Pudina Pulao with Mix Vegetable Curry

Looks like a time-taking recipe, but trust me, the combo can be cooked in just about half hour.

Pudina/mint pulao's been inspired from Mahanandi.

Coming to veggy curry, I got a chance to taste this at a friend's house. She's this terrific cook and a sweet talker who I'm sure would rock the food-blog-world if she starts blogging on a serious note.

The curry just takes 15min to be ready, seriously.. :) All you need is to have a tin of Trader Joes "masala simmer sauce" in your pantry. Its this tomato based sauce with all the Indian kurma spices included in it.

Here's the curry recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Trader Joes "Masala Simmer Sauce" - 1/3 tin
2. Potato - 1 medium size
3. 1 cup Frozen veggies (carrot, beans, corn and peas) or fresh veggies - your choice
4. Cashewnuts - 4
5. Khus-khus/poppy seeds - 1 tsp
6. Shredded coconut - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Break the whole cashew into small chunks and soak them along with khus-khus and coconut in a small amount of milk. I suggest you do this atleast 2 hours in advance, so that the poppy seeds can be easily blended in the mixer.
2. Cube the potato and microwave until they are 75% cooked.
3. Heat a spoonful of oil (not much reqd since the sauce already has enough oil) and toss the boiled potato and the mixed vegetables. Add some salt (just sufficient for the vegetables, sauce contains salt too)
   
4. Cook on low flame with lid covered until the veggies turn tender
5. Add the sauce and may be half cup water to the vegetables.
6. Simmer for about 5min.
7. Grind the cashew-poppy-coconut mix to a not-so-smooth-not-so-coarse paste. Its okay if the poppy seeds aren't crushed completely.
8. Add this paste to the gravy, stir the contents and serve hot with yummy yummy pudina pulao and curd.