Tomato pulao masala

Here is something to cheer about … a novel dinner dish, quite unlike the staid, daily dose of rice and curries. A great combo of masalas, ghee, and jeerakasala (Wayanadan kaima) rice, this tomato pulao masala is sure to be a hit and can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Watch video here

Ingredients
1 tsp each ginger and garlic (crushed)
Coriander, pudina (mint) leaves
1 big onion (cut in half)
3 each green chillies, red chillies
2 tablespoon water
Grind all the above to a fine paste  
Next set:
2 tbsp ghee
3 pods cardamom
1 piece cinnamon
4 cloves 
1 piece thakkolam (star anise)
1 vazhana (bay leaf)
Sultanas, cashew nuts: As required
Other ingredients: 
2 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1¼ tsp salt
4 chopped tomatoes
1½ cups  Jeerakasala rice (soaked for 2 hours)

Preparation
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker
Add in cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, sultanas and cashew nuts
Fry them to a golden brown shade
Into the cooker add the coriander powder, chilly powder and salt to the fried ingredients
Mix well
Add the ground paste and sauté well
Now put in the chopped tomatoes and sauté once again
Add in the cleaned, washed and well soaked rice
Mix everything well
Add in 2½ cups of water along with chopped coriander and mint leaves and cook till one whistle is out
Wait till the cooker cools down
The rice can be served hot along with raita.