Mint rice/ Pudina rice

 Variety rice is a common recipe in Tamil cuisine. Some of the common ones are tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, mango rice, yoghurt rice etc. Mint rice or Pudina rice falls under the same category. The flavor of the rice is enhanced by all the spices and the mint. 

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of Basmati rice
1 red onion
1 cup of mint leaves and coriander leaves
2-3 green chillies
1 inch of ginger
1 tbsp of broken cashew nuts
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 pieces of clove
1/8 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tbsp of cumin powder
1 tbsp of ghee
oil as required
salt as required

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice with 2 cups of water. If I have a choice between gas/electricity, I usually prefer cooking in a gas instead of electricity. Allow the rice to cool. 
2. Add little oil to the pan, then add the chopped onion, ginger, green chillies and garlic. Saute well for 2 minutes and then add the cashew nuts.

3.Add mint and coriander leaves and salt to the pan. Saute well till the leaves are wilted. Allow them to cool and grind them together with little water.

4.Add ghee to the skillet and add 2 cloves. Then transfer the ground paste to the skillet. Add turmeric and cumin powder to the paste. As the raw smell disappears and the ground paste thickens, switch off the flame.

 

5.Add the rice and saute gently. Close the lid. Let it steam for 5 minutes. 

6.Mint rice is ready, serve with papad.

Tomato rice

  I have received a few emails from friends (especially those who are working long and busy hours) saying that they would like to see some recipes that can be done quickly. This recipe is fairly easy to make with some basic ingredients. 

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of Basmati rice
1 cup of crushed tomatoes (available as cans at local grocery stores)*
2 green chillies
1 handful of green peas
1/2 tbsp of red chilly powder
1/2-1 tsp of garam masala powder
1/2 tbsp of ginger paste
1 tbsp of ghee
coriander leaves for garnish
salt as required


Preparation:

1. Cook the rice with 2 cups of water. Allow the rice to cool.
2. Add ghee to the pan, then green chillies and ginger. Saute well and add the crushed tomatoes. Saute well till the tomatoes starts to thicken.

 

3.Add red chilly powder, garam masala, green peas and salt to the pan. Saute well till the peas are cooked.As the raw smell disappears and the paste becomes like thokku, switch off the flame.

4.Add the rice and saute gently. Close the lid. Let it steam for 5 minutes.

5.Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with papad/ chips.

*crushed tomatoes can be replaced by fresh tomatoes ground to paste.

Paneer fried rice

  My mami made this fried rice when I was in college. She shared this recipe long back and I always tried this for some nice occasions and has been received well. This recipe is very simple, delicious and easy to prepare. 

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of Basmati rice
1 carrot
4 stems of beans
1/4 cup of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of shredded paneer
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
1 tsp of green chilly sauce
1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
olive oil
salt as required

Preparation:

1. Grate the carrot and cut the beans in to tiny pieces.Cook the rice with 2 cups of water. Allow the rice to cool.
2. Add 1 tsp of olive oil to the pan, then add the veggies(carrot, beans and cabbage) and saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add black pepper and salt to the veggies and saute well for a minute.

4.Now add the paneer, green chilly sauce and soy sauce and rice. 
Saute gently.

5.Switch off the flame and close the lid. Let it steam for 10 minutes. Serve with channa masala/ any other gravy.

Arisi upma/ Rice upma

 Arsi upma is a traditional dish at my in-laws place. My mom makes this upma usually with broken rice. The rice is slightly roasted and allowed to cool. Later the rice is ground in to coarse powder. This dish is made with raw rice and mong dhal, is a good balance of carbohydrates and protein.

Preparation time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients: 

1 cup of raw rice
1/4 cup of yellow moong dhal
2 1/2 cups of water
1 tbsp of oil
salt as required

For seasoning: 


1/2 tbsp of whole black pepper
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds 
2-3 dried red chilly
1 tsp of urad dhal
8 curry leaves
pinch of  asafoetida powder


Preparation:


1.Add the rice and moong dhal to the skillet and dry roast them.
2.Heat the oil in the pan and add the seasoning in medium flame. As  the cumin seeds sputters, transfer the water. Bring it to boil.
3.Add the toasted rice and salt. Mix them well and close the lid. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes in medium flame.
4.Serve arisi upma with chutney.

Yogurt Rice/ Thayir sadam

    Thayir sadam is a very popular dish and everyone makes it in a unique way. This is my mother-in-law's version. I remember she made this really tasty yogurt rice when we were going on a trip to Mahabaleshwar. My mom makes it with green chillies and ginger. In a way, I am lucky that I get to taste and experiment both the versions and relish it!

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time:15 minutes 


Ingredients:


1 cup of rice
3/4 cup of yogurt
1/4  cup of milk
2 moar milagai/ dahi mirchi
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp of mustard
1/2 tsp of urad dhal
1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp of oil
salt as required


Preparation:

1.Pressure cook the rice with 3 cups of water.Allow the rice to cool.
2.Heat oil in the pan and add the mustard, urad dhal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and broken moar milagai.
3.As the milagai turns brown, transfer the seasoning to the rice.Add the yogurt, milk and salt to the rice and mix well.
4.Yummy yogurt rice is ready. Serve with pickle.