Kashmiri Pulao..

Pulao recipe is very easy & quick to prepare within 15mins...It is very popular Kashmiri rice prepared with dry nuts & fresh fruits.. You can add pineapple, pomegranate & red apple(of your choice)... 

It is perfect lunch box recipe for kids, especially toddlers... It is rich in calcium, protein because of the ingredients added to it.. I have prepared it without GINGER-GARLIC PASTE, the smell never goes well with other ingredients.. 

Adding of SAFFRON gives nice aroma to the pulao... Kashmiri pulao is perfect One pot Meal.. It is mildly spiced & little sweet, I just loved it... It goes well with onion rata,  paneer gravies, Mushroom Masala & baby corn masala...

Preparation time- 15mins             Cooking time- 20mins

INGREDIENTS:

Basmathi rice- 1 cup
Onion- 1(big)
Green chili- 4
Milk- 1 & 3/4 cups
Saffron- few strands
Salt- as needed
Cashews- 10
Almond- 10
Raisins- 15
Ghee- 3tsp
Green peas- 1/4 cup
Pomegranate seeds(for garnishing)

TO TEMPER:

Oil- 3tsp
Bay leaves- 2
Star anise- 2
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch

METHOD:

• Wash & soak rice for 15mins(not more than that)..
• Heat oil in a cooker, add the ingredients mentioned under tempering, then onion, green chili... saute till golden brown... Then add 1.5 cups of milk into it... Sprinkle some salt & stir well...
  
• Meanwhile, fry the nuts & raisins till golden brown... keep it aside..
  
• Now add the soaked rice, fried nuts & green peas... mix well..
  
• Bring it to boil & cover the lid.. Cook for 1 or 2 whistles... When the pressure completely goes off, add few strands of SAFFRON & pomegranate seeds... Mix gently...
  
• It goes well with paneer gravies & spicy masala veg gravies..
• Yummy pulao is ready to serve hot....
  

Puli Satham/ Tamarind rice....(instant)

 Iam not a big fan of puli satham(tamarind rice)... Actually I started to like it on few years back.. For every pongal holidays, we used to go to my grand ma's home.... All our chitapa s, aunts, cousins will meet up there.. All our aunties will cook variety of dishes & we all have lunch together.. It is really nice to such kind of get together... Next day, white rice is left over but curries are got over.... Suddenly my aunt did instant puli satham which is really nice than puliyotharai... It tooks only 10-15 mins to cook, but the taste is really awesome.. From that day, I have become great fan of puli satham... You can do with fresh rice also....

It is perfect recipe for travel & it is also known as TRAVEL PULI SATHAM... :) You can preserve this pulikaichal for 4-6 days & mix up with the rice when you needed...

Preparation time- 5mins           Cooking time- 15mins

INGREDIENTS:

Left over rice/ fresh rice- 2 cups
Tamarind- lemon sized
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- as needed

TO TEMPER:

Sesame oil- 4tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 spring
Channa dal- 1tsp
Urad dal- 1tsp
Roasted peanuts- 2tsp
Dry red chili- 2
Green chili- 4
Asafoetida- pinch

METHOD:

• First soak tamarind in warm water for about 20mins...
• Heat oil in a pan, Add mustard seeds, channa &urad dal... when it turns slightly golden color, add curry leaves, red chilli, green chilli & turmeric powder into it...
  
• Add the tamarind extract, roasted peanuts, salt & pinch of asafetida into it... Finally add 2 tsp of gingely oil...
  
• Bring to boil until it becomes thick consistency.. now add the cooked rice & mix well... Add some gingely oil & gently mix up the rice....
  
• Tangy puli sadham is ready to serve with chips/ vadagam....
  

Veg Fried Rice(Singapore style)

Fried rice is very common among Chinese.. But this is not pure Chinese version.. INDO-CHINESE Restaurant Style...

A quick & easy to make this recipe.. It may slightly differ in taste & color... You can add Bell peppers(capsicum) to taste.. I love this style of fried rice with chicken also.. Definetely I will post the recipe soon.. You can have chilli gobi as side dish is a perfect combination.. It is good lunch box idea for kids.. It is one of the healthy & versatile rice dish... The flavour & aroma will tempts everyone & especially the colour of it.. While adding spring onions it gives good flavour to the rice.. If you want can add celery also... here the recipe:

Preparation Time- 15mins        Cooking time- 15mins

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked rice-  2 cups( basmathi rice)
Carrot- 1 small( finely chopped)
Beans- 10 (finely chopped)
Cabbage- 1/4 cup (shredded)
Capsicum- 1/4 cup (partially chopped)
Spring Onions- for garnishing
Pepper- 1tsp (powdered)
Salt- as needed
Soy sauce- 2 tsp
Chilli sauce - 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketch up- 1 tsp
Olive Oil- 3tsp( can use any cooking oil)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• First cook the basmathi rice( 1 cup) with 1 & 1/4 of water...for about 2 whistles... allowed to cool down...
• Meanwhile cut the veggies very finely because kids cannot filter the veggies & it will cook easily in short period of time...
• Heat oil in a pan, add the veggies & fry for about 5 mins...(BECAUSE IT RETAINS CRUNCHINESS).. add salt & pepper into it....mix well..
  
• Then add soy sauce, tomato & chilli sauce into it....mix thoroughly..
  
• Finally add cooked rice & mix well..... garnish with spring onions...
  
• Hot & less spicy fried rice is ready to serve with chicken / Manchurian gravy...
  

Sambar Sadham/ Bisibelabath

  Sambar sadham is one of my favouite dish...its a signature recipe of Tamilnadu...it is quick & tasty recipe with masalas & mixed veggies... it is healthy food for kids too...

Ingredients:

Rice 3/4cup

Toor dal- 1/2cup

Onion- 1

Tomato- 1.5

Curry leaves- 2spring

Chili powder- 1tsp

Sambar powder- 1tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp

Salt- to taste

Tamarind pulp- 2tsp

Water- 3cups

For Seasoning:

Ghee- 3tsp

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Cumin seeds- 1tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/4tsp

Curry leaves- 2spring

Vegetables needed:(chopped)

Carrot- 1

Beans- 10

Drumstick-1

Potato-1 

(can use any vegetables)

Method:

• Wash & soak rice and dal for 15mins..
• Heat oil in a cooker, add the ingredients metioned under seasoning....
• Add chopped onions, tomato...saute for 3mins...
• Add chili & sambar powder into it.....sprinkle some salt.....mix well...
• Now add all the veggies & mix well with masalas..
  
• Pour water & add rice, dal into it....some tamarind pulp into it & pinch of asafoetida...
  
• Bring it to boil & cover the lid...
• Cook for 5 whistles & turn off the flame...
• Drizzle with ghee & mix well...
• Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve hot with papad & mango pickle...  
  

VEGETABLE BIRIYANI( In pressure cooker)

It is easy recipe & pressure cooker biriyani do taste equally good like dum biriyani..

Preparation time-20mins

Cooking time- 15mins 

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice- 1cup

Mixed vegetables- 1.5 cups

(Carrot, cabbage,beans,green peas& meal maker)

Chopped onions- 2

Chopped tomatoes- 2

Green chili- 5

Chili powdr- 1tsp

Coriander powder- 2tsp

Mint leaves- 1hand full

Ghee- 2tsp

Oil- 2tsp

Bay leaves- 2

Salt - to taste

For grinding:

Cinamon stick- 1

Fennel seeds- 1tsp

Cardamon- 4

Ginger- 2inch

Garlic -3cloves

Mint leaves- 1 handfull

Method:

• Wash rice & soak for 15mins....

Meanwhile grind the fennel seeds, cardamon, cinamon stick, garlic, ginger into fine paste...grind mint leaves separately...

 In a pressure cooker, add 2tsp of oil & ghee & add chopped onions, tomatoes, mint leaves, chilies & saute till golden color appears...

• 
  
  
• Add the ground paste & mint paste, saute for few mins...
  
  
  
  
• Add chili & coriander powder into it, mix well....
  
  
  
• Add the chopped veggies & mix well...so that the masala will get coated to the veggies...
  
• Add soaked rice & water..salt....saute for 2mins.... cook for 3 whistles...
  
• Wow, yummy biriyani is ready to serve with onion raitha..... 

Peas pulao with coconut milk....

 Cooking time- 20mins...

Ingredients:

Basmathi/ jeraga samba rice- 1cup

Coconut milk- 2cups

Chopped onions- 1(big)

Green chilies- 5

Green peas- 1/4 cup (fresh/frozen)

Mint leaves- 1hand full

Curry leavs- 1spring

Coriander leaves

Garlic- 3 cloves

Salt - to taste..

Ghee- 2tsp

Cashew- 6 (broken)

For seasoning:

Oil- 2tsp

Bay leaf- 2

Cinnamon- 2inch

Fennel seeds- 1tsp

Method:

• Soak rice for about 10mins.....Drain water & kep it aside.
• Heat oil in a cooker & add all the ingredients mentioned under seasoning....
  
• Add chopped onions. chilies. curry & coriander leaves, garlic,mint leaves & saute for few mins..
  
• Add green peas & 2cups of coconut milk, rice & salt....bring to boil..
  
  
  
  
• Cook for 3 whistles & turn off the flame.... Fry cashews in 2tsp of ghee & mix gently to the rice..
  
• Tasty PULAO is ready to serve with onion raitha & chicken gravy..