You need:
- Long grained basmati rice - 2 cups
- Ghee - 1/2 cup (sorry folks.. i know its too much.. but gotta be done)
- Cashew nuts - a fistful
- raisins - 4-5
- Onions - 3 (Julienne one and finely chop the other 2)
- green chillies - 3 (finely chopped)
- ginger - 1" piece (finely chopped)
- Mixed veg (peas/diced carrots/corn/chopped beans) - total 1 cup.. maxx 1/2 cup
- tejpatta - 1 leaf
- cloves - 2-3
- Badi ilaichi - 1
- cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt to taste
- turmeric powder - 2 tsp
- red food color - 1 tsp
How to (this is my shortcut method so a little unorthodox)
In a pressure cooker add the washed rice and the mixed vegetables. Add salt and 1 1/2 cup of water. Close the cooker and cook on a high flame for one whistle. Immediately remove from flame and let out all the steam. Open the cooker and drain out all the remaining water from the rice.
From this semi cooked rice take a little less than 1/4 quantity in a separate bowl. Add the red food color and mix well. Similarly take another bowl and take out less than 1/4 of rice in that, add turmeric and mix well. Let the remaining rice be white.
In a deep pan, heat the ghee. Add tejpatta, ilaichi, cloves, and cumin seeds. Add the julienned onion and cook till brown. Add the finely chopped onions, cashews, green chillies and ginger and cook till brown.
While the onions are browning.. wash off the colored rice. I.e. add water to the rice where you had added the red food color and the turmeric and wash out all the color. Once all color is washed off.. mix it with the white rice. Add this mixed rice to the browning onions and mix well. Add some salt if needed. Add the raisins. Cover and cook till the rice is tender.
Just before serving sprinkle the lemon juice and mix well.
