Taste & Create XIV: Mushroom-Peas-Corn Pulao

Taste & Create is a monthly food blog event, in which participants are randomly paired with other food bloggers and asked to choose and prepare a recipe from their partner's blog. Taste & Create is hosted by the lovely Nicole of For the Love of Food. This month, Nicole is taking a much-needed vacation, and I am the lucky guest host! It is so exciting to help out with this event that I love! I am so happy to be a part of this...Thanks, Nicole, for having faith in me and bearing with me and coaching me through all the minutia of details!

So this month, I was paired with Divya of Dil Se... She has so many delicious-sounding recipes, with alluring and fascinating blends of spices (and some ingredients I have never heard of!) It was difficult to narrow down, and there are still quite a few on my list.

I was intrigued by Divya's Mushroom-Peas-Corn Pulao, and I happened to have all the spices! I even found a recipe for ginger-garlic paste, and as luck would have it, the grocery store has actually started to carry fresh ginger! I made my garlic-ginger paste in my mini food processor, then proceeded with the recipe.

I don't have a pressure cooker, so I just put a lid on a pot. I also couldn't find Basmati rice, so I used Jasmine. I'm sure there is a difference, but to me, rice is rice is rice. I used frozen corn and peas, and butter instead of ghee. I believe those are all my changes...

This dish smelled amazing while sauteing everything together...that was my favorite part. The rice was finished in exactly 20 minutes, perfectly done and beautiful. The spices were a bit much for our little boys, but it was delicious for us!

*Be sure to check out Divya's post about making reddquilter's Breadsticks!



Mushroom-Peas-Corn Pulao

2 tablespoons Ghee /oil (I used butter)
Cashews (I used a small handful, chopped)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 whole cloves
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger- Garlic paste
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup corn
1/2 cup green peas
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin/Jeera powder
2 cups Basmati Rice (I used Jasmine)
Salt to taste
Coriander (cilantro) for garnishing


In a pressure cooker (or dutch oven pan) heat ghee/oil over medium heat and fry the cashews. Once they turn golden brown, add the cumin seeds and cloves. Then add the onions and ginger garlic paste and saute until they turn translucent.

Then add the mushrooms and fry till they turn brown and all the moisture evaporates.

Then add the corn and saute for a minute. (I added my peas at the same time as the corn, since both were frozen)

Add all the spices and salt and allow them to cook for a minute.

Add 3 1/2 cups water and once it begins to boil add the rice and peas.

Close the pressure cooker and cook for two whistles. (Or cover your dutch oven, turn heat to low, and simmer for roughly the amount of time it says on the rice package.)

Do not overcook.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with raita. (oh, how I wish I had the ingredients for raita...)

P.S. The garnish in my photo is Italian parsley, just for looks! =)