Chutney Pulav and Lehsooni Methi Raitha

This Chutney Pulav is not made in pressure cooker so you dont have to worry about the quantity of water which most of us go wrong many times and which in turn makes the rice sticky or uncooked. Here we cook the rice separately and drain it just like how we make rice for biryani. This recipe was shared by a facebook friend Shyamalakka who says this is one of her signature dishes. 
I made Lehsooni Methi Raitha as an accompaniment with this Pulav and the taste blended so well. This is one amazing raitha and all the garlic lovers will love it ! I got this recipes from another blog cubesandjulliennes. I have made few changes in both the recipes to suit our palates

Chutney Pulav 
 Ingredients:
       2 cups Basmati Rice/ Sona Masoori rice
       1/4 tsp turmeric powder
       Salt
       2 cups vegetables (I have used green peas, cauliflower and carrots)
       3 onions sliced
       2 tbsp ghee/ oil

To be ground to a fine paste:
      3 tsp grated coconut
      2 tomatoes diced
      1 cup chopped coriander leaves with stem
      3 garlic cloves
      1 inch of ginger
      6 green chillies
      4 peppercorns
      2 cloves
      Small stick of cinnamon
      2 cardamom
      2 tsp coriander seeds
      2 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

• Soak rice for about half an hour. Then cook it with turmeric powder and salt till it is 90% done. Drain water and keep aside.
• Put all the ingredients mentioned under 'to grind' in a blender and make a fine paste. Do not add much water.
• Put all the vegetables in a microwave proof bowl and microwave it on high for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively you can pressure cook it for 1 whistle
• Heat ghee/oil in a big kadai. Fry the onions till it turns translucent.
• Add the ground green masala, salt and the vegetables and fry till all the water is evaporated and the mixture becomes dry,
• Add the precooked rice and mix well. Serve with your choice of raitha

Lehsooni Methi Raitha
Ingredients :
     Half cup methi leaves finely chopped
     3/4 cup yoghurt
     Salt
     1/2 tsp sugar
     1/4 tsp cumin seeds
     4 cloves garlic finely chopped
     2 tsp oil
     1/2 tsp red chilli powder
     1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

• Whisk the yoghurt in a bowl. Add salt and lemon juice.
• Heat oil in a tadka pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow it to crackle.
• Add half of the chopped garlic and fry till it turns brown
• Add the methi leaves, sugar and fry for 2 minutes. Let it cool
• Mix it with the whisked yoghurt
• Heat half tsp oil. Add the remaining garlic and fry till it turns brown. Then add the red chilli powder and immediately pour over the yoghurt and serve