Achari Capsicum Rice

Many times when i am in no mood of cooking i prefer a quick fix. In my house i hardly have left over rice. So i make different types of rice dishes with fresh cooked rice not the left over rice. Achari capsicum rice..sounds interesting. This rice is a mixture of our desi pickle and rice. Every Indian likes pickle that too South India is quite famous for its pickles. There are hell lot of varieties of pickle. This capsicum rice can be made with any kind pickles. It taste awesome with any pickle of your choice. I tried tomato pickle,lemon pickle and mango pickle. These recipe calls for very ingredients. 

Ingredients:-

Capsicum 2 (any colour)
Rice 2 cups
Lemon pickle 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Bay leaf 1
Pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:- Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Saute for 1/2 a minute. Now add lemon pickle and pepper powder, saute. Add capsicum and salt. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Capsicum should not be cooked fully. Now add rice and mix well. Serve it with papad.

Mushroom Mint Pulao

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cups
Mushroom 1/2 lb
Mint 1/2 cup
Ghee 1 tbsp
Bay leaf
Cinnamon 1/2 inch
Clove 3
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
Onions 1 sliced
Salt to taste
Green chillies 2

Method:-

Heat ghee. When hot add all the masala and onions.

Saute for a while. Now add green chillies and mushroom.

Fry for another 2-3 minutes. Then add chopped mint.

Saute for another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water.

Add salt, when water reaches boiling point add rice.

Cover and cook on a slow flame until rice is cooked and no water left.

Mix gently and serve with curry of your choice.

Isn't the recipe very easy to make :)

Mexican Rice

  After  coming to Canada i got a chance to eat various cuisines, that's the advantage of working in a multi-cultural company. We have a pot luck quite frequently and i get to eat many food varieties. Sometimes its doubles from Trinidad and Tobago,Mexican rice and Burrito from Mexico,Quiche from Spanish colleagues,Pasta from Italy, Mac n Cheese from Canada and offcourse our humble Samosa.This Mexican rice is stuffed into the Burrito along with other suffing. First time when i ate Burrito i liked the flavour of the rice and it made me try this rice. It's a very simple and mild rice. 
Calls for very few ingredients and which you will have in your pantry at any given point of time.Here is the recipe

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup
Tomato 2 puree
Onion  chopped finely
Garlic 2 chopped finely
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Capsicum 1 chopped finely
Oil 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:-

Take oil in a pan. Add garlic and onions. Fry until onions changes colour.

Add the rice without water. Roast it for 3-4 minutes until all the water dries up.

Now add Capsicum,tomato puree and salt.

Mix well. Add 2 cups of water.

Sprinkle cumin powder.

Cover and cook in a low flame.

I served this rice with a dahi kadhi and capsicum fry. I know its a weird combination but nothing wrong in trying it..I call it a fusion....

Hyderabadi Kheema Biryani

Here i come again with Biryani. The one and only hyderabadi Biryani. Biryani comes in many variations, kachi biryani, pakki biryani,kheema biryani and prawn biryani. Prawns biryani is not that famous but yes the other biryanis of hyderabad are most sort by the foodies.

I never get bored when it comes to making biryani. And husband too loves to make them. These days he is more into cooking and tries a lot of recipes. This biryani too he made, i just helped him in mixing the biryani just before eating it. This biryani is little lengthy but its worth the hard work. Yummiest biryani i have ever ate.

When it comes to kheema biryani my elder sister loves it, when ever we went  to restaurant she used to order it. So this post is for her.

Ingredients:-

Kheema curry:-

Kheema (mutton) can replace with chicken kheema 1 lbs
Onions chopped 2
Green chillies 3 chopped
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Coriander powder 2 tbsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Green peas 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves 1/4 cup chopped
Mint leaves 1/2 cup chopped
Tomato paste (1 small tomato)
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tbsp
Ghee 2 tbsp

For Rice

Basmati rice 1 1/2 glass (i used a regular water tumbler)
Oil 5 tbsp
Salt to taste
Potli Masala ***
Onions sliced 1
Green chillies 3 silted
Coriander leaves few
Mint leaves few

Potli Masala ***

Dagad phool little
Cinammon 2 1inch pcs
Cloves 4
Biryani leaf 2
Pepper 10-15 pods
Elachi 2-3 pods
Shahi zeera 1/4 tsp
Star anise 1

Take a muslin cloth and keep all the above masala in the middle of the cloth, gather four edges and tie it tightly.

Lets make the kheema first

Take oil and ghee in a cooker. Add onions and green chillies.

Sprinkle salt as it assist in frying the onions quickly.

Once onions are fried, add coriander and mint leaves.

Fry for a while. Add kheema. Mix well.

Add ginger garlic paste. Mix thoroughly and let the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes.

Add coriander powder,cumin powder,red chilly powder and garam masala.

Then include 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Once cool add peas, tomato paste and cook for a while until a thick gravy. You know it when oil starts coming oozing out from the edges.Put the flame to min.

Now lets make the rice

Now take a heavy bottom pan with oil in it Once hot add onions and green chillies. Saute for a while and add the potli masala.

For 1 1/2 glass of rice take 3 glasses of hot water.

Add 3 glass of hot water to the onions. Add coriander leave and mint leaves. Add salt and 1/2 tsp of lime juice.

When water starts to boil add rice. Simmer until the rice is done.

Now spread the kheema on top of the rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes in a low flame.

Switch of the flame and let it rest for another 5-6 minutes.

Mix gently and serve hot with raita and raw onions.

This recipe is from my fav chef Sanjay tumma (Vah reh Vah chef)

Aloo and Spring onion rice

When i was doing my post graduation i had to leave house at 7.30 am and my mom used to make this quick lunch for me. Doesn't call for many ingredients but yummy in taste. I send this for my kids lunch and they too like it a lot. I just added chopped spring onion to my mom recipe. Here is the recipe :-

Ingredients:-

Cooked Rice 2 cups
Turmeric a pinch
Onion 1 sliced
Green chillies 2 silted
Curry leaves few
Potato 2 sliced into thin pcs
Black pepper 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Spring onion 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tbsp

Method:-

Take oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, onions and green chillies.

Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder as it speeds the frying.

Once onions are fried add potato pieces.

Cover and cook until potato are cooked and fried (should be in light brown colour).

Add rice,pepper and spring onions.

Mix gently and serve.

Cheesy baked vegetable and rice

Today is one of the day that you are bored of eating the same stuff. So for a change from rice and rasam on this Saturday made this baked dish. Me and my younger daughter liked it but my elder daughter didn't like as she hates veggies. I adapted this recipe from Tarla Dalal. Here is the recipe:-

Ingredients:-

Cooked rice

Butter 2 tbsp

Milk 3 tbsp

Salt for taste

***********

White Sauce

Butter 3 tbsp

Cheddar cheese slice 1

Boiled Veggies (Carrot and Beans)

Pepper 1 tsp

Milk 1/2 cup

Maida 3 tbsp

Chopped onions 1

Green chilies 2 

***************

Mozzarella Cheese 1/4 cup

                                                      Before and after bake

Method:-

Take a pan, heat butter and add rice. Mix butter with rice add salt and milk. Keep aside.

In the same pan add butter. When hot add onions and green chilies. Saute onions till they are brown colour. Add maida. Saute for 3 minutes.

Then add milk. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Add boiled veggies,salt and pepper.

Pre-heat oven for 200 Celsius. Take Rice in a cake pan. Press the rice. Add the sauce over the rice.

Spread grated cheese on the rice. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the over.

Serve hot.

South Indian Tava Rice

 On a lazy Sunday you don't want to cook elaborate lunch then i would choose this rice. It's simple and quick to make. Can be made from left over rice. This Sunday  i was in no mood to make a elaborate lunch i choosed this rice. I had yesterday's chicken curry as side dish. This recipe i took it from Tarla Dalal.

Ingredients:-

Rice cooked
Oil 3 tbsp
Rai 1/2 tsp
Udat dal/Pinapappu 1/2 tsp
Red chilly 3
Curry leaves few
Hing
Turmeric powder/Haldi a pinch
Salt to taste

To make powder

Til/nuvulu 1 tbsp
Peanuts/palli 2 tbsp

Dry roast the til and peanuts. Make a fine powder.

Method:-

In a pan take oil. Add rai and udat dal. When they crackle add hing,curry leaves and red chillies.

Add rice and turmeric. Sprinkle the til and peanut powder. Sprinkle salt.

Mix well and saute for 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with choice of your side dish or just eat it like my kiddo did.

Happy cooking.

Curry leaves and Seasame Rice

What is needed to make this delicious rice ?

Cooked rice 2 cup
Curry leave 1/4 cup

Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Oil 4 tbsp
Rai /4 tsp
Channa dal 1/4 tbsp
Onions 1 sliced finely

How to make it

Take oil in a pan. When hot add rai and channa dal.

When channa dal turns to light brown colour add curry leaves and onions.

Sprinkle salt and fry onions till they are pink in colour.

Add sesame seeds. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add  rice. Mix well.

This can be done with left over rice. Can be served in lunch box.

Coconut Rice 2

 This is typical andhra style coconut rice.I have another version of coconut rice here. Difference between both is that in this i took milk from coconut and made the rice where as i sauted grated coconut  and mixed that with the rice. This coconut milk my mom used to make. Those days she used to use mortal and pestle to grind coconut and used to remove milk. Here is the recipe :-

Basmati rice 1 large cup
Coconut milk 1 large cup
Water 1 large cup
Oil 1 tbsp
Onions sliced 1
Green chillies silted 4
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cloves 4
Elachi 1
Coriander leaves 1/2 bunch chopped
Mint leaves 1/2 bunch chopped
Salt to taste

Method:-

Take oil in a deep bottom pan. Add all the masala,onions and green chillies. Saute for a while. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 mintes.

Then added rice,coriander leaves and mint leaves. Mix well and sauté for a while. Add salt.

Add water and coconut milk. Mix well and let it come to a boil. Then simmer and cook until the rice is cooked and no water is left.

Serve hot with Chicken.

Isn't it simple :)

Black Channa/ Senagalu pulao

In Andhra women give soaked black channa/senagalu to other women when they visit their houses for Varalaxmi Varatham. So each and every household have much of senagalu (channa) left after the Varalaxmi Varatham. What we used to do was boil them and season them and eat like chat. And sometimes my mom used to boil channa/senagalu and mix it with rice and that she used to give us for lunch to college.

I remember my mom used to mix boiled channa/senagalu and boiled potato with rice. This was her quick lunch box recipe and tasty too...

Ingredients:-

Black chenna/senagalu soaked over night 1/2 cup
Cooked rice 3 cups
Onions 1 chopped
Green chillies 2 silted
Boiled potato 1 chopped into big pieces
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

Boil channa and drain water. Keep aside until use.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and green chillies.

Saute for a while until onions are light brown in colour.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute until ginger garlic paste is cooked.

Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder.

Lastly add boiled black chenna and potato pieces.

Saute until the mixture is slightly dry and add boiled rice to it. Mix well and serve hot with raita of your choice.

Kaikari Biryani

Everyday sunday i don't miss Sanjeev kapoor's Khana Kazana on Zee tv.Yesterday he showed kaikari biryani and loved the ingredients he used so i noted the recipe and did this.Believe me the taste was awesome,i liked it more than the kids.

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 1/2 cups

Vegetables (Potatoes,tomatoes,beans,cauliflower,peas,carrot and Capsicum)

Onions chopped 1

Green chillies 3

Curry leaves few

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Masala paste

Poppy seeds 1tbsp

Cumin seeds 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds 1 tbsp

Sauf 2 tbsp

Red dried chillies 4

Fresh grated coconut 1/4cup

Ginger 1' pc

Garlic 10

Take 1 tsp oil in a pan.Add poppy seeds,cumin seeds,coriander seeds,sauf,red chillies and coconut.Fry till light brown colour.When cool grind into smooth paste along with ginger and garlic.

For Masala

Cardamom 2

Cinnamon 1' pc

Clove 4

Mace 1'pc

Star anise 1

Black pepper 10

Nutmeg powder a pinch

Dry roast all the above and when cool grind into fine powder.

Method:-

In the remaining oil and once oil is hot add onions.Saute till light brown in colour.Add potatoes,carrot,beans,cauliflower and curry leaves.Stir.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 minutes.Then add rice,tomatoes,peas,masala powder,masala paste and salt.Mix well.

Add capsicum,green chillies and mix well.

Now add enough water.I added 1 1/2 cup water to 1 cup rice.The amount of water depends on the rice used.

Once rice is done add lemon juice.Stir once and serve hot with raita or just plain curd.

Happy wedding anniversary to me.We both completed 9 years of togetherness.......

Schewan fried rice

Ingredients:-

Rice 500 gms

Carrot chopped 1 cup

Beans chopped 1 cup

Schewan sauce 1 tbsp

Black pepper 1/4 tbsp

Ajinimotto pinch

Ginger chopped 1/2 tbsp

Garlic chopped 1/2 tbsp

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Oil 3 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Schezwan Sauce:-

Dry red chillies 10
Vinegar (white) 3 tbsp
Garlic 4
Cloves 2
Sugar 2tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt 1tsp

Soak dry chillies for 10 minutes in water.Grind all the ingredients except oil into a fine paste.Heat oil and add the paste and saute once and keep aside to cool.Store in a air tight container in the refrigerator. Use as and when required.

Method:-

1. Cook rice with 1tbsp of oil.


2. Heat oil in a pan add ginger and garlic pieces.


3. Add vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 min on high until veggies are cooked.


4. Now add schewan sauce,soya sauce and ajinimoto.Cook for 2 min, add salt.


5. Then add rice and mix thoroughly,sprinkle pepper powder.

6. Serve hot with tomato sauce

Zaika - e - Basmati - Khaas

I throughly enjoyed Master chef aired in Star plus.My fav contanstant were Zebi Zubair and Radhika.I thought these two ladies will be in the finals,but two didnt come to finals.Radhika just missed it and zebi got elimated before semi finals.I liked all the dishes cooked by Zebi Zubair.Few days back i tried her Zaika-e-basmati-khaas (actually it was a team effort).

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 3 cups
Green Cardamom 3

Black Cardamom 4

Black Peppercorns 4
Salt to taste

Curd 1/2 cup

Amul Butter 1 tbspCumin seeds 1tsp

French Beans (boiled and finely chopped) 1tbsp

Cauliflower stem (boiled and finely chopped) 1 cup

Cabbage 1/2 cup chopped finely

Carrot chopped finely 1 cup

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tspRed chilli powder 1tspOil for deep frying

Onion (finely sliced) 1

Mint leaves (shredded) 10 nos

Method:
For Koftas

Mix together corn flour with cabbage,carrot,beans,cauliflower,ginger garlic paste,red chilly powder and salt.Mix throughly and shape into koftas.Heat oil and deep fry koftas.Take them on a tissue and keep aside.

In the same oil fry onions and keep aside.

In a deep pan, boil 1½ cups of water with green cardamom, black cardamom and peppercorns for 5-7 minutes. Add salt, boil for two more minutes and keep aside.
In a bowl, whisk the curd with an equal amount of water.
In a deep vessel, heat butter and add cumin seeds. When cumin crackles, add spice water and curd water and bring to a boil. Mix in rice and some more salt if required. Boil the rice on a high flame and when rice is just undercooked, reduce the flame, cover the vessel and cook till done.

Serve the koftas on a bed of the prepared rice, sprinkled over with fried onions and mint leaves.

Murg Pulao

This is another recipe from Nita mehta Microwave cooking book.I have blogged about chicken biryani before and this one is quite different to what i have blogged and it is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Chicken cut into pcs 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Turmeric powder 1/2tsp

Red chillies dried 3

Onions chopped 2

Ginger chopped 2tsp

Garlic 12-14 flakes

Cumin seeds 1tsp

Fennel seeds 2tsp

Cinnamon 1’’stick

Black cardamom 2

Cloves 3

Pepper 8

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.For the paste grind all the ingredients together,using some water.

Mix chicken and the prepared paste in a big micro proof dih.Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.

Add rice along with the water.Add salt and haldi.Cover and microwave for 13 minutes.

Separate the grains with a fork.Serve after 5 minutes.

Veg Pulao --- Microwave

Last month i was very busy with the kids exams and other things,didn't find time to write her.Was writing in my other blog but didn't right here.It is not that i neglected or i lost interest but i felt i should take a break.Now back from my break in this new year.The recipe i am writing today is from Nita Metha's Microwave cooking.I have posted Veg pulao recipe here and here before but this is different compared to both because of the different ingredients i used.As such the previous both are also different.Here goes the recipe of Nita Mehta...

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2 tsp

Cauliflower florets 1/2 cup

Potato 2 cut into 1/2" pieces

Carrots 2 cut into pieces

Green peas 1 cup

Panner cubes 10

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Mint leaves few

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Oil 2tbsp

SPICE BAG (crush the spices lightly)

Pepper 10

Fennel seeds 2 tsp

Green cardamoms 3-4

Black cardamoms 3-4

Cloves 2

Cinnamon 2 sticks

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Tie the ingredients of the spice bag in a piece of muslin cloth.

In a broad micro proof dish, put oil, ginger and garlic paste, cauliflower, panner, potato, carrots and peas. Microwave for 3 minutes.

Add the soaked rice. Add haldi, red chilly powder and salt. Add the spice bag. Microwave covered for 6 minutes.

Add mint leaves and lemon juice. Stir gently with a fork. Cover and microwave for 7 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Remove spice bad. Serve hot.

Sprouty Peanut tomato Rice -- In microwave

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup (soaked for 1/2 hr)
Moong sprouts 1/2 cup
Carrot finely chopped 1/2 cup
French beans chopped 1/2 cup
Peanuts 3 tbsp 
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Onion sliced 1
Tomota paste of 1 tomato
A pinch of turmeric
Garam masala 1/2tsp
Garlic paste 1/2 tsp

Method:-

Wash rice and soak it in 2 cups of water for 1/2hr
In a microwave safe dish add oil,peanuts,cumin and chopped onions..Microwave for 5 mintues on high (100% power)
Add haldi,salt and garam masala.Mix well.Add sprouts,carrot,beans and tomato paste.Microwave for 3 minutes.
Add rice alone with the water to the tomato masala.Mix well .Microwave covered for 12 minutes.Allow to stand for 3 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.Serve hot.

Corn and Cauliflower Pulao

Now its the season of corn.Almost very thursday my mom gets corns from the weekly market.I have done quiet of few dishes out of corn and please don't get bored of seeing my corn post.

Ingredients:-

Corn 1 cup (boiled)
Cauliflower florets 1 cup

Rice (cooked) 3 cups
Onions chopped
Green chillies 2 silted
Salt as per taste
Oil 4 tbsp
Cinammon 1/4'' pc
Cloves 2
Black cardamom 1
Small cardamom 1
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tbsp

Method:-

Soak cauliflower florets in warm water for 5 minutes and drain it.Keep aside until use.

Cook rice with a tsp of oil.Keep aside.

Take oil in a kadai,add all the masalas.Let them splutter.Than add onions and green chillies.

Saute till onions change colour to brown.

Add corn and cauliflower florets.Saute for a while.

Than add salt.Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Add garam masala powder and mix well.

Lastly add the cooked rice and mix thoroughly but be careful or else rice will get mashed up.

Serve hot with any curry of your choice.

Sesame Rice

Ingredients:-

Rice (cooked)
Green chillis 2
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Channa dal 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies 2-3
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1/4 cup (dry roast the seeds in a pan for a few minutes on medium heat tossing them around and make a coarse powder)
Oil 3 tbsp
salt to taste

Method:-

Dry roast coriander and red chillies and make powder.

Heat oil,add mustard,channa dal and curry leaves.Fry channa dal till light brown in colour.
Add coriander and red chilly powder,saute for a minute.Then add sesame seed powder.
Saute for another minute.Then lastly add cooked rice and combine well.
Serve hot with any side dish of your choice or just with a papad.

Palak Paneer Rice

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup

Spinach (palak) 1/2 cup

Panner cubes 1/4 cup

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Onions 1 chopped
Green chillies 2 chopped
Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

Soak rice for 1 hour.
Heat oil,add panner pcs and fry till golden brown in colour.Remove and keep aside.
In the same oil,add zeera,onions and green chillies.Saute till onions are fried.
Once onions are fried,add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of ginger goes off.
Then add chopped spinach.
Fry for 4-5 minutes.Add salt and the soaked rice.
Saute till the rice is little dry.Add enough water and cook on a low heat.
Once the rice is done,add the fried panner pcs and mix gently.
Serve hot with any raita,as a side dish/curry is not required for this rice.

Note:-Amount of water depends on the rice used.I used basmati rice and i added 1 1/2 glass of water for 1 glass of rice.