A Simple Pulav With Tomato Raitha

One pot meals are my favorite when I am running short on time. Today we are planning to visit the temple, hence  decided to make a simple pulav with carrot and lima beans and a tomato raitha to go with it. If you are wondering where you can find lima beans, check out the freezer sections in Walmart or Meijer and for people who cannot do that, substitute the lima beans with chopped beans. I got the recipe for raitha from my Indu pinni(pinni means aunt in my mother tongue, Telugu). I have learnt a lot of simple and tasty dishes from her.

                  
Ingredients for Pulav:
Rice - 2 cups
Carrot - 1, cut into small pieces
Fresh or frozen lima beans - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 medium or 2 small, cut into small pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3 to 4, slit length wise(depending on the spice levels)
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Fennel(saunf) - 1/4 tsp
Star Anise - 1
Water - 4 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - As per taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Wash the rice, drain the water and add 4 cups of water to it.
2. Heat the oil in a vessel and add the whole spices(cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel) to it.   Once the spices start emanating fragrant aroma, add the ginger garlic paste to it. Fry on medium heat for 2 minutes or until the ginger garlic paste gets cooked.
3. Now add the diced vegetables, slit chillies and the lima beans. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the soaked rice along with the water to the vessel.
5. Add required amount of salt to the rice, cover the vessel and cook the rice on a low to medium heat.
6. Turn off the heat, once the rice is done.
7. Alternatively, you can even cook it directly in a rice cooker. Just add the fried vegetable content to the soaked rice and place it in the rice cooker.
8. Serve the pulav with tomato raitha.

Ingredients for Tomato Raitha:
Thick Curd - 11/2 cups
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, finely chopped
Onions - 1, finely chopped
Chillies - 1, chopped
Salt - As per taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1tbsp
Mustard  seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin(Jeera) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Bengal Gram(Urad dal) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Fresh Coriander leaves - few sprigs, chopped finely


Method of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a vessel and add mustard, cumin, bengal gram seeds. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
2. Add the chopped onions and chillies to the vessel and cook on a medium heat.
3. Once the onions become transparent add the chopped tomatoes to them.
4. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and the water released from them evaporates. Turn off the heat.
5. In another bowl add the curd, the cooked tomato mixture, required amount of salt and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
5. This raitha can also be served with rotis or parathas.