Mint Coriander Pulao | Indian Rice Recipes

Can something simple be so flavorful? Yes it can. You too will say so when you try this Mint Coriander Pulao for your meal today. With the arrival of Spring the market is beaming with fresh bunches of herbs and I never fail to pick up the mint leaves when I see them fresh. My sister told me about this pulao she tasted in a potluck. I was quite skeptical about the taste when I heard the method when the rice was fully dependent on the herbs with no flavor base like tomatoes or cream. Boy! Was I wrong. The mint and cilantro rendered a super aromatic rice and made for a satisfying weekday lunch.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2-3

Rice - 1-1/2 cups (160 ml cup)

Mint leaves - 2 cups, packed

Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1 cup, tightly packed

Onion - 1 cup, chopped

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Salt - to taste 

Method:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 mins and drain. Heat 1/2 tsp of ghee in a pan and fry the rice until it is warm. Transfer to a plate to cool. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole garam masala and fry for a minute. Add the chopped onions and fry until soft. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for about 2 mins in medium heat. Add the roughly chopped mint and coriander leaves and sauté until it wilts. Add the rice, salt and about 2-3/4 cups of water. Cover and pressure cook for 2 whistles (or cook in a covered pot for 15-20 minutes until the rice is done). When done fluff it with a fork and serve hot.

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili / Chili Sin Carne | Vegan Chili

This post is due for a while now. Remember I told about my Valentine's day menu plan in my Orange Blueberry Cake post? Our Dinner was Onion Garlic Foccacia with this Vegetarian Three bean Chili. Since we did not make any plans to go out, I decided to make what I though DH would love for a good dinner. I had done all the chopping the previous day and kept in the refrigerator, soaked the beans overnight and cooked them in the morning. And when I had made the foccacia bread in the afternoon, this rarely took an hour to be finished. Dinner on the table without too much stress. Nothing elegant but it was hearty and home-made.

Ingredients:
Serves - 6-8; Preparation time - 8 hours; Cooking time - 1 hr.
Adapted from Cooking light - Way to cook vegetarian cookbook
Measurements in standard cups and spoons
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1 cup - chopped
Celery - 2 stalks - approx 1 cup chopped 
Carrots, medium sized  - 4 - cubed
Garlic cloves - 4 - sliced thin
Red bell peppers - 2
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp (see notes for substitution)
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Vegetable broth (Low sodium) - 4 cups - click here for homemade stock recipe
Crushed tomatoes - 1-28 oz can
Dry Kidney beans - 2/3 cup (see notes)
Dry Black beans - 2/3 cup
Dry Pinto beans - 2/3 cup
Spring onions / Green onions - 1/4 cup

Method:
Pick over and soak all the beans together for 8 hours or overnight. Cook with 6 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle. Alternatively the beans can be cooked in stove top until cooked through. Preheat the broiler. Slice the red bell peppers in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a foil lined baking pan. Broil for 12-15 minutes or until the skin is charred. When done place in a glass bowl with a tight fitting lid for about 15 minutes. This lets the bell peppers to sweat and helps easy removal of skin. After removing the skin cut into bite sized pieces. 
In a heavy saucepan, heat oil and saute the chopped onions and celery until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, cumin, paprika, pepper flakes and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers, carrots, vegetable broth and canned tomatoes. Mix well and check for salt. Cover and cook in medium heat until the carrots are cooked, about 15 minutes. Add the cooked beans and mix. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the desired thickness is achieved. Serve hot topped with green onions.
Notes:
Instead of dry beans, use canned beans, one of each kind. Kashmiri chilli powder can be substituted for paprika. 
Linking this up to Priya's Vegan Thursdays.

Thalicha Sadham / Instant Tamarind Rice | Indian Rice Recipes

This is one of the simplest recipes for using up leftover rice. If you are ever wondering what to do with your leftover rice, don't fret. Mom used to make this rice whenever we have leftover rice and Dad loves this for breakfast. When we have rice leftover from dinner, she marinates it with turmeric and tamarind juice and prepares this for breakfast the next day. With a little planning, this Instant Tamarind Rice can be a great idea. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Thick Tamarind Extract - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp or more as needed
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pearl onions - 1/2 cup - about 15 - peeled and halved
Green Chilli - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp

Method:
Make sure the rice is in room temperature. Mix the rice with tamarind paste, turmeric powder and salt. Set aside for about 1 hour to 8 hours, in room temperature. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and chana dhal. When the mustard splutters add the slit green chilli and the pearl onions. Fry until the onions are almost cooked. Add a little salt and the marinated rice. Cook in medium flame stirring occasionally, until the raw smell of the tamarind disappears. Serve warm with some pappads.
Notes:
The turmeric and tamarind extract acts both as a marinade and preservative. So make sure all of the rice is covered completely with it.
Definitely use pearl onions since regular onions just won't give the taste.

Tofu Bellpepper Scramble / Tofu Bhurji | Vegan Breakfast Scramble

This is a simple Vegan scramble with Tofu and Bell peppers which is a great dish for breakfast or as a snack. It is really versatile that it can be stuffed as a sandwich, rolled in a chapathi like khatti roll or had as a side dish for rice. I got this bag of cute little mini peppers which I had to add in every stir fry dish I make. Peppers are storehouses of antioxidants and Vitamin C and hey, it makes the dish colorful and appetizing. Bell peppers can be readily substituted with chopped boiled carrots, green beans and peas. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Tofu - 1/3rd of a block
Bell peppers - chopped - 1-1/2 cups (I used a mix of mini red, orange and yellow peppers)
Green Bellpepper / Capsicum - 1/2 - chopped fine
Oil - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Crumble the pressed tofu into little pieces. Heat 1 tsp of oil with the spice powders and a pinch of salt. When it is heated through add the crumbled tofu and fry in medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes until it starts to become light brown. Remove and set aside. Spray some oil in the pan and fry the chopped bell peppers in medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add the fried tofu and add salt if needed. Mix well and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Murungakeerai Adai / Lentil Moringa Pancakes | Idli Dosa Recipes

Back home in India we had a drumstick tree in our backyard. Well, pretty much every tree in there, Mango, lime, coconut, jamun yielding a bounty of organic produce. We also had curry leaves, tulsi, hibiscus plants. The memory of eating drumstick leaves was almost forgotten, until I spotted this little pack of drumstick leaves in my Indian produce shopping last time. I picked up one thinking of making these adais which DH hearts and is a part of MIL's recipe book to him. I tweaked the recipe a little and arrived at this tasty dosa variety.

Ingredients:
Measurements in rice cooker cup - 160 ml; Makes 16 adais
Idli Rice - 3 cups
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Chana dhal - 1/4 cup
Murunga keerai / Drumstick leaves / Moringa - 1 cup - loosely packed
Dry Red chillies - 10 (see notes below)
Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1-1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup - loosely packed
Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice and dhals together in plenty of water for 4 hours. Soak the dry red chillies in a separate bowl filled with water. Clean the murunga keerai, reserve only the leaves and discard the stems and twigs. Wash to remove any dirt. In the wet grinder, add one cup of the soaked rice-dhal mixture with chillies, peppercorns, cumin, asafoetida and coconut. Grind well, and add the rest of rice after 2 minutes. Grind coarsely into a rava like texture. Remove from the grinder and mix the salt and drumstick leaves. Heat a dosa tawa and pour about 1/2 cup of the batter and make dosas. Spray some oil and flip when the edges turn red. Cook for another minute and half and remove. Serve hot.
Linking this to Taste of the Tropics - Chilis.

Coriander Rice / Kothamalli Sadham | Indian Rice Recipes

I would always try to clean up my fridge before I go for produce shopping. I confess, I am not a "meal planner" who carefully drafts out every single meal of the week. I have a visibility and plan for two days max. After that I plan for the next two days with the leftover produce. I was going through the vegetables rack and found this little bunch of coriander leaves (cilantro) lying around hidden. I was out of most vegetables and there was nothing I could pair 'em with, so I planned for coriander rice for me and Kavin for lunch. It was done in a jiffy and tasted so good that I shared some with my neighbor. Good things are meant to be shared right?!

Ingredients:
Serves - 3; Cooking Time - 30 minutes
Rice - 1-1/2 cups (rice cooker cup)
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch
Pearl onions / Sambar onions - 10 - peeled and quartered
Salt - to taste
Sesame Oil / Gingelly Oil - 1 tsp + 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

For the Spice powder:

Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 4

Method:
Wash and soak rice in water for 15 minutes. Cook with 2-3/4 cups of water until done and the grains are not sticky. Remove from heat and spread on a plate to cool. Heat 1 tsp of oil and roast the ingredients for spice powder until light brown. Allow to cool and make a fine powder. Puree the coriander leaves with a couple of tablespoons of water. Heat remaining oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Add the onions and fry until soft followed by the ground spice powder. After half a minute add the coriander leaves puree and salt. Cook in medium flame until the paste cooks and becomes shiny. Add the cooked cooled rice little by little and mix well with a fork. Serve hot with any curry, raitha or better yet a simple pappad.
Linking this up to Taste of the Tropics - Chilis; PJ's Herbs & Flowers - Season 2.

Soba Noodles Vegetable Stir Fry

When it comes to making noodles at home I prefer whole grain spaghetti. I love the texture of the spaghetti in all the dishes I make be it with the simple Spaghetti with Home made Marinara, Spaghetti with Mushrooms & Onions, Pesto Pasta Primavera and Szechwan Noodles. My recent love is this soba or buckwheat noodles. Native to Japan, though this noodles is similar in nutrients with the whole grain spaghetti it is a gluten-free option for those who are on a gluten-free diet. It is a great component for soups, salads or stir-fries.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles - 1 bundle
Red bell pepper - 1 - cut into thin strips
Green bell pepper - 1  - cut into thin strips
Snow peas - a handful - ends trimmed and halved
Hoisin Sauce - 3 tbsp - I made my own sauce with the recipe here.
Salt - to taste
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Ginger - minced - 1 tsp
Spring onions - 2 - green and white parts - chopped

Method:
Cook the soba noodles as per package instructions. Drain and rinse in a colander. Heat oil in a kadai in high heat with spring onions white part and minced ginger. Saute continuously while throwing in the veggies. Cook for about 3-5 minutes in medium-high heat. Add the hoisin sauce and mix well. Add the drained noodles and remove from heat. Stir the noodles well into the sauce and veggies. Serve garnished with sesame seeds and spring onion greens. 

Jeera Rice / Ghee Rice | Indian Rice Recipes

It is truly astonishing that how some the best tasting dishes are the simplest to make. Jeera rice is one of them. It is one of the easiest forms of Pulao and does not need any preparation work. Paired with a spicy curry it is one of the best Indian meals in my opinion.

Ingredients:
Serves - 3-4; measurements in 160 ml cup
Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1-1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2 - chopped
Salt - to taste
Water - 4-3/4 cups
Oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 mins. In a heavy pan with lid (or pressure cooker), heat oil and splutter the cumin seeds and green chillies. Add the drained rice and fry for a minute in medium heat. Add water and salt and cover and cook in medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes or until done. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles in medium-high heat. When done, add the ghee and mix gently fluffing with a fork. Serve hot with any spicy curry of your choice.
Some perfect pairings would be Methi Matar Malai

Brown Rice Pidi Kozhukattai / Brown Rice Dumplings | Indian Festival Recipes

No, I am still not done with the Ganesh Chaturthi recipes. I wanted to try my hands in making kozhukattai (kadubu) with brown rice and was successful this time. Even my hubby who is not a big fan of brown rice, liked it. As with most of my recipes this is a simple to make snack. This also is super healthy and tasty and now is going to feature more in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2; Measurements in 160 ml cup
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana Dhal - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Dry Red chillies - 2

Method:
Dry roast the brown rice in a tawa in medium heat. When the rice is warm to touch and lightly changed in color, transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. Pulse in a blender until it resembles the texture of rava (or bulgar). Heat oil in a non-stick pan and splutter the items under tempering. Add grated coconut, water and salt. Cover and allow the water to boil. When the water is boiling add the broken rice and stir continuously. Cook in medium heat, while still stirring, until most of the water evaporates and the mixtures comes together. Remove from heat and allow to cool down a little. When it is still warm, take lime sized portions and press with your fingers against the palm of your hands to make impressions of the finger. Steam in idli pan / bamboo steamer for 15 minutes. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Linking these up to Kid's Delight - After School bites; Whats with my Cuppa 2 by Nupur; Healthy Breakfast.

Simple tomato rice | Indian Rice Recipes

Tomatoes are in abundant this summer. I am in summer vegetables indulgence spree and tomatoes are one of them. This simple tomato rice is another one of DH's recipe. It is an easy to make rice recipe (a true bachelor version) with tomatoes and other simple spices available in the pantry. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (1 1/2 rice cooker cup)
Tomatoes - 4 ripe
Onion - 1/2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (Use 1-1/2 tsp if using kashmiri chilli powder)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:
Cook rice and spread in a plate to cool. Heat oil in a kadai and add the cloves and cinnamon. After about half a minute add the onion and fry until light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry in medium heat for 3 minutes. Now add the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and saute until cooked through and mushy. Add the turmeric powder, garam masala and chilli powder. Mix well and allow the spices to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste and add the cooked cooled rice. Remove from heat and mix gently until the tomato masala is coated uniformly in the rice. Serve hot with any curry of your choice.
Notes:
Adding a handful of mint leaves before adding rice would be lovely. I just reserved it for garnishing.
Another simpler method is to prepare the masala in the pressure cooker and add the rice to it and pressure cook. It becomes an easy one pot meal then.

Spinach Chickpea Pulao / Palak Channa Pulav | Indian Rice Recipes

Spinach and Chickpeas are one delightful combination. Don't you think? Be it in a salad, soup, curry or this rice it tastes awesome. I had come across this simple spinach pulav somewhere in the blog world before many years. I did not bookmark it then but just made a mental note of the recipe which had potatoes in the place of chickpeas. I make this rice often and this time tried chickpeas instead of potatoes to up the protein quotient.

Ingredients:
Serves - 3
Basmati Rice - 2 cups (rice cooker cup) - 1 1/3 in standard cup
Spinach - 3 cups - tightly packed
Chickpeas / Garbanzo beans - 1 can or approx 2 1/2 cups cooked - Click here to see how to make canned beans at home
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion  - 1 cup - thinly sliced
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan / pressure cooker. Splutter the cumin seeds and add onion. Saute until light brown and add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes in medium heat. Now add the spice powders and spinach. When the spinach starts to wilt add the chickpeas and drained rice. Add 4 cups of water and salt and do a taste check. Cover and cook for 3 whistles in pressure cooker. If cooking in a pan, cover and cook in medium-high heat for 20 minutes until the rice is done. Serve hot with raitha or any curry of your choice.
Linking this delightful rice to MLLA #59 event by Susan and Lisa.

Beetroot Rice / Beetroot Sadham | Indian Rice Recipes

DH once recited a list of dishes and asked me if I have it in my blog. I said "no" to most of them. Those are the recipes which we make most often but never got a chance to click them. As a part of my ongoing "more rice recipes for blog pact", I thought I should try to click them whenever I can. Here I am with another simple and easy recipe which we make often. Paired with simple curry or just yogurt and pickle, it is a satisfactory meal.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Beetroot - 2 small - grated
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1/4 cup
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:
Cook rice and spread in a plate to allow it to cool. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai and splutter the mustard seeds, urad dhal and chana dhal. When the chana dhal turns light brown in color add the slit green chilli and onions. Fry until the onions are cooked and add the cumin powder and salt. Add the grated beetroot and saute for a couple of minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook in medium heat until done. This would take about 10-15 minutes. Mix occasionally to avoid burning. When the beetroot is cooked through, add the cooked cooled rice and mix well. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with any curry of your choice.

Sending this to Srivalli’s Kid’s Delight event hosted by Pavani.

Carrot Rice | Indian Rice Recipes

When I looked back at my posts I saw I didn't have many rice dishes. After all, rice is the staple food of us South Indians. And DH cannot live without rice for more than two days. So I thought I should have more of those recipes in my space. This simple and quick Carrot Rice is my start for my "more rice recipes for blog pact". It is a great lunch box recipe too. Expect more simple rice recipes in my space.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Rice - 1 1/2 cups (rice cooker cup)
Carrot - 2 medium sized - grated
Onion -chopped - 1//2 cup
Green chillies - 2 or 3 - slit
Curry leaves - a few
Salt - to taste
Tempering:
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp

Method:
Cook rice as twice the amount of water. When done, spread on a plate / cookie pan to cool completely. Meanwhile heat oil in a wide kadai and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the urad dhal and chana dhal and fry until it takes a shade of light brown. Add the curry leaves and slit green chillies and fry for a minute. Onion goes next. Fry for about 3-5 minutes with a pinch of salt until it turns soft. Now add the grated carrot and fry until it is cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Now add the cooked cooled rice and mix well. Serve with any curry of your choice. A simple pickle and papad would also be great.

Sending this to Srivalli’s Kid’s Delight event hosted by Pavani.

Soraikai Dosai / Bottlegourd Dosa | Idly Dosa Recipes

I could not decide what to make for our Serve It - Griddled event until now. Adai, Romali Roti and paratha were under consideration but it was this Suraikai dosa which made it at the end. This is a simple to make easy breakfast/dinner dish. The batter can be prepared and reserved in the fridge and used for upto one week. Just a boon for those time-crunched-whats-for-dinner days.

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1 cup
Parboiled rice - 1 cup
Bottle gourd - 1 medium sized
Red chillies - 5
Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Method:
Soak the rice together for 4-6 hours. In a wet grinder grind all the ingredients (except onion and mint) to a smooth consistency adding water. This batter can be reserved in the fridge until ready to use. Take required amount of this batter and mix water to make a pouring consistency. Add chopped onion and mint leaves with salt. Heat a griddle/dosa pan and pour ladleful of this batter from outside to inside. If using a flat griddle, swirl the griddle to have the batter fill the spaces. Spray some oil and cook well. When the edges start to crisp, flip over and allow it to cook for few more minutes. Remove and serve hot with any type of chutney or just Idli podi. I served with Raw onion chilli chutney (recipe follows soon).

Sending this healthy dosa to Serve It - Griddled event hosted by me and Denny and to Anu's South Indian Cooking #1.

The Briyani / Vegetable Biryani in Pressure Cooker | Indian Rice Recipes

"Briyani" - The exotic dish native to the Asian Sub-continent. The very name makes its fans (including me) all drool with excitement. A rice dish with meat and/or vegetables gets its popularity due to the various spices used in it. There are number of ways to prepare this dish and also every region has its recipe and style to make this. A few famous being Hyderabadi Briyani, Awadhi briyani, Malabar Briyani, Dindigul Briyani.. This recipe here is a simple and easy Vegetable Biryani in a pressure cooker, prepared by MIL.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4; I used 160 ml cup
Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Oil - 3 tbsp
Whole Garam Masala (Cloves - 3; Cinnamon - 2 inch stick; Bay leaf - 3; Cardamom - 2)
Onions - thinly sliced - 2 cups
Ripe Tomato - 1 - finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Carrots - 2 - thick julienne
Cauliflower - 1/2 of a small head - cut into florets
Beans - 10 - cut into 1" pieces
Peas - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (add according to the spice level of the chilli powder)
Coriander powder - 1 heaped tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd/Greek Yogurt - 1 tbsp
Water - 5 cups
Cashew nuts - 5 (fried in little oil/Ghee)
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for a maximum of 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole garam masala. When the flavors start to infuse add the onions and saute until light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. Add tomatoes with a pinch of salt and fry until it turns mushy. Mix the spice powders and the yogurt and stir well. Add the cut vegetables, salt to taste, fried cashews and mix well. Add rice and water and allow it to boil. When it starts boiling turn the heat to medium high and cover with the pressure cooker lid. Cook for one whistle and remove from heat. After the pressure is released, open and add the ghee, fluff it with fork. Serve hot with any type of raitha. Enjoy!!
Note: Alternatively you could close with the lid immediately after adding rice and water. Cover and cook for 2 whistles in this case.

Sending this delicious plate to 
Show me your HITS - Rice event by Sangee;
South Indian Cooking - SIC #1;

Vetrilai Poondu Sadham / Rice flavored with Garlic and Betel Leaves - Guest post by Reva of Kaarasaaram

This month's guest post is by Reva of Kaarasaaram. She is one of the dearest blog buddies of me. If you have not stopped by her place you should do so now. She has a pretty and neatly laid out space with gorgeous pictures. She hails from Coimbatore - the heart of the Kongu region in South-India, which has a deep-rooted culture and history associated with it. The Kongu cuisine always uses the freshest ingredients for every meal and has its own distinct cooking methods. This recipe Vetrilai Poondu Sadham is one of her Kongu region specialties. Reva's space does not only focus on the kongu cuisine but a variety of cuisines from all over the world. She is talented in making unique flavored dishes. My favorite is the Thai Icecream with Homemade wafer cones, which uses all the flavorings of Thai cuisine. And when I say flavorings, it includes lime leaves, lemon grass and surprisingly thai red chilli. See what I mean by unique??
She is a great flower lover too.. You could see almost all of her posts has pictures of gorgeous flowers which she uses to accentuate her food clicks.


Hi everyone,

When Krithi asked me to do a guest post for her blog, I was overwhelmed at first for the simple reason that her beautiful blog is filled with traditional recipes and dishes from around the globe that are simple to make yet tastes immensely flavourful.
My favourite is Tawa Pulao with Paneer and Gobi Manchurian.. they are absolutely delicious and makes a lovely combo meal… try it sometime and you will know what I am talking about.
Krithi has the simple friendly attitude of "girl next door" and connects with the fellow blogger is an instant moment. The most outstanding thing about her is that she host a lovely events on her blog named  "Serve it Series" along with her buddy Denny which has different mode of cooking style every month but also she is the number one participant and contributor to most of the event hosted by fellow bloggers.

She lends her complete support to all her virtual friends in this blogging world in spite of her busy  schedule…. It is hard to find such a lovely dedicated person..:)
So when she asked me for a gust post, I didn’t know where to begin with. So at times of difficult decision making, it is always better to stick to the traditional recipe. I am from Coimbatore and I love Kongunad Cuisine. 
This recipe is one of the most traditional and age old recipe handed over from generation to generation. 
Truly an Ayurvedic combination of ingredients, it speaks volumes about unusual tastes and flavours but does tonnes of goodness to your internal systems. 

As you go through the ingredient list, you will understand that all are readily available in your store cupboard except for the betel leaves. This add an unusual flavor to the rice, the typical spicy betel leaf  flavor that is so refreshing.
The original recipe calls for dried turmeric stick [virali manjal] to be dry roasted and ground to a powder along with the other masala items. I had some fresh turmeric bulbs in hand and used them instead. The fresh turmeric not only tasted awesome but the aroma was wonderful and it also lent a lovely yellow tinge to the rice. 

Hope everyone enjoys this recipe from my city of Coimbatore..:))
Thank you Krithi for this lovely opportunity, it is indeed an honour to do a guest post for your wonderful blog … keep up your good work.

Vetrilai Poondu Saadham
Betel leaves: 4.
Seeraga Sambha Rice: 250 gms.
Large garlic pods: 5-6 .
Fresh turmeric bulbs: two – 1 inch pieces.
Fennel seeds: ½ tsp.
Cinnamon stick: one 1 inch piece.
Curry leaves: 1 sprig.
Special masala powder: 2-3 tbsp.
Gingelly oil: 3 tbsp.
Warm water: 450 mls.
Salt: to taste.

For the special masala powder:
Black sesame seeds: 1tsp.
Pepper corns: 1 tsp.
Ginger powder [sukku]: ½ tsp.
Red chillies: 5-6.
Method:
1. Roast all the ingredients in a dry pan on medium flame, cool and grind to a powder. Reserve until needed.
2. Wash the rice twice and soak it for ½ hour. Drain and add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of oil and water. Mix well and  cook in microwave high [850 HW] for  20-21 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
3. Remove from the oven and let the rice cool down. Once cooled very gently separate the rice with a fork. Keep aside until the masala is ready.

4. Wash the betel leaves, remove the stalk and chop the leaves finely. Peel the fresh turmeric bulbs and slice them thinly.
5. Place a large pan on medium flame and heat the remaining oil. Splutter the fennel seeds, curry leaves and add the cinnamon stick.
6. Add the garlic pods, sliced turmeric and chopped betel leaves. Fry for a minute.
7. Add the masala powder and sprinkle some water to prevent the masala powder from burning.
8. Add the cooked rice and a little salt and mix well.
9. Add just a sprinkle of water and reduce the flame to a slim flame. Cover the rice and let it sit for 5 -6 minutes on low flame.
10. After 5 minutes open the lid and give a final stir to the rice, check for salt and remove from heat.
Serve hot with some appalams and a teaspoon of pickle of your choice.

Note: It is essential to prepare the masala powder fresh as the flavours are at their full intensity. The betel leaves should not be too young nor too mature [very strong flavor edging towards bitterness] but just medium. You can add more garlic if you want.
The major contributor of flavor is the rice. If this variety is not available then use basmati rice but make sure it is not over cooked. You can also substitute ghee instead of oil.
Enjoy…
Scribbled by Reva

Garlic Basil Vegetable Fried Rice - Thai Style

I believe my readers would very well know that I am a big fan of Thai Food. After the Thai Red Curry and Thai Green Curry, my next attempt is this Garlic and Basil Fried Rice. This is another favorite recipe in Thai cuisine - Kapow Jae meaning Thai basil with vegetables. I looovvvee Basil. The beautiful fragnance of Basil is simply divine. No wonder the holy basil or Tulsi is an offering made to Hindu gods. 

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Garlic cloves - 6 or 8 - minced
Basil leaves - 1/2 cup - tightly packed - thinly sliced
Dry Red chillies - 5 or Red pepper flakes - 1 1/2 tsp
Extra Firm Tofu - 1 block - pressed and cubed
Carrots - 2 - julienned
Red bell pepper - 1/2 - julienned
Green bell pepper - 1/2 - julienned
Soy sauce - 1/4 cup (I used Low-sodium variety)
Light brown sugar - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil / Canola oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 mins. Cook the rice with 4 cups of water, 1/2 tsp of salt and a drizzle of oil. When done, fluff it with a fork spread it on a baking sheet and allow it to cool. Saute the cubed tofu in a tsp of oil until light brown on all sides. In a wide pan, add the oil and garlic and heat in a medium flame. When it starts getting hot add the carrots, bell peppers and increase the heat to med-high. Saute well for 3 to 4 mins and add the basil leaves and red chilli flakes. Add the soy sauce, sugar and salt. Mix well and reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked cooled rice, tofu and toss gently to mix well. Serve hot.
Note: You can add any vegetables of your choice. Take care while sauteing the garlic as it tends to burn very quickly.

Sending this Garlic Basil Fried rice to Herbs & Flowers - Garlic event by PJ and to Rice Recipes Event.

Tawa Pulao with Paneer | Indian Rice Recipes

Tawa Pulao is a classic Mumbai Street food. It is a quick food like chaats, cooked with veggies, rice and Indian spices. This was one dish which can be fixed within 30 mins, apt for my busy weekend cooking. i.e. The weekend where we have many programs. I had seen the tawa pulao in many of my blogger friends' site and wanted to try it. I googled and arrived at Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe for a simple and easy tawa pulao. 

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 2 cups (Preferably Basmati or Sona Masoori)
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped fine
Tomato - 2 chopped fine
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup of each (julienned carrot, red bell peppers, green bell peppers) - You may use whatever is available at hand
Paneer - cubed or julienned - 1/2 cup 
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala - 2 1/2 tsp (Available in Indian Grocery Stores)
Red Chilli paste - 1 tbsp (I used Tomato Chilli Sauce)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cilantro - To garnish
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method:

Cook the rice with a drizzle of oil and 1/2 tsp of salt adding 4 cups of water using pressure cooker or simple stove-top. When done, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool spreading on a wide pan/cookie sheet. In a wide skillet, add oil. When it is heated add the finely chopped onions followed by ginger paste. When the raw smell of ginger disappears add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes becomes mushy, add the pav bhaji masala and red chilli paste. Mix well and add the vegetables and toss in high heat for a minute or two. Add salt and paneer now and give a quick mix. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooled cooked rice. Mix carefully such that the masala is well coated in the rice. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped cilantro/coriander leaves. Serve hot with any raitha of your choice.
Note: I sauted paneer in a tsp of oil before adding in here, though this step is optional. I microwaved carrots for 30 secs before adding here.

Sending this to Flavors of Maharastra event by Nayna guest hosted by PJ this month. Also to Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday event by Aipi and Priya and Anyone Can Cook event by Ayisha.