Wash basmati rice with water 2 - 3 times then soak it in enough water for 20 minutes. Add all the ingredients under green masala paste in a mixer jar and grind it to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pot and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cumin. When cumin is brown, add thinly sliced onion to it and cook it until light brown in colour. Now add green masala paste and saute it for 2 minutes at medium heat. Now add lilva /pigeon peas to it and mix everything well. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, garam Masala and salt to it and mix everything well.

Now add rice to it and cook it for 1 minute. Add water to it and let it cook on medium heat until water starts boiling. Now lower the heat, partially cover the pot and cook it until the rice is cooked properly.

Serve lilva pulav along with pickle, curd or raita and papad.