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

Mediterranean rice with Mediterranean Roasted Potatoes

Yesterday we went to a Mediterranean Restaurant called "Green Olive". The food was ddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. My husband and his colleagues go there quite often but this was the first time I went there. It was great. So my daughter says "can you make this and pack it as a lunch for school, one time? " And that inspires today's lunch. Mediterranean rice and Mediterranean roasted potatoes. The roasted potatoes were on par with the restaurant ones. I am happy :)

Mediterranean Roasted Potatoes

Mediterranean Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 big potatoes, peeled and cut into  1/2-inch half circles
• Olive oil spray
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup  chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish spray the olive oil. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil.

Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Add the stock, stirred with lemon juice and  toss and bake for 10 minutes more.stir and bake 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve hot as a side dish

Mediterranean Rice Pilaf

Mediterranean Rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2. 1/2 cup chopped onions
3. 2 big or 3 small garlic minced
4. 1 cup rice
5. 1 low sodium chicken bullion
6. 1 teaspoon lemon rind
7. 1/4 cup chopped parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
8. salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil & saute onion & garlic until tender, stir in rice. Add boiling water until pan is 3/4 full. Bring to boil, stirring.
Stir in stock & rapid boil for 10-12 mins or until tender, drain well.Return to pan adding lemon rind, parsley & pepper, toss well to combine. Serve hot

Maharastrian shrimp curry

So after a long gap I am back on the blogspot and today I made a yummy shrimp curry from the central part of India, specifically from Maharastra. Maharastra has a coast line on the west bordered by the Arabian Sea. This is a curry with a coconut and tomato based spicy gravy. I made Maharastrian rice to serve my curry with Maharastrian rice with my own twist on it
The actual curry is from the IndiaWest website

Maharastrian shrimp curry( shrimp in a tomato and coconut gravy)
Ingredients

1 pound shrimp/ prawns peeled

1 large onion chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

salt to taste

chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

half cup coconut milk

Combine the shrimp, ginger-garlic paste, red chillie powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, salt and allow it to marinate for 20 - 30 minutes. In a shallow bottom non - stick pan, heat oil. Once hot, add two crushed garlic cloves. Wait for a minute until it becomes fragrant. Next, add the onions and saute until the onions becomes transluscent. Add the tomatoes, stir for approximately 5 minutes. At this point add the marinated prawns and stir until they lose the grey color and turn pink. Add 1 cup water and let the curry come to boil. Then, add half cup coconut milk and the chopped coriander leaves. Taste and add salt if necessary. Cook further for a couple of minutes. Serve hot with Maharastrian Rice

Maharastrian Style Rice (Rice cooked with Potato and eggplants)

Maharastrian Potato Eggplant rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice washed 
2. 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed small
3. 3 medium small Indian eggplants washed and cubed
4. 1/2 cup onions chopped
5. 1 serrano chilli chopped
6. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. 1 tablespoon oil
8. 3/4 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start changing colors. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add the chillies, potato and eggplant and fry for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Add 4 cups water and bring it to boil. Add rice and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot hot