Cauliflower Mushroom Jeera Rice

Being a Friday, that too with a long weekend ahead, my mind was all occupied about our 3 days trip to Vegas.. :) With no mood to cook, I was thinking to fix something simple and also wanted to finish off the left over vegetables in my fridge. I then grabbed the pack of mushrooms, cauliflower from my freezer and thought of making a pilaf with it. Suddenly something struck my mind and wanted to make it spicier, so came up with this Cauliflower Mushroom Jeera rice.

Things needed
Basmathi rice - 1 Cup
Water - 1.5 Cups
Cauliflower - 1 whole flower (separated into florets)
Mushroom - 10 nos. (sliced)
Onion - 1 no. medium sized
Tomato - 1 no. medium sized
Cloves - 3 nos.
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Green chillies - 3 nos.
Jeera - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 2 nos.
Mint - 1/2 Cup (chopped)
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Butter - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

To grind
Ginger - 1 medium sized piece
Garlic pearls - 5 nos.
Jeera - 1/2 tbsp
Cardamon - 2 nos.
Kashmiri chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Whole pepper - 1/2 tsp

Soak the rice for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Then add the cloves, jeera, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, mint and green chillies. Saute them for 2 minutes, then add the chopped onions, tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Then add the cauliflower and mushrooms to it and saute for 2 minutes. Meanwhile make a fine paste with all the ingredients listed under 'to grind'. Add this paste to the veggies and cook for about 5 minutes until the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves the mixture.

Drain water from the soaked rice and add it to the masala in the cooker. Fry the rice with the masala for few minutes. Now add the measured amount of water to the rice mixture. Add salt and adjust to your taste.

Bring this mixture to boil and top it with butter. Close the cooker and turn the heat to low. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the cooker stand on the same heat for 20 minutes. After 30 minutes spicy jeera is ready to be served with vegetable curry or just onion raita.

 Happy cooking and happy weekend.. :)

This recipe goes to CWS - Cumin seeds event initiated by Priya hosted by Sara's corner.