Vini's Pulav

1 big onion

2 cloves garlic

Frozen mixed veggies

3/4 tsp sambar pwdr

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp coconut

1 cup rice

Heat oil.  Fry onions.  Then add garlic. Then veggies.  A pinch of salt.  Cover and cook on medium low until veggies are soft.  Then add spices and coconut.  Finally, add rice and salt.

Vini's Brinjal rice

Saute onions, then chopped eggplant until cooked.  Put some powder (Vini uses Iyengar's Bisibele bath pwdr, can also use sambar pwdr).  Add chopped coriander and peas. 

 Vini's coriander rice

Grind a handful of coriander, red chilli, 3 black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds with just a little water.  Heat oil.  Burst mustard, urad dal.  Add the paste.  Saute for a minute, then add cooked rice (1 1/2 cups) and salt.

Pattani Rice

 

Avalakki Bisibele bath

 

Capsicum Paneer Rice 

Corn Pulav

Ingredients 

1/2 cup cooked rice

3/4 cup corn

1 small bayleaf

1 small cinnamon

2 cloves

1 large onion, sliced

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 green chilli, sliced

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tbsp oil

Coriander leaves

Heat ghee & oil.  Saute from bayleaf to coriander powder.  Then add onions, then the corn.  Then add rice and mix.  Can also add 1/2 a chopped tomato and chopped capsicum with the onion.

 Week 17 - Curried eggplant rice

Ingredients 

3/4 basmati or other rice

      * Wash the rice well and soak for 30 minutes. Drain.

1/2 tsp turmeric

3 brinjals or 1/2 small eggplant - cut into thick strips

salt, 1/2 tbsp water

      * Combine the turmeric, salt and water in a shallow bowl. Add the eggplant strips and coat well. 

1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

6 black peppercorns (maybe less - 6 may make it too spicy

3/4 tbsp coriander seeds

4 cloves

small piece cinnamon

       * Dry roast above and grind to a powder.

2 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 tbsp ginger, minced

1 tsp green chillies, minced

2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

curry leaves, salt to taste

1/4 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup water (approx)

chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Heat oil over moderate heat. Fry the cashews, remove and set aside.
• Add the mustard seeds to the oil. When it pops, add ginger, green chillies and cardamom pods. Add the curry leaves and the brinjal/eggplant.
• Stir-fry for a few minutes until the brinjal begins to brown.
• Add the uncooked rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the water, spice powder, salt, lemon juice, sugar, fried cashews and half of the chopped coriander. 
• Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a tight fitting lid and gently simmer, without stirring, for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
• Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Just before serving, remove the cover, sprinkle in the remaining coriander and mix.

 Week 13 - Bowl

Ingredients 

1 cup cooked grain (any one of quinoa, millet, etc - I use quinoa)

2 carrots 

1 beetroot

salad greens (optional - I use arugula+baby spinach)

pomegranate (optional)

1 tbsp roasted almonds (or any other nut)

1 tsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)

olive oil

salt

Herb - Cilantro, thai basil (optional)

For the sauce:

handful of mint leaves

handful of coriander leaves

1 green chilli

sweetener (a bit of jaggery or a couple of dates)

1/3 of a handful of raw almonds

1 tsp olive oil

salt

Method

 

1. Grind together the ingredients for the sauce.

2. Steam the beetroot for 6 minutes and the carrot for 2 minutes.

3. Peel the beetroot and slice them into 1/4 inch thick strips.

4. Do the same with the carrots.

Assemble the bowl separately for each person according to taste or it can be assembled together.

In a bowl, first add the grain. Then add the carrots and beetroot. Add salad greens if using. Add some olive oil and salt and mix. Add some green sauce - as much as you would like. Add the herb if using - not necessary. Top with crushed toasted nuts/seeds and pomegranate if using.

Above bowl is very versatile. This is just one variation. One can use different sauce, different vegetables, etc.

 Week 8 - Bulgur and mung bean pulav

  

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup mung beans, picked over and washed (whole green moong)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsps cumin seeds
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1-inch ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 green chilli chopped
• 2 cups coarse bulgur
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• pepper
• oil or ghee
• 1 cup dill or coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Combine the mung beans, 4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially over and cook for 15 minutes until beans are almost tender. Set aside without draining.
2. Heat oil. Add cumin seeds, then add onion and fry for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and bulgur. Stir fry for 2 minutes until the bulgur browns lightly. Add the turmeric, salt, pepper, tomato and mung beans with the water. Stir gently and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the dill/coriander and pat of butter and fluff gently with a fork.

Simple, like kitchdi. And nutritious. 

Sangi's Bajra kitchdi

Bajra (instead of rice), moong dal (she uses yellow, can use any - maybe try green skin moong)

Pressure cook both Bajra and dal in separate vessels.  After cooking, the water is not to be thrown, so don't use too much water to cook.

Tadka in ghee - jeera seeds (can also add sesame seeds and ajwain).  Add ginger, turmeric and pepper. Can add veggies like beans, carrot, peas.  Either pressure cook the veggies or add with tadka.  Add salt, Bajra and dal along with water and cook for some time.

Bissi bella bath

Rice 1 cup
toovar dal 1 cup
potato, 1 or 2
few beans
carrot, 1 or 2
cauliflower, a few flowerlets
peas, handful
turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
tamarind paste, 2 tsp
salt
ghee or butter, 2 tbsp

Roast and powder (using little oil) - coriander seeds, 2tbsp
channa dal, 1 tbsp
red chillies, 2-3
cinnamon, 1 stick
cloves, 2
dry coconut, 4 tbsp

Cook the rice and dal in the cooker. After it is cooked, add vegetables, 4  cups of water, salt and haldi and cover and cook till vegetables are done. Then add the masala powder, tamarind paste and stir well. Cover and cook for few more minutes. Add ghee and mix well. Serve hot.

Sabudana khichdi

Sabudana khichdi is one of K's favorite dish (if made right) and I got this recipe from my MIL. It is very important to get the texture of the sago right. There are times the sago becomes a sticky lump and other times when it is too dry and hard. Trick is to soak the sago well and the method given in the recipe below works for me. But the soaking time might differ with different brands of sago so just keep trying till you get it right.

Sabudana khichdi 

1 1/2 cups sago, soaked and drained
1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and ground coarsely
2 big potatoes, boiled and mashes
2 green chilies, chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3-4 tbsps oil
coriander leaves, chopped, for garnishing

Wash the sago, and soak it in just enough water for 2 hours. Drain, spread the sago on a plate and keep it aside for minimum 1 hour. Keep the plate covered so that the moisture is retained. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add green chilies. Then add potatoes, peanuts, salt and mix well. Add sabudana, mix well, and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. The sago was tender and moist and hence in 5 minutes the dish was ready. But if you think the sago is not fully cooked, cover and keep on gas for longer time (maybe 10-15 minutes), stirring once in while. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Quick Bise Bele Bhat with Beaten Rice

I made this last night for dinner and my daughter loved it. This bhat is cooked with beaten rice (poha) and moong dal and has lot of vegetables.

Bise Bele Bhat

1 1/2 cups beaten rice (poha)
3/4 cup moong dal ( you can use split moong dal or mixture of split moong dal and moong dal with skin)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion
1 tomato
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, cauliflower, potato, capsicum)
curry leaves
1 tsp sambar powder/bise bele bhat powder
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
oil
1 tbsp ghee
salt
fried cashewnuts for garnishing (optional)

Pressure cook moong dal. Wash and soak poha in water for few mintues. Squeeze out excess water and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, burst mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and onion and fry. When transparent, add tomato and fry for few seconds. Add potato and carrot and fry for 2 minutes. Add rest of the vegetables and just enough water for the vegetables to cook. Once all water has evaporated and vegetables are cooked, add sambar powder, turmeric powder and tamarind paste and fry for few minutes. Add moong dal, poha and salt. Mix well. Add ghee and stir once. Garnish with fried cashewnuts.

Quick vegetable bhat

Vacation over. After a month, I am back in my kitchen wondering what to make for lunch for K. It is Fri morning and I am feeling a little lazy. Wanted to cook something simple. Made this vegetable bhat; very easy to make and tastes quite good. I served the rice with cucumber raita.















2 cups cooked rice
1 cup chopped vegetables ( I used potato, cabbage, peas, carrot)
1 onion
2 tsps sambar powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
salt
coriander leaves

Heat oil. Fry onions. Add vegetables and cook till done. Can add a little water if necessary. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add the cooked rice and mix all ingredients together. Garnish with corinader leaves.
( Can add roasted peanuts also to the rice)