Brown Rice Khichdi

 Ingredients: 

Brown Rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup 
Onion - 2, finely chopped
Tomato - 2, finely chopped
Carrot - 1, cubed
Mixed bell peppers - 1/2 cup, cubed
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Green chili - 1
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 4 cups

Method: 

1. Add ghee to a heavy bottomed pan, then add cumin seeds and let it splutter
2. Add onions and sauté for 2 min, then add the green chili
   
3. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauté for another 3-4 min
4. Add the red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well and let the spices cook for a min
5. Add the washed brown rice and moong dal - mix well and sauté until the grains are shiny 
6. Then add water and cook covered until all the water is absorbed 

Serve warm with curd & pickle

Pudina Rice

Mint rice or Mint pulao recipe – fragrant spicy pulao made with mint leaves and some more spices­herbs.

Servings 3- ­4

For the mint paste:
Mint leaves - 1 cup, chopped
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped
Green chillies,  2, chopped
Ginger, - 1/2 inch chopped
Garlic - 1/2 tsp chopped
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp or Coconut milk - 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds  - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Water for grinding  - as required

Other ingredients:
Basmati rice  - 1 cup
Cloves  - 2
Cardamom  - 2
Cinnamon  - 1 inch
Bay leaf - 1 medium
Mace - 2 -3 strands
Stone Flower - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
REd chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 medium , thinly sliced
Tomato -   1 small, sliced (optional)
Potato - 1 medium peeled and chopped
Frozen peas (matar) - 1/4 heaped cup
Water  - 1.5 to 2 cups
Salt as required

1. Rinse the Basmati rice till the water runs clear of the starch. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. 2. After 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.
3. In the meanwhile, grind to smooth paste mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coconut or coconut milk, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water or as required for a smooth paste
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pressure cooker and add the whole spices ­- cinnamon, bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves, mace and a small piece of stone flower (stone flower is optional). Fry the spices for some seconds till they become aromatic.
5. Then add sliced onions, saute till the onions become golden, and then add the ground mint paste.
6. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¼ tsp red chili powder. stir and saute the masala paste for a minute or two.
7. Then add chopped potatoes, tomatoes and green peas. Stir and add the drained rice and stir gently. the oil should coat the rice grains well. stir & saute for another minute.
8. Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water,  stir well and add salt as required
9. Cover the lid tightly and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles till the rice grains are cooked.
10. Once the cooker has cooled down, open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

Serve Pudina Pulao hot or warm with plain curd/yogurt or with a raitha of your choice.  

Coriander Rice

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 cup tightly packed and a handful
Onion -1 cup, chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chilli - 2-3
Salt as required
Oil -1 tbsp
Cumin seeds -1 tsp
Cashews
Ghee - 1 tbsp

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. Pressure cook the rice with 2 cups of water and 1 tbsp of oil. Once the rice is cooked, cool slightly and then fluff up to separate the grains.

3. Wash coriander leaves under running water 2-3 times. Chop it and grind it along with ginger and green chilli using very less water. (Add little water only if needed). Keep the paste aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when it sizzles, add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
5. Then add the grounded paste, salt and saute until the corainder is cooked and the oil separates.
6.Add the mixture to the rice and mix well. Heat ghee in a separate pan, fry cashews to golden brown and add to the rice.

Serve with raitha or papad. 

Red Fried Rice

This vibrant rice dish owes its appeal as much to the bright colours of red onion, red bell pepper and tomatoes as it does to their flavours.

Serves: 2

Basmati rice - 3/4 cup

Peanut oil - 2 tbsp

Small red onion - 1, chopped

Red bell pepper - 1, seeded and chopped

Cherry tomatoes - 8 ounces, halved

Eggs - 2 beaten

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the rice several times under cold running water to remove starch. Drain well. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 10-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes more.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs all at once. Cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then stir to break up the egg as it sets.
4. Drain the cooked rice thoroughly. Add to the wok and toss it with the vegetable and egg mixture over the heat for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Rice with Eggplants, Bell Peppers and Peas

Vangibath

Serves: 6

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Japanese Eggplant - 2 medium, cut into 1 inch long pieces, 1/4 inch in width, soak in salt water until ready to be used

Green bell pepper/Capsicum - 1, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Peas - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 2 medium, diced

Channa dal - 2 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1 large

Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry red chillies - 4

Oil - 5 tbsp

Vangibath powder - 4 tbsp

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. Pressure cook the rice with 4 cups of water and 1 tbsp of oil. Once the rice is cooked, cool slightly and then fluff up to separate the grains.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick skillet and add mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Once the seeds crackle, add the bay leaf and fennel seeds. After about 10 seconds, add channa dal and urad dal and fry until they turn uniformly brown.

4. Then break the red chillies and add to the oil, fry until their color deepens. Then add the tomatoes and fry for about 2 minutes.

5. Then drain the eggplants and add to the skillet followed by the capsicum/bell pepper and peas and cook until the eggplants and bell peppers are almost cooked.

6. Remove from heat, add vangibath powder and mix gently to blend the all the ingredients. Pour the eggplant mixture over the cooked rice, add salt and mix well.

Spicy Vegetable Pulao - Mummy style

Serves: 6

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Coriander leaves - 8-10 strands

Garlic cloves - 5

Green chillies - 4

Fresh ginger root - 1 inch piece, coarsely chopped

Dried red chillies - 4

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Peppercorns - 5

Cinnamon - 2 sticks

Cloves - 4

Mace (Japatre) - 1/2 inch piece

Star anise (Annanus Huva) - 1/2 star

Capers (Marat Moggu) - 2

Black Stone Flower(Kalu Huva) - 1tbsp

Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp

Bay leaves - 4

Cardamom - 4, slit open

Oil - 4 tbsp

Beans - 1 cup, cut into inch long pieces and slit if they are thick

Carrot - 1/2 cup, cut into inch long and 1/4 inch thick pieces
Knol Khol - 1 cup, cut into inch squares, 1/4 inch thick
Cauliflower - 1 cup, broken into small florets
Peas - 1/2 cup, preferably fresh
Onion - 1 large, cut into 1/8 inch slices so that the rings remain intact
Tomato - 1 large, cut into 1/8 inch slices again without cutting the tomato through half
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, shredded
Methi leaves - 1/4 cup, shredded
Water - 4 cups
Salt - to taste

1. Powder these coarsely - red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, mace, star anise, and capers.

2. Grind to paste - garlic, ginger, fresh coriander, green chillies

3. Wash, drain, and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.

4. Heat oil on high flame in a pressure cooker. When is it hot but not smoking, reduce the heat to medium and add the bay leaves, fennel seeds, black stone flower, and cardamom in that order one after the other. Stir for about 10 sec.

5. Add the dry powder prepared earlier. Stir fry for about 5-10 seconds and then add the paste prepared earlier and stir fry for about a minute.

6. Add the chopped herbs and stir about 1 minute. Add the onions, raise the heat to medium-high and stir-fry until the onions turn brownish. Then add the tomatoes. Mix and fry for another 2 minutes.

7. Add the knol-khol, beans, carrot in that order and mix well. Drain the rice soaked earlier and add to the cooker and fry until the rice grains glisten. Add the peas, cauliflower, salt to taste and water, mix and pressure cook for one whistle.

8. Immediately remove from heat, open the cooker as soon as possible, and fluff up the rice. Allow the rice to cool slightly so that the grains loosen.

Serve hot with raita of your choice.

Piquant Lemon Rice

Chitra-anna

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup

Water - 3 cups

Salt - to taste

Oil - 4 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 6

Peanuts - 2 tbsp

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 3, finely chopped

Lemon juice - 4 tbsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

1. Cook the basmati rice with the water and 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker until done. Once done, remove from the cooker and fluff up to let it cool

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Then add the curry leaves, wait for them to sizzle and immediately add the peanuts.

3. Fry the peanuts until they slightly change colour, immediately add the channa dal and urad dal, reduce the heat to low and fry for about a minute until the dals and the groundnut all are uniformly golden brown.

4. Add the green chillies, stir and then add the onions and turmeric. Mix well and fry until the onions become soft and turn reddish.

5. Remove from heat and pour over the pre-cooked rice. Add the lemon juice, salt to taste and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Rice with Paneer Cheese and Bell Peppers

Paneer Simla Mirch Pulao

Fried cubes of paneer add succulent, moist chunks of flavour and nutrition in the form of protein and calcium to this simple pilaf. The bell peppers and tomatoes add nuances of taste, texture and colour, along with their own nutritional value. The result is a remarkably wholesome and elegant Sunday lunch rice dish that gos well with a cool yogurt salad.

Serves: 2

Basmati or long-grain rice - 1 cup
Firm ripe tomatoes - 2 medium, quartered
Fresh ginger root - 2 tsp, scraped, finely shredded or minced
Hot green chillies - 1 1/2 tsp, seeded, minced
Bay leaves - 2
Black peppercorns - 6
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee or oil - 2 tbsp
Fresh paneer cheese - 1 cup, diced into 1/3 inch pieces
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Green or red bell peppers - 1 cup, cored, seeded, and chopped
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander - 2 tbsp, finely chopped


1. Clean, wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.
2. Combine the tomatoes, ginger root, green chillies, bay leaves, peppercorns and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Partially cover and gently boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and force the liquid from the tomatoes and spices through a metal sieve into a bowl. Add enough water to make 1 2/3 to 2 cups of tomato stock.
4. Put the ghee or oil in a pressure cooker over moderate to moderately high heat When it is hot, add the paneer cheese cubes and gently stir-fry until they are evenly browned on all sides. Remove the cubes with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
5. Drop the cumin seeds in and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients other than the coriander, raise the heat and quickly bring the liquid to full boil. Pressure cook for one whistle.
6. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit. covered, for 5 minutes to allow fragile grains to firm up. Just before serving, remove the cover and fluff the piping-hot rice with a fork and garnish with coriander.

Vegetable Pilaf

A popular light dish that makes a tasty light supper.

Serves: 4-6

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Oil - 4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Bay leaves - 4

Green cardamom pods -  8
Cloves - 8
Onion - 2 medium, finely chopped
Carrot - 2, finely diced
Thawed frozen peas - 2/3 cup
Thawed frozen corn - 2/3 cup
Cashew nut - 1/2 cup, lightly fried
Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste

1. Wash the rice several changes of cold water. Put in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker and saute the cumin seeds for 2 minutes. Do not let the seeds burn. Add the bay leaves, cardamom and cloves and saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and lightly browned.
4. Stir in the carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drain the rice and add to the pan together with the peas, corn and cashew nuts. Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
6. Add 4 cups water, ground cumin and salt. Bring to a boil and pressure cook for one whistle. Immediately remove from heat and let cool.
7. Once cool enough to open the pressure cooker, open and stir gently not to break the grains.
8. Turn on to a platter and fluff up before serving.

Lavish Rice and Mung Dal Bunchi Khichari

Few dishes are as visually and nutritionally well-balanced and appetizingly fragrant as bunchi khichari. Here is a main dish you can always count on for a warm reception. On the one hand, it is a full meal accompanied only by a tossed salad. On the other hand it fits into numerous larger menus, such as summer or fall holiday fare.

Serves: 6

Basmati Rice or other long-grain white rice - 1 cup

Split moong dal - 3/4 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Water - 6 cups
Ghee or a mixture of vegetable oil and unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Raw cashew bits or halves - 1/3 cup
Sliced Raw Almonds - 1/3 cup
Fresh or dried ribbon coconut - 1/4 cup
Raisins or Currants - 1/3 cup
Cinnamon stick - 3 inch piece
Whole cloves - 8
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Whole dried red chillies - 1-2
Raw Sugar or equivalent sweetener - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fresh green peas or Frozen baby peas, defrosted - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Butter or ghee - 2 tbsp
Coriander - 3 tbsp, coarsely chopped

1. Clean, wash, drain and soak the rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. Combine the split moong dal, rice, and turmeric in a bowl sprinkle in about 1 tsp of water and stir until the mixture is coated with the turmeric.

3. Heat the ghee or oil-butter mixture in a heavy non-stick pan or directly in the pressure cooker over moderate heat. One after another, separately fry the cashew nuts, almonds, coconut and raisins until they each become golden brown. As the batches brown, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Mix well.

4. Increase the heat to moderately high, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds, red chillies and sweetener and fry until the cumin seeds darken and sweetener caramelizes and turns rich reddish-brown.

5. Drop in the asafoetida stir in the rice and dal mixture and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the water, mix in three-fourth of the fried nut, coconut and raisin mixture. If you are using fresh peas, add them now. Pressure cook for one whistle.

6. If you are using frozen peas, add them as soon as you are able to open the pressure cooker without leaving out too much steam and then close the lid of the cooker and let it sit for another 5-8 minutes.

7. Before serving, stir in the salt and 2 tbsp of butter or ghee.

8. Garnish the top with the remaining nut mixture and coriander.

Herbed Rice with Mixed Vegetables

This is a quick and easy recipe made with fresh ginger-flavoured stock. This rice is fried with whole spices in ghee or vegetable oil, then cooked in the stock until tender. Vegetables, either fresh or frozen, are then folded into the pilaf. The whole spices are not meant to be eaten, so remove them when fluffing rice prior to serving.

Serves: 2

Basmati rice - 1 cups

Firm Ripe Tomatoes - 3 medium

Black Peppercorns - 6

Water or unsalted vegetable stock - 3/4 cup
Fresh Ginger Root - 2 tsp, scraped, finely shredded
Ghee or vegetable oil - 2tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch piece
Whole cloves - 6
Green Cardamom pods - 4 large, slightly crushed
Bay leaf - 1
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Mixed Vegetables(corn, peas, carrots, zucchini) - 1 cup, steamed until tender
Lemon wedges or twists - 6, for garnishing

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati in warm water for about 10 minutes
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Place the tomatoes, peppercorns, water or stock and ginger root in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently boil for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash the tomatoes and force them through a strainer to remove the seeds, skins and spices.
4. Add enough water to the remaining tomato stock to make 1 3/4 cups. Set aside
5. Heat the ghee or oil in the pressure cooker over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking. Toss in the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf. Fry for just a few seconds.
6. Then pour in the rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the tomato stock, turmeric and salt and pressure cook for one whistle.
8. Remove from the heat, uncover and sprinkle the steamed vegetables over the rice. Cover immediately, and let the rice sit for 5 minutes to allow the fragile grain firm up.
9. Remove the cover, gently fluff the rice and mi in the vegetables.
10. Garnish each serving with a wedge or twist of lemon or lime.

Rice with Stuffed Baby Eggplant

This is a delicate, mildly seasoned rice, unique in its garnish of whole pan-fried stuffed eggplants. The special appeal of this recipe is in the tiny eggplants, only 2-3 inches long weighing about 2 ounces each. The white or purple oval types are occasionally found in Indian grocery stores or gourmet greengrocers. An alternative is the slim, 4-inch purple-black Japanese variety. The egg-plants are slit into quarters and stuffed with a mixture of pan-roasted spices chickpea flour and yogurt. Serve this scrumptious main dish rice with a fresh tossed green salad, Spicy Cauliflower with Braised Tomato, Double-Dal soup and Griddle-baked Whole Wheat Bread for a nutritious lunch or dinner.

Serves: 6

Basmati or other long-grain white rice - 1 1/2 cups
Baby oval eggplants - 5-6
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp
Chickpea flour - 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric - 3/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Plain yogurt - 3 tbsp
Salt for eggplant - 1/3 tsp
Ghee or vegetable oil - 5 tbsp, divided
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 8-10
Hot green chillies - 2. stemmed, seeded and slit
Water - 2 1/3 - 2 2/3 cups
Salt for rice - to taste
Ground black pepper for rice - to taste
Lemon or lime wedges or twists - 5-6 for garnishing
Coriander leaves - for garnishing

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.
2. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into quarters, from the round end two-thirds of the way down toward the stem, so that they can be stuffed with spices yet still remain whole.
3. Soak them in a bowl of slightly salted water for 20 minutes, then drain in a wire-mesh strainer.
4. Meanwhile, combine the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and chickpea flour in a heavy frying pan and, stirring, dry-roast them over moderate low heat for about 5 minutes or until the seeds are toasted and the chickpea flour turns reddish brown.
5. Transfer the mixture to an electric coffee mill or a stone mortar and reduce to a powder.
6. Combine the roasted spices, turmeric, red chilli powder, yogurt and 1/3 tsp of salt in a small bowl and mix into a smooth paste. With a knife blade, gently smear the paste equally into the cuts in the eggplants.
7. Heat 3 tbsp of the ghee or oil in a 8-inch non-stick frying pan over low heat. Place all of the eggplants in the pan and cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the eggplants over. Cover and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the lid.
8. The eggplants should be butter-soft and evenly browned. If not, turn the eggplants and let them cook for an additional few minutes. Remove and set aside in a warm oven.
9. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee or oil in the pressure cooker over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking. Toss in the mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter. Then add the urad dal ad fry until the dal is reddish-brown.
10. Drop in the curry leaves and green chilies and fry for 2-3 seconds, following immediately with rice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the rice grains glisten with ghee. Add water, salt and pepper and pressure cook for one whistle.
11. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork immediately before serving. Spoon into a warmed flat serving platter and garnish the top with a ring of cooked eggplants, the lemon wedges or twists, and coriander in the center.

Lentils and vegetables cooked with rice

Bisibele Bath

Serves: 4

Rice - 1 cup
Toor daal - 1 cup
Beans - 1/2 cup, cut into inch long pieces
Carrot - 1/2 cup, cut into inch long pieces, or as desired
Chayote (Seme badnekai) - 1/4 cup (optional), cut into inch cubes
Bottle gourd - 1/2 cup (optional), cut into inch cubes
Green bell pepper (Capsicum) - 1 small, cut into big pieces
Peas - 1/4 cup
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 8-10
Bisibele bath powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Hing - a dash
Red chillies - 4-5

1. Cook the vegetables and daal with 10 cups of water in a pressure cooker until done.
2. Wash the rice in several changes of water and cook with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker or rice cooker.
3. Once the daal and veggies are cooked, add tamarind paste, red chilly powder, salt and bisibele bath powder, mix well. Heat on medium flame while stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
4. Boil the mixture for about 5 minutes until the flavours blend and then add the cooked rice.
5. Cover the vessel and cook on low flame for another 5 min
6. Parallely, heat oil for the seasoning and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies.
7. Once the red chillies colour deepen, add the capsicum and peas and cook until done. Then add the seasoning to the daal+rice mixture and mix well
8. Cover with a lid and let is sit for around 10 min for all the flavours to blend.

Best served with potato chips or khara bhoondi

Beans Bath

Serves: 2

Rice - 1 cup
Beans - 2 cups, cut into inch long pieces
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Channa daal - 2 tbsp
Urad daal - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Vangibath powder - 2 tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

1. Wash, drain and soak the rice in warm water for about 10 minutes
2. Then cook the rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker.
3. In a medium saucepan, cook the beans with minimum water and salt to taste until done and set aside
4. Heat oil in a pan until hot but not smoking. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter.
5. Once the mustard seeds sputter, add the channa dal and the urad dal and stir fry until the dals turn uniformly brown.
6. Then add the tamarind paste and fry until it dries up a bit and looks greasy. Now add the turmeric, red chilli powder and fry for about a minute.
7. Add the beans along with the water and fry till the dish thickens and very little water is left. Be sure to have less water to start with else the beans may get over-cooked.
8. Now add the vangibath powder and mix well and turn off the heat. The consistency of the dish should be good enough to mix with rice.
10. Now add the pre-cooked rice and salt and mix gently being careful not to break the grains.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot!!

Corn-Methi pulao

Serves: 4

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1 large, sliced
Methi leaves- 1 cup shredded
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamon - 2
Peppercorns - 2-3
Salt - to taste

1. Wash, drain and soak the basmati rice in warm water for about 10 minutes.
1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and cardamom. Then add the ginger-parlic paste and stir fry for about a min
2. Add the onions and fry until the onions turn translucent and become soft. Add the methi leaves and corn and mix well. Stir fry until the contents become a little greasy.
3. Drain the rice and mix gently not to break the grains. Add salt to taste, then water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then fluff up the rice.

Khara Pongal

Serves: 2

Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Rice - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chilles - 3
Pepper - 1 tsp, coarsely ground
Jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Coriander - 4-5 strands
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cashews

1. Fry the moong dal in a pan until the colour of the dal slightly deepens and it gives out a nice aroma
2. Cook the moong dal, rice, water, and salt in a pressure cooker for one whistle.
3. Heat oil in a large pan, fry the cashews until golden brown. Remove them from the pan.
4. Add the mustard seeds and wait till they crackle. Then add the curry leaves, green chillies, pepper powder, jeera and stir
5. Now add the cooked rice+dal to the pan and stir well
6. Garnish with coriander and cashews

Pongal can be served with coconut chutney or raitha as an accompaniment.