Peas Pulav | Green Peas Pulao | Matar Pulao Recipe | How to make Matar Pulav

I am not a great fan of green peas - the fresh and the frozen ones :) I can bear them in Biriyani or in dishes where it is not the main ingredient or when it's taste is masked by some other flavour ;) But this peas pulav, I love it. I make it more often with frozen ones and not the fresh ones coz that is what is preferred here..Many like it the best with fresh peas. This is a simple recipe that you can make in under 30 minutes and especially when you have guests you can make this by just spending an extra 5-10 minutes instead of your normal steamed rice. This will definitely take your menu a notch higher :) So let's see how to make this simple yet yummy and flavourful rice.. 

My other recipes with green peas are Peas Patties(Vadai), Aloo Matar Dry, Methi Matar Malai, Vegetable Pulao & Veg Biriyani. And the other similar rice varieties that you may like are Coconut Milk Rice, Jeera Rice, Ghee Rice, Capsicum Rice & Egg Rice.

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

 

Serves : 3 persons

I Used:

Oil/Butter/Ghee	-	2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera	-	½ tsp
Cinnamon	-	A 2 inch piece
Cloves	-	2 nos
Cardamom	-	1 no
Bay Leaf	-	1 no
Onion	-	1 medium sized (chopped)
Green Peas (Fresh/Frozen)	-	¾ cup
Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Water	-	2 cups
Coriander Leaves	-	To Garnish (3-4 stalks)
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the basmati rice 2-3 times in water. Soak them in water for 20-30 minutes. If pressure cooking them then do not soak for more than 20 minutes

2. Keep the frozen peas immersed in water for 10 minutes. If using fresh peas, remove them from the pods and keep ready

3. In a pressure cook/cooking pot, heat oil/butter/ghee. Splutter cumin seeds. Reduce the flame

4. Then add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and bay leaf. Give a stir

5. Add the chopped onions and some salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Do not make them too brown or saute for a long time. Just for 2-3 minutes is sufficient

6. Then add the green peas and give a stir. If using fresh peas, you can cook them separately till softened (around 5 mins in another pan) and then add to the pulav

7. Now add the soaked basmati rice and water (I use 2 cups for pan cooking and 1.5 cup for pressure cooker cooking) and give a gentle stir

8. Check for salt. Add more if needed. Then cover the pan/cooker and let it cook

9. If using pan it should be done in 10-12 minutes. All the water should evaporate and the rice should get cooked. If then switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves

10. If using pressure cooker, allow for 2 whistles and then switch off flame. Allow the pressure to release by itself. Open after 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Notes:

• I used BB Royal Premium Basmati rice for this pulav. Use any aged and good quality long grain basmati rice for making the pulav

• Rice : Water ratio is 1:1.5 for pressure cooking and 1:2 for cooking in pan

• Adding onions is purely optional. You can skip them too. Instead you can fry some onions and then garnish the pulav if you like

• For more flavor you can use thin coconut milk instead of water to cook the pulav

• You can also sprinkle in some garam masala for an enhanced flavor

Cheers,

Chitz

Jeera Rice | How to make Jeera Rice | Cumin Rice Recipe

Rice flavoured with Cumin tempered in Ghee

This is one of the simple flavoured rice that you can ever think of making. It's very simple but the taste is so awesome and it can be paired with almost anything and everything from vegetarian side dishes to non vegetarian or at times a simple raita too ! The flavour of the tempered cumin seeds in ghee, ahh writing about it makes me wanna make some for the day but I do have other plans so I am holding on to the thought till I get to make some.. 

Some days I like to have it with a good 'Dal Tadka' some other days a spicy yummy chicken gravy would feel great and some times a paneer butter masala or a mushroom masala also helps :) The great thing about making this rice is you can concentrate on the gravy that you are making after just 5 mins of work on this rice and by the time you finish making the gravy the rice would also be ready. You can make this rice in two ways. Cook (pressure cook or steam) the rice separately and then add the tadka or prepare the tadka and add the rice to the tadka and cook (pressure or steam). I always do it the second way and that's what I have described here. So let's see how to make this yummy easy rice !

Serves: 2 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Soaking Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Ghee/Oil	-	1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera	-	1 tsp
Bay Leaf	-	1 no
Cinnamon	-	1 inch stick
Cardamom	-	1 no
Water	-	2 cups
Salt	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the rice in water and soak for about 10-15 minutes 

2. Heat ghee/oil in a wide vessel or pressure cooker depending upon how you plan to cook the rice. Add bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon stick

3. When it splutters add the jeera and allow it to crackle. Take care not to burn, hence keep the flame in medium or low

4. Now the rice and salt. Stir smoothly so that the ghee is coated evenly in the rice throughout. Take care not to break the rice 

5. Add water and give a stir. Check salt. Then cook on low flame till done. The water should get absorbed completely

6. I always use 1:2 ratio to cook basmati rice. If you are cooking by pressure cooker then a tip would be to boil 2 cups of water separately and add to the rice. Cook for just 1 whistle and remove the cooker from the stove and allow the steam to get released naturally before opening the cooker

Cheers,

Chitz

Easy Veg Pulao | Easy Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulav

Hello folks, how are you all? Pooja celebrations are done and now you all must be gearing up for Diwali, right? In between this Pooja and Deepavali, we celebrated our DD's first birthday :) :) It was a small cake cutting function followed by dinner with our friends from around. I didn't prepare anything special for him except semiya payasam as he was down with fever and I didn't get the time nor had the mind to :(  I wanted to make muffins, that was in my mind, but maybe sometime later. However, anything fancy I make, he will not be able to relish or enjoy, as he is too small to understand that, right? So I have decided to make them according to his preference for his second birthday. Hopefully, he might be making a list then :) 

So coming to today's recipe, it's a simple veg pulao and can be made in a jiffy, especially if you are craving for some biriyani and do not have the time :) But this is very much subtle compared to biriyani as we do not use red chilly powder or any garam masala powders. The hotness for this one pot meal comes entirely from the ginger and garlic used. You can pair it up with raita and pappad, would taste just right and can be termed as the perfect comfort meal. I had them with oven fried cauli-flower, vinegared onions & pappad. 

Other rice recipes:

Ambur Mutton Biriyani
Capsicum Rice
Coconut Milk Rice | Thengai Paal Sadam
Nei Choru | Ghee Rice
Vegetable Biriyani

  

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves : 2 persons

I Used:

Oil+Ghee	-	3+2 tbsp
Cinnamon	-	An inch piece
Cloves	-	2 nos
Bay leaf	-	1 no
Onion	-	3 nos - medium sized -sliced
Carrot	-	1 no - medium sized - chopped
Potato	-	1 no - medium sized - chopped
Green Peas	-	½ cup
Coriander leaves	-	¼ cup - chopped
Mint leaves	-	¼ cup - chopped
Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Water	-	2.5 cups
Salt	-	As needed

To Grind:

Garlic - 8-9 pods (big sized) Ginger - 2-3 inch piece Fennel / Perunjeerakam/ Sombu - ½ tsp Green Chilly - 2-4 nos

The Way:

1. Grind the ingredients under 'To Grind' by adding a little water to a smooth paste. Preferably grind the green chillies to the end

2. De-skin the vegetables and onion and rinse them well. Then slice & chop them as required. If using frozen peas, keep them immersed in water for 10 minutes & rinse them and keep aside

3. Soak the basmati rice in water for about 10-15 minutes

4. In a pressure cooker, heat oil/ghee. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cloves & bay leaf)

5. Add the sliced onions and salt. Saute well till they become translucent. It took around 4-5 minutes for me 

6. Add the chopped veggies (carrot & potato) and green peas. Give a nice stir

7. Now add the ground paste and saute well till the raw smell goes. This may take about 3-4 minutes

8. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Give a nice stir

9. To this add the soaked basmati rice and give a stir so that all the grains are coated well with the oil & masala

10. Now add water and stir softly. Check for salt and add if required

11. Pressure cook till the rice is cooked. I kept for 1 whistle in high and 2 in simmer and it was done

Notes:

• You can add any veggies of your choice, can include beans, mushrooms, capsicums etc

• Do not compromise on the onions. If your onions are smaller in size, use more number. They give the pulav the flavour and taste

• While serving you can garnish with caramelised onions & fried cashews as well. They add a rich flavor and aroma to the pulao

• You can add half ghee-half oil or full ghee or full oil. Totally depends on you diet plan :)

• Rice: Water ratio is 1:2 here. I added extra 0.5 cup for the veggies. If you want you can make that 0.25 cup as well. The rice:water ratio works different for different variety of rice. So adjust the quantity of water according to the rice you use

Cheers,

Chitz

Ambur Mutton Biryani | Ambur Biryani | Easy Mutton Biriyani

So without much delay, let me wish all you wonderful friends & readers 'A Happy & Prosperous New Year'. How did the new year go for you all? Hope it was a colorful and bright one :) I have yet another reason to celebrate this new year. My blog turned one this year. To be exact, day before yesterday. The blog did bring out a year of fun, learning & a new excitement for me. I do not want to bore you guys with long speeches of my enthusiasm. 

So what am I bringing you today? It is not a sweet or dessert. By now, you must be knowing that I celebrate the anniversaries & occasions with chicken & mutton rather than sweets & cakes :) This is yet another amazing biriyani recipe that has been a constant hit in our kitchen. Actually I am only the photographer for this recipe. Everytime, to be frank every Sunday, it has been Deeps who makes this at our home :) We always are on the lookout for different varieties of biriyani & the famous South Indian Ambur biriyani was on our list for a long time. Once we tried it it become quite a regular at our place. Even our guests are a huge fan of it :) So try it out, you guys will definitely fall for it !!

Ambur Biryani is one of the famous food recipes of South India which emerged during the Nawab of Arcot's regime. This was served for the army of Carnatic as it was difficult to prepare Rotis or Parathas to cater to the need of lakhs of jawans. Today, it is served in all Muslim weddings along with Chicken Kebabs & sweet dishes. Courtesy: Wikipedia

 

Recipe Source : Adapted from Here

Marination Time : 1 hour

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 40-45 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice - 2 ½ cups Water - 4 ½ cups (2 ½ * 1 ¾ cups) Mutton - ½ kg Onion - 3-4 nos - medium - sliced Tomato - 2 small nos - chopped Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Mint leaves - ½ cup - chopped Corainder leaves - ½ cup - chopped Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp Coriander powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - ½ tsp Oil - ¼ cup Ghee - ¼ cup Salt - As Needed

To Marinate:

Red Chilly powder	-	1 tbsp
Coriander powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Garam Masala	-	1 tbsp
Yogurt	-	½ cup
Ginger-Garlic paste	-	½ tbsp
Lemon juice	-	2 tsp

Whole Spices:

Cinnamon	-	1 inch stick
Cloves	-	2
Cardamom	-	2
Bay leaves	-	2
Star Anise	-	2

To Grind:

Cashews	-	10
Fennel Seeds	-	½ tsp
Cumin Seeds	-	¼ tsp
Green Chilly	-	2
Garlic	-	3

The Way:

Preparation:

1. Marinate mutton with the ingredients listed under 'To Marinade' for about 45-60 minutes
2. After an hour pressure cook the marinated mutton with sufficient water until done and keep aside
3. Wash and soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes
4. Add 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan & fry the soaked basmati rice for 2 minutes
5. Grind the ingredients under 'To Grind' into smooth paste and keep it aside

Cooking:

1. Heat ghee and oil in a wide bottomed pan. Add the whole spices to it and fry them in a low heat until a nice aroma comes out
2. Now add the sliced onions and fry till it becomes translucent. Add ½ tbsp of ginger & garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes off
3. Then add red chili powder, coriander powder and add turmeric powder. Fry well and add the chopped tomatoes along with salt and fry them for 3-4 minutes
4. Finally add the mint leaves & coriander leaves and mix it all together. Add the pressure cooked mutton and mix well 
5. Now add the ground paste and saute it for another 5 minutes in low flame
6. Then add the fried basmati rice to the gravy and water and mix well. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.
7. Taste the mix for salt and hotness. Add if required to suit your taste buds
8. Cover the pan and cook in medium fire for 15 minutes
9. After 15 minutes check if the rice is done and water has evaporated completely. Else  reduce the flame further and cook for another 5-10 minutes
10. Once the rice is done, off the flame and leave the pan in the heat of the stove till you serve

Serve with onion-cucumber raita, mint-coconut chutney & mutton gravy of your choice.

Notes:

• Rice : Water ratio of 1:1 ¾ works perfectly well for me. I use India Gate basmati rice for making this biriyani

Cheers,

Chitz

Coconut Milk Rice | Thengai Paal Sadam | Thengapal Sadam | Coconut Pulav

Coconut Pilaf using Coconut Milk

This is yet another winner recipe from my mom & which always makes me drool just thinking about the dish. It has been a favorite of my friends too, especially for many of whom who had not come across this variety rice before ! Rich in it's own way without much ghee or nuts & raisins & flavored with the Indian whole spices this one is a perfect one pot meal for me. Pair it up with a spicy chicken gravy, ahh bliss !! I have never tried a veg side dish for this one, but I feel dal tadka or any other dal recipe for that matter would be apt. So without much chattering, let's move on to the recipe :)

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Used:

Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Thick Coconut Milk	-	1 cup
Water	-	1 cup
Onion	-	1 no - big sized - sliced
Green Chilly	-	3 no - slited
Garlic	-	7-8 cloves
Cinnamon	-	An inch piece
Clove	-	2 no
Cardamom	-	2 no
Bay Leaf	-	2-3 no
Oil	-	1 tbsp
Ghee	-	1 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the basmati rice & soak in water for 10-15 minutes
2. Extract the coconut milk from coconut if using fresh one. For this recipe I used ½ a medium sized coconut to extract the milk
3. In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil & add the soaked rice (without the water) & fry very gently for about 2-3 minutes. Keep this aside
4. Heat another pan or pressure cooker. Add 1 tbsp oil & 1 tbsp ghee. Add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves & bay leaf. When it starts to crackle add the green chillies & garlic
5. Saute till the garlic gives out the flavor. Now add the onions & salt & saute till it becomes translucent. Keep the flame low & take care not to burn or change the color of the onion else it will be reflected in the rice
6. Now add the rice. Give a gentle mix & add the coconut milk & water. Cover the vessel & cook till the rice is done. Or pressure cook it till done. Mine was done in 1 whistle

Serve with a dal or non-veg gravy of your choice :)

Notes:

• I used India Gate Basmati Rice for this recipe
• The rice:liquid ratio is 1:2. Hence used 1 cup coconut milk & 1 cup water. Alternately you can use 1 cup thick coconut milk & 1 cup thin coconut milk or 2 cups of thick coconut milk depending on how rich you want the rice to be
• You can add 2-3 leaves of mint/pudina for an extra zing & aroma. But I have not added here
• Garlic is added for easy digestion as the coconut milk & ghee here makes the rice a heavy dish. You may reduce the quantity of garlic if needed. The quantity mentioned in the recipe gives out a subtle flavor & aroma & does not make it too strong

Cheers,

Chitz

Nei Choru | Ney Choru | Malabar Neychoru | Ghee Rice

Rice cooked in ghee & layered with fried onions & nuts

 Come the long weekends & it's always the heavy one pot rice varieties with spicy non veg gravies.. Asking me why?? Guests, get together, quiet family dinner - name it, we have everything. And this one is no different. Day before it was Veg pulav, today it's Nei Choru & tomorrow it's Chicken Biriyani !! Ahaa, yeah all planned and implementing to the plan :D 

'Nei chooru' - this is yet another name that makes me drool. A very popular dish in Kerala, particularly the Northen Malabar side. Most of the Muslim weddings would be incomplete without this lip smacking, aromatic rice. It is quite simple to prepare and guarantees you a rich flavor & aroma. This used to feature in my college hostel mess once every week, usually during Sundays. Accompaniment was Spicy Chicken gravy & raita signed off with a glass of lime juice.. Ohh my God.. Heavenly!! And an afternoon nap with an overfilled tummy following that. What more can you ask for during college times, right??

And as many other recipes, I never ever dreamt that I would prepare this one at home. It was my mom-in-law who taught me how to make this. The way she described itself made me quite confident that this is 'As easy as an apple pie' task (though I have never tried to prepare an apple pie :P ) Then there was no stopping me, this one now features in our menu quite often.

And if you ask me the best accompaniments for this I would say any spicy  non veg curry (I personally love chicken) would go with it.  But recently I read in one another blogger page that dhal goes very well this is. I am but yet to try that combo. Am sure this would make some of the vegetarians out there very happy :) So off to the recipe now..

Recipe from Amma (Mil)

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took: 40 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups Onions - 3 nos - big sized - sliced Water - 4 cups Ghee - As needed Cinnamon - An inch stick Cloves - 4 nos Cardamom - 3 nos Cashews - 15-20 nos Raisins - 15-20 nos Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Oil - 2 tsp Salt - As needed

The Way:

1. Boil the 4 cups of water
2. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom
3. As it starts to sputter & release its aroma, add the washed & cleaned rice. Fry for a minute
4. Add the oil, lemon juice and the boiling water
5. Now close the cooker & pressure cook for just 1 whistle and remove immediately from flame. Or to be more precise, switch off the flame when the cooker starts making screeching noises just before the first whistle and allow it to stay in that heat for 10 more minutes
6. Heat a pan. Add ghee. Roast the cashews & raisins & keep aside
7. Fry the onions in the same ghee till golden brown
8. To serve the rice, alternate the fried onions & nuts with the layers of cooked rice 

Serve with parippu/dhal or with spicy chicken curry.

Cheers,

Chitra