Curd Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

5 tbsp curd

4-5 green chilies

5-6 curry leaves

1/2 tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal

2 tbsp oil or ghee 

1 pinch hing

5-6 coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin seeds and urad dal. When they start popping, add curry leaves, hing and chilies. Add salt. Remove from the gas and pour this on rice and mix well. Add curd. Garnish with coriander leaves.

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.

Bhakri

Ingredients : 

2 cups rice flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ghee

11/2 cups water

Method :

Heat about 11/2 cups of water in a degchi(vessel),  and salt to it. Keep it to boil. Mix rice flour and mix properly for 2 minutes till water evaporates and the flour is properly cooked. Take out from flame. Sprinkle some rice flour on a wooden board. Put the cooked flour on it and knead well. Make big balls of the dough and roll them into rotis. Roast the rotis on hot tawa, which is not greased. Apply ghee to the roti. Ready to serve.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

2 tbsp ghee/ cooking oil

6-8 curry leaves

1/2 tbsp black mustard seeds

2 green chillies chopped fine

1 large onion sliced thinly

1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 cup green beans

1 1/2 cup Basmati rice

400 ml coconut milk

Salt to taste

400 ml hot water

Method:

Heat the ghee / cooking oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. When hot, add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and green chillies. When the spluttering starts, add the onions and fry till soft. Add the ginger, stir and fry for 1 minute. Add the beans, stir. Now add the rice and stir again. Next add the coconut milk, hot water and stir well. Add salt to taste. Cook on medium heat till the mixture comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the dish and cook till the rice is done.Serve with any curry or with pickle.

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice

3 cups water

Salt to taste

2 tbsps vegetable oil/ghee

1 large onion chopped fine

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup water

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Wash the Basmati rice well in running water. Add the 3 cups of water and salt to taste to the rice and set it up to boil. Once the rice is almost cooked , remove from fire and drain the water by straining the rice through a sieve. Set aside. In another pan, heat the oil/ghee till hot and add onions. Fry till light brown and then add the cumin seeds. The seeds will splutter. Now add the rice and stir well. Add 1/2 a cup of water to the rice and cover. Simmer till all the water dries up. Allow the rice to stand for another 2-3 minutes and then serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp ginger

1/4 tbsp cum

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh coriander 

Method:

Cook rice in water, about 25 minutes. In a separate skillet, fry the mustard seeds, turmeric, ginger and cumin in olive oil for just a minute or two, then add to rice. Add lemon juice and cilantro to rice and stir well . Ready to be served.

Rice Kheer

Ingredients:

1/4th cup long grain rice (washed and drained)

4-5 cups milk

2-3 cardamom seeds (crushed)

2 tbsp. almonds (blanched silvered)

A pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little hot milk

1tbsp skinned pistachio nuts (chopped)

1tbsp raisins (optional)

2-3tbsp. sugar or as desired

Method:

Put the rice, milk and cardamom in a pan, bring to boil and simmer gently until the rice is soft and the grains are starting to break up. Add almonds, pistachio, saffron and raisins and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and serve either warm or chilled.

MANGO RICE

Ingredients:

4 tblsp raw Peanuts

Curry leaves

150 gms Basmati Rice

Masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

11/2 tsp Mustard seeds

6 Red Chillies

11/2 cup Grated Green Mango

4 tblsp Fresh Coconut, grated

1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder

For Tempering

1 tbsp Chana Daal, rinsed

1 Red Chilli, halved

1 tsp Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

3 tblsp Oil

Method:

Cook the rice and spread on a platter to cool. Set aside. For masala: put mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, red chillies, turmeric powder, and grated coconut in a blender or food processor. Add half the grated mango. Blend into a fine paste. Set aside. For tempering heat up the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add mustard, chana daal, red chilli, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the peanuts. Once the dal is golden, add the remaining mango. Saute for a few minutes over a medium heat, until the mango is cooked. Now add the masala. Cook until the raw smell disappears. Remove from heat up and set aside. When the rice is cool, add salt to taste and extra curry leaves. Stir in the masala little by little, until well blended. Serve hot with fried.

Aloo bhat

Ingredients

4 large potatos 

2 large sized onions

1/2 cocunut 

chilli powder to taste

garam masala

1/2 spoon dhania powder 

a pinch of termeric 

1 spoon ginger-garlic paste

few cloves (laung / lavang) and cinnamon (dalchini)

2 cups basmathi rice 

3 tbsp oil

Method 

wash basmathi rice and soak it for 15 minutes. Cut potato into big pieces. Cut onions into thin slices and fry them in 1/2 spoon of oil. In a blender grind fried onoins, cocunut and all item ingredients to make it a thick paste. (if you have enough time mix potato and this paste and leave it for an hour to marinate potatos. if not, never mind). In a pressure pan or a deep sauce take oil. when it gets heated add the paste and potatos and fry it for 3 minutes. Add rice and 4 cups water and let it cook until the potatos are tender and rice is cooked. Serve hot with raitha and / or papad.

Masala Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice (chawal)

1/2 cup brinjal (baingan / eggplan) cubes

1/2 cup tendli, sliced vertically

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

12 mm. (½") piece of ginger (adrak), grated

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 green chillies, chopped

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

To be ground into a powder 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds

8 to 10 black peppercorns (kalimirch)

3 cloves (laung / lavang)

To be mixed into a topping

1/4 cup grated cauliflower

1/4 cup chopped corriander (dhania)

1/2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the rice for about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the asafoetida, ginger, turmeric powder and cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onions and green chillies and sauté till the onions turn translucent. Add the brinjals, tendli and the soaked rice. Add the ground powder, salt with 2½ cups of hot water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. When the rice is done add the topping mixture and toss well.Serve hot.

Veg Kolhapuri

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot dies cut

1/2 cup cauliflower

1 potato dies cut

8 to 10 french beans

1/4 cup green peas

1 tea spoon ginger paste

1 tea spoon garlic paste

2 onions finely chopped

2 tomatoes finely chopped

3 table spoon oil

1/4 cup grated dry coconut

1/4 tea spoon fresh clove powder

1/2 tea spoon garam masala powder

1/2 tea spoon fennel seeds powder

1 small piece cinnamon

1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds 

8 to 10 black pepper 

1/4 tea spoon garam masala powder

 For garnishing:

1/4 cup coriander chopped leaves

Method:

Par boil carrots, potato, cauliflower, french beans and green peas. Keep aside. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Keep a side. Heat oil in a non stick pan, add coconut, cloves, black pepper, poppy seeds, coriander seeds and red chilies. fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 table spoons of chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes again. Let it cool at room temp. Grind to a paste.  Keep aside. In another pan again heat oil and add remaining onion and saute till light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes or till the mixture is light brown. Add chopped tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric powder and masala paste. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 minutes. Add par boiled vegetables and salt to taste. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes at low flame. At last sprinkle garam masala powder and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. 

Hot and tempting Veg. Kolhapuri is ready to serve. Serve it with Indian bread like roti, naan, kulcha etc.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

 Rice-2cups

 Onions-1 medium sliced

 Tomato-1 medium chopped

 Ginger-garlic paste-1tbsp

 Green beans-1/2 cup cut into 1"pieces

 Carrot-1 medium cut into 1/4" cubes

 Potatoes-boiled and cut into small cubes

 Peppers(green, red,yellow)-cut into small pieces

 Green chili-1 or 2

 Garam masala-1tsp

 Turmeric-1tsp

 Red chili pwd-1tsp

 Coriander pwd-1tsp

 Salt-to taste

 Yogurt(optional)-2tbsp

 Cashew nuts-5/6

 Red cardamom-1

 Cinnamon-1 stick

 Mint- 1sprig

 Oil/Ghee-3tbsp

 Paneer Cubes -100g(For garnish)

Method:

Par boil rice and keep aside. Take oil/ghee in a large kadhai or stock pot, add cashew nuts, cinnamon stick and cardamom. When cashew nuts turn golden, remove and keep separately. In the same oil, saute onions, add ginger-garlic paste and then tomatoes. Fry till you get a deep red thick paste. Add all the other vegetables(potatoes, green beans,peppers,carrots or any other veggies you prefer) and lightly saute. Add chopped green chili, garam masala, turmeric pwd, red-chili pwd, coriander pwd and mix well. You can add either yogurt(2tbsp) or water(1/2 cup) to this gravy. Let it come to a boil. Add salt(1/2 tbsp should be good) Remove this gravy leaving very little inside the kadhai. Add a layer of rice. Pour some gravy and then add another layer of rice. Repeat this process. Cover the kadhai, and let it cook on low flame for 5min. Mix the biryani well before serving so that all the gravy is absorbed in rice. Garnish with cashew nuts, mint sprig and sauteed paneer cubes or fried sliced onions.(optional). 

Tip:

 For added taste sprinkle saffron soaked in milk between layers.