• Basmathi Rice – 3 cups
• Water – 4 cups
• Tomato – 4 (medium sized)
• Onion – 2
• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Oil – 2 tsp
• Cloves – 6
• Star Anise – 3
• Bay leaves – 2
• Cinnamon stick – 1
• Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
• Green chillies – 3
• Fennel Seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt – as per taste

1. Soak the rice for 30 min. Meanwhile, start doing the preparations steps.
2. Grind 4 tomatoes in a food processor and make a tomato sauce and keep aside.

3. In a pressure cooker, add oil and when it is hot add cloves, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and fry for a min. Add onion and fry again till it becomes tender. Add salt at this stage.

4. Add the ginger garlic paste and coriander leaves and saute well. Add the tomato sauce/paste now. Also add chopped tomato (the 4th one – into small pieces) and saute well.

5. When the raw smell goes off from tomato and ginger garlic, add the chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Add the water and allow to boil. Add the rice when the water starts boiling. Check for the seasoning. Give a stir and close the pressure cooker lid and add weight. Keep the flame low.

6. After 10 min, switch off the stove. When the pressure decreases, remove the weight from the lid and add ghee to the pulao and give a stir without breaking the rice.

7. Serve hot with mild side dish (as the pulao is spicy) like Raita and vadam. It had had with Mango Lassi. 

A final look on the yummy Thakkali pulao

This goes to my event Dish Name Starts with T

Notes: 
1. If you want mild spiciness, reduce the chilli powder amout or green chillies.
2. Normally Basmati rice and water would be added in the ratio of 1:1.5, but here I reduced the quantity event less, as we grind the tomato into puree and add it.
3. After adding the ghee, give a stir and again close it for a 5 min time, So that the hot steam inside the cooker, makes it to cook finely.