Aloo Pulav or Potato Pulav (உருளைக் கிழங்கு புலாவ்)

Aloo pulav is a tasty, spicy rice preparation that goes very well with onion raitha. You may make this pulav for dinner as a stand-alone item or add it to your menu for special occasions. You can serve aloo pulav with raitha, vegetable gravy and chips.

Ingredients: (Serves three)

Potato – medium sized, 3 no, cut into cubes

Long grain rice or Basmati rice – 2 tumblers or 400ml measure (பாஸ்மதி அரிசி)

Onion – 1 no, sliced

Cooking oil – 2 tablespoons

Garlic – 3 pods, peeled whole

Ginger – ½” piece, grated

Salt – to taste

Bay leaves – 2 no (பிரிஞ்சி இலை)

Cinnamon – 1" piece

Star aneez – 1 no (அன்னாசி மொக்கு)

Poppy seeds – 1 teaspoon (கசகசா)

Fennel seeds/ Saunf – 1 teaspoon (சோம்பு)

Pepper – 4 no, coarsely ground

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

For the coconut milk:

Coconut – white meat of half a coconut

Green chillies – 2 no

For the masala powder:

Cloves – 5 no

Cardamom – 3 no

Mace – a small bit (ஜாதிக்காய் தோல்)

Aloo Pulav served with raitha

Method: Remove the white meat from coconut half and cut it into small pieces. Grind coconut pieces with green chillies and ½ tumbler (100ml) of water into a very fine paste. Add 100ml of water to the paste, mix well and pass through a strainer into a bowl. Squeeze the coconut residue left in the strainer with a spoon to extract coconut milk. Keep aside.

Remove the cardamom seeds. Powder the cloves, cardamom seeds and mace finely using a mortar and pestle.

Wash, peel and cut potatoes into medium sized cubes and keep immersed in water. Slice the onion and keep aside.

Heat oil in the handi or pressure pan, add garlic pods and fry till they start browning. Add star aneez, cinnamon and bay leaves and sauté for a minute. Add poppy seeds and fennel seeds and sauté for 20 seconds. Add sliced onions and fry till they become transparent. Add potato cubes and grated ginger and fry for 2 minutes. Wash the rice well, drain and add to the handi or pressure pan. Fry for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, 1½ tumblers (300ml) of water, ground pepper and salt to the fried items. Mix well. Close the handi or pressure pan, and cook for 6 whistles or 5 minutes. Switch off the fire. Allow the pressure to subside. Open the lid and gently mix the pulav with a fork. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with raitha and chips. 

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