Vegetable pulao

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Onions sliced - 3

Onions shredded - 1

Beans (cut into small pieces) - 1 cup

Carrots(cut into small pieces) - 1 cup

Cauliflower (cut into small pieces) - 1 cup

Green peas - 1/2 cup( I did not use them as I did have them)

Green chillies - 2 

Cinnamon sticks - 2 

Cardomom pods - 4

Cloves - 4

Star Anise - 1

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Bay leaves - 2

Mint leaves - a handful

Salt to taste

A pinch of Ajonomoto

Oil for frying.

Procedure

• Wash and boil Basmati rice in 8 cups of water.Add crushed cardomon seeds, cloves to the rice, while boiling. Drain and spread it on a plate to cool.
• Add oil to a pan. Fry the sliced onions to golden brown, drain the oil and keep aside
• Fry the shredded onion, sliced green chillies, till the onion become transluscent. 
• Add, fennel seeds, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and fry for 2 mins.
• Add the chopped vegetables, mint leaves and fry them for a while. Add salt.Then lower the fire to sim, close the pan with a lid till let the vegetables get cooked in the steam. Add the cooled rice, ajonomoto and  mix well.
• Close the lid and switch off the stove after 5 mins. 

Serve with onion raita.