Masala Pulao

This is a very easy pulao recipe which tastes great when had hot with raita.


Ingredients:
Basmati rice 1 cup
Coriander seeds 1/2 tea spn
Cumin seeds 1/2 tea spn
Cloves 4-5
Cinnamon 2″ piece
Pepper 3-4
Fenugreek(Methi) seeds 1/4 tea spn
Turmeric a pinch
Ghee 1 tea spn
Chilli powder 1 tea spn or green chillis 3-4
Cardamom pods 2
Onion 1
Vegetables 1 cup
Coconut 2 tbl spns
Coriander leaves 4-5 strands
Salt

Procedure:

- Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, 2-3 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, pepper, fenugreek seeds and turmeric. Powder them.

- Heat ghee and fry remaining cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and onion. 

- Add chillis (or chilli powder) and fry till the onions turn brownish. Now add rice and fry for around 5mins.

- Add vegetables and powder. Fry for a minute, add around 2 and half cups of water and cook until done. 

- Garnish with coriander leaves.

- Serve with salad or raita.

Spinach stir fry

Made this for the first time when I wanted a change from the usual spinach with coconut combination.
Tried this and it was huge hit. This tastes yummy with just some hot plain rice. I had it like that and made sambar for hubby.

Ingredients(for 2 people):
1 big bunch spinach
1 big onion finely chopped
turmeric pwdr
1 tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
salt
Oil

To temper:
- Jeera
- mustard seeds
- Urad dal
- 2 red chillies
- 1 green chilli slit
- curry leaves

Procedure:
- Wash the spinach well and chop it
- Heat oil. Add the 'to temper' items
- Saute the onions. Add salt and turmeric.
- Add spinach and let it cook.
- Once done, add besan and turn off the heat.

This tasted just yummy!!!

Cabbage-Potato Stir fry

"Cabbage sabzi with chapathis?" was the question popped by my husband when he came to know that I am making cabbage dry sabzi with chapathis for dinner. But I didnt reply and asked him to wait till he has it. And, I was right, he loved it. Cabbage made in a North Indian style to go with chapathis.

Ingredients(for 2 people):
Cabbage- cut 2 cups
Potato- 1 cubed
paste of green chillies and ginger as per spice reqd
turmeric pdr
red chilli pdr- 1/4 tsp
coriander pwdr- 1/2  tsp
salt
lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
coriander leaves

Tempering items:
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Hing
Curry leaves

Procedure:
- Heat oil and add mustard, cumin, hing, turmeric and curry leaves
- Add ginger-green chillies paste and potato. Fry till it cooks well.
- Now, add cabbage and salt and cook in low flame so it does not burn.
- Once it is 3/4th cooked, add red chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr and stir fry.
- Put off the heat and add lemon juice.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.

Onion chutney

I made this wonderful chutney with idlis today morning for breakfast. Much different from the usual coconut chutney, this has sweet and sour  taste. Sure it was lip-smacking...

Ingredients (Was enough for 2 of us):
1 cup onion- roughly chopped
3 red chillies-(long variety)
1/8 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp jaggery(I added little sugar)
mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
oil
salt

Procedure:
- In little oil, fry mustard seeds and curry leaves
- Grind along with rest of the ingredients
- Then in low flame, saute the mixture till the color changes and the moisture evaporates completely.
- Serve with idli or dosas.