- Kashmiri pulao- Kashmiri pulao is a flavorful traditional rice dish from the Kashmir Valley, India. It is an aromatic and savoury dish made with blend of long-grain rice, nuts, dried fruits, and spices. The dish is usually slightly sweet and has a slightly rich flavor due to the use of ghee (clarified butter) and saffron.
Recipe- Rinse and soak 2 cups of long grain basmati rice for 30 mins. Take 1 cups of warm milk and soak 1/2 teaspoon saffron (kesar) in it for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 1/2 cup sliced cashews and fry for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup raisins to the pan and fry for 1 minute until golden brown. Take care not to burn the dry fruits, remove from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan, add 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese) cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes with a little bit of salt. Keep aside. Now in the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of ghee, 2 bay leaf, 2 cinnamon stick, 5-6 cloves, 3 cardamom, little bit nutmeg (javitri), 2 star anise, fry a little. Add drained rice to the pan, stirring well to coat the rice with the spices for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger, mix well. Add the saffron milk to the rice with 3 cups of water, salt to taste and let the rice boil. Cover and let sim for 10 minutes to cook the rice. Open, stir the rice lightly, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, fried dry fruits, fried paneer and 3 teaspoons of roasted fennel seeds powder. Mix everything well. Switch off the heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with pomegranate pearls and serve hot. - Lemon rice- A light and refreshing refreshing rice dish from Southern parts of India. It is flavored with lemon juice and some spices for a tangy spicy taste. The dish is very easy to prepare and can be relished with any curries.
Recipe- Cook 1 cup rice and let it cool down completely. You can also use leftover rice for this recipe. In a pan heat 2 tablespoon oil on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon chana dal (split chickpea lentil), 1 teaspoon urad dal (whole black gram), 2-3 red chilies, 2-3 green chillies slitted in half, 8-9 curry leaves and let it get nutty and fragrant. Now add 6-8 cashew nuts, 8-10 peanuts and saute till golden brown. Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt to taste to the pan and mix well. Add the cooked rice and gently mix to coat the rice with spices. Add 1 lemon juice, mix gently and cover cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot. - Veg fried rice- This is a very common and popular indo-chinese rice preparation. You can quickly make this dish and every house has its own variation.
Recipe- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a wok, once hot add 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic and saute a little. Now add 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 chopped green chili and stir fry for 1-2 minutes without browning anything over high flame. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots, 2 tablespoons finely chopped cabbage, 2 tablespoons finely chopped beans, 1 tablespoon finely chopped bell peppers and stir fry for 3-4 minutes retaining their crunch. Now add 2 cups of cooked basmati rice (preferably long grain rice), a pinch of salt and black pepper, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vinegar, a dash of water and toss the rice to mix everything well. Now, add 1/4 cup chopped spring onion and mix well. Garnish with some more chopped spring onion for adding a touch of freshness to the dish. Serve hot. - Masale bhat- Masale bhat is a traditional Maharashtrian rice dish made by cooking rice with ‘masala’, that is a blend of spices. The dish also includes vegetables and served along with raita or Indian flavored tomato soup and papad. It is often served at weddings, festivals, and other special occasions.
Recipe- For the ‘masala’ heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan, add 1/2 cup coriander and roast on medium heat till fragrant. Keep aside. In the similar way, heat 1 teaspoon oil, roast 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds for 30 seconds and keep aside. In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil, add 1 bay leaf, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 6-7 cardamom, 6-7 cloves, roast for 30 seconds and keep aside. In similar way take 2 teaspoon oil and roast 1 stone flower and 2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds, 2 dried red chillies and 1/2 inch dried turmeric till fragrant. In the same pan, dry roast 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/4 cup grated dried coconut. Now take all the roasted spices along with roasted dried coconut and grind into a fine powder. In a pan, heat 1tablespoom ghee, add 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons ginger-green chilli paste halved and fry for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup green peas, 2 small brinjals wedges, 1/2 cup sliced ivy gourd (tendli) and fry. Add 10-12 presoaked (15-20 minutes) and drained cashewnuts, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and saute for 30 seconds. Add 2-3 tablespoons of grounded ‘masala’ and mix well. Add 2 cups presoaked (30 minutes) and drained rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 4 cups water, mix and cover cook for few minutes until it starts boiling. Reduce the heat, add salt and 1 tablespoon chopped jaggery, mix and cover cook for 5-7 minutes. Add 1/2 lemon juice, little ghee, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
‘XOX’
-TriGr
