Sometimes we have a little bit of various veggies. But how about transforming them into a simple flavorful veg pulao. This is my take on veg pulao. Actually its my hubby's idea to make pulao from veg stock. I gave it a try. & Wow, it was just so tasty. The rice was full of flavors. One should definitely try it.
Ingredients:
- Rice 2 cups soaked in water
- Potato 1 medium - peeled & diced
- Cauliflower - cut into small florets 1/4 cup
- French beans - cut into inch size pieces 1/4 cup
- Peas - 1/3 cup
- Carrots - slit & cut into inch size pieces 1/4 cup
- Onion 1 large - sliced
- Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric 1/3 tsp
- Red Chili powder 1/4 tsp
- Green Chilies 4 - Slit
- Mustard Seeds 1/3 tsp
- Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Ghee 1 tsp
- Oil
- Bayleaf
- Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Method:
- Boil 3 cups of water in a vessel. When the water starts boiling, add to it salt to taste, diced potato, cauliflower florets, cut French beans, peas, cut carrots & slit green chilies. Add ghee to it. Boil it for 7 - 8 mins. The vegetables will be almost cooked. Now drain the vegetables. Reserve the vegetable stock for cooking rice.
- Cook the soaked & drained rice with the vegetable stock. Add to it salt to taste.
- In a nonstick pan, heat oil. Add to it mustard seeds. when they crackle, add cumin seeds, bayleaf, cinnamon stick, sliced onions, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste & curry leaves. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes. We don't want the onions to be cooked fully. We need a little bit crunch in the veggies. Add red chili powder & the boiled veggies to it. Saute for a minute.
- Add the cooked rice to it. Stir well. Cover with a lid & cook on low flame for 7 - 8 minutes. This helps in mixing the flavors of veggies & rice with each other & also if the veggies & rice needs cooking, it will be done.
- Once done, don't open the lid immediately. let the pulao rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds or roasted cashewnuts. Serve with pickle or papad or raita.
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Its been a long time I posted a recipe. Had taken a break from blogging. & am back. :-) Here is my recipe.
We always have leftover rice at home & we wonder what to make with it. Today I am sharing cabbage rice in which you can use the leftover rice. Its one of the healthy recipes. Try it soon. Me & my husband don't like cabbage sabzi. But this is a much better way to have cabbage.
Ingredients:
- Cooked Rice 2 cups
- Thinly Sliced Cabbage 1 & 1/2 cup
- Cashews few roasted
- Oil 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Asafetida a pinch
- Garlic finely chopped 1 tsp
- Curry leaves few
- Dry Red Chilies 4 - 5
- Red Chili Powder 1 & 1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder 1 tsp
- Garam Masala 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Pomegranate Seeds for garnish
- Lemon juice while serving
Method:
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add finaly chopped garlic, dry red chilies, asafetida & curry leaves. Saute for few seconds.
- Add cabbage alongwith the spices - red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala & salt to taste. Cook it covered for 5 - 7 minutes. The cabbage should be cooked but not fully. We need to have a bite in the cabbage.
- Now add cooked rice to it. Add salt to taste (little as we added some salt while cooking the cabbage. So add accordingly). Mix well. Cook it covered again for 5 minutes on low heat. Once done don't open the pan. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- While serving garnish it with roasted cashews, pomegaranate seeds, coriander leaves & some lemon juice.
- Serve hot !!
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Lemon Rice is a South Indian Speciality. As the name suggests, the main flavor in this dish is lemon juice. Check the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- Cooked Rice 2 cups
- Lemon juice 2 tbsp.
- Mustard seeds
- Oil
- Salt to taste
- Curry Leaves 14 - 15 leaves
- Cashewnuts 2 tbsp.
- Turmeric Powder
- Asafetida a pinch
- Urad dal 1 tsp
- Chana dal 1 tsp
- Peanuts 1 tbsp
- Dry Red Chilies 4 -5
- Green Chili 1 finely chopped
- Coriander leaves finely chopped
Method:
- Mix lemon juice & salt to taste with the cooked rice. Mix it with a fork very gently.
- Heat a pan with 1 tbsp. oil.
- Add mustard seeds to it. When they splutter, add chana dal, urad dal, peanuts & cashewnuts. Sauté till the lentils turn golden in color.
- Then add dry red chilies, finely chopped green chilies, curry leaves, asafetida & turmeric powder. Sauté for few seconds. You will smell a wonderful aroma from this tadka.
- Now add the lemon infused rice to it. Immediately switch off the flame. Just give it a gentle mix so that the tadka gets well incorporated with the rice.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with papadums !
Tips:
- Don't heat the lemon rice once done. It otherwise tends to turn bitter.
- You can also add ginger in the tadka along with the lentils. Its your choice. I like it this way.
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How about a tasty healthy pulao different from the everyday menu of roti, sabzi, dal & Rice ?
It is a one course meal. It fills your stomach easily.
Ingredients:
- Whole Spices - 1 Bayleaf, 7 - 8 black peppercons, 2 cloves, 1 tsp shahi jeera, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom
- 2 cups rice
- 4 green chilies slit
- Salt to taste
- 1 small potato cut in small pieces
- 3 - 4 baby corn cut in small pieces
- 1 medium size carrot cut in small pieces
- 1/4 cup French beans cut in small pieces
- 1/4 cup small cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp. green peas
- 1 onion sliced finely
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- Red Chili powder a pinch (Optional)
- Oil
Method:
- Cook rice normally the way you cook just with a tbsp. of oil. Use a fork to separate grain from each other.
- Heat oil in a wok.
- Add all whole spices & sauté for 20 - 30 seconds or until you smell the aroma of whole spices.
- Add onions, green chilies & ginger garlic paste. Sauté till onion turns golden brown.
- Add all the veggies now. Stir fry them. Add little salt & red chili powder just for the veggies. Sauté them. Cover the wok with a lid & let the veggies cook for around 7 - 8 minutes on low - medium heat. Stir well in between. Check if the veggies have cooked. If not cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add cooked rice & salt (remember salt is added already for the veggies. So add less salt now). Stir well.
- Cover the wok again with a lid & let the pulao cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
- Enjoy the pulao with some raita & papad.
Tips:
- Add any veggies of your choice.
- While cooking veggies, the cooking time may vary from the time I mentioned since it depends on the size & thickness of the veggies you have chopped them.
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Indo - Chinese Fried Rice needs no introduction. It is so popular with everyone. Here is my recipe for Egg Fried Rice. Hope you like it.
Ingredients:
- Cooked Rice 2 & 1/2 cups
- Spring Onions Finely Chopped 1/3 cup
- Spring Onions Greens Finely Chopped 1/2 cup
- Carrots Finely Chopped 1/4 cup
- French Beans Finely Chopped 1/4 cup
- 2 Eggs
- 3 - 4 medium sized Garlic Cloves finely Chopped
- Salt to Taste
- White Pepper / Black Pepper
- Soya Sauce
- Vingar
- Green Chili 1 split into two
- Oil
Method:
- Heat Oil in a wok on medium - high heat.
- Break eggs into it. With a spatula, Stir it continuously till it gets scrambled. Don't make it hard. Keep the scrambled eggs soft.
- Remove the scrambled eggs in a plate.
- In the same wok, heat 1 tbsp oil.
- Add finely chopped garlic. Once garlic turns a bit brown after around 20 - 30 seconds, add finely chopped spring onions, slit green chili, finely chopped French beans & finely chopped carrots. Sauté.
- Add scrambled eggs, black pepper powder to this veggies. Mix.
- Add cooked rice to it. Mix carefully without breaking the grains of rice.
- Add salt to taste, some more black pepper powder, 1 tsp soya sauce & 1 tbsp vinegar. Mix again carefully.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens.
Tips:
- I like to add just a tsp soya sauce in the fried rice while cooking to retain the white color of the fried rice. You can add more soya sauce later while eating as per your taste.
- You can also add vinegar as per your taste to the fried rice later while eating.
- You can have schezwan sauce while eating fried rice.
- Add 1 tbsp Oil to the cooked rice to make each grain of rice separate.
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Here is a quick recipe for Jeera Rice. You can make it for parties. It goes well with dal or any curry. I have also shared a way to garnish it & impress your guests. The presentation just lifts up this simple dish in not only looks but also in its taste.
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Rice
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- Oil 2 tsp
- Water for cooking rice
- Salt to taste
- Browned Onions for Garnishing
- Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnishing
Method:
- Rinse the rice well in water. Put it in a pan
- Add water enough for cooking rice in that pan.
- Keep the pan filled with rice & water for boiling.
- Once water starts boiling add cumin seeds, salt to taste & Oil.
- Give it a stir.
- Now cook the rice normally like you do.
- Once the rice is cooked, give it a stir carefully without breaking the grains of rice. Later Transfer it in a serving tray.
- Garnish it with Browned Onions & chopped Coriander Leaves.
Tips:
- I haven't mentioned the time needed for cooking rice since it varies for various types of rice. You will know it well for the rice you are using since long time.
- Click the link for browned onions.
- You can also add green peas when you add cumin seeds to make it peas rice.
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Masale Bhaat is a traditional Maharashtrian rice. You might have enjoyed it in a Maharashtrian wedding. Below is a detailed recipe for it.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Spices: 3 tsp Coriander seeds, 1 inch Cinnamon stick, 5 Cloves, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, 4 dried Red Chilies
- Basmati rice 2 cups
- 1 Tomato chopped
- 1 Onion sliced
- 1 Potato cubed
- 1 cup Cauliflower
- 1 cup Green Peas
- ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
- Peanuts 3 tsp
- Goda Masala or Garam Masala 2 tsp
- 3 Green Chillies
- 2 Bay leaves,
- Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
- Oil 3 tsp
- 5 to 6 Curry Leaves
- Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
- Asafetida 1/4 tsp
Method:
- Wash and soak rice in water for about 30 minutes.
- Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves & red chilies till it changes its color & a nice aroma fills your kitchen. Allow them to cool down then grind coarsely. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they pop add bay leaf, cumin seeds, pinch of hing, curry leaves & sliced onions. Saute till onions turn brown.
- Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.
- Add ground spice mix & goda masala. Mix and cook for 2 mins.
- Add potato and cauliflower mix, sprinkle some salt, add a splash of water if needed, cover and cook for 5 mins on medium flame.
- Add soaked & drained rice. Mix. Add water, & salt to taste. Mix carefully. Cook uncovered for 5 mins on high heat or until all the water has evaporated & very little water is left in the pan.
- Add frozen green peas, chopped tomato & peanuts. Mix carefully. Cook covered on very low flame for 5 minutes till all the water is gone.
- Now let it rest for 10 mins
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut.
- Serve with buttermilk or cucumber raita.
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I have already shared with you 2 different versions of Chicken Biryani. Today I will share with you 1 more version. This involves onion tomato gravy. This is equally delicious. Do give it a try. Please do post your comments below how it turns out.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- Chicken 400 gm
- Yoghurt 1/2 cup
- Ginger garlic paste
- Green Chillies
- Rice 2 cups washed
- Whole Spices - 1 Bayleaf, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 5 black peppercons, 3 cloves, 2 tsp shahi jeera, 1 star anise, 1 javitri, 3 cardamom pods
- Oil
- Salt
- Onions 2
- Tomatoes 2
- Browned Onions
- Red Chilli Powder
- Garam Masala
- Biryani Masala
- few strands of saffron in 1/4 cup milk
- Corriander leaves
- Mint leaves
- ghee
Method:
1. Marination
- Clean the chicken. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Marinate it with salt to taste, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp. red chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp Biryani Masala, 1/2 cup yoghurt, green chilies, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves & 1 tbsp ghee. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Also soak rice for at least 30 minutes.
- Check the recipe for browned onions here
- Grind 2 onions & 2 tomatoes.
2. Cooking Chicken & Rice
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the ground onion tomato paste to it. Cover & cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in between to avoid sticking of the gravy to the pan.
- Add the marinated chicken to the cooked onion tomato paste in the pan. Cook it for 10 minutes. There will be a lot of gravy in the pan. Once the chicken is cooked, remove some gravy in a bowl. Set it aside.
- Put a large vessel of boiling water. In a muslin cloth, add all whole spices except shahi jeera in a muslin cloth & tie them. Put these tied muslin cloth of whole spices in boiling water. Also add the shahi jeera & oil in the boiling water. Drain the water from the soaked rice. Put these soaked rice in boiling water. Let it boil till almost 90% done. Now Drain the water. Get rid of the whole spices. Season the rice with salt. Mix the rice carefully without breaking the grains of rice. Set it aside.
3. Layering Chicken & Rice
- Once the chicken is cooked. Add the almost cooked rice over it.
- Sprinkle some biryani masala over it.
- Add the saffron milk, browned onions & chopped coriander leaves over the rice.
- Cover the pan with a tight lid.
- Cook it on lowest flame for 10 minutes.
- This will make the chicken & rice layers to mix with each other.
- Serve hot with the gravy we set aisde !!
Tips:
- You can definitely use Chicken drumsticks. Just the cooking time will vary.
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