Lemon Rice

Me and hubby are not so much of rice-eating people, but just so that we should have a balanced diet, we have started incorporating rice once or twice a week in our diet. Also, on suggestion of a friend of mine to include lot of rice dishes in the blog, i have started making different types of rice at home. A normal rice dish at our home would have been daal-rice or biryani. But past few days, i have made palak rice, masala bhaat, paneer pulao and Lemon rice. I made them all for the first time, hence didn't click pictures as wanted to get a good hold of the flavours. Now that i know the basics, i will make them again and post recipes.

Lemon rice is one of the most easiest and tastiest pot meal i have eaten. Pot meal is basically one dish containing starch, proteins and vegetables and is cooked with no fuss. Normally, one-pot-meal should have all the elements in itself and should not be accompanied by anything else. A risotto (Italian), Noodle soup (Chinese) or a pulao, for that matter would be called a One-pot meal. In today's times of our busy schedules, a pot meal makes for a perfect choice and provides all the nutrients to the body. So, whether you cook in a pressure cooker, a wok or a pan, it has to be all cooked together as the name suggests.

Lemon rice is basically eaten in south of India. The best part of this dish is it can be made with leftover rice. Just add spices to the cooked rice and your meal is ready. As the name suggests, it's basically a subtle hint of lemon and crunchy peanuts mixed with rice to make a non-spicy but flavorful rice dish.

Ingredients:

Rice - 3/4 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp (Add more if you wish to)

Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - a few (I used the dried curry leaves, since i didn't have fresh ones)

Urad daal (Split black gram) - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Recipe:

Cook 3/4 cup rice in enough water till the grains are "just" cooked. Don't overcook the rice as the grains will stick together.

Now drain the extra water (the water will be milky-full of starch), and spread the rice in a plate. Fluff it with fork just to separate the grains.

You can skip this altogether if you have cooked rice (leftover) already ready.

Let the rice cool down.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan/pot/vessel and fry the peanuts till brown in colour. Remove aside.

To the same pan, add 2 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the hing. Remember to let the mustard seeds crackle.

Add the red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for about 30 seconds and immediately add the urad daal.

Saute till the daal turns brown in colour. Don't make it black or else it will give a burnt taste. So make all of this on a low flame.

Add in the fried peanuts, turmeric powder and salt.

Mix it all well and saute for about 15-20 seconds.

Now switch off the burner. Add in lemon juice and mix in the rice.

Mix well so that the rice is coated with the spices.

Now cover the pan with a lid and let the rice rest for about 5 minutes, so all flavours are blended well.

Serve it along with some Papad or raita or salad. Or have it plain just as it is :)

Happy Cooking :)

Matar Bhaat

A few days back i had posted the recipe of Tomato soup and had talked about the combination of the soup and Matar Bhaat that my hubby likes. Since it's winters and good quality fresh matar are in the market (and at affordable price too!!! Yes, i remember having bought matar few months back at almost 120 rs kg!!! ), I thought it's best to post this recipe now. I normally like to eat fresh vegetables than frozen, but at times, i do make this recipe with frozen peas too.

Matar bhaat is a typical dish from west India, mainly Gujarat and Maharashtra. There is a different variety of rice-dish too called Masale Bhaat. Masala bhaat is a little spicy variant and normally, brinjal is added along with vegetables of choice. Matar bhaat, as the name says, has only green peas and rice. Some do add potatoes or onions for change of taste, but the simplest, easiest and tastiest variety is to just add peas. The taste comes from the 'goda masala' that is added. I avoid adding any other masala to this, just so the flavour of goda masala comes out well. If you have time at hand, you can boil peas earlier and then add it to the semi cooked rice or you can mix everything together and cook. When mixing together, there is a chance of the rice becoming more like a khichdi (It tastes the same and doesn't affect the flavour, but you won't get a fluffy rice).

This tastes best along with soup (especially tomato soup) or you can serve it along with dahi (curd) or raita. It makes one wholesome meal.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Matar - 1/2 cup

Oil or ghee - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Water - as needed

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp

Goda masala - 2 tsp (Add garam masala if you don't have goda masala)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional). You can even add 2 green chillies instead.

Corriander leaves - to garnish

Salt - to taste

Recipe:

Wash the rice well and soak in water for about 10 minutes. Now drain and keep it aside for about 20-25 minutes.

Heat ghee/oil in a big vessel/pressure cooker (Take a thick bottom vessel in which you can cook the rice).

Add bay leaf. 

Now add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add hing and cumin seeds.

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 30 seconds.

Next add the drained rice and saute till dry. Keep on stirring, so rice doesn't burn or stick to bottom.

Add the green peas and mix well. 

Mix in turmeric powder, red chilli powder, goda masala, salt, and sugar. Mix everything well.

Now add about 2 cups water,mix and close the lid and let it cook.

Do stir once in between, to check if rice is cooked. If not, add in more water. Cook till the water dries up. Also keep checking in between to see if rice has stuck to the bottom of the vessel.

Fluff the rice when done and garnish/mix in corriander leaves.

Matar bhaat is ready. 

Happy Cooking!!! :)

Egg Biryani : Egg-Mint-o!!!

Jiggi Jikka Jikka : Recently i saw an advertisement of a mouth freshner candy "Mint-O" that is available in mint, eucalyptus and green mango flavours. The commercial is quite funny and claims you will be "Jiggi Jikka" ( LOVED this phrase!! :)) fresh after you pop in the mint!! Mint-o's tag line is "Jab laila ko karna ho impress, khao Mint-o fresh" which means " Eat Mint-o fresh if u want to impress Laila- the girl"....
The ad shows how a village boy after popping Mint-O is able to impress the village girl over a village brat who does everything possible to lure her earlier.
Here is the ad :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgLqutMZW7s

And yes, Mint-O is good :) Not to lure a girl, but just to get that fresh feeling in the mouth after you eat :) Food such as onions, garlic, eggs, meat always leave a foul smell in your mouth... Mouth freshners always work to the rescue... So, pop in a Mint-O after you eat Egg-Mint-O !!!! :))

Egg Biryani : Just the name makes me drool... Yes, am an eggetarian and i love eggs in any form...May it be boiled, scrambled, bhurji, omlette, half fry, egg curry...the list goes on....
I had made Veg biryani earlier, but never tried my hand at egg biryani...I was always under the impression that you only add eggs to the vegetable biryani and your egg biryani is ready!!! But i decided to make egg-biryani giving it a "hint of mint"... so this is mint rice with the egg biryani masala...It was the first time i cooked this and it turns out super delicious... i recommend everyone to try this recipe ( if you love mint )... If you don't like mint, you can make corriander rice or else leave the rice plain. The addition of mint also gives a nice green colour to the biryani. Make the Biryani only when you have time at hand because it does take a little time to cook, but trust me the patience is all worth it ...You can also make this in pressure cooker if you are in a hurry... but i always feel Biryani shouldn't be cooked in a pressure cooker, it should be cooked at its own pace and time. A mud-vessel is the best, but you can even cook it in non stick or any cooking vessel.

Ingredients :

Eggs - 3 ( Hard boiled, peeled and halved )

Basmati rice - 1 cup 

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 2 small sticks

Black peppercorns - 6-7

Cardamom - 3

Bay leaf - 1

Fresh corriander leaves - Around 1/2 cup

Fresh Mint leaves - Around 1/2 cup

Desi ghee - 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Green chillies - 2

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Onions - 2 medium ( sliced lengthwise )

Tomato - 1 big ( cubed )

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Curd - 1/2-3/4 cup ( thick )

Garam masala - 1 tsp ( you can even use readymade biryani masala available in market )

Saffron - a few strands soaked in milk

cashews - 7-8

Salt - to taste

Recipe :

Wash the Basmati rice and soak it in water for half an hour. Drain the water after half an hour.

In a mixer, grind together Garlic ( 1/2 inch piece ), Ginger ( 3-4 cloves ), Green chillies ( 2 chopped ), Mint leaves ( 1/2 cup ) and corriander leaves ( 1/2 cup ). Add little black salt to taste. Grind to a smooth paste( Add only 1 tbsp water if required )

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan... fry the cashews till golden brown. Drain and remove on a kitchen tissue.

In the same pan, add half of the sliced onions and fry until they are dark brown...Drain and remove on a kitchen tissue.

In the same pan, ( add more ghee if required ), add the whole spices ( Cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns and cloves ). Fry them for 10 seconds and then add the mint-paste and fry for another 30 seconds. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Add this mixture to rice and cook the rice uncovered ( on low flame ) along with 1.5-2 cups of water. Cook till the rice is done. The rice should be fluffy and not sticky. So fluff it with a fork after its done.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in the same pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and ginger garlic paste ( 1 tsp ).

Saute for 30 secs and then add the remaining sliced onions.

Saute for a minute more and then add the corriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and fennel seeds. Saute for a while till everything is mixed together well. 

Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook on low flame till the mixture starts to leave oil ( here ghee )...the tomatoes would turn soft and the mixture will leave aroma..Add little water ( spoon by spoon ) if required... Let it cook for about 10 minutes.

Now add the curd and little water ( 1/4 cup ). Let it cook on low flame till the masala becomes thick.

Now add the salt and garam masala. Mix well and cook till done.

Now, in a vessel( Mud or non stick ), make a layer of rice at the bottom, spread the masala on top of it, place the halved eggs on the masala and then again spread the remaining rice on top. Its like a sandwich. 3 layers - top and bottom of rice and in between the masala and eggs. Add a spoonful of ghee on top ( optional). Cover and keep it covered for about an hour ( not on flame ). This helps the Biryani to set and the flavours to blend.

Just before serving, add the saffron milk and fried onions on top and mix in the cashews.

Yummyliscious Egg biryani is ready :)))

Happy Cooking :)

Corn Pulao

I had Corn Pulao at a function and since then i have always been wanting to make one! I have tried 2-3 variations of it but this one is easiest to make... takes less than half an hour... so you might want to consider making this if you have unexpected guests ( provided you have corn in the fridge :)) for lunch or dinner. This dish in itself fills your stomach, so no need to make a side-dish. You can serve this with pickle/chutney or boondi raita.

I suggest you always have a packet of corn in your fridge..you can make corn chaat, add corn to any vegetable or just plain boil it and toss it with salt and pepper ! It tastes Yummmmmm....Apart from the nutritional benefits of providing vitamins, protein and fiber it gives a great colour to any dish. And all corn recipes are usually time-saving !

You can add any vegetables to this pulao according to your choice. I have added carrots and peas as i wanted the colours to come out ( red/green/yellow). Looks tempting, isn't it? I like the crispiness of the vegetables and didnt want to overcook them, hence i have stir-fried them. If you want, you can boil all of them and mix it with rice and cook, or add the boiled vegetables to cooked rice and steam for 2-3 mins.

Ingredients:

Green Peas - 1/2 cup ( fresh or frozen)

Carrot - 1 medium ( peel and chop lengthwise)

Corn - 1/2 cup ( wash the corn thoroughly)

Rice - 1 cup ( Preferably Basmati rice. Wash and soak it in water for 15-20 mins )

Water - 2 cups

Oil/Butter/Ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp on top (optional)

Spices : ( you can even use 1-2 tsp of readymade biryani/pulao masala available in market but i prefer grinding these fresh)

Peppercorns/ Black pepper - 8 to 10

Dalchini - a small piece

Cardamom ( Elaichi) - 2

Bay leaf( Tej patta) - 1 small

Jeera - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds ( saunf ) - 1/2 tsp ( optional)

Cloves/Lavang - 3-4

Salt to taste

Recipe:

Heat 2 tbsp of oil/butter/ghee in a Cookware bowl or a Cook-n-Serve bowl. You can even make it in a pressure cooker if you dont have a bowl. If you make it in a pan, make sure it is big enough to hold the rice and vegetables both. I would not recommend cooking this recipe in a kadhai.

Add corn and fry them for 1-2 mins. Then add the peas and carrots or any chopped vegetables of your choice. Stir fry all of it till they are semi cooked ( still crisp and not too soft). Smells great, dont they?? :)

Meanwhile, dry roast all the spices on a tava. Let it cool and then grind it to a powder.  Add this powder to the stir fried vegetables and fry for another 2 mins. Then add the soaked rice ( throw away the water ) and mix everything well. Add about 2 cups of water, salt and cover and cook until rice is done.

Garnish with corriander leaves ( Personally, i like the colours of vegetables so i dont like to add corriander leaves to this. I prefer adding 1/2 tsp lemon juice )

You can even add 1 tbsp of ghee or butter on top.

Happy Cooking :)