Methi leaves Pulao (Vendhaya Keerai Pulao)

Category: Rice Varieties
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Methi Leaves Pulao with Green peas

This is an easy pulao recipe using Methi leaves or Vendhaya keerai. There will be slight bitterness in these leaves  so while making for kids, I prefer to add other vegetables like green peas, carrots or potatoes along with it. 

Methi leaves Pulao

This is a quick recipe and goes well with any raita or plain curd.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup (I used Sona masoori rice)
• Methi leaves / Vendhaya keerai - 1 cup, tightly packed
• Oil / Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 3 
• Green Cardamom - 1
• Star anise - 1 
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1, thinly sliced
• Green chillies - 2 (adjust to taste)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 Tbsp  or Finely chopped garlic - 1/2 Tbsp
• Frozen green peas - 3/4 cup (Optional - Can substitute with 1 small carrot or potato)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
• Salt- to taste
• Water - as needed
• Lemon juice - to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak rice for 30 mins. Here I have used sona masoori rice; we can use Basmati rice or any normal cooking rice
• Wash the methi leaves well and chop them. I have used green peas along with methi leaves, but we can use carrot or potato too.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker / Instant pot. Once it becomes hot, add the dry spices and cumin seeds. Saute for 20 secs
• Add the sliced onions along with slitted green chillies, saute for 2 mins
• Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min in low-medium flame
• Add the green peas or any vegetables we are using and saute for a min
• Then add the chopped methi leaves and saute for few secs
• Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder and required salt; mix well
• Add required water, I have added 1 and 3/4 cup of water for 1 cup of soaked rice since I want to have soft cooked rice

• Check for salt and add the soaked and drained rice, mix well
• If cooking in the pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles
• Here I have cooked in Instant pot using Pot-in-Pot method; so I cooked for 11 mins at high pressure. If we are cooking directly in the IP, we can cook in the rice mode

• Once done, wait for the pressure to go down. (If using Basmati rice, I would reduce the water quantity, cook for 5 mins at high pressure and 5 mins natural pressure release and then release the pressure manually)

• Fluff it up, add lemon juice (if using) and serve warm with raita