Spring onion pulao with roasted cauliflower

This recipe serves 3.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice                - 1 cup ( I used Jeeraga Samba / Biriyani rice. Jeeraga Samba rice  has rich aroma and also gets cooked in less time. I always prefer this to make pulao and other variety rice recipes. You can easily get this rice in Tamil Nadu.)
• Spring onion               - 15( finely chop the bulbs and stem)
• Chopped vegetables  of your choice ( I used carrot- 1 , peas - 1 handful , potato - 1, capsicum - 1)
• Kabuli Chana (Konda kadalai) - 2 tbsp ( soaked and pressure cooked
• Salt                             - to taste
• sugar                           - a pinch
• Cauliflower                  - 2 cup florets
• Oil                               - 2 tbsp
• Ghee                            - 2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste       - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies               -  3 to 4( slit open lengthwise)

Spices:

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• Cloves                  - 2
• Cinnamon            - 1/2 inch stick
• Anise seeds         - 1 petal from a flower ( optional)
• Saunf                  - 1 tsp
• Jeera/cumin seeds  - 2 tsp
• Pepper corns         - 10
• Cardamom(Yelakai) - 2

Pound the above ingredients into  coarse powder using a pestle and mortar.

Chop the vegetables lengthwise. Reserve the stock of chana to cook pulao.

Method:

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• Wash and soak rice for 15 min. Drain the excess water and set aside.

• Boil water with a pinch of turmeric powder.
• Add the washed cauliflower florets and cook covered for 5 min.Keep it closed for 10 min.
• Drain the excess water and set aside to cool to room temperature.

• Add 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. 
• Add slit green chillies, ginger garlic paste and spring onion bulbs.
• Saute for few sec and add capsicum. Saute for 5 sec and add the pound spices.
• Mix well and add vegetables in the same order ( carrot , potato , peas, kabuli chana) sauting for few seconds after adding every vegetable.
• Add the rice and saute well till the excess moisture is evaporated.(This process ensures that the rice grains does not stick to each other when cooked)

• Switch off the flame. Add salt, sugar and mix well.
• For every 1 cup of rice , add two cups of water .
• Empty the contents into a rice cooker and cook.

Meanwhile add 1 tbsp of oil in the same kadai and roast the cauliflower florets with a tsp of coriander powder, red chilli powder,little salt and rice powder.
Stir the florets till it gets a nice brown coating.

Garnish the pulao with chopped spring onion greens and roasted cauliflower florets. (Mix the florets into pulao)