INGREDIENTS
250 gms basmati rice
2 cups chopped and boiled vegetables (potatoes, beans, cauliflower, carrot, mutter)
1 cup onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ginger, chopped
A generous pinch of saffron strands, soaked in warm water and crushed
Pepper, crushed
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2-3 bay leaves
3 green chillies, chopped
A handful of cashewnuts
2 pods cardamom seeds, powdered
4 tbsp oil
METHOD
Heat a pan, add a tablespoon of oil and fry onions and cashewnuts till crisp. Boil water in a large vessel and add the basmati rice, cover with a lid and cook until just done. Drain the water and add powdered cardamom and saffron to the rice and mix well. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, garam masala, coriander powder, salt, pepper and the boiled vegetables. Fry well till the masala coats the vegetables, add the rice and stir fry it till the masala and vegetables are evenly distributed. Garnish with fried onions and cashewnuts. Serve hot with onion and tomato raita.

In a written statement, the Federation of Indian Airlines said that FIA secretary-general Anil Baijal had been able to impress upon private airlines, including IndiGo, to put on hold their decision to suspend flights on August 18.

Citing “agitated public sentiment”, potential passenger inconvenience and government emphasis on a dialogue, the FIA said “constructive dialogue with Government will lead to redressal of the problems faced by the aviation industry.”

The airlines, set to suffer losses of around Rs 10,000 crore this fiscal, had demanded certain relief measures from government, citing falling passenger traffic and high aviation fuel costs in the country.