Cabbage Rice

This is a quick and healthy meal and is a good way to get children to eat cabbage :) Here is what you will need for this yummy dish :

• Cabbage - 250 gms
• Tur dal - 5 tablespoons
• Garam masala - 2 tablespoon
• Cumin seed - 2 teaspoon
• Ginger-garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
• Raisins - 1 teaspoon (Optional)
• Cashewnuts - 1 teaspoon (Optional)
• Cinnamon stick - of 2" length
• Cloves - 4
• Cardamom - 3
• Ghee or Oil - 2 tablespoon
• Onion - 1
• Basmati rice - 2 glasses
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 4 glasses
• Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon (Optional)

For garnishing (optional)

• Finely chopped coriander(cilantro) leaves - 1/4 cup
• 2 medium sliced tomatoes sliced into thin rings

How to make it:

• Wash, drain and dry the rice.
• Heat the margarine/oil a pressure cooker and add crushed cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, finely chopped onions, raisins, cashew nuts, ginger garlic paste and garam masala.
• When the onion turns golden brown in color, add the finely chopped cabbage and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add rice and tur dal. Fry for 3 minutes.
• Add the water,turmeric powder and required salt.
• Cover the pressure cooker and pressure cook with weight, for approximately 4 whistles.

Empty the rice into the serving bowl and decorate with tomato rings and finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. :)

Note: You can try the same preparation by replacing cabbage with finely chopped tomatoes/eggplant/boiled green peas/carrots and beans

Masala Upuma

This is a little different from the normal upma. If you love the flavour of Indian Spice in moderation, you are sure to love this one.

Here is what you will need :

1 cup semolina
11/2 cups water (keep extra hot water to be used if required)

For the Tempering:

1 medium sized onion, sliced fine
2 green chillies, chopped
1/4 cup oil
1 inch cinnamon
2 cloves
1 green cardamom
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, chopped
salt ( adjust according to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
juice of ½ lime

To Garnish:

1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp ghee
6 - 8 cashew nuts

How to Make This :

• Fry the semolina lightly in a kadai, stirring continuously so that it does not brown. Transfer on to a plate.
• Heat the water, and keep it simmering on the stove.
• Heat oil in a kadai, and add the spices and curry leaves.
• Add onion slices and green chillies sauté till onion is light brown, add ginger-garlic paste and tomato, sauté for 2 minutes till tomato turns soft.
• Add the hot water, and turmeric When the water boils add the semolina stirring vigorously, to avoid lumps being formed. If the semolina is not cooked ladle some of the reserved hot water on to the mixture, taking care to add very small quantities at a time, otherwise the whole mixture will turn soggy.
• Pour the juice of the lime over the uppumav and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep it on low heat.
• Heat the ghee in a small pan, add the cashew nuts till light brown
• Stir the upuma after a few minutes and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and cashew nuts for garnish.

Voila ! Its done :) Can be had as breakfast or an evening snack when kids return from school or as dinner.

Can be served with coconut chutney .

Palak Rice

Its been a while since i tried anything new ..more because summer is here and I prefer to have just poha and loads of watermelon for dindin. I bought a couple of bunches of palak yesterday with the thought of making palak dal with rice but ended up making palak rice instead :) There obviously is a reason behind it ... I have put on a few inches around my waist and some how think eating rice and dal wud make me put on more than"Variety" rice as it seems to be lesser to eat :P( rice and dal and porial and papad and pickle and a second helping :P) .. As long as the nutrition goes in, I will cook in any form :) so here is how you can make this yummy and simple "Palak Rice" yourself...

These are what you will need :

Rice - cooked - 2 cups

Spinach/ Palak - chopped -4 cups

Onion - chopped - 1

Ginger & Garlic paste -2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

That looks a lot but sure is easy once you start cooking.. This is how you make it :

• Cook the rice and keep it separately
• Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic
• Once the onions are cooked and light brown, add all powders except garam masala and pepper and stir well
• Add the chopped palak and mix well and leave to cook covered and on low flame for 3-5 minutes
• Palak will have given out water and at this stage, add the water and the cooked rice, garam masala and pepper and mix well
• Keep on flame for another 3 minutes and turn off heat and we're done ! :)

Goes great with curd / papad / pickle or coconut chutney .

Tomato Bath/ Tomato Khichidi

I don't feel like cooking today ... only because its not fun cooking for just one person.. So, I decided to cook something fast and yummy and something that would make me want to eat :) For those who hate the normal Upma, this is a good variation and is a hit with the kids as well.

What you will need :

• Sooji ½ cup
• Chopped tomatoes 2
• Chopped onion 1 small
• Green peas ¼ cup (optional)
• Grated carrot ¼ cup (optional)
• Curry leaves 6 to 8
• Finely chopped coriander 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf 1
• Cinnamon 1 inch
• Cardamom 3
• Cloves 2
• Ginger garlic paste
• Water one and a half cups
• Oil 1 to 2 tsp
• A pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste

How to make it :

• Dry roast the sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, and cloves.
• Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till onions turn translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes. and cook till tomatoes are done.
• Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, green peas, and grated carrot. Fry for a minute or two.
• Add water and salt to taste, and bring to a boil.
• Add sooji slowly stirring continually to avoid formation of lumps. Cover and cook on a slow fire stirring occasionally till done.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander and a dash of ghee.

It goes well with curd/ potato chips/ coconut chutney or eat it as it is :)

Poha upma

This is one of those evening when I don't feel like cooking but yet want to make something tasty and nutritious. I think of sabudana khichdi and then realize I have not soaked it and don't have the time to let it soak.. the next best option - Poha :) It is a favourite Maharashtrian dish, and eaten very frequently for breakfast and snacks.

What you will need :

• 1 1/2 cups poha
• 1/2 cup broken raw peanuts
• 1/2 cup green peas ( I prefer using Saffal Peas which is readily available in supermarkets)
• 2 green chilies sliced long ways
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• About 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• Curry leaves - 4 - 5 nos

How to make it :

• Gently wash the poha and then drain all the water, else it will become one big clumpy mass.
• Roast the peanuts on medium heat in a little oil until they are lightly brown. Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if the seed crackles right away then oil is ready.
• Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds after seeds crack add green chilies, curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
• Next add the green peas and stir fry until peas are tender.
• Add turmeric, and salt and stir fry on medium heat continuously.
• Add the poha and for another 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from flame and fold in lime juice, cilantro and sugar.
• Serve hot and enjoy as it is or with tomato sauce / Coconut chutney/ Peanut chutney/ curd :)

Tamarind /Puli Sevai

I have an exam at work tomorrow and I need to cook something quick and tasty for dinner tonight so I have more time to study. I sometimes have a craving for anything tangy like vatha kozumbu, poondu kozumbu, fish gravy (Andhra style) and the like. Tonight, Tamarind sevai it is :)

This is what you will need (serves two) :

• Instant Sevai Mix /Rice noodles - 250 gms (readily available in the supermarket)
• Red chillies - 3
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 spoon
• Turmeric powder - a pinch or two
• Salt to taste

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad daal, - 1 tsp
• Channa daal, - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 3 to 4
• Hing - a pinch

A handful of roasted peanuts and Cilantro - for garnishing

How to make it :

• Cook the sevai/ Rice noodles as instructed on the pack and keep aside.
• In a pan heat little oil, pop mustard seeds, add turmeric powder, urad daal, channa daal, chillies, curry leaves and fry till the daals are golden brown.
• Add some water (about 1/4 cup) to the tamarind paste, dilute it and add this tamarind water.
• Let it boil till the raw smell goes and thickens.
• Turn off the stove and add the sevai/ boiled noodles and salt. Mix well.
• Garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

This goes well with coconut chutney/ pottu kadalai chutney :)

COCONUT RICE

This is a South Indian recipe for coconut rice. Fried coconut and cashewnuts are added to boiled rice and garnished with ghee and coriander leaves.

Ingredients:


400 gms biryani rice
120 gms coconut
40 ml ghee
25 gms black gram dhal
25 gms broken pieces of nuts
6 gms dry chillies
2 gms curry leaves
2.5 gms asafoetida powder
20 gms (minced) coriander leaves
Salt to taste

How to make coconut rice:

* Boil rice and keep aside.
* Fry coconut evenly to a golden colour on a slow fire.
* Heat 3 dessertspoon of ghee. Fry the cashewnuts and remove.
* Fry the broken pieces of dry chillies, black gram dhal, and curry leaves well.
* Mix rice, coconut, nuts, 1 teaspoon of ghee and salt.
* Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

TOMATO RICE (THAKALI SADHAM)

INGREDIENTS:
 2 Cups Long Grained/Basmathi Rice
4 medium sized Tomatoes
1 Big Onion sliced
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp MTR Pulav Masala
1 Tbsp Butter
Salt as per tastes
Coriander Leaves for garnishing

METHOD:

• Wash and cook rice adding enough salt and let it cool completely.
• Heat the butter and add sliced onion and fry till transparent. Then add garlic and fry until transparent.
• Now add chopped tomatoes along with all the rest of the masala ingredients and keep frying until the tomatoes are properly cooked and become mushy.
• Mix the above with rice and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chilled raitha and enjoy!!!

LEMON RICE

Lemon Rice is a delicious South Indian dish you can easily put together when in a hurry. You can also make it with leftover rice. Serve Lemon Rice with a Raita (yogurt salad) and Poppadums for a simple yet tasty meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked Basmati rice (or leftover rice)
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1" piece of ginger grated
• 1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Gently roast and then coarsely powder the coriander seeds. Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the spluttering stops and add the ginger and peanuts. Fry for another minute. Add the turmeric powder and turn off the fire.
• Add the lemon juice and mix well.
• Add the rice, roasted coriander powder and salt to taste and mix thoroughly.
• Serve with a Raita and Poppadums.

Bell Pepper Rice

Ingredients:
 
Sona Masoori rice 1 cup
Bell Pepper 1 ( chopped to squares)
Dry coconut powder 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
For tempering:
Mustard seeds
Urad dal
Channa dal
Dry red chilli 1
Curry leaves
Cashews 1 tbsp
Roasted peanuts 1 tbsp

For masala:
 
Dry red chilli 2
Cinnamon 1/2′’
Coriander seeds 2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 1/2tsp
Channa dal 1 1/2 tsp
( roast the above with 1 tsp ghee and grind to a powder)

Method:
 

Cook rice and let it cool. In a pan, heat oil and add the tempering ingredients. Add the bell pepper and saute till its cooked. Add the turmeric and dry coconut powder  - Saute for 2 -3 minutes. It's time to add the rice and the masala powder to the bell pepper. Saute till everything is mixed well.

Rice Sevai

This is a very simple, easy and  very quick dish to prepare. It makes an excellent choice for potlucks. Vegetables can be added to one's hearts content. Made this over the weekend for brunch. For today's recipe I used soy beans and corn

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rice sevai
• Hot boiled water to soak rice sevai
• 1 cup of mixed vegetables ( beans, peas, soy beans, corn)
• 1 red onion cut finely
• 1 potato peel and cubed
• 2 tbsp ginger
• 1 green chili cut finely
• handful of cashew nuts
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp Jeera
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp haldi
• Juice of 1 big lemon

Method

1. Boil water and when boiled add this to rice sevai and keep it closed for 2 minutes.make sure rice sevai is completely covered with boiling water
2. In a large pan take a tbsp of oil when hot add jeera,urad, mustard seeds, green chillies, cashew nuts, onion, potato and all frozen vegetables
3. Add haldi and salt and mix well
4. Add a little bit of water to cook potatoes
5. Drain sevai and remove all excess water
6. Add this to the vegetable mixture and toss well
7. Remove from flame and add lemon juice
8. Add coriander and mix well

Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney. This is very light and does not make you feel stuffed.

Rice cakes - Idlis

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups rice
• 1 cup skinless urad daal (black gram)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil

PREPARATION:

• Wash the rice and lentils separately and soak overnight.
• Grind each separately, into thick pastes (adding a little water at a time) in a blender.
• Mix the pastes together and add salt to taste.
• Keep the batter aside overnight to ferment.
• Grease the moulds on an Idli tray with cooking oil. Pour enough batter in each mould to fill it 3/4 full.
• Put 2 cups of water in a large vessel and heat. Put the Idli tray into the vessel and steam for 20 minutes.
• Check the Idlis by poking with a toothpick. If it comes out clean they are done.
• Serve piping hot with Sambar and coconut Chutney

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Baby carrots- 8 (can use regular carrot )
Beans- 10
Capsicum- 1/2
Cabbage- 1/4 cup(shredded)
Spring onions- 2 stalks
Minced garlic- 2 tsp
Eggs- 2
Soy sauce- as required
Sesame oil- 1 tsp

Method:

Cook rice with 4 cups of water. Spread on a big plate and cool. All the grains should be seperate. Heat oil and sesame oil together in a wok. when the oil is smoky hot add finely chopped carrots, beans and garlic. cook for 3 mins. Then add capsicum. fry a minute. Move the vegetables to one side of the kadai and add eggs to the wok. Scramble them after adding some salt and pepper. when done mix with vegetables. Do not over cook vegetables . It has to be crisp. Add rice,salt, soy sauce and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss everything well. You can add crushed red pepper if you want the rice to be spicy.

NOTE:  If you want Mushroom fried rice, reduce the amount of vegetables and add cooked,shredded Mushroom. To make schezwan fried rice , add some chilli paste and tomato sauce.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Cloves- 3
Elachi-3
Pattai- 1" piece
Bay leaf- 1
Rose mokku- 1
Sombu / saunf- 1/2 tsp
Peas- 1 1/2 cups
Onion- 1/2 (sliced)
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Green chillies- 2 (chopped)
Salt
Water- 4 cups

Procedure:Heat equal parts of oil and ghee. Fry all the spices. Then add onions,ginger garlic paste and green chillies. When the onions gets cooked but does not change color add washed rice and fry for a few minutes. Then add peas, required water and salt. Close cooker and wait until vapor comes out of the cooker nozzle. Put vent on top,keep gas in medium and cook for 8 to 10 mins. Switch off gas. wait till done. open cooker, mix well and add chopped coriander leaves. Finally fry some cashews and add to rice. (I did not do it today , but adding cashews will make your rice look rich and definitely taste good).

Tomato Pulav

This is the simplest of any pulavs. It gets different names as per the region that prepares it. Most people I know make the tomato paste seperately and then mix with plain rice. But I prefer to do one pot dishes and save some time. Moreover, this way I use less oil and the grains stand apart well in the pressure cooker method.

Ingredients:
 
Rice- 2 cups
pattai - 1"
cloves- 3 elachi-3
sombu-1tsp
star anise-1
onion-1(sliced)
ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
tomato-2(chopped)
mint leaves- 10
chilli powder- 3/4 tsp
water- 4 cups

Method:
 
Heat oil in cooker and fry all the spices. Now add onion, ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Then add mint leaves and tomato. When the tomato becomes soft put chilli powder and saute for few more minutes. Add washed rice and water. close cooker. When the steam comes consistently from the nozzle of the cooker put the vent and keep the gas in medium. Switch off after 10 mins. wait until pressure subsides. open cooker and sprinkle coriander leaves. Serve with raitha.

Vaangi Bhaat

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Rice, cooked and cooled
• 2-3 Long purple or green Eggplants cubed
• 1/4 Cup Tamarind Juice,
• Salt1/2 tbsp
• sesame Seeds (Til)1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds

Roast and Powder:

• 2 tbsp Dry Coconut
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 tbsp Chana Dal
• 1 tbsp Urad Dal
• 2-3 Dry Red Chillies1/2 tsp Hing (asafoetida)

To season:

• 1 tbsp Oil and Ghee
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1tsp Chana Dal
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• Curry Leaves
• 1-2 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 tbsp Peanuts slightly crushed (optional)

Method:

Fry eggplants with little oil and salt until almost cooked. Keep aside. To the same oil, add seasoning. When peanuts are reddish add tamarind juice, cook until thick and add in ground masala. Simmer until oil floats on top and add eggplants. Add sugar and salt. Cover and cook until eggplants are tender, you have a nice pasty gravy with a shine! Cool slightly. Mix with rice gently as not to break the eggplants. Adjust the salt according to taste.

Pudina Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Water- 4 cups
Mint- 1 small bunch
Coriander leaves- handful
Garlic- 4 pods
Ginger - 1 " piece
Coconut- 1/4 cup grated
Elachi-2
Bay leaf- 1 big broken
Cinnamon stick- 1" (2 pieces)
Star anise- 1
Fennel- 1 tsp
Potato-1
Green chillies- 3 or 4
Onion- 1/2 sliced
Ghee- 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind ginger, garlic, mint, corriander leaves, chillies, coconut and fennel seeds. Heat some oil and ghee in pressure cooker. fry all the spices and then onions and potatoes. Then fry the ground paste until you get a good aroma. Don't over-fry it. Just do it until the color changes from deep green to light green. Add required salt and rice. Fry for a few minutes. Add water. Check for seasonings and close the cooker. Wait until the pressure comes. Put the vent and keep the flame on medium. Wait for 10 to 12 mins. Switch off gas and open cooker when the pressure completely subsides. Open cooker and mix well. Finally add the fried cashews . Serve with onion raitha.

Egg Capsicum Masala - Real easy and Yummy !!

Ingredients:

• Egg- 4
• Onion- 1/2 sliced
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Tomato- 1 chopped
• Capsicum- 1/2 sliced
• Sakthi masala powder- 1 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Coconut- 1/4 cup
• Corriander leaves-few
• Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat oil in kadai and fry onions, capsicum and ginger garlic paste. Then add tomato, masala powders and salt. Add ground coconut and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Now add boiled eggs (slit them before you slip them into the gravy). Bring to another boil. Finally add coriander leaves to garnish .

Isn't that real easy .? :)

Channa Pulao

Ingredients :

For Rice

• Basmati Rice - 1 cup
• Turmeric Powder a pinch
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Clove - 2
• Cinnamon - 2 "
• Cardamom - 2
• Salt to taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1 &1/2 cup

For Masala

• Onion - 1
• Green chillis - 2
• Mint Leaves (Pudina) - 1/2
• Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
• Coconut - 50 gms
• Garlic - 4 pods
• Ginger - 2"

For Channa Pulao

• Kabuli Channa - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomatoes - 1
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and cook Channa in cooker for 3 whistles with little salt. Keep it aside.
Wash and soak basmati rice for 15 mins.
Meanwhile, grind all the Masala ingredients to a fine paste.
Then chop onions as juliennes, chop tomato fine.

Once rice is soaked for 15 mins, heat a cooker with ghee. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf. Fry for few mins. Then drain rice and fry for few mins ensuring the rice does not break. Add 1 1/2 cup water and pinch of turmeric. Salt to taste. Cook for 1 whistle. Keep aside.
Heat Oil in a big kadai, add onion juliennes, fry until brown in colour. Add the ground masala. Cook on high flame for few mins, add chilli powder. Simmer for 5 mins. Add tomatoes with salt. Cook till its soft and mashed.

Then add cooked channa and mix well. The masala should not have water in it. Then gently mix cooked rice to this masala. Simmer for 5 mins. The rice is ready.

Note: Please adjust the chilli and salt as its added in two process.The water used to cook channa can be used to cook rice.