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

Methi Dal | Methi Dal Fry | Methi Dal recipe with fresh Fenugreek leaves

So this is the third recipe on the back-to-back series on fresh fenugreek leaves. And today I bring a dal recipe with fresh methi leaves, Methi Dal. This is a simple and yet flavourful preparation with methi leaves. Instead of making plain dal fry, you can add a handful of methi leaves and you get the nutrients from the leaves as well as a variation to that monotonous dal recipe as well :) In this recipe I have used tur dal. You can use moong dal or channa dal or a combination of dals as well. This is yet another recipe where the bitterness of the methi leaves is very subtle and is balanced well with the sweetness from the dal. Hence this recipe sneaks it's way often into my menu :) The other methi recipes in the blog are Methi Paratha, Methi Malai Matar & Aloo Methi

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

 

Serves : 2-3 persons

I Used:

Tur Dal	-	½ cup
Methi Leaves	-	½ cup - tightly packed - chopped
Oil/Ghee	-	3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds	-	1 tsp
Ginger	-	1 inch piece - finely chopped
Garlic	-	3-4 nos - finely chopped
Onion	-	1 small sized - chopped
Tomato	-	1 small sized - chopped
Red Chilly powder	-	½ - 1 tsp
Asafoetida	-	1 pinch
Garam Masala	-	½ tsp
Water	-	1 - 1.5 cups ( As Needed)
Salt	-	As Needed
Turmeric Powder	-	½ tsp

The Way:

1. Take the tur dal in a bowl. Rinse it well 2-3 times and then soak in water (1.5-2 cups) for ½ an hour

2. Then take the soaked tur dal along with that water in a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder and salt and pressure cook till it is soft and cooked. It takes 3 whistles in high and 3-4 whistles in medium for me. If you do not have time to soak then the cooking time could be more and you should cook them for 8-9 whistles

3. Pluck the fenugreek leaves and discard the stem. Rinse the leaves in water nicely for 2-3 times so that all the mud and dirt sticking onto the leaves get removed. Then chop them finely and keep aside

4. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Splutter cumin seeds

5. Add the finely chopped ginger & garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes on a low flame

6. Then add the finely chopped onions (and salt) and saute for 3-4 minutes

7. When they become translucent, add the red chilly powder and asafoetida and give a quick stir and saute for another 2 -3 minutes till the raw smell of red chilly powder goes away

8. Then add the chopped tomatoes and give a quick stir. Allow the tomatoes to soften and turn mushy. Saute in between

9. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add the chopped methi leaves. Saute till the leaves wilt and oil starts to leave the sides 

10. When done, add the cooked dal to this. Then add required water for your desired consistency). Check salt and add more if needed

11. Stir well and then simmer for another 8-9 minutes

12. Finally add garam masala and give a quick stir. Switch off the flame

Serve hot with rotis or parathas or steamed rice!

Notes:

• To reduce the bitterness of the methi leaves, soak the leaves in salt water for 10 minutes. But if you can, omit this step as the nutrients will be lost by soaking the leaves in salt water. But for this recipe, it will taste good without doing this as the bitterness of the methi leaves is well balanced by the sweetness from the tur dal

• Instead of tur dal you can use moong dal or channa dal or a combination of 2-3 lentils

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

Egg Rice | Mutta Rice | Muttai Sadam | Easy Lunch box recipes

This is one of the most nostalgic lunch box dish from my school days for me ! In fact for my sister as well. This was her most favorite lunch that she liked to take to school :) Now Dhruv also likes this rice ;) Cute right :D This is very easy to make and will be ready in a jiffy and also fancy, heavy and protein packed for a lunch box.. You can have it as such or can also pair it up with raita or pappad. You can make it dry or little juicy based on your taste. If you do not like it dry, don't saute the eggs much and also make sure that when you cook the rice it's not very dry and for that adjust the water accordingly. If you have not made this rice before, try it out soon coz it's not gonna disappoint you for sure :)

Other Egg Recipes:
Boiled Egg Fry | Masala Egg Fry
Udaitha Muttai Curry | Egg Drop Gravy

Recipe Source: Ma

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice (uncooked)	-	1 cup
Egg	-	1 no
Oil	-	2 tbsp
Onion	-	1 no (medium sized - finely chopped)
Tomato	-	1 no (medium sized - finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic paste	-	2 tsp
Pepper powder	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the rice in water and cook them as you normally do. I used basmati rice here and have taken water and rice in the ratio of 2:1 and have pressure cooked for 1 whistle. You can steam cook the rice or pressure cook it, as per your convenience

2. Chop finely the onions and tomatoes and keep aside. In a wide pan, heat oil

3. Add the chopped onions and salt and saute. The onions should turn translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute. Leave it about for 2 minutes, sauteeing in between, for the raw smell to go

4. Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute again. The tomatoes should turn mushy

5. Add the pepper powder and give a quick stir. Adjust pepper powder according to your taste

6. Now break and add the egg and saute like you do for the scrambled eggs

7. Once the egg is cooked and mixed well, switch off the flame. Add the cooked rice to it and mix well and evenly

Serve with raita or pappad or can be had as such as well :)

Cheers,

Chitz

Pacha Manga Sadam | Mangaai Sadam | Raw Mango Rice | Variety Rice Recipes

Come summer, it's the time of mangoes and water melons right? Ok, many more, but that's what comes to my mind instantly when I hear summer :) Actually speaking, many of the good fruits make their very short appearance in the summer time, don't you think? I feel that they come and leave in a jiffy ! Anyways, I'm making most use of them. Banganapallis are gorged on by me and my son as if there is some competition going on as to who can eat the most ;) And he does that with water melons with Deeps ;) But he will touch them only if they pass the sweetness levels of his taste buds :D

Coming to today's recipe, it's not one with fruits but a variety rice made with raw mangoes. Raw mango is grated and added to a crunchy nutty tadka and then is mixed with cooked rice. Pretty simple and takes very less time to make. And the taste actually depends on the souness of the mango that you use. If it is very sour, the rice will taste very similar to lemon rice. Deeps likes this rice as he is also a fan of lemon rice but to tell you the truth I'm not a great fan. So I always add little extra helpings of the peanuts and channa dal and urd dal for that crunchy nutty flavour in every bite ;) Let's say it's my way of masking the taste and compensating it with something I like better :D 

So if you are a fan of sour tangy dishes, do try this and it will not disappoint you :)

Other recipes with Mango:

Uppilitta Manga | Raw Mangoes in Brine

Mampazha Pachadi | Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Mambazha Pulissery | Mambazha Kaalan

Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Curry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Raw Mango Curry
Chakkakuru Manga Curry

Serves: 1-2 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Raw Mango	-	½ a medium sized mango - grated
Rice (uncooked)	-	½ cup

To Temper:

Oil	-	3 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Peanut	-	2 tbsp
Urd Dal	-	1 tbsp
Channa Dal	-	1 tbsp
Red Chilly	-	2 nos - broken
Curry leaves	-	A sprig
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Peel off the skin of the raw mango using a scraper. Then grate the mango finely using a grater (My Tupperware grater grates the veggies really fine and hence it looks like a mass. You can also grate them using a bigger blade to get long fine mango shavings) Set aside the grated mango

2. Cook rice using the normal method that you use. Use a bit less water so that the grains are separate. Once cooked spread them on a plate and allow them to cool

3. In a wide pan or kadai heat oil. Temper mustard. Then add the peanuts and roast them for 2-3 minutes. Take care not to burn them. If the peanuts are roasted ones then you can add the other dals also along with peanuts

4. Now add urd dal, channa dal, red chilly and give a nice stir. When the dal slowly starts to turn colour add curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt

5. Then add the grated mango and stir. leave on medium flame for a couple of minutes and then switch off

6. Add the cooked rice to the tadka and mix gently and evenly. Serve with pappad and/or a spicy poriyal 

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