Shahi Pulav with Nawabi Curry

I was thinking of preparing pulav and usually its pudina pulav or vegetable pulav. So was at crossroads, whether to prepare the usual stuff or think of something new. And lightning struck. I had bookmarked a recipe from Tarla Dalal - Shahi Pulav with Nawabi Curry. Best time to innovate was at lunch. Usually hubby walks home for lunch and leaves in a jiffy. So with all office issues on mind, even if the dish went for a toss - it wouldnt stand out in memory (atleast for him. Though he never complains :D). So lunch it was, real quickie one pot meal.

Angoori Pulav

This is one recipe I wanted to try since a long time from Sanjeev Kapoor's site. I thought this has something to do with grapes when I saw the title, but nope. Just normal pulav with the addition of paneer in a different way. Im not a strict book to cook person, so made a few tweaks.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Grated Paneer - 1 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper corns - 5-6
Cinamon Stick - 1
Cloves - 2
Green Chilli - 1
Cashew Nuts - 10-15
Onion - 1
Fried Onion - 1/2 cup
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya Powder - 1 tsp
Corn Flour - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee/Oil for cooking

Method
Grate paneer, mix it with some salt, red chili powder, dhaniya powder and make into small balls; coat it with corn flour or rice flour and deep fry till golden brown. Set it aside.
Make a paste of 1/2 onion, cashews and green chili.
Heat ghee, add cumin seeds, coarsely crushed black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, cloves and remaining 1/2 onion chopped and saute,
Add cleaned rice, paste and mix well.
Whish yoghurt and measure in the glass used for water. Add yoghurt and water as required and cook.
Garnish with fried onion, paneer balls and serve hot with tomato raitha.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Corn Pulav

Im a sleepy head today. Woke up pretty early, coz I had an appointment at 0800. Returned and still sleepy, so I decided I will prepare a one pot meal. And with frozen corn in my freezer, I decided on Corn Pulav.

Ingredients
American Sweet Corn - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Raw Rice - 3 cups
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Dhaniya Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee for cooking

Method
Clean the rice and remove excess water and set it aside.
Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker, add onions and saute till golden brown.
Add rice, corn and mix weel. Add  all the masala powders and mix well.
Add enough water and pressure cook.
Serve hot with tomato raita.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Vegetable Poha

Poha is flattened rice. Its very easy to cook, or rather doesnt need much cooking. There's lots of variations we try at home. You will find poha as the most preferred breakfast in many a maharashtrian homes. Usually the Kandha Poha(Onion Poha). This is just a variation of it.

Ingredients
Flattened Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1
Chopped Carrot - a handful
Chopped Potato - a handful
Peas - a handful
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chili - 1 or 2
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a little
Coriander leaves - a little
Lemon - 2 wedges
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, red chili, curry leaves, onions and saute.
Add all the other vegetables and water, close the lid and allow to cook.
Once all the vegetables are cooked and and all the water is absorbed, add turmeric powder, salt, and mix well.
Add flattened rice and mix it well by tossing and shaking the pan rather than using a spoon. It might get mushy if a spoon is used much.
Garnish and serve with coriander leaves and lemon juice.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Beets Rice

Beetroot is an amazing thing for its sweetness and color. Very good for anemic people. I have had beets rasam and beets fry and today for a change we tried beetroot rice, though the color might put off a certain people, just like my mom. She says why are you making a reddish rice. But it tastes awesome!!!!

Ingredients
Boiled Rice - 1 bowl
Beetroot - 1/2
Onion - 1
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Chili Powder or Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee for cooking

Method
Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, fiinely chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and saute till onions are golden brown. You can also add some corn kernels or peas along with this.
Add shredded beetroot and cook on low heat with a closed lid for 10-15 minutes. The beetroot will become soft and mushy.
Add all the other ingredients and saute. Mix this with boiled rice.
Garnish with fried cashews, fresh mint leaves and serve with tomato raitha.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Tomato Cheese Pulav

This one is from my SIL. Her daughter is a fan of this tomato cheese pulav. I got the recipe from her and prepared this for our lunch. Its a one pot meal, so gets done in a jiffy.

Ingredients
Raw Rice - 2 cups
Tomato - 2
Onion - 1
Garlic - 2 or 3
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Mint Leaves - a little
Cheese to garnish
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Method
Boil and peel tomatoes. Mix it with enough water to cook the rice and whisk it.
Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and saute till its crisp.
Add garam masala, chili powder, salt, sugar, rice and mix well.
Add tomato juice and some more water if necessary and pressure cook.
Once cooked and pressure subsides, add grated cheese and fresh mint leaves, and close the lid.
Garnish with fried onion and serve hot with onion raitha.

Im sending this recipe to My Culinary Creations's Rice recipes


Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Bagala Bath

Thayir Semiya/Bagala Bath is an apt alternative for people who shy away from curd rice. Its as simple as substituting rice with Vermicelli.

Ingredients
Vermicelli - 2 cups
Yogurt - 2 cups or more
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Gram Dal - 1 tsp
Red Chili - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Curry Leaves - a little
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Method
In a pan, dry roast vermicelli till golden brown and keep it aside.
Add the vermicelli to boiling water, cook till soft and drain excess water.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and once it splutters; add urad dal, gram dal, red chilies, grated ginger, curry leaves and add it to the cooked vermicelli.
Add salt and yougurt and mix well and let it rest in a refrigerator for half and hour.
Garnish with pomegranate or grapes and serve cold. Tastes yummy with lemon pickle.

Capsicum Rice

I go gaga over capsicums. Or so they tell me, people in my family.

Ingredients
Boiled raw rice - 3 cups
Capsicum - 250 gms (Green/Red/Yellow Peppers)
Masala powder - 2 tbsp
Pearl Onions 100 gms
Coriander Leaves - a little
Curry Leaves - a little
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
For the masala powder
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - handful
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilies - 7
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch


Method
Dry roast all the masala powder ingredients and powder coarsely.
Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped peppers and cook till soft. Add pearl onions to it and saute well.
Add the masala powder, salt, coriander leaves and curry leaves. 
Mix rice with this and enjoy with cucumber/tomato raitha.

Vangi Bath (Brinjal Rice)

Being in Karnataka, one must be really knowing the various bath's they prepare. Bisibele Bath, Bagala Bath, Vangi Bath,  Chow Chow Bath et al. Not all of these are made of rice, but very simple and easy to make. If we have the masala powder ready in hand, vangi bath isnt 15 minutes away.

Ingredients
Boiled raw rice - 3 cups
Brinjal - 250 gms
Masala powder - 2 tbsp
Pearl Onions 100 gms
Coriander Leaves - a little
Curry Leaves - a little
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
For the masala powder
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - handful
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilies - 7
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch


Method
Dry roast all the masala powder ingredients and powder coarsely.
Heat oil in a pan, add brinjal and cook till soft. Add pearl onions to it and saute well.
Add the masala powder, salt, coriander leaves and curry leaves. 
Mix rice with this and enjoy with tomato raitha.


Note: 
Brinjal is very healthy and good for your heart. It also cures insomnia. Eating brinjal gives you good sleep in the night.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Coconut Rice

Thengai Sadam - definately not one of my favorites, but yeah my hubby's loves it. Very simple and easy to make. Once all the ingredients are availabale the dish can be made in a jiffy. Full of carbs, this dish is a definite no if you are a diet freak.

Ingredients
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tbsp
Green Chilies - 3 medium sized
Curry Leaves - a little
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Method
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and once they splutter add all the other ingredients. Stir once and switch off the heat before the coconut turns brown.
Mix well with rice and garnish with cashew nuts. Tastes awesome with Aviyal/ More kolambu

Puliotharai (Tamarind Rice)

Puliotharai is my all time favorite. We prepared this paste called pulikaichal and mix it with rice. Tastes great with appalams and vadagams.

Ingredients
Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Red Chili - 4
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
Curry Leaves - a little
Roasted Groundnuts - a handful
Salt to taste
Gingelly Oil for cooking

For the powder
Red Chilies - 15
Coriander Seeds - 1 small cup
Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek Seeds - 2 tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 3 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 tbsp

Method
Dry roast Fenugreek seeds, sesame seeds seperately. Pound into fine powder
Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and roast the remaining ingredients. Pound this seperately into fine powder.
Heat a cup of oil, add fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Once they splutter add red chilies, curry leaves, tamarind extract, salt and turmeric powder.
Once this starts boiling, add the powders and allow to cook.
Once the gravy thickens, add jaggery, groundnuts (peel off the skin after roasting) and turn off the heat.
Mix it well with rice and enjoy with crisps. In Bangalore, we get puliogare with cucumber raitha/coconut chutney. It tastes yummy as well. The Pulikaichal tastes great with idlys and dosas.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Ven Pongal

Ven pongal is a very popular breafast in South India. Its again one of my FIL's favorite. My colleagues at work used to say the pongal he prepares is awesome. Being foodies my family loves pongal and tomato thokku(chaass as we call it!!)

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Moong Dal - 1 cup (pasi paruppu)
Ginger - small piece
Pepper Powder - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
Cashew Nuts - 10/15 pieces
Curry Leaves - a little
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Method
Wash rice and moong dal together. Add six cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker till its soft and mushy.
Add salt, ginger, pepper powder, cumin seeds, curry leaves on top of the mashed rice.
Heat ghee and pour it on top of these so that they get fried in the ghee.
Add fried cashew nuts and serve hot with coconut chutney or thakkali thokku or gotsu.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Curd Rice

The very simple yet very elegant Curd Rice. Im such a fan of the curd rice with home made Narthangai that my mouth waters even when I think about it. There nothing much that goes into this as such for a whole recipe blog. But yeah one of my friends says its magical on its own.CURD & RICE!! Yummy!! Ask any TamBram family - curd rice is a must in their diet chart every day, probably in every meal. Lunch/Dinner curd rice is a definate yes. Some of my friends would say a world without curd rice is a strict no for me. As my MIL says "Treat me to a series of days of feasts - Im sure I would prefer a simple curd rice at home". So here goes one of the versions of how to prepare curd rice.

Ingredients
Boiled Rice - 1 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste (optional)
For Garnishing
Grapes
Kishmis
Cashew Nuts
Pomegranate
Curry Leaves
More Milagai (Sun Dried Chilies)

Method
Add curd, milk and salt to the boiled rice and mix it well.
Heat a tbsp of oil, add the more milagai to it. It should turn black in color.
Add this along with grapes, pomegranate, kishmis, cashew and curry leaves and mix.
Magical curd rice is ready. Serve it with nice vadu mangai or avakai or any other pickle. Even curd rice on its own is heavenly.

Alternatively, if you dont prefer fruits in your curd rice you can use grated carrot, cucumber and ginger. Substitute the  More Milagai with green chillies and mustard seeds. Its awesome!!!!!

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Lemon Rice

Whenever I feel bored with sambar and rasam I ask my MIL to prepare lemon rice. This is also the favorite of our closest family friend Mr D.

Ingredients
Rice - 200 gms
Lemon - 1 (juicy)
Peanuts - handful
Cashew nuts - 5/6
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
For the seasoning
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tbsp
Channa Dal - 1/4 tbsp
Green Chilies - 2
Curry Leaves - little
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Onion - 1 small sized (optional)
Capsicum - 1/2 (optional)

Method

Boil rice separately. If using a pressure cooker just allow 2 whistles.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter add urad dal, chana dal, green chillies, curry leaves, finely chopped onions and capsicum(optional) and saute till it becomes soft.

Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.

Squeeze lemon onto the rice, add the seasoning and mix well.

Garnish with roasted peanuts, cashewnuts and coriander leaves 

Serve with papads or vadam or potato or bhindi fry.

This is prefered for travel alongside puliogare and curd rice.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra

Tomato Rice

This one is my athai's special. I always used to wonder how such a simple yet wonderful dish is prepared. Tried it a couple of days back.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Ripe Tomatoes - 6/7 medium sized
Onion - 2 medium sized
Peas - 1/2 cup
Fried Bread - 10 crumbs
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Chili Powder -1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt as required

Oil for cooking
For the seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Chana Dal - 1/4 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 small sticks
Bay leaf - 1/2


Method
Soak Basmati Rice for 5-10 minutes and drain the water. Pressure cook rice.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and once it splutters; add the other ingredients for seasoning.
Add chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
Add peanuts and saute for a few more minutes.
Then add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chili powder, asafoetida and salt.
Cook till oil separates.
Add cooked rice to the gravy and mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves and fried bread crumbs. Serve hot with papads or raita.

Bon Appetit!!
Rudra