick, add little water. Else do not add water.

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MASALA DAHI RAITA | MASALA YOGURT RAITA RECIPE

I was really bored of making onion raita for stuffed parathas.When i was telling this to Sen , he immediately suggested me to try this simple masala raita as served in punjabi hotels..I googled some recipes, got an idea & tried it. We loved it a lot..Its a very simple & easy to make recipe..Do try this raita for a change and let me know how u liked it.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Fresh curd – 1 cup Roasted jeera powder – 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp (optional) Chat masala – 1/4 tsp Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp ( optional) Salt –As required

METHOD

In a bowl , take the curd & add the salt. Mix well. Just before serving mix in red chilli powder , chat masala, jeera powder . Garnish with coriander leaves.

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Tamilnadu Lunch Menu 1- South Indian Lunch Menu Ideas

                        

Last week my in-laws were here .We spent 5 beautiful days together.I prepared these dishes for lunch.Generally we have thogayals for lunch.So i prepared Ridge Gourd thogayal , Gooseberry – curd pachadi , Puli keerai ,Broad Beans sambar , Carrot – beans poriyal,Urad dal Vada , Papad & milk kheer .I am sending this post to my SIL's  "Show wat u cook for Guests" event.

PULI KEERAI

Let me start from Puli keerai.Hope u can find out from the dishes.I normally prepare keerai kadaiyal.For a change , i tried puli keerai by asking my mom.It was very tasty when had with plain rice & ghee.So here comes the ingredients & method of preparation.

Ingredients

• Arai Keerai / Mulai keerai –2 cups (chopped)
• Tamarind – a small gooseberry size
• Red chilly – 2-3 nos
• Salt & water – As needed.

To season

• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/ 2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Remove & Wash the leaves and cook it along with tamarind & red chilly.
• Let it cool & then grind with salt to make a smooth paste.
• Do the seasoning.Serve with plain rice & ghee !!

RIDGE GOURD THOGAYAL

Ingredients

• Ridge gourd – 1 no (medium size)
• Tamarind – Medium gooseberry size
• Red chilly – 5 nos
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Hing – 2 pinches
• Salt & water – As needed.
• Oil – As needed

Method :

• Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and roast urad dal , red chilly & hing.Set aside.
• Soak tamarind in little warm water and keep aside.
• Peel the skin of ridge gourd using a peeler and cut into small pieces.
• Heat the kadai with a tbsp of oil and saute the ridge gourd pieces till its completely cooked.May take 10 mins in medium flame.
• Let it cool . Finally grind everything to make a smooth paste.
• Serve with plain rice and sesame oil.

CARROT– BEANS PORIYAL

Ingredients

• Carrot – 2 nos
• Beans – 10 nos
• Moong dal – 2 tsp
• Sambar powder – 1 tsp
• Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
• Salt & water – as needed.

To season :

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Jeera – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – A sprig

 Method

• Wash & cut carrot , beans into small pieces.
• In a vessel take the veggies along with moong dal , Sambar powder & Salt.
• Add the required amount of water and cook it.Take care the moong dal should not become mushy.It should be just blossomed.
• Once its cooked well , remove & cool.Drain the excess water if any ( I usually add that water to sambar )
• Heat a kadai with a tsp of oil and do the seasoning.Finally add the cooked veggies and toss well.
• Add the grated coconut and mix well. Saute for 5 mins & remove.
• Serve as an accompaniment for Sambhar / Rasam & Curd rice.

BROAD BEANS SAMBAR / AVARAKKAI SAMBAR

Ingredients

• Broad Beans / Avarakkai – 10 nos (cut into two)
• Toor Dal – 1/3 cup
• Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
• Home made Sambar Powder –  2 tsp (Refer at the end of this post)
• Sambar onions / Shallots – 10 nos
• Green chilly – 3 nos (slit cut)
• Tomato – 1 no ( finely cut)
• Curry leaves – a sprig
• Hing /asafetida – 3- 4 pinches
• Salt & water – As needed.

To Season:

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – a  few.
• Red chilly - 1 no
• Coriander leaves – To garnish

Method:

• In a Pressure cooker take toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and a drop of oil .Add the cut broad beans pieces to it with required water..Cook for 1 –2 whistle till the dal turns mushy.Mash it with a ladle.Set aside.
• Soak Tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract the juice from it.
• Peel the sambar onions and Slit cut the green chilly into two.
• Heat a kadai with oil and splutter the mustard seeds &  fenugreek seeds & pinched red chilli.Then add the sambar onions, Green chillies & curry leaves and tomato pieces.Saute well.
• Then add the tamarind extract , Sambar powder , a pinch of turmeric powder , 3 pinches of hing & few curry leaves.
• Cover & let it boil till the onions get cooked.Nice aroma arises.
• Finally add the cooked toor dal along with broad beans and let it boil for another 5 mins.
• Remove & Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with plain rice & ghee !!

URAD DAL VADA

U can refer here for the recipe & preparation.I added a tsp of toor dal & a tsp of raw rice while soaking a cup of urad dal. Remaining the same as given there.

MILK KHEER

U can find the actual recipe in this blog .I just added 2 pinches of cardamom powder.Else the same procedure.It was very tasty & rich. Thanks a lot Jeyashri .

SAMBAR POWDER RECIPE

• Coriander seeds – 1/4 kg
• Red chilly – 1/4 kg
• Fenugreek seeds – 50 gms
• Toor dal – 50 gms
• Channa dal – 50 gms
• Pepper corns – 50 gms
• Jeera – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 50 gms

Bye for now

Technorati Tags: Lunch menus,Tamilnadu lunch menu,South indian lunch recipes,lunch menu ideas,lunch ideas

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