Quick Eggplant Rice

I was stuck with some important work and could not blog actively. I am toooo happy to be back blogging. Today, we made a quick eggplant rice and it was yummmm!!!!

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 3 cups

Eggplant - 1 cup, diced

Onion - 1 medium, diced

Thick Tamarind Pulp - 3 tbsp

Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2tbsp
Salt - As per taste

Grind To Powder:

Dry Shredded Coconut - 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cloves - 12

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, after they splutter add chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds. Fry for a minute. Add chopped onions, fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.

2. Add turmeric powder, chopped eggplant and stir. Cook covered for 3-4 minutes. Stir in between.

3. Add the ground powder and tamarind pulp, salt, mix well. Cook covered for 2 minutes on medium to low heat.

4. After oil starts oozing out, add the cooked rice and mix well so that all the rice gets an even coating of the eggplant mixture.

5. Cook on low heat for 2 more minutes, stirring in between.

6. Enjoy the quick eggplant rice hot.

Methi Lima Beans Pulav

Today I made a quick methi lima beans pulav and paired it with onion mint raitha. I had got frozen methi and lima beans sitting in my freezer for quite some time now. I paired both of them and made this yummy one pot meal.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups, washed and drained
Fenugreek/Methi leaves - 1/2 cup
Lima Beans - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies - 6
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 1 large clove
Whole Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Oil/Ghee - 11/2 tbsp
Water - 31/2 cups
Salt - As per taste

Method of Preparation:
1. If using frozen lima beans and methi, thaw them before using. Squeeze excess water from the thawed methi leaves. Grind together green chillies, ginger and garlic into a paste.
2. Heat oil/ghee in a vessel and add the whole spices - cardamom, cloves, cinnamon to it. Fry for 45 seconds and add the ground green chilli ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
3. Add the methi leaves, lima beans and fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add salt and drained rice to the vessel and mix well. Add water, mix well and cook on medium heat till it starts boiling. Turn down the heat to low and cook covered till the rice is cooked.
5. Serve the methi lima beans pulav with raitha.

Simple Rice Pudding

I am really not a sweets person :). However, at times when I feel like eating something sweet, the simplest thing I turn to is the rice pudding. Today, instead of using normal sugar, I used brown sugar and topped the rice pudding with fresh fruit. 

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 3 cups

Sugar - 4 tsp(brown or regular sugar, adjust according to taste)

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Raisins - few

Almonds - 6, roughly chopped

Any seasonal fruit - 2 tbsp, chopped

Method of Preparation:

1. Rinse the basmati rice and soak it in warm water for 45 minutes.

2. In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat the milk until it starts boiling.

3. Crush the soaked rice with fingers, so that the rice grains break into small pieces. 

4. Add the broken rice to the boiling milk and let the rice cook on low heat.

5. Keep stirring in between. Once the rice gets cooked, add the sugar, raisins, chopped almonds and cardamom powder.

6. Mix well and let the rice pudding thicken a little bit, before taking off heat.

7. You can serve the rice pudding either cold or warm.

8. Top the rice pudding with your favorite fruit and enjoy.

Rayalseema Style Pongal(Pulagam)

Pongal is a very easy breakfast which is healthy as well as hassle free to prepare. Unlike the most of the variations of pongal, the rayalseema style pongal uses onions and tomatoes. Wondering, what do onions and tomatoes have to do with pongal? Trust me, you will change your opinion once you taste this flavorful rayalseema style pongal, which is commonly referred to as pulagam, in the local dialect.

Ingredients: (Serves 3-4 persons)
Raw Rice - 2 cups
Moong Dal - 1 cup
Water - 7-8 cups
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as per Taste

For the Tempering:
Oil or Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole Pepper Corns - 1/4 tsp (can also use pepper powder, instead)
Giner - 2 tsp, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 4-5, split length wise
Onions - 1, medium sized, sliced length wise
Tomatoes - 1, medium sized, sliced length wise
Curry Leaves - 5-6

Method of Preparation:
1. Wash the rice and moong dal, drain the water.
2. Add the washed rice and dal along with the appropriate amount of water to a pressure cooker.
3. In a small pan, heat the oil and add the cinnamon, cumin seeds and pepper corns. Once the seeds start spluttering, add the sliced onions and sliced green chilies. Fry for a minute or two.
4. Add the chopped giner and curry leaves, fry for a minute and add the chopped tomatoes.
5. Fry for 2 minutes and add this mixture to the pressure cooker.
6. Add the turmeric powder and salt, mix well.
7. Pressure cook till the pongal is done.
8. Serve the Rayalseema style pongal, hot with groundnut chutney or groundnut rasam.

Sending this recipe to the event 'Two For Tuesdays'

Tangy Spicy Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is usually made in almost all the South Indian households. However, not many prepare lemon rice in the way I prepare :). Hence, this post !!!! I was trying to post this recipe before the day ends.. but was late by few minutes... :( ... So, there will be two posts for Aug 29th... :)

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 3 Cups
Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli Paste - 3/4 tsp
Lemon Juice - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium sized, finely sliced
Salt - As Per Taste
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 3/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana Dal - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Raw Peanuts - 3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5-6

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat Oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, once they start spluttering, add chana dal, raw peanuts, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and fry till peanuts turn golden brown.
2. Add the sliced onions and fry for a minute.
3. Add the ground ginger and green chilli paste to the mixture and fry till the raw smell disappears.
4. Spread the rice in a wide bowl and add lemon juice, the prepared mixture and salt. Mix well till all the rice gets coated with the turmeric mixture.
5. Adjust the salt and lemon juice and enjoy the tangy spicy lemon rice.

Spicy Fried Rice Using Leftover Rice

Leftover rice or rice stored in refrigerator is the best choice for making any type of Chinese fried rice. Since, the grains of rice separate easily when the rice is cold, it is better to use rice stored in refrigerator than fresh cooked rice.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 2 cup
Chopped Vegetables - 1 cup (carrots, beans, broccoli, lima beans, spring onions, etc)
Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Soya Sauce - 2 tbsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 1/2 tsp
Finely Chopped Garlic - 2 large pods
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic along with chopped vegetables and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add Soya sauce, chilli flakes, vinegar and fry for a minute.
3. Add the rice and mix well, since the soya sauce already has salt in it, be cautious while adding salt.
4. Mix for 3-5 minutes and serve hot.


This is my entry to the event being hosted by Padmajha - 'Vegan / Vegetarian  dish using leftovers'

A Simple Pulav With Tomato Raitha

One pot meals are my favorite when I am running short on time. Today we are planning to visit the temple, hence  decided to make a simple pulav with carrot and lima beans and a tomato raitha to go with it. If you are wondering where you can find lima beans, check out the freezer sections in Walmart or Meijer and for people who cannot do that, substitute the lima beans with chopped beans. I got the recipe for raitha from my Indu pinni(pinni means aunt in my mother tongue, Telugu). I have learnt a lot of simple and tasty dishes from her.

                  
Ingredients for Pulav:
Rice - 2 cups
Carrot - 1, cut into small pieces
Fresh or frozen lima beans - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 medium or 2 small, cut into small pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3 to 4, slit length wise(depending on the spice levels)
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Fennel(saunf) - 1/4 tsp
Star Anise - 1
Water - 4 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - As per taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Wash the rice, drain the water and add 4 cups of water to it.
2. Heat the oil in a vessel and add the whole spices(cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel) to it.   Once the spices start emanating fragrant aroma, add the ginger garlic paste to it. Fry on medium heat for 2 minutes or until the ginger garlic paste gets cooked.
3. Now add the diced vegetables, slit chillies and the lima beans. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the soaked rice along with the water to the vessel.
5. Add required amount of salt to the rice, cover the vessel and cook the rice on a low to medium heat.
6. Turn off the heat, once the rice is done.
7. Alternatively, you can even cook it directly in a rice cooker. Just add the fried vegetable content to the soaked rice and place it in the rice cooker.
8. Serve the pulav with tomato raitha.

Ingredients for Tomato Raitha:
Thick Curd - 11/2 cups
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, finely chopped
Onions - 1, finely chopped
Chillies - 1, chopped
Salt - As per taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1tbsp
Mustard  seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin(Jeera) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Bengal Gram(Urad dal) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Fresh Coriander leaves - few sprigs, chopped finely


Method of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a vessel and add mustard, cumin, bengal gram seeds. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
2. Add the chopped onions and chillies to the vessel and cook on a medium heat.
3. Once the onions become transparent add the chopped tomatoes to them.
4. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and the water released from them evaporates. Turn off the heat.
5. In another bowl add the curd, the cooked tomato mixture, required amount of salt and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
5. This raitha can also be served with rotis or parathas.