Mooligai Sadam | Herb Pulav | Green Pulav Recipe

Hi Supermoms,

 Vegetable shopping for this week is overdue and I have been managing to make something simple last couple of days with things available at home and postponing my market visit ( just out of laziness😁). 

Sometimes, this comes as a blessing in disguise as you end up creating a new dish with ingredients from your garden and the vegetables you will  not think of using otherwise. 

'Mooligai' in Tamil means 'herbs'. Well, as the name suggests, I have used herbs that were available at home . You can add more herbs if they are available . 

The rice was so flavourful and was a show stopper in our lunch platter today. I have used fresh red chillies ( the large ones, deseeded ) as they are in season here. But you can use green chillies also to spice up the pulav. You can use basmati rice to make this pulav. But, I used my Sona Masuri rice and they turned out really good. 

Mooligai Saadam | Herb Pulav :

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 25 minutes

Serves: 4

1 cup = 250 ml cup

Ingredients :

1 cup raw rice ( you can use basmati rice or Sona Masuri)

1 tablespoon ghee

Herbs :

1 cup mint leaves ( loosely packed)

10 tulsi/holy basil leaves ( you can use other basil varieties also)

15 curry leaves

1/4 cup moringa leaves ( you can use 1/2 teaspoon store bought dry moringa powder if you do not get fresh leaves)

1/2 cup coriander leaves ( chopped) 

3-4 young neem leaves 

Spices to be fried and ground:

2 teaspoons ghee

1/2 " cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1 long pepper/thipli OR 4-5 black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 green cardamom

1 bay leaf 

1/2 teaspoon dry neem flowers ( optional)

3 fresh red chillies ( deseeded and finely chopped)

1/2" ginger ( finely chopped)

4 large garlic pods ( peeled and finely chopped)

1 onion OR 3-4 shallots ( chopped) 

Other ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

For garnish ( optional) :

ghee roasted cashew nuts OR roasted peanuts 

caramelised onions

Method:

1. Cook rice in 1:2 proportion of rice:water and allow it to cool.

2. Mix rice with a teaspoon of ghee and set it aside.

3. In a kadai or pan, add ghee and all the whole spices given under 'spices to be fried and ground'.

I am adding dry neem flowers

4. When they turn flavourful add the finely chopped onions, chillies, ginger and garlic.

5. Let this mixture fry for 2 minutes.

6. Now add all the herbs and let them fry for another 2 minutes and switch off.

7. Transfer this to the jar of a mixer and grind this mixture coarsely .

8. Heat ghee in the pan and add the ground mixture. 

9. Fry for 2-3 minutes and add the cooked rice.

10. Mix well over low flame to coat the rice evenly and switch off.

Your Mooligai Sadam /Herb pulav is now ready. You can garnish with roasted cashew nuts , peanuts or onions. I served it for lunch with potato chips . I also made a traditional Kuzhambu , but will share more about that tomorrow. 

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom