Methi Pulao/Methi Rice

My mother in law taught me this recipe and it's awesome rice item.

Ingredients
2 cups of basmati rice
1 big bunch of methi leaves chopped into small pieces
Fist full of avarekayi (kannada term) known as papdi lilva in hindi
1 large onion cut into thin long slices
1 tomato cut into small cubes
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 inch of ginger
4-5 small green chilies
2 cloves
1 cardamon
1-2 bay leaves
1/4 inch cinnamon stick
1/4 inch of anistar
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoon dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
Fist full of coriander leaves finely chopped
Few strings of mint leaves (optional) finely chopped
Salt to taste
3-4 tbs Oil
2 cup water

How I prepare
1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes
2. In a stone pestle or any other pestle add garlic, ginger, green chilies  cloves, cinnamon stick, anistar and crush it nicely into a coarse powder. If you don't have a pestle use mixer to make a coarse paste.
3. Take a pressure cooker, heat up oil in it. Add jeera, bay leaves, cardamon and saute for few seconds then add the above mix and saute it for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add Onions and cook it until translucent. Add avarekayi, methi leaves and saute it for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add tomato, coriander and mint leaves. Cook it for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add Salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhaniya powder and mix everything nicely
7. Add rice to the above mix and fry it for 1 more minute
8. Add water and pressure cook for 2 whistles
9. Serve hot with Raita.

Notes
1. Since the basmati rice is soaked for 30 minutes it needs less water. Adjust the water according to rice you use.
2. I used frozen avarekayi, you can use peas as alternative.