While browsing through my recipe book I came across recipe for Cauliflower Pulao. Cauli is family favourite veggie and such simple yet delicious recipes are always on my radar. I adapted the original recipe from the book "Annapurna" and it tasted awesome.  You can prepare it with leftover rice and you may also add extra vegetables. This rice tasted even more delicious the next day.

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice 
Caulifower florets separated washed and cleaned [about 250 gms]
2 medium sized onions, sliced
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 -3 green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 strand mace
1 piece of 1 " cinnamon
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms
2 -3 pepper
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 and 3/4 cups hot water
3 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves/ Mint leaves

Method:

Wash, clean the cauliflower and separate the florets. Keep those florets immersed in warm water with vinegar for 10 mins. [Alternately you may soak them in in warm water with turmeric powder and salt]. Drain the water. Shallow fry these florets in 1 tsp of ghee till light brown and keep them aside. 

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in the same pan. Fry cashews until golden, add raisins and fry them until they become plump. Remove from pan and keep it aside. Heat half of sliced onions and fry them until they caramelize. Keep it aside. 

Wash and clean rice, rinsing atleast 2-3 times. Keep it aside for 20 mins. Drain the water. Coarsely grind green chillies, ginger and garlic. Heat remaining ghee in the above pan. Add cumin seeds and as they crackle add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, green cardamom, mace. Saute for a min and then add coarse mixture of green chillies, garlic and ginger. Saute it until the raw smell disappears. Add rice and saute it gently. Add cauli florets, 1/4 cup of thick coconut milk, 3.75 cups of hot water. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with lid and let it cook on low flame until rice is soft and done. Garnish with fried nuts, caramelized onions and herbs. Serve it hot with your choice of accompaniment.

Note: I had stock of caramelized onions so skipped that step.

Happy Cooking !