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

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

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

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

Capsicum Rice | Kudamilagai Sadam

One pot meal of Rice with Capsicum cooked along onions & specially ground Indian masala

I do not remember the history of this rice, but it was up in my list of fav lunch box dishes that my mom used to prepare for me and my sis.. So I have taken up that legacy and guess what, even Deeps loves it  So this one has been always cooking in my kitchen once every fortnight.  And you can fix this up in a jiffy. So an ideal treat in your busy morning schedules, once you have the masala ground and stored during the weekend. 

So without much ado, on to the recipe..

Recipe Source: Ma

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took:

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

I Used:

For ground masala:

Coriander seeds	-	3 tbsp
Red Chilly	-	6 no
Urd dal	-	2 tbsp
Channa dal	-	2 tbsp
Coconut	-	2 tbsp
Cinnamon	-	1 small stick
Cloves	-	3 no

For Rice:

Basmati Rice	-	1 cup
Capsicum	-	1 no(diced)
Onion	-	1 no (medium sized - diced)
Ground masala	-	4 tbsp
Oil	-	1 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Dry roast separately all the ingredients mentioned under 'For Ground Masala'. Grind them together in a blender and keep aside
2. Cook rice separately with a spoon of oil or lemon juice so that the grains do not stick together. Keep this aside
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and saute until they are translucent
4. Add the diced capsicum and saute till moist
5. Now add in the ground masala and mix well. Add the cooked rice and mix well

Serve with pappads and raita.

Cheers,

Chitz