Cauliflower biriyani

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

2 onions sliced lengthwise

1 small cauliflower-cut into florets

2 tsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli slit into half

Bit of asfoetida

Few cashew nuts

Few curry leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

1/2 cup beaten curds

Finely cut coriander leaves

Method:

Soak the rice for 1/2 hour in sufficient water. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add green chillies, cashews and roast till it starts turning golden brown. Add asafoetida, curry leaves, onions and fry for 2 mins. Add the cleaned cauliflower florets, rice (after draining the water) and cook for 2 mins. Finally add 2 cups of hot water, salt, turmeric, curds, garam masala powder and mix well.

Transfer to a vessel and pressure cook. Garnish with fried onions, cashews and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita 

Sweet corn pulav

Ingredients:


1 cup basmati rice
1 cup sweet corn
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
Piece of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 onion cut lengthwise
1 onion and few cashews - grind to paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garam masala powder



Method:

Soak rice for 1/2 hour. Heat oil, add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf. Add onions chopped lengthwise and fry till it starts changing colour. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and the onion cashew paste. Fry for 2-3 mins to get rid of the raw smell. Add soaked rice, salt and mix well. Transfer to a vessel, add 1 1/2 cups of water, sweet corn and pressure cook it.

Garnishing options- fried onions, cashews, coriander leaves.

Rajma pulav

Ingredients:


1 cup kidney beans soaked overnight and half cooked
1 cup basmati rice soaked for 1/2 hr
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
Small piece of cinnamon
1 Bayleaf
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Roasted cashews and raisins



Method:

Heat oil, add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf. Fry for a minute and add tomato puree, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and fry for 2 mins. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add the rice to the fried masala. Mix till dry and add 2 cups of water. Add the half cooked beans and transfer to a vessel. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Use a fork to seperate the grains. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with raita of your choice.

Veg pulav

Ingredients:


1 cup basmati rice (soaked for 1/2 hr in 2 cups water)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion (chopped lengthwise)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped vegetables (carrots, beans and peas)
Small piece of cinnamon
2 cloves
Few roasted cashews


Method:

Heat oil, add cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon. When it splutters add onions and cook for a minute. Add the soaked rice after draining the water to a different vessel (not to be thrown). Fry for 2 minutes and then transfer it to a vessel for pressure cooking. Add the water that was used for soaking the rice and vegetables. Add salt and pressure cook for one or two whistles.

Mix well without breaking the cooked rice and garnish with roasted cashews. Serve hot with any spicy gravy of your choice or as it is for kids.

Carrot Rice

Ingredients:


1 cup rice
2 big grated carrots
Salt to taste
2 green chillies
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp ginger paste
A small piece of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 Cardamoms
2 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds


Method:

Heat oil,add cumin seeds,cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon. Then add ginger paste, green chillies and the cleaned rice. Mix well. Add grated carrots and salt. Mix well. Pressure cook with 2 cups of water.

Serve hot with any raita.

Spinach Rice

Ingredients:


2 tsp oil
2 cardamoms
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
A small piece of cinnamon
1/4 tsp methi powder
Few mint leaves
2 green chillies
1 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 cup rice
A bunch of spinach, cleaned and chopped
1 medium sized tomato


Method:

Heat oil and add the dry spices and mint. Once the mint starts changing colour, add green chillies, ginger paste and spinach. Cook for 2 minutes and add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Let it cook till dry and finally add the rice and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook till done.

Ghee Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup rice(for basmati, water is 2 cups and for normal sona masuri rice, 2.25 cups of water)

Salt to taste

2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cardamom

Few roasted cashews

2 cloves

Finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Soak the rice for about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain out the water

Heat ghee, add black pepper, cloves and cardamom. Add the rice and roast well in ghee. Add water and salt to it and pressure cook it.

Garnish with roasted cashews and coriander leaves.

Mixed Vegetable Masala Bhath

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 cup red gram dal
Vegetables like potatoes, carrot, beans, peas, capsicum, brinjal, drum sticks chopped into long pieces
A small lemon size tamarind
Salt as per taste
2 tsp oil
Some curry leaves
1/2tsp turmeric powder
Few cashews
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp blackgram dal
1/2 tsp bengalgram dal

Masala paste-

2 green chillies
2 Red chillies
4 tbsp grated coconut
2 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

Cook the rice and dal together. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and blackgram dal. When it splutters, add curry leaves, cashews and vegetables and cook for some time till soft. Add the masala to it and fry well for five to ten minutes.

Add tamarind water, salt, turmeric and the cooked rice and dal. Mix well.

Serve hot with a bit of ghee, chips or raita.

Brinjal Rice

Ingredients:


1 Brinjal (Can use any variety)
2 cups cooked rice
Salt to taste
2 tsp vangi bhath powder 
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp bengalgram dal
1/2 tsp blackgram dal
3 tsp oil


Method:

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and blackgram dal. When it splutters, add brinjal cut into small pieces and cook for some time by adding little water. Add vangi bath powder and salt. Add the cooked rice and mix well.

Serve with some raita or chips.

Puliyogare rice

Ingredients:


A big lemon size tamarind
2 tbsp groundnuts
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp bengalgram dal
1 tsp blackgram dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Bit of asafoetida
1 cup cooked rice

To be roasted and grinded to coarse dry powder

1 tsp bengalgram dal
2 tbsp dry coconut powder
2 Red chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds


Method:

Soak the tamarind in little water for some time and extract thick juice.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, bengalgram dal and blackgram dal. When mustard starts spluttering, add turmeric powder, tamarind juice, asafoetida, roasted groundnuts and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 minutes. Add the masala powder and mix well till the mixture becomes thick.

Mix it with cooked rice according to taste and serve with raita or chips. You could even add a bit of jaggery to it to give it a tangy and sweet taste. The paste can be stored in an air-tight container after cooling it for about 15 days when refrigerated. 

Quick Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice- 1 cup

Tomatoes- 4 (Medium sized)
Onions -1 chopped

Green Chillies- 1(slit in-between)

Oil- 1-2 spoons

Mustard seeds-1/2 spoon

Udad Dal- 1/2 spoon

Chana Dal-1/2 spoon

Asafotedia

Chilly powder-as per taste

Coriander leaves- 1-2 spoons (finely chopped)

Salt to taste.

Method:

Grind the tomatoes to a fine paste in the blender. Heat a spoon of oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add both the dals and green chilly and fry and add asafotedia. Add onions and fry for 2 mins. Add the tomato paste and salt to taste. Let the paste cook for some time till the raw smell disappears. By this time, the paste would have turned thick and become bright red in colour. Add chilly powder if required. Cool the paste.

Spread the cooked rice on a plate and add a spoon of oil to the rice and mix well. Add salt as per the quantity of rice. Next mix in the tomato paste and adjust the salt/spicy flavors. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Curd Rice

Ingredients:

1. Well cooked rice-1 bowl
2. Curd-1/2 bowl
3.salt

For Seasonings:

Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf
Green chilli- 2
Ginger small piece
Carrot chopped for garnishing


Method:
  
1. Heat oil, add seasonings curry leaf, chopped green chilli, chopped ginger fry it.
2. Pour the curd into the pan and allow to heat.
3. Then add the well cooked rice into it and mix well add salt for taste.
4. Add garnishing with chopped carrot and serve hot.