Pakistani•budget

Matar Pilau | Pea Pulao

Fatima Cooks recipe - Pakistani

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, sliced finely
2 tbsp cumin seeds
9 whole cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
2 green whole chillies ((optional))
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cups white basmati rice ((wash and soak for half an hr in water before using))
3.5 tsp salt ((or to taste))
4 cups/1l water ((IMPORTANT: please read notes if you are changing the serving size))

1
In a pot, heat up the oil and add the sliced onions. Once they become golden, add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. Continue to fry the onions till they become a deep shade of gold.
2
Add the peas and stir-fry them till they defrost.
3
Add the water and salt, and bring to a boil. If you are adjusting the serving size, please refer to the notes for the correct quantity of water.
4
Add the basmati rice.
5
Cook on high heat till all the water has dried out. Stir gently with a slotted spoon, using a folding motion instead of a vigorous stir, to avoid breaking the rice grains.
6
Once the water has dried out, turn the heat to the lowest setting possible, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and allow the rice to steam for 15 minutes. If you have a flat pan (tava), you can place this below the pot too - this helps prevent the bottom layer of rice from burning)
7
Fluff well once the rice is done, even if you don't intend to have the rice straight away to prevent it from getting clumpy.