Carrot Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,

Posting the recipe for very easy and quick rice which is common for my daughter's lunch box. I always find a way to feed the carrot to my children. Let it be in soup, salad, thalipeeth, wheat dosa, rice or sambhar. Luckily my both daughters like to have the carrot like rabbits. Just wash and clean it and give them while they are playing. Carrots are always in my fridge.

A very common recipe, may be,you will get it in most of the blogs. Here is my share too...

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup

Carrot - 1 big  or 2 medium, cleaned, peeled and cut into thick circles.

Onion - 1 big, cleaned and chopped lengthwise

Salt to taste

Warm water to cover the rice

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

For masala powder:

Cinnamon - small piece

White pepper - 4 to6

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 1

Bay leaf - 1 small

Take all the ingredients from masala powder, crush it to make coarse powder

Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the rice and drain it. Keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a cooker or open pan.

Add chopped onions and fry till they change the color. Add the masala powder. Fry for a minute. 

Add the carrot pieces, salt and fry for one more minute. 

Now add the rice and fry till the rice gets mixed with the masala and the color will be slightly changed.

If using cooker,

Add the warm water till the rice is covered. Give just one whistle. Let it cool. Add lime juice. Mix well and serve hot or pack for the lunch box.

If using open pan

Add warm water according to the rice. Water quantity varies with each rice quality. Usually I take 1:2 rice:water first. And after sometime, I will check the rice and adjust the water.

Once its cooked, add lime juice. 

Carrot rice is ready!

Sending this to Announcing "Healing Foods-Carrots" hosted by Suma of VEGGIE PLATTER and linking this to Siri's announcement page.

Keep Smiling,

Cashew Nut Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy and simple but perfect rice for any spicy gravy or curry. This goes very well with Spicy Chicken or Mutton curry.

I prepared this it with Butter Chicken gravy.

Ingredients :

Long grain rice or normal rice - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 12 to 15, cut into two

Ghee - 1 tsp +1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Clove - 2

Bay leaf -1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2" piece

Cardamom - 2

White pepper - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp

Water to cook the rice

Clean and wash the rice. Drain and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp ghee and oil in a cooker. 

Add all whole garam masala ( just crush it to avoid the pop out)

Add rice and ginger garlic paste. Fry for some time. Add salt. Add water till the rice is covered. 

Close the lid and give one whistle. Keep it to cool.

Till it is cooled,

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a small pan, add broken cashew nuts and fry till golden color. Add this to the ready rice.

Mix it nicely and serve with your choice of curry.

Sending this to Sara's Corner 's ongoing event Think Spice - Think Garam Masala  which was started by Sunitha of Sunitha's World.

Keep Smiling,

Lemon rice (ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I was in tension and worried as my daughter was not well. Still she is on medicine for a week and doctor told to give her only soft food. I am confused about the menu as doctor has advised her only the soft food.

However, this recipe is not connected with her illness and diet food. But last week, it is prepared for her lunch box.

                                  

Here is the recipe,

Cooked rice - 200 gm, Prepare the rice at least half an hour before and let it be cold before adding to the masala.

(Left over rice also tastes good, but I  make fresh rice as it has to be packed for lunch)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Peanut - 1 tbsp(Optional, tastes good), I did not add it as my daughter does not like peanuts

Red dry chilly - 2, break into pieces

Lime juice - 2 tbsp or more depends on the lime

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Sugar - 2 tsp

Fresh Coconut grated - 1 tbsp(optional)

(I did not use it as I was short of time)

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Put mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter. Add Urad dal and fry for 10 seconds or till they change the color to light brown. Do not delay to add curry leaves otherwise dal will get burnt. Be quick to add Coconut(if adding) with Red dry chilly. Fry for half a minute and off the heat. Now add Salt, Turmeric powder and lime juice. Mix it and add cooked rice. Add sugar and fresh coriander. Mix well. Keep it on heat again and cook for a minute on low flame. 

Lemon rice is ready to eat with pickle and papad. 

It is very good to pack and take while travelling but to be consumed before 4 to 6 hours of preparation as it will get spoiled soon.

Keep Smiling,

Tawa Pulao (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Last week was tried and tasted recipes by others! I tried few dishes from other blogs. All came out good!! no! delicious! Me and my daughter enjoyed the feast very much.

As the schools are open, I need to pack the lunch box for my elder one, and she prefers rice as it is easy to finish fast. Thats why I am again in search of different ways of rice preparations.

This time, I tried this Tawa Pulao(Tawa Pulao) from Chef In You.

It came out very tasty. I almost finished the rice before it went into my daughter's lunch box!!! I could not resist eating it!  And as I have commented in her blog :

"Hi,It is just awesome!! it is the best instant spicy tasty rice!!!!! 

I omitted peas and added carrot instead. Skipped capsicum as I was  preparing it for my daughter. But the taste was very very good. My daughter took it for lunch to the school and came back crying!! WHY??? Her friends took her lunch box and finished everything, but she was happy too as they told her that her mother is the best cook!!!!  Thanks for the recipe."

Just giving the details about how I made this one, as I omitted few veggies from her list and added other.

So here goes my ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups

butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garlic and ginger crushed - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Pav bhaji masala -1 tbsp (I used MTR Pav bhaji masala)

Carrot - 1 medium, washed and diced

Onion - 1 small, sliced

Tomato - 1 big, diced

Green chilly - 1 slit

Salt to taste (very little as I felt there is less salt in ready masala)

Fresh coriander to garnish

I omitted capsicum, as I thought it will be spicy for my daughter. And I did not had peas at home, so used carrot.

I cooked fresh rice, as it was to be packed for lunch box. But keep the rice to cool in a big plate at least 15 to 20 minutes before you make pulao.

Keep the kadai on heat. Put butter when it melts add oil. Add the seeds, onion, chilly and carrot. Fry it for few minutes. Add tomato, fry till it is soft. Now add salt  and pav bhaji masala and little water. Let it cook for some time. Now is the time for the rice to go in. Mix it properly. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it hot. We had it just like that without any side dish!!

Keep Smiling,

Evergreen combination!!(Remixed and Reposted for the event)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,

Only yesterday, I came to know about Sara's ongoing event! I wanted to participate but do not have much time to prepare something new and post it. So remixing and reposting my  2 favorite dishes where Jeera or Cumin seeds play the major role to make that recipe a big hit. And  I will eat these at any time! I had a recipe for Sambhar masala where Cumin seeds is the main ingredient. I will post it soon, but not for the event! Sorry.

Without much introduction, I am reposting the details.

First one is, Burnt Jeera Dal : (I am reposting it for 2nd time. I hope it is ok to send it to the event!)

Here the jeera must be burnt and the flavour of burnt jeera with flavour of dal is toooooo good to resist!!!

Toor dal or yellow moong dal - 1 cup(Boiled and mashed)

Tomato - 1/2 chopped length wise

Long dry red chillies - 4 to 5Jeera - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp(you can skip this and add 2 tbsp oil)

Coriander - 2 tbsp to garnish

 Heat the kadai, add jeera and let them become black or almost burnt.

Immediately put oil and ghee. After few seconds, and red chillies, haldi, salt and then red chillies.

now add tomato and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Add toor dal or moong dal. Add little water and let it boil for a minute.

Check the salt and adjust according to your taste.

If you like, you can add 1 tsp lemon juice after you off the gas.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot rice.

Second one is Plain Jeera Rice :

Long grain basmati or any other type rice - 200 gm

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Tej Patta - 1

Salt to taste

Water to cook the rice

Wash the rice and drain it and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil and ghee in a cooker.

Add Jeera and fry for 10 seconds. Add Tej patta(bay leaf) and immediately add rice. Fry it for a minute. Add salt and water till the rice is covered. Cover the lid and give just one whistle. Allow the cooker to cool.

Enjoy this great combination with paapad and pickle.

Sending this to   sara(of Sara's Corner)'s event CWS - Cumin Seeds Event, which was given by  Priya of (Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes). So linking this to  Priya's Event link.

Keep Smiling,

Full meals ready(ಊಟ ತಯಾರಿದೆ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When you travel for a long distance, as lunch or dinner time comes, you search for this board on the roads. And once you get inside the hotel or restaurant,  you will search for a menu card which is not available in this type of small shops. If you ask the waiter he will come and say something very fast which you will not understand! Again you  have to request!!! him to tell the menu slowly. Then you will realize he is saying the things available in a Thali.

And this is Thali in my restaurant!!!

I will go on giving recipes for each food,

First comes Rice, I love rice in any form!!!!!!

This is Plain Jeera Rice :

Long grain basmati or any other type rice - 200 gm

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Tej Patta - 1

Salt to taste

Water to cook the rice

Wash the rice and drain it and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil and ghee in a cooker.

Add Jeera and fry for 10 seconds. Add Tej patta(bay leaf) and immediately add rice. Fry it for a minute. Add salt and water till the rice is covered. Cover the lid and give just one whistle. Allow the cooker to cool.

Rice is ready! (single and ready to mingle with Dal)

Next is Dal Tadka

Toor Dal - 1 cup

Onion - 1 small, peeled and cut into long thin slices

Tomato - 2 big, washed and cut into long slices

Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves, cleaned and cut into small pieces

Curry leaves - few

Dry long red chilly - 4 to 6

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Dhania (Coriander powder) - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Fresh Coriander - hand full, cleaned, washed and chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

Wash the toor dal, soak it for half an hour. Till it is soaked, keep other ingredients ready.

Boil the dal till real soft. You can blend for half a minute if it is not fully cooked.

Now heat oil in a kadai and add mustard and cumin seeds. Fry till the mustards start talking :-)

Put onion and garlic. Fry till brown. Add curry leaves and red dry chilly. Add dhania powder, red chilly powder, salt , sugar and turmeric powder. Mix well and add tomatoes. Without waiting add the boiled dal. Let it cook till first boil. Adjust the seasoning and water consistency. I like it thick but you can add little more water to make like a curry. 

Add lime juice and Fresh coriander and keep it with rice to serve.

 Third is Dry beans subji

long beans - 200 gm, cleaned, washed and chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly - 2 slit

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup, grated

Salt to taste

Hing - pinch

Keep chopped beans in a microwave for 3 minutes or boil in a vessel with little water on flame. Drain the water and keep aside

Add oil in a kadai and keep it on the flame. When hot, add mustard seeds add urad dal. When dal turns into golden color add curry leaves and green chilly. Add hing and boiled beans. Mix properly before adding salt. cook for a minute. Add coconut and boil for 2 more minutes, taking care of not to burn the beans. 

Beans sabji is ready to serve.

All these serve for 3 to 4 people.

   Photos taken by my elder daughter!!!

Sending this to "Cooking Basics Event" held by Mahimaa of  Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

Keep smiling,

Brown rice,green veg curry and brinjal fry!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brown rice and green veg curry is nothing but Bhooga Chaawar aur Sai bhaji. A traditional Sindhi dish. A wonderful combo for a hungry stomach.

Brown Rice(Bhooga chawar) :

Long grain rice : 200 gm

Onion - 2 big, long, thin slices

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves - 3

Bay leaf - 1

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Warm water to cook the rice.

Wash the rice and keep aside to remove all the water from it.

Heat oil in a cooker, add bay leaf, cumin seeds and cloves. Then put onions and fry for a minute. Add sugar and keep on frying till the onions turn dark brown but not burnt. Now add Chilly powder and salt with rice. Fry for a minute so that all gets mixed well. Now add warm water till the rice is just covered. Close the lid and give 2 whistles.

Brown rice is ready. Garnish with Fried onions(optional).

Coming to Sai bhaji, click here for old post., Still giving the details again as this post is going for an event.

Green Veg Curry(Sai Bhaji)  :

Palak(Spinach) - 1 bunch
Methi leaves(Fenugreek leaves) - 1/2 bunchSabbasgi (Dill leaves) - 1/4 bunch(Optional)

(While making for this post, I did not had dill leaves and brinjal, so you can not see in the photo)
Brinjal - 1 medium (cut into cubes), its optional.
Potato - 1 medium(cut into cubes)
Tomato - 2 big(cut in to cubes)
Carrot - 1 medium(cut into cubes)
Channa dal - 1/2 cup (Soaked in water at least for an hour)
Salt to taste
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
For tempering,
Oil - 1 tbsp(Ghee will taste better)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Ginger Crushed - 1tsp
Mix all the ingredients for bhaji in a cooker and make 4 whistles. When cooker is cool, remove the lid, churn it with churner or with blender. Adjust the taste for salt.Give bhagar with mustard seeds and crushed ginger in a oil.Sai Bhaji is ready to serve.
(You will enjoy the same in  Alka's  Sindhi Traditional Food also. (Being Sindhi, our preparations are almost the same!) This is just for your information. I am not in to any copy cat thing!! I am a regular follower of her blog, as I love to learn more of Sindhi Cuisine. She got a lovely blog about All Sindhi Recipes.)
Next is
Brinjal fry :
Brinjal - 1 big, cut in to round, medium thin slices.
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Oil to shallow fry
Mix the powders with salt. Rub this powder to all the brinjal slices. Keep it for 5 minutes.
Heat tawa or frying pan. Put the slices on the pan and shallow fry by turning the slices often for 10 minutes. 
Brinjal fry is also ready to serve.
Arrange every thing in the plate and enjoy with your family on Sunday afternoon.

Sending this to Pari's  THE COMBO EVENT 

Keep Smiling,

A queen of blood meets rice and white milk!! accidentally!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Are you thinking that I have started writing novel on ghosts and devils!! I always find this subject very funny and scary movies makes me laugh.( Do not tell me to watch "The Exorcist" or something like that!!!)

Yesterday, I was in a fix to fix a lunch box for my daughter. As you all know she loves to take rice, I have to plan variety of rice for a week and keep it ready in menu .

So, I checked the fridge for vegetables. I did not find anything, as I bring vegetables only in the afternoon of every Tuesday.

I checked the onion basket, thinking that I will make onion rice and send her. Then I saw these red queens sitting and talking to onions! First I hesitated to use these for rice, as I felt may be Rajul will not like the raw smell of beetroot. Then I thought of giving it a try as she likes boiled beet.

I will give you the recipe before I will tell the result!!

Here they come in line:

Rice - 1 cup or 200 gm

Beet - 1 big or 2 medium

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 big, cut into slices

Ginger & Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp crushed.

(1 cardamom, 2 cloves, few shajeera, a small piece of cinammon)

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp or more if cooking for elders

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Then comes the sweet heart of this rice, do not skip this!

Fresh coconut - either grated or small cut pieces to make coarse milk

(I am not getting proper word here, so let me explain you, take few small pieces or grated coconut, put little water and put in a blender to get coconut milk with coarse coconut. I mean, no need to make it full milk. I hope you got me!!!)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure to make:

Wash the rice and keep it to dry.

Wash, peel and grate the beets.

Heat oil in a cooker. Add jeera and onion. Fry till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and garam masala. Fry for a minute and add the beet and tomato. Its time to keep on frying the beet till it becomes dry or looks dry. Like this I thought the raw smell will go! and to check whether the smell vanished or not,  read full story.

Now add salt and chilly powder with coconut milk. Fry for half a minute.

Add the rice immediately and fry for a minute so that the red masala will get mix with the rice. 

Here is the place where the queen of blood meets the rice and white milk. So the suspense is over.

Add hot water till the rice is covered. 

Cover the lid and give 2 whistles.

The red beet rice is ready to eat!

Yes! There was no raw smell of beet anywhere! Actually no one will make out that it is prepared with beet.

This was my real invention in a hurry!!! 

Why I am calling these beet as queen of bloods?? All of us know that beet is the house of  highest contain of iron, and regenerates the red blood shells. And doctors suggests to have it more if you want increase your hemoglobin. So what will be the best way to give this to kids, without making them cry! or running and shouting behind them?

The result was, the full day,my daughter was on this rice it self. And in the school her friends took half of the rice from the box. Seeing the color of the rice, even her teacher asked her what is it made of???

Do I need more appreciation?

YES! I want the sweet comments from all my friends here. 

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen  APS- Rice Event.

AND

Sending it again to

Priya's Healing Foods - Beetroot Event Guest Hosting
( Linking it to Siri's Healing foods home page)

Keep Smiling,