Vegetable Pulao II (with Fresh Spice Mix)

I am a big fan of one pot meals.It is my kind of food,perfect for lazy days.Though I am very passionate about cooking and do it the fullest of my interest,there definitely are days when I just feel lazy and don't want to enter kitchen.So mostly we eat out during those days else I come up with a very quick and easy one pot meal which can made with in 30 minutes flat.These kind of dish also comes handy on those fridge cleaning days and we can put those one or two veggies here and there to a good use.Recently I was planning for one such pulao and I used freshly ground spice mix and it was a great hit.Perfect for lazy Sunday brunch.Serve with a simple raita and you are done :)Vegetable pulao-with fresh spice mix

Star ingredients-Assorted vegetables
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 small egg plants
8-10 ivy guard
1 carrot
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Salt
Ghee+oil
Spice mix:
1 teaspoon gram dal
1 teaspoon roasted dal
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon saunf
2 green chillies
1 small piece of ginger
Method:
1.Soak basmati rice in water for 10 minutes and drain.Cook basmati rice with just enough water so that the grains remain separate.Once the pressure is released,spread it on a wide plate and use a fork to separate the grains.
2.Dry roast all the ingredients in the spice mix except green chillies and ginger.Once cool grind to a coarse paste along with ginger and green chillies.
3.In a wide pan heat little oil and temper with mustard seeds.Next add the spice paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.
4.Add the onions and fry till golden brown.Add all the vegetables and saute for just about 5-7 minutes.The vegetables should still retain their crunch.
5.Add salt and turmeric powder to the veggies and saute for 2 more minutes.
6.Add the cold rice gently and spread over the vegetables.Do not mix now.Next add two teaspoons of ghee and coriander powder.Cover tightly and keep a weight on the lid.Switch off the flame.
7.After 10 minutes mix gently and serve warm with raita.

To make it with in 30 minutes,first put the rice in pressure cooker.While the rice is cooking chop all the vegetables and keep it ready.While the rice is resting to release the pressure grind the spice.This way by managing time efficiently we can save lot of time and even cook elaborate meals in remarkably less time
Notes:
1.Here I have used what ever vegetables I had in hand.You can use vegetables of your choice.But my personal suggestion would be corainder powder goes very well with vegetables like eggplant,ivy guard.
2.You can add a dash of lemon juice at the end for tangy taste,as there is no souring agent in the recipe.
3.Ghee gives a very different taste and fragrance here,but if you wish skip to make this a vegan rice.
4.While cooking basmati rice,add one or two drops of sesame oil to avoid sticking.You can also roast the rice for 2-3 minutes in ghee and then pressure cook.