Vendhaya Sadham/Methi Rice

 Like my previous post, this is also a special recipe for New Mom's! Vendhayam/Methi is very good source of milk supply, so as garlic. Both of these are incorporated in this recipe and its quick and easy to make as well.
Ingredients
Boiled Rice-1cup
Vendhayam/Methi seeds-2tablespoons
Garlic-12cloves
Ginger-2"piece
Onion-1
Tomato-1
Green chilly-1
Red Chilly-2
Chilly powder-1teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/8teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon
Salt
Oil

Method
Wash and soak the methi seeds/vendhayam over night or at least 8 hours.
Wash and soak the rice for 1/2hour.
Chop the onions-green chilly-tomato-ginger and garlic into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, let them splutter. Now reduce the heat and the soaked, drained methi seeds/vendhyam. Sauté carefully
Then add chopped onion-g.chilli-garlic and ginger. Fry for few minutes or till the onions&garlic turn golden in color.
Now add the tomato.
Once the tomato becomes soft, add the turmeric n chilly powder, give a quick stir, add the rice with enough water. [We add 21/4cup water for 1 cup of rice. Be careful, rice should not become mushy]
Cook for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure cool down, open the cooker, fluff the rice with fork.
Tasty n healthy rice is ready to serve.

Serve hot with generous amount of ghee drizzled on the rice with your favorite side dish. We had it with broccoli stir-fry.

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Lemon Rice - Version 2

Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups

Lemon-1

Crushed Ginger-Garlic-1tablespoon

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Red chillies-4 (adjust to taste)

Green chilly-1

Channa dal-1teaspoon

Urad dal-1teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Cilantro-to garnish

Sugar-1/2teaspoon

Salt

Oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them pop up.

Add the crushed ginger-garlic and sauté for 30 seconds(till the raw smell has gone)

Then add the turmeric powder, broken red chillies, slit green chilly. 

Add the lemon juice after a minute and put off the stove. 

Let the pan sit on the stove for a minute, then take it out from the stove.

Now add the rice to the lemon juice mixture, add enough salt and 1/2teaspoon of sugar. Mix everything well. 

Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a small pan, add the channa and urad dal, fry them till it turns golden in color. 

Add it to the rice and give it a quick mix. 

Finally add the cilantro and the tangy and tasty lemon rice is ready.  Its great food for picnics and trips. 

Since we are frying the dal separately and adding it at the final step, they remain crunchy and enhances the taste. Adding ginger-garlic is also a new tip to me. This is my M-in-law's recipe.

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Oats Sambar Sadham/Oats cooked with veggies and dal

Tried making sambar sadham, but instead of rice I used rolled oats. It tasted great. If you are a fan of South Indian Sambar Sadham ,then this is a must try  healthy and delicious recipe. This is a Tamilnadu style sambar sadham, slightly different from Karnataka Bisi Bele Bath, if you want that recipe, click here.
Ingredients
Thoor dal/Thuvaram paruppu-1/4cup
Rolled oats-1cup
Your choice of veggies-1cup
Tamarind juice-1/4cup
Shallots/Sambar onion-8
Red chilly-1
Tomato-2
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon
Few curry leaves
Gingelly oil-1tablespoon
Ghee-2teaspoons(optional)
Salt

To roast and grind
Oil-1teaspoon
Channa dal-11/2 teaspoon
Red chillies-3 (adjust to ur taste)
Coriander seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Grated coconut-2tablespoons
Hing/Asafoetida-1/4teaspoon

Method
Pressure cook 1/4cup of dal with a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil.
Cube the veggies. [I have used a carrot, few beans, frozen green peas, frozen jackfruit seeds, and yellow squash]
Add the veggies with the cooked dal, add the tamarind juice, enough salt and the rolled oats.
Add about 2 cups of water, close the pressure cooker and cook for just 1 whistle.

Meanwhile, roast all the items given under "to roast and grind". Let it cool completely, then grind it into coarse powder.

Heat nallennai/gingelly oil in a separate pan,  add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the broken red chilly, chopped shallots and fry for a few minutes.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they become soft.
Add the turmeric powder, masala powder, and about 1/4cup of water. Let it boil nicely until the masala smell has gone.

Open the pressure cooker, add in the onion-tomato-masala into the cooker, mix it well.
Reduce the heat to low, cook for 5 more minutes.
Delicious and aromatic oats sambar sadham is ready to serve. You can add little ghee while serving. Serve hot with your choice of vadaam/chips or varuval.
Recipe Inspiration: Here

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Carrot Rice

This being my 300th post, am really happy and excited  to share some pictures from my garden and a recipe with my garden carrots! Thanks for all your support dear friends and readers! :)

I have written about my patio garden in my other(Tamil) blog often, but never wrote anything about it here. I love to grow colorful plants than growing veggies. :) So you will find more flowers than edible things in my small garden!

This spiring we got some dahlia bulbs. The beautiful, bright colored flowers lightened-up our mornings till the summer. Other than that, I have a few rose plants, some geranium plants and a few other small flowering plants.

Mint likes the Orange county weather, and I am getting a nice harvest year around to share it with friends! :)

Got a brinjal plant from the local farmer's market, the plant was doing good in the initial stage, but was affected by insects in between!! Hopefully, I have recovered the plant from the bugs and this is the first brinjal from the garden... :) 

I am happy that I succeeded in growing carrots in a pot..yup!! :))) Planted some carrot seeds in May [1st of May] and they were up for harvest last week.

The carrot seeds I got were not sweet enough to  enjoy the carrots as such, hence I wanted to some exclusive carrot recipe with these fresh carrots. Saw this recipe and it attracted me with fresh ground spice powder. Lets see how to make the delicious carrot rice.

Ingredients
Grated carrots-1/2cup
Cooked rice -1 cup
Chopped onion-3tablespoons
Green chilly-1
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Urad dal-1teaspoon
Hing/Asafoetida- a generous pinch
Few curry leaves
Salt
Oil

For the spice powder
Roasted peanuts-2teaspoon
Coriander seeds-1/2teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1/2teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1/2teaspoon
Cinnamon stick-a small piece
Clove-1
Red chillies-2
Oil

Method
Roast all the items given under "for the spice powder" in little oil. Let them cool and grind it into powder.
Grate the carrots and keep it ready.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop-up. Then add the urad dal and fry till it turn golden in color. Add the hing, wait for a second, then add in the chopped onions, green chilly. 

Saute till the onions become transparent, then add in the carrot.

Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes on medium heat or until the carrots become soft.  

Now add the spice powder and sauté for a minute. 

Add in the cooked rice, mix everything well.

Add the curry leaves and reduce the heat to low and let the rice blend in with the carrot masala for a few minutes. Delicious carrot rice is ready to serve.

You can have this rice with some chips, curd, raita or with some veggie curries. I had it with brinjal masala. 

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Tomato Rice/Thakkali Sadham

I am not a big fan of variety rices! :) yup...tomato rice is the only exception. During school-college-working days I never take coconut rice, lemon rice or any kind of of one pot meal for my lunch box! Most of the time my lunch box will be either rice mixed with some dal or kuzhambu-poriyal and tomato shows up once in a blue moon! My poor Mom has to cook the lunch for me and pack it every morning! :)))

There is one more method in which I insist my Mom to make the tomato rice. Shall call her and get the recipe later. This one is the easy and quick method.

Note: I prefer boiled rice or sona masoori than Basmati, even though I have used basmati rice here. Basmati rice is good for biriyani-pulao but, cooking it separately and making these rices..I personally feel the taste is not good as boiled rice or sona masoori!

Ingredients
Cooked rice -1cup
Chopped Onion-3tablespoons
Green chilly-2 (or) 3 [adjust to your taste]
Garlic-2 cloves
Ginger- small piece
Toamto-2
Chilly powder-1/2teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/8teaspoon
Sugar-1/2teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Urad dal & Channa dal-1/2 teaspoon each
Salt
Oil

Method
1.Crush the garlic and ginger and keep it aside.
2.Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, let them pop. Add in the channa and urad dal, fry till they turn golden in color.
Now add the onion, green chillies, fry for 2-3 minutes, then add crushed ginger and garlic.
3.Continue cooking for few more minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt.

4. Cook till the tomatoes become soft. Add in the sugar and give it a good mix.
5. Add the cooked rice and mix it with the tomato masala without breaking the rice .
6. Reduce the flame to low and cook for 2 more minutes.
Tasty tomato rice is ready. Its a good choice for lunch box or to finish the left over rice or for a quick fix lunch or dinner! Serve it with your choice of side dishes or chips.

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Mint Rice/Pudhina Sadham

I have already posted Mint Pulao recipe..this is a slight variation from that.
Ingredients
Cooked (Basmati) Rice-11/2 cups
Onion-1
Cashew-7
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon
Oil + Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Salt
To grind
Mint- a small bunch
Cilantro- a fist full
Green chilly-3 (adjust to your taste)
Grated coconut-1tablespoon
Cinnamon Stick - 2 inch piece
Cloves-2
Elaichi -1
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for half an  hour, and cook it to one whistle with perfect amount of water. The rice grains should be separate.

 

Let the rice cool completely.  

Grind the items, given under "to grind" table into a fine paste by adding little water.

Cut the onions into thin lengthwise pieces. Heat oil+ghee in a wide wok, add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add in the cashews, fry till they turn golden in colour. 

Now add the onion, and sauté till it becomes slight brown in colour.
Add the mint paste with enough salt and continue cooking.

 Cook till the masala becomes dry and oil is oozing out.

 

 Now add in the rice, mix everything carefully, without breaking the rice grains.

  

Switch off the flame after a couple of minutes. Quick and delicious  mint rice is ready to serve.

 Enjoy it with your choice of chips/papad or plain curd.

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Jeera rice

Ingredients
Basmati rice-1cup
Cumin Seeds-1teaspoon
Copped Onion (optional) - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 1teaspoon
Ghee - 2teaspoons
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pressure pan/ cooker and add in the cumin seeds, let them splutter.
Add the onions with salt and fry till they becomes shiny.
Drain the rice from the soaked water, add it to the cooker and fry for a minutes.
Add 11/2 cups of water, close the pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 7 minutes. Remove the cooker from the stove, even if the cooker doesn't give the whistle sound. Let the cooker cool completely.
Open the cooker, fluff the rice gently with a fork. Finally add the ghee, and toss the rice well.
Aromatic jeera rice is ready. Enjoy it with dal or your favourite veggie side dish.

Note: the water measurement for basmati rice is 1 cup rice : 11/2cups of water. But this may vary according to the quality of the rice you are using. Keep it in mind that 11/2cups is the maximum amount of water you are adding, otherwise the grains won't be separate.
If you are making it in a large quantity, just wait till the cooker gives one whistle and remove it from flame.

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Kashmiri Pulao

This is a very mild and colourful pulao. It looks very pretty with the pomegranate, of course a party friendly dish. Serve this pulao with some spicy gravies like these.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Milk - 1/2cup
Water -1 cup
Few raisins, cashew and almonds
Pomegranate seeds - 2 tablespoons
Onion-1
Green chilly-1
Frozen Green peas - 1/4cup 
Bay leaf-2
Cloves-2
Elaichi-1
Grated Ginger & garlic- 2teaspoons
Few Cinnamon Stick pieces
Ghee - 1teaspoon
Oil-1tablespoon
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
Chop the onion into fine pieces. Slit the green chilly.
Coarsely chop the almonds and cashews.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole garam masala and let them splutter. Then add in the nuts and raisin. Fry them and add the grated ginger-garlic, followed by onion and green chilly pieces.
Sauté till the onions become transparent, then add the green peas with enough salt.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the soaked rice(after draining all the water).

Add 1/2 cup of milk and a cup of water..

Close the pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 7 minutes and put off the flame. Open the cooker once the pressure has gone completely and add the ghee and pomegranate.

Fluff the rice gently, and serve hot with your choice of gravy..

We had it with the quick brinjal gravy posted earlier. :)

Recipe Inspiration : Here

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Pottukkadalai Sadham

Pottukadalai  is mainly used for chutneys in South India. I don't know the exact Hindhi/English name for this..It might be called as bhuna chana dal/ Daliya /Roasted channa dhal. Hence I am attaching the photo!

Friends from other regions of India, Please let me know what is the name you guys call this :) 


Ingredients
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Pottu kadalai - 1/4cup
Onion-1
Red chilly -1
Green chilly -2
Few curry leaves
Mustard seeds -1/2teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Salt
Oil

Method

Slice the onions, green chillies and break the red chilly.
Make a coarse powder of pottukadalai.
Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds, allow them to pop.
Now add in the channa & urad dhals and fry till they turn golden in colour.
Now add in the curry leaves, red chilly, onion and green chilly with enough salt.
Sauté till the onions become transparent, then add the pottu kadalai powder. Give it a quick mix and add the rice.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for a few minutes, till everything get mixed up nicely.

Quick and tasty lunch box item is ready..Tastes great with any side dish of vegetables or chips.

Sending this recipe to Bachelor's Feast event happening at Jaleelaa akkaa's Samaiyal attakaasam

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Moong dal Rice/Pachaipayaru Sadham

Kongu region of Tamilnadu is very famous for the one pot meal "Arisiyum-Paruppum Sadham"( Rice cooked with toor dal). Every house will have its own recipe, I've posted the recipe long back in my Tamil blog. Today's post is the same with minor variations. Instead of toor dal I have used whole moong bean. You can cook this in breeze and enjoy it with a dollop of coconut oil or ghee and pickle. It tastes very good with curd as well.

Ingredients
Rice - 3/4 cup
Moong dal / Pachai payaru - 1/4cup
Onion-1
Green chilly -1
Red chilly -2
Garlic - 3 cloves
Tomato -2
Coconut(cut into small pieces) -11/2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder -1/8teaspoon
MDH Madras Curry powder - 1tablespoon [Replace it with sambar powder or any other curry powder of your choice]
Few curry leaves and cilantro
Mustard seeds -1/2teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar -1/2teaspoon
Oil
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice & moong dal for at least 20 minutes.

Chop the onion, green chilly, tomato into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, make the tempering with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

Add the onion-g.chilly-red chillies-curry leaves and fry till the onions become transparent.
Add the tomato and cook till it becomes soft.

Strain the water from the soaked rice-dal, Add it along with the coconut pieces, sugar and enough salt.

Add the MDH Madras curry powder, and 2.25 cups of water (adjust according to your rice, no need to add extra water for dal).

Finally add the cilantro n close the pressure cooker. Cook it for 3 whistles. Open the cooker once it's cooled down completely and mix the rice gently.

Quick n delicious, protein packed meal is ready to serve.

Serve it with a dollop of ghee/ coconut oil. The usual combination with this rice is brinjal-potato stir fry. But any pickle, papad or chips will be enough for the side. :)

Sending this recipe to Bachelor's Feast event happening at Jaleelaa akkaa's Samaiyal attakaasam

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Tawa Pulao

Ingredients
Cooked Rice -11/2cups
Cubed Veggies -1 cup (I have used a carrot, 5 beans,few cauliflower florets, few pieces of capsicums and a fist full of frozen peas.)
Tomato -1
Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon
Cumin Seeds- 1teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Pav-bhaji Masala - 2 teaspoons
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Cilantro leaves to Garnish
Oil
Salt

Method
Wash and cube the veggies into uniform chunks.
Chop the tomato into fine pieces.
Sprinkle some water and microwave the Carrot-beans-peas for 2 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadai and roast the cauliflower..once it roasted, add the boiled veggies and stir fry them for 2 minutes and keep them aside. (No need to cook the capsicum)
Add some more oil in the same Kadai, and add the cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the tomato and cook till it becomes mushy.
Now add turmeric powder,chilli powder,pav-bhaji masala, salt and cooked veggies with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Make sure that the flame is high.
Cook till the raw smell of the masala powders are gone (say 2 minutes) and add the cooked rice.Mix everything well and cook for a minutes. Garnish with cilantro, put off the stove. squeeze the lemon juice and serve hot with any raitha.

Yummy Tawa pulao is ready! Its a great make over for the left over rice.

We had it with Cucumber-onion raitha..

While returning from India in last Sep. we had a transit @ Mumbai airport. Enjoyed this Tawa pulao and Paneer curry at the airport!
We were in the waiting hall with our luggages and one chai-wala asked us about the dinner plan and he delivered this yummy food from the canteen!
Papad,onion wedges,pulao,curry everything was packed neatly and delivered with plates and spoons! We enjoyed the dinner fuss free! Mumbaikar rocks! :) :)

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