Mushroom-Peas Biriyani - My First Guest Post

             Rafeeda - "Ummi" of two beautiful kids, food blogger, writer and photographer of her wonderful food blog with unique recipes from Kerala and around - juggles multiple roles easily in her life. She also has a special way of providing comments that has made me know her more. Whenever I read her post I always smile because she writes just the way she is...Naturally! Very happy to Guest post for the first time for one of my best blogging buddies - Rafeeda of "The Big Sweet Tooth". I always had a fear about guest posting, thinking it would upset host reputation but when I saw Rafee updating guest posts I was excited and wanted to play my part. All I did was post my interest on FB message. She popped up with double excitement and replied me. Well when you have good support to back you up, you can put your fears aside and get ready to rock. Check out my Mushroom-Peas Biriyani recipe on her blog

Know her more in just a click away...

    Thank you so much Rafee...I am so glad that you gave me a chance to be a part.

Arisi - Parippu Sadam

              Who deserves the credit for this recipe? My good friend Pradheepa Chinnaraj(I need to write a post on her). She has a lot of authentic Tamil cuisine dishes in her recipe diary from her excellent cook guru - her mom(am gonna steal that book one day). This is again her mom's recipe with a little alteration by me - simple, adding vegetables. 

 

           We make a point to meet up every week and cook together and have our "Girls Time" with our kids. We have stories, suggestions, secrets, gossips and complaints to share. One fine day she told me about this rice and planned to cook for us and our kids - having kids in mind I suggested her about adding vegetables. We gave a try and we loved the version. I served this for my hubby's saturday lunch with Rajma Masala and he loved this too - so clicked and loaded to my blog post.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1-1/2 cups(i used sonamasoori rice)
Toor dal - 1/4 cup+1 tablespoon
Water - 3-2/3 cups
Carrot -  1/4 cup (chopped)
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Tomato - 1/8 cup (chopped)
Green chilli's - 2 no's
Salt - as needed

To Temper:
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves
Dry Red chilli - 2 no's
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 teaspoon


Method:

• Wash until clear water runs out and soak rice and toor dal for 15 minutes.

• Heat a pressure cooker and Temper the ingredients mentioned above in  "To temper" column.

• Add onion, salt and saute to transparent colour.

• Add tomatoes, vegetables and green chilli and saute to half cook.

• Add rice and dal and toast them for 2 minutes.

• Add water, check for salt and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles (or according to your rice cooking consistency).

• After pressure is down open the cooker and mix well.

• Serve hot with any curry or chutney. 

My Notes:

• I used 1:2 ratio for rice and water. It might differ based on the rice used so please adjust accordingly.
• Vegetables are totally optional. The actual recipe of my friend's mom is without vegetables only. 

Tomato Rice / Thakkali sadam / Thakkali chorru

 

        This is my another super recipe from my mom that we love. She makes it soooooo perfect and tasty. My sister has this on her menu when she invites her friends for lunch. Today I am happy that am making my mom's tomato rice the way she does. Though my family and friends love my rice, I still am a fan of my Mom's :).

Ingredients: (Serves : 4 People)

Rice - 1-1/2 cups(I used Indiagate basumathi/any cooking rice)

Onion - 1-1/2 cups(Finely chopped)

Tomato - 3 cups(Finely chopped)

Oil / Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Ginger garlic paste - 1-1/2 teaspoons

Green Chilli - 4 no's

Fennel seeds - 1-1/2 teaspoons

Curry leaves - 5 no's

Bay leaf - 3 no's

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch sized

Red Chilli powder -  1-1/2 teaspoons

Coriander powder - 3 teaspoons

Coriander leaves - hand full chopped

Water - 1-1/2 cups

Salt - as needed

Method:

• Heat Oil//Ghee and add Fennel seeds, Cinnamon stick, Bay leaf, Curry leaves, Green chilli and saute.

• Add Onions and saute until they are golden brown.

• Add Ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.

• Add Tomatoes along with salt, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute until tomatoes are soft and oil leaks out.

• Add coriander leaves and rice and fry the rice for 2 minutes.

• Add water, mix and check for salt. pressure cook in medium flame for 1 whistle.

• Remove the lid after pressure is down and mix well. Serve with Raitha.

My Notes:

• I do not prefer Mint leaves / Pudina but adding is totally acceptable. 
• Sauteing Tomato until we see the oil leaking out in sides is very important for the perfect taste in this rice else am sure rice would clearly taste like raw tomato.
• Water measurement and Pressure cooking time for cooking rice depends on the type of rice used so would request to adjust according to your rice cooking consistency.
• I never soaked basumathi rice before cooking nor I would suggest as it leads to overcooking the rice. 
• Tomatoes always leak water so I would suggest not to add any additional water other than the requirement for the rice used.
• I normally add 1:1-1/4 ratio(1 cup rice : 1-1/4 cup of water). In this case as Tomatoes leak water I reduced the water to 1:1 (1 cup rice : 1 cup water).

Veg - Pulao / Vegetable Pulav / Vegetable Rice (Cooker Method)

          

                 Ever wondered the easy way to prepare a pot of pulao (Still confused if I should use Pulao or Pulav or Pilaf?) with vegetables of your choice - then here it is. Super simple recipe that I love to prepare any number of times. This is one regular dish I cook for pot-luck parties. The colour - white rice, with red and green spots is so attractive - I usually don't go crazy about what I cook, but this one is surely an exception.

Ingredients:

Basumathi Rice - 2/3 cup
Beans - 2/3 cup
Carrot - 2/3 cup
Peas - 2/3 cup
Onion - 2/3 cup (Finely chopped)
Cooking oil - 1 tablespoon
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 1 tablespoon(Finely chopped)
Cardamon - 1 no
Star anise - 1 no
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
Bay leaf - 2 no's
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - as needed
Water - (2/3 cup + 1/2 cup)

Method:

• Heat Ghee and oil, add Cardamon,Star anise,Cinnamon,Bay leaf,Cumin seeds,Fennel seeds and saute for 30 seconds.

• Add chopped garlic and saute to light brown.

• Add onion and saute till they are transparent. 

• Add the vegetables with required salt and saute for 2 minutes(until vegetables are half cooked).

• Now add Rice and saute for 30 seconds.Then add water, mix well and check for salt. Pressure cook running only one whistle and switch off the stove.

• Open after the pressure is released completely and mix the pulao well.

• Vegetable Pulao is ready to serve.

Note:

• I use India Gate Basumathi rice. We can also use normal rice/Sona masoori.
• I also add Corn - 1/2 cup and Potato - 1/4 cup - but here I couldn't add because I din't have them at home.
• Add some Raisins and Cashew to increase the richness of the rice.
• Add only 1/8th cup of chopped onions if you want your pulao to be pearl white.
• Rice cooking differs from the type of rice used. For any basumathi rice I prefer only one whistle. For sona masoori it might take 3 whistles to cook.

Lemon Rice / Elumichai Sadham / Narangi Rice / Cherunaranga chorru

                I was never good preparing lemon rice, it was my MIL who taught me to make lemon rice and tamarind rice. ah you would wonder is making lemon rice that hard - well no but bringing the perfect taste is what is the matter. Now i am happy that i prepare it perfect just like the way my MIL prepares. What is the best combo for this rice other than Potato Fry / Urulaikizhangu poriyal (Click on).

               For your pot-luck parties or trips this is one good rice we can prepare at ease and store for day long.

Ingredients:
Boiled Rice - 3 cups (I used Indiagate basumathi rice)
Bengal gram(split) - 3 teaspoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ground nut / Pea-nut - 1/4 cup
Dry Red chilli - 2 no's
Green chilli - 1/4 teaspoon (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice - 2-1/2 tablespoons
Salt - As needed
Coriander leaves - 1 teaspoon(chopped)

Method:

• Heat oil, Add mustard(Let it splatter), Bengal gram splits,Cumin seeds,Red chilli & Ground nuts. Allow to roast well.

• Add green chilli,Turmeric powder, Asafoetida, salt and saute.

• Add boiled rice-mix well. now add lemon juice,coriander leaves - mix well and keep it closed for a minute on medium flame.

• Lemon rice is ready to serve.

Happy to link this recipe to:

Coconut Rice / Thengai sadam

   

             This is one variety rice i die for in special when my mother cooks for me. During my school days i ask my mom to pack coconut rice everyday. i love this rice so much. being a keralite coconut is one thing we die for. Earlier days when we visit kerala for our school vacation, granny would pack coconut oil and coconuts(atleast 50 no's back to chennai,unbelievable right). well those old goody days are gone but the love for this rice is the same in me. so easy to make and unbelievably tasty.

Ingredients:

Boiled Rice          -     3-1/2 cups( i used India gate basumathi rice)
Grated coconut    -     2/3 cup
Channa dhal        -     1 tablespoon
Urad dhal             -     1 tablespoon
Coconut oil          -     2 tablespoon (this enhances the smell and taste but any cooking oil can be used)
Mustard seeds     -     1 teaspoon
Jeerakam             -     1/4 teaspoon
Dry red chilli         -     2 no's
Curry leaves        -      6 to 7 leaves
Salt                      -      To taste

Method:

• Heat the oil,add mustard seeds and allow it to splatter.
• Add jeera(let it splatter). then add red chilli,urad dhal,channa dhal(let them turn light brown)
• Add curry leaves, grated coconut, salt and saute them until coconut is fried lightly(nice aroma comes out)
• Add boiled rice,Mix well and cover with a lid for about 7 minutes in low-medium flame.
• Aromatic coconut rice is ready to serve.

Heat the oil,add mustard seeds and allow it to splatter.

Add jeera(let it splatter). then add red chilli,urad dhal,channa dhal(let them turn light brown)

                       Add curry leaves, grated coconut, salt and saute them until coconut is fried lightly                                    (nice aroma comes out)

Add boiled rice, Mix well and cover with a lid for about 7 minutes in low-medium flame.

Aromatic coconut rice is ready to serve.