Peas Pulao

Peas Pulao is easy and simple one pot meal. Peas and Basmati Rice are cooked in water seasoned with clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, onion and ginger-garlic paste. This yummy and aromatic peas pulao pairs well with various accompaniments and Indian curries like Dal Fry, Mixed Vegetable Sabzi, Paneer do pyaaz, Kadai paneer for vegetarians and chettinad pepper chicken masala, Egg Kurma for non-vegetarians,

Ingredients :

• Basmati Rice - 1 cup
• Green Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 2 medium-sized
• Cinnamon - 1" stick
• Clove - 3
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Green Chili - 2
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour.
• In a pan heat oil and season with cinnamon, clove and bay leaf.
• Add sliced onion, ginger-garlic paste, slit green chilies and saute till onions are translucent.
• Add peas and saute for a minute.
• Add 2 cups water, salt and let it come to a boil.
• When water is boiling add drained basmati rice and give a stir.
• If using pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Else continue cooking till all the water is absorbed and then cover with lid and put it on low flame for 10 mins.
• Let it sit for 10 mins. Open the lid and mix gently.
• Serve it with your choice of accompaniments.

Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi Bele Bath is one of the traditional dish from the state of Karnataka made from rice, dal and vegetables cooked in spices. This dish is quite addictive served piping hot topped with ghee and accompanied with potato chips, kara boondi or mixture.
Rice and dal are cooked and then added to the cooked vegetables along with spices, tamarind pulp and cooked to combine all the flavors and lastly seasoned. Vegetables that can be added to this dish are carrot, french beans, cauliflower, potato, green peas, knol khol, chayote squash(chow chow), capsicum, pearl onions.

Ingredients :

• Rice - 1 cup
• Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
• Vegetables :
• Cauliflower Florets - 1 cup
• Carrot chopped - 1/2 cup
• Beans chopped - 1/2 cup
• Potato chopped - 1/2 cup
• Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Capsicum - 1
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Tamarind Paste - 2 tbsp
• Bisi Bele Bath Powder - 3tbsp
• Jaggery - 2 tbsp
• Grated Dry Coconut  1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• For Seasoning :
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 3tbsp
• Curry Leaves - 3 sprig
• Red Chili - 5
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method :

• Wash and cook rice and toor dal in a pressure cooker. Cook them together or even separately.
• If you don't have tamarind paste, then soak 1 tbsp tamarind in hot water for 15 mins and extract the pulp.
• In a deep thick bottomed pan add 3 to 4 cups of water and let it come to boil.
• Add cleaned and chopped vegetables and let it cook.
• When vegetables are half cooked add cubed capsicum, tomatoes and thick sliced onions. Let them cook till they are soft.
• In a bowl take tamarind paste or extracted tamarind pulp. To this add bisi bele bath powder and mix with out any lumps. Add this mixture to the cooked vegetables along with salt and jaggery.
• Add cooked rice, dal and grated coconut. Mix everything well and let it cook on medium low flame till raw aroma of tamarind goes away and all the flavors get combined. Adjust water for desired consistency.
• Once done switch off the flame and keep it aside.
• In another pan or tempering pan heat oil. 
• Add in mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal and fry till they are crisp.
• Temper with curry leaves, red chili and asafoetida. 
• Pour the tempering into the bisi bele bath. Stir and cover with lid for tempering to infuse into the dish.
• Serve hot bisi bele bath with potato chips and kara boondi. If you prefer, top with a bit of ghee.

Ghee Rice

If you are looking for a mild and aromatic rice recipe which pairs with any of your spicy kurma/ sagu, then here is the recipe you are looking for. Ghee Rice is simple and easy to prepare which is tasty and crowd pleasing. You can serve it with Mixed Vegetable Sagu, Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala, Egg Kuruma, Chicken Kurma or Mutton Kurma.

Ingredients :

• Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup
• Grated fresh coconut - 3/4 cup
• Onion - 2 medium-sized
• Green Chili - 5
• Saunf - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Cashew nut - 15
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1/4 cup

Method :

• Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour.
• Extract coconut milk (approx. 1 1/2 cup). Take grated coconut in a mixer jar and grind it enough water. Strain it through a strainer and press with back of a spoon to extract the milk. Transfer the remaining ground coconut back to mixer with water. Repeat the process for another 2 times or till you get all the milk.
• In a pan heat oil and add saunf and bay leaf. 
• Add slit cashew nuts and fry till golden.
• Add long-sliced onions and slit green chilies and saute till onions are translucent.
• Add coconut milk and remaining water which is equal to 3 cups (Liquid quantity is double the volume of rice). Let it to boil.
• Add salt and drained rice and let it boil on medium flame.
• If using pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook it for 2 to 3 whistles. Else continue cooking till water is all absorbed and then cover the lid and put it on low flame for 10 mins.
• Let it sit for 10 mins. Open the lid and mix gently.
• Serve hot with spicy kuruma/sagu of your choice.

Jeera Rice

Jeera Rice is a mildly spiced and flavored steamed rice with nice flavor of fried cumin seeds(Jeera). This recipe also uses onion and cashewnuts fried in ghee/oil to enhance flavour. Its one of the simplest, easiest yet most ordered rice dish in restaurants. U can either use pressure cooker or deep pan with lid to cook rice.

Its mostly preferred over plain basmati rice to go along with dals or curry dishes like Sukka Green Moong Dal, Mixed Veg Sabzi, Paneer do pyaaz etc...

Ingredients :

•  Raw Jeera Rice/ Basmati Rice - 1 cup
• Ghee/ Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 1 tbsp
• Onion - 2 mediumto
• Green Chili - 1/2
• Cashew nuts - 10-12 halved
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt to taste

Method :

•  Wash & soak raw jeera rice/ basmati rice for 20-30 minutes. Here I have used jeera rice, its aromatic short grain raw rice available in all super market. U can even use basmati rice, it does not alter the taste.
• Heat oil/ghee in pressure cooker. Fry the cashews till golden brown. Transfer them to a plate.

• In the same oil add cumin seeds and saute. Add sliced onions and slit green chili and saute till transparent. Meanwhile in a pan heat 2 cups of water.

•  Now add drained rice and saute for 2-3 mins.

• Add hot water and salt to taste, mix well. Cook for 2 mins over medium flame.

• When it starts boiling check for salt and adjust. Cover with a lid n cook for 2 whistles or till rice is done.
• Turn off flame and let it sit for 10 mins or till pressure is released.
• Open the lid and add fired cashews and stir once carefully making sure grains dont break.
• Now Jeera Rice is ready to be served with dals or any curry dishes.

Tips :
You can also cook jeera rice in a pan by following same method or any method you follow to cook rice dishes.
After adding hot water cook for 2 mins over medium flame. After 2 mins, cover pan with a lid and cook over low flame for 8-10mins. Do not open the lid in between otherwise rice may not cook properly. Turn off flame and let it stand for 10 mins. Its ready to be served now.

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is one of the most popular and often made rice recipe from south india especially in South Karnataka.
Basically this rice dish is one of the easiest to make where already cooked or steamed rice is mixed with a spiced onion, lemon and peanut mixture. Chana dal and groundnuts add crunch to this dish, onion and coconut gives its own flavor while lemon adds tanginess to this simple rice delicacy.
It can be even made with previous day leftover rice.

Ingredients :

• Raw Rice - 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Groundnuts - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1
• Green chilli - 3
• Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
• Lemon - 1
• Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
• Corainder for garnishing
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation :

• Wash and cook the rice with 2 cups of water. The grains should be separate. Spread rice on to a wide plate or bowl & let it cool to room temp. This recipe can be made even with leftover rice.
• Squeeze juice from the lemon to a cup.

Method :

• In a wide kadai heat oil. Add Mustard seeds.
• When it splutters add chana dal, urad dal and fry for a min.
• Add in groundnuts and fry till they are crispy.
• Now add onion, slit green chilies, curry leaves. Saute till onion are translucent.
• Switch off the flame and let it cool.
• Now add the rice, salt and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Adjust salt and lemon according to your taste. 
• At last add coconut and coriander and mix
• Serve and enjoy with coconut chutney.

Paneer Peas Pulao

Paneer rice or popularly known as paneer pulao, is one of the best rice recipes that is healthy, easy to prepare and can be served with various accompaniments and Indian curries like Mixed veg Sabzi. This steamed rice with paneer and peas is less spicy and less cumbersome to make at home.

Ingredients :

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Paneeer - 200 gms
• Onion - 2 medium sized
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
• Green chilli - 2
• Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon - 1" piece
• Cloves - 4
• Bay Leaf - 3
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Water - 4 cups
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Wash and soak basmati rice for half an hour. Defrost peas if using frozen.
• In a pan/pressure cooker heat 1 tbsp oil and ghee. Saute cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf.
• Add long sliced onion and slit green chillies. saute till golden brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes away.
• Add peas and saute for 2 mins.
• Add water and salt. Allow it boil.
• Add drained basmati rice. Mix well.
• If using pan, cook till water evaporates. Cover the lid n cook in low flame for 10 mins.
• If using pressure cooker, cover the lid n cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
• Meanwhile fry paneer cubes in 1 tbsp oil untill they turn golden brown.
• Switch off the flame. Let it sit idle for 10 mins.
• Open the lid and add fried paneer cubes and mix gently.
• Serve hot with your choice of sabji.

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Kabuli Chana Biryani is really tasty and delicious biryani recipe, a complete combination of rice and pulses. Chana biryani is protein packed dish with great aroma of spices which is flavorful and spicy served with raita.
Chana/chole is soaked overnight and pre-cooked and then cooked with spices. Basmati rice is then added and cooked for aromatic and tasty biryani.

Ingredients:

• Kabuli Chana -1/2 cup 
• Basmati Rice - 1cup
• Onion - 3
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1tbsp
• Green chilli - 3
• Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
• Chilli Powder - 1/2tbsp
• Dhaniya Powder - 2tbsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2tsp
• Biryani Masala - 2tbsp
• Tomato - 2
• Pudina Leaves - 1/2 cup
• Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Curd(optional) - 4tbsp
• salt to taste
• Oil - 4tbsp
• Ghee - 2tbsp
• Whole Garam Masala :
• Cinnamon - 1"
• Clove - 2 to 3
• Bay leaf - 2
• Shahi Jeera - 1tsp
• Saunf - 1/2tsp
• Star Anise - 1

Method : 

• Soak kabuli chana overnight. Pressure cook it with required amount of water n salt. Strain the stock and keep aside for future use.
• Soak Basmati rice for half an hour.
• Heat a pan. Add oil and ghee. Temper with the whole garam masala.
• Add long sliced onions n fry til translucent. Add ginger garlic paste n slit green chillies.
• Fry untill raw smell goes away. Add all the dry powders and fry.
• Add cooked kabuli chana, choppoed tomato, pudina and corriander leaves. Fry for a minute or two. Add curd, salt and let it cook for 5mins.
• Add stock and required amount of water. Once water comes to boil add drained basmati rice. Mix well and bring it to boil. Cover the pan and let it cook in low flame for 12-15mins till rice is done. 
• Let it sit for sometime. Open the lid and mix gently. Serve with raita of your choice.

Note  : I used Knorr Hyderabadi Biryani masala for the flavour. If you dont have any biryani masala increase the quantity of chilli powder and dhaniya powder according to your taste.
Curd is to give extra moisture for the biryani.