Name: Lobia Pulao
Prep time: 360 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 750 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Basmati Rice, soaked for 20 mins; ½ cup Cowpeas, lobia, boiled; ½ Onion, thinly sliced; ½ Tomato, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Ghee; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Ground Coriander; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 1¼ cup Water; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

12 hr 30 mintotal

6 hr 30 min hands-on6 hr hands-off

Prep 6 hr · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Heat the ghee in a heavy pan or a pressure cooker until it is good and hot. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle at once to release their aroma.
Add the thinly sliced onions. Fry them patiently until they turn a deep, even golden brown. This browning is where the pulao gets most of its flavour.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chillies. Fry them for 60 seconds to cook off the raw, sharp taste.
1 min
Add the finely diced tomatoes, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cook this down until the tomatoes collapse completely into a soft, even pulp.
Add the pre-boiled cowpeas (lobia) to the pan. Toss them well so the legumes take up the spiced, buttery masala.
Drain the soaked basmati thoroughly. Add the drained grains to the pan. Fold them through very gently, toasting the rice in the spices for exactly 1 minute without breaking the grains.
1 min
Pour in the measured water. Stir in the salt and the garam masala. Bring the whole thing quickly up to a rolling boil.
Instantly establish an impenetrable hermetic seal over the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Throttle the thermal output to its absolute minimum parameter. Enforce a strict 15-minute blind simmer until terminal liquid eradication and perfect structural yield are achieved.
Turn off the heat completely. Leave it to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Before serving, scatter plenty of fresh coriander over the top and fluff the rice very gently from underneath.
10 min

How to tell it's done

The rice should be fluffy and separate, with the black-eyed peas soft but still whole. The taste is mild and earthy.

Getting it right

Tip

The step that ruins this dish is over-boiling the lobia. They need to stay firm and whole before they go in; if they are already soft, they will fall apart into paste while the rice finishes cooking.

What to serve it with

Serve it with a boondi raita, plain curd, or mango pickle.

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