A flavourful rice prepared with mixed lentils and spicy masala. I had tasted this yummy rice at my cousin's place in India, she used 9 lentil varieties in that recipe but i used only 3 different lentil varieties. You can serve this pulao with raita and vadagam / fryums.

Ingredients: 

Serves 3 people

• 1 cup - Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup - Mixed lentil ( chick peas, black eyed peas, black chana / kala chana)
• 1 no - Onion (chopped finely)
• 1 no - Tomato (chopped finely)
• 1 tsp - Ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp - Red chilli powder (or add as needed)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp - Chole masala (store bought one)
• 1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp - Coriander leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp - Tomato (chopped for garnishing)
• Salt to taste

Seasonings:

• 1 1/2 tbsp - Oil and butter
• 1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp - Fennel seeds / sombu
• 2 pinches - Asafoetida
• 4 or 5 nos - Curry leaves

Preparation method:

1. Wash and soak lentils in enough water for 6 hours or overnight. Then pressure cook them until they are soft, set aside.
2. Wash and pressure cook basmati rice in enough water along with little salt and few drops of oil, cook until well cooked and allow them to cool completely.
3. Heat oil and butter in a pan, season with items given in the list for seasoning, followed by onion and ginger garlic paste, saute until translucent.
4. Now add tomato and cook until mushy. Then add all masala powders along with required salt, cook until raw smell goes. Add cooked lentil and mix well to coat all the masala.
5. Add cooked and cooled rice to this lentil masala, mix well to coat rice with masala. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and chopped tomato on top, serve hot with any raita of your choice.

Notes:

• You can use any lentil of your choice like dried green peas, green gram dal, whole toor dal, lima bean etc.
• Do not over cook rice, cook perfectly with enough water(1 :1 1/2 ratio) and using fork carefully remove cooked rice from the pressure cooker. Spread it over a plate and allow them to cool completely.
• You can increase or decrease red chilli powder as per your spice level.