Name: Aloo Matar Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Basmati Rice, soaked; 1 Potato, peeled and cubed; 6⅛ tbsp Green Peas, fresh or frozen; ½ Onion, sliced; ½ Tomato, chopped; 1½ tbsp Ghee; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ½ Indian Bay Leaf; 1½ Cloves; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ⅛ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 1½ cup Water; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

50 mintotal

35 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Heat the ghee in a heavy pot or pressure cooker over medium heat until it is hot. Add the cumin seeds, cloves and bay leaf and give them 10 seconds to release their aroma into the fat.
10 sec
Add the thinly sliced onions. Fry them patiently until they are translucent and a pale golden brown.
Stir in the thick ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for a full 60 seconds to cook off the raw, sharp taste.
1 min
Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Cook this down until the tomatoes break apart completely into a soft, even pulp.
Add the evenly cut potato cubes and the green peas to the pan. Stir-fry them over high heat for 2-3 minutes so the masala coats every piece.
2–3 min
Drain the soaked basmati thoroughly. Add the drained rice straight into the hot masala. Fold it through very gently for exactly 1 minute, toasting the grains in the seasoned ghee without breaking them.
1 min
Pour in the measured water. Stir in the garam masala. Bring it up to a rolling boil.
Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot straight away. Turn the heat right down to its lowest and leave it to simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. In a pressure cooker, cook for exactly 2 whistles instead.
15 min
Turn off the heat. Leave it to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Before serving, lift the lid, fluff the rice very gently with a fork, and scatter plenty of fresh coriander over the top.
10 min

How to tell it's done

Anticipate wildly distinct, structurally flawless, hyper-soft Basmati grains rhythmically interrupted by the profoundly comforting yield of melt-in-the-mouth potato matrices and the sudden, sweet-liquid pop of emerald green peas.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

468kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein9.5 g8%
Carbohydrate83.2 g72%
Fat10.5 g20%

Sugars: 4.6 g
Saturated fat: 6 g
Fibre: 5.7 g
Sodium: 892 mg
Calcium: 76 mg
Iron: 2.5 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Worth doing: brown the potatoes briefly in the onion-flavoured ghee before the tomatoes go in. Searing them before they meet anything acidic firms up the surface, so they hold their shape instead of breaking down while the rice steams.

What to serve it with

A comforting everyday dish. Serve it with plain yogurt or a cooling cucumber raita, and a sharp mango pickle alongside.

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