Kashmiri Pulao
Kashmiri Pulao
Kashmiri pulao is one of the rich, aromatic rice dishes. It can be served at any festivities or celebrations. Saffron or Zafran gives kashmiri pulao pretty golden yellow color and makes it looks appetizing. Here I’m sharing with you my version of Kashmiri Pulao.
Ingredients:
For Kashmiri Pulao [5 servings]
Rice (Basmati) – 2 cups
Sweet Onion – 1/2 Medium size, Sliced
Cashews [kaju] – ½ cup (halved)
Golden Raisins [kishmish] – ½ cup
Almond slices [badam] – ½ cup
Walnuts [akharot]-1/4 cup
Saffron [kesar] – ½ tsp
Green Cardamom [Eliachi] – 5 whole
Cinnamon [dalchini] – 1 stick
Bay leaf [tej patta] – 2-3 whole
Cloves [laung] – 4
Milk – 2.5 cups
Ghee [Clarified butter] -1 tbsp
Cooking oil – 1tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Soak the rice in water for 1 hour.
2. Take 2 tbsp of warm milk and add saffron strands. Keep it aside till milk gets rich golden yellow color.
3. Cook the rice with 1 cup of water and 2.5 cup milk. Let the rice cool completely or let it sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours after cooking.
4. Heat a pan and add oil and ghee. Briefly sauté cashews, raisins, almond slices and walnuts and keep aside. Sauté sliced onions till golden brown and keep aside.
5. Now in the same pan with oil and ghee, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf.
6. Add cooked rice carefully and mix well. Add fried onions and nuts to it.
7. Stir in saffron milk and cook for few more seconds.
8. Kashmiri Pulao is ready to serve.
Garnish:
Garnish Kashmiri pulao with fried nuts. Enjoy pulao at any meal time with raita and pickles.
Healthy vegetable Idli [Veggie Rice cakes]
Healthy vegetable Idli (Veggie Rice cakes)
Idli is one of the healthiest southern Indian breakfasts. Plain Idli is great but with vegetables it is awesome. It can be served as a breakfast, evening snack or as a meal with sambhar and chutney. Idli is soft and easy to eat so kids love it too.
Ingredients:
For Vegetable Idli (4 servings)
Idli batter – 4 cups
Vegetables – Carrot, cabbage, green beans [shredded] -1.5 cups
Tomato- 1 thinly sliced [Round]
Cashews – ½ cups
Cilantro leaves – ½ cup leaves
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Green chilies – 2
Curry leaves – 5-6
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Method:
- Prepare Idli batter as usual or buy it from any Indian grocery store.
- In a pan, heat cooking oil and add mustard seeds. When it starts splattering, add green chilies, curry leaves and vegetables. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not cook the vegetables completely as they will be cooked later with the idli batter.
- Add salt to the vegetables and cool it for few minutes.
- Add the vegetables to the Idli batter and mix well.
- For making Idlies, grease the Idli molds and arrange tomato slices in some of the molds, or cilantro leaves or cashews. Now pour the idli batter in each mold and steam it.
- Once the Idlies are cooked, keep the molds aside for few minutes to cool down and then gently take the idlies off the mold and flip them. Arrange the vegetable side up in the serving plate.
Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy warm Idlies with green cilantro chutney or coconut chutney and sambhar.
Lemon Rice [Southern Indian Style]
Lemon Rice [Southern Indian style]
Last few days, Aunt V is visiting us. She is a great cook. I learned this and few other recipes from her. Lemon rice is very flavorful and very easy to make. Lemon rice is great for picnics or as a journey meal. I would like to share this simple yet authentic recipe with you all.
Ingredients:
For Lemon rice [4 servings]
Rice (Basmati) – 4 cups [Cooked] left over is even better
Cashews – ½ cup (halved) [Optional]
Raw peanuts – ½ cup (halved) [Optional]
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Lemon/ Lime juice – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
For Tempering:
Cooking oil for tempering -1.5 tbsp
Dry red chilies [torn into halves] – 4
Mustard seeds [Rai] – 1 tsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal [white]-1 tbsp
Hing [asafoetida] – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 6
Cilantro fresh – 1 tbsp [finely chopped] for garnishing (optional)
Method:
1. Wash and cook basmati rice as usual. i.e. Cook 1.5 cup raw rice with 3 cups of water. Let the rice cool completely or let it sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours after cooking. This recipe is good for using leftover white rice too.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add peanuts or cashews. Fry for couple of minutes. Drain the nuts and keep aside.
3. In the same pan add all the tempering ingredients, Mustard seeds, red chilies, chana dal, urad dal, hing, and curry leaves. Fry till it all crackles. Add turmeric powder and the fried nuts, mix well.
4. Add the above tempering to the cooked rice. Add Lemon or lime juice to the rice and mix again.
Garnish:
Garnish the prepared rice with freshly chopped cilantro. Enjoy with any meal, anytime of the day.
Onion-Green Chilli Uttapam [Southern Indian Pancakes]
Onion-Green Chilli Uttapam
Uttapam is one of the great tasting South Indian snack or breakfast. It has many different versions but Onion-Green Chili is one of my all time favorite. Instead of onion-chili, you can add any fresh vegetable of your choice .
Ingredients:
For Onion-Green Chili Uttapam [6 uttapams approx.]
Idli / Dosa Batter – 2 cups [ Ihave used Idli batter ]
Sweet Onions – 1 cup finely chopped
Green Chilies - 3-4 chopped
Cilantro -1/3 cup chopped
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Salt as per taste
Method:
1. Heat griddle or tawa. Take one ladle of Idli batter and pour in the middle of the griddle.
2. Spread the batter as pancake and add one teaspoon of oil along the edges.
3. On the top spread chopped onions, green chillies and chopped cilantro evenly. Let it cook on the medium flame for a minute and then cover the uttapam with a lid. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and add few drops of oil on top of onion and chillies.
5. Gently flip the uttapam to the other side and cook for couple of minutes.
6. Uttapam is ready when it is golden brown in color.
Serve hot with green/coconut chutney and sambhar.
Chakli or Murukku (Crispy savory snack)
Chakli or Murukku (Crispy savory snacks)
Chakli is a very common Maharashtrian snack. It is also called as Murukku in Southern India. It lasts for few weeks if stored properly in air tight container, so it is a great anytime snack.
Ingredients:
For Chakli (25 pieces approx.)
Rice flour – 2.5 cups [Roasted]
Urad dal flour – ½ cups [Roasted]
Butter – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder- 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Water-1.5 cups (to make dough)
cooking oil to fry
Salt as per taste
Method:
- Combine rice flour, urad dal flour, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, red chili powder, asafoetida powder, butter and salt.
- Mix together well and add water very slowly to make dough. Knead well to make it like roti dough.
- With the help of chakli press, make chaklies on a piece of wax paper, so it will be easier to transfer it to the oil. It takes some practice to make the shape.
4. Heat cooking oil for frying the chaklis.
5. Carefully with the help of flat spatula, transfer chaklies to the oil.
6. Deep fry the chaklies till it is crisp and golden in color.
7. Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in a air tight container.
Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy Chakli with tea/coffee anytime.
Rice-Veggie Cutlets
Rice-Veggie Cutlets
These cutlets are great and easy to make if you already have leftover rice, moong dal or chana dal. It is crunchy and healthy as it includes veggies of your choice. Cutlets are perfect snack for everyone. These cutlets can be used in breakfast, lunch as a burger, evening snack with tea-lemonade or as an appetizer before formal dinner. Kids love this easy to eat snack in their lunchbox too. So try this healthy and tasty snack anytime of the day.
Ingredients:
For Rice-Veggie Cutlets [12 cutlets]
Rice- 1.5 cups (cooked and leftover even better)
Whole green moong dal – ¾ cup (cooked)
Chana dal -1/2 cup (cooked)
Green beans -1/2 cup chopped
Corn kernels – 1/2 cup frozen or fresh
Carrots-1/2 cup chopped
Bread slice- 1
Cashews- 1/3 cup chopped
Walnuts- 1/3 cup chopped
Cilantro -1/3 cup chopped
Cooking oil for frying
Dry Ingredients:
Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Amchur(Dried mango powder) -1 tsp
Garam masala -1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Method:
1. Cut green beans and carrots accordingly and add corn kernels (or you can use mixed vegetables for the frozen section) in a bowl.
2. Pressure cook cut vegetables till done.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, cooked moong dal, cooked chana dal, boiled veggies, bread slice, chopped nuts and all dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Oil your palm, take lemon sized mixture and flatten it in desired shape.
5. Deep fry the cutlets using very little oil.
Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.
Pineapple Fried Rice
Pineapple Fried Rice
Pineapple fried rice is one of my favorite entrée to order at Thai restaurants. This is my own version with few additions. Kids love it too.
Ingredients:
For Pineapple fried rice [6 servings]
Rice (Basmati) – 1.5 cups
Pineapple chunks – 1cup (fresh or canned)
Sweet Onion – 1/2 Medium size, Sliced
Capsicum (Green Bell pepper) – ½ cup, cut into thin stripes (julienne)
Carrot – ½ cup, cut into thin stripes (julienne)
Baby corn – ½ cup
Peas -1/4 cup
Paneer(Indian cottage cheese)- 1/2 cup small cubes [OPTIONAL]
Cashews – ½ cup (halved)
Spring onions – for garnish
Coconut milk – 1 cup
Ginger- 1 tbsp minced
Soy Sauce- 1.5 tbsp
Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce – 1 tbsp
Garlic chili sauce -1 tbsp
Oil for frying -2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Cook the rice with 2 cups of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Let the rice cool completely or let it sit in the refrigerator for couple of hours after cooking. This recipe is good for using leftover white rice too.
2. Rinse and prepare all the vegetables as directed.
3. Cut paneer into small cubes and shallow fry it. Keep fried paneer aside.
3. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic.
4. Add all the vegetables, pineapple chunks and cashews. Stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes.
5. Add cooked rice carefully and mix well. Add fried paneer cubes to it.
6. Stir in Soy sauce, Maggi Hot & Sweet sauce, Garlic chili sauce and salt. Cook for few more seconds.
Garnish:
Garnish pineapple fried rice with cut spring onions and serve hot. If possible it can be served in the hollow shell of the fresh pineapple.
Note: You can increase or decrease the amount of sauces according to your taste.
