Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Like noodles, I think veggie pulao is again a favorite with almost everybody. This kind of pulao is also always a crowd pleaser. A handful of veggies of choice, some whole spices and rice - there is something that is so comforting.

1 cup basmati rice, clean, and soak in cold water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside

1 1/2 cups, mixed veggies of your choice (I use the frozen ones)

2 cloves

2 badi/moti elaichi (black cardamom)

2-3 choti elaichi (green cardamom)

2-3 peppercorns

1" cinnamon stick, broken into 2

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups of water

1/4 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder

Salt to taste

Oil

Heat oil in a dutch oven Add the cloves + badi elaichi + green cardamom + peppercorns + cinnamon stick + bay leaf. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables now and cook till the veggies are almost done. Add the soaked rice and cook for a minute. Add water + salt + cumin powder + coriander powder + chilli powder + ghee. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook till rice is done and water is evaporated. Serve hot with yogurt or raita. Enjoy !

Birthday Lunch - Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Kofta Curry, Rich Chocolate Cake

It's K's birthday today. To celebrate, I made Peas Pulao, Garlic Asparagus, Meat Kofta curry and to finish off this great meal, dessert was a rich, moist chocolate cake. This was the first time I was baking a cake, and in all honesty I cannot take credit for this super good cake. Thanks to Pilsbury Cake Mix, the cake was superb and I got all the compliments :)


PEAS PULAO

2 cups Basmati Rice, cleaned and soaked in water
2-3 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1" cinnamon
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 cup peas (I used the frozen ones)
Oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion. Cook till translucent. Add the peas and salt. cook for a minute. Drain water from rice and add to pan. Mix gently. Add 4 cups water and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook till the water has evaporated and rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff gently and serve hot with curry of your choice. Enjoy !

Food for my Honey - Methi Rice, Dal Makhni, Tandoori Chicken

Methi Rice

Dal Makhni

Tandoori Chicken

(Recipes will be posted later today)

Southern Delights : Idli & Tomato-Mint Chutney

K has been under the weather for the last couple of days and I wanted to do something special for him to make him feel better. "Why not make idlis", I decided - it would be a change from eating cereal and milk for breakfast. I am generally not this adventurous regarding breakfast on weekdays ... The smile that lit K's face more than made up for everything :)

1 cup urad dal, picked and washed
2 cups idli rice, picked and washed
1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
Salt to taste

Soak the rice and the urad dal in warm water separately. Add 1/2 tsp of methi seeds each with the rice and dal. In a food processor, grind the rice-methi seeds to a paste - the consistency should be like Rava/Semolina.
Grind the Urad dal to a smooth paste. Mix both the batters together in a large bowl and keep overnight to ferment. You know that the batter has fermented if the next day, the volume of the batter has doubled.
(Tip : When the weather is cold I generally put the batter mix in the oven and keep the oven light on. The heat from the lamp helps in the fermentation.)
Add salt to the batter and mix well. Lightly grease the idli molds and put the batter till 3/4 of the mold is covered. In a dutch oven heat about 1 glass of water. When it begins to boil, add the idli molds, cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes. (When you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean). Remove from heat, uncover and let sit for about 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, remove the idlis from the mold and serve hot with Chutney / Sambhar. Enjoy !!

Tomato-Mint Chutney ( Recipe courtesy Mythreyee)
4 tomatoes, chopped fine
10-12 mint leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Urad dal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of Hing
Salt to taste
Oil
Heat Oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard begins to splutter, add the cumin seeds and Urad dal. Then add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomato is half cooked add the mint leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, Hing and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are cooked.
Remove from heat and cool. Grind to a smooth paste without any water. Serve with Idlis. Enjoy !!

Healthy Plate : Pulao with Greens

On my last trip to Trader Joe's, I had found a packet called "Greens with Envy". The packet was a mix of healthy greens like Spinach, Broccoli, Asparagus spears and shelled Edamame. I used it to make a wholesome Pulao for dinner.

1 cup Basmati Rice, washed and soaked in cold water
1/2 packet of the mixed greens
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1" stick cinnamon, broken into two
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to sizzle, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for half a minute and then add the sliced onions. Cook till the onions turn pink. Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, lower heat and cook for a minute stirring constantly. Add the salt and the mixed green. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Drain water from the rice and add to the pan. Increase heat to medium and cook for a minute. Add 2 cups water, cover the pan and cook till the rice is done. Do not stir the rice while cooking or the rice will break making the dish mushy. Serve hot with plain yogurt or Raita. Enjoy !

Peas Asparagus Pulao

Both K and I wanted to have a light lunch since Thanksgiving dinner was going to be huge. I had half packet of frozen peas and Asparagus ... pefect for making a light pulao. We had this with Paneer Bhurji (recipe will be posted later) and Masoor Dal.

1 cup Basmati Rice
1/2 red Onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Peas
1/2 cup Asparagus
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Oil
2 cups Water
Salt to taste


Wash and soak the basmati rice.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle add the sliced onions and cook till it turns light brown. Add the peas, asparagus and salt and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Drain the water from the rice and add to the pan. Mix well. Add 2 cups water, cover the pan and cook on medium-low heat till rice is done. Remove from heat, stir once, cover and keep aside for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot.