Tawa Pulav



Today's recipe is a simple yet mouth-watering rice recipe.  Tawa Pulav as the name suggests is a rice preparation which is made with a few vegetables, cooked rice and the flavouring ingredient being the "Pav bhaji Masala".  It’s a street food recipe wherein the pulav is made on a big griddle/tawa.  Though of course, I have made it in a flat bottomed kadai/wok.  The taste is just awesome and believe me, the fragrance that this rice dish has loomed over the whole house and tempted us eat an extra spoonful of the rice.  So here goes how I made this pulav.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup = 200 ml

Rice (basmati)	1 cup
Carrot	1 medium (chopped)
Peas	1/4 cup
Potatoes	2 medium or 1 big (chopped)
Capsicum	1 medium (chopped)
Onions	2 medium (sliced thinly)
Tomato	1 medium (chopped)
Red chilli & garlic paste	1 1/2 tbsp
Salt	1 tsp
Pav bhaji masala	1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Butter	1/2 tbsp
Oil	1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds/jeera	1/2 tsp
Lemon juice	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	To garnish

METHOD:

1.       Wash the rice well and soak the rice for half an hour.  Cook the rice till just about done.  Do not over-cook the rice.

2.       Chop the vegetables and pressure cook the potatoes, carrots and peas till soft.



 

 

3.       Heat the butter and oil together in a wok/kadai, add in the cumin seeds.  One they splutter add in the finely sliced onions and sauté them till translucent.  Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté them till soft and mushy.

4.       Add the red chilli & garlic paste and mix well.  Add the capsicum and the boiled veggies a little water (say about 1/2 a cup) and bring it to boil. 

5.       Once the water dries up mash the veggies with a potato masher.  Add salt and mix well.

6.       Add the pav bhaji masala and mix so that all the veggies are coated well with the masala.

7.       Add the cooked rice to this mixture and mix very gently so that the rice does not break.

8.       Add the lemon juice and gently mix again.

9.       Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any raita of your choice.  Enjoy!!!

NOTES:

1.       The above recipe is good for 2-3 servings.

2.       Adjust the level of salt and chilli paste according to your taste.

3.       Adding lemon juice is optional.  But let me tell you, adding it takes the taste level up.

4.       I have used normal cooking rice as I didn’t have basmati on hand. 

5.       I have served this pulav with onion raita.

Rajma rice

Feels like ages!!! But am back with back to back recipes.  It is not that I have not been cooking.  It's just that I couldn’t get myself to get to the writing, posting and clicking bits.  So hoping that you all did miss me, I am presenting to you all, recipe of a yum rice dish which I combined with raita and okra n crispy fried okra might I say..  Rajma rice or kidney bean rice, a very healthy and flavoursome dish of rice which can be eaten as is or with raita or a simple dal.

There are smaller varieties of these kidney beans which are from Kashmir, but here I have used the bigger version.  Kidney beans in any form are yum and tasty, thou I have heard that the smaller variety are very tasty n full of flavour.  So here's how the recipe goes.

INGREDIENTS:

Kidney beans (Rajma)	1 cup (cooked)
Rice	1 cup
Onions	2 big (thinly sliced)
Tomato	1 medium (finely chopped)
Green cardamom	2 nos
Cinnamon	1 small piece
Cloves	4 nos
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander &cumin powder	1/2 tsp each
Garam masala	1 tsp
Salt	1 tsp or as per preference
Ghee	2 tbsp
Coriander leaves	To garnish

METHOD:

1.       Wash and soak the rajma/kidney beans with enough water (water should cover the beans by 2 inches) overnight.  Next morning drain the water and pressure cook the kidney beans putting fresh water in the cooker so as to cover the kidney beans.  Cook for approx 4-5 whistles. 

2.       Meanwhile, slice the onions, chop tomatoes and keep aside.  Wash n soak the rice for about half an hour.

3.       Drain the water from the rice. 

4.       In a pan or cooker add a tbsp of ghee, add the whole spices and sauté till you get a mild fragrance.  Add in the sliced onions and sauté till they turn translucent.

5.       Once the onions are done, add in the finely chopped tomatoes.  Sauté till soft.

6.       Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander & cumin powder and garam masala and stir well for a minute.

7.       Add the rice and sauté it on high flame for 2 minutes.  Add the cooked rajma and salt, stir well again.

8.       Add 2 cups of water to the rice and stir well again.

9.       Cover the pan or the cooker with a lid.  If cooking in a cooker, cook up-to two whistles.  If cooking in a pan, cover with a lid and cook on a medium flame until done.

10.   Once the rice is cooked add the other tbsp if ghee and garnish with coriander leaves. 

11.   Serve hot with raita or dal and papaddams.

NOTES:

1.       If you have water/stock remaining from the cooked rajma you could add the same.

2.       I have served the rice with onion raita.  You could serve with the raita or a salad of your choice.

3.       For the raita I have used a little less than a cup of curd, 1 medium onion finely chopped, salt as per preference and just a sprinkle of chilli powder.  Garnished with coriander leaves.

4.       I haven't added ginger garlic paste, if you do wish to add pl feel free to do so.  It will add to the flavour.

5.       With the measurements that I have given it serves 2-3, so pl do adjust according to your requirement.

Cauliflower Rice

I feel, I myself have visited my blog after ages.  Call it being busy, lazy or just not being able to post for some or the other reason.  Nonetheless, will try and put up as many posts as I can.  So here I am, with a rice recipe which has coconut milk and gives the rice a delicious flavour also one that can be made with ease.  A recipe with just a few ingredients and that can be made in a jiffy.  So without further ado here goes the recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

Rice	1 cup
Onions (thinly sliced lengthwise)	2 big
Cloves	4 nos
Caraway seeds (shahjeera)	1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Cinnamon	1 inch
Salt	As per preference
Cauliflower	10-12 florets
Coconut milk	1 cup
Red chillies	3 nos
Oil	1 tbsp
Ghee	11/2 tbsp

To grind:

Cloves	4 nos
Green cardamom	3 nos
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Caraway seeds (shahjeera)	1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1.       Grind the spices, given under table "to grind" into fine powder.  Wash the rice and soak it for half an hour.  Keep aside.
2.       In a cooker add oil and bring it to heat.  Add the cloves, caraway seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon and red chillies. Sauté for a minute.
3.       Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté till they turn translucent.  Drain the water from the rice and add it to the onion mixture.  Sauté it for 2-3 minutes on medium high flame. 
4.       Add the cauliflower florets and stir well.
5.       Add coconut milk and water as required.  Ratio usually being 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. 
6.       Add salt and the ground spice powder and stir well.  Close the lid of the cooker and let it cook up-to two whistles.
7.       Once cooked lightly fluff up the rice with a fork. Garnish with coriander leaves.
8.       Serve hot with raita or salads of your choice.

NOTES:                                                

1.       You can use ready-made coconut milk or grind coconut and extract the milk.
2.       Cook the rice as you would normally cook with the proportion of water to rice.
3.       Add salt as per your preference.  I had just about a tsp of salt the above measure.
4.       If cooking in a wok or without whistles, please lower the flame once the water comes to a boil.
5.       I have served the rice with cabbage fritters/pakoras and onion salad



Bisi Bele Bhaat

Today am back, with another rice recipe.  This recipe is synonymous with Bengaluru, Karnataka.  Though I must say I make two versions of this lovely rice recipe.  This one that I am putting up today is a shortcut or a cheat recipe to the actual one, why do I say so, cause I make this with a sambhar powder.  Will put up the authentic recipe soon.  So let's see how to make this wonderful rice. 

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

Rice	1 cup
Pigeon peas lentil (toor dal)	3/4 cup
Onions	2 medium
Tomatoes	2
Green peas	1/4 cup
Carrot	1 chopped
French beans	10-12 chopped
Salt	1 tsp
Ghee	1 tbsp+ 1 tsp
Cashew-nuts	10-12
Cumin seeds	1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	6-8
Sambhar powder	2 tsps

METHOD:

1.       Wash the rice and lentils a couple of times and soak it in water for 15 minutes.

2.       Cut the onions into thin long slices, chop the tomatoes, reserve. 

3.       Heat a pressure cooker and add a tablespoon of ghee, once it is hot add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.  Add curry leaves and the chopped onions and tomatoes.  Sauté  till the onions turn translucent and the tomatoes turn mushy.

4.       Add the french beans, carrots and green peas and mix well.  Add the tamarind paste and mix well with the veggies. 

5.       Drain the water from the rice and lentils and transfer them into the pressure cooker.  Add the sambhar powder and 5 cups of water.  Add the salt and let it cook upto 5 whistles.

6.    Garnish with cashew nuts roasted  in ghee.

7.       Serve hot with pappadams/potato wafers or like they serve in Bengaluru, with spicy boondi (spicy chickpea pearls) and raita.

Authentic way and pictures coming up soon. 

Subz Biryani



Like I said, today I made a lunch menu which included this biryani, dal, raita and papad.  A small combo meal.  Believe me; this it was so heavy that I thanked myself for not including a dessert.  I so badly wanted to make something sweet.  Its ok there's always another time.  So without further ado, here is the how this subz biryani was made.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time/assembling time/: 10 minutes + dum (baking) time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Main ingredients:

Rice (long grain basmati)	3/4 cup
Coriander leaves	Handful
Mint leaves	15-20 leaves
Kewra essence (screw pine water)	1/2 tsp
Saffron	A pinch
Ghee	1 tbsp

For the subz gravy:

Onions	2 medium
Carrot	1
French beans	15
Potatoes	1 big or 2 medium
Cloves	3 nos
Cinnamon	1 small stick
Cardamom and mace powder	1 1/2 tsp
Whole Cardamom	2
Green chilli, garlic and ginger paste	1 tbsp
Yoghurt	1/2 cup
Water	1/4 cup
Ghee	1 tbsp
Salt	1 1/2 tsp

Method:

1.       Wash the rice and cook it till 3/4th done.  You do not want to overcook the rice.  It should be 3/4 done as it will get cooked when you cook it by the dum method.

2.       While the rice gets cooked.  Slice the onions thin and long.  Peel the carrots and cut them long too.  Cut the French beans side-ways so as to get a diamond shape out of it.  (I know I should have, taken step by step pictures, but in a bid to finish off cooking soon, I missed taking them)

3.       Soak the saffron in a little warm milk.  Add the Kewra essence to it.  Reserve.

4.       In a kadai add ghee; once it is hot add the clove, cinnamon and cardamom.  Add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste.  Sauté. 

5.       Add the onions and cut veggies.  Mix well again.  Add the whisked yoghurt and blend well again.  Add the cardamom and mace powder.  Adjust the salt and add a little water.  Cover and cook the veggies till just about done.  Do not overcook them either.  The vegetable should have a semi-gravy consistency.

6.       To assemble, take a handi.  Put about a tsp of ghee below and add a layer of rice.  Then add a layer of the cooked vegetable with gravy.  Add this stage; add the chopped coriander and mint leaves and the milk, saffron and Kewra essence.  Then a layer of rice again.  Next a layer of vegetable gravy again. And so on.  The last and final layer being that of rice.

7.       For the dum method.  Wrap the handi with flour dough in a circle and cover the lid tightly.

8.       Place a griddle on high flame.  Once it is hot, lower it to a medium flame and place the handi on a griddle for minutes.

9.       After ten minutes, remove the handi from the griddle and remove the dough wrapped around it. Add another tsp of ghee over it.

10.   Serve hot with the accompaniment of your choice.  Here I have served it with dal, raita and papad.

NOTES:

1.       Since I just had these veggies at hand, I have used carrots, French beans and potatoes. You can add cauliflower and peas too.  It will enhance the taste even more.

2.       This biryani is very mildly spiced.  If you do like it spicy, you could add little more green chilli paste.   

3.       Using the same method of preparing the biryani you could substitute the veggies with chicken.  Though I will be putting up a chicken biryani in the near future.
4.       The measurements given in this recipe is for 3/4 cup rice, so increase the amount of spices, if making more quantity, accordingly    
5.       Green chilli, garlic and ginger paste together is 1 tbsp.