Green Gram Pulao

There is something to be said about the pleasures of spending time with a friend who enjoys doing the same things you do and who also has a child almost the same age as yours. I think my son and Priya's son met each other for the first time when we were still pregnant with them! Now we get together often in each others houses, have lunch/snacks, swap books, share notes on stuff, even do baking together (recipes to follow soon). So this post and the two posts that follow this one will be of dishes that I cooked when I invited Priya and her kids for lunch the other day (that's when I made the Caramel Custard for dessert).

The recipe for this particular rice dish was given to me by Asha (Koshy) aunty, a very dear friend of ours. She's someone who is not only a culinary expert, but also an extremely quick cook, who makes even a complicated meal seem like child's play. She wouldn't break into a sweat even if 10 more people unexpectedly dropped in for a meal and in fact, loves having people around. Not to mention her joie de vivre and motherly nature, which makes us look forward to going to Pune often!

I make this dish frequently, as it's very easy and quick...

 Ingredients (To serve 2 to 3)

1. Rice (Basmati)                   1 cup
2. Green gram                         Half cup
3. Water                                  2-1/2 cups
4. Ghee                                    2 tablespoons
5. Cloves                                 4
6. Cinnamon                            1-inch stick
7. Onions                                 1, big, sliced thin
8. Green chillies                      3, slit into half
9. Ginger-Garlic paste             1 tablespoon
10. Tomato                                 1, big, chopped fine
11. Cilantro (coriander leaves)  A handful, chopped fine

• Wash the rice and green gram.
• Soak the rice and green gram together for at least 4 hours.
• In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee and let the cloves and cinnamon splutter.
• Add the onions and fry till translucent.
• Add the green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry till a nice aroma wafts out.
• Now add the tomato and fry till a little pulpy.
• Drain water from the rice and green gram and tilt both into the pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in the water, add salt, and close the lid. Put the weight on, and after the first whistle, simmer for 5 minutes.
• When cool, garnish with cilantro, transfer to a serving dish, and happily tuck in!

This goes well with just a pickle and pappad as accompaniments (so it's perfect for all you students, singletons, and generally lazybones!). It is even better with pepper chicken, the recipe of which will follow this one!

TIPS:

You can increase the health quotient of this by substituting sprouted green gram for the whole gram.