PREP TIME: 15 Mins

COOKING TIME: 20 Mins

Ingredients – to roast & grind

Fennel Seeds – ½ tea spoon

Bay leaf – 1

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon stick – ¼ inch piece

Roasted channa dal – 1 teaspoon

Onion – 1

Tomatoes – 2

Green Chillies – 3

Ginger – 2 inch piece

Garlic – 5 pods

Ingredients

Cashews – 15 (broken to small pieces)

Curry Leaves – 15 – 20 Leaves

Basmati Rice – 1.5 Cups washed & soaked for 15 minutes

Chilli Powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Oil – 5 teaspoons

Procedure

STEP 1: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan, add fennel seeds, roasted channa dal, green chillies, ginger, garlic and onion. Once the onion turns golden brown, add tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves.

STEP 2: Cook till the oil separates from the onion – tomato mixture. Let it cool down completely and blend it to make a fine paste.

STEP 3: Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a pressure cooker, add cashews and curry leaves. Add the onion – tomato masala paste and cook for 5 minutes.

STEP 4: Add the required salt and ½ teaspoon chilli powder and cook till the raw smell from the chilli powder goes away.

STEP 5: Add the washed and soaked basmati rice to the pressure cooker along with 2.5 cups of water.

STEP 6: Pressure cook the rice for 10 – 12 minutes (It took 10 minutes/4 whistles in the pressure cooker for me)