Good for you Chicken Rice

 This rice dish has good for you ingredients in it. It is like an Indian Pulao or Pilaf. You can want you can use regular white rice but since it is "Good for you" Chicken Rice, I made this with Brown rice.

Good for you Chicken Rice (Brown rice and Cauliflower with Chicken)

Cauliflower brown rice with Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups cooked chicken
2. 2 cups cauliflower rice
3. 1 cup brown rice soaked in water for 30 minutes.
4. 1 medium small onion sliced
5. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1 teaspoon each of coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder garam masala, salt, chopped mint
7. 1-2 tablespoons oil

After the brown rice has been soaked for 30 minutes, discard the water. Cook it in a rice cooker with 2.5 cups of water.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning dark brown. Add cauliflower and all the spices and mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice and mint and mix well. Taste test for salt and add more if needed. Serve with boiled eggs if desired. Enjoy!!!

Click here for nutritional information

Methi gosht pulao

Today, I got a bunch of fresh methi and was going to make Methi Gosht but instead I made Methi Gosht Pulao but if you want to make a vegetarian version just skip the lamb. The pulao is super delicious.

Methi Pulao (Rice cooked with Fenugreek seeds)

Methi Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups fresh methi leaves washed
2. 2 cups basmati rice
3. 1 medium onion sliced
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1/4 cup green peas
7. 1 cup coconut milk
8. 1 bay leaf
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, fennel seeds
10. 2 cardamom 
11. 3/4 teaspoon salt
12. 2 green chillies
13. 21/2 cups water
14. 1 cup lamb chopped into very small pieces (optional)

In a pan heat the oil and add the bay leaves, cumin, fennel seeds and cardamom and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming dark brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add meat if using and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add green chillies and fry for a minute. Add peas and fenugreek seeds and stir. Add the coconut milk and water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice and lower the heat and cook for 20 minute or until the rice is cooked. Garnish with fried cashews if desired and serve

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

Turai Pulao

I was searching for something different o make with rice because I was bored with plain ol' rice. And when I started searching there were a million recipes you could make with vegetables and rice. SInce I had Turai on hand I made my own recipe and it was great. I served it with Kakoda Fry

Turai Rice ( Rice cooked with Ridge Gourd)

Turai Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup chana dal
2. 2 medium turai or ridge gourd peeled and chopped
3. 2 green chillies
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, salt, coriander powder
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1/2 cup sliced onions
7. 1 teaspoon sambar powder
8. few curry leaves
9. 2 pods garlic minced
10.  2 cups rice

In a flat bottomed pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds and urad dal and curry leaves for a minute. Add onions and green chillies and fry until the onions start getting brown. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add chopped turai and salt and coriander powder and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 cups rice and cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done. Add sambar powder and coriander leaves and enjoy hot hot on a cold autumn evening

Maamidi Pulihora

Grated Raw mango

Mamidi Pulihora is one of those seasonal dishes which is delicious. This dish is made with freshly grated green mango so it can be only made in the Mango season. I had this dish for the first time in one of my friend's home and I got hooked onto it. And here is the recipe for you to enjoy

Maamidi Pulihora (Sour rice with raw mango)

Mango Rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized raw mango peeled, pitted and grated
2. 2 cups rice cooked
3. 2 tablespoons oil
4. 1 handfull each of cashew pieces, peanuts
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, salt, turmeric, finely chopped ginger
6. 1 teaspoon each of urad dal, chana dal (soaked for 10 minutes), sesame seeds
7. 1 big or 2 green chillies chopped, few curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies
8. Cilantro for garnish

In a pan heat the oil and fry the peanuts for a couple of minutes.  Add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashew pieces and let them splutter. Let them all get fried. Now add rice and grated mango and mix well. cover and simmer on low for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Garnish with cilantro and let it cool a bit and serve.

Also try Tamarind Rice (Pulihora)

Lamb with lentils and Saffron Pulao

I started searching for lamb dishes with beans and the dish I finally made has a little Persian touch to it and is definitely one of the best lentil dishes I have every eaten. This dish has lentils and lima beans . The original recipe called for Sultanas (I am guessing these are Lima beans...I have seen them somewhere ) . But anyway since I couldn't find Sultana beans I used canned Lima beans and the dish turned out to be great.
                   And I made Saffron Pulao to serve this lamb dish with. This is a bit different from the Saffron Rice I make. And this is equally delicious. So please enjoy a great dinner

Lamb with Lentils (Lamb meat with spicy lentils and beans)

Lamb with beans and lentils

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb or goat cut into medium bite size pieces
2. 1/2 cup lentils
3. 1/2 can lima beans drained
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
6. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon each of salt and chilly powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 tablespoons oil
9. 1 medium onion chopped
10. 1 big or 2 small green chillies slit
11. cilantro for garnishing

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add green chillies, cinnamon and bay leaf and fry for a minute. Add lamb and fry for 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the spices and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for 3-4 whistles. At the same time in another pot add the lentils with 2 cups of water and cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.

               Let all the steam from the pressure cooker escape, open it and add the lentils and lima beans to the pot. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or Saffron Pulao

Saffron Pulao (Rice cooked with Saffron)

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes.
2. 1/2 teaspoon saffron crushed
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup milk
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 1/2 cup sliced red onions

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become golden brown. Add the milk and water and salt and bring to a boil. Add saffron and drained rice and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Serve