Mushroom Pulav

Mushroom Pulav

Mushroom Pulav is a mild rice variety in which mushrooms are well sauteed and minimum seasonings are used to bring out the fragrance and richness of mushrooms. I usually use baby bella mushrooms.

Here's how I make Mushroom Pulav:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup roughly chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup cooked rice (I have used brown rice+quinoa mix)
Seasonings - Salt and pepper
Handful of frozen peas
1 -2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onions and mushrooms.

Saute on medium high heat, stirring often till mushrooms become dry and well brown. Then reduce heat to medium and add the garlic. Saute 2 mins.

Add the cooked rice, salt, pepper and peas. Mix gently. Let it heat thru.

Take off heat, squeeze lemon juice and again mix gently. Serve warm. This Mushroom Pulav does not need any accompaniments.

Vegetable Khichadi

Khichadi is a rice and mung dal preparation, a great comfort food, quick and nutritious. I have previously posted Mung Daal Khichadi. Recently I have started added veggies to it - onions, potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, peas, tomatoes etc are all good choices.

The basic procedure is similar to the one I posted earlier. After making the tempering, add the onions, potatoes, carrots, green beans and cauliflower or any of these that you are using. Fry for 5 minutes before adding the soaked rice and mung dal. Add water and seasonings, bring to a quick boil. Cover and cook on medium heat. I add veggies like tomatoes and frozen peas after about 10 mins as these cook quickly. Continuing cooking for a total of about 20 mins. till rice, daal and all the veggies are well cooked.

Serve hot as a one-pot meal or with accompaniments like simple kadhi/papad etc.

Dahi Bhaath

This is my take on a much-loved recipe. Made this yesterday to have before N's Bharatnatyam performance. She was super excited and I was super nervous as it was my first time with all the traditional hair styling, make-up, jewelry and costume. This is a calming, soothing recipe. Before I get on to that, however, here is a picture of N with her teacher (and her teacher's daughter).

Here's how I made the Dahi Bhaath:

1 cup cooked rice
1 cup yogurt
Tempering - 2 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp udad dal, 1 green chilli - chopped, 1 dry red chilli - broken, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, few curry leaves
Salt & Sugar to taste
handful of grated carrots, finely chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro

Make the tempering and add to rice. Mix in the yogurt, salt, sugar, grated carrots, cucumbers and cilantro.

Serve with potato chips or papad, pickles etc.

Mexican Rice

I use store-bought salsa and enchilada sauce for this hence I call it Mexican rice. In the above picture, I have used cooked brown rice and quinoa, you can substitute with cooked white rice. This is a good way to use up leftover rice, salsa and enchilada sauce.

Here's how I make it:

Heat veg. oil in a pan. Fry some chopped onions and green bell peppers in it. Add the salsa and enchilada sauce. Latter can be omitted, in which case increase the amount of salsa used. For 2 cups cooked rice, I use abt 1 cup salsa depending on how chunky or smooth it is and the heat level. Add seasoning to taste - salt, sugar, cumin pwd and paprika. Stir well. Add the cooked rice (see note). Add drained canned black beans and upto 1 tbsp soy sauce. Stir gently to coat rice well. Cover and heat on medium low heat for 5 mins. Adjust seasonings to taste if needed. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro, red bell pepper and even some shredded Mexican cheese blend if desired.

Note - You can use uncooked rice, in which case probably better to go with white rice as it cooks faster. Add water or veg. broth and cook till almost done before proceeding to add the canned beans and soy sauce.

This Mexican rice goes well by itself as a one-pot meal or served along with tortilla soup/quesadilla, enchiladas etc.

Brown Rice, Masur, Quinoa Biryani

For the past few years, whenever I make plain rice, I use a mix of brown rice plus quinoa and just pressure cook them together for 3 whistles. We all love its mild nutty taste, apart from its high nutrition value. It goes well with any Indian dal or subji. I almost never use plain white rice, except when making pulavs/khichdis and such. So this time when I thought of making my Lentil and Vegetable Biryani I decided to use brown rice and quinoa instead of white rice.

Here's how I made it:

Soak 1/2 cup brown lentils (masur) for 2 hrs. Wash and soak 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup quinoa together for 15 mins.

Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add  1 tsp cumin seeds and handful of chopped onions. Saute till onions turn translucent. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and saute a few mins. Add 1 cup mixed frozen veggies, 1 chopped tomato and dry spice pwds per taste - cumin, cilantro, red chile, garam masala. Saute another few mins. Add the lentils, brown rice and quinoa. Add 3 cups water. You can use the water in which the lentils, rice and quinoa were soaked, plus additional to make 3 cups. Add salt and sugar. Bring to a quick boil, put on the lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Open the lid when the pressure reduces, fluff gently and serve hot with raita.

Soy Nuggets Pulav

This is adapted from a recipe given by a dear friend.

Here's how I make it:

1 cup basmati rice - rinsed under cold water and drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup soy nuggets
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
2 tsp oil
2 tsp yogurt
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Dry Spices - 1 tsp coriander pwd, 1 tsp cumin pwd, 1/4 tsp red chile pwd, 1/4 tsp garam masala pwd, 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed between palms, few mint leaves finely chopped
salt to taste, pinch of sugar

Soak the soy nuggets in hot lightly salted water for 15 mins until softened.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the onions till translucent. Add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. As this is frying, mix the dry spices in the yogurt. Add a few tsp water to mix well. Add to the wok. Drain the soy nuggets and squeeze out the excess water with your palms. Do not throw away this water, use it later to cook the pulav. Add the soy nuggets to the wok. I like to roughly chop the softened nuggets to bite size pieces as some of them can be quite a mouthful. Fry the soy nuggets in the masala for 5 mins. Add the rice, frozen peas and carrots, salt and sugar. Add the water used to soak the nuggets and additional water to make abt 2 cups. Bring to a quick boil on high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until rice is 3/4th cooked. At this point, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on low heat, dum-style till fully cooked.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a raita.

Mung daal khichdi

This is a simple rice dish, a kind of comfort food, easy on the tummy yet nutritious and tasty.

Here's how I make it:

1/2 cup short grain white rice (I like to use Sona Masuri)
1/2 cup mung daal
3 cups water
Tempering - 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric pwd, few curry leaves torn roughly
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp goda masala
1 tsp kacchha masala (see note)
1/2 tsp red chile pwd or to taste
1 tbsp jaggery

I usually make khichdi in my pressure pan, but it can be made in a regular pot that has a fitting cover too. First wash the rice and mung daal together in 2-3 changes of water. Drain and let sit for 15 mins. Make the tempering by heating the oil and dropping the mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add the rest of the tempering ingredients one by one. Fry for a minute. Add the rice and daal mix. Saute for 2-3 mins. Add 3 cups of water. Khichdi is usually a bit mushier than say pulav or masale bhaath, but you can adjust quantity of water per your liking. Add all the masalas, salt and jaggery and stir. Increase heat to high to bring it to a quick boil. At this point, if using a pressure pan, close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. If making the khichdi in a pot, cover it, reduce heat to medium and cook abt 20 mins till well cooked.

Serve hot garnished with fresh shredded coconut, chopped cilantro and a dollop of ghee.

Note - Kacchha masala is a raw (unroasted) spice mix of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, shahjeera seeds, cloves and cinnamon. These spices are sun dried and then powdered together. I got this powdered spice mix from my MIL. In sun-starved Seattle, I don't think I can ever attempt to make this masala. Since all the spices used in this masala are also used in goda masala, you can use 2 tsp of goda masala in the absence of kacchha masala.

Tofu & Veggies Fried Rice

This has recently become one of my daughter's favorite dishes. Here's how I make it:

1 cup white rice - I use short grain variety for this and cook with abt 2 cups water in the pressure cooker for 1 whistle, then let it cool in the cooker itself.

2 tsp veg. oil

1 green chile & 1 dried red chile

1 clove garlic (minced)

1/2 cup firm tofu - crumbled

pinch of turmeric pwd

Veggies I usually use are - onions, green bell peppers, carrots, green beans (all finely chopped), cabbage (shredded) and broccoli florets

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

Salt and sugar to taste

Chopped green onions for garnish

Heat the oil in a wok, fry chiles & garlic for 2 mins. Fry onions till slightly softened. Add the crumbled tofu and fry on high heat till all its water evaporates and tofu starts browning. Then lower heat, add all the other veggies, turmeric pwd and saute 5 mins till the veggies cook slightly but still retain their crunch. Then add the soy sauce, vinegar, cooked rice, salt and sugar. Mix well and take off heat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

This is a good way to get picky kids/adults to eat veggies and tofu.

This Tofu & Veggies Fried Rice goes to the Rice Recipes event at My Culinary Creations.

Microwave Pulav

I'm back after a prolonged break. Been busy at work the past 2-3 months with tax return prep. Now that the tax season is over, I've reduced my work hours greatly.

As a much-needed break, we went on a weekend trip to Great Wolf Lodge. Had a thoroughly good time there - getting soaked in the water park and going on the magical runes quest with my daughter.

Coming to the recipe, I had carried this quick, easy pulav that I cooked in my microwave. The recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal's Microwave Desi Khana. Here's how I made it:

1 cup Basmati rice
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup paneer - cubed
1 tbsp tomato ketchup (optional)
1 tsp salt or to taste
pinch of sugar
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/4 tsp red chilli pwd (increase for more heat)
1/4 tsp garam masala pwd

Wash the Basmati rice in 2 - 3 rinses of cold water. Then soak in warm water for 10 mins. Drain and keep aside.

Combine oil, onion, ginger and garlic pastes in a microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave, uncovered, for 2 mins.

Add the tomatoes, rice, salt, sugar, ketchup and masalas. Stir to mix and microwave, uncovered, for 1 min.

Add the paneer cubes and 2 cups hot water. Stir, cover and microwave for 10 mins., stirring atleast once in between.

Add the frozen peas and microwave another 5 mins till rice is cooked.

Let stand for 5 mins before packing/serving.

This Microwave Pulav goes to the MEC Lunch Box event at Flavors and Tastes. This event was started by Srivalli.

Matar Bhaath (Peas Rice)

Matar Bhaath is my dad's favorite dish. It is a quicker version of the traditional Masale Bhaath. My kaku always used to make it the day before Ganesh Chaturthi when we all gathered and brought the Ganpati idol home. Here's how I make it:

1 cup basmati rice - washed & drained

1 cup frozen peas

For tempering - oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafotida, turmeric, few curry leaves

2 tsp goda masala

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

Salt to taste

1 tsp jaggery

grated fresh coconut and chopped cilantro to garnish

Make the tempering by heating the oil, adding the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add the rest of the tempering ingredients. Then add the rice, saute 2 mins on medium heat. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a quick boil. All salt, jaggery and the masala pwds. Mix well, reduce heat, cover and cook about 10 mins. Add the frozen peas, mix gently, cover and continue cooking till rice is cooked, about 5 more minutes.

Serve warm, garnished with grated fresh coconut and chopped cilantro and some papad on the side.

This is ideal comfort food.

This quick Matar Bhaath goes to the Flavors of Maharashtra event at Seduce Your tastebunds.

This event was started by Naina.

Updated 9/27/16 - Here's a recent photo of my ever favorite Matar Bhaath with an easy garnish idea. The tomato flower is from this YouTube video. The cucumber leaves ridges were made merely by running a fork down all sides of the cucumber, then thinly slicing it.

Cabbage Rice

For our Thanksgiving dinner, in addition to the Stuffed Braided Bread, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans Casserole that I posted before, I also cooked some Indian dishes since we had company and I was not sure how much those items would be appreciated.

This Cabbage Rice was part of the menu. The recipe is from Vaishali's Holy Cow blog. I loved it the instant I saw it there. The only change I made was to use cumin - coriander pwd and goda masala in place of garam masala. This is surely a keeper. It is very versatile, highly aromatic, healthy and tasty. I will surely make it over & over again, I will probably add some frozen green peas to it.

Everyone at the table enjoyed it...infact I had only a little leftover for this picture.

This Cabbage Rice goes to the Dish Name Start With C event at Akila's Kitchen.

I have many more recipes to post before I leave for my Mumbai trip on Tuesday. My dad would say in Marathi "Ratra kami, songa phar" (Too much to do, too less time). I already have a couple items from my Thanksgiving menu in draft, those will be coming up soon. Hopefully I can atleast cook the rest and have drafts ready before I leave. Once in Mumbai, I will certainly not be doing any cooking, I'll let my family and friends pamper me for the whole month.

Dhabey Ki Daal and Green Peas Pulav

This Dhabey ki Daal recipe is adapted from an old issue of Tarla Dalal's magazine. It reminded me of Dal Makhni, without the cream/butter, kinda like a low-fat version of it. It pairs very well with the simple peas pulav. Not sure if this is an actual combo-meal at any dhaba, the only dhaba I've eaten at is Preetam Da Dhaba in Dadar TT, Mumbai, that too a long time ago. But it sure makes for a great combination!

Here's how I make the Dhabey Ki Daal:

1/2 cup urad dal with skin
1/4 cup chana dal
1 can rajma beans - drained & rinsed
1 cup onions - finely chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup tomatoes - finely chopped
1 tsp oil
1 serrano pepper - slit lenght wise
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd or to taste
2 tsp cumin pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
2 tbsp kasuri methi
Salt to taste
pinch of sugar
Chopped cilantro to garnish

Soak the dals in water for atleast 6 hrs and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Heat oil and fry the chopped onions till golden brown. Add the garlic and green chilli and fry till garlic is aromatic, about 2 mins. Add the tomatoes, red chilli pwd, cumin pwd, salt and sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 7 mins. Add the cooked dals and the rajma beans. Add water to get desired consistency. Simmer for another 7 mins. Add the kasuri methi, garam masala and kitchen king masala. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro.

Like I said, I love to pair it with peas pulav. Here's how I make the peas pulav:

1 cup basmati rice - rinse 2-3 times in cold water and drain
1/2 cup onions - sliced lenghtwise
handful of cashew
1 cup frozen peas
whole masalas - 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves, 2 bayleaves, 4 cardamons, 1 1/2 inch stick of cinnamon, 6 balck peppers
1 serrano pepper - slit lenghtwise
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp sugar or to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil

Heat the oil, fry the onions till golden brown, drain. Fry the cashew pieces for 2 mins, drain. If required add some more oil. Add all the whole spices and stir for 2 mins. Add the pepper and the washed rice. Fry on low heat for 2 mins. Add 2 cups of water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add salt and sugar. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 10 mins till rice is partially cooked. Add the frozen peas, fried onions, cashew and lemon juice. Add a little additional water if required. Mix gently. Cover and cook another 5 mins till the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed.

Serve hot.

This Dhabey ki Daal and Peas Pulav combo goes to the Flavors of Punjab event at Foodelicious. This event was started by Nayna.

Tiranga Pulav

I made this Tiranga Pulav today on the occasion of India's Independence Day. The basic idea is from a very old Tarla Dalal recipe book that belonged to my mom. The book used food color, but I decided to use veggies only.

Here's how I made it.

1.5 cups Basmati rice - washed and soaked for 1/2 hr.
1.5 tbsp olive oil
Whole spices - 3 bayleaves, 3 1/2 inch cinnamon sticks, 6 cardamon pods, 15 black peppers and 15 cloves (all to be used equally in the 3 colored-rice)
1 cup shredded carrots (I used store bought) - pureed with few tsp water
pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
1 cup spinach leaves - microwaved for 1 min., pureed
3 tsp salt (1/3rd for each colored rice) or to taste
1.5 tsp sugar (1/3rd for each colored rice) or to taste
3 tsp lemon juice (1/3rd for each colored rice)
2 tsp coriander cumin pws
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd

White rice layer - Heat 1/2 tsbp oil, drop in 1/3rd of the whole spices mentioned above. Fry 1 min. Add 1/2 cup of the soaked rice and fry another min. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a rapid boil. Then lower heat to medium low, add the salt, sugar and lemon juice per taste and cover and cook till done (abt 10 mins). Add more water while cooking if necessary.

Orange rice layer - Heat 1/2 tsbp oil, drop in 1/3rd of the whole spices mentioned above. Fry 1 min. Add 1/2 cup of the soaked rice and the pureed carrot and fry 2 min. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a rapid boil. Then lower heat to medium low, add the salt, sugar, lemon juice, 1 tsp coriander-cumin pwd, 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/2 tsp garam masala. (Please adjust all seasonings per taste). Cover and cook till done (abt 10 mins). Add the saffron soaked in milk when rice is almost done. Fluff lightly with fork to mix.

Green rice layer - Heat 1/2 tsbp oil, drop in 1/3rd of the whole spices mentioned above. Fry 1 min. Add 1/2 cup of the soaked rice and the pureed spinach and fry 2 min. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a rapid boil. Then lower heat to medium low, add the salt, sugar, lemon juice, 1 tsp coriander-cumin pwd, 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/2 tsp garam masala. (Please adjust all seasonings per taste). Cover and cook till done (abt 10 mins).

To assemble - Rub some oil in a casserole. Spread the orange rice on top, followed by the white rice and the green rice. Press gently. Then place a plate over the casserole and upturn. The Tiranga Pulav should slide out easily.

This Tiranga Pulav goes to the Celebrating Independence Day - 2010 event at Akila's Kitchen.

Spinach pulav

As I mentioned in my earlier post, we experienced some hot summer days last week and this Spinach pulav worked well as a one-pot meal, leaving me lotsa time to enjoy the sun. But ofcourse it is delicious any time of the year.

Here's how I make it:

1 cup basmati rice - washed and drained

2 tsp olive oil

Whole spices - 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cardamon pods, 4 cloves, 8 black peppers, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 tsp ginger - garlic paste

1 cup frozen mixed veggies - I use Trader Joes mixed veggies in butter sauce

1 cup spinach leaves - pureed with a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water

1 to 1 1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

Heat the oil and drop the whole spices. Fry for 1 minute, then add the chopped onions and fry about 5 mins. Add the ginger-garlic paste, fry on medium for 2 mins. Add the spinach puree, washed rice and other veggies. Add about 2 cups of water and bring to a quick boil on high heat. Add all the other spices, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for about 10 mins. You may need to add a little more water if the rice and veggies are not cooked by now. Reduce heat to low and cook till completly done. Fluff with fork and serve with papad and raita.

Vegetable Pulav

This post is for my cousin in Mumbai - Shanta Akka. She wanted a simple vegetable pulav recipe. I learnt this version from a vacation class I took at Catering College (Cadell Rd. - Mumbai) while in college. The funny thing was the class was called a "Housewives Course" but 80% of us were college kids who had never stepped into the kitchen to cook! It was such a fun hands-on experience. Every week we cooked 3 dishes - an appetizer, entree and dessert. And got to take them home to enjoy with our family. We even had a test at the end to judge not only our newly acquired cooking skills, but also our presentation (we had to design a menu card) and cleanliness etc. And imagine my utter surprise when I got the second highest marks in that test - I still think it was rigged.

Anyway, coming to the recipe, here's how I make it:

1 cup Basmati rice - wash and drain

2 cups water

3 tsp canola oil

1 cup chopped veggies - yesterday I used 1/2 onion, 1 small red potato (with skin), handful of green beans and 1/2 carrot (peeled) - I usually cut them all into long slivers

Whole spices - 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 bayleaves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 cardamons, 4 black peppers

1 green chilli - deseeded and deribbed for less heat

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp ghee

Few cashewnuts

Heat 2 tsp oil. Add the chopped veggies and fry for 5 mins. Drain. In the same pot, add the remaining 1 tsp oil. Drop the whole spices and the chilli pepper. Fry 2 - 3 mins. Add the rice and fry another 2 - 3 mins. Add the water and bring to a rapid boil. Add the salt and sugar. Cover and cook on low for 5 mins. Then add the fried veggies. Cover again and cook another 10 mins. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Gently mix with a fork and take off heat. Heat the ghee in a small vessel and fry the cashews till golden. Pour over the pulav.

Enjoy with a spicy gravy veggie.

Lentil & vegetable biryani

This delicious biryani combines the goodness of lentils and vegetables. I normally use whole masur lentils for this. Here's how I make it:

1 cup basmati rice - washed and drained

1 cup lentils - soaked for 2-3 hrs

1 cup mixed vegetables - I use the frozen kind

1/2 cup onions - chopped

1/2 cup tomatoes chopped

1 tsp ginger - garlic paste

1 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

1/2 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

Heat the oil. Fry the onions in it for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and saute for 5 mins. Add the ginger - garlic paste and the dry spices. Saute for 2 mins. Add the lentils and 1 cup of water. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium for 15 mins. Then add the vegetables and rice. Add salt to taste and about 2 cups water. Cover and cook on medium low for about 15 - 20 mins. By this time the rice, lentils and veggies will have cooked perfectly. Fluff with fork and serve hot with raita, papad etc.

This easy biryani is off to Srivalli's Rice Mela at Cooking 4 All Seasons.

Bell Pepper Masala Rice

Of all the versions of Bell Pepper Rice I've tried, this one I found on Vah Re Vah chef is absolutely fantastic. I prepared this for our impromptu Diwali get-together a couple weeks back. Here's how I made it:

1 cup basmati rice - washed & drained

1 cup chopped bell peppers - I used green, red & yellow

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tsp sambar pwd.

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

For the masala-

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp udad dal

2-3 dry red chillies

few curry leaves

1 tbsp plain peanuts

Dry roast all the masala ingredients. Cool slightly, then grind into a fine pwd. You can add a couple tsp of water if needed.

Cook the rice in 2 cups of water, adding about 1/2 tsp salt, for about 10 -15 mins on medium low till almost done.

In another big pan, heat the oil. Add onions, saute for 5 mins. Add bell peppers, saute 5 more mins. Add the prepared masala pwd, about 1/2 tsp salt and the sambar pwd. Mix well. Then add the cooked rice. Stir gently to mix. Cover and cook on low for 5 mins. till the rice is well coated with the masala and cooked, but each grain remains separate.

Serve hot with raita, papad etc.

This aromatic Bell Pepper Masala Rice goes to the Rice Mela being hosted by Srivalli at Cooking 4 All Seasons.

Zucchini Rice

I got this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen on You Tube and found the combination quite unique. Its very simple and a good way of incorporating this veggie in your meal. Here's how I make it:

1/2 cup basmati rice - washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hr.

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp butter

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 red chillies

1 bayleaf

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Heat the oil & butter together. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chillies, bayleaf and cinnamon stick. After the seeds splutter add the shredded zucchini and rice and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a quick boil on high heat, add salt and lemon juice, stir well and cover and cook on medium low for about 10-15 mins. Take off heat and fluff gently with a fork.

This simple Zucchini Rice goes to the Rice Mela event at Srivalli's Cooking 4 All Seasons.

Buttermilk khichdi

I had printed this recipe from bawarchi.com a long time back, but only got around to making it last night. It was a good night light dinner, after a day full of kids' b'day party pizzas & cake. Here's how I made it:

1 cup short grain rice
About 3-4 cups thin buttermilk
For tempering - 2 tsp ghee or oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 red chillies - broken into 2 each, 1 tsp udad dal, I tsp chana dal, handful of cashew pieces, few curry leaves
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Heat the ghee/oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds and the rest of the ingredients for tempering. Saute a few minutes, then add the rice, buttermilk and salt. Stir well. Cook on medium low for about 20 mins. till done.

Serve with mango pickles, chips or papad.

Past event contributions

As I have mentioned earlier, in my non-blogger days I had participated in a few food blog events. I am posting all those contributions here in order to keep a track of them.


Bell Pepper Quesadilla & soup - Contributed to VoW-JFI -Bell Peppers event at Pooja's My Creative Ideas

Quesadilla, as you may know, is a part of the Mexican cuisine wherein veggies, cheese, meats etc. are stuffed between tortillas. The restaurant version is loaded with cheese, especially for a vegetarian like myself, this dish does not provide a balanced meal. Hence I started making it at home with more healthy options. Now we like the home-made version better and rarely have it in the restaurant. It is pretty easy to put together, hence a popular weeknight dinner in my home. I make several different types of fillings, for this event, it was the mixed bell peppers one. The accompanying soup is just an extension of this dish. Here's how I made it:

1 medium onion - chopped
1 each - green, red, yellow and orange bell pepper - chopped
1 15 oz. can of black beans - drained & rinsed
2 heaped tsp. cumin-coriander pwd.
Salt
2 tsp. oil

Heat the oil. Saute the onion till pink. Add the bell peppers. Saute 5-7 mins. Add the black beans, cumin-coriander pwd and salt. Mix well. Cook 2-3 mins. more. I like the smoky aroma that the mixture exudes at this point.

For making the quesadillas -

5 tortillas ( I used Mission brand Multi Grain tortillas)
Tabasco hot sauce
Shredded cheese ( I used Kraft Mexican style four cheese blend)

Fill half of each tortilla with 2-3 heaped tbsps of the mix. Drizzle few drops of Tabasco hot sauce per taste. Top with shredded cheese per taste. Fold each tortilla over into half. Roast on a skillet with 1-2 drops of oil until brown spots appear on both sides. I myself like it a bit charred, so I dry roast it on medium-high. Then cool it for a few seconds, cut into 2 or 4 wedges and serve.

I almost always make this accompanying easy soup with the quesadillas. Take about 3 to 4 tbsps. of the above mix. Add 3 to 4 tbsps of any store-brand salsa and about 2 to 3 cups of vegetable broth or water. Mix and simmer until heated thru. To serve, pour in a bowl & top with few crushed tortilla chips.

Tricolor salad - Contributed to Theme of the Week - Saffron, White & Green event at Pooja's My Creative Ideas

For the Independence Day 2008 event, I sent her a tri-color salad. The basic idea was from a recipe I had copied down a while back. I think it is from a cookbook by Nita Mehta, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Anyway, I did change it based on what I had on hand.

Its a pretty simple dish. Here's how I made it.

2 medium carrots - grated fine
1 c. macaroni - boiled with a little salt
2 tbsp. rajma - I used the canned variety
1 small green bell pepper - chopped fine
few sprigs of cilantro
1 green pepper - deseeded & chopped fine
3 cups plain yogurt
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, sugar & Pepper to taste

Tie the yogurt in a fine muslin cloth & hang it to drip for 2 hrs. (The whey can be collected in a bowl & used for kneading roti dough.) To this creamy yogurt, add the chaat masala, salt, sugar & pepper to taste. Divide into 3 equal portions. Mix the grated carrots into one portion, boiled macaroni into the second and the chopped peppers & cilantro into the third.

Arrange the three layers in order to resemble our tiranga. Dig a hole in the center of the macaroni layer & fill with rajma beans for the chakra.

Soy Pulav - Contributed to JFI - Soya event at Sia's Monsoon Spice

1 cup basmati rice - washed & drained
1 small onion - chopped
1 cup soy granules - soaked in warm salted water for 10 mins., then drained
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
1 small tomato - chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger - garlic paste
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp cumin-coriander pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd.
1 tsp garam masala pwd.
Few mint leaves & springs of cilantro
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt

Heat the oil. Add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onion. Saute for 2-3 mins on medium high. Then add the ginger - garlic paste. Again saute a bit, add tomatoes & the frozen peas & carrots. Mix the masala powders, chopped mint & cilantro in the yogurt and add to the veggies. Give it a stir. Then add the rice and soy granules. Add about 2 cups water & salt. Bring to a quick boil on high, then reduce to medium low. Cover with a tight lid & cook for about 15 mins until rice is done.

Methi rice & Curd rice - Contributed to Rice Varieties Event at EC's Simple Indian Food

Methi Rice (Menthesoppu Anna learnt from my maternal aunt) -

1 cup rice - I used basmati and cooked it in the pressure cooker. Then cooled it by spreading on a plate.
2 bunches methi - The methi bunches I found in the Indian store that day were pretty small, hence I used 2. Wash and chop these.
For tempering - 2 tsp oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric, udad dal.
1 tblsp. jaggery
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp dhana - jira pwd.
2 tsp sambar pwd. (home - made or store - bought)
Salt

Heat the oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then hing, turmeric, udad dal.Fry for a min. Add the chopped methi leaves. Add about 1/2 c. water, jaggery, tamarind paste, dhana - jira pwd., sambar pwd. and salt. Cover and cook for 10 mins. Then add to the rice, mix well. Let this sit for 1/2 hr so the rice absorbs the flavors.

Curd rice (Also my maternal aunt's speciality) -

1 cup rice - I used basmati and cooked it in the pressure cooker. Then cooled it by spreading on a plate.
Heat 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then 2 broken dry red chillies, 4-5 curry leaves, 1/2 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp udad dal. Fry for a min. Pour this on the rice. Add the yogurt, salt and sugar to taste. I also added some buttermilk to thin it out a bit. Add some fresh shredded coconut. Mix and refigerate until ready to enjoy. This is a lifesaver on a hot day.

Dal Palak Roti and Tofu Roti - Contributed to Roti Mela at Cooking 4 All Seasons

Dal Palak Roti

Tofu Roti

Dal Palak Roti -

This combines the goodness of lentils and spinach to make the everyday roti more flavorful. I made the dough using 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup pressure-cooked moong & tur dals, 1/2 cup palak puree, salt, 1 tsp dhana-jira pwd, 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/4 tsp amchoor pwd. Spices can ofcourse be adjusted to taste. No/very little water is needed to form the dough. Then I rolled out the rotis and roasted on the skillet with a drop of oil on each side. This made 7 rotis. I served this with chanya-chi-amti (brown chana curry).

Tofu Roti -

I got this idea from a friend who, during her pregnancy, would add tofu while kneading her roti dough. For this roti I used 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 12oz. packet firm tofu (drained), 4 tbsps kasuri methi, salt, sugar, dhana-jira pwd, red chilli pwd. Made a soft pliable dough (again - no/very less water in required). Rolled out and roasted the rotis with a drop of oil on each side. This was served with red chard & potato subji and cucumber-onion-tomato raita.

Coconut - ricotta burfi - Contributed to AFAM - Coconut at Tasty Palettes

1.5 cups dry shredded coconut
Part skim ricotta cheese - 15 oz. tub
1.5 cups milk - mava powder
1.75 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Cook the ricotta cheese in a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat for about 8 mins., stirring frequently to avoid burning/sticking. At this point it loses most of its moisture and becomes like khoya (mava). Add the milk - mava powder. Mix well and cook another 5 mins. Add the sugar, mix well. The mixture will become liquidy again. Cook another 10 mins., stirring often. Add the coconut, mix and cook another 5 mins. Mixture will be quite thick at this time. Pour on to a greased thali. Pat down with a spatula. Let it cool completely. Then cut into desired shapes. Enjoy right away like I did or refrigerate!

Scrambled Tofu & Couscous Upma with Edamame beans - Contributed to Express Breakfasts Event at The Singing Chef

Scrambled Tofu

Couscous Upma with Edamame beans

Scrambled tofu -

Heat 2 tsps olive oil, add 1 tsp jeera seeds, then 1 small chopped onion and 1 chopped green chilli. Fry this for a few mins. In the meanwhile, drain 1 14 oz. packet of firm tofu and roughly chop it. Add this to the onions, increas the heat to high and saute the tofu for about 5 - 7 mins till all the water that the tofu leaves dries up.Then add turmeric, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Couscous upma with edamame beans -

Soak 1 cup dry couscous in warm salted water for 5 mins. In the meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick fry pan, temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Then add 1 small chopped onion, 2 dry red chillies (broken), handful of broken cashew pieces. Next go in about 2 cups of frozen edamame beans (soy beans) and few tblsps of water. Cover and cook this for about 5 mins. Then mix in the soaked couscous, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Garnish with fresh shredded coconut and chopped coriander.

Chilli Paneer Sandwich - Contributed to the Sandwich Event at Food-n-More

The basic idea for this sandwich is from a cookbook by Nita Mehta. I had noted down this recipe from my friend a while back, can't recall the name of the book. It is called Chilli Paneer Footlong in that book.

For my sandwich, I did make quite a few modifications (for the ingredients I had on hand). Here's how I made it.

4 slices of 12-grain bread (store brand)
Butter
Shredded mozarella cheese
1 spring onion - chopped

For the tomato spread -
1 large clove of garlic - chopped
2 tomatoes - chopped
1 tbsp regular ketchup
1 tbsp Maggi Hot & Sweet Ketchup
1/2 tsp ova/ajwain
1/4 tsp Degi mirchi pwd
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper

For the chilli paneer -
1 cup paneer cubes (Store-bought paneer, cut into small cubes)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Degi mirchi pwd
Salt, pepper

I marinated the paneer cubes in the above mix for about 1/2 hr, then shallow fried them in 2 tbsp olive oil.

Prepped the tomato spread by heating oil, adding garlic, frying till light brown, then adding all the other ingredients and cooking few mins.

To prep the sandwich, I butterred the slice lightly & grilled in on my grilling pan, then laid on some of the tomato spread, topped with the paneer, shredded cheese & finally garnished with some spring onion slices. I left it open-faced & served a simple salad of greens, cucumber & shredded carrots on the side.

BTW, I relaced the tomato spread with pizza sauce for my 4-yr old daughter, who loves paneer, but has not yet gotten used to the heat in our food. She loved her mini pizza!