Ingredients:

• 500g – Cottage cheese cubes
• 2 – diced Potatoes
• 1/2 cup – diced Carrots
• 1/2 cup – Green peas
• 2 tbsp – clarified butter/ghee
• 1 – chopped Onion
• 1 inch stick – Cinnamon
• 4-5 – green Cardamoms
• 2-3 – Bay Leaves
• 2 cups – basmati Rice
• Salt, to taste
• To be ground:
• 1/2 cup – Mint leaves chopped
• 1 cup – Coriander leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp – grated Coconut
• 1/4 cup – roasted Peanuts
• 1 tsp – Coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 5-6 – peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1 small – Onion chopped
• 2-3 – Green chillies
• 6 – Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 inch piece – Ginger
• Juice of 2 limes
• For the Garnish:
• 1/2 cup – fried Onion
• 1/4 cup – roasted Cashewnuts and Raisins
• 2 tbsp – chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients into a fine paste and keep aside.
2. Deep fry the cheese cubes in hot oil till golden brown. Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside.
3. Heat ghee/clarified butter in a pan and saute the onions till they turn pink. Add the ground paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, a little water and cook on medium heat till around 3/4 cooked. Add the peas and cook till all the vegetables are cooked, but are firm enough.
5. Add the cheese cubes and mix carefully. Switch off the heat after a minute.
6. Take plenty of water in a vessel. Add the whole spices and salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook till almost done. Drain and keep aside.
7. In a pan, spread a layer of rice (half of the cooked rice) evenly on the bottom.
8. Spoon in the vegetable mixture evenly. Spread the remaining rice on top. Cover the pan with an aluminium foil or a tight fitting lid.
9. Place the pan on top of a heat diffuser or tawa and cook on low heat for 15O minutes.
10. Garnish with fried onions, toasted cashew nuts, raisins and chopped leaves. Serve hot with raita and pickle.
11. Recipe Courtesy: Mareena’s Recipe Collections