21 December 2011

Healthy Christmas Pilaf

The countdown has already begun for Christmas. I am sure everyone is busy with shopping and getting ready to welcome guests and friends. There is so much activity around. Love the cold breeze that's the only sign of winter in my part of the world. Just love this climate and the festive season. With 2 celebrations around the corner let's gear up to enjoy every bit of it.

I know it's been a while I have been away from blogging. It's just that my family needed me more and blogging just took a back seat naturally. I am glad to be back but still will not be regular. Kindly bear with me dear readers and blogger friends. I will make up for everything soon.

For the time being let's enjoy this healthy version of pilaf. For all the health conscious friends around the world this is for you. Enjoy!!





INGREDIENTS

Basmati Rice -2 cups
Vegetable stock - 3 cups
Onions - 4 finely sliced
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Pistachios/ Cashew nuts - 100 gm
Coriander leaves- 1 cup finely chopped ( loosely packed)
Lime - 1
Pomegranates - 2 medium

To prepare Vegetable Stock
Water - 3 1/4 cups
Bay Leaf - 1
Onion - 1
Garlic - 5 whole
Ginger - 2 cm piece ginger, peeled but whole
Whole Pepper - 6
Carrot - 1/4 cup  chopped roughly



METHOD
Soak rice in water for 30 minutes and drain.
Halve the pomegranates and set the seeds aside.
To prepare the vegetable stock mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain the vegetable stock.
Pour 3 cups of vegetable stock in a kadai/pan. Reserve excess and add if required only.
Bring the stock to a boil and add salt .
Add rice. Do not stir. Cover and cook. When it comes to a boil reduce the flame to low and cook. After 10 minutes or when you see crates formed on top of the rice slowly stir it without breaking the rice. Cover and cook till rice is cooked and fluffy.
Heat a pan and lightly toast the cashews/pistachios. Reserve.
In a pan heat the olive oil. Add the coriander powder and stir well.
Add the onions and lemon juice. Stir fry till onions change colour and looks sticky. 
Add the onions, cashews/pistachios, coriander leaves and pomegranates to the rice and serve hot with Thai style vegetable stew.





Tips:
If the rice is not soaked for 30 minutes, more stock or water will be required to cook it.
To open the pomegranates without making it messy. Make deep slits from top to bottom on the pomegranates on all sides. Then fill a wide bowl with water. Now holding the pomegranates under water pull it open. Remove the white membrane. Now you will see that the seeds settle at the bottom and the white membranes float. Use a sieve to remove the floating parts. Pour out the water and there you have the lovely red seeds and no mess.



Merry Christmas!

19 comments:

  1. delicious looking colourful rice
    happy holidays

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  2. Take it easy Rinky family comes first....
    this pilaf looks very inviting adding pomegranate has beautified the dish

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  3. Simple yet elegant pilaf. Great tips to make vegetable stock. I love pomegranate, but I find it too much of a hard work and mess to work with it, your method is so easy n not messy at all.

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  4. awesome pilaf....superb dear...addition of [pomegrenate is fabulous

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  5. Colorful & classy!! Seasons Greetings Rinku ;)
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

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  6. lovely and colorful :) i know u have been absent ,hope alls well !!

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  7. omg...soooooooooper tempting ..

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  8. Colorful and tempting palif,great one Rinku

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  9. wow, so colourful and delicious rice, very inviting..

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  10. Wow wat a super catchy and rich looking pilaf, with all those nuts and pomegranate,pilaf makes me hungry.

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  11. awesome colourful and delicious. Seasons greetings dear

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  12. simply amazing pilaf n very appealing colour...

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  13. Very inviting n colorful pilaf,looks so tempting.

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  14. Stunning pics Rinku!! Amazing pilaf!! Merry Christmas darling..i miss u already :( talk to u soon...muaaah!!

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  15. wow loved the clicks....and a healthy pulao is surely a welcome

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  16. I love how you studded the pilaf with little red jewels, lovely! Hope you had a lovely Christmas and wish you a wonderful New Year with lots of happiness, love and success. Hugs!

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  17. such a colourful pilaf...mmmm... looks grt..am sure tasted grt too

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Rinku