Brown Sambar Rice

 Sambar brown rice or Brown sambar rice!!! thats a very big question....what to call this recipe. This is Sambar rice but made with Brown rice. Its super duper delicious.

Brown Sambar Rice (Brown cooked with spices)

Sambar brown rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup brown rice
2. 1/2 cup masoor dal or lentils
3. Juice from a small golf ball sized tamarind soaked in 1 cup hot water
4. 1 tablespoon ghee
5. 1 medium small potato cubed into 1 cm cubes
6. 1 medium carrot cubed into 1 cm cubes
7. 1/4 cup chopped green beans
8. 1 teaspoon each of salt mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin, 2 dried red chillies, few curry leaves, grated ginger

Ingredients for Sambar Powder:

1. 1 tablespoons each of chana dal, toor dal, moong dal
2. 1 teaspoon cumin

Soak the rice and lentils in water for 30 min to 2 hrs. Cook the rice and dal with 2 cups of water + tamarind juice + salt

Toast the ingredients for sambar powder and grind them into powder.

In a pan heat the gheet and add the mustard seeds. Cover and let splutter. Add all the other ingredients in # 9 (except salt) fry for a minute. Add the vegetables and fry for 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the cooked rice and dal and Sprinkle the sambar powder and mix to combine. Simmer covered for 2 minutes. Enjoy with appadam, pickle and Scrambled egg

Stove top Chicken Biryani

Hyderabadi Dum ka Biryani is the only kind of dish my Big B would call Biryani. He would probably put me in a corner for calling the dish I made "Biryani". But when you are short of time and are craving yummy food, anything goes.

And anything close to a "Biryani" on a week night after a long day's work and home cooked f is "the best" no matter what you call it. So call what you may...I present
Stove top Chicken Biryani (Stove top One pot chicken and rice dish )

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb chicken breasts or better yet chicken tenderloins cut at a biase, into 3/4 inch slices 1-2 inches long  
2. 1/2 teaspoon each or salt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin
3. 1 teaspoon each of coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 medium large onion sliced thin
6. 1 bay leaf
7. 2 cups (Measure uncooked) Basmati rice cooked according to package directions. Cooked with 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1/4 cup warm milk + pinch saffron (optional)
9. few mint leaves

Marinate the chicken with the spices and set aside.

In a wide pan heat the oil and add the bay leaf and cumin and fry for a minute. On medium high flame fry the onions till 90% of them turn brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the chicken and fry for 10-12 minutes until they start turning golden brown. Add the cooked rice , topped with saffron soaked in warm milk if using, garnish with mint and cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, on very low flame.

Garnish with 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice and coriander with available on hand.

Enjoy with Gravy for Biryani
More recipes...
Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani
Shrimp Biryani 
Egg Biryani
Fish Biryani

two bean rice

This is the most yummy delicious one pot, super quick dinners one can make and it vegetarian.
The ingredients are minimal and everyone has them in their pantry...so go ahead, make it in the time it will take you to decide what you want to eat + order them + get them .

Two Bean Rice (Rice with green beans and kidney beans)

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups of white rice cooked with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2. 1 can kidney beans drained and washed
3. 1 can green beans drained ( I had frozen green beans instead...so used 1.5 cups thawed)
4. 1 tablespoons each of oil, lemon juice (optional), toasted sesame seeds (optional)
5. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6. Few curry leaves + 2 dried chillies + 1 teaspoon turmeric (Just for an Indian touch...if you have them)
7. 1 large or 2 small garlic chopped fine
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Cover and let splatter for 1 minute. Add curry leaves and dried chillies if using .Add the green beans and fry for 5-7 minutes until they are cooked through. Add garlic and fry for 30-40 seconds. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Add the rice and the kidney beans and stir to combine on low flame. Add sesame seeds and lemon juice and mix well and enjoy

Rajasthani Gatta Pulao

This is one of the very different pulao recipes. First of it has Gatte which are pieces of fried chick pea flour which have been boiled. Its is very different and quite awesome. My little fella just loved it and asked if he can pick up some form the rice and eat them, by themselves. That is a good sign.

Here is the original recipe

Rajasthani Gatte Pulao (Rice with Gatta and spices)

Rajasthani Gatta Pulao

Gatta (Boiled chick pea flour logs)
Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chick pea Flour (Besan)
2. 1/4 teaspoon each of  Asafetida,Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder 
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of Salt, Cumin Seeds , baking soda
4. 1/4 cup Yogurt
5. 2 tablespoons oil 
6. 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
7. Water, If Needed

Add asafetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, cumin,  baking soda, yogurt, oil, Kasuri methi and knead into a stiff dough. Use water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into logs roll (wet your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to your palms)
Boil enough water in a pan. Add rolls to the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
Drain and set aside

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Basmati Rice, Cooked with salt
2. 1 teaspoon each of Cumin 
3. 2 tablespoon Oil+ 1 teaspoon oil
4. 1 Onion, Sliced 
5. 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt. 
7. Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
8. 2 tablespoons each of Peanuts, raisins
9. 1 medium carrot grated wide
10.  2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan. Add onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Drain and set aide.
Heat the remaining  oil in the and add cumin and bay leaf and let them splutter. Add peanuts and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add shredded carrot and mix well. Add raisins and mix.
Add cooked gattas and fry them for about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked rice, fried onions, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt, and mix well. Cook covered on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander and enjoy With Raita and Ground meat curry

Vegetable lamb pulao

There are a number of recipes for meat pulao and vegetable pulao and I have a few myself

Fenugreek Lamb Pulao
Chicken Pulao
Chinese Okra pulao

All of these are super delicious and the one I made today with meat and lots of vegetables is my new favorite. As usual, the thing which consumes the longest time is preparing the vegetables.

Go ahead enjoy this one pot dinner


Vegetable lamb pulao (Rice cooked with lamb and vegetables and spices)

Lamb and vegetable pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice
2. 1 lb lamb cut into bite size pieces
3.  1.2 cup each of yogurt, chopped carrot, peas, chopped potatoes, cauliflower florets, American eggplant peeled and chopped, 1/2 bell pepper of your choice of color, spinach leaves
4. 1 medium small onion sliced
5. 2 tablespoons oil divided
6. 2 cups chicken broth
7. 2 cups water
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin
9. 2 cardamom pods
10. 1 bay leaf
11. 2 cloves
12. 1 inch cinnamon bark
13. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
14. Heaped tablespoon each of mint and coriander leaves

In a pressure cooker add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the onions till they become dark brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minuet. Add eggplant and fry for 5 minutes. Beat the yogurt and add it to the cooker. Add all the spices and the lamb and cover and cook for 3-4 whistles.

In the mean time, wash and soak the rice in water. Prepare vegetables.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a wide heavy bottomed pan and add cumin and let it splutter. Add the cardamon, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon and fry for a minute. Add potatoes and cauliflower and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry for 5 more minutes. Add the liquids and bring to a boil. Add the mint and cilantro and rice and the meat from the cooker to the pan. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes or until rice is done. Enjoy with raita

Carrot pulihora

As any other mother I am always trying to sneek-in some vegetables into my meat eater's diet. He loves the plain old tamarind rice or yellow rice or pulihora. So I am startng to make it with different vegetables. Today it is with Carrot and it is super delicious and healthy

Carrot pulihora (Rice with carrots cooked in tamarind juice)

Carrot pulihora

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice cooked according to directions
2. 2 cups finely grated carrot
3. 3 tablespoons oil
4. 1 handful each of cashew pieces and peanuts
5. 1-2 tablespoons sliced onions
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, salt, turmeric, finely chopped ginger
7. 1 teaspoon each of urad dal, chana dal (soaked for 10 minutes), sesame seeds
8. 1 big or 2 green chillies chopped, few curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies
9. Cilantro for garnish
10. 1 cup of thick juice from 1 lemon sized tamarind

*Soak the tamarind in warm water and get the juice


In a pan heat the oil fry the peanuts for two minutes. Add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashew pieces and let them splutter. Add onions, ginger and carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the tamarind juice and cook for 5-7 minutes on high till oil floats on top.  Now add rice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and let it cool a bit and enjoy

Eggplant and lamb rice

This week's trip to the Indian store got us some dill weed and I wanted to use it as fast as possible.  I made Dill and Lima Beans Rice and I was planning to make it again and make some lamb side dish to go with it. But then I decided to make some rice with lamb and I followed this Labanese lamb rice recipe to the A...meaning I changed it quite a bit

So...my recipe for today is Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Eggplant and lamb rice with Dill

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into 1 inch pieces
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 2 bay leaves
4. 1/2 cup chopped onions
5. 1 medium small American eggplant cut into small cubes (and if possible peel the thick skin)
6. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
7. 1 cup dill weed
8. 2 cups long grain Basmati rice
9. 1 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, coriander powder
10. 1/2 teaspoon each of chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala
11. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
12. 1 teaspoon sambar powder (Optional)

Note: Because I was feeding kids with not so strong teeth I pressure cooked the lamb pieces for 3 whistles with 1/4 cup water and half of the salt and turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the bay leaf for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming brown. Add the peeled chopped eggplant with all the spices, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the pressure cooked lamb and stir to combine. Add 2 cups of rice and sambar powder if using and stir to combine. Add 3.5 cups of hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dill and lemon juice and stir to combine. Give it a taste test and add more salt if required. 

For serving, spread a tablespoon of plain yogurt on a plate and serve lamb and dill egg plant rice on top of it. And serve with sliced onions

Spinach Rice

Sometime I want to eat rice but I do not want to eat the plain white rice. So I made different recipes with rice like

Eggplant and Lamb rice
Fried rice
Beet root rice
Sorrell leaf rice
Cilantro rice
Avocado rice
Cabbage rice
The recipe I made today is with Spinach and it is great to get some good spinach into the kids stomachs. And its pretty delicious and quite easy to make

Spinach Rice (Rice cooked with spinach)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice
2. 1 cup spinach from a can drained
3. 1 tomato chopped fine
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. 1 medium small onion sliced thin
6. Few curry leaves
7. 2 green chillies slit
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and salt (or to taste)

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and curry leave for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start turning brown. Add the tomatoes and slit chillies and cook for 5 minutes. Add the ground spinach and stir well. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Add washed rice and lower heat to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Enjoy

Baingan bharta rice

In this world there are two types of people: who love eggplant and those who hate eggplant. Me and my Big B used to be the people in the second group, but one day mom sent us to buy eggplants and that was the day we tried it and shifted to the first group.

So basically I love eggplant

This rice dish with eggplant is one of those dishes which will warm you up from inside. This is a great dish when it is cold and gloomy outside

Baingan bharta rice (creamy Rice with roasted eggplant and tomatoes)

Baingan bharta rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized American eggplant
2. 2 cups rice
3. 2 medium large tomatoes chopped
4. 1 cup chopped onion
5. 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala
7. 1 tablespoon oil

Cut the eggplant into half length wise. Roast it over the stove flame (if your stove is gas) until the skin starts to wilt. Else roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Scrape the flesh of the roasted eggplant once it cools down.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and all the spices, stir to combine. Cover and cook till the tomatoes got pulpy. Add the roasted eggplant pulp and stir well. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add rice and cover and coo for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Egg biryani

                                                   

Its been such a gloomy weather lately, winter just landed with a thud. We haven't seen the sun in 10 days. Its been raining non stop...man it feels more awful as I right it LOL

So...I was craving something hot and spicy and for some reason I wanted Egg Biryani...to top it of, I never had egg biryani in my life. But the recipe I followed helped me make the most delicious rice dish I ever tasted. It will be a regular in my house for sure.

Oh...and the pink spots on the eggs in my dish is because the previous day I used my cutting board to cut beetroot and even though I washed it, the color was still there and it colored my eggs when I peeled and put them on the cutting board

Egg Biryani (Spicy rice with boiled eggs)

Egg Biryani

                                             

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup of  basmati rice
2. 2 tbsp oil
3. A small bunch of  coriander leaves (cilantro)
4. A small bunch of  mint leaves
5. 2 green chillies
6. 2-3 cloves of  garlic
7. 2" piece of  ginger
8. 1.5 cups of  large onions, sliced thin
9. 1 cup  tomato finely chopped
10. 1/2 tsp of  red chilli powder (adjust to taste), cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder
11. 1 cups of  thick coconut milk (optional)
12. 1 teaspoon  biryani masala or Hyderabadi Hara masala 
13. 1 tsp of  ginger garlic paste (freshly made is best)
14. 6 eggs hard boiled
15. 1/4 cup of  cashew nuts and more coriander leaves and mint leaves, for garnish

Hard boil the eggs and keep aside.
In a pan and heat 2 tablespoon oil. Add the cashew nuts and fry until golden. Drain and set aside.

 To the same pan, add half of the sliced onions. Fry until golden, drain and set aside. Add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add it to a rice cooker and cook it.

 Grind together - coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic with salt.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the rest of the onions until brown. Add the ground paste and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Or add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and the Hyderabadi hara masala and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the spices and powders - coriander, turmeric, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, chilli powder. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and cook for 10 more minutes on low flame. Mix the masala well. Add the rice and mix well and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Garnish with the fried onions, cashew and cilantro and the boiled eggs. Enjoy steaming hot

Fish biryani

Fish Biryani is something which feels weird but its super delicious to eat. Especially hen the weather is cold and you want to eat something hot.

I called it biryani but it is actually fish Pulao, because it is not cooked in the over for the second half.  I am making the whole dish on stove top

Fish biryani ( rice cooked with lightly fried fish)

Fish biryani/ fish pulao

Ingredients for marinade

1. 12 oz of your fav white fish cut into 1-1.5 inch wide pieces (I used Swai)
2. 2 tablespoons each of corn starch, lemon juice
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, garlic powder

Ingredients

1. 2 cups basmati rice
2. 3 tablespoons oil divided
3. 1 medium large onion sliced thin
4. 1 medium large tomato sliced thin
5. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, dried fenugreek leaves
8. 2 dried red chillies or 2 green chillies slit
9. 1/2 cup plain yogurt beaten

marinate the fish with the marinade ingredients for 1-2 hours.

In a  pan heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry the fish 4 minutes on each side . drain and set aside. Add the remaining oil add the cumin and dried red chillies (if using) and fry till cumin splutter. Add onions and fry till they become dark brown. Drain and reserve some onions. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies if using and fry for a minute. Add the spices and mix well. Add tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Add the beaten yogurt and 4.5 cups of water (normally the ratio is 1:1.5 cups of rice: water. But this basmati I am using is taking more water hence I am adding 2:4.5 cups rice:water). Stir well. add half of your fried fish pieces and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until almost done. Spread the saved fried onions and the remaining fish and lemon juice. Simmer further for 7-8 minutes. Serve hot with cucumber, carrot and onion rings. 

I served it with my tri-color carrots I got from Trader joes today

Tri colored carrot

Bell pepper Rice

There has been a change in the circumstances at home, because of which I am cooking twice a day instead of just once. Today, I was not expecting company so didn't plan anything. But I had company, so had to make something quick.

I made Red Capsicum pulao and mmm yum yum. It was super declicious. I just fried up the Salmon patty you get in costco to go with it. So in no time (as long as it takes to cook rice in the rice cooker) and a little bit more lunch was ready.

Bell Pepper Pilaf (Rice mixed with spices and bell pepper)

Bell Pepper rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice cooked and cooled a bit
2. 1 capsicum/bell pepper/ shimla mirch cut into medium chunks (I used red)
3. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
4. 1 large tomato chopped fine
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, salt, turmeric
7. 1 tablespoon vanghi bath powder or Sambar powder
8. small marble sized tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup water or lemon juice from half a lemon

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin till they start to splatter. Add the onions and cook till they start to change color. Add tomato and capsicum . Add salt and turmeric mix well and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tamarind juice if using and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Add sambar powder and mix well. Add rice and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. If tamarind juice was not used, now is the time to add lemon juice and stir and simmer for 2 more minutes. Serve