PUDINA RICE

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INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice – 1 cup washed and soaked for 30 minutes

Pudina leaves – 1 1/2 cup

Oil -1 tsp for frying pudina

Green chillies- 5

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Ghee – 1tbsp

Oil – 1tbsp

Sahjeera – 1/4 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Ginger garlic paste – 1tbsp

Finely sliced onion – 1 big size

Water – 1 1/2 cups

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies. Fry for a few seconds and then add washed pudina leaves.
2. Fry for 2 minutes and add ginger pieces. Cook for another 2 minutes on high flame and switch off the flame.
3. Add 1 tsp lemon juice and grind it to a fine paste.
4. Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add sahjeera and bay leaves. Fry for few seconds. Add finely chopped onions.
5. Fry till the onions becomes light brown and then add ginger garlic paste.
6. Fry on medium flame till the raw smell fades out. Then add grinded pudina paste.
7. Fry on medium flame till the raw smell fades away. Add salt and water.
8. Bring it to boil. Add strained rice and mix well. Keep covered and cook on low flame till the water evaporates. Goes well with chicken curry.

SOYA GRANULES AND TOTAKURA RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice- 1 cup washed and soaked for 1 hour

Finely chopped totakura- 1 1/2 cups

Soya granules- 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1tbsp

Pulav masala – 1/2 tsp

Ghee – 1tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2 finely chopped

Green chillies – 2 slited

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Washed and soak basmathi rice for 1 hour.
2. Boil soya granules in water for 5 to 8 minutes. Strain and wash in cold water.
3. Squeeze off the excess water and set aside. Wash totakura well and strain it. Boil totakura in water for 5 to 6 minutes on high flame.
4. Strain and squeeze off the excess water and set aside. Add oil and ghee in a kadai. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies.
5. Add salt and cook on low flame till onions turns light pink. Then, add ginger and garlic paste and fry for 5 minutes on medium flame.
6. Add soya granules and mix well. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add squeezed totakura and mix well.
7. Cook on medium flame for 4 minutes. Add salt and pulav masala. Mix well.
8. Add water and bring it to boil. Add strained basmathi rice. Check out seasonings.
9. Cook on low flame till the rice is done. Goes well with raita and any masala curries.

METHI RICE

INGREDIENTS 

Basmathi rice  – 1 cup

Cloves – 3

Cardamom – 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Star anise – 1

Garlic cloves – 8

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Finely chopped methi leaves – 1/2 cup

Finely chopped mint leaves – 1/4 cup

Finely chopped coriander leaves  – 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 2  1/2 cups

METHOD

• Wash basmati rice and soak in water for 20 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.
• Wash all the finely chopped leafy vegetables and keep it aside.
• Heat oil and 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan. Add garlic cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and star anise.
• Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, add ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell fades away.
• Add 2 1/2 cups of water and salt. Let it boil. Add finely chopped methi leaves, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix well and let it boil again.
• Add drained basmati rice. Mix well. Cook on medium flame. Make sure the rice is fully cooked.  Once cooked, keep it covered for 5-6 minutes.
• Lastly, add the remaining ghee. Mix throughly and serve hot with any type of gravy curries.

SUGGESTIONS

Adjust the water quantity according to your wish.

 

GHEE RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice – 1 cup

Water – 2cups

Cloves – 10

Cardamom – 6

Cinnamon – 2 inch piece

Bay leaves – 4

Thinly sliced onions – 1 medium size

Green chillies – 5 (slit)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

METHOD

• Wash basmathi rice 2 to 3 times in water to remove excess starch. Soak them for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, drain all the water. Heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves and saute for few seconds.
• Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute till they become transparent.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute on medium flame till the raw smell goes away.
• Add salt and 2 cups of water. Stir well. When the water starts boiling, add drained rice and mix well. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty.
• Cook on low flame until the water is absorbed. Switch off the flame.
• After 5 to 6 minutes, open the lid and mix it slowly. Serve hot.

SUGGESTIONS

Ghee rice can be served along with gravy type curries.

PAV BHAJI RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice – 1 1/2 cup

Water – 3 cups

Oil – 2 to 3 drops

Salt as required for cooking rice

FOR PREPARING RICE

Oil – 1 1/2  tbsp

Ghee – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

Tomato puree – 1/2 cup

Finely chopped tomato – 1 large size

Frozen peas – 1/4 cup boiled for 3 minutes

Finely chopped capsicum – 1/4 cup

Red chilli paste – 2 1/2 tsp

Pav baji masala – 2 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Finely chopped coriander – 2 to 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD

• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Cook with 3 cups of water, oil and salt.
• Dont cook the rice too much. It will spoil the texture of the pulao. Transfer the rice to a wide plate, cool it completely.
• Heat ghee/oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and saute till they begin to crackle. Add onions, fry them until they turn translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt, fry till a nice aroma emanates your kitchen.
• Next, add tomato puree. Mix and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or till the mixture thickens.
• Add chopped tomatoes, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum and green peas, mix and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add red chilli paste and pav baji masala, stir and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add rice and mix gently. Add lemon juice and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
• Serve hot with yogurt. Adjust seasonings according to your taste.

JEERA RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice – 1 cup

Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1/4 tsp

Shajeera – 1/2 tsp

Cloves – 6

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cardamom – 3

Bay leaf – 1

Oil – 1tbsp

Ghee – 1tbsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

Water – 2 cups

Salt to taste 

METHOD

• Rinse rice with water. Add water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain it compleately in a colander.
• Heat ghee and oil in a pot. Saute bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom until they begin to sizzle.
• Add cumin seeds and shajeera on a low flame until they get roasted well. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell goes away.
• Transfer drained rice to the pot and roast for 1 to 2 minutes. This helps to bring out the aroma.
• Pour 2 cups of water and add salt. Stir well and taste the water. It must be slightly salty.
• Bring water to a boil and cook on medium heat until the water is absorbed. Switch off the flame.
• After 5 to 6 minutes, open the lid and mix it slowly. Serve with any curry.

SUGGESTIONS

• Do not over mix the rice.

PLAIN PULAV RICE

INGREDIENTS 

Basmathi rice – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1/2 tsp

Cloves – 10

Cardamom- 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Bay leaves -2

Star anise (  anasa puvvu) -1

Mace ( Javithri) – 1 blade

Green chilles – 4 cut into two pieces

Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water – 1 1/2 cups

METHOD 

1. Wash basmathi rice 3 to 4 times and then soak with enough water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, drain off all the excess water.
3. Heat ghee and oil in a pan .Add all the spices one by one except green chilles and ginger garlic paste.
4. Fry for a minute , reduce the flame and add  the green chilles and ginger garlic paste.
5. Stir fry for two minutes till the raw smell goes away .
6. Add water and salt  mix well. Put the drained rice to the boiling water.
7. Cook on a slow flame till the rice is done.

SUGGESTIONS

This rice goes very well with any veg or non-veg gravies.

 

 

 

 

 

EASY CHICKEN FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice – 1 cup

Cloves – 2

cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cardamon – 3

Water – 2 cups

Chicken boneless – 1/2 kg washed ,cut into 1 inch cubes

Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp

Curry leaves -few

Medium sized onions -2 finely chopped

Green chilles – 4 sliced

turmeric  -1/2 tsp

Red chilles powder – 1 tbsp

Pulav masala or garam masala – 1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Finely chopped coriander – 1tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

METHOD

     Wash rice and cook with lavang ,cinnamon, cardamon along with 2 cups of water. When rice is cooked spread it in a large tray to cool, and keep it aside.

 Heat oil in a large kadai and add cumin seeds and curry leaves and  fry for a second. After this add chopped onions , green chilles , turmeric and salt and  fry till onions turn light brown colour.

     Add red chilli powder , pulav masala or garam masala and fry for 1 to 2 minutes then add washed chicken and mix well . Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked .

  Make sure the chicken is cooked properly. Add water if necessary . Add boiled rice to the chicken masala and mix well .Uncover the pan, increase the heat to high and mix well. Adjust seasoning .

Remove from heat and add finely chopped coriander . Serve with raitha .

Suggestions – Same procedure can be used to cook kheema pulao.