COCONUT RICE

For me Food means memories, and I am sure a lot of my blogger friends will certainly agree with this fact.  A certain aroma may transfer you to a different era altogether, maybe of your childhood or somewhere else.

The recipe I am sharing today takes me to a friend at whose house I have had this delicious rice dish.  Coconut Rice - the first time I had it I was awed at the freshnes of the dish and I still love it a lot.  Though the friend is long lost, her memories will always remain with me.

Prep Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 5 minutes
Serves - 2 as a main dish

Ingredients 

1 cup boiled basmati or any other rice variety
1 cup fresh shredded coconut
1 tsp urad daal (optional)
1 tsp channa daal (optional)
1 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 inch pc of ginger
2 twigs curry leaves
a handful of peanuts and cashewnuts mixed (optional)

Method

In a wok add a tspn of oil and let it heat
Fry the nuts till crunchy and remove from oil and keep aside
Add the mustard seeds, urad daal, channa daal let them sputter and brown but dont burn please
Add the ginger grated and curry leaves and let it fry
Now add the coconut and the rice and mix well
Add enough salt to your taste.
Mix the nuts

Serve with any kind of pickle or this is good to go on its own

Tips
Makes a great tiffin dish
If you have the fresh coconut  in your freezer most of times you can just boil the rice ahead of time and cook this up in 5 minutes
For a change add some turmeric powder


 

MEETHE CHAWAL

There are some things that our elders pass on to us, and we will some day pass on to our children.  It is not necessary that it is riches and materialistic things, these can be things that hold no value monetarily but have a lot value for us. 

My today's recipe is something like that.  I had never had Meethe Chawal or Zarda ever before getting married, but it is a recipe my Mother in Law makes a lot and serves as quick snack or a great way to use left over rice, or maybe just made into a great dessert.  Kids love these yellow rice and so do adults. 

I am sharing this recipe with you now.

Ingrdients :-

1 cup of cooked rice (preferably a little undercooked)
1/4 tspn - yellow food colour (liquid)
1/2 tspn - cardamom powder
1 tbspn - chironji
1 tbspn - desicated coconut
a big pinch saffron diluted in warm milk for about 2 minutes
1 tbspn - ghee (essential)
1/4 cup - sugar
1 tbspn - raisins / kishmish
2 tbspn - finely chopped almonds 


Method :-

In a kadhai / wok put the ghee
Put in the sugar and add 1/4 cup of water and let it melt (if you are using completely cooked rice reduce the water to minimum just enough to melt the sugar)
To this add the yellow colour, cardamom powder
Quickly put in the rice and the saffron milk and mix well
Now let the rice cook completely by putting lid on the kadai
Put in the rest of the ingredients, raisins, coconut, chironji and the almonds

You can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar as per your taste

MIX VEG BIRIYANI

There are some things that really make you feel ooooh so nice n comforted. Yes, I am talking about comfort foods. Though many may agree on the same stuff, there might be some who differ in their opinion, n they may have something on their mind, which is comfortable to them, but it wont have the same affect on others.

The list would be long, if you are asked to list your comfort foods......I mean, really, really long, coz for me there are many things on mine, which really give me that safe n secure feeling. A lot would also depend on my mood, the weather, a memory.........

On days when you are rushed, n yet you dont want to have dinner packed from outside, or eat at a Restaurant, but you really dont have the energy to slog in the kitchen, n ready to cook is not for you, then what do you do - well, you want something that comforts you. My favorite, all time comforter is my versatile Biriyani....I mean, I really love the thought of settling down with some hot Veggie Biriyani, a bowl of thick creamy curd, some pickle n some paapad........heaven on a plate - isint it?? N the best part - the part that I soooooo love - you dont have to knead the dough for the chappatis, or even roll them - hurrayyyyy. Just a little bit of this, n a little bit of that ........n wait for the whistle of the cooker - n you open to a kitchen filled with aroma n a cooker full of goodness.

Here goes my recipe

Ing -
2 glasses of good quality basmati rice
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1 inc pc of cinnamon
3 pods of cardamom
5-10 black pepper (optional)
4 big onions
2 handfuls of peas
3 big carrots - chopped finely
4 beans
a handful of corn kernels
4 tspn of oil
1/4 tspn - garam masala powder (optional)
1 tbspn of butter / ghee (enhances the taste factor)

Method -
Wash n soak the rice. If you dont have much time you can just soak till the time you are doing the preparation. I cry a lot when I cut onions, so I generally have a few onions peeled & cold in the refigerator. This ensures that I dont cry when I am cutting them, n they are chopped very easily (Tip of the day)
Slice the onions thin
In the cooker heat the oil & add the bay leaves, then add the spices & stir till you get a nice aroma. It will be nice if you just crush them a weee bit.
Add the onions & saute them till a nice golden-pink colour (add a pinch of sugar while sauteeing them)
Drain the rice & add into the cooker & add all the rest of the veggies into it.
On high flame fry all the things together for about 2/3 mins.
Add the butter / ghee
Add salt & garam masala powder
Add 2-1/4 glasses of water. If you are unable to soak the rice for more than 20 mins, then add 2-3/4 glasses of water. If you dont want to use the cooker then add double the quantity of water to your rice & cook with a closed lid (stirring in between).
Stir well & wait for just one whistle
Have patience till the steam passes. You can make the raita & roast the pappads & arrange the plates till that time.
Open the cooker & be comforted !!

I really love this one. N my preference is to eat this with my hands (no spoons etc) n without anything to go by.

Girls, as an after-thought, I am sending my entry to lovely MEETA of What's for Lunch Honey's Monthly Mingle Event.

Hope she will accept my entry.

DALCHINI MUTAR PULAO

Pressures on your time are so hard that you just wish things would just be done on their own........the clothes would be laundered, the house cleaned, n the food cooked. So much so that you wish that an army of fairies would invade your home while you are away, n make your wish their command........wishful thinking - isint it???

Well but there are a few things, that are so easy...I mean really a jiffy to cook n effortless at that, n yet so very fulfilling n comforting that it truly would make you wonder if it was you who did it- or say, ...."a fairy". The output of this super-duper simple recipe is too good n it can be had as a simple homely meal, or be a conversation starter at a party!! I love it in my own way, I hope you will too.

The following recipe would comfortably serve 2/3 people.

Ing -
1 medium glass basmati rice
1 big onion
1/2 cup - fresh sweet peas
2 pcs - 1 inch stick of cinnamon or equivalent

Method-
Wash & soak the rice grains for about 15 mins
In a cooker add a generous quantity of ghee (you can reduce the ghee if you are too concious, but the ghee brings out the best in the dish)
Add the cinnamon sticks & let the aroma rise.
Add the onions till they are pink in colour. Dont let them turn brown at all.
Add the peas & the drained rice grains.
Fry these well for about 2 mins on high flame.
Add salt.
Add the same glass full of water & close the lid.
Just allow one whistle, let the steam pass.

You have the most simple yet most flavorful rice you've ever tasted.

If you are cooking in a vessel n not a cooker, add 2 glasses of water & cook till the water is dried, stirring occassionally.

I am sending this post to Sunita's Spice of the Month - Cinnamon Event.

.......an afterthought - didnt realize I am late for the event. I am nonetheless sending the entry to dear Sunita, n hoping she would accomodate me!!! Keepin fingers crossed

CHANNA DAAL PULAO - SPLIT PEAS PULAO

I called my husband to ask him what he was having for dinner with friends (he was busy finishing a Project for college & would get late), n he said Daal-Chawal, n there was me all alone sitting at home n doing nothing for dinner. I didnt want to be left behind, & therefore decided to make myself a treat - simple but still a treat !!

What I made was - Chana Daal Pulao - the spicy masaledaar version!!!

Ing -
1 glass - basmati rice
1/4 glass - channa daal (split peas yellow)
3 big onions - thinly sliced
1 tomato - chopped finely
4 cardamoms - crushed
1 tspn - jeera / cumin seeds
1 tspn - garam masala
1 tspn - red chilli powder
1 tspn - haldi / turmeric powder
1 tspn butter
1-1/2 glass (the same glass) - water

Method -
Wash & soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes
Wash & soak the daal separately for about 20 minutes
I soaked both of them & meanwhile did the preparations
In a cooker, add some oil
Add the crushed cardamoms & jeera.
After they sputter, add the onions and fry till brown
Add the the tomatoes & fry till the oil separates
Now add the haldi, garam masala & the chilli powder. Fry well
Drain the rice & the daal & add into the cooker.
Fry well, after adding the butter.
Now add water.
Add the salt & put the lid of the cooker
Wait for a whistle & close the flame.
Wait for the steam to pass

Serve with raita & achaar & papad.

I also make this as a very simple Pulao without any masalas, which I will post some time later.

AROMATIC RICE

This is a fairly simple recipe, but is quite flavorful & the spices make it blissfully aromatic. Just a whiff of this is enough to make you soar..........was that too much of a description??

Well go ahead, make it & see if you soar.

My measurings will do good for two people for a single meal.

Ingredients -

1 tall glass - good quality basmati rice, washed & soaked in water for about 20 mins

2 tbsp - ghee

2 big onions - finely sliced

about 10 pepper corns (black)

5 cardamom pods crushed

2/3 - Bay Leaves

1 tsp - Cumin seeds

4/5 - cloves

1 inch stick of - cinnamon, broken down to small peices

8/10 - cashews (fried)

10/15 - raisins (fried)

a few strands of saffron.

Method -

In a pan, add the ghee & when hot, add all the khada masalas, i.e., the cumin, clove, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon & bay leaves (in that order).

When they give out their aroma, add the onions & fry pink (if you want a whitish coloured rice) & fry slightly brown (if you want a golden coloured rice).

Add the drained rice to this & fry them for about 2/3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the cashew & the raisins. Also add the saffron strands

Now add double the water of the rice, i.e, in this case, two glasses, add salt & stir well

Cover the pan & cook till done, stirring occassionaly.

Perfection calls for the rice to be well done when the water evaporates.

Oh Oh - I forgot to add that putting in about a squeeze of lemon while adding the water allows the rice to be cooked to their maximum length.

Serve with anything, but best had with a nice tangy chutney or a spicy pickle or a flavored simple raita.