How weird is the title? I have a confession to make. This is not my idea. Those who are familiar with the cooking competition in Star Vijay must have heard of this. I haven’t seen the program but while I was talking to my sister last month, she told me about this prize winning recipe. I didn’t even think of trying it until Kalyani announced the ingredients for Magic Mingle #16. When I read that rice and watermelon has to be paired the first thing that came to my mind was this pulao. I have been asking PK for a watermelon for more than a week and finally he bought it yesterday. Today when he was leaving for office, I told him about this pulao and he said that I have decided to waste the watermelon. I was little skeptic myself in preparing this pulao and PK increased my doubts. But still I made it and ended with this deeply coloured slightly sweet pulao. When paired with potato kurma and curd it tasted very nice. You get a slight hint of water melon but it is not very obvious. With all those fried onion and cashew on top it was wonderful. Even Sruti liked it. For the sixth day of the month long BM, I selected this pulao for the party special theme.
Watermelon Pulao
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice-1 1/2 cups
Water Melon Juice-2 cups ( remove seeds of 1/4 of the medium sized water melon and pulse in a mixer)
Salt-to taste
Ghee-2 tbs
Clove-2
cinnamon-a small piece
Star Anise-1
Onion-2
Garlic-1
Green Chilly-4
Ginger-a small piece
Pudina Powder-1 tbs
Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
Water-1 cup
For Topping:
Broken Cashew-3-4 tbs
Onion-1
Oil-To Deep Fry
Procedure:
1. Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
3. Add the spices and saute fro a minute.
4. Add onion and saute until golden.
5. Coarsely grind ginger, garlic, green chillies and dried pudina powder.
6. Add it to onion s and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the rice and saute for a minute.
8. Now add the watermelon juice, water, salt and turmeric powder.
9. Let it cook until a little water is left.
10. Cover the pan with a foil and then the lid.
11. Reduce flame to low and cook for 5-8 minutes.
12. Meanwhile deep fry cashews and onions until nice brown.
13. When the rice is cooked, garnish it with fried onions and cashew nuts and serve along with a gravy and raitha.
Look at the lovely colour water melon gives the rice…
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 27
I thought you would have white part of watermelon in this pulao, very unique pulao definitely..I’ll be making some once its watermelon season here.
Lovely idea, its a refreshing pulao!
looks yummy and innovative idea…
Wow.. pulav with watermelon.. A different one in its entirety.. Great going mam 🙂
The colour is really lovely. You mean it is a combination of the pink watermelon juice and the turmeric ?
Fantastic filling new combo and color makes me flat here…
That is a brilliant creation! I am still racking my brains 🙂
WOW ….this looks so interesting 🙂
Love the colour of the pulao !!
ShrutiRasoi
Wow. .never have thought if this !!! Luks soo colourful.
WeGayatri I do not think this is weird at all. I was thinking of the same rice.Two people cannot think weird right.
Looks awesome.
New to me .looks delicious rice
very innovative and interesting pulao.
Lovely idea… Rice looks fabulous…
pulao looks so tempting and inviting…i did see the show but bit hesitate to try due to the sweetness…will give a try..
Wow! What a innovative recipe! the color looks gorgeous 🙂 The mild sweetness of the watermelon should give a very pleasant taste to the pulao 🙂
This is very innovative. Looks interesting.
-Raksha
Raksha’s Kitchen
That’s a good one Gayathris…I too thought of the Pulao, but a sweet version..but some how settled with creeps…
Wow! Nice and innovative! I will try it.
wow… tats innovative!
wow this must be fruity and yum.
very nice looking pulao, i think it got its color from the watermelon juice, interesting
looks absolutely smashing!! 🙂
mouthwatering delicious pulav gayathri
What an interesting dish with pulao. Never thought a savory dish can be made with watermelon, but the pulao looks delicious.
That’s really one excellent combination..I would never have had the courage to venture..:)..I like the way the rice’s colour comes out..so bright..was it the juice and turmeric that gave this colour?
Totally new and great recipe 🙂
That is one innovative rice dish. Beautiful
Wow I treating. Wondering how it will taste.
What a twist to the savory dish!
very useful really good information thanks for posting such a good information it will hepls the people a lot keep it up , Regards,
Semiya upma