Instant Pot Masoor Dal Khichdi

White Rice - 1/2 cup (I used Chinigura / Gobindabhog)
Red Masoor Dal / Red lentils - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 cups
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Onion - chopped
Green Chili - a few, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Mixed Vegetables - Carrots, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Green Beans - cut into medium chunks
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Wash the rice and dal in water and keep aside.

Start the instant pot in sauce mode.

Add olive oil and then all the spices - cumin, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, onion, green chili and ginger.

Saute for a few minutes till the onion changes color. Then add the vegetables and salt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the washed rice and masoor dal, salt and 3 cups of water.

Cook on manual pressure cook for 2 minutes.

Release pressure after 10 minutes. Serve hot with some ghee on top.

Instant Pot Pongal

White Rice - 1/2 cup (I used Chinigura / Gobindabhog)
Yellow Mung Dal - 1/2 cup
Water - 4 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry Leaves - a few
Whole Black Peppercorns - 10
Green Chili - a few, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt

Optional Tempering - Dried red chili, a few curry leaves, cashew nuts in ghee

Start the instant pot in saute mode.

Add ghee and then all the spices - cumin, asafetida, curry leaves, peppercorns, green chili and ginger.

Saute for a couple of minutes till the ginger begins to brown.

Add the washed rice and mung dal and 4 cups of water.

Cook on manual pressure cook for 3 minutes.

Release pressure after 10 minutes. Serve hot or you can add an additional tempering of red chili, curry leaves and cashew nuts in ghee over the pongal.

Paneer & Veg Pulao

Masale Bhaat

Cooked Rice - about a cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaf - a few
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Mixed Vegetables - tonsil (ivy gourd), eggplant, carrots, capsicum - cut into 2 inch longish thin pieces
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Goda Masala / Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Roasted Cashewnuts - a handful

Heat oil and add the mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.

Add the chopped vegetables and turmeric and salt and mix well. Cook on high heat for a few minutes. Then add the good masala and cover tightly and cook till the vegetables are almost done. In between, remove cover and toss the vegetables. If required add a sprinkle of water so that the vegetables do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove cover, mix in the roasted cashew nuts and add the cooked rice, Mix well and cook for a few minutes more. Remove from heat, let it sit under cover for 5 minutes and then serve hot.

Mishti Pulao

Fragrant Rice - 1 cup, I used Kalijeera / Gobindabhog, washed in water and rinsed
Spices - 1 bayleaf, 1 inch Cinnamon, 3 Whole Cloves, 1 green cardamom
Saffron - a few strands
Turmeric - a pinch
Dry Fruits - Cashewnuts and Raisins
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Heat ghee in a heavy pan. Add the whole spices and cashew nuts. Once the nuts begin to change color, add the raisins.

Now add the washed rice. Mix well. Add 2 cups of water, salt and sugar. Add saffron and turmeric. Cover the lid and cook on medium low flame till water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

One Pot Shrimp Pulao

Shrimp - around half a pound, peeled and deveined
White Basmati Rice - 3/4 cup
Ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Green cardamom - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 5
Whole black peppercorn - 10
White onion - 1, thinly sliced
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Garlic - 4 cloves
Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
Mint leaves - a handful, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, or a handful of cherry tomatoes, grated or half a tbsp of tomato paste
Paprika - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Mixed vegetables - I used finely chopped capsicum and carrot and some green peas




Heat a large heavy bottomed pan. Add the ghee and olive oil and the whole spices - cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorn.



Then add the sliced onion and cook on low heat till the onion begins to caramelise. Add ginger, garlic, cilantro and mint. Cook for a minute.



Add grated tomato, turmeric, paprika and salt. Cook till the tomato mixes well with the spices.


Now add the shrimp. Increase heat and cook for a few minutes. Add the vegetables. Toss well.



Add rice and mix everything together. Add 1.5 cups of water and bring it to boil. Then reduce heat, place a cover on the pan and cook for around 10 minutes till the rice is done.



Fluff with fork and serve hot.



Note : if you want to use brown rice, cook the rice beforehand with some whole spices and cool. Mix in the end when the spices and vegetables are cooked.

Shrimp Pad Thai

 

Brown Rice Pad Thai - a handful (can reduce the quantity of noodles and add more cabbage)
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Sweet Onion - 1 small, sliced
Garlic - 4 cloves, thinly sliced
Ginger - 1 inch, thinly chopped
Green Chili - 2, finely chopped
Vegetables - 2 cups (a mix of cabbage, red peppers, bean sprouts, carrots)

Shrimp - 8 oz, cooked
Eggs - 2, scrambled

For sauce:
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - 1 tsp, soak in 1 tbsp warm water for 15 minutes
Palm Sugar / Jaggery - 1 tbsp, grated
Rice Wine Vinegar - 1/2 tbsp.
Fish Sauce - 1 tsp

Coarsely ground roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup

Cook the noodles according to directions on the box. Rinse in cold water and keep aside.

While the noodles is cooking, squeeze the juice out of the tamarind and discard the tamarind pulp. Mix this juice along with the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, grated palm sugar. Taste the sauce, it should taste sour first and then sweet.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chili and saute for a minute. Then increase the heat and add chopped vegetables. Cook only for a couple of minutes on high flame. Do not overcook as the vegetables should remain crisp.

Add the scrambled eggs, cooked shrimp, boiled noodles and the tamarind sauce. Continue to cook on high heat for a few minutes, stirring and mixing the noodles continuously. Check for seasoning.

Remove from heat, toss the ground peanuts on top and serve immediately.

Vegetable Fried Rice, the easy recipe

Cooked Rice - 2 cups, rice should be cooked just till done and at least a few hours before making the                                         fried rice so that it is completely cooled
Clarified Butter / Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.
Sweet Onion - 1/3 cup, finely chopped
Mixed Vegetables - finely chopped - green peas, carrots, green beans, bell peppers
Roasted Unsalted Cashewnuts - a handful
Pulao Masala - 1/2 tsp, optional, if you want spicy Indian flavor or alternatively can add a tbsp of soy sauce for Chinese flavor
Melted Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Heat Olive oil /butter is a large heavy bottomed pot.

Add the chopped onions and cook on medium heat till the onion begins to caramelize.

Then add all the vegetables and cashewnuts and increase the heat. Mix salt and fresh black pepper cook for 5 to 10 minutes on high flame till the vegetables are done but still crisp. Sprinkle pulao masala of soy sauce, if using.

Mix rice, toss well and adjust seasoning. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Adjust seasoning, add a tbsp of melted butter on top and serve hot.

For chicken fried rice - add roasted chopped chicken breasts and scrambled eggs after the vegetables are cooked.

Phodni Bhaat

Leftover rice - 2 cups
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaf - a few
Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Green Chili - 2, finely chopped
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1, grated
Roasted Peanuts - a handful
Salt
Cilantro - a handful (optional)

Fluff the leftover rice and keep aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan. Add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaf.

Now add the chopped onion and green chili and cook till it becomes soft.

Add the grated tomato and turmeric and cook for a few minutes more.

Now add the rice, salt and peanuts and mix everything well. Cover and cook for a few minutes more.

Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Shrimp Biryani

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Shahi Jeera / Caraway Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilies - 3, slit
Vegetables - a mix of potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, cut into 2 inch lengthwise
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Homemade Biryani Masala - 2 tsp
Fresh Mint Leaves / Pudina / Dried Mint leaves
Shrimp - 15 to 20
Boiled Eggs - 2 (optional)
Red Onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
Roasted Cashewnuts, Golden Raisins or Soaked Almonds - a handful (optional)

Cook the rice with water till done. Do not overcook the rice. Fluff with fork and keep aside to cool down.

Heat a tbsp. of oil in a pan. Add the sliced onion and cook on medium heat till the onion caramelizes.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large pan. Add the boiled eggs, a little turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Toss on all sides till the eggs become golden brown. Remove and keep aside. Add the shrimp and cook till done. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add some more oil and the shahi jeera. Then add all the vegetables, little turmeric, salt and green chilies. Cook on medium high till the vegetables are almost done.

Beat the yogurt well and add the biryani masala and mint to it. Remove the pan with the vegetables from heat and add the yogurt.

Cook on low heat for a few minutes. Then add the cooked rice and mix well.

Add cooked shrimp and egg and mix together. Sprinkle fried onions and nuts on top and serve hot with cucumber raita/salad.

Spicy Kimchi Fried Rice

Brown Rice - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
Garlic - 3 cloves
Shallots / Red Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Jalapeno - 1/2, finely chopped
Low Sodium Soy Sauce - 1 to 2 tsp
Fresh Shrimp - 10, optional
Kimchi - 1/2 cup
Fried Eggs - 2

Serves 2

Cook rice and water together till done. Keep aside to cool down. Alternatively, leftover cooked brown rice also works well.

Heat a skillet and add olive oil. Immediately add the garlic, jalapeno and shallots and cooked till the shallots begin to caramelize.

Add the kimchi and shrimp. Saute till the shrimp is cooked through and the kimchi slightly crisps up.

Add the cooked rice and 2 tsp soy sauce. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Divide into 2 bowls, add a fried egg on top and serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Forbidden Rice with Green Peas

Black Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt - a pinch
Frozen Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Unsalted Butter - 1 tbsp

Add 2 cups of water to the rice and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add salt, reduce heat and simmer and cook for around 30 minutes.

When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the green peas and butter and cover and cook for a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat and keep aside covered for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold as a side dish.

 

 

 

 

 

Bhaja Mug Dal Khichudi with Fried Onions

Yellow Mung Dal - 3/4 cup
White Rice - 3/4 cup (Use Gobindabhog or Kaljira rice)
Water - 5 cups
Salt
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp.
Red Onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
Green Chilies - 2
Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced
Ginger - 1/2 inch, finely chopped

Heat a heavy bottomed pan or a pressure cooker pan. Roast the mung dal over slow heat till it emits a nice aroma. Add the rice, salt, turmeric and red chili powder and 4 cups of water and mix well.

Cook over medium heat without any cover stirring once in a while. If required add another cup of water and cook till the rice and dal are done but not mushy. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a separate pan and add the sliced onion, green chilies, garlic and ginger. Cook till the onion caramelizes. Pour this over the khichudi and serve immediately.

Curd Rice

Soft Cooked Brown Rice / Leftover cooked brown rice - 2 cups
Greek Yogurt - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal / Split Black Lentils - 1 tbsp
Green Chilies - 2, chopped
Dried Red Chili - 2, broken into pieces
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Curry Leaves - 4
Salt

Mash the soft cooked brown rice coarsely. Add yogurt, salt to taste, mix well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds and once they start popping, add the urad dal. Reduce heat and roast the dal till golden brown.

Add grated garlic, green chilies, dried red chili, curry leaves and hing. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately add the rice yogurt mixture.

Mix well and serve.

Black Eyed Peas & Plantain Pulao

Sometime back I was going through Shilpa's blog http://www.aayisrecipes.com/ and came across this recipe. Since I was neither too fond of dried black eyed peas nor fond of plantains and I always thought of pulao having traditional vegetables like beans, peas, carrots and cashew nuts and raisins, I didn't think I would ever try out this recipe. Ironically, yesterday after we came back hungry and famished from a long day out, I opened the fridge to find a lone plantain and carrot staring at me. Immediately, Shilpa's recipe came to my mind and I thought that's my only quick option now. I tweaked the recipe a little - we have stopped eating white rice, so I used brown jasmine rice. Instead of dried black eyed peas, I used fresh black eyed peas which is usually available in the freezer section of grocery store where frozen vegetables are kept. These cook faster and there is no need to soak the beans beforehand. I also added a carrot and a few cloves and skipped the curry leaves. The pulao was quick to cook and delicious. The coconut milk added a richness to it. The chopped plantain went well with the soft black eyed peas cooked to perfection. This is a hassle free quick one pot meal which I am definitely going to make again and again.

Frozen Black Eyed Peas / Lobia - 1 cup
Brown Jasmine Rice - 3/4 cup
Plantain / Raw Banana - 1 small, peeled and cut into small pieces
Carrot - 1, chopped
Coconut Milk - 1 cup (I used Trader Joe's light coconut milk which is without any added preservatives)
Clarified Butter / Ghee / Oil - 1 tbsp
Green Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 2 inch pieces
Cloves - 5
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Garlic - 2 pods, grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Water - 1 cup

Heat ghee in a pan. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Once they sizzle, add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Cook till the onion softens.

Now add the rice, black eyed peas, chopped plantain, carrot, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder. Saute for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and a cup of water.

In the meantime add 31/2 cups of water to a rice cooker. Transfer the rice mixture to a steel container which can be fitted in the rice cooker and cook til the water dries up. It takes around 45 minutes to cook the brown rice in the rice cooker.

Remove, fluff with a fork and serve hot with cilantro mint yoghurt chutney.

Sending this to http://gourmetglobal.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-blogging-event-seriestaste-of.html

Matar Pulao / Green Peas Pulao

Brown Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 5
Whole Black Pepper - 10
Green Chili - 5, slit
Raw Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Red Onion - 1 medium size, finely sliced
Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Salt
Pulao Masala - 1/2 tsp
Raw Cashewnuts - a handful

Cook the rice till done and keep it aside to cool down.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, raw sugar.

Then add the sliced onion and slit green chilies and saute on low flame till the onion caramelises. Add the cashewnuts and saute for a minute more. Remove the caramelised onion and cashewnuts and keep aside.

In the same skillet, add the frozen peas and salt. Sprinkle the pulao masala. Cook for a few minutes till the peas get soft.

Now add the cooked rice and the caramelised onion and cashewnuts. Mix everything well. Adjust the salt. Cook for a few minutes more. Remove and serve.

Yellow Split Peas Khichdi / Mator Dal Khichudi

Yellow Split Peas / Mator Dal - 3/4 cup
Red Lentils / Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
Brown Rice - 3/4 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 4, finely chopped
Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Frozen Green Peas - 1 cup
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1, chopped
Salt
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the lentils and brown rice together and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add the chopped green chili and onion and saute till the onion gets soft.

Now add the lentil rice mix, chopped tomato, cumin coriander red chili powder and salt. Mix well and saute for a minute.

Add 4 cups of water and close the lid. Once full pressure is reached, reduce the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once it cools down a little, remove the pressure and add the frozen peas. Close the lid again and let the khichdi sit aside for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with roasted papad.

Layered Brown Rice, Chickpeas and Eggplant

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/layered-picnic-in-a-jar-recipe/index.html

For Rice Layer :
Brown Rice - 1 cup, cooked
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Salt

For Chickpea Layer :
Chickpeas - 1 cup, cooked
Yellow Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic - 2 pods, grated
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Turmeric - a pinch
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt

For Eggplant layer :
Baby Eggplant - 10, cut into quarters
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, grated
Curry Leaves - 5
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Tomato - 1, chopped
Jaggery / Palm Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix a little salt, lemon juice and chopped cilantro to the cooked brown rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic. Cook till soft. Then add chickpeas, ginger, salt, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon and cook for a few minutes till the spices mix together. Sprinkle a little water if the spices start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add curry leaves, onion and garlic and cook till soft. Then add the sliced eggplants, salt, turmeric and cayenne. Mix well and cover and cook on low flame till the eggplants are cooked. Midway, lift the cover and add chopped tomato and grated jaggery.

To assemble, layer a jam bottle first with rice, then chickpeas and then eggplant. To serve on a plate, serve rice, chickpeas and eggplant side by side.

Mushroom Fried Rice

Brown Rice - 1 cup, cold cooked rice
Shitake Mushroom - 1 cup, sliced
Cashewnuts - a handful
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 3, thinly sliced
Red Chilli Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Soya Sauce - 1/2 tbsp

Heat a skillet and add the olive oil to it. Immeditely add the garlic slices and red chilli flakes and saute till the garlic begins to change color.

Add the shitake mushtoom and cashewnuts and saute on low heat till the mushroom is cooked and gets slightly soft.

Deglaze the skillet with the soya sauce and add the cold rice. Mix everything well. Saute for a few more minutes and serve hot.

Lentil & Mixed Veg Risotto / Mushurir Daler Khichudi

My favourite comfort food. What's better that a plate of screaming hot, soft and creamy khichudi with a dollop of homemade ghee on top? This is a well balanced one pot meal with almost equal quantities of whole grains, protein and vegetables.

Brown Rice - 3/4 cup
Masoor Dal / Red Lentils - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 3, finely chopped
Onion - 1/2, chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Mixed Vegetables - Carrots, Green Beans, Cauliflower - 2 cups - cut into big chunks
Frozen Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1, chopped
Water - 6 cups
Salt

Wash the rice and lentils together and soak in water for a few minutes.
In the meanwhile, heat oil in a big pan. Add cumin seeds and green chillies and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onion. Cook till onion gets slightly soft.

Add the mixed vegetables, grated ginger, turmeric, cumin coriander powder and salt. Toss the vegetables well and saute for a couple of minutes on high flame.

Add frozen peas, chopped tomato,  rice and lentil mixture.

Cook in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes after full pressure is reached.

Unlike the dry khichdi, this khichdi will have lots of liquid and the consistency will be very creamy.

Serve hot with a tsp of homemade ghee on top.