Vegetable pulao

Pulao is rice cooked with vegetables and spices in one pot, where every grain is meant to stay separate; where biryani layers and seals, pulao stirs once and steams through. The two dishes share the same long-grain rice, but pulao is the everyday one. This version uses the pressure cooker, the fastest route to a reliable pot, and the whole spices do the seasoning while the vegetables carry the colour.

The pot takes two and a quarter cups of water against one and a half cups of soaked basmati, which gives separate grains straight out of the cooker. The vegetables are half-cooked in ghee before the rice goes in, so they finish cooking in the same steam as the grains instead of turning to mush. Cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf bloom in the ghee first and scent the whole pot through the pressure.

Swap the vegetables for what is in season; peas, carrot, beans and potato are the classic mix, and a handful of paneer cubes can go in with the rice. For a festive version, fry a spoon of cashews and raisins with the onions. No pressure cooker? Simmer the pot covered on the lowest flame for twelve to fourteen minutes, then rest it the same way. A splash of coconut milk in place of some of the water gives a creamier South Indian-style pulao.