Red Cabbage Pulav (My Tribute to "Avatar" Colors)

While watching Avatar, I loved the special effects, futuristic gadgets, messages like save trees, save earth, mesmerizing Pandora, the unbelievable Hallelujah mountains, and above all I was enthralled by the colors of nature spread throughout the movie; but in my opinion, purple-ish blue (Avatar blue) gave the film its identity.

While cooking, I don't like to use food colors as nature itself has many different colors that would make your dish look beautiful. I wanted my rice to have this Avatar-blue color without the use food coloring, and I think red cabbage actually made it even more eye-catching than the food color.

This recipe is very simple but I and my guests, who tried this, agreed that use of pickled turnips gave it an extra kick in taste and added another totally different dimension for the eyes. Here goes my tribute to "AVATAR" colors.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup Red Cabbage, Grated
  
• 2 cups Red Cabbage Water
  
• 1 cup Basmati Rice
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 1/4 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 3-4 Green Chilli, chopped
  
• 14 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 2 Cloves + 2 Extra
  
• 2 Green Cardamom + 1 Extra
  
• 1 Cinnamon + 1 Extra
  
• 1 cup Mix Vegetables, (Corn, Carrot, Peas, Lima Beans)
  
• 2-3 tbsp Pickled Turnips, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Pinch of Turmeric Powder
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste
  

Method:-

1. Grate red cabbage, and squeeze all water from cabbage. Keep grated cabbage and squeezed water aside.

2. In microwave safe bowl, boil vegetables with some water, little salt, black pepper, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon. Drain well.

3. Heat oil in pan, add Cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom. Saute ginger, garlic, chilli, grated cabbage for 30 seconds.

4. Add rice, turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, red chilli powder. Mix well and saute for 30 seconds.

5. Add red cabbage water, and bring it to boil, turn down the heat on medium low, cover with lid, and cook until rice is done.

6. Fluff up the rice with fork and add vegetables and chopped pickled turnips. Cover pan with lid while it is hot for minute, so vegetables can mix up with hot rice.

7. Serve hot with red radish raita.

Enjoy...

Tip: Use star Anise or extra cinnamon or make this pulav little spicy to lessen the cabbage smell which might bother some people.