Kashmiri peas pulao

Peas pulao is very simple and easy dish which goes well with a spicy gravies like dhal makhani, chilli chicken. Its traditionally made with only coconut milk .But I have combined it low fat milk since coconut milk is high in saturated fat. But don’t worry, the fat in coconut milk is composed of short and medium chained fatty acids which the body quickly turns into energy instead of storing as fat .I have also added raisins and cashews finally to get a sweet and tangy taste to the rice.

Ingredients

2 cup- basmati rice
1 cup-peas( frozen)
1 onion- thinly sliced
3-4 – green chilies
1-bayleaf
1- cinnamon stick
1- elachi
½ cup- fresh or frozen coconut or 1 cup-coconut milk
1 cup- milk
1.5 cup- water
2 tsp- olive oil
Salt to taste

Garnish

¼ cup- raisins
10-cashrews
1 tsp-cumin seeds
2 stems-spring onions
2 tsp- olive oil/coconut oil

Directions

Coconut milk:

Grind the fresh /frozen coconut adding little water and mix it with hot water in a bowl.
Allow this mixture for 10 minutes so that coconut releases its milk to the water.
Filter the coconut flakes from the milk by using a tea filter.
Repeat this process till you the get the quantity of coconut milk required.

Peas Pulao:

Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 15-30 minutes.
Heat a pressure cooker and add some oil.
Add the spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, bayleaf, elachi) and green chilies.
Now stir in the onions till its transparent. (Make sure they don’t turn brown, else the rice will not come white in color).
Pour the coconut milk, low fat milk and water.(you can also the water used for soaking the basmati rice for more aroma)
When the milk mixture comes to boil, add the peas and salt.
Make sure the rice is fully drained before adding to the boiling milk mixture. (Adding rice after water boils make sure that the rice does not stick or get overcooked).
Pressure cooks the rice for 1 whistle on high –medium high flame.
Release the pressure in about 5-10 minutes and transfer it to a serving bowl.
In a microwave boil, add 2 tsp oil, cumin, cashews and raisins.
Microwave it for 30secs- 1 minute.
Add it to the rice and stir .(adding some oil in the end gives a shiny and finished look without adding excessive oil during cooking)
Garnish with chopped spring onions and its ready to be served.

Benefit of Peas

Being low in calories, green peas are good for those who are trying to lose weight.
The high amount of iron and vitamin C in green peas has been found to help strengthen the immune system.
Green peas provide the body with those nutrients that are important for maintaining bone health as they are high in Vitamin K and B6
Green peas are rich in dietary fiber, making them good for those suffering from constipation. Just one cup of peas provides over 1/3 of the necessary daily fiber.
Green peas are one of the important foods to include in your diet if you oftentimes feel fatigued and sluggish. That is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body.