Bhagela Bath

Tamilian’s meal is not complete with out curd rice. Curd rice is not just mixing rice and curd. Read on to know how Iyengars make it an absolute delight.

Ingredients

• Rice – 1 cup
• Milk – 2 cups (boiled and cooled)
• Fresh curds – 2 tablespoons
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon

To Temper:-

• Hing – a pinch
• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard – 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 twig finely chopped
• Green chillies – 2 nos (cut into small pieces)

Method

1. Wash the rice and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 and1/2 cup water.
2. Transfer the rice to a deep container and mash when still hot, adding a little milk as you mash.
3. Slowly add the remaining milk as you keep mixing. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Add curds, salt and cream and mix well.
5. Heat oil in a small kadai, add the "To temper" items.
6. Add the seasoning,hing, mix well.
7. Serve with a pickleor thayir Mulakai or Vadam of your choice.

Tips

The rice should be over cooked so that it can be mashed well.
If the rice soaks up all the milk, more milk can be added.

THENGAI SADAM(COCONUT RICE)

Coconut Rice | Thengai Sadam  is a very simple dish ,can be done quickly. An ideal dish for lunch box,which i normally prepare once a week.

Ingredients:-

• Coconut grated - 1/2 a Cup
• Basmathi Rice/Raw Rice - 1/2 Cup
• Coconut Oil - 2 TSP
• Cooking Oil - 2 TSP
• Mustard - 1 TSP
• Chana Dal - 1 TSP
• Urad Dal - 1 TSP
• Green Chilly - As needed
• Salt - As Needed

Method:-

• Cook rice and allow it to cool. The grains should not be sticky
• In a kadai,add the cooking oil and temper the mustard seeds,channa dal, freid gram,urad dhal and green chilli. When it is done add it on the top of the rice.
• Add the ghee in the same kadai and fry the scrapped coconut till golden brown. Keep a close watch it shouldnt get burnt.
• Add salt to it. Mix it along with the rice and smear the coconut oil and mix gently. 
• Add a few curry leaves.Serve with pappad/vadagam.

                                         

Peas Paratha

Ingredients:-

•  Frozen peas -  1 & 1/2 cups
• Green chilli - 3
• Ginger - 2 inch pieces
• Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
•  Ajwain/jeera  - 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tblsp
•  Lemon juice(optional)  - 1 tsp
• Salt as needed

Method:-

• First make the dough and let it rest for 1/2 hour, mix  flour with salt and oil and add warm water to make a soft and smooth dough.

• Pressure cook peas with a pinch of sugar mixed, don’t add water. Cool down. 

• Grind green chilli and ginger first roughly and then add the green peas and grind coarsely.

• Mix salt,garam masala,turmeric,ajwain,coriander leaves and lemon(if desired) with the peas and make equal sized balls out of both dough and peas stuffing.

• Roll thick circle and keep the stuffing inside and cover the stuffing and make a ball. Roll it out with generous dusting with flour and make out thick parathas.

• Cook on both sides until golden spots appear, with oil/ghee drizzled over. 

Gobi Paratha

Ingredients

For dough

• Wheat flour   - 1 cup
• Maida           - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Salt             - as needed
• Oil               - 3 tsp

For stuffing

• Cauliflower   -  1 big
• Coriander leaves(chopped)  - 1/2 cup (can add less also)
• Ginger(finely chopped)  -  3/4 tsp
• Green chilly (chopped)  - 1(optional)    
• Turmeric powder          - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala powder   -  1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder         - 3/4 tsp
• Asafetida                    - a pinch
• Cumin seeds                - 1 tsp
• salt and oil as needed

METHOD

• For dough : Mix wheat flour and maida with salt and oil,well.
• Then prepare a soft dough by adding warm water to the flour(it should not be stiff but soft...) and keep aside.
• Usually I prepare and keep the dough atleast for  half an hour.

For stuffing:

• Grate the flower part of the cauliflower using a grater.
• Keep ready the other ingredients required for the stuffing and heat a broad kadai.  
• Add  cumin seeds,asafetida(not shown in pic),ginger,green chillie in order.Fry for a minute.
• Then add the grated  cauliflower,fry for a minute and add turmeric(not shown in pic),red chilie and garam masala powders,coriander leaves and sprinkle salt (little only will be needed).
• Fry in high flame for 5-6 minutes,with constant stirring. 
• Fry till the cauliflower turns soft.By this time it should have reduced into half the amount.
• Transfer to a bowl after done and cool down. 
• Take the prepared dough and roll into balls of big gooseberry size.
• Roll the balls into chapattis and keep aside. 
• Take one chapatti and spread at least 2 tablespoon of the stuffing till the ends.
• Place another chapatti over this and first press gently over it, and then seal the ends and fold.
• Sprinkle over some flour and spread into thin or thick parathas as per your desire..
• Heat tawa and add little oil and toast this parathas till golden in colour. 

Capsicum Fried Rice

Adapted from yummytummyaarthi.com

Fried Rice is my absolute favorite one..I make it often in my house, but use a whole lot of different vegetables in it..

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice – 1 cup cooked 
• Capsicum- 1 large sliced
• Peas – 1 cup ( I used frozen)
• Onion- 1 large sliced
• Oil- 1 Tblsp
• Chilli Flakes - 1 Tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a Kadai. 
• Add onions. Sauté on high heat for a  min.
• Add in capsicum and peas and mix well. Saute on high heat for 3 mins.
• Add in salt and Chilli Flakes and mix well.
• Add in rice and toss well. 
• Garnish with Coriander Leaves and Serve

Simple Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Onion - 1 sliced thinly

Peas - 1 cup ( I used frozen)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tblspn

Green Chilli - 4 to 5

Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee - 2 tblspn

Water - 1 cup

Method:

Wash Rice in lots of water. Now Soak basmati rice for 30 mins. Drain it and set aside.

Heat ghee in a kadai.

Add in cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Add in onions and saute till they turn translucent.

Add in green chilli, ginger garlic paste and salt.

Now add in peas and mix well.

Throw in the soaked and drained rice.

Fry that in the ghee for 1 mins.

Now take your electric rice cooker.

Pour this mixture into the bowl of it and place inside the rice cooker.

Add in 1 cup of water and mix well.

Close the rice cooker and let it cook till the rice cooker turns off.

Let it stay in warm mode for 5 mins.

Now serve the perfectly cooked peas pulav with any curry.

The peas in this can be substituted with kadala(White Channa) and you get tatier channa Rice. These both are my favourite when my amma makes it. She is a masterpiece of this. So dedicating this to my amma.

Veg Dum Biriyani

Ingrediants:

Basmati Rice – 300 gms

Onion – 1 large sliced

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tblspn

Coriander leaves / Cilantro – a handful

Mint Leaves – a handful

Cashews – 10

Raisans - 10

Curd – 1 cup

Oil – 5 tblspn

Salt to taste

Saffron / Yellow food colouring- a pinch

Milk – 3 tblspn

Vegetables:

Tomato- 2 chopped

Carrot – 1 large chopped

Beans – 10 chopped

Potato- 1 large chopped

Green Chilli – 2 slit

Peas – 1 cup

Whole Spices:

Cinnamon / Pattai -1 small stick

Cardamom / Yelakai – 3 crushed

Cloves / Krambu – 3

Bay Leaf – 1

Spice Powders:

Chilli powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder / Malli podi – 1 tblspn

Turmeric powder / Manjal podi – 1 tsp

Cumin Powder / Jeera podi – 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder – 2 tsp

Method:

Soak your basmati rice for 30 mins. Drain and cook it. Set that aside. Mix saffron or yellow food colouring with milk and set aside. Heat some oil and fry onions till they turn golden..Add in cashews and raisans and fry that as well.Set this aside too.

Heat oil in a pan. Add all the whole spices and sauté for a min.

Add in all the vegetables and mix well. Add in salt and the spice powders and mix well.

Add in ginger garlic paste, curd and some water. Bring it to a boil and cook till the vegetables are cooked.

Transfer this to a oven proof dish.

Layer half of the rice on top of vegetables. Sprinkle some coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions, cashews and raisans. Now pour some saffron milk .

Now layer the remaining rice and do the same thing.

Put it in a preheated oven for 30 mins.

Fluff with a fork and serve with raita.

Cilantro Rice

Ghee - 1 tblspn

Mustard Seeds / kaduku - 1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 tblspn

Urad dal / Ulundu - 1 tblspn

Cinnamon - 1 small piece

Cardamom / Yelakai - 3 crushed

Peanuts - 3 tblspn

Rice - 5 cups Cooked

For Green Masala:

Coriander leaves / Cilantro - 4 cup packed

Onion - 1 small chopped

Ginger - 1 small piece

Salt to taste

Method:

Grind the given ingrediants to a fine paste.

Heat ghee in  a kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.

Add in channa dal, urad dal, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and mix well.

Add in peanuts and give a stir let the fry till everything is golden and browned evenly.

Now add in the ground masala and cook it for 5 mins till the masala is cooked and ghee separates from that.

Add cooked rice to it and mix well.

Serve hot with raita or poriyal.

Panneer Rice

Ingrediants:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Paneer / Cottage Cheese – 1 packet cubed

Onion – 1 sliced thinly

Tomatoes – 2 chopped finely

Curd – ½ cup

Tomato Ketchup – 2 tblspn

Ghee – 2 tblspn

Oil- 1 tblspn

Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For Grinding:

Coriander leaves / Cilantro – 1 cup

Green Chilli – 4

Cinnamon / Pattai – 1 small stick

Cardamom/Yelakai – 4

Cloves / Krambu – 4

Star Anise – 1

Method:

Wash and Soak Basmati Rice for 30 mins. Drain and Set aside.

Take the ingrediants in a blender and make into a fine puree by adding some water. Set this aside.

Heat a tblspn of oil and fry the paneer pieces in that. Remove and Set aside.

Take a Pressure Cooker. Add 2 tblspn oil and heat it up. Throw in cumin seeds and fry well.

Add in onions and cook till golden brown. Season with salt and mix well.

Add in the ground masala and cook till oil separates from it.

Add in tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add in curd, tomato ketchup and fried paneer pieces and mix well.

Add rice and water and bring everything to a boil.

Cover and simmer for 15- 20 mins or cook for 1 whistle and switch off the flame. Let the pressure go all by itself . Open it and fluff with a fork.

Serve with raita.

Carrot Rice

This is a simple rice preparation that needs only minutes to make..I mean only few minutes..It can be made from start to finish in less than 15 mins and ofcourse you should have your rice cooked readily for this..You can use up left over rice from the previous batch too..

Ingredients:

Rice – 3 cups cooked (any rice)

Carrot – 3 medium size grated

Onion -1 finely chopped

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Green Chilli – 2 chopped

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu – 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds / Kaduku – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam – 1tsp

Sesame Seeds / Yellu – 1 tblspn

Peanuts / Ver kadalai – 1 tblspn

Dry Red Chilli – 1

Cinnamon / Pattai – 1 inch piece

Cardamom / Yelakai - 4

Salt to taste

Ghee – 2 tblspn

Method:

Heat ghee in a kadai. Add mustard, cumin, peanuts, sesame seeds, channa dal, cinnamon, cardamom, dry red chilli. Fry this for a min untill they turn golden.

Now add onions, green chilli and salt and fry for 1 min.

Add grated carrots and toss well..Stir fry this for 5 mins..

Add in cooked rice and toss well..

Serve with any side dish or papad..

Chinneese Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Rice – 3 cups cooked (any rice as you wish)

Onion – 1 sliced thinly

Carrot – 2 large cut into matchsticks

Beans – 10 cut in diagnols

Ginger – 1 tblspn minced

Garlic – 1 tblspn minced

Green Chilli – 3 cut in lengthwise

Soya Sauce – 2 tblspn or to taste

Ajinomoto – 1 tsp (optional)

Sugar – 1 tblspn

Salt to taste

Coarsely Crushed Pepper to taste

Oil- 2 tblspn

Spring Onion for Garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a wok till it smokes..Add ginger, garlic and green chilli and mix well.

Add in onions and fry for 2 mins. Add in all the vegetables and toss well.

Add sugar and ajinomoto(if using) and mix well. Cook on high heat for 10 mins .

Add rice and toss well. Add in salt, pepper, soya sauce and mix well.

Fry on high heat for 3 mins.

Garnish with spring onion and serve hot..

Methi Mutter Pulav

Ingredients:

Rice -3 cups cooked

Onion-1 sliced thinly

Tomato - 3 chopped finely

Capsicum – ½ chopped

Green Chilli-2 slited

Dry Fenugreek Leaves / Kasuri Methi Leaves - 1 tblspn

Frozen Peas - 1 cup

Fennel Seeds / Sombu / Saunf- 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - 1 tsp

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder / Malli Podi-1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder-1 tsp

Turmeric powder / Manjal Podi-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil-2 tblspn

Lemon Juice-to taste

Method:

Soak kasuri methi leaves in water for 2 mins. Drain it and squeeze well. Set this aside for  a moment.

Heat oil and add in mustard and fennel seeds and allow it to crackle.

Add in onions, green chilli and cook till translucent.

Add in chilli powder, coriander powder,garam masala powder,turmeric powder and mix well.

Now add in tomatoes, capsicum and mix well.Cook till it turns mushy.

Add in the drained kasuri methi leaves, peas and toss well.

Add in rice and toss well..Let it get heated through.

Squeeze some lemon juice and mix once..

Serve hot with raita..

Capsicum Pulav

I love to add Bell peppers in all my dishes...Some how I love the crunch they gave to the dishes...It makes the dish colourful as well as flavourful..This recipe is best served with raita

Ingrediants:

Basmati Rice-2 cups soaked for 30 mins

Onion-2 sliced

Tomato-4 chopped

Capsicum / Bell Pepper-1 large cubed

Curd-1 cup

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Coriander powder / Malli podi-1 tblspn

Turmeric powder / Manjal podi-1 tsp

Garam masala powder-1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee-2 tblspn

For Green Masala:

Fennel Seeds / Sombu-1 tblspn

Cinnamon / Pattai-1 inch piece

Cloves / Krambu-4

Cardamom / Yelakai-4

Green chilli-2

Coriander leaves / Cilantro-1 cup

Method:

In a blender take all ingrediants given for grinding and make into a fine paste.

Heat ghee in a kadai,add in cumin seeds..After it crackle add in onions,cook this till golden brown..

Add in the ground masala and cook till oil separates from this..

Add in tomatoes and mix well...Season with salt.

Add in turmeric,coriander,chilli and garam masala powder.

Add in capsicum and mix well..Pour in curd and mix well.

Add in the soaked rice and fry for 2 mins..

Pour in 4 cups of water(for 1 cup rice add 1 cup water)...Let this come up to boil..

Cover and simmer on a very low flame for 15-20 mins until the rice is cooked and all water has absorbed..

Serve with your favorite gravy or raita..

Ghee Rice/Neyy Chor

Ingrediants:

Basmati rice-2 cup

Onion-1 chopped

Green chilli-3

Ginger-1 tblspn minced

Garlic-1 tblspn minced

Cinnamon / Pattai-1  inch piece

Cardamom / Yelakai-5

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee / Clarified Butter / Butter-3 tblspn

Coconut milk-1 cup

Coriander leaves/Cilantro-for garnishing

Saffron colour as needed

Method:

Soak Rice for 30 mins..Drain it and set aside...

Heat ghee or butter in a heavy bottomed pan..

Add cinnamon,cumin seeds,cardamom and mix well.

Add in ginger and garlic...Fry this for 1 min.

Add in onions and green chilli and cook till golden brown..Season with salt...

Add in rice and mix well..Pour in the coconut milk and 3 cups of water and bring this to boil..

Add in saffron colour and mix well...

Cover and simmer for 15 mins or untill all water is absorbed..

Fluff it with fork...Garnish with cilantro..

Serve with your favorite curry..

Baby Corn Pulav

Ingrediants:

Basmati rice-2 cups(soaked for 30 min)

Baby corn-1 cup chopped

Peas -1/2 cup half cooked

Soya beans-1/2 cup half cooked

Double beans-1/2 cup half cooked

Tomato puree-1 cup

Onion-1 sliced

Green chilli-2

Soya sauce-1 tblspn

Red chilli powder-1 tblspn

Coriander powder(malli podi)-1 tblspn

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Garam masala powder-1 tsp

Ghee-2 tblspn

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Seasonings:

Saunf(sombu)-1 tsp

Cinnamon(pattai)-1 inch piece

Bay leaf(briyani leaf)-1

Cumin seeds(jeera)-1 tsp

Cardamom(yelakai)-2

 

Method:

In a pressure cooker add oil and heat it up...Add in the seasonings and fry for 30 sec.

Add in onions and fry for 3 min.now put in spices and mix well.pour in tomato puree and mix well.

Add in green chilli and cook till oil separates.Add in all beans and baby corn and mix well.Season with salt.

Add soya sauce and mix well.Put in the soaked rice and mix well.Add 4 cups of water(for every cup of rice add 2 cups of water) and bring that to boil.

Then simmer the flame and cover and pressure cook for 15-20 min.garnish with coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve with any side dish.