Sambar Rice (A comforting one pot meal in Hotel Saravana Bahvan Style)

Hope you all had a wonderful Diwali loaded with happiness and sweets! After the festive feast, here is a comfort meal. The humble sambar rice, made in Hotel Saravana Bhavan style. I too am one among the huge list of fans of HSB sambar. At home, we generally prepare only arachi vitta sambar. So when I came across this recipe in Sharmi's passions, I immediately bookmarked and tried it. I was so happy as the result almost matched the famous HSB sambar. So for all sambar lovers, try this relishing one pot meal and do let me know your feedback :)

Mint Fried Rice

Any mint lovers out there? I love that flavor and this is one recipe that brings out the best in mint! I learnt this recipe from my mom and this is a very easy one-pot meal that tastes best when served hot or even a perfect recipe for lunch box.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooked Rice - 1 cup (Preferably long-rain/basmathi)
• Mint leaves - 1 bunch
• Green chilli - 1 to 2
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped lengthwise
• Boiled potatoes and peas - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch piece
• Cloves - 2

METHOD:

1. Wash and pat dry the mint leaves
2. In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil and fry the mint leaves for a minute
3. Once they reduce in size, allow it to cool and grind it into a smooth paste along with green chilli. You can add a tablespoon of water while grinding
4. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and fry for half a minute. Add the chopped onions and fry till the onion becomes translucent
5. Now add in the mint-chilli paste, potatoes and peas(if adding) and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame
6. Add salt and cooked rice. Mix well, but gently and fry for a minute
7. To enhance the flavor, you can add some lemon juice in the end and give it a mix
8. Serve hot or pack it for lunch along with any raita or pappad!

Spicy Vegetable Pulao

I am a big fan of this spicy pulao, which my mom makes to perfection! So whenever she makes it, I have never peeped into the kitchen but have just relished its aromatic flavor. Last weekend when mom had gone to attend a function, my aunt said she'd make this pulao and I joined in helping her. I never knew this aromatic pulao is such an easy recipe and is the best one-pot meal :) So with due credits to aunt and mom, here goes the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

Part 1 - Masala powder

To be ground into a powder

• Peppercorns - 4
• Jeera - 1/4 Tsp
• Black cardamom/Badi elachi - 1
• Cinnamon - 1/2" stick

The above ingredients can also be replaced with a Tsp of biriyani masala or garam masala

Part 2 - Coriander paste

To be ground into a smooth paste with very little water

• Coriander leaves - a generous handful
• Green chillis - 2
• Garlic - 4 pods
• Ginger - 1/2" piece

 

Part 3 - Other ingredients

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Onions - 1 big
• Mixed vegetables of your choice - 2 cups (carrot, beans, potato, peas and cauliflower make a good combo)
• Red chilli powder - 1 Tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Water - 1.5 - 2 cups

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak basmathi rice for 20 minutes
2. Prepare the powder and paste as mentioned in part 1 and 2 of the ingredients
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the masala powder (part 1) and the coriander paste (part 2). Saute for a minute on medium flame
4. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes till the onions turn golden brown
5. Now add in the mixed vegetables and saute them till they are half cooked
6. Drain the soaked rice and add it along with the vegetables and stir it for half a minute
7. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and give it a mix
8. Add 1.5 cups of water and salt as need
9. Close the lid and when the steam comes, open the lid, check for water level and add or sprinkle water if needed (I didn't add more water). Close the lid again, now with the weight and pressure cook for 2 whistles
10. Remove from fire, allow the pressure to release, open the lid and gently fulff the rice with a fork
11. Keep it closed till you serve
12. Serve warm and relish the aromatic flavors along with any raita/chips/pappad of your choice

 

Baby corn - Mint Pulao

An easy one-pot meal with an aromatic combination of flavorful mint and sweet little baby corn! It is also an ideal lunch box recipe. I came across the baby corn pulao in jeyeshriskitchen. She had used coriander and here I have substituted it with mint as I like mint a lot and moreover mom wanted the bunch of mint leaves that she got the previous day to be used when they are fresh itself!! I took this to office for lunch along with capsicum raita and it was yumm :)

INGREDIENTS

• Basmathi Rice - 1 Cup
• Baby Corn – 5
• Mint leaves – 1 small bunch
• Grated Coconut - 2 Tbslp
• Onion – 1, sliced lengthwise
• Garlic - 2 pods
• Green Chilli - 2
• Oil  - 2 Tbslp
• Cardamom - 2
• Water - 1 and 1/4 Cup
• Salt - As required

METHOD

1. Soak the basmati rice for 10 minutes in 1 and 1/4 cup of water
2. Wash and  cut the baby corn into small rounds
3. Grind the mint leaves, garlic, green chilli and coconut into a very smooth paste and keep aside
4. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and fry the cardamoms for a few seconds. Next add the onions. Saute the onions till they turn transparent
5. Now add the baby corns and saute for 2-3 minutes in low flame
6. Add the ground mixture to the baby corn and onion. Mix well so that the mint mixture coats all the baby corns
7. Add the rice, water and salt
8. Pressure cook for a whistle and then simmer it for 5 more minutes
9. Fluff it up with a fork so that the rice grains are separated. Serve with any raita

Orange Pulav

This is yet another treasure from mom's collection of Mallika Badrinath books. Mom is an expert in making this unique orange pulav and I tried my hand at it for the first time! It is neither too sweet nor spicy and hence will go with any spicy raita or gravy (rajma gravy would be my choice) This time I made this in the morning to pack for my lunch before starting to office and hence didn't have time for any gravy, so just made capsicum raita.

INGREDIENTS:

• Ripe oranges - 3
• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Onions - 2
• Green chillis - 4
• Giner garlic paste - 1 Tsp
• Fresh coconut, grated - 1/4 cup
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
• Cardamoms - 2
• Orange red or Kesar colour - a pinch
• Ghee or oil - 3 Tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped - for garnish
• Seedless green grapes - for garnish

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak rice for 10-15 mins
2. Cut onions length-wise and slit the green chillis
3. Extract coconut milk from the grated coconut and take juice from 2 oranges (keeping one aside for garnish). Strain to remove the seeds. (As I already said, I was in a hurry and hence put the grated coconut and oranges together in a juicer and extracted them together - mom's tip!!)
4. This orange juice and coconut milk mixture together should measure 2 cups
5. Heat ghee or oil in a pressure cooker and fry bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, green chillis and then onion
6. Once the onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and rice (drain the rice well after it is soaked for 10-15 mins). Fry for further 2 minutes
7. Boil the 2 cups of orange juice-coconut milk mixture. Add the required amount of salt at this stage to the liquid
8. Once it starts boiling, pour it over the rice and add the colour
9. Mix very gently and pressure cook for 10 mins. Remove from fire
10. Garnish as desired with green grapes, orange pieces, finely chopped coriander leaves and also fried cashewnuts if you wish to!
11. Enjoy the yummy orange pulav with any masala raita or spicy gravy

Chilli Garlic Rice (Easy lunchbox recipe)

While browsing through mom’s collection of Mallika Badrinath books, I came across this tasty fried rice recipe. The chilli and garlic together make it so flavourful. This can be an ideal lunch box recipe too. If you have the vegetables cut and ready, then it is very easy to make it in the morning and pack for lunch!

INGREDIENTS

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Cabbage - 1 cup (cut length wise)
• Capsicum - 1/4 cup (cut into 1/2 inch pieces length wise)
• Beans -  1/4 cup (cut into 1/2 inch pieces length wise)
• Carrots – ¼ cup (grated)
• Onions – 2
• Spring onions – 1 small bunch
• Sprouted whole green gram – ¼ cup (Soak whole green gram in water overnight. Drain the water and hang in a muslin cloth for a day till it sprouts and it can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator)
• Oil – 3 Tbsp
• Aji-no-moto – ¾ tsp (optional – can be added for extra flavour)
• Salt – as required

Grind Together

• Red chillies – 7 to 9 (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
• Garlic – 5 flakes

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak rice for 10-15 minutes
2. Cook in 15 cups of boiling water, till the rice is half cooked
3. Drain the water and leave it aside to cool completely. Separate the rice grains using a fork so that it dries well
4. Add the ground red chilli-garlic mixture to the rice and mix well
5. Heat oil in a broad pan and fry the vegetables one by one as follows: Onions, beans, carrots, sprouts, capsicum, cabbage and spring onions
6. If you are adding aji-no-moto then add it to the vegetables while frying and stir in a high flame
7. When the vegetables are tender, add salt and cooked rice
8. Continue frying in high flame till the rice is very hot
9. Serve hot with raita or pack it for an interesting lunch break

Methi Pulav (No Onion - No Garlic recipe)

Methi (Fenugreek leaves/Vendhaya Keerai) is said to have a lot of medicinal values like it reduces cholesterol, reduces cardiovascular risk, has a cooling effect on the body, beneficial for people with diabetics and even lactating mothers. These leaves are very aromatic but at the same time have a little bitter taste. But here I am going to share a recipe that completely hides the bitterness and stores all the health benefits of methi :) 

Methi Pulav is a very simple recipe and it has very less ingredients too. I have not added many spices because I didn't want the flavor of methi to be dominated. The secret to the reduction in methi's bitterness in the recipe is the addition of tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS

• Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
• Methi leaves - 1 bunch (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
• Chilli powder - 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Water - 1 and 1/2 cups
• Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
• Oil - 1 Tbsp
• Salt - as required

METHOD

1. Soak basmathi rice for 10-20 minutes
2. Heat oil in directly in a pressure cooker
3. Once it is hot, add the cumin seeds
4. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes
5. Now add the methi leaves and fry for 2 more minutes
6. Drain the soaked rice, add it to the tomatoes and methi and fry for a while
7. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder
8. Add water, salt and pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles depending on the quality of basmathi rice
9. Serve with any raita of your choice

This is also an ideal lunchbox recipe :)