Tuver No Bhaath Recipe (Fresh Pigeon Peas Pulao Recipe)

Today is my grandmother's (moti's) birth anniversary. This post (like every post I write here) is for her, whose passion for cooking I have inherited. She built my foundation in cooking and life- the foundation that has helped me become the cook and person that I am today.

It was a winter evening about six years ago. Tired of eating the same food my mother cooked, I decided to make something new. I opened my refrigerator and found green pigeon peas (fresh tuver) and a bunch of fresh corriander. Since I loved both, I decided to do something with them. I also wanted a hearty rice dish - it being a cool evening - so I thought why not be completely different? I thought I could flavour the rice with a chutney made out of corriander and use green pigeon peas instead of regular peas to make it like a pulao.

I made the dish and served it. My father had a bite of it and said, "I didn't know grandma had taught you how to make this dish... I would have asked you to make it earlier..." I had goosebumps when I heard it, because she hadn't really taught me how to make it. I had just thought about the idea of this dish. I guess my cooking style had become so similar to her style having learnt from her that my thoughts turned out to be like her dish.

Tuver no Bhaath (Fresh Pigeon Peas Pulao)

Tuver no bhaath (green pigeon peas or fresh pigeon peas pulao) is a one-dish meal that is made with the fresh pigeon peas that are in season in winter months. Gujaratis use tuver in a variety of dishes such as tuver ni kachori or undhiyu when it is in season. Tuver no bhaath was a particular favourite and specialty of my grandmother's kitchen. If you can't find pigeon peas, you can always substitute them with peas for a different version of your usual green peas pulao.

Tuver no Bhaath Up Close (Fresh Pigeon Peas Pulao)

Tuver no Bhaath Recipe (Fresh Pigeon Peas Pulao Recipe)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh corriander leaves
1 green chilly
1/4 inch piece of ginger
6 cloves of garlic
2 tbsps oil (peanut or olive)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 dried bay leaves
2 pieces of star anise
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 cup fresh toor/ pigeon peas (can be substituted with regular peas)
2 cups soaked rice (preferably basmati)
Water as required for cooking
Salt to taste

Method

Blend together the corriander leaves, the green chilly, the ginger and the garlic to form a chutney-like smooth paste. Keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, heat the oil.

Temper with the cumin seeds, the cinnamon stick, the dried bay leaves and the star anise.

When the cumin starts to crackle, add in the onion and saute till they turn translucent.

Add in the pigeon peas and saute for about 30 seconds.

Remove the water from the soaked rice and add it in. Add in the prepared chutney and mix it well with the rice and pigeon peas.

Add water as needed for the type of rice you're making and salt.

Close the cooker and pressure cook for about 2 whistles on high flame and then on low flame for about 5 minutes after that till done.

Serve hot with Gujarati kadhi or yoghurt, pickles, papad or salad of your choice. There is really no limit to what all goes along with this dish!