Mint Rice

Mint Rice

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Stick - 1

Cloves - 5

Bay Leaves - 2

Red Onion - Half thinly sliced

Canola or Peanut Oil - 2 tablespoons

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups

Warm Water - 2 1/2 cups

Salt - as required

Ingredients To Grind: 

Mint Leaves - 1 cup

Cilantro Leaves - 1/2 cup

Green Chilly - 5 for high spicy (Reduce depending on your taste)

Ginger - 2 inch piece

Garlic pods - 5

Grated Coconut - 1/2cup

       Grind the items in the "Ingredients To Grind" list and make it as a fine paste.  

       Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves and fry for 30 seconds.  Then add thinly sliced red onions and fry until it turns light brown.  Add the ground paste to it and fry in low to medium heat until the raw smell goes away.  It almost takes one to 2 minutes, make sure the green color is retained.

       Now add water to this mixture and bring it to a boil.  Add salt as required.  Add soaked rice, cover the pan with a lid when the mixture starts to bubble.  Keep it in a low flame.  After 5 minutes, open the lid and mix before closing again.  Mint rice should be ready in the next 15 minutes.  Serve hot with any curry or onion raita.

   

Pundi Gatti (Karnataka based)

Ingredients :

-1 cup Idli Rava
-grated coconut (1/4 coconut)
 -3-4 red chillies
-mustard seeds
- split dal
- urad dal
-curry leaves
-vegetable oil
-salt

Take a pan,heat the oil and add mustard seeds,urad dal,split dal,curry leaves,red chillies,salt and fry it for few minutes.Add 2 cups of water and let it boil.Now add idli rava and keep stirring well until it gets to upma consistency.Let it cool before adding grated cocunut.Mix it well , make balls and steam it in Idli maker/cooker for 10 minutes.Fluffy and superb Pundi Gatti is ready.You can serve it with any spicy chutney as required.

Millet Khichdi

There are varieties of millet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet) that are available.I am using foxtail millet (common names) for this khichdi.

Ingredients :

-1 cup millet
-1/2 cup split yellow moong dal (paasi parauppu in tamil)
-1 medium onion
-1 medium tomato
-1/2 spoon Ginger garlic paste
-2 Green Chilli
-Vegetables - beans,carrot and others as desire.
-mustard seeds,hing,cumin seeds,turmeric powder,curry leaves,vegetable oil,salt,ghee

Soak this particular variety of millet for couple of hours along with moong dal in water.Take a pan,heat the oil and add mustard seeds,hing,cumin seeds,curry leaves,green chillies,ginger garlic paste,onion, tomato and fry it for few minutes.Add the vegetables,turmeric powder,salt and saute for 3-4 minutes.Now add the millet- dal soaked in water to this.Add water (4 cups) and close the pan and let it cook 10 minutes.Khichdi should be ready.Add some ghee before you serve.

Alternatively, you may use pressure cooker also.Pressure cook for 2 whistles and then let it to simmer for couple of minutes.For better taste use desi ghee instead of vegetable oil.Goes well with plain yogurt and pickles.

Kuzha Puttu

Aval (Poha) Upma

This is a variation from aloo poha,no much spice but delicious.I wanted to try something which could be made in no time for breakfast and this was it.

Ingredients :

2 cups Poha (beaten rice or aval)
1/2 Onion
1 Green Chilli
mustard seeds,urad dal,chana dal,curry leaves,coriander leaves,oil,salt


Cooking Method :

Soak the poha in water for 5-10 minutes and drain the water later.Take a pan,heat the oil and add mustard seeds,chana dal,ural dal,curry leaves.Then add the onion,green chilli and fry it for sometime and then add poha.Add salt to taste,mix and fry it for around 2 minutes.Garnish with corainder leaves.

You may even try adding ginger-garlic paste if you wish.This is best when taken hot.

Moong dal Khichdi

This is something I learnt from one of my friends and make it occasionally.I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients :

1 cup rice
1/4 to 1/2 cup green moong dal (split)
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1/2 spoon Ginger garlic paste
2 Green Chilli
mustard seeds,cumin seeds,turmeric,chilli powder,coriander powder,garam masala powder,curry leaves,vegetable oil,salt


Cooking Method :

Soak the rice and moong dal in water for 15-20 minutes.Take a (pressure) pan,heat the oil and add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,curry leaves,green chillies,ginger garlic paste,onion, tomato and fry it for few minutes.Then add some turmeric powder(for color), chilli powder(according to taste),coriander and garam masala powder(each around 1 tea spoon) and mix it thoroughly.Add salt to taste and fry it for few minutes.Now add the rice - dal soaked in water to this.Add water (around 3 cups) and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.

Alternatively, transfer the contents to rice cooker.For better taste use desi ghee instead of vegetable oil.Goes well with plain yogurt.

Kuzhi Paniyaram

I happened to taste paniyarams on the outskirts of Madurai on my way to Kuttralam last season.It was so good that I wanted to try it for myself sometime.Happened to do this few weeks back.Hope you enjoy!


Ingredients :

1 cup Idli rice
1 cup Ponni raw rice
1/2 cup Split urad dal
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
mustard seeds,urad dal,chana dal,cut onions,shredded ginger,curry leaves,green chillies,coriander leaves,shredded coconut,oil/ghee,salt


Cooking Method :

Soak the top four ingredients in water for 4-5 hours before making the dough.Keep it overnight for it to ferment.Once fermented it should be ready for us to proceed further.Take a pan,heat the oil and add mustard seeds,chana dal,ural dal,onions,ginger,green chillies,curry leaves,coriander leaves and finally shredded coconut.Fry it for few minutes and add these contents to the fermented dough.Add salt to taste and mix the dough thoroughly.

Now take the paniyaram pan and warm it before adding ghee in the paniyaram holes.Make sure 1/4 to 1/2 of the hole is filled with ghee for the first round of panaiyarams.Now pour the dough in each of the holes.After few minutes turn the paniyarams around using a sharp wooden stick.After few minutes paniyarams are ready.Paniyaram goes well with coconut/tomato chutney.