Jeera Rice - Jeera Pulao - How to make Jeera Rice

Jeera rice or Jeera Pulao is a very simple and flavorful rice that can be prepared in a few minutes with very few ingredients. You don't need to have any vegetables in hand for preparing this aromatic rice. It is the simplest of all flavored rice and goes well with most of the north indian gravies or dals that we usually prepare for roti/chapati. Raitas will not go good with this rice. Here comes the recipe for Jeera Rice!

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups  
Salt as per taste

For the seasoning

Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Bay leaf - 1
Clove - 2
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp


Method
   
Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 20-30 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker heat ghee and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and clove. Saute for a       minute. Now add the soaked and drained rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. 

Then add 2 cups of water and required salt. Close the lid and cook for 1 whistle in high flame and simmer for 2 minutes. Once the pressure subsides completely, open the lid and fluff it up with a fork gently taking care not to break the grains. Enjoy hot with any gravy or dal of your choice.

Peas Pulao - Matar Pulao Recipe

Peas pulao is my lo's favorite rice varieties. He loves to pick those sweet and soft cooked peas, eat them first and always asks for more peas :-) This pulao can be done in a jiffy and also tastes delicious. I would prefer using fresh peas over the frozen peas, as the aroma from fresh peas is what makes this dish inviting. I usually pressure cook my pulaos as it takes less time, alternatively you can also make them in pots or pans or even in rice cooker.

Ingredients 

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 big sized, cut lengthwise
Green chillies - 2 slit
Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp
Green peas (fresh or frozen)-1/2 cup
Fresh mint leaves - 15 nos approximately
Coriander leaves - fistful
Salt as required
Water - 2 cups

Seasoning

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp (or oil + ghee)
Cloves -2
Cardamom -1
Cinnamon -1 inch piece

Method

Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water completely and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the ingredients mentioned under "Seasoning" section. Saute for a few seconds, then  add  chopped onions, slit green chilli and saute until onions turn light brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes. Add peas, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Give a quick stir. Then add rice and saute until the water (if any) evaporates.

Add 2 cups of water, required salt and bring it to a boil.  Close the lid and cook for 1 whistle in high flame and simmer for 2 more minutes. Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker,  fluff the rice with a fork gently and serve hot with any raita of your choice and pudhina chutney.

Curry Leaves Rice - Kariveppilai Sadam Recipe

Curry leaves are commonly used in Indian seasoning which enhances the taste and flavor of the dish. Most of the times we used to throw these away without knowing the fact that these curry leaves are packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality.The best way to make your family consume curry leaves is to cook them in the form of rice. I have also uploaded a Curry Leaf thokku recipe earlier. Here comes the recipe for Curry Leaves Rice.

Ingredients

Cooked rice - 1 bowl
Salt as per taste

To Temper

Gingely oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tbsp (optional)
Hing and turmeric powder - a pinch

To roast and grind

Curry leaves - 1 cup, tightly packed
Channa dal - 2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2

Method

1. Rinse the curry leaves well and allow them to dry completely. Heat a pan and dry roast all the ingredients except curry leaves mentioned under "To roast and grind" until they turn golden brown. 
2. Then add the curry leaves and saute for couple of minutes until they turn crisp. Allow to cool and then grind to a coarse powder. 
3. Take a wide pan add oil and do the seasoning with the ingredients mentioned under "To Temper". Roast them until all the ingredients turn golden brown. Add hing and turmeric powder, mix well and turn off the flame. 
4. Add the rice, required salt and the ground curry leaves powder. Mix well. Serve with papad or raita.

Notes

• You can even make this powder in bulk and prepare mix it with rice as and when needed.
• You can also add cashews instead of peanuts.
• You can also use this as a side dish for idly/dosa
• Finely chopped onions can also be sauted till golden brown and added to the rice as we do for biryanis. This will enhance the flavor of the rice

Green Moong Pulav - Green Moong Rice

I always love preparing one pot meal, the reason being very obvious, they are healthy and quick. Here is another nutritious dish which also can be made when you run out of vegetables. That too prepare this with the sprouted moong, it is a perfect healthy lunch box recipe. Serve it on its own or with a spicy side dish or with a simple raita.

Ingredients

Sprouted moong dal or soaked moong dal - 1/2 cup
Uncooked rice - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Salt - as required
Onion - 1, sliced lengthwise
Green chilli - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Hing - a pinch

To Temper

Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 2, 1" piece
Cloves - 2
Curry leaves - few

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Simultaneously prepare the other ingredients and start with the tempering.
2. Heat ghee and oil, add cumin seeds and once they splutters add cinnamon stick, cloves and curry leaves. They add slit green chilli and onions. Saute until the onion turns transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off.
3. Then add green moong and hing. Mix well and add 3 cups of water. Add required amount of salt, allow the water to come to a boil. Now add the rice, give a stir, close the pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles and simmer for 5 minutes. 
4. Once the pressure subsides, mix gently without breaking the grains. Serve hot with any spicy gravy or a simple raita or your choice.

Mango Rice - Mangai Sadham

Mango rice is such a simple and easy recipe. This is VJs favorite. Whenever he sees raw mangoes in the vegetable shop he will pick one and ask me to prepare this rice. You don't need much of ingredients or any spice powders to prepare this. All you need is some cooked rice and grated mangoes, the mango rice will be ready in minutes. Preparation method is just the same as we do for Carrot Rice. So, here is the recipe!

Ingredients

Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Mango - 1, peeled and grated
Onion - 1, chopped
Peanuts - 1 tbsp (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing -a pinch
Salt as needed

To Temper

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Bengal gram/channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Green chillies -2 slit
Curry leaves - few

Method
If using peanuts dry roast them separately first and set aside. You can also use the store brought salted peanuts. Or instead of peanuts you can also use cooked peas. 

Take a wide pan, add oil and do the seasoning with the ingredients mentioned. Then add onions and saute until they turn transparent. Now add the grated mangoes, peanuts/peas, hing, turmeric powder, salt and stir well, just to mix them together and turn off the flame. Do not over cook.

Add the cooked rice and mix gently. Check and adjust salt. Enjoy with papad/chips or with any fry.

Vegetable Biryani In Pressure Cooker

Making Vegetable Biryani in pressure cooker is a very easy and quick method on any busy or lazy day. Biryani doesn't always need many ingredients and a lengthy process. My Veg Dum Biryani is one such which needs plenty of time in hand. This version of pressure cooking biryani is so simple and can be made in a jiffy. And it tastes equally good too. Here I did not use basmati rice as I was running short of it in my pantry. You can use your regular rice or basamti rice, but make sure the rice is cooked just right. Now to the recipe!

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (Carrots, french beans, cauliflower, potato, peas, capsicum, broccoli etc.)
Onion - 1
Green chilli - 2
Coriander leaves - handful
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Biriyani masala - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 1/2 to 2 cups (adjust depending on the quality of your rice)
Fennel seeds/Sombu - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2 or 3
Cinnamon Stick - 2 inch piece
Bay leaf - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 or 2 tsp (optional)

To Grind 

Mint leaves - 10
Ginger - a small piece
Garlic - 3 or 4 pods

Method

1. Wash the rice well and soak for 20 mins. Meantime chop the vegetables and grind the mint leaves along with ginger and garlic. 
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker along with the ghee, if using. Add the fennel seeds, followed by cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute for few seconds. Add the green chillies and then add the onions and saute until they turn transparent.
3. Now add the ground mint and ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic goes off. Now add the cut vegetables and mix well until the mint paste coats the vegetables well. Then add the chopped coriander leaves, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, biriyani masala and required amount of salt. Mix well. 
4. Drain the water from the soaked rice. Add this rice along with the vegetables and saute for couple of minutes. Then add 2 cups of water, check and adjust the salt. Close the cooker lid and cook for 1 whistle in high flame and then for 5 minutes in simmer.
5. Allow the  pressure to subside. Open the lid, fluff it up with a fork and enjoy with onion raita.

Beetroot Rice

Beetroots are not only rich in color, they also contain ample amount of Vitamins A, B and C. They are also rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, folic acid and certain essential minerals like manganese and potassium. Beets are said to boost the stamina and is very good for those with anemia and fatigue. A rice made out of this colorful veggie has a nice flavor and subtle sweetness, so the kids love them the most. Pairs up well with any simple raita.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup, cooked
Channa/Garbanzo beans - 1/4 cup
Grated beetroot - 1 cup
Onion - 1, chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2, slit lengthwise
Mint leaves - few
Coriander leaves - a fistful, chopped
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

To Temper

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Pre-preparation

Cook the rice, allow to cool and set aside. Soak the channa overnight and cook them until soft. Clean the beets, peel and grate them. Set aside. Chop the onions, green chilli and coriander leaves.

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and once they splutters add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Then add the green chillies and do a couple of sauteing. Then add the onions and saute until they turn transparent.

Then add the grated beetroot, mint leaves, coriander leaves, sambar powder, required salt and saute for couple of minutes. Then sprinkle some water, stir and cover with a lid. Cook until the beetroot is well cooked. Stir in-between.

Once the beets are cooked well add the cooked channa and the garam masala powder. Stir well and add the cooked rice. Carefully mix the rice with the beetroot. Check for salt and add more if required. Serve with any raita of your choice.

Easy Bread-Jam Pinwheels

Kids love the combination of bread and jam. The usual bread-jam sandwich can be made attractive with these bite sized pinwheels. It would just take less than 10 minutes to prepare this. Today was the "Pot Lunch" day  at Prajwal's school. Kids has to help mom in preparing their snacks and they need to share it with their friends. So I made this pinwheels and my lil one helped me in rolling them. I made it with butter and jam combination. You can also use mayonnaise or any cheese spread or any green chutney as a variation. You can also make this a day before and refrigerate. Here I did not refrigerate, so I couldn't get perfect shaped ones. But don't worry about that, they will taste good anyways :-)

Ingredients

Bread slices
Butter
Fruit Jam

Method

Trim the sides of the bread slices and on a rolling board, place the slices and roll on them real hard. You will find that bread will become like a sheet.

Spread the butter on the top. Place another slice of bread above the butter spread bread. Roll with the rolling pin to make it flat. Now spread the jam.  Then from one side, roll inward very tightly to join the other side. You will get a long roll. Cut into smaller pieces.

If you are making this way ahead, refrigerate after rolling them. Do not cut them into small pinwheels. Refrigerate and take them out when you need to serve them. Then cut them into smaller pieces and serve.

Yam Tawa Fry (Senaikizhangu Varuval)

Yam or Senaikizhangu is a fiber rich and low in fat vegetable. It also is said to have essential fatty acids which increases the good cholesterol level in the blood. The low glycemic index benefits people with diabetes, the cooling effect that it causes on the body suits people with hypertension. We can prepare a variety of dishes like kootu, poriyal, masiyal, roast etc. using yam. Yam at times may have an itchy feel, this can be removed by adding tamarind juice while cooking the yam. Now to the recipe!

Ingredients

Senaikizhangu/Elephant foot yam - 1/4 kg
Tamarind - 1 tbsp, extracted thick
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Sambar powder -1 tsp
Cumin powder -1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kadalai mavu/besan/gram flour -1 tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt as per taste

Method

1. Peel the skin of the yam and wash well. Cut into thick slickes, it should not be too thin nor too thick. 
2. Heat water in a pan, add the tamarind extract, turmeric and salt. When the water starts boiling add in the sliced yam pieces. Cook until they are 3/4th done i.e when you insert a knife or skewer it should come out without breaking the yam. Remove from water and place it in a plate. 
3. Add the chilli powder, cumin powder, besan flour and hing to the cooked yam. Mix well so that it coats evenly. Sprinkle few drops of water if necessary. 
4. Heat a dosa pan, drizzle few drops of oil all over and arrange the masala coated yam in single layer. Cook in medium flame until golden brown. Flip it to the other side and cook in the same way. 
5. Repeat the same process for the remaining yam slices too. Serve as a side dish for sambar/rasam sadham.