Grilled Vegetables and Feta Rice

Grilled Vegetables and Feta Rice

(makes 4 servings) 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (chopped) 

1tsp ginger (grated)

2 cloves garlic (chopped) optional 

2 big cardamoms (whole or crushed)

1 cinnamon stick (small)
1cup grilled vegetables (eg red bell pepper, eggplant, mushroom, zucchini.. .sliced) 
1 teaspoon oregano (chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dry) 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 cup long grained rice or brown rice
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or plain water 

1/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled) 

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 

3. Add ginger and garlic cardamom and cinnamon and saute for 2 mins more
4. Add the grilled vegetables and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Add less salt if using broth
5. Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes (40 minutes for brown rice). I used the Rice Cooker.
7. Remove from the heat and mix in the feta. 

Daliya Khichdi

Ingredients
1 cup cracked wheat ...Daliya
1/2 cup split green moong dal
1-1/2 cup chopped veggies of your choice (carrots, peas, cauliflower, potatoes)
1 small onion diced
1 tsp garam masala

1/3 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

To be ground into a paste
4 green chilies
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger


For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds...or jeera
1/3 tsp turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

A closer look at how the cracked wheat looks like:

1. Wash and soak the cracked wheat and moong dal for 1/2 an hour before cooking.

2. Heat oil in a cooker, add the mustard seeds...or jeera and when they crackle, add the ingredients for tempering.

3. Add the cracked wheat and saute it for 5-7 minutes till it turns golden brown and then add all the veggies and the onion and saute it till 5-10 minutes.

4. Add the ground paste, garam masala and salt.

5. Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Add the moong dal and 3-1/2 more cups of water (the cracked wheat swells a lot, so you need lots of water) and cook it for 3 whistles. The consistency should be semi-solid (simply put it will be a "lachko" or "sarsarit" khichdi). At this point turn off the gas and let it cool for 15 minutes.

This is what a semi-solid khichdi should look like.

7. Serve hot garnished with coriander and a dollop of ghee or with any raita or lassi(salty)

Fried Rice Recipes...

Basmati rice 2 cups
Pineapple ½ cup, finely chopped
Onions ½ cup, finely chopped
Cabbage ½ cup, thinly sliced
Carrots ½ cup, thinly sliced
Green beans ¼ cup, thinly sliced
Eggs 2 nos
Minced chicken ½ cup
Ginger n garlic 1 TBSP, each chopped
Green onions 2 stalks, green and white chopped separately
Soy sauce 3 TBSP, divided
Tomato chilly sauce 2 TBSP, divided
Pepper powder 2 tsp divided
Oil 2 TBSP
Salt as needed
Water 4 cups or to cook rice
Preparation

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Cook the rice with 4 cups water with salt and 1 TBSP soy sauce. Once cooked, cool and leave in refrigerator for an hour or until ready to use.

Meanwhile in a deep bottomed wok or pan at med-high heat, add little oil and sauté the onions and white bulb of green onions. When it starts to turn translucent add the ginger and garlic and sauté till raw smell goes off. Add the eggs and scramble well. Next add in the minced chicken and all the veggies. Sauté all these for 4-5 more minutes. Now add the rest of soy sauce, tomato chilly sauce, pepper powder and sauté nicely. Throw in the finely chopped pineapple chunks. Sauté for another 2 more minutes. Add salt and the chilled rice. Mix well and switch off the flame. Garnish with green part of green onions and enjoy with any curry of your choice or even by itself.

Tips

You can add as much or as less pineapple chunks, that is totally upto your preference

Vegetarians - you can skip adding chicken and egg and try with bell peppers, tofu or paneer

Substituting half of the water with pineapple juice to cook rice will add more pineapple flavor

Substitute chicken with shrimp or even make it a mixed fried rice with all three..

Omlette Fried Rice

For making omelette
Eggs 3 nos
Green onions 1 TBSP, finely chopped
Onions 3 TBSP, finely chopped
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Fennel powder ¼ tsp
Ginger ½ tsp, finely chopped
Mushroom 2 TBSP, finely chopped (optional)
Curry leaves 1 TBSP, chopped
Salt as needed
Oil 1 tsp
Preparation

In a bowl, crack the eggs and add all the other ingredients except oil. Beat this well and set aside.

Heat a pan and add the oil. Add half of the egg mixture and spread it. Wait for 4-5 minutes and turn the omelette. Once cooked  on both sides remove and set aside onto a plate. Repeat the same with rest of the mixture. Stack the omelettes and cut the same into small cubes. Set aside.

For the rice
Basmati Rice 2 cups (any kind of long grain rice can be used)
Red Onions ½ cup, finely chopped
Cabbage ½ cup, thinly sliced
Carrots ½ cup, thinly sliced
Green onions 4 stalks (white bulb part and green part separated)
Tomato sauce 1 tsp
Green chilly sauce 1 tsp
Soy Sauce 4 TBSP
Black pepper powder 1 tsp
Chicken masala 1 TBSP  ( I used eastern brand)
Oil 2 TBSP
Salt as needed
Water to cook the ricePre-cooking instructions..

Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes. Cut the green part (diagonally) of green onions for garnish. Slice the white part to go into the rice. In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, soy sauce and green chilly sauce and keep aside.

Cook the rice in 5 to 6 cups of water and drain in a colander when they are 80% done. Allow the rice to cool and stick in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes (this helps rice to hold its texture). Meanwhile heat (med-high) oil in a deep bottomed wok or kadai and add white onions, and chopped red onions. Sauté them well for 3 minutes and add salt and pepper powder. Give them another minute to sauté and add in the cabbage and carrots. Cook the veggies for 2 minutes. Add the cubed omelettes and add in the sauces and wait for everything to come to a boil. Simmer the stove and add cooked-cooled rice in batches and mix well. Turn the heat off and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with green part of green onions and enjoy this lovely vegetable fried rice with any kind of Indo Chinese curries or just by itself.

Tips
Add green beans (thinly sliced) or any color bell peppers (finely chopped) for more color to the rice.
Thinner the veggies, better the taste ...
Use butter for oil and get a richly flavored fried rice..

Chicken and Veg Biryani

• 1 kg chicken preferably in 16 pieces and a couple of drumsticks
• 1 kg Basmati rice
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 3 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 100 g cashew nuts
• 4 or 5 bay leaves
• 4 or 5 cloves
• 2 cm long cinnamon sticks
• 6 to 10 green chiles ground to paste
• 3 or 4 cardamom pods
• 1 or 2 tsp cumin
• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 lemon
• 1½ tsp salt (according to taste)
• 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 cup oil,
• 2 tsp dried coconut powder,
• few strands of saffron,
• 2 cups finely sliced onions,

Procedure

1. Make deep incisions on the chicken flesh - deep enough for spices to get absorbed but making them too deep could render the pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the meat flesh and let marinate for an hour.
2. Heat about 100 ml of oil. Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, depodded cardamom, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally add onions(2). Wait a couple of minutes to add mint leaves. When onions turn slight brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min. It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage; add garam masala and coconut powder and turn off flame when about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, chicken pieces should look roasted.
3. Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less than the volume of the rice itself so that its only half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
4. You will need a utensil of about 12" (300 mm) base. Place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of chicken on it again topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining). One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-chicken layering stage.
5. Heat oil and deep fry half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight (but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents by a shake/jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at the bottom.
6. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy. Rightly and carefully made, its an epicure's paradise.

:For Vegitarians:

Ingredients:

One small Cauliflower,

2 carrots,

few beans,

Mint leaves (2),

Coriander(2),

200 gms Curds,

Elaichi,

cinnamon,

red chilli,

turmeric,

salt,

Lemon juice (2 big lemons),

Onions (9 onions - finely cut),

Green chillies (15)

METHOD:

1. Deep Fry (Almost brown) 7 onions and set it aside.

2. Prepare a mix of Cauliflower, carrots, beans, Mint(finely cut), Coriander(finely cut), Curds, Elaichi(10), Cinnamon(4 pieces), redchilli powder (2 spoons), salt (5 spoons), turmeric(half spoon), Lemon Juice (2 big lemons), Onions 2 (sliced), and green chillies.

3. Leave the mix to marinate in the dee-freezer for approximately 15-0 minutes.

4. In the mean time, take a big container, Put 4 spoons of oil and fry elaichi and cinnamon. Once you can smell the flavour add 5 glasses of rice to fry along with it. after 5-7 minutes add water (10 glasses) to half-boil rice.

5. Once rice is half cooked( strictly no more water left), leave the rice to dry for a while (may b dry them in large plates if you are too hungry and want to eat biryani soon)... i cant wait to eat it!!!!

6. Now, take the mix out of the fridge. Use the same big container for a bigger mix now. First put all the marinated mix in the bowl (bowl suitable to go on the cooker), then put five spoons of oil on it..(can use the same oil in which you fried onions).

7. Put a layer of the dried half boiled rice on top of it.(Dont put all the rice. Just a layer).

8. Now, put a layer of the fried onions leaving another half for another layer on top.

9. Then another layer of rice.

10. The final layer of onions on top.

11. You can now add some biryani colour on top!!

Now the biryani is ready to cook. Cook it on a low flame with a perfect fitting lid (some weights on top ..not to let the Dum go off).

Leave this for atleast an hour and a half. Then check if the rice is cooked

Bengali Khichdi/Khichuri.....

Ingredients:
Carrot – 1 big
Potatoes – 2 medium
Peas – 1 cup
Cauliflower (I used broccoli) – About 10 flowerets
(Any other pulav veggies you have)
Onions – Sliced thin – 1 big
Oil/Ghee

Rice – 1 and 1/2 cups
Moong dal – 1 cup (Oven roasted till aroma emanates)
Masur dal / tuvar dal – 1/2 cup

Spices:
Cinnamon / Dalchini – 2 sticks
Bay leaves – 2 big (I did not have them)
Badi elaichi (Black cardamoms) – 2
Chhoti elaichi (Green cardamoms) – 3

Turmeric powder / Haldi – 1tsp.

Grind together:
Green chillies – 1 small (Add more if you like)
Ginger – 1″
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp.
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp.

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the dals and rice separately for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat 2tbsp. ghee in a pressure cooker or open heavy bottomed vessel. Add all the dry spices. Fry for a minute and add the onions. Fry till it is golden brown.

Add drained rice and dals. Fry tossing well for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add 6 cups water.

When the water boils add the vegetables and open cook for 5 minutes. Cover with the lid, put the weight on.

After two whistles, reduce to sim and let cook for 5 minutes.

Put off fire. Let the cooker cool completely.

Add 2 more spoons of ghee/oil. Mix well without breaking the vegetables and garnish with coriander.

Serve with chips and raita. It is a filling and nourishing meal by itself.

Lentil Rice...Chana dal Khichdi

Ingredients

1. Two cups of Rice soaked for 15 minutes

2. 1 cup of chana daal soaked in water for 20 minutes at least

3. 2 Long / Cloves

4. 2 Tej Patta

5. 1 Big Cardamom/ Badi Elaichi

6. 1 tbsp of thinly sliced ginger

7. 3 thinly sliced green chilies

8. Salt and red chili powder to taste

9. Oil

Directions

1. In a non stick deep dish pan or kadhai add 3 tbsp of oil.

2. Add tej pata, ginger, cardamom, cloves and green chilies

3. Now add rice and daal together without water.

4. Add Salt and red chili powder and stir for 3 minutes.

5. Now add 2 glass of water.

6. Let the kichdi cook for 15 minutes or until kichdi is left without water.

7. Serve hot with cool dahi ka raita.

Pulav with Urad Vadiyan

Ingredients

1. 3 Whole Amritsari Vadiyaan (urad daal) break in small bite size pieces

2. 2 onions sliced vertically

3. 2 potatoes sliced vertically like French fries

4. 2 cups of green peas (fresh)

5. 3 cups of basmati rice soaked in water

6. 2 bay leaf / tej pata

7. 1 big black cardamom

8. Salt and Red chili powder to taste

9. 3 green chilies with slit in middle

10. 1 tbsp of ginger

11. 3 tbsp of Oil

12. 2 tbsp of lemon juice

13. Water

Directions

1. In a non stick deep dish pan / kadiay add oil

2. When oil is hot add ginger and green chilies.

3. Sauté them on low heat, when ginger turns pink add bay leaf, cardamom.

4. Turn to high heat now and add vadiyaan pieces and roast them.

5. When vadiyaan turn golden brown add potatoes and let them fry.

6. When potatoes are half done, then add onions and peas.

7. Sauté them and add salt and red chili powder.

8. Now add soaked rice without water and sauté them for 4 minutes.

9. Now turn the gas to medium heat and add water. Stir with wooden spoon and add lemon juice.

10. Cover the pan with heavy lid and let it cook.

11. Serve hot with cold cucumber raita and vinegar onions or any kind of pickle.

Pineapple Fried Rice

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sized carrot, diced
• 1 medium sized red pepper diced
• 1 medium sized green pepper diced
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 egg, scrambled 1 handful of chopped spring onions
• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple diced
• 1 tablespoon tamari ( or a dash of dark soya sauce)
• 1 tbsp. yellow curry powder

Start with cutting all the veg and setting them aside. Cook the rice till 95 % done, drain and spread out on a tray so they dry out.
Cook scrambled eggs, set aside. Now in a really hot wok cook onion, carrot, pea, garlic,the peppers & pineapple chunks, set aside.
Fry the rice for 1 minute and add the veggies back in. Now add pineapple juice, tamari, and curry powder. Garnish with the greens of spring onion, and for a beautiful presentation, scoop out the inside of a pineapple and stuff the rice inside. Serve immediately.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
2 shallots (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 red chili (chopped)
1 red pepper (diced)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
3 tablespoons chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cashews (roasted)
3 cups cooked rice (preferably a day old)
1 cup pineapple (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shrimp (cooked, optional)
1/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
2 green onions (sliced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the shallots, garlic, chillies and red pepper and stir-fry until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add the egg and stir-fry for a minute.
4. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, curry powder and sugar and stir-fry.
5. Add the cashews and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add the rice, break up any clumps and stir-fry for a few minutes.
7. Add the pineapple, shrimp, peas and raisins and stir-fry to mix them in.
8. Remove from heat and serve garnished with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Khille hui Khichdee....Rice and Lentils

1 cup basmati rice 

1/4 cup arhar daal 

1/4 cup channa daal 

1/4 cup moong daal 

2 tbsp clarified butter 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

2 bay leaves 

1 tbsp ginger-finely chopped 

1 tbsp salt 

1/2 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp chilli powder 

2-3 green chillies-chopped

METHOD:

Soak the rice and daals together for at least 1/2 hour. Drain and keep aside until further use.  Heat ghee in a heavy-based saucepan and add cumin seeds and bay leaves.  When the seeds splutter, add ginger and sauté till a light brown.  Add drained rice mixture, coriander powder, salt, garam masala, chilli powder and stir a few times well mixed.  Sauté over high flame, till excess water dries up.  Add green chillies and 3 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil.  Lower flame, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.