Mushroom-Peas Pulao

Sometimes I love taking a break from my kitchen!!! Especially when I want my hubby to cook something delicious for me... And on a perfect sunday morning, I demanded him to make one of his specialties for me. As always, he happily agreed to do tat...

I was quite relaxed assuming myself not planning dinner for that day! Few hours passed, he didn't say a word on that... But still I thought he would make something to surprise me (I always expect surprises from him) :P Then, we got into some arguments...  I wanted to have PavBhaji only n he wanted to make 'Baigan ka Bharta' for which he got praised a lot before! And booommmmm.... A big flop-show!!!

I thought of using mushrooms and green peas in dinner! Had fenugreek leaves too, so planned a "Mushroom-Mutter Malai" (my brother shared this dish 2 weeks back) and was almost ready to start making it. He said, he wanted to have something else in dinner... and we reached a conclusion to have this variety of rice - "Mushroom-Peas Pulao" :)

I didn't use much of spices to highlight the flavors of mushrooms in this dish... If you use, share with me :) 

Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Basmati Rice

6 Button Mushrooms

1/2 cup Green Peas

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1 Onion (chopped)

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Crushed Peppercorn

1 tsp Mint Paste

2 tsp Lemon Juice

Salt, to taste

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

- Wash and soak rice in plenty of water for half hour. Boil it in open vessel with salted water until 80%-85% cooked. Drain and rinse with cold water.

- Wash and trim mushrooms properly and cut them into thick slices. 

- Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle first. 

- After that, add garlic paste and chopped onions into it. Saute it well for a min.

- Add Sliced mushrooms and green peas into vessel along with salt and mix it well. 

- Cook till water from mushrooms is evaporated completely. Add cooked rice and all spices into it.

- Mix everything well and cook for around 5 mins. 

- Transfer to a serving plate and serve with garlicky yogurt.

SJ's NOTE:

- You can use mint powder instead of using fresh mint paste. I usually keep my frozen mint paste handy.

- Another variety of rice consisting mushrooms & caramelized onions - Kumbhi (khumbi) Pulao:

http://myownfoodcourt.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/kumbhi-pulao.html

Chinese Fried Rice

Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Basmati Rice

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1/2 cup Chopped Cabbage

1/4 cup Chopped Carrots

1 tbsp Chopped Capsicum

1 tbsp Chopped Spring Onion (Whites)

2 tsp Soya Sauce

2 tsp Sweet Chilly Sauce

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Salt, to taste

A pinch of Aji-no-moto (MSG)

1 tbsp Cooking Oil

METHOD:

- Soak basmati rice in plenty of water for half hour. 

- Boil water in a big vessel and add 1/4 tsp of salt along with 1 tsp lemon juice. Add soaked rice into it.

- Cook it for around 10 mins till its 85%-90% done.

- Drain and rinse with tap water.

- Heat oil in deep pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and spring onion whites and saute it for a few seconds.

- Turn the heat on high flame and add all chopped vegetables. Mix well.

- Cook it for around 30 sec and add soya sauce, chilly sauce, black pepper powder and aji-no-moto into it. 

- Add cooked rice and salt (only if required).

- Toss them on high heat only for a min and transfer it to serving bowl.

- Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and serve hot!!! :)

SJ's NOTE:

- Adding salt and lemon juice while cooking rice retains its pure white color.

- Make sure you don't overcook all veggies as they should be crunchy in texture.

Lebanese Lentils Rice

A simple, quick and healthy rice variety - "Lebanese Lentils Rice", is very famous as 'Mujaddara' in Middle-Eastern countries! Basmati rice cooked with brown lentils and light spices serves the best one-pot meal for a lazy weekday... I had it a long back in a middle-eastern restaurant, but never thought of making it in-house. And when I tried it last night, it turned out to be pretty much similar to the dish I had before :)

Here is a recipe of 'Lentils n Caramelized Onions Pilaf' :P

Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Basmati Rice
1 Brown Onion
1 cup Brown Lentils (Canned / Cooked)
1 tbsp Olive Oil + 2 tsp extra
1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Crushed Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt, to taste

METHOD:

- Wash basmati rice and cook it in boiling water (salt added) till its 90% done.
- Drain excess water and rinse with fresh water.
- Caramelize Onions in a sauce pan and keep it aside.
- Heat olive oil in a deep pan and add brown lentils (I used canned one). Saute it for a minute.
- Add rice along with all the spices into it. Mix well and cook it for 2-3 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and mix half of the caramelized onions in pan.
- Transfer it to a serving bowl, sprinkle remaining caramelized onions on top.
- Drizzle lemon juice over the bowl and serve hot with yogurt dip! :)

Sending this recipe to Healthy Me, Healthy Us Event hosted by Sizzling Taste-buds, Riappyayan as well as linking to CookCookandCook and Thoushaltcook :

  

Rajwadi Khichdi

Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Rice

1 cup Tuver Dal

1/2 cup Potatoes (cut into cubes)

2 tsp Onions (chopped)

1/2 cup Veggies (I used carrot,cauliflower, corn, capsicum)

1/4 cup Green Peas

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste (optional)

2 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

A pinch of Hing

1/4 tsp Red chilly powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/8 tsp Turmeric powder

1/8 tsp Pickle Masala

Salt, to taste

METHOD: 

- Soak rice and tuver dal together in water for around an hour.

- Heat ghee in pressure-cooker and add cumin-mustard seeds with hing.

- Once it splutters, add all potatoes, onions, veggies, ginger-garlic paste and green peas. Mix everything well and cook it for a min.

- Add soaked rice-tuver dal in it with around 2 cups of water and stir everything once.

- Pressure-cook it for 4 whistles and let it cool down for 10 mins before opening the lid. 

- "Rajwadi Khichdi" is ready to serve... :)

SJ's NOTE:

- We call it Vaghareli Khichdi with all veggies in simple language, but one of our special friends is used to call it "RAJWADI"... so the credit goes to him :)

- Best to be served with "Yogurt Tadka"!!! Recipe for the same will be posted soon... 

Kumbhi/Khumbi Pulao

Kumbh means Mushrooms... A variety of rice with marinated mushrooms - "Kumbhi Pulao". You might have heard this name if you're following 'Turban Tadka' show, but this is totally SJ version... 

If you love mushrooms, you can't resist yourself adding this 'Tandoori' dish in your North-Indian menu... :)

Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Basmati Rice

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1/2 cup Green peas

8 Button Mushrooms (trimmed & washed)

1 Onion (medium)

2 tbsp Tandoori marinade

2 tsp Chopped capsicums

2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified butter)

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

A pinch of Hing

Salt, to taste

METHOD:

- Take tandoori marinade in a bowl and add 7 mushrooms (each cut into 4 pieces) into it. 

- Coat them well, cover with a lid and keep in freeze for half hour.

- Soak basmati rice in water for around an hour and boil them along with green peas (85%) in salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water and keep aside. 

- Heat ghee in heavy-bottomed pan and add cumin seeds, hing. 

- Once it crackles, add ginger-garlic paste and saute it well. Then, add marinated mushrooms along with capsicum and saute them for a min. 

- Add cooked basmati rice, salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook it for around 3-4 mins.

- Turn off the heat and transfer it to a serving plate.

- In the same pan, add remaining 1 mushroom (sliced) in it and cook it for a few seconds.

- Garnish the plate with sliced mushrooms on top and sprinkle caramelized onions* on the plate.

- Serve hot!!!

SJ's NOTE: 

* Caramelized Onions: Cut onions in thin strips. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in pan and add onions. Sprinkle a little salt over it to make it crispy. Roast it till dark brown in color. Transfer it to some bowl and keep aside.

- I have had this variety before cooked in a "Kumbh" - a kind of pot, so I call it Kumbhi :P

- Mushrooms will release its juice which will liquidize marinade a little. But add left-over thinner marinade along with mushrooms to make this "Kumbhi Pulao" more flavorful. 

Dum Biryani

Makes: 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup green peas

1 Potato

1 Tomato

1 Carrot

1 Onion (medium-sized)

1/2 cup Cauliflower florets

1 tbsp Curd

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Chopped mint leaves

Saffron milk (few strands of saffron soaked in lukewarm milk)

Salt as per taste

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

A pinch of hing

3 tbsp Oil

METHOD:

1. Cook basmati rice in open vessel with little salt & khada masala (cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf) in water. Drain and rinse with cold water when it is 80-85% done.

2. Parboil potato, cauliflower & carrot together (if microwave - 6 mins)

2. Drain excess water from parboiled veggies. Add tomato, curd with all spices and mix well.

3. Heat oil in kadai and add cumin seeds, hing.

4. When it starts spluttering, add onions (cut in strings - julien) and fry it till dark brown.

5. Take fried-onions out and add veggies mixture in the same kadai. Mix well and cook it for around 5 mins.

-- Here on upto step 8, it can be done in oven-proof bowl / clay-pot as well--

6. Make alternate layers of veggies mixture & cooked rice in kadai/oven-bowl.

7. On every layer of rice, sprinkle fried onions, a pinch of garam masala, few chopped mint leaves & pour 2 tsp saffron milk.

8. Repeat the process for making alternate layers (minimum 2 layers each).

9. If it is to be cooked on gas, cover the kadai with a lid and seal the sides of it with normal chapati-dough*. 

Cook for around 15 mins*.

10. If you are using oven, seal it wit aluminium foil  & bake it for around 20-25 mins on 160 degrees.

Note:

* Alternatively, you can use a big kitchen towel. 4-fold it and arrange it on kadai. Cover it with a lid tightly and place a heavy weight on it.

* If you are using a iron-kadai (not the non-stick one), after 5 mins, place a flat tava on gas and put kadai onto it.

Masala Vegetable Pulao

INGREDIENTS

Steamed rice
Garlic (Chopped)
Capsicum
Green peas
Carrot
French beans
Green chilly (Chopped)
Coriander leaves
Salt
Ghee
Butter

For the paste
-------------------
Onion
Tomato
Cumin seeds
Red chilly Powder
Cardamom
Bay leaf
Cinnamon
Ginger
(make paste of above all ingredients without water)

METHOD

1. Take 2-3 tbsp ghee in one kadai and add chopped garlic.

2. Add the paste and saute it, after that add all vegetables & salt and cook them five minutes.

3. Now add the steamed rice and mix it well.

3. Add some butter & cook them for some time.

4. Garnish this pulao with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Bisibele

Ingredients

For rice

--------

Rice

Tuver dal

Diced vegetables - green peas, carrot, potatoes

Onion chopped

Tomato chopped

Aamchur powder (or imli chutney)

Ghee

Turmeric powder

Hing

cumin Seeds

Red chilly powder

Oil

Salt

For seasoning

-------------

Garlic chopped

Red chilly powder

Salt

Oil

For spice powder

--------------------

Roast and grind:

Tuver dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Dhana (seeds) - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 2 pcs

Cloves - 5

Black pepper - 6

Fenugreek seeds - half tsp

Saunf/Aniseeds - half tsp

Curry leaves - 5

Red chillies - 4

Method

1. Cook the rice after adding salt and water.

2. Cook the tuver daal after adding water, tomato, hing. Once it is done, grind it well.

3. In kadai, heat some oil and saute chopped onions. Once they turn light brown, add chopped vegetables along with chopped tomato, mix well and saute for few mins. Add salt to taste.

4. Add aamchur powder, haldi, red chilly powder and a little water. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the spice mixture and saute for 2 more minutes until it gives nice aroma.

5. Lastly add cooked rice and dal to this mixture and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

6. Heat oil in a small pan and add chopped garlic, salt.

7. Pour this seasoning over prepared rice and garnish with onions.

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients

Basmati rice 80% cooked

Carrot diced and boiled

Green peas boiled

Beetroot shredded

Corn boiled

Tomato chopped

Onion chopped

Capsicum chopped

Tofu diced

Butter/oil

Salt

Red chilly powder

Haldi powder

Garam masala

Spring onion greens chopped

Method

1. Take butter/oil in kadai and add chopped onion and capsicum. Saute it for a min on high flame and add tomato, carrot, corn and green peas into it and stir it for a while.

2. Add tofu and cooked rice in kadai. Keep gas on lowest flame and mix well.

3. Lastly add beetroot and mix till rice is coated with light pink color. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve with curd.

Green Pulao

Ingredients

Spinach

Basmati rice

Ginger-garlic-green chillies paste

Coriander-mint paste

French beans (chopped)

Green Peas (boiled)

Onions (chopped)

Tomato (chopped)

Salt

Oil

Garam masala (or biryani masala)

Method

1. Cook basmati rice in open vessel on low heat and add lil salt. (Cook up to 80%)

2. Blanch and boil spinach leaves and grind them to make smooth paste.

3. Take oil in pan and add ginger-garlic-green chillies paste and saute it for a while. Add chopped onions and french beans into it. Make it light brown.

4. Then add chopped tomatoes, green peas and mix well. Once it starts smelling, add both pastes (spinach, coriander-mint) in it and stir for few mins.

5. Add salt and garam masala powder and in a min, add cooked basmati rice. Mix well, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Curd.