CORIANDER MINT PULAO

The much awaited weekend would end in few hours from now and I need to prepare myself for a busy week ahead.  The weekend went too quick with hell of work at home and preparing for son's annual exams.  I am damn tired to start a week now, both physically and psychologically.  As I had foreseen much before, there were lot of changes on personal and professional front and I push myself very hard to overcome the challenges and obstacles.  I try my level best to be strong and motivated and gear up for the learning ahead.

As I said, with son's exams that piled along with lot of house work, I kept the cooking on easier stuffs over the weekend.  I prepared coriander-mint pulao and served it with roti to showcase it as an elaborate meal :-). 

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice -2 cups

Mint and cilantro - 1.5 cups packed tight

Onion - 1 (sliced thin)

Potato - 1 (cut as cubes)

Carrot - 1 (I cut as thick slices in jiffy)

Salt - to taste

Ghee – 3 tsp

TO TEMPER:

Cloves – 1-2
Cinnamon – 1
Bay Leaf – 1

TO GRIND:
Pudina/Mint leaves – 1 small bunch
Garlic flakes – 4
Ginger – 1 small piece
Green chilies – 5

PREPARATION:

1 Discard the mint leaves from the stem and wash in cool water twice to remove the dirt.

2. Wash coriander leaves in running cold water and finely chop with the stalks. 

3. In a mixer, grind tomato, garlic, green chilly, mint and coriander leaves. 

4. Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add the tempering spices, when it sizzles, add onions. When the onion turns golden brown, add carrot and potato, then add necessary salt and mix well. Now add the ground masala and stir well and later add the rice with double the water (1:2). Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 2 vessels. Add 2-3 tsp of ghee after opening and mix well. Adding ghee at this point will give good flavor and aroma to the pulao. 

Serve with any raita of your choice.  

PALAK PULAO - SPINACH RICE

One of the post from my draft.   Away from family, missing everything.   When I gaze outside through the window of my room, I could see a beautiful World.  The high rise buildings are adding a beauty to the city.  The facade of these units were lit with fancy lamps and the modern architectural design enrich the vibrancy of the city.  The whole city is moving to a delightful weekend mode and I could see a sense of relaxation in everybody's face.  Yet, I am in no mood of enjoyment.  I miss being at home, miss my little dumpling, miss my favorite comfortable spot in my couch, miss the smell of my home, miss the weekend cleaning stuffs, miss watering my tender ladies finger /spinach plants(Oh yeah! this is my latest interest, phew!!!) and above all I miss my cooking stuffs...

Without further list of missing things, I  quickly go to the recipe.  I have never tasted much of Palak recipes in my childhood and I started learning to include this greens only after my marriage.  At first, I learnt only to make Palak Paneer and slowly picked up other variation of dishes that I could do with this healthy spinach.  Now at least once in a week, I include this variety of spinach in my kitchen.  I have started growing my own spinach in my balcony terrace and it's growing much faster.  Here's the latest pic I got from home this morning.

Touching upon the recipe, this spinach rice is very easy to prepare, one pot, vegetarian meal  and quite perfect for lunch box.  To make it colorful, I have added carrots which brought very mild sweetish essence to the dish.  Also the addition of sweet corn kernels gave an attractive eye-catching look to the recipe along with sweetish delight on every bite.  Since potato is never a miss option at home, I added it as well which enhanced the taste of this meal.

INGREDIENTS:

Palak Leaves (tightly packed) - 2 cups

Carrot -2

Potato - 1

Sweet corn kernels - 1 cup

Onion - sliced thin - 1

Pudhina/Mint leaves - handful

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 3 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Salt - As desired.

To grind:

Garlic pods - 3-4

Ginger - 1" piece

Green chilly - 2

Sauté Palak leaves

To temper:

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - a small stick

Cloves - 4-5

Preparation:

Discard Palak leaves from the stem separately and wash the leaves in running cold water.  Sauté in a pan for a minute until the leaves get shrunken.  Don't sauté for a longer time as the beautiful greenish color might change.  Let it cool for some time.

Meanwhile soak basmati rice in warm water for 15 minutes and drain the water completely. 

Keep the pressure cooker on medium flame and throw in the tempering items one by one.  When the tempering items sizzles, add mint leaves followed by sliced onions.  When the onions turns brown, add tomato , cut vegetables, and salt.  After a minute or two, add the ground green masala from sauté spinach leaves and mix well.  Lastly, add the chilly powder and sweet corn kernels.  Finally, pour in 3 cups of water (1:1.5 ratio) and add the drained rice and two teaspoons of ghee.  Pressure cook for one whistle.  Allow until the pressure releases, mix well, and now a healthy meal is ready to be served.

Wanna to grab a teaspoon for taste, here it is :-)

AN EASY COMFORT MEAL - VEGETABLE FRIED RICE IN INDIAN STYLE

Last week, one of my colleagues was complaining about her kids not taking vegetables.  I insisted her to try out different dishes, mostly colorful so that it would attract the kids to try it out.  We had a lengthy chat of how veggies can be incorporated in various dishes.  I suggested her to try out this simple recipe and she was so surprised without addition of sauces.  She was saying that for her, fried rice is prepared with sauces and she does not like to use sauces in her home.  I replied her it is same with me, I try to minimize the usage of sauces in my kitchen.  Also I told her there is no restrictions and straight-cut rule in cooking that any dish has to be prepared like this.  Next day, I prepared this dish and had her tasted this and she was very much delighted upon the outcome and was more willing to prepare this at home for her kids. 

For Jr.H, I always make sure that he eats at least one fruit and one vegetable a day.  The school lunches would always be composed of rice mixed majorly with any vegetable and snacks will be filled with nuts and fruits. 

This dish, I learnt from a neighborhood chat place which majorly serves the north Indian chat varieties.  I once tasted this when my cousin ordered this simple meal.  I could make out the ingredients and tried at home immediately.  Jr. H is very much fond of this meal and he says his school friends too liked it.  I am so happy that my cooking serves a purpose; providing healthy and nutritious food to my people.

Ingredients:

Cooked Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Mixed vegetables of choice - 2 cups (Preferably cabbage, carrot, capsicum, beans, onion/spring onion)

Crushed garlic - 4 pods

Salt - To taste

Pepper powder - 3 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Cinnamon stick - 1" 

Preparation:

1.  Cook Basmati rice with 1:2 water, adding a tsp of olive oil/cooking oil.  Adding a tsp of oil will separate the grains.  Let it cool for half an hour.   

2. Cut the vegetables as shown below.

3. In a wide bottomed pan (i used my pressure cooker as i had to prepare in larger quantity), add oil.  When the oil is hot, throw in a piece of cinnamon stick. Add onions immediately after that.  It is better to use spring onions for fried rice, but I could not find spring onions in market place, hence used the normal ones.  If you are using spring onions, add the base as an alternate to regular onions.

 4. Once the onions have become brown, throw in the crushed garlic pods and vegetables.  Make sure the flame is on higher end.  Add salt and mix well.  In 5-7 minutes, the vegetables would have crunchy cooked.  If you are using spring onion, add the greenish stem part now and keep in flame for minutes.  Lastly, add the pepper powder at last and mix well. 

5.  Add the cooled cooked rice, add a tsp of ghee, and mix well.  Keep in flame for a minute or two and switch of the flame.  

 6.  Serve hot with spicy vegetable curry/gravy. 

TWO IN ONE RICE (CAPSICUM AND CLUSTER BEANS) WITH AN ARRAY OF AWARDS

It has been a week long I posted the earlier one. Last week fully, work was occupying me more and could not have time even to sit relax for a second. With increased office work, servant maid got abscond without any prior information, toddler’s caretaker took leave for two days, each day was more hectic than the previous day. Weekend also went somehow fast as there was a function to attend.. Got up early, disturbed toddler’s sleep and hurried him to finish his morning routines, dressed him up, pestered hubby dear to get ready, finally when we reached there, there was a disappointment looking forward…Seems the function was postponed to another day considering that as more auspicious one and we have not been informed about this…..OMG!! Mind flashbacked a second quickly about the efforts taken…Sunday is the only day I can sleep relaxly for some extra time but that is also gone.. With so much of morning disappointment, the headache started and it persisted for the whole day… Am too tired now and exhausted and lethargic to start another week now.. With the hope that blogging will give me some energy by seeing all the colorful dishes and awards, deliberately sat now in midst of all the necessary chores.

Coming to the recipe, both capsicum rice and cluster beans rice are made using vangi bhat powder and is a perfect lunch box item. During the initial days of marriage, my hubby was not in much interest with capsicums and cluster beans but right from the first time I prepared both of these, he started liking both these veggies.. So, if you are not a much-liker-of capsicum/cluster beans, try this once and definitely you will start liking this

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked Basmati rice – 2 cups

Capsicum/Cluster Beans – 250 g

Onion - 1 medium size

Green peas – 1 cup (optional)

Clove/cinnamom – each one

Bay leaf – 1

Green chilly – 1

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Ghee – 1 tsp

TO MAKE POWDER:

Asafoetida – a small piece

Red chilies – 8-10 (adjust according to your spiciness level)

Bengal gram – 4 tsp

Urad dal – 2 tsp

Coriander seeds/dhaniya – 3 tsp

SEASONING ITEMS:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

METHOD:

· Wash and drain the basmati rice and keep aside for 10 minutes.

· Heat pan with ghee, add the spices and bay leaf, then add turmeric powder, onion and sauté well until the onion becomes light brown. Then add the rice and salt and double the amount of water to the rice. Pressure cook for two whistles.

· Heat kadai with little oil, fry the ingredients given in the list “to make powder” one by one, and grind to a fine powder.

· In the same kadai, after removing the ingredients, add some more oil if required, add the seasoning items one by one, then curry leaves, then the capsicum/cluster beans and peas. Add little salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Close with a lid and let it get cooked in medium flame for sometime. Stir in between else the veggies will be overburnt. Once the veggies have become tender and cooked well, add the ground powder, mix well. Keep it in low flame for 2 minutes stirring in between.

· Add this to the cooked and cooled rice and mix gently with a ladle. Check for salt and adjust accordingly. If you wish, you can also add a teaspoon of ghee for a good aromatic flavor.

· Serve hot with any pappad or side dish of your choice.

AWARDS SECTION:

Sanghi and Shama has honored with not just one award but an array of awards!! I feel very happy and energetic dears.

I would like to pass this all my blogger friends as am sure these awards will make one feel very brisky and energtic..

CAULIFLOWER PULAO AND AN AWARD

Sometime back, my hubby got two big size fresh cauliflowers and when I asked him what can I do with two big size ones for a small size family of us, he replied “prepare pulao.” There my mind got struck because I have used cauliflower in veg pulao but never used cauliflower as the main ingredient. I usually add cauliflower at the last while making veg pulao [before closing the lid of the pressure cooker] as it tends to get overcooked even for 2 whistles. My hubby always insists that cauliflower should be cooked in the right way and should not be overcooked. Then I thought of googling for the recipe but I totally forgot about that in busy work schedule.

When I opened the refrigerator after office hours, I remembered about the recipe after seeing the flowers sitting on the shelf. Thought to browse for the recipe but my kid never left me to sit in the system even for a second. Nowadays, his naughtiness has become intolerable. I have to run behind him and really scared to leave him even for a second….I really wonder how mom tackled two of us (me and my brother) and managed everything pretty nicely…

Coming to the recipe, I thought of going ahead like my normal pulao method. Then had the doubt how masalas will blend to the cauliflower if I add it finally. Then I thought to cook rice separately and make the masala separately and mix it.

While preparing, I just went ahead whatever came to my mind. I cooked the rice along with spices and prepared the masala separately. The final outcome was flawless. There was perfect blending of spices with mild aromatic flavor and cauliflower with almost at roasted edge. Believe me, I can even smell the flavor of cauliflower in rice also. Am sure, definitely you will enjoy this.

Lets go for the recipe..

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice – 2 cups

Cinnamom – 1

Clove – 2

Bayleaf – 1

Mint leaves – few

Onion – 1 medium size

Cauliflower – 1 big or medium size (separated into florets and cleaned in warm water)

Potato – 2 medium size (washed, peeled, and cut in cube size)

Peas – 1/2 cup

Green chilies – 2

Yogurt– 1 small cup

Tumeric powder – 1 tsp

MTR pulao masala – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 2 tsp

Chilly powder – 3 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Ghee and oil – as required

Salt – to taste

METHOD:

· Wash and drain the basmati rice and keep aside for 10 minutes.

· Heat pan with little ghee/oil, add the spices and bay leaf, then add turmeric powder, green chillies, mint leaves, onion and sauté well until the onion becomes light brown. Then add the rice and salt and double the amount of water to the rice. Add yogurt finally and pressure cook for two whistles.

· Meanwhile, heat kadai with oil, add cumin seeds, then add ginger garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes off. Add the cauliflower, potato, and peas one by one, add turmeric powder and little salt. (Be careful here as we have already put salt in the rice also). Let it get cooked on low to medium heat. Otherwise it will be burnt.

· Once the potatoes and florets have cooked and add garam masala, pulao masala, chilly powder, and mix well.

· Now add this to the cooked rice and mix gently.

· Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any raita or chips.

Hema of Adlaks Kitchen and Vidhas of Appetizing recipes have passed me the super duper chef award. Thanks so much buddies for thinking of me. Its nice to fill up the left side bar with awards. So sweet of you dears…

I would like to pass this to all my blogger friends as I really think each and everyone has their own style in making wonderful dishes and really all of them are super duper chefs managing their kitchen in a wonderful and healthy way.

Some of blogger friends comments got erased accidently while doing moderation, I really feel sorry about that and dont mistake me if you could not see your comment here..[ALL THAT LITTLE DEMON'S WORK]..Am really sorry buddies..

CURRY LEAVES RICE (KARUVAPILLAI SADHAM) AND AWARDS

Every weekend, there is a strict adherence followed at my home. I cook pathiya samaiyal (saatvik khana) either on Saturday or Sunday to give bowel a rest after tackling the whole week’s heaviness. Even though I concentrate more on healthy dishes during weekdays, I could not resist hubby dear eating burgers and bondas for evening snacks (his office caterer is Chennai’s famous Saravana Bhavan and Ananda Bhavan, thatz a different thing). Hence, I make it a point to prepare pathiya samaiyal during weekends in concern over hubby dear’s healthiness and give taste buds a change from the regular masala items.

Last weekend, I was very much occupied with house chores, official work (I took the option of work from home after delivery), and kid’s naughtiness, I could not spend much time for cooking but I don’t want to give up my routine. My mind quickly struck at this recipe and I tried it without any second thought. Believe me, this came out wonderful. I got the whole credits from hubby dear!!

Without boring you, let me go for the recipe now.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked Rice - 2 cups

Fresh curry leaves – 2 cups

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 5 tsp

Red chilies – 10 (Adjust according to your spiciness level)

Tamarind pulp – 1 amla size

Asafoetida – a small piece

Salt – to taste

Ghee/oil – As required

METHOD:

· Cook rice in pressure cooker, spread in a plate and allow it to cool.

· Heat pan with little oil, throw mustard seeds and when it splutters, add asafoetida and urad dal. When urad dal becomes light brown in color add red chilies and fry for some seconds.

· Now grind this along with the curry leaves, salt, and tumeric pulp coarsely.

· Add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix well. Add ghee if required. Tastes best when little ghee (1 tsp) is added.

· Serve hot with any side dish of your choice. Pappads suits best with this.

Oh my friends, I have not yet finished.

Viki and Malar have honored me with Good Chat Blog award. It’s a nice feeling when someone remembers us only with our writings and recipes. Thanks a ton to both for remembering me and passing the award.

I would like to pass this award to Adlak’s, Mahimaa, and Jeyashri Suresh. I think most of you people will be knowing that Adlak’s is my Manni (cousin brother’s wife) and she only intro’d me to this wonderful blogging world. Now, blogging has made a huge difference in me. I should be thankful to her ever and as a matter of reciprocation I would like to honor her with this Good Chat Blog award.

Mahimaa, needless to say, is a wonderful person who helps me in clearing even small doubts I have even in her busy schedules…Thanks Mahi and hope we will continue our chatting ever!!!

Jeyashri Suresh. I strongly felt that this award should be passed to JS. Even though she has not yet started posting her recipes, she takes time to comment each and everyone recipes by her motivating comments and nice tips.. JS, keep up your good work and hope I will see you starting your own recipes soon…..