Cucumber Raita

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Fresh curd

1 cucumber(large)

2 tsp dry mint leaves

1/4 tsp black salt

1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder

Method:

Mix the above ingredients. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with pulao.

Capsicum Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice 

1 big Chopped Capsicum (deseeded)

2 Green Chillies 

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

15 Groundnut (Peanuts)

10 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Coriander leaves

2 tsp Coconut grated 

1/4 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Lemon Juice

3 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook 1 cup of Rice with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Chop the Green Chillies. Keep them aside. Remove cooked rice from the pressure cooker, spread in plate. In the frying pan, heat Oil. Add mustard seeds, once the seeds splutter, add urad dal. Once the dal ingredients turn golden brown, add groundnuts and fry for about a minute until the nuts change color. Drop curry leaves into the pan and fry for a minute more. Add chopped green chillies and fry them for a minute. Next add chopped capsicum, turmeric powder and fry until the capsicum pieces are cooked. When capsicum pieces are cooked, add Salt and sugar and mix well. Now add cooked rice and and mix well. Then add lemon juice, grated Coconut and mix well. Garnish with Coriander leaves. Ready to serve.

Prawns Pulao

Ingredients:

150 gm headless Prawns- shelled, cleaned

250 gm cup Basmati rice

2 Bay leaves

1 chopped Onion 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Ghee

salt to taste

For masala paste:

2 chopped Green chillies 

2 peeled Green cardamoms 

2 Cloves

1/2 tsp Cinnamon pieces

1/2 tsp chopped ginger

Salt to taste

Method: 

Apply salt and turmeric powder to the prawns and keep aside for 25-30 minutes. Grind the masala ingredients with 1-2 tsp of water into fine paste. Heat ghee in pan, add the prawns and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Remove the prawns onto a plate and keep aside. In the same pan, add the bay leaves and cumin seeds, saute until crackles. Add the onions and saute until becomes golden brown in color.  Add rice, ground paste, turmeric, red chilly powder and coriander powder, saute for 2 minutes. Add prawns, salt and the hot water, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer cook for 10-15 minutes until all the water gets evaporated and the rice is cooked. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve it hot. 

Vegetable pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

1 Onion chopped

2 Green chilli

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1  Tomato puree

Mint leaves

beans-6-7

1 potato

6 cauliflower florets

1/2 carrot

1/3 cup Peas

1 tbsp Lemon juice

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp ghee

Pinch of Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chilli powder

Salt to taste.

1 piece Cinnamon

1 Cardamom

1 Bay leaf

2 Cloves

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water well and keep it aside.Cut the vegetables lengthwise. Wash cauliflower well and put them hot water for 5 minutes. Blend 1 tomato to a paste.Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan, heat ghee+oil, add cinnamon, cardamon, baylea, clove. After it splutters, add onions and saute till they turn transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.Add tomato puree, green chilli, beans,potato, cauliflower,carrot, peas, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, mint leaves, drained rice and saute for a few minutes.Then add 2 cups of hot water, lemon juice and close the cooker. Keep it in medium flame. After it is half cooked, stir the contents and close the cooker with weight. Simmer for 5 minutes and switch it off. Open the cooker, after the pressure subsides. Pulao is ready to be served. Garnish with coriander leaves.