Perfect Pairing- Rajma Mushroom Pulao and a classy Potato Raita

What a blessed pair, Long Live the couple!!!! You might have heard these liners umpteen number of times in real & reel life. But I'm not here to discuss or bless any couple - I'm talking about my recent discoveries in the kitchen which is the Rajma- Mushroom Pulao/ Pilaf/ Pulav. The mentioned Potato raita or Dahi Batata is completely adapted from Nupur's One Hot Stove except for few personal variations.
I've cooked this Pulao in a complete Nawabi style- the Dum method. The Rajma and the Mushrooms tasted marvellous with the infusion of all the spices I've put in there. I've also tried out a new masala called Kitchen King Masala from Badshah brand into this pulao which gave the dish a completely new zing!!!!

I'm also sending this entry to The Well Seasoned Cook's prominent legume-centric event- My Legume Love Affair - 14. This will be the first time participation in an event like this and I'm just waiting for the event's roundup to catch hold of the numerous recipes which will be showcased in this particular event.


So here goes the recipe.........

Ingredients
Rajma/ Red Kidney Beans (canned or overnight soaked and boiled) - 1 cup
Button Mushrooms - 1 cup
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 3 No.'s minced finely
Tomato - 2 No.'s minced finely
Green Chillies - 3 No.'s finely chopped
Ginger -Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Pudina/ Mint Leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch long stick broken into tiny pieces
Cardamom -3 No.'s
Garam Masala - 2 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 2 heaped tsp
Yoghurt -3 heaped tbsp
Milk - 4 tbsp
Saffron - a generous pinch
Salt to taste
Warm Water - 3.5 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - as per usage
Coriander Leaves - For garnish



Method
Wash and soak rice for half an hour. Add saffron into the milk and keep it aside. In an aluminium vessel or a heavy bottomed stock pot, pour ghee and olive oil till hot. Splutter jeera, cinnamon, cardamom and fry onion, ginger- garlic paste till brown. Add tomatoes, green chillies,pudina and fry till the raw smell is gone. Now add the yoghurt and all the masala's with some salt. Fry till the masala starts leaving out oil on the sides, add the rajma and mushrooms at this point time and saute till the mushrooms becomes completely dry.Now add the soaked rice and some more salt and mix well. Add water and let it simmer on low heat. When the rice is half done, pour the saffron-milk mixture on top and keep it on dum. I do the dum method by placing aluminium foil on top of the vessel and wrapping it tightly so that no steam could escape and the lid of the vessel on top of that. Just cook the whole dish for another 15- 20 mins till done. After few mins release the foil and fluff the rice with a fork so that the rice dont stick to each other or gets completely mashed up. Finally garnish the rice with coriander leaves and serve it with the Potato raita which completes the PERFECT PAIR ACCOMPANIMENT

The Potato Raita is really a breeze to prepare. I followed Nupur's method of pricking the potatoes and microwaving it for 3-4 mins. Whisk the yoghurt till creamy, I added 2 tbsp Labneh/ Greek yoghurt into this to give it that tangy taste. Into the yoghurt added the boiled cubed potatoes, cumin- coriander powders, 1 tbsp minced pudina, green chillies, salt and garnished off with some paprika.

This perfect pairing made a perfect hearty lunch, dinner and then even my next day's lunch tiffin. Do try it and let me know how you liked it.

Bon Appetit!!