Basil Tawa Pulav

Another quick recipe from D for a weekend lunch... He is so resourceful in the kitchen that i can't stop admiring! What do you do when the kadai/pan is needed for cooking lunch but it is in the sink unwashed after the breakfast? Of course wash it and use it, right? In case of D, he uses the tawa instead :D And churns out an even better tasting tawa-pulav!

And what do you do when you feel like having a pudina peas pulav, but there is no pudina in the kitchen? Postpone it till you get pudina? Nope! Use the basil that is lying in the fridge instead... that will turn into an all new dish - Basil pulav.

And combine the two together, you have this flavorful, quick and easy Basil tawa-pulav!

This one is from the archives, from the last summer but i'm posting it now that again inspired by the raining of fresh basil in the veggie markets.

Here's the recipe...

Basil Tawa-Pulav

Preparation time: 15 min 

Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 3-4

Source: D's experiment

Ingredients:

Fresh Basil       - 1 small bunch, cleaned and chopped

Green Peas       - 3/4 - 1 cup

Cooked Rice    - 3 cups (preferably Basmati)

Cooking oil      - 1 Tbsp; Used olive oil

Cumin seeds    - 1 tsp

Cinnamon        - 1” stick, broken into 4-5 pcs

Cloves              - 4-5

Ginger             - 1" cube, grated/ chopped fine
Garlic - 1-2 cloves, chopped fine

Green chilies   - 2-3, adjust according to taste

Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp, adjust according to taste

Salt                  - ~3/4 tsp or as per taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan.. err tawa :) and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves
• After half a minute, add grated ginger, garlic, slit green chilies and peas. Sauté for 1-2 minutes
• Add chopped basil and sauté till just the rawness disappears
• Sprinkle some salt, pepper powder and mix
• Mix in the cooked rice thoroughly, add more salt if required and fry the rice for a few minutes on the hot tawa
• Serve hot, optionally with any raita

Notes:

• Make the rice with a little less water so that the grains are separate
• Can add onions as well

Mexican Rice

Me: What shall we prepare for lunch?
D: I feel like eating something different…
Me: I too was feeling like… Shall I make some Thai curry and rice?
D: Ummm… But I feel like eating Mexican, not Thai today….
Me: Hmmm….. Mexican?
D: Yeah… Why don’t you search and tell me the recipe for a nice Mexican rice and I’ll cook it for you…
Me: Wow! Cool!!

This was our conversation one weekend, when D decides to hijack the kitchen and produce some amazingly awesome stuff! One of the reasons I love weekends for ;). Being very experimental in the kitchen, he churns out some really tasty stuff, most of the times some innovative dishes! Initially I used to be apprehensive about the taste when he decides to add some ‘random’ ingredient or follow a ‘unique’ method. But over time, I have come to trust his culinary skills and have chosen not to interfere with him when he’s in the kitchen, except to help him with the chopping, cleaning and doing the dishes later! And I even decided to add to my blog some of his creations (only some of them, when I have the patience to click some pics before hogging on it). 

I did have an idea of what goes into a Mexican rice usually and was sure I had most of the ingredients at home. When I googled, I came across a lot of recipes with small differences, and I decided on this one adapted from a couple of them, with my own modifications to suit our taste buds and ingredients.

It was one delicious lunch, I must say…. Very different from the usually tomato rice I make… though the ingredients are not very different from an Indian recipe… Mexican rice recipes, they say are very close to Indian… 

So here’s the cheesy, sticky Mexican rice, which we loved and have made it a couple more times later….

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:
Tomatoes – 3-4 medium sized
Onion – 1, medium sized, finely chopped
Green bell pepper - 1, finely chopped
Jalapenos – 1-2, finely chopped (with seeds and ribs removed)
Black/red beans – 1/2 cup, soak for a few hours if using dried ones
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Bay leaf - 1
Red chili powder - 1 tsp (adjust as per your taste preference)
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Long grain white rice – 2 cups, wash, soak for a few minutes and rinse
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Olive oil/ butter - 2 Tbsp
Fresh coriander – 1/4 cup, chopped
Lime/lemon juice – 2 tsp
Cheddar cheese – 1/2 cup grated

Method:
• Cook the beans in enough water and a little salt till soft but firm and drain
• Blanch the tomatoes in hot water and peel off the skin and puree till smooth
• In a pressure cooker / a large saucepan, heat oil/butter over medium heat.
• Add onions and garlic and sauté till slightly done
• Add the peppers, then rice, beans, bay leaf, jalapenos.
• Sauté until the rice is slightly browned.
• Add 2 cups of water, tomato puree, chili powder, cumin powder and salt and bring to a boil.
• If using pressure cooker cook for one whistle. If cooking in the saucepan, reduce heat and simmer till the rice is just cooked
• Let cool for about 10 minutes and mix in the coriander, lime juice and mix gently taking care not to make the rice mushy
• Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese and serve hot.

Notes:
• Chopped veggies can also be added
• I use the red kidney beans that I have in my pantry; usually black beans are used
• The cheese gives a nice gooey and rich taste to the rice – We like to add it at the end and not mix it in for that extra effect.

Gobi Matar Pulav / Cauliflower and Peas Rice

Here is one quicky quick post with a quicky quick recipe. A flavorful pulav with cauliflower and peas. Makes a hearty one pot meal and gets done in a jiffy. Suitable for lunch packs as well.

Wish you all a Happy Deepavali in advance!!

Here goes the recipe…

Gobi Matar Pulav / Cauliflower and Peas Rice

Preparation time: 15 min

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Source: Self experimented

Ingredients:

Gobi/ Cauliflower       - 1 cup of florets

Onion              - 1 small sized, chopped (optional)

Green peas      - 3/4 cup

Carrot - 1 small, shredded

Cooked Rice    - 3 cups (preferably Basmati)

Cooking oil      - 1 Tbsp

Cumin seeds    - 1 Tsp

Cinnamon        - 1” stick, broken into 4-5 pcs

Cloves              - 4-5

Ginger             - 1" cube

Green chilies   - 2-3, depending on taste

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp, depending on taste

Salt                  - ~3/4 tsp or as per taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and pepper
• After half a minute, add grated ginger, slit green chilies, chopped onion, grated carrot and peas. Sauté for 1-2 minutes
• Add cauliflower florets and sauté till it is cooked tender but still firm
• Sprinkle some salt, garam masala, dhania powder, red chili powder and let the veggies absorb the flavors for a minute or two
• Mix in the cooked rice thoroughly, add more salt if required and optionally heat it for another few minutes
• Serve hot, optionally with any raita

Notes:

• Do not overcook the gobi/cauliflower.
• Make the rice with a little less water so that the grains are separate

Cabbage Rice (Kai Sasive Anna)

Ok, I had a long ‘vacation-of-the-year’ and back. After the vacation, it was my BIL’s engagement, which took most of my time with preparations, shopping, etc! I’m now ‘Badi Bahoo’ :P, so more responsibilities!

In between all these, there was also this Bangalore Food Bloggers’ meet last Saturday, where some 20+ people met up, ate and had fun! Thanks to Madhuri who arranged it all. Here’s a pic of all of us :)

Now I’m back to routine, but still not been able to catch up with so many things! With full time office, and so many hobbies and activities, I feel I hardly get enough time for anything! Wish there were many more hours in a day ;)

Now to today’s recipe.... this is one very simple and wholesome rice item, with lots of cabbage in it. Chop the cabbage fine or even shred it, which is the only time consuming part. I use the hand held vegetable chopper esp for this and I get very finely chopped cabbage in a few minutes! Makes a good lunch box item.

Here’s the recipe...

Cabbage Rice (Kai sasive anna)

Preparation time : 10 min, excluding time to prepare rice
Cooking time : 15 min
Serves : 4

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 4 cups, sona masuri variety
Cabbage - 2 cups, finely chopped
Grated coconut - 2-3 Tbsp
Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Tamarind - a small marble sized ball (optional)
Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste
Coriander leaves - for tempering
For tempering:
Cooking oil - 1-2 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Peanuts - 2 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste

Method:
• Spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick
• Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool
• In a pan, heat oil and make tempering:
• Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
• Add groundnut seeds and fry for a few seconds
• Add Bengal gram dal and urad dal and fry till golden
• Add curry leaves and turmeric and fry for a minute or two till all the ingredients are crisp
• Transfer the tempering to a bowl and pour back only the oil into the pan, carefully
• Add finely chopped cabbage and cover with a lid and let cook on low heat
• If needed, sprinkle some water and stir occasionally
• Meanwhile, grind the green chilies, coconut, tamarind, salt, ½ tsp of mustard seeds in a mixie to form a coarse mixture. Do not add any water
• Add the ground mixture to the cooked cabbage and mix thoroughly, with the heat on
• Once the mixture is well sautéed, turn off the heat
• Add this and the reserved tempering to the spread rice and mix thoroughly
• Serve warm or pack it off for lunch box!

Notes:
• Make rice with a bit lesser water, so that the grains are separate and not sticky

OraLukallu Chitranna - Spicy Red Chili Rice

Wish you all a Happy Navarathri / Dasara!

We arrange dolls for Navarathri every year and every year we try to make it a little different from the previous years. Check out some more pics of this year’s Gombe here.

I’ve been so so buys these days, with the Navarathri arrangements, guests at every hour of the day, office, functions, we visiting friends/families and also cooking some snacks for Bombe-Bagina - some snack to be given to guests who come home to see the doll arrangements. But then being too pressed for time, I’m not being able to click pics of all of them, write and post.... So they’ll all come some time later, when I’m relatively free.

For now, here is a traditional rice item, mostly made for festive meals, called OraLukallu Chitranna. OraLukallu, in Kannada, means the traditional grinding stone they used to be preset in every kitchen before we had these mixers, grinders and food processors. We can still find them in some houses.

The spices for this chitranna will be ground fresh in the OraLukallu and thus the name. However, now we make it using our dear mixie, in a jiffy! It is quick, spicy, yummy and makes a perfect rice for your festive meal.

Here’s the recipe....

OraLukallu Chitranna

Preparation time : 5 min, excluding time to prepare rice
Cooking time : 10 min
Serves : 4

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 4 cups, sona masuri variety
Grated coconut - ½ cup
Dry red chilies - 5-6, as per taste; Use Byadagi variety for a nice color
Asafetida / hing - a generous pinch
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Tamarind - a small marble sized ball
Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste

For tempering:
Cooking oil - 1-2 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Peanuts - 2 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste

Method:

• Spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick
• Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool
• Grind the red chilies, asafetida, coconut, tamarind, salt, ½ tsp of mustard seeds in a mixie to form a coarse mixture. Do not add any water
• In a skillet heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
• Add groundnut seeds and fry for a few seconds
• Add Bengal gram dal and urad dal and fry till golden
• Add curry leaves and turmeric and fry for a minute or two till all the ingredients are crisp
• Add the ground mixture and mix thoroughly, with the heat on
• Once the mixture is well sautéed, turn off the heat; don’t make the mixture too crumbly
• Add this to the spread rice and mix thoroughly
• Serve warm or pack it off for lunch box!

Notes:

• Make rice with a bit lesser water, so that the grains are separate and not sticky

Ghee Rice

This is my mom’s version of ghee rice. I remember taking this to college in my lunch box and really relishing on it. And sometimes on holidays or in the evenings it would be a one pot meal, that all of us would enjoy hot. She uses grated coconut in this recipe which adds a nice texture and taste to the dish. Very simple to make, yet tastes amazingly good, cold or hot.


It was a long long time since I had it and this time when I was there, she made it for me on two consecutive days and I thoroughly enjoyed it in 4 meals continuously!!


Here’s the recipe...

Preparation time :5 min
Cooking time : 15 min
Serves : 5-6

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups, Basmati variety
Water - 3 cups
Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste
Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp
Ghee - 1-2 Tbsp
Pepper corns - 1 tsp, optional (adjust as per your taste)
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 2 tsp
Coconut - 1/3 cup, grated
Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped fine
Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped length wise
Salt - 1 ½ tsp or as per taste
Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method:
• Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes.
• In a pressure cooker, heat oil and ghee and add cumin seeds and pepper corns, allow to sizzle
• Add slit green chilies, chopped onion, ginger and sauté till the onion is translucent
• When almost done, drain the soaked rice, add and mix well, frying it slightly
• Mix in the coconut, salt
• After a minute, add water and bring it to boil
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for one or two whistles, depending on your cooker
• When the pressure has come down, open the lid and lightly mix, add the chopped coriander and serve as is or with a gravy or raita
• Enjoy maaDi!

Vegetable Biryani and Simple Onion Raita

I had been wanting to make vegetable biriyani for a long time. Even D was asking for it from quite some time. The time came when I saw the picture of mouth watering veg biriyani pics on Hema’s photo blog. She passed on the fool proof recipe that she had used and it made my temptation harder!

So the next chance I got, I made it and it was pretty good for a first timer - there were of course some improvements and adjustments needed to suit our taste - mainly, it turned out a bit too spicy for us... the gravy part had to be reduced. Never the less it was too tasty and vanished off.

Next time, I made it again within a couple of days for a small party at home, and made those adjustments... it turned out to be a huge hit! I was overwhelmed with the compliments that I got for it! Thanks Hema, for a wonderful recipe!

Here goes the recipe...

Veg Biryani

Ingredients:
Rice - 3 cups, Basmati variety
Water
Ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Cooking oil - 2-3 Tbsp
Vegetables (Beans, Carrot, Capsicum) - 2 cups, chopped
Tomatoes - 2 chopped fine
Green peas - ½ to ¾ cup
Soya chunks - a handful, optional (if using, soak in hot water for a couple of minutes and squeeze)
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 3-4
Cinnamon - 1” stick
Salt - ½ tsp
Cashews - 1 Tbsp, broken into pieces
Onions - 2 medium sized, chopped into fine strips, length wise
Coriander - a handful, chopped fine

For masala paste
Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped into chunks
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp (I used 1” raw ginger and 5-6 cloves garlic)
Green chilies - 3-4, as per taste
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 3-4
Cinnamon - 1” stick
Garam masala - ½ tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Red Chili powder - ½ tsp (adjust as per your taste)
Coriander leafs - a small bunch
Curd - ½ cup

Method:
Making the masala vegetable gravy:
• Cook vegetables including green peas and tomatoes till ¾ th either in a microwave or on stove top in a pan with some oil or in boiling water
• Grind the ingredients for masala paste into a smooth paste. Use curds to facilitate the blades
• In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil and add the masala paste and cook till the raw smell goes
• Add the semi cooked vegetables and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add more curds to adjust the consistency to a thick gravy
• Turn off the heat and let it sit till the rice is cooked

Making Rice:
• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes in enough water and a tsp of ghee and ½ tsp of salt.
• In a pressure cooker, heat a tbsp of oil and some ghee
• Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and sauté
• Add the soaked and drained rice and fry for a couple of minutes
• Cook with 1.5 times the quantity of water, with a tsp salt for just 1 whistle
• Once the pressure is down, spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick
• Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool

Frying the Onions:
• In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil and add the cashews
• Once cashews are almost done, add half of the onion strips and sauté well on medium heat till it becomes brown
• Make sure not to char it, by stirring frequently
• Keep aside till assembly


Assembling the Biriyani:
• For dum effect, use a shallow, heavy vessel or a deep pressure cooker - I used my 3 liter deep pressure cooker
• Grease the bottom and sides with some ghee / oil/ butter
• Taste the gravy and the cooked rice for salt and if needed add more to the gravy; adjust chili powder as well.
• Add a tbsp of the gravy and spread it as first layer
• Layer about half a cup of cooked rice evenly over it
• Layer the sautéed onions evenly
• Repeat with the rest of the gravy and rice and onions, forming several layers
• Use the raw onions in the middle layers and also keep some for the top most layer
• Add chopped coriander on top
• Cover the lid and keep it on very low flame; put on the weight if using pressure cooker
• Keep it on heat for 20-25 minutes for the spices to blend into the rice
• When ready to serve, gently mix the layers - do not over mix
• Serve hot with a nice raita and enjoy!

Notes:
• Making rice with a 1.5 times water, with ghee or oil makes the grains separate and not sticky
• Handle the basmati rice with utmost care as it is very delicate and can break
• Do not over cook the veggies - a crunchy effect will make it nice. And it will get cooked again, anyways
• A bit of butter can also be used for a richer effect in between some layers
• The raw onions add a unique taste, flavor and texture to the end product

Simple Onion Raita

Ingredients:

Onion - 1, medium sized

Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Green chilies - 1-2, vary according to your taste

Coriander - 2 tsp, finely chopped

Garam Masala - ½ tsp

Red Chili powder - ½ tsp, optional

Thick curd - 1-1½ cups

Salt - ¾ tsp or as per taste

Method:

• Chop onions very finely

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow to splutter

• Add slit green chilies and sauté for a minute

• Cool slightly and mix the rest of the ingredients. Beat the curd slightly before adding

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Fried Rice

When Dee’s cousin had come home for a stay over, I asked her what she wanted me to prepare. And her reply was ‘Bhabhi, make Fried rice, mom doesn’t make it’... Hmmm... I asked her if there is any other alternative item, as I doubted if inlaws would accept the Chinese flavors for not. Though I had all the ingredients of fried rice- like sauces, ajinomoto and vinegar, I had hardly used it, except for once in noodles. And I hadn’t made this fried rice, the Chinese way even once. But she insisted that I make fried rice only and assured me that everyone will like it!

So started out making fried rice with her and to my satisfaction, it did come out well. And to our surprise, all of them, including a couple of more unexpected guests, enjoyed my fried rice and asked for a second serving! Even my in laws loved it!
So now I don’t have to hesitate trying out Chinese!

Fried Rice

Preparation time : 10 min, excluding time to prepare rice Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 5 Ingredients: Rice - 2 cups, Basmati variety Water - 3 cups Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste or chili sauce Garlic - 4-5 cloves Cooking oil - 2-3 Tbsp Vegetables (Bens, Carrot, Capsicum) - 2 cups, chopped Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped fine Soya sauce - 1 Tbsp Vinegar - 2 tsp Ajinomoto - a pinch Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste Pepper powder - 1 tsp, optional (adjust as per your taste) Method: • Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Cook with 1.5 times the quantity of water, in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles • Once the pressure is down, spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick • Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool • In a pan, heat oil and add green chilies, chopped onion, sauté till the onion is translucent • Add the vegetables, sprinkle some salt and let it cook on medium heat • When almost done, add soya sauce, vinegar and ajinomoto and mix well• Mix in the spread rice and add the remaining salt • Add pepper powder if you prefer it hot • Mix thoroughly and let the ingredients combine well with the rice. • Serve warm with a gravy/manchurian! Tips n Tricks: • Making rice with a 1.5 times water, makes the grains separate and not sticky Variations: • Spring onions can be added, but I didn’t have any

Viledele Chitranna - Beetle leaves Rice

Deciding on what to make for lunch box everyday is a huge task in itself than actually making something and packing! Being rice eaters, we prefer some rice item at least in the lunch box, along with some veggies. And Dee loves if there is a variety everyday - he hates taking the same old rice-sambhar or chitranna or vanghibath every other day, of course so do I! So when I was trying to fish out some new rice specialties from here and there, suitable for lunch box, which tastes good even when cold, and such, mom told me about the 4 recipe books that her friend Mrs. Leela Manjunath has written, ready for release.
And guess what one of the books were unveiled by mom in a nice little get together arranged by aunty and uncle! We too were invited for the function and sure I wanted to see mom releasing a book of someone else. And one of the books was completely on rice specialties! So got home and browsed through, and found this interesting recipe of Beetle leaves-rice! There are some more nice recipes in the book that I’ll post about.
It did come out well, and we enjoyed it. I did make some variations, and here’s the recipe....

Beetle leaves Rice / Vilyedele Chitranna

Preparation time : 5 min, excluding time to prepare rice Cooking time : 10 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Cooked rice - 3 cups, sona masuri variety Beetle leaves - thin, fresh green ones - 5-6 (original recipe had 4, I increased it) Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste Cumin seeds - ½ tsp Ghee - ½ tsp Cooking oil - 1-2 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Peanuts - 2 Tbsp Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp Asafetida - a pinch Turmeric - a pinch Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Method: • Spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick • Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool • Chop the beetle leaves into 1’ pieces • In a skillet, heat ghee and roast the chopped beetle leaves and green chilies • Grind it in a mixie with grated coconut, cumin seeds to form a coarse mixture. Do not add any water • In the same skillet, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter • Add groundnut seeds and fry for half a minute • Add Bengal gram dal and urad dal and fry till golden • Add curry leaves and turmeric and fry for a minute or two till all the ingredients are crisp • Add the ground mixture and mix thoroughly, with the heat on • Add salt and turn off the flame • Add this to the spread rice and mix thoroughly • Serve warm or pack it off for lunch box! Tips n Tricks: • Make rice with a bit lesser water, so that the grains are separate and not sticky • Use thin, fresh green beetle leaves - the thick variety will have a more prominent taste and flavor Variations: • Original recipe also had some chopped methi leaves sautéd and added

Tomato Rice

Waking up late on a weekday morning and finding that there has not been any preparation done the previous day for today’s cooking... And there’s not much time left for cutting vegetables and cooking something elaborate..... Even making rice and then mixing garnishing - like chitranna takes more time because it’s a two step process.....

It is in such critical times that this tomato rice comes as a blessing. With hardly any preparation and very quick recipe, your job will be done in less than 15 minutes. And the rest is for the pressure cooker to cook the rice and then cool down, to let you pack your lunch boxes. A bit of alterations here and there can give a bit of variety too. And it does taste good even when it’s cold at lunch time.

And if you have demanding kids, who want a different colored food everyday, then you can easily lure them to eat this ‘red’ colored pulav :)

Tomato Rice

Preparation time : 5 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Red, ripe tomatoes - 3 medium sized, cut into halves/quarters Onion - 1 medium sized, chopped (optional) Potato - 1 small, cut into pcs (optional) Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Cinnamon - 4-5 small pcs Cloves - 4-5 Pepper - 8-10 Rice - 2 cups (preferably Basmati), uncooked Water - 2 – 2 ½ cups Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste Red chili powder - ½ Tsp (optional) Green chilies - 3-4, slit, depending on taste Ginger - 1" cube Coriander - 1 Tbsp, chopped Method: • Make a puree of tomatoes, sieve it and keep the smooth puree ready • Heat oil in a pressure pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and pepper • After half a minute, add the slit green chilies, cut onion and potato sauté for 2-3 minutes • Add tomato puree and sauté for 3-4 more minutes. Ensure the puree comes to a gentle boil and the raw smell of tomato goes off • Add washed basmati rice to the pan and sauté for a minute • Add red chili powder if you want a spicier version • Add water and salt and cook in the pressure pan till 2 whistles • Serve it hot, optionally with any raita. Tastes good even after it is cooled. Tips n Tricks: • Ensure the raw small of tomato is gone, by letting it boil for a couple of minutes. Or alternatively, the tomatoes can be boiled once and then pureed • Adjust the spices to your taste since we’re using green chilies, red chili powder, ginger and pepper Variations: • Potatoes can be excluded to give a different taste

Mavinakai Chitranna - Raw Mango Rice

Mango Mania stars again!!! Who doesn’t like tangy raw mangoes! One of the reasons to look forward to the onset of summer is mangoes.... And raw mangoes come to market around Ugadi time, and Mavinakai chitranna is a must do for Ugadi in Karnataka. It’s like welcoming summer with a special dish of raw mangoes.....

Well, like many dishes, mavinakai chitranna also can be prepared in a number of ways. A little change in the ingredients, a little tweak in the method makes a number of varieties of this all time favorite rice. Here’s one simple method of raw mango rice.... Don’t miss trying it before the season ends.....

Mavinakai Chitranna

Preparation time : 10 min, excluding time to prepare rice Cooking time : 10 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Cooked rice - 3 cups, sona masuri variety Grated raw mango - ½ cup Cooking oil - 2 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Peanuts - 2 Tbsp, optional Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp Coriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste Fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp Asafetida - a pinch Turmeric - a pinch Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Method: • Spread the cooked rice in a wide bowl and add a teaspoon of oil so that the grains do not stick • Keep aside for 5 minutes to cool • In a small skillet, roast fenugreek seeds and green chilies in a teaspoon of oil • Grind it in a mixie with grated coconut and coriander leaves to form a coarse mixture • In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter • Add groundnut seeds and fry for half a minute • Add Bengal gram dal and urad dal and fry till golden • Add curry leaves and turmeric and fry for a minute or two till all the ingredients are crisp • Add the ground mixture and mix thoroughly, with the heat on • Mix in grated raw mango and salt and turn off the flame • Add this to the spread rice and mix thoroughly • Serve warm with a raita Tips n Tricks: • Make rice with a bit lesser water, so that the grains are separate and not sticky • Use sour variety of raw mango. Peel off the skin if it is bitter Variations: • Raw mango can also be ground along with other ingredients • Instead of grinding, the ingredients can be directly added to the seasoning

Palak/Spinach Rice

Last time we had taken in laws to this fine restaurant - 1947, we had ordered this Spinach rice. Though it wasn’t quite dry, we did love it for its fabulous taste, with mild spices, and plenty of greens. Especially, FIL loved it a lot, but couldn’t have enough of it as he was already full. And he kept on praising it for some days.

And on a weekday morning, he had taken out a couple of bunches of palak from the fridge, and started picking it, by the time I woke up. Yes, he actually chooses the menu for the day and keeps the veggies ready, by the time I or MIL get into the kitchen to start cooking. That in fact, reduces a great deal of our work!

Coming back to my story about Palak rice, that morning, FIL wanted me to prepare it. Oops, I find it quite difficult to cope with sudden ideas of trying out a new dish, if I’m not prepared for it; especially on a weekday morning!! So I explained to him, saying I was not very sure about the recipe, though I could give it a try, and that I would look through a couple of recipes for Palak rice and come back and prepare it for dinner the same day. He too agreed.
In between work, that day I checked through some recipes, and found that every recipe was different from each other, and everything looked different and had different sets of ingredients. Hmm.... I thought, I should take points form at least a couple of recipes to suit the taste of my family.

I came back home and gave it a try, in my own way, of course adapting a couple of thing from a couple of places. And I should say the outcome was just awesome! It had a rich taste, and yet mild spices, and tasted great. It’s now a dish-in-demand at home :)

Palak Rice

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 25 min, including cooking rice Serves : 4 Ingredients: For rice: Basmati rice - 2 cups Water - 2 cups Milk - 1 cup Cloves - 2-3 Bay leaves - 1 (optional) Cooking oil/ghee - 1 tsp Fresh spinach - 2-3 medium sized bunches Onion - 1 medium sized, chopped (optional) Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Cinnamon - 4-5 small pcs Cloves - 4-5 Pepper - 8-10 (optional) Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Green chilies - 4-5, vary depending on taste Ginger - ½” cube Fresh cream - 1 Tbsp Ghee - 1-2 tsp Cashews - 10-12, made into pieces Method: • Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes • Cook in a pressure cooker with water and milk, with the spices cloves and bay leaf for a nice aroma and oil/ghee added to make the rice grains non sticky • After rice is cooked, allow to cool slightly, ensuring that the grains do not get sticky • Meanwhile, pick and wash the spinach leaves and let the water drain completely • Chop into very fine pieces. Alternatively, a part of the spinach can be processed in a food processor or mixer, to get a coarse paste. Green chilies can also be combined while grinding • In a cooking pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and allow to splutter • Add grated ginger and slit green chilies, if not ground to paste already • Add finely chopped onion and sauté till translucent • Once onions are done, add the spinach - chopped and the coarsely ground paste • Sauté well till the raw smell disappears and the color changes o a darker green. This might take 5 to 10 minutes depending on the pan used and the heat of the stove • Add salt and mix well. Note that spinach as such is slightly salty and requires a lesser amount of salt • Once done, mix in the rice, and add fresh thick cream • Mix thoroughly and heat for a few more minutes, letting the water content to go • Serve hot, optionally with a raita of your choice Tips n Tricks: • Ensure the raw small of spinach is gone, by sautéing well. • Be sure to drain the spinach well after washing it, as it already has a high water content Variations: • Potatoes can be boiled, mashed and added • Grated cheese can be added in place of fresh cream

Bisi-Bele-Bhath

Bisi bele bhath is a famous rice-based dish Karnataka. Bisi-bele-bhath translates to hot-lentil-rice in the Kannada language. It is also known as Bisi bele huliyanna. The preparation of this dish is quite elaborate, involving preparation of spice powder. The spices used, contribute to the unique flavor and taste of this dish. It is served hot along with boondi or potato chips.

The best place to savor this dish in Bangalore is MTR or Mavalli Tiffin Room. However, the MTR branded ready-to-eats are nothing great to be bragged about. So is the spice powder - it is best when prepared fresh.

Here’s my MIL’s recipe for BBB. She makes wonderfully tasty BBB, which can easily compete with the MTR BBB :)

Bisi Bele Bhath

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : 25 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Rice - 2 cups Tur Dal - 1 ½ cups Chopped Vegetables (Beans, Carrot, Potato, Onion, peas) - together 2 cups, all chopped into ½” pcs Salt - 1 tsp Coconut - 1 ½ Tbsp, grated - fresh or dry Tamarind pulp - 1 Tbsp, adjust acc to taste Jaggery - 1 big marble sized ball Oil - ½ Tbsp Butter - ½ Tbsp, optional Turmeric - 1 pinch Salt - 1 tsp, adjust acc to taste For the powder: Chana dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Dry red chilies - 8-10 Cinnamon - 1” stick Coriander seeds - 2 tsp Cloves - 5-6 Maratha Moggu - 2 Cardamon - 2 Poppy seeds - 2 tsp Curry leaves - 2 sprigs For tempering:Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Groundnut seeds - 1 tbsp Curry leaves - 2-3 strands Red chilies - 1 Turmeric - 1 pinch Method: For BBB powder: • Dry roast all the ingredients • Allow to cool for 5 minutes • Grind them into slightly coarse powder • This can be made in larger quantity and preserved for a couple of months Bisi Bele Bath:• Pressure cook dal and vegetables with a pinch of turmeric in sufficient water • Cook rice separately • Mix the cooked rice into the cooked dal and vegetable pan • Add tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery, BBB powder and bring to boil • Add grated coconut and mix thoroughly • Stir in between. Adjust the amount of water as per required consistency. • After boiling well for about 10 minutes, turn off the flame and add butter and mix Tempering: • Heat oil in a pan • Add mustard seeds and allow to sputter • Turn the heat low, add groundnut seeds, and stir • After the groundnuts are half-done, add curry leaves and red chili pieces and stir for half a minute till all the ingredients are properly roasted. Keep aside till needed • Mix the tempering to the BBB just before serving to retain the crispness of the groundnuts Tips n Tricks: • Do not make rice too mushy mushy • Make the BBB a little watery. It absorbs the water and gets thickened after sometime. Variations: • An onion can be sautéed and added along with the tempering • An alternate method is to add all the raw ingredients and pressure cook the entire mixture at one go. However, my preference is the elaborate method.

Methi Rice

If you think making methi-pulav is a lengthy task, and needs preparations, and should be decided before making rice, then here’s an alternative. You can make this version of methi-rice after preparing rice. And while the rice is being cooked, the preparations with methi can be done in parallel, which saves time. And the taste is quite different, with an enhanced flavor of fenugreek.
Ever since we learnt this variety of methi rice from an aunt, we’ve switched over to it from the usual pulav style.
Here’s the recipe....

Methi Rice

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 10 min, apart from making rice Serves : 4-5 Ingredients: Methi - 1 cup, chopped Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped (optional) Green peas - ½ cup (optional) Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp Cinnamon - 1” stick, broken into 4-5 pcs Cloves - 4-5 Pepper - 8-10 Cooked Rice - 3 cups (preferably Basmati) Water - 3 cups Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste Coconut - ½ cup, grated Green chilies - 5-6, depending on taste Ginger - 1" cube Method: • Heat oil in a pressure pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and pepper • After half a minute, add grated ginger, slit green chilies, chopped onion and peas. Sauté for 2-3 minutes • Add chopped methi leaves and sauté for 3-4 more minutes, till the raw smell of methi is replaced by an aroma of sautéed methi • Add grated coconut, salt and stir • Mix in the cooked rice thoroughly and optionally heat it for another few minutes • Add water and cook in the pressure pan till 2 whistles • Serve it hot, optionally with any raita Tips n Tricks: • Avoid adding methi in excess as it gives the pulav a bitter taste Variations: • Onion and green peas can be added or omitted – both give a different taste

Methi Pulav

A flavored rice with fenugreek leaves, this one can be easily prepared. This is my most common choice when I’ll have to host a big bunch of people for lunch/dinner. Keep the ingredients ready before hand, and prepare the pulav just before they arrive, and have no worries at all! Reheating also may not be required if the pressure cooker is kept closed till serving (if served within a couple of hours). And a simple raita makes a good combination.
This one is one of my favorites for lunch pack too.

PS: The pic is an old, not-so-good one, will try to replace it sometime...

Methi Pulav

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4-5 Ingredients: Methi - 1 cup, chopped Onion - 2 medium sized, chopped (optional) Potato - 1 small, cut into pcs (optional) Green peas - ½ cup (optional) Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp Cinnamon - 4-5 small pcs Cloves - 4-5 Pepper - 8-10 Rice - 2 cups (preferably Basmati) Water - 3 cups Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste Coconut - ½ cup, grated Green chilies - 5-6, depending on taste Ginger - 1" cube Coriander - 1 Tbsp, chopped Ghee - 1 Tsp Cashew nuts - 10-12 Method: • Heat oil in a pressure pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and pepper • After half a minute, add the cut onion and potato sauté for 2-3 minutes • Add chopped methi leaves and sauté for 2 more minutes • Add washed basmati rice to the pan and sauté for a minute • Meanwhile coarsely grind coconut, green chillies, coriander leaves and ginger without water • Now mix the ground mixture and salt in to the pan and stir for a minute • Add water and cook in the pressure pan till 2 whistles • In another small pan, heat ghee and fry cashew nuts till golden • Add to the pulav and mix after the pressure comes down • Serve it hot, optionally with any raita Tips n Tricks: • Avoid adding methi in excess as it gives the pulav a bitter taste Variations: • Any combination of onion, potato and green peas can be added – every combination gives a slightly different taste

Pongal & Chutney - A simply great combination

• Are you tired to cook something complicated, and want to wind off cooking something very easy not compromising on the quality of food?
• Are you tired after having heavy foods for a couple of days and longing for some simple-food?
• Are you just recovering from fever, with your taste buds craving for something hot and tasty, but do not want to spoil your health with anything spicy or fatty?
• Are you just feeling low and want something to lift your spirits up?

If you answer yes to anyone of the above, then here’s the remedy - prepare a bowlful of pongal, and have it hot - real hot with crispy tempering and freshly prepared simple chutney.

Pongal is something that can be made in a variety of ways, with a variety of add on ingredients, and whatever way you make it, it’ll surely taste good. And will definitely make you feel good, lift your spirits up and of course fills up your tummy too. Dont forget to serve with a spoon of ghee poured over the hot pongal!

Here’s a simple version of the simple food - Pongal...

Pongal

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 -5 Ingredients: Split moon dal - 1 cup Rice - 1 cup Ghee - 1 tbsp Ginger - 1”cube, grated Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Coconut - 2 tbsp, grated Green chilies - 3-4 Coriander leaves - 3-4 strands Turmeric - 1 pinch Hing - 1 pinch Salt to taste Water - 6-7 cups (or more if you want it more watery) For tempering: Ghee - 2 tsp Black pepper - 1 tsp Cashewnuts - 2 tsp Method: • Wash rice thoroughly and keep aside • Grind raw cumin seeds, coconut, green chilies, coriander leaves, turmeric and hing into a coarse paste without adding any water • In a pressure pan, heat ghee • Add split moon dal and fry till light golden, till it gives out an aroma • Add the grated ginger, ground mixture and stir for a few seconds • Add washed rice, water and cook in the pressure pan for 3 whistles Tempering • Heat ghee in a pan • Add black pepper and allow to sputter • Turn the heat low, add cashew nuts and stir till they turn light golden color • Add this to the pongal prepared, just before serving, to retain the crispness of pepper Tips n Tricks: • Dry grated coconut can be used instead of grinding the fresh coconut with chilies, etc Variations: • Add enough water - more than 4 times the quantity of rice and dal combined, to have a watery consistency

And this is the chutney that best goes with pongal...

White Chutney

Preparation time : 5 min Cooking time : 5 min Serves : 4 -5 Ingredients: Coconut - 1 cup, grated Green chilies - 5-6, depending on taste Ginger - ½” cube Asafoetida - a big pinch Cooking oil - 1 Tsp Fried gram dal - 2 Tsp Tamarind - a small marble sized ball Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste For tempering: Cooking oil - 1 Tsp Curry leaves - A few strands Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp Method: • Roast green chilies and asafetida in a tsp of oil, till the chilies become crisp • Grind the above with all other ingredients, adding a little water if needed • Transfer the ground chutney to a serving bowl Tempering: • Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard and allow to splutter • Add asafetida and curry leaves Garnish the chutney with tadka Tips n Tricks: • Do not make the chutney too smooth – a little coarse consistency will give a better taste

Dill Rice - A nutritious rice speciality

Dill, or sabsige soppu as we call it in kannada, is a flavored herb, and used in a variety of dishes. I recently found that it has many nutritional values...

• Dill contains numerous plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties.
• This popular herb contains no cholesterol; but is rich in anti-oxidants and dietary fibers which helps to control blood cholesterol levels.
• The essential oil, Eugenol, in the dill has been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, however, further detailed studies required to establish its role.
• Dill oil, extracted from dill seeds has anti-spasmodic, carminative, digestive, disinfectant, galactagogue (helps breast milk secretion), sedative properties.
• It is also rich in many vital vitamins including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health and helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Fresh dill is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin; vitamin-C. Vitamin-C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• Dill weed is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.

Source : http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/dill-weed.html

Dill has all the characters to consider it has one of the most valuable functional food. Then why not use this nutritious herb and make a delicious rice item!

Got this recipe from mom - she apparently learnt it recently, experimented it and then told me about it. And I, wanting to try out something new, tried it out, and it came out beyond my expectation! The spice powder used here is something that one can find stocked in our kitchen shelf at any time, so that made it easier for me. Nevertheless, it is not a great task to make the spice powder fresh, and it is really worth it. And once made, it can be stored for a couple of months too.

Dill Rice

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 -5 Ingredients: For Spice powder: (makes spice powder to make Dill rice 3-4 times) Chana dal - 1 tbsp Urad dal - 1 tbsp Red chilies - 20 - 25 (preferably byadagi variety) Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp Cinnamon - 2-3 one inch sticks Cloves - 8-10 Maratha Moggu - 2-3 Cardamon - 3-4 For Dill Rice: Dill leaves (Sabsige soppu) - 2 small bunches Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp Salt - 1 tsp, adjust acc to taste Spice powder - 2 tsp Jaggery - 1 small marble sized ball Rice - 2 cups For tempering: Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Groundnut seeds - 1 tbsp Chana dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Curry leaves - 2-3 strands Turmeric - 1 pinch Method: Spice powder • Dry roast all the ingredients • Allow to cool for 5 minutes • Grind them into slightly coarse powder • This can be made in larger quantity and preserved for a couple of months Tempering • Heat oil in a pan • Add mustard seeds and allow to sputter • Turn the heat low, add groundnut seeds, and stir • After the groundnuts are half-done, add chana dal and urad dal • Add curry leaves and stir for half a minute till all the ingredients are properly roasted. Keep aside till needed. Dill rice • Wash rice, soak in water for 10 minutes • Cook rice in pressure cooker or in microwave by adding about 4 cups of water (quantity of water should be adjusted depending on the variety of rice)• Pick the dill leaves, wash thoroughly and chop into small pieces • In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp oil • Add the chopped dill leaves, and stir every 2 minutes for about 10 minutes • Ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. It takes a while to cook thoroughly. • Once the dill leaves are cooked, add tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and 2 tsp of spice powder prepared • Stir for another 5 minutes till the mixture becomes slightly dry • Spread the cooked rice in a wide pan, cool slightly and mix in the dill mixture and tempering • Mix thoroughly using hands, so that the dill is evenly mixed into rice • Serve it warm, or by heating slightly, optionally along with any raita Variations: • The same can be prepared with methi leaves too