Celery and Bean sprouts Fried rice

If you are living in UK/USA, you are obviously craving for Indian food. I know everyone want to find the taste of home in every dish they eat. There are only few vegetables available in the grocery that are Indian such as egg plant, potato, cucumber, capsicum, oakra etc., and leafy vegetables like spinach and cilantro/coriander.

You can also use sprouted beans, celery, squash, parsley and other vegetables. If you do not like to eat celery in salads just throw them in fried rice and enjoy the delicious flavorful fried rice with little twist.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice-4 cups(when measured with 160ml cup)
Mint leaves-4 springs
Parsely/Cilantro leaves chopped-10 springs
Celery- 1 stem chopped to fine pieces
Sproted beans handful washed and chopped to half
Pepper powder-1/2tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander powder-1/4 tbsp
Soy sauce-2tbsp
Green chili-2
Bay leaf-2
Oil-2tbsp
Onions chopped-1/2cup
Lemon juice-2tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, beans, celery, onions  and green chili. Saute until the raw flavor goes away. Then add coriander powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper powder. Give a quick saute until the all vegetables are well cooked under medium flame. Now add rice, mint leaves and cilantro and mix well. Cook for about 2min under medium flame and squeeze some lemon juice at the end and serve hot.
Hope you like my recipe, please feel free to post your comments. They are very valuable for me, you can even subscribe by e-mail to my blog, the recipes will reach your inbox. ThanX for visiting my space. Please bookmark it to visit/ remember again.

Methi Tomato Rice

Greens are always my favorite in my diet, even my hubby love to have geens every day. My mother used to make mixed geen leaf curry (Kalakura) form spinach(Palakura), sukka kura, methi(menthem kura), bacchal kura and tota kura. I love this curry, it tastes wonderful and good for health, we can rarelay find such type of combos that are made tasty and healthy! Oops I think I deviated from the topic,. So, today I made this wonderful methi rice, I never know that methi rice tastes this good, because I always thought methi is sour in taste so the rice also will taste the same, but to my wonder the rice was that awesome that I and my hubby finsihed it in no time. Try it you will make it again and again like me!!!
 Want to know about calories in Indian food CLICK HERE TO VIEW CALORIE CHART

Ingredients:

Cooked rice-4 cups(Measured with 160ml cup)

Tomato puree- 1 cup(160ml)

Onions finely chopped-1/2cup

Cumin seeds-1/2tbsp

Methi/fenu greek leaves-2cups

Ginger- finely grated-1/2tbsp

Garlic- finely grated-1 tbsp

Green chili-chopped-2 big(depending on the heat you require in the rice)

Salt to taste

pepper powder-1/2tbsp

Curry leaf-5 in number(optional)

Cilantro/coriander-10 springs chopped

Bay leaf-2

Cinnamon stick-1 inch

cardamom -2 cloves

Dhaniya powder/coriander powder-1/2tbsp

oil/butter-2tbsp(I prefer butter,because it gives good flavor)

turmeric-pinch

Directions:

First prepare a curry paste with tomatos+Chili by grinding them together. Take a pan and add 2ts of oil/butter and heat it, to the oil add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. when all the spices get baked add onions, curry leaf, ginger,garlic,little turmeric, and green peas and fry until the onions are finely cooked. Now, add the first grinded paste, methi leaves and coriander powder and cook until the raw flavor of tomato vanishes. Add cooked rice and mix them. close the lid and cook in simmer for 2min. Finally garnish with cilantro and the delicious dish is ready.

Hope you like my recipe, please feel free to post your comments. They are very valuable for me, you can even subscribe by e-mail to my blog, the recipes will reach your inbox. ThanX for visiting my space. Please bookmark it to visit/ remember again.

Yogurt and Heavy cream Rice (Daddojanam/curd rice)

What is more interesting in food than Daddojanam(Curd Rice). It is a simple yet delicious comforting food orginated in Southern parts of India. It is also served as a prasadam after offering to God in many Hindu temples. People like me will stand in queue of prasadam again and again for getting this delicious prasadam. I wonder how this prasad made in temples tastes wonderful. I will make this rice very often at my home for myself, my hubby do not like the smell of yogurt/curd and he developed a dislike for it from childhood. That is the reason why I prepare this rice for myself.
Addition of cream to this rice gives more lovely flavor and yummy taste.

Ingredients
Yogurt/curd-3cups
Heavy cream(Non-fat)-1/2cup
Cooked rice-2cups(cook rice by adding 1 and 1/2 cup of water for 1cup of rice)
Green chili-2 finely chopped
onion finely chopped-1/4cup
Salt to taste
Oil-2tbsp
mustard seeds-1/2tbsp
cumin seeds-1/2tbsp
curry leaf-1 rid(optional)
red chili-1

Method
Mix yogurt, cream, rice, onion, salt and green chili in a medium size bowl. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds when they splatter add curry leaf and red chili. Add this tempering to curd rice and mix well. Now the yummy Daddojanam is ready to serve. Hope you like my recipe.

Jeera Rice or cumin rice

Jeera is one of my favorite spices, especially when combined with rice it imparts a very unique and delicious flavor. My mother used to prepare this rice very often, we used to have it with curd or boondi. Yes, my favorite combo with jeera rice is curd and boondi. Try it once and you will enjoy it for sure!
In India many marriages  take place during the month of May, and you all know in this month Sun becomes our best friend and he will not leave us all day. Yes! that is the feeling I used to have from my childhood, the heat from the sun is that high during this month that is the reason why we feel as if we are walking with the Sun. So, in marriages I used to have this jeera rice with cool curd and boondi/mixture, this is a kind of a relief in a hot summer. Now coming to the recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice/any rice- 3cups
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1tbsp
Pudina/Mint leaves-1 bunch
coriander/cilantro leaves-10 springs chopped
Salt to taste
carrot finely chopped-1/4cup(Optional, I added just for color)
Oil-2tbsp
cloves-3
cinnamon stick-1
cardamom-2
bay leaf-2
Finely chopped green chili-2
Gingere-1/2tbsp
garlic paste-1/2tbsp

Method:
Wash rice and add 6cups of water and salt to taste. Soak for 20min for better results or you can start cooking immediately.  I cooked in a rice cooker, if you are cooking out side you can do the following procedure in the vessel you are cooking rice.
Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin, cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaf and clove. Saute them for 1min under medium flame and add ginger, garlic paste, green chili, carrot and saute till carrot are half done. Then add pudina/ mint leaves and cilantro. When mint leaves are done turnoff the stove and add this mixture to the rice soaked and mix well. Turn on the rice cooker and cook like a normal rice.
When it is cooking your house will be filled with all mint and jeera flavors. If you do not have pudina/mint it is OK you can cook without it!!!

Hope you enjoy!!!
cheers,
DD

Soya chunks Vegetable Biryani

Soya chunks works wonderful when you like to have something different kind of vegetable biryani. Just throw in few cooked soya chunks in the curry you make for vegetable biryani and there you go!!! yummy biryani is ready, which is healthy too!!!

Ingredients:
Soya chunks cooked in 1/2tbsp of salt-1 cup
Vegetables of your choice-3cups
I used 10 beans chopped, 1 small potato chopped, 1 big carrot chopped
Green peas-1/4cup, Cauliflower-1/2cup, capsicum chopped-1/4cup
Onion-1/2cup chopped
Tomato-1cup chopped
Yogurt/curd-1cup
Oil-2tbsp
Butter-1tbsp(Please do not skip this, this butter gives a special flavor to this recipe)
Salt to taste
Cloves-4
Elachi/Cardamom-2
Cinnamon stick-1 inch
Bay leaf-2
Pudina/mint fresh leaves-20 springs
Cilantro 10 springs chopped
Garam masala-1/4tbsp(Mild spicy)
Coriander powder-1tbsp
Cumin powder-1/2tbsp
Green chili-3
Basmathi Rice-3cups(1cup=200ml)
Cumin seeds/Black Cumin-1/2tbsp
Turmeric-1/8th tbsp
Ginger garlic paste-1tbsp

Method:
Wash and soak basmati rice in 5cups of water. Add 1tbsp of salt and cook until 80% done. Take a large skillet and heat 2tbsp of oil and 1tbsp of butter. Then add cumin seeds and when they start splattering add Clove, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf. Add onion, soy chunks and green chili cook till they become transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. When they are well cooked, add all the vegetables and saute them. Cover the skillet and cook till all vegetables are 70% cooked. Then add yogurt/curd, cumin powder, coriander powder & garam masala. Mix them all and cook well. Add salt to taste and cook till all vegetables are cooked well. Finally add cilantro and mint leaves and cook till raw flavor goes away.
Arrange rice and curry layers alternatively in a large thick pan and cook under medium flame till the rice is well cooked.

When the rice is done, Serve hot with raita/ mirchi ka salan. you can find these recipes in my blog. trust me it will taste awesome, I just sqeezed little tomato juice on top and had it hot hot!!!!!!!
hope you like it too!!!


 

Tomato Capsicum Bath with Chicken Broth in Rice cooker

I am really addicted to the Mexican recipes these days. Few days back I tried Mexican rice and they turned awesome, now I just tried the same recipe in Indian style. From past month I have been making one pot meals for my hubbys lunch box, which are very simple and delicious recipes. Similarly, I tried this today, and just now I got a phone call my hubby telling that the rice is fantastic!!! This is the best compliment that I have ever heard from my hubby, he is a bit inexpressive tells about the recipes unless you ask him!! But today to my surprise he called and told me about it!!!:) Now stories apart coming to the recipe..

Ingredients
Long Grain rice(Available in all most all grocery stores)- 3cups
Water-2cups
salt to taste
Chicken Broth-4 cups
Capsicum finely chopped-1/4cup
Onion-1/4cup
Cilantro/coriander-10 springs chopped
Green peas-1/8 cup
Tomato puree-1/2cup
Green chili-2
Cloves-2
elachi/Cardamom-2
cinnamon-1 inch stick
Bay leaf-1
Pudina powder-1/2tbsp(or fresh pudina leaves/Mint leaves)
Butter/ Olive oil-2tbsp

Method:
Wash rice and add chicken broth, water and salt (remember chicken broth already contains salt so better be careful). Now take a skillet and add butter/olive oil and heat it. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and allow them to splatter. Then add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf, saute under medium flame. Then add onion, green chili and cook till the onion turn tender. Then add capsicum and green peas, saute for 1min(Do not over cook capsicum as they will cook well along with rice). Finally add tomato puree, pudina powder, coriander and cook till the raw flavor of tomato goes away. Shift this mixture in to the rice bowl and cook like you cook normal rice.

Finally you can squeeze some lemon juice on the top, if you like tangy flavor. You can also add garlic in the seasoning if you wish.
Hope you will like this recipe too!!! please come back again and do not forget to leave your valuable comment below!!!

Thank you
DD @your service always

Egg Biryani with tangy twist

This is very simple and easy recipe, I made this for my hubbys lunch box. It is quick one pot meal. I love to have this any time. It is spicy and tangy biryani. Hope you will love it too!!!

Ingredients:
Eggs-2
Onions-chopped-1cup
Tomatos-chopped-1cup
Green peas-1/4cup
Green chilles 2
Mint leaves-1/4cup
Bay lef 1
cinnamon 1 inch stick
Cardamom 2 pods
chopped ciliantro 2t.s
Cumin seeds 1tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tbsp
Chana dal 1/4ts
Urad dal-1/4ts
Turmeric Pinch
Salt To taste
Chilli powder 1/2t.s
Coriander powder-1/2ts
Cumin powder-1/2ts
Garam masala-1/4ts (optional)
Red chilli 1tbsp
vegetable oil 2tbsp
Tamarind-lemon size

Method

1. Boil Eggs and remove shell, keep them aside.
2. Heat a thick bottom non stick pan and add 2ts of vegetable oil.
3. Add Cumin seeds + Mustard Seeds + Red chili + chana Dal + Urad dal and wait until they splutter.
4. Add cinnamon+cardamom+bayleaf+ onions + green chilies and saute until they get half cooked. Mean while soak tamarind in water.
5. Add tomatos and cook under medium flame until they get cooked completely.
6. Squeeze out tamarind water from the soaked tamarind and add this water to the cooking mixture.
7. Add all curry powders chili powder+salt+coriander powder+cumin powder+green peas+mint leaves and cook for 5min under medium flame.
8. Add water and bring to boil.
9. Add garam masala at the if you prefer it spicy.
10. Add rice and cook like a normal rice.
11. When the rice is about to cook take the boiled eggs and make slit with knife on the top and place them inside the rice and cook under low flame.
12. Finally garnish with cilantro.

Hope you like this onepot meal!!!!
cheers
DD

Egg Biryani- Indian Style Luchbox Idea

It is always a big twist in my mind, if I would have to cook any thing for the lunchbox for my hubby. He is just like a small kid. He do not like curries in his box, so I always make vegetable pulav, pulihora or noodles. But this time i wanted to make some thing special and I made eg biryani. He liked it very much and finished it. After he is done with luch, he called me in phone and told me that he liked it very much. If you wanna get such rewards try this recipe. I bet your loved one will be very happy. This is really quick and wonderful dish. You need to keep in mind that egg dum biryani is far different from egg biryani. This is made i vegetable pulav style. Two tastes very different.

Egg Biryani In my Hubbys lunch box

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water-3cups
Eggs - 5
Onions - 1 large
Tomato chopped-2 big
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4 cloves
Green Chillies - 6 to 8
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 1/4 cup
Cumin powder-1/2tbsp
coriander powder-1tbsp
Red capsicum and yellow capsicum chopped-1/2cup(optional)
batani/green peas-1/4cup
Cinnamon stick-1 inch
Bay Leaves - 2
Cardamom - 5
Plain Yogurt - 3 tablespoons
Shahi Jeera(black cumin) or youc an substitute normal cumin-1/2tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 teaspoons
Directions
Soak the basmati rice in water for atleast 45min in a rice cooker. Then take a pan and heat 2tbsp of oil in it. Then add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds and wait till they spaltter. Then add onions & green chili and let them cook. When the onions & green chili are half cooked add ginger and garlic saute till raw flavor vanishes. Then add tomato, green peas & capsicum and cook till it turns tender. Mean while boil eggs and keep them aside. Add salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, yogurt/curd and garam masala powder. Mix well by adding 3cups of water. Check for the taste, adjust salt. When the mixture comes to boil add coriander leaves, pudina/mint leaves and rice and cook like a normal rice. If you are cooking in a rice cooker then add this entire mixture in it and cook it like a normal rice. When the rice is about to done make slits (longitudinal) on the boiled egg and add it to the rice. Serve hot with perugu chutney/yogurt. I allowed it too cool a little and kept it for lunch box. I made majjiga pulusu(one of the famous curd dish prepared in south india especially in andhra pradesh). I recommend you to drink more water when you had this kind of spicy dishes. It will help your stomoch to balance pH. Hope you like my recipe. :)

Curry for egg biryani

rice cooked for egg biryani

Bisi bele bath- south Indian recipe and Savings Rite Aid Coupon

When I think of Karnataka cuisine the first thing which comes into my mind is Bisibele bath. Bisi means hot, bele means dal so bisibele bath is nothing but hot dal rice(almost like samabar rice) . Just Like obbatu (bobbatlu/puran poli) bisibele bath takes a special place during festivals and weddings. It’s a one pot meal in which you get your protein, carbs and veggies cooked to perfection in our favourite Indian spices. I love Mango pickle on the side of this delicious dish. Raita on the side is also a nice compliment to this classic dish of Karnataka.

If you wanna make this recipe fast you can substitute Instant sambar mix powder instead of spices that I have mentioned. Freshly ground spices sure taste great. I made this bisibele bath in rice cooker. You can also make it in deep rice pot or pressure cooker. It tastes awesome when blended with spices and vegetables. My hubby enjoyed it a lot. Now coming to the recipe

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice: 3/4th cup
Toor dal (kandi pappu): ½ cup
Beans (about 30) cut into half inch pieces
Large carrot: 1 cut into half inch pieces
Frozen peas: ½ cup
Small potato: 1 cut into small cubes
Medium size ripe tomato: 2 cut into small pieces
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Salt: 2 to 3 tbsp
Freshly squeezed lemon juice: 4 ts
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro/coriander chopped-10 springs
Bisibele bath Powder

• chana dal- 3 tsp
• urad dal- 3 tsp
• fenugreek (methi seeds)- about 4 seeds
• dry coconut- 3 tsps
• red chillies- 5 to 6
• jeera (cumin)- 1 tsp
• coriander seeds- 1 tsp
• cloves- 2
• cardamom- 1
• cinammon stick- a small piece

Power all the Ingredients together

For tempering (talimpu)
Oil: 2 tbsps
Few mustard seeds

Cumin seeds fewTurmeric: 1/4th tsp
Few curry leaves(optional)
Small onion: 1 chopped
Hing (asafetida): 5 pinches
Bay Leaf: 2

Method:

 In the rice cooker wash rice & dal and add double the quantity of water and 1tbsp of salt and mix well and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and add cumin seeds when they start splattering. when the cumin seeds starts popping add onions and cook under medium flame. When they turn tender add turmeric and saute till its raw flavor goes away. Then add hing and bay leaf and saute for 2min. Then add all the vegetables and cook by closing the lid under medium flame. When all the vegetables are half cooked add the prepared powder and Mix well, cook for another few minutes and add this mixture to the soaked rice and dal. Mix all the ingredients well and add salt if required. Finally add coriander and mix well. Cook in rice cooker. If you are cooking in pressure cooker, cook for 3-4 whistles(depends on the type of cooker, you know about your cooker better than me). Serve hot with raita. Generally people prepare this bath watery or mushy. I like to prepare it dry. If you want mushy add more water. Thank you for visiting my space. Hope you like my recipe. Please come back again.

COUPON FROM SAVINGS CLICK HERE

Tomato Rice

If you are in a hurry, wanna try some quick, special, yummy and easy recipe, then this is the best one. I prepare this when my hubby gets bore with lemon rice. I feel this is the great way of using the left over rice. The rice no more looks like a left over one, they get steamed in the tomato puree and acquires and tangy and fresh flavor. Looks wonderful. Tomato bath is different from tomato rice. In tomato bath we cook the raw rice in the tomato puree where as in tomato rice we fry the cooked rice in tomato puree. 

Ingredients:

Cooked rice-4 cups(Measured with 160ml cup)

Tomato puree- 1 cup(160ml)

Onions finely chopped-1/2cup

Cumin seeds-1/2tbsp

Green peas-1/4cup

Ginger- finely grated-1/2tbsp

Garlic- finely grated-1 tbsp

Green chili-chopped-2 big(depending on the heat you require in the rice)

Salt to taste

pepper powder-1/2tbsp

Curry leaf-5 in number(optional)

Cilantro/coriander-10 springs chopped

Bay leaf-2

Cinnamon stick-1 inch

cardamom -2 cloves

Dhaniya powder/coriander powder-1/2tbsp

oil/butter-2tbsp(I prefer butter,because it gives good flavor)

turmeric-pinch

Directions:

First prepare a curry paste with tomatos+Chili by grinding them together. Take a pan and add 2ts of oil/butter and heat it, to the oil add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves.  when all the spices get baked add onions, curry leaf, ginger,garlic,little turmeric, and green peas and fry until the onions are finely cooked. Now, add the first grinded paste coriander powder and cook until the raw flavor of tomato vanishes. Add cooked rice and mix them. close the lid and cook in simmer for 2min. Finally garnish with cilantro and the delicious dish is ready. 

Hope you like my recipe, please feel free to post your comments. They are very valuable for me, you can even subscribe by e-mail to my blog, the recipes will reach your inbox. ThanX for visiting my space. Please bookmark it to visit/ remember again.

Kichidi with Chana Dal

Kichidi.....this is well known to every one....the ease of making it made it very popular item on a lazy holiday. It do not require and side dish, making is simple, tastes very good, fills the stomach, that's all. I prefer making this on weekends, its our regular holiday brunch. I love it, my hubby love it too (this is important ;)!!!!!!!!!
Here is the recipe, Some make i with moong dal / Green lentils but my hubby loves it with chana dal

Ingredients:
Basmathi Rice/ regular rice- 3 cups
Chana Dal (split gram dal)-1/2 cup
you can use vegetables you like but remember to chop them into large pieces
Carrot slices- 1/2 cup
beans chopped-1/2 cup
Green peas-1/4cup
cauliflower florets- 1cup
green chili-2 cubed
Onions chopped-1/2cup
Spices:
cloves-4
Elachi / cardamom-3 cloves
Cinnamon stick- 1big
Bay leaves / biryani leafs -2 big
Sajeera / Jeera/ cumin seeds-1/2ts

Nuts, mint leaves, cilantro-  (optional)
Ginger garlic paste-2ts
vegetable oil/ ghee/ butter-3-4ts
Salt to taste
Water for cooking
Method:

• Wash and soak rice and chana dal in water, for 1 cup of mixture add 2cups of water (1:2 ratio) and add 1ts of table salt and keep it aside.
• Now take a thick bottom skillet and add 3-4ts of olive oil / butter / ghee/ vegetable oil to the skillet and heat it.
• Add all the spices cloves + cinnamon + cardamom + bay leaves +jeera and  wait until they splutter, always remember to cook spices in medium flame.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw flavor vanishes.
• Toss in all vegetables and stir it well.
• cook until they are half done by closing the lid.
• Now add this mixture to soaked rice and cook just like a normal rice in a rice cooker or pressure cooker.
• I love enjoying this with raita, but it does not require any side dish.

Hope you like my recipe, Please, leave your comments they are very valuable for me...thnX for stopping by. keep visiting :)

bagara

Chicken Biryani made easy and tasty.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
For marination:
1 pound chicken(boneless or with bones)

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I prefer soybean oil)
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of gingergarlic paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
• 
  
• For Rice:
• 3 cups(260ml) of Basmati rice 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 pods cardamom
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
2 large bay leaves

1 table spoon salt
1/4 table spoon black cumin seeds( optional)
1 tablespoon Mint leaves( Pudina fresh or dry powder-1/2 table spoon)


Procedure:
For marination:

1. Cut the chicken into medium size pieces by removing skin and fat. Wash it and keep aside.
2. Take a large bowel and add all the above mentioned ingredients for marination along with chicken and mix well. Allow it to marinate for about 1-2hrs in a refrigerator.

For preparation of rice:

1. Wash rice throughly and add all the above stated ingredients along with 6 cups(300ml) water. Mix throughly and cook until 70% done and keep it aside.
2. Now take the marinated chicken out and cook it as it is in the large deep thick bottom dish by adding some oil.
3. After the chicken 90% done in cooking add rice on the top of the chicken.
4. You can garnish with fried onions, half cut boiled egg, few drops of saffron color and coriander on the top of the rice.(Optional)
5. cook untill the rice is done.
6. serve hot with lemon juice or Mirchi curry.