Ingredients

• 2 cups - basmati rice
• 1 cup - field beans/kaalu
• 1 tsp - salt
• 2 tbsp - onion ( peeled and sliced)
• 2 - green chillies ( slit )
• 1 tbsp - fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 tsp - cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp - pepper corns
• 1 - cinnamon stick
• 2 - cardamom
• 6 - cloves
• 1 pinch - turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp - sesame oil
• a few curry leaves
• 2 tbsp - finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp - finely chopped mint leaves

How to Make Kaalu pulav

• Wash and drain the rice and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and fry till they pop.
• Add curry leaves, chopped onion, slit green chillies and ginger and saute till onion becomes pink in colour.
• Stir in the kaalu.
• Add turmeric powder and then the washed and drained rice and fry till the rice starts sticking to the kadai.
• Add salt and 4 cups of water to the fried ingredients and stir well.
• When the water starts to boil, cover the kadai with a lid and reduce flame to low.
• Open the lid after 15 minutes, stir the pulav carefully (without mashing the rice) for the even distribution of kaalu, and cover it again.
• Switch off flame after five more minutes.
• Garnish the kaalu pulav with finely chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves just before serving.
• Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen
• http://chitra-ammas-kitchen.blogspot.in/