Recipe: Vrat Pulau Or Samak

Jayanti Soni's unique Samak or Vrat Pulau also known as Vrat Rice or Bhagar Pulau satisfies your rice cravings, without piling on the calories.

Overloaded with veggies, this wonderful tasting pulau can be had with dahi, papad and pickle.

Jayanti, who is a superb cook, hails from the small town of Bhinmal in Jalore district, southwestern Rajasthan. Now Mumbai based, Jayanti learnt most of her cooking skills from her mother Geeta Devi, who she says is the best and most perfection-oriented cook she knows, and then expanded her repertoire by consulting cookbooks, relatives and friends.

You may also like to try Jayanti's recipe for asli Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabji.

• REDIFF RECIPES

Samak or Vrat Pulau

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup samak or sama rice or barnyard millet
• 2 tbsp groundnut/peanut oil or Desi ghee
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 3 tbsp finely chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro
• 2-3 tbsp groundnuts, with skins on
• ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 2-3 laung or cloves
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• Small piece dalchini or cinnamon, broken into smaller pieces
• 3 cups water
• Sendha namak or rock salt to taste

Method

• Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy-bottomed kadhai or saucepan over low heat.
  When the oil heats up, add the jeera and the rai.
  Once it splutters, add the black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon.
  Add the diced potatoes and mix well.
  Add the peanuts.
  Stir for a few minutes.
  Add the turmeric powder.
  Stir until the potato cubes are coated with turmeric powder.
  Add the red chilly powder and mix.
  Add the samak rice.
  Stir until well combined.
  Add the water, stir and let the mixture simmer.
  Check for seasoning and add the rock salt.
  Keep stirring at intervals so the samak rice doesn't burn or stick to the bottom.
  Once the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked, add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves.
  Stir.
  Take off heat and serve hot with dahi and papad.

Editor's Note: For a Jain version of this pulau, opt to use cubes of 2 medium-sized green bananas instead of potatoes.

For more fasting food please check out our healthy Brown Rice and Sprouts Pulau recipe.

WATCH: How to make Samak Or Vrat Pulau.
Video: Dhairya Soni

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