Mint Rice/ Pudina Sadam/ Mint pulav/ Pudina bath

I suddenly fell in love with mint. The taste and aroma was  just too irresistible, I had a couple of dishes lined up that were flavored with mint or should I say bathed in mint.

So this one goes to one of the captivating culinary herbs.

Things we need


Mint - 1 bunch  (wash and have the leaves plucked)
Green chillies - 4
Shredded coconut - 2 spoons
Onion - 1 chopped
Grated ginger - 1 spoon
Cloves - 4
Cardamon - 2
Bay Leaf - 1
Aniseed - 1 flower
Cinnamon powder - 2 pinches
Cashews
Cilantro - chopped (for garnishing)
Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil - 1 1/2 spoon
Ghee - 1 spoon

How to make it
Cook the rice in a electric rice cooker with 3 cups water. Once the rice is cooked, transfer it onto a big plate so that it becomes a little less hot sp that the rice won't be sticky.

Grind a paste of mint leaves, green chillies and the coconut.

In a spoon of ghee, fry the cashews and keep them aside.

Have the oil heated up in a big skillet then add the bay leaf, Cinnamon powder, cardamon and aniseed. When they begin to spurt, add the onions and saute well.  Add the ginger paste and saute for a minute. Add the mint paste and fry till the color changes. Be watchful not to burn it. Turn off the stove and mix this masala with the cooked rice and salt.  Garnish it with chopped cilantro leaves and the fried cashews.

I just loved to have this with some potato chips and some cucumber raitha.

Vegetable Pulav/ Steamed Rice with vegetables

This is neither a pulav nor a biriyani which is loaded with rich ingredients. So this pulav strikes somewhere in between. I got this recipe  from my friend Gana Nithin. Thanks Gana.

Things We need

Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Vegetables   - Potato, green beans, carrots, bell peppers (capsicum), green peas, Corns funnels, Cauliflower florets.
Ginger          - minced well 3 spoons
Onions (small) - 2 chopped well
Coriander leaves - 1 1/2 cup
Mint leaves   - 1 cup

Cinnamon     - 2  pinches ( I use cinnamon powder)
Cardamon    - little
Pepper corns- 5 or 6
Bay Leaf       - 1
Cloves          - 4 or 5 corns
Green Chillies- 10 -12
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 spoon
Coconut        - 2 spoons
Poppy Seeds - 1 spoon
Fennel Seeds - 1 spoon

Butter            - 1 spoon
Curd             - 2 spoons

Salt
A little oil



Okie now lets make it.

Wash the rice & keep it aside. Soak the poppy seeds in water. Take 1/4 of the chopped onions. Fry the cloves (2), cinnamon (a pinch), onions (1/4 ), ginger, green chillies,1 cup of coriander leaves, little mint leaves,  and add coriander powder, coconut . Grind them into a paste along with the poppy seeds.

You can make this in a pressure cooker or even in an electric rice cooker.

In the pressure cooker, add butter, when its hot, add the fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, peppercorns, chopped onions. Fry them well then add chopped mint & coriander leaves & the masala we had ground earlier. Fry till the oil oozes out. Then add 2 spoons of curd and all the veggies. Mix them well and add the rice and salt & water (1 : 11/2 cup). Close it with the lid without the weight. Stand it for 14 mins & then switch it off & place the weight on it. Let it stand for 10 mins. The Veg Pulav is done.

If you are planning on using a electric rice cooker, fry all these in a skillet & then add them to the electric rice cooker.

I actually garnished it with some fried paneer cubes and some cashews.
The mint twist is an amazing flavour. Voilà its Done. It goes well with Raitha. Enjoy!

Puliorai / Pulihora / Puli sadam/ Tamarind rice

My anytime favourite.

Things we need

Tamarind / Tamarind extract - about 10 table spoons

Corriander seeds - 2 spoons

Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1/2 spoon

Red chilli 12

Asafoetida
Salt

Water

Oil

For seasoning

Oil

Mustard Seeds

Red chilli 2/4

Urad Dal

Channa dal

Peanuts

Curry leaves

Turmeric - 1/2 spoon

Cashew nuts

First we have to make the paste (Pulikaichal).

Take the tamarind add 1 1/2 glass of water and the necessary salt to it. Do not add a lot of salt, as the water would evaporate. In a thick bottom vessel or a kadai, take a little oil. When it is hot, add the methi seeds, 12 red chillies & corriander seeds roast them. When done, put it aside & allow it cool. When cool, grind them into a powder.

Then in the kadai, take 2 spoons of oil, when hot add the mustard seeds & let them sputter. Then add 2/3 Urad dal, Channa dal, Peanuts. When they are golden brown, add the tamarind mix. Then allow it to boil till the paste solidifies to half of the quantity.

Tip: When the tamarind boils, it would spill all over the gas. So use a lid to cover it.

Now the paste is ready. Cook 2 cups of rice. Allow it cool. This makes the rice non sticky. Add a little oil. Then in a kadai, add some oil, when hot add a little mustard seeds & allow it to sputter, then some turmeric. Add this on top of the rice. Then some paste. Mix it well with the rice. Then taste if it needs more salt andd add accordingly. Fry the cashews in ghe & add them. Then at last garnish it with curry leaves. The aroma is good when added at alast.

Now some alternatives. Instead of adding the dals & allowing it to boil, we can actually season it along with the turmeric and add it to the rice. This keeps the lentils crisp.

Pulihorai is done. Awesome with any fried pakoda/ Masala vadai

Mexican Veggie Bowl

This was one dish I had at Chipotle in chicago. It was so yummy I fell in love with. I searched for recipes in vain. So I kind of put things together to make a taste that is little closer to the original that is served there. When I started doing this, I felt like making our Desi Chaat..Lot of items. But it was fun to make & delicious too.

Its pretty easy & very Healthy with a lot Veggies.
Here is what we need:
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Black Bean (raw) - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3
Red chilli Powder 1/2 spoon
Ginger Garlic paste
Onions - 1 chopped well
Tomatos - Pureed (or cut into small pieces)
Cilantro leaves - chopped
Salt
Oil

Avocado - 1 ripe
Guacamole seasoning mix - 1 packet (available at Walmart or any other store)
Sour Cream

Veggies for topping
Lettuce
Onions
Corn
Green Pepper
Little lemon juice

Lets get to preparation.


RICE
Cook the brown rice as per the packet instructions. I felt they came out well when cooked in a electric cooker instead of the pressure cooker.

BEAN
Pressure cook the black beans. Take half of them & mash it . ( I used a food processor for this ) . Then in a skillet, add a little oil. When it si hot enough, add the onions & cook them till they r soft & add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies. Then add the tomatoes & saute well. Add the bean to this & then salt. Add little water & cook them well for 15 mins or so. When done, add the cilantro leaves. The bean is done.

Guacamole Sauce
Take the ripe avocados & miss them with the guacamole Mix. (use a food processor).

Veggies
Chop the lettuce
Cut the onions, green pepper length wise. (nothing to do with the way of cutting them. I felt that they just render a different look to the dish.)

In a skillet, take oil, when its hot, add the onions, green pepper & corn . Add a little salt.. Cook them jus a little & when done add a little lemon juice on top of them.

Now let’s put them all together. In a bowl, add the brown rice, then the bean, chopped lettuce, then the onion, green pepper & corn mix. 1 spoon of Guacamole Sauce, 1 spoon of Sour Cream. Sprinkle little salt & lemon on top.

¡buen provecho (Bon Appetit)

Venn Pongal

Venn Pongal

Ingredients

Rice - 3 cups

Green gram dal - 3/4 cup

Pepper

Jeera

Salt

Asafoetida

Curry leaves

Ginger

Ghee

Take 3 cups of rice, ¾ cup of green gram dhall, wash them together, then add pepper (10), cumin seeds (1 spoon) and asafoetida and pressure cook them by adding 9.5 cups of water.

In a kadai heat 5 spoons of ghee and add cashew nuts (10), fry till it they are slightly brown & remove, add powdered pepper (10) and cumin seed(1/2 spoon), add curry leaves, minced ginger and then add the cooked rice and dhall, add salt, mix thoroughly and cook for 5 minutes and remove from stove.

A very yummy pongal is ready to eat. Conconut chutney goes very well with it. Also Vatha Kuzambu is good combination.