MINT PULAO

MINT PULAO RECIPE

Ingredients :

Raw rice /Basmati rice - 1
cupMint leaves - 1/4 cup (small bunch)
Corriander leaves - 1 tbspGreen
peas - 2 tbsp
Potato - 1 medium sized
Onion - 1 1/2 no
Grated coconut - 5 tbsp
Green chillies - 2 nos
A small piece of ginger
Tamarind pulp - 1/2 tsp (concentrate)
Oil - 1 tbsp (or ghee)
Cloves - 2 nos
Cinnamon stick - 1 no
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cardamom - 1 no
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil, add green chillies, ginger, 1/2 onion, mint leaves, corriander leaves & salt to taste.  Allow it to cool.

2. Grind the cooked mint leaves mixture with the grated coconut & tamarind pulp to smooth paste.

3. Heat oil / ghee in the pressure cooker, add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf & finely chopped onion.  Saute till tender.

4. Add grounded paste, green peas, diced potato & rice.  Add enough water (For 1 cup raw rice = 2 cups of water ; 1 cup basmati rice = 1 cup of water) & salt to taste.

5. Serve with raita.

CORN AND PEAS PULAO

CORN AND PEAS PULAO RECIPE

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
Corn kernels -1/2 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 large finely chopped
Cinnamon sticks -1 piece
Cardamom -2
Bay leaves -1
Cloves -2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste -1 tbsp
Green chilli -4
Coriander and mint leaves
Butter/oil/ghee as required

Method:

1. Soak rice for 15 minutes  in water and drain.

2. Heat butter/oil or butter in a thick bottom cooking pan.Add cardamom,cinnamon,cloves and bay leaves.Saute it.

3. Now add sliced onion and saute finely.Then add ginger -garlic paste,turmeric powder  and chopped green chillies.Toss until the raw smell  disappears.

4. Now add drained rice and fry for 2 or 3 minutes.Add green peas and corn kernels.Saute again.

5. Add 3 cups of water and cook on medium -high flame with lid closed until the rice is cooked and the water is fully absorbed.

6. Decorate with chopped corainder and mint leaves.Serve with raita.

PANEER BRIYANI

PANEER BRIYANI RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice
1 onion, sliced
1 -1/2 tblsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
3 tblsp ketchup
1/2 roma tomato chopped
1 cup paneer cubes
3 tblsp yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
Palmful of dried parsley(optional)
1/2 tsp butter , oil each
Salt to taste
2 tblsp whole cashewnuts
sugar

Method :

1. Wash the rice, soak and keep aside.Put 2 cups of water to boil.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a pressure cooker, add the cashewnuts & fry until golden brown. Remove & keep aside.

3. In the same oil fry onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and stir for a few seconds.

4. Then add the tomato, ketchup and paneer cubes and cook for some time.

5. Then add garam masala  drained rice. Fry for 30 seconds.

6. Then add whisked yogurt, parsley, sugar, 2 cups of hot water and salt and pressure cook on high until you hear the pressure had built up.

7. Reduce the stove to med or med -low  cook for 3 mins only.

8. After 3 mins remove from stove , let cool for 5 mins.

9. After 5 mins forcefully allow the steam to escape by lifting the whistle.

10. Fluff the pulao with a fork/spoon gently, transfer to a serving dish.

11. Garnish with fried cashew parsley.

MUSHROOM BRIYANI

MUSHROOM BRIYANI RECIPE

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Mushroom - 8 0Z pack
Onion - 1
Tomato - 3 or 4 medium
Green chillies - 2 slit long
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder/Biryani Masala - 1 tsp
Mint and coriander leaves - few
Lime juice - Half of a small lime
Bay Leaf - 2
Cardamom - 2 or 3
Clove - 3
Cinnamon - 2 small piece
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method

1. Wash rice and drain water and keep it aside for 20 mts.

2. Clean and cut mushroom into 4 pieces.

3. Heat oil in a pressure pan and add bay leaf, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and cumin seeds. Wait for few seconds and add onions cut lengthwise thinly. Fry till nice brown.

4. Next add green chillies and ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute until raw smell leaves.

5. Then add chopped tomatoes. Fry till they mashed and pulpy and water leaves out and oil floats on top.

6. Next add chopped mushroom and saute for a minute or two and then add all the masala powders and mix and immediately add the drained rice. Fry for a minute, also add mint and coriander leaves.

7. Next add coconut milk and 3 cups of water. Also add salt and lime juice. Reduce flame and cover and cook till done or transfer to a rice cooker and cook till done. 8. Serve with any raita or gravy.

BISI BELE BATH

BISI BELE BATH RECIPE

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Toor Dal (Red Lentils) - 3/4 cup
Water - 5 cups
Onion - 1/2 (chopped)
Tomato - 2 (chopped)
Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
(You can use whatever you have on hand like brinjal, ashgourd, capsicum, carrot, potatoes, Green Peas, Drumstick, Yam, Beans, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash etc)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind Juice - 1/4 cup (or as needed)
Ghee - 2 tblsp
Sesame Oil - 1 tblsp

For Masala

Channa dal - 1.5 tblsp
Urad dal - 1 tblsp
Dry Red Chillies - 5
Black Peppercons - 4
Corriander seeds - 2 tblsp
Dry Coconut Powder/ Fresh Grated Coconut - 3-4 tblsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
Whole Garam Masala - 1" piece cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 cardamom

For Seasoning

Ghee - 1 tblsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cashews - 10
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Asafoetida - a pinch
Dry Red Chillies - 2

Method

1. Wash the rice and toor dal. If you have time, soak it for 10 minutes. Wash and chop the vegetables in big chunks so that it doesn't get completely mashed up.

2. Take a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed pan and add the rice, lentils (toor dal), 1 tblsp sesame oil, onion, tomatoes and all the other vegetables.

3. Add 5 cups of water, required salt and turmeric powder. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.

4.  Alternatively if you are using a heavy bottomed pan, cook for about 45 minutes till the rice, dal and vegetables are soft.

5. In the meantime, dry roast all the ingredients under 'Spice Mix' on low heat till everything turns light brown. Cool it and make a coarse powder. You can also add some water and make a paste.

6. After the pressure has gone down from the cooker, open the lid and turn on the heat again.

7. Mix the coarsely ground spice and the tamarind juice with the rice.
         
8.  Heat ghee in a seperate small pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Fry the fenugreek seeds, cashews on a low heat for 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida to this.

9. Add this hot tempering to the bisi bele bath. Mix everything together and let it cook on low heat for about
10 minutes till all the flavours blend up.

10. Finally add 2 tblsp of fresh ghee and switch off. Serve it piping hot with some potato chips, papad, salad or some fry.

CARROT RICE

CARROT RICE RECIPE

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup (uncooked) or 2 cups cooked rice
Grated carrot - 1 cup (about 3 carrots)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Green chilly - 2 (slited)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - 1 tblsp
Cilantro - for garnish

For tempering

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 strand
(You could also use channa dal and some cashew nuts for tempering)

For Masala

Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3-4
Peanuts - 1 tblsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tsp

Method

1. Cook the rice seperately and keep it aside. Spread it on a tray to ensure that the grains dont stick to each other.

2. Heat little oil (2 tsp) in a pan and splutter the ingredients under 'for tempering'.

3. Add the chopped onions and green chilly and fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add turmeric powder and the grated carrot and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Toss in the rice and required salt.(If you are in a hurry you could stop with this but I like to go further and add some more flavoring.)

6. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan and fry the ingredients under 'for masala' until it turns nice and golden brown.

7. Coarsely grind it and toss this powder along with the rice. This adds nice flavour and crunch to the rice.

8. Garnish with ribbons of carrot and finely chopped cilantro and serve with some raita.

MANGO RICE

MANGO RICE RECIPE

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup (cooked)
Mango - 1 cup (Grated)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Ginger - small amount (chopped)
Red chillies - 2
Green Chillies - 2
Curry leaves
Cilantro
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil -  tblsp

Method

1.Heat oil in a pan, pop mustard seeds, Urad dal and Channa dal.

2.Add Chopped ginger, Red chillies , Green chillies, Curry leaves and Turmeric powder.

3.Add Grated Mango, Salt and saute well till mango is tender.

4.Add Cooked rice and mix well.

5.Garnish with Cilantro.