Every year my sister-in-law comes over to tie a Rakhi (a sacred thread which signifies a sister’s wish for her brother’s happiness and prosperity) on my husband’s wrist. Raksha Bandan is a celebration of the bond between a brother and sister. We had a reason to indulge in all our favourite dishes, this Vegetable Pilaf being one of them. Who doesn’t love a good Pilaf! This Vegetable Pilaf reminds me of Hindu Weddings or should I say Hindu Weddings back in the old days. Omg, I’m giving away my age it seems. Weddings have become far too sophisticated and I am not sure if anybody even serves a Pilaf or Biryani anymore. The last wedding we attended we had a feast of vegetable curries together with all the accompaniments. I remember when I was younger the menu for every Hindu wedding was a Pilaf served with Masala Dal and salad. For dessert it was always Soji or Soojee. I also remember the Soji was served on the same plate the Pilaf was served on. And boy wasn’t that the best tasting soji ever. The good old days, how I miss them! Typically, long grain rice was used to cook this dish for weddings. Now I’ve moved up in the world so I’ve used Basmati rice…haha! Sometimes I still use long grain rice if I am out of Basmati rice.
If you’re wondering what the difference between a Pilaf and a Biryani is. I don’t think there’s much difference in terms of flavour. What I do know is that a Pilaf is where everything is mixed together and cooked in one pot. A biryani is a layered dish. I made this Vegetable Pilaf for a crowd I should say as you can feed at least 12 people with this quantity. I don’t often cook huge quantities of food but when I have guests I have to make sure I cook enough. Often my guests get some to take away too. It’s how it works in an Indian home. I am so glad I still have some of our old-fashioned values. Another thing I have learnt is that if someone gives you something and you have to return a dish it should never go back empty. Another tradition I follow is that if we are invited to someone’s home we always take a little thank you gift. Be it flowers or chocolates but just don’t go empty-handed. I absolutely love these little gestures and I will continue doing them because it gives me so much joy. Enough of me sharing my traditions with you, let’s get back to my Vegetable Pilaf. Let me not lie, this Vegetable Pilaf needs a little effort in terms of preparation so I hope you’re up for a challenge. One thing I can promise you is that it will be worth the effort.
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