Rice – Meal Haven

Kandha Batata Poha (Flattened Rice Flakes with Potato)

A popular Maharashtrian dish, it translates to onion, potatoes and rice flakes. It is one of my favourite breakfast options and we cook it often at home. The poha is spiced up with coconut, fried groundnuts, lime juice, coriander leaves and green chillies.

Ingredients:

Flattened Rice Flakes or Poha – 2 1/2 cups or 250 gms

Mustard – 3/4 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Onion – 2 pieces chopped

Potato – 1 boiled

Green peas – 1/4 cup (optional)

Carrot – 1/2 piece chopped

Green chillies – 4 finely chopped

Curry leaves – 1 1/2 sprig

Lime juice – 1 tbsp

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

Fried groundnuts – 1 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

Note: Always choose thick poha as the thin ones tend to get mushy when cooked.

Boil a potato in water. When it is cooked, peel the skin and cut it into small pieces and keep aside.

Wash the poha/rice flakes twice and drain the water completely using a colander. Keep it aside. Do not soak it in water and do not squeeze the water.

Heat a pan. Add oil. When it becomes hot, add mustard, jeera, chopped onions, curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies. Add the grated carrot, turmeric powder, peas (optional) and the boiled potato and saute. Next goes in the poha/rice flakes and salt. Reduce the flame to low. Mix the poha well and sprinkle a little water and close the lid. Let it cook for 3 -4 minutes.

Stir it again and make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, remove and add lime juice, coriander leaves, fried groundnuts and grated coconut.

Mango Rice

Rice

As the summer season is on and mangoes have started appearing in the market, this rice recipe with coconut and mango came to my mind. Tangy and bursting with flavours, it is a good option for a lunchbox meal.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Water – 3 cups

Gingely oil – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Mango grated – 1/2 cup

Coconut grated – 1/2 cup

Salt – as needed

Cashewnuts – 4 or 5 fried

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Chana dal/bengal gram dal – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Whole red chillies – 2

Green chillie – 1

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Boil rice with 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp gingely oil (so that the grains remain separate) and salt. When rice is cooked, drain the water. Allow it to cool. Add one tsp gingelly oil again to the rice which is cooked and cooled.

Heat gingely oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds, channa dal, bengal gram (urad)dal, 2 whole red chillies, one green chilli whole, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for yellow colour, ( If you want a white coloured rice, you may skip the turmeric powder) and grated mango. Saute for 2-3 minutes till the flavour of the raw mango goes away. Then add grated coconut, mix well for sometime and add rice to it. Mix slightly on fire for 1 minute or 2 minutes. Adjust the salt as required. Add chopped coriander on top and garnish it with fried cashewnuts.

Tamilnadu Chicken Biriyani

Non-Vegetarian, Rice

My comfort food. This aromatic blend of herbs, spices and rice blends in your mouth and tantalises your taste buds. There are 4 or 5 different types of biriyanis in Tamilnadu, Chennai style, Ambur style, Dindigul style, Kongunadu style etc , the Ambur biriyani being the most popular. I learnt this version of the Chennai style of biriyani from my mother in law. We also make another version of the Chennai biriyani at my mom’s house with only green chillies, which is equally awesome. Will update the re’cipe soon.

In this recipe, I have used the spice’ kalpasi’ or ‘dagad phool” , (pictured below). This spice enhances the flavour of the biriyani. But make sure that you use only 1 or 2 pieces/flowers of the same as it has a strong flavour. You may also chose to omit it from the recipe, if you do not have it n your pantry.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 3 cups

Water – 1 cup + 3 1/2 cup

Curds – 2 tbsp

Pudina/Mint leaves – 3/4 cup

Coriander leaves – 3/4 cup

Onions – 4 big + 1 onion

Tomato – 3 small or 2 medium

Chicken – 1 Kg

Garam masala powder – a pinch (optional)

Cloves -6

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Small Cardamom – 4

Big black cardamom – 2

Bay leaf – 3

Dagad phool /Kalpasi/black stone flower – 2 pieces

Sauf – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 8

Red chillie powder – 1tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Ginger and Garlic paste – 1 tbsp heaped

Coconut milk powder – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cashewnuts and raisins fried – 8 pieces each

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp turmeric and curds/yogurt for 1 or 2 hrs. Soak rice for only 20 minutes before you start cooking the rice. After 20 minutes, pass the rice through a colander and keep the rice aside.

Grind 5 green chillies with little water in a mixie coarsely. Keep aside. Slice the onions (5) thinly.

Heat a wide thick bottomed vessel. Add oil and ghee and heat it. When it becomes hot, add a pinch of the garam masala powder, the cloves, cinnamon, small cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, saunf and dagad phool. Then, add sliced onions and 3 green chillies slit lengthwise and saute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell goes away. Now add the green chillie paste, coriander leaf, pudina leaves and tomatoes and saute for 3- 4 minutes. Then in goes the 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, chillie powder 1/2 tsp and salt. Saute again and add in the marinated chicken. Add 1 cup water and close the lid and cook the chicken.

In a pan, heat 3 1/2 cups water. When it starts to boil, add the prepared chicken masala and the coconut milk powder to it and stir. Adjust the salt. When the water starts to boil, add the rice to it . Close and keep on high for 3 -4 minutes and when the water has been almost absorbed and the rice comes to the top, reduce the flame to the minimum on a small burner and keep the vessel covered and cook for 20 minutes. (or you could also place the vessel on an iron griddle/tawa, on very low flame for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai and deep fry 1 big sliced onion until brown in color. Also, fry the cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.

Serve the biriyani garnished with fried onions, raisins and cashewnuts.

Vaangi Bhaath

Rice

A speciality of Karnataka made of rice and brinjals. Vangi is a term used for brinjals and bhath is rice. U can also use the same spice powder for making Capsicum rice, if you do not like brinjals. For vaangi bhath, preferably the long green brinjals are used. Papads and raita or plain curds can be served alongwith this rice.

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small

Rice -2 cups

Water – 5 cups

Brinjals – 2 long

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped

Lemon juice

Green chillie – 1

Cashewnuts roasted for garnish

For the vangi bhath powder

Udad dal -1 tsp

Chana dal – 2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 5-6

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Clove – 1

Khus khus – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Copra – 1 tbsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Peppercorns – 3 or 4

Fry asafoetida and dals separately with very little oil. Keep aside. Fry red chillies separately and take it off. Then add cinnamon, cloves, pepper, jeera, coriander seeds and khus khus. Lightly fry copra separately and add it to the dal mixture and powder all together.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Chana dal – 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Boil rice with water and salt. When it is cooked, drain the rice in a colander and keep it aside. Chop brinjals lengthwise and put them in a bowl of water to prevent it from discolouration. In a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add the green chillie which is slit lengthwise and finely chopped onions and saute well. The add the green brinjals slit lengthwise and fry for some time. Add 1/2 tsp spice powder (home made or store bought vaangi bhath powder) and cook the brinjals, taking care not to make it too mushy. Sprinkle some water, if required to cook the brinjals.

Heat oil and add the items listed under “seasonings” and keep it aside.

Now add the cooked rice to the brinjals, 2 tsp of the vaangi baath powder, the seasonings, chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp of lime juice. Mix well and adjust the salt. If you prefer it more spicy, you may add more spice powder. Also, some of them prefer to add tamarind juice to the brinjals while cooking but I usually prefer lime juice.

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts.

Peas Rice with coconut milk

Rice

A quick rice recipe loaded with flavours. This rice is also known as “Birinji” which is served on occassions. It is a lunch box quick fix and perfectly combines well with a raita.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Onions – 2 sliced

Green chillies – 4 sliced lengthwise

Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Saunf – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf -2

Tomato – 1

Frozen or Fresh Peas – 3/4 cup

Pudina – 1 sprig

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Thick Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 1/4 cups

Ghee- 1tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

In a kadai, heat oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, saunf and bay leaf). Add the onions sliced lengthwise, ginger garlic paste and saute well until the raw smell dissappears. Then, add green chillies , tomato and saute again for some time. Now add the mint leaves and coriander leaves and the peas to it. (If you are using fresh peas, you will need to cook it separately). When the peas has been cooked, add water and the coconut milk to it. Adjust the salt and close the lid and let it cook for 7 -10 minutes, depending on the rice quality. Open and check if the rice has been cooked and all the water has been absorbed. Serve hot and garnish it with fried cashews and coriander leaves. You can also add a few chopped pieces of fried coconut as garnish.

Bisi Bele Baath

Rice

Also known as Bisi Bele Huli Anna, it is a hot lentil rice which is tasty, delicious and a wholesome complete meal with vegetables. It is one of the most popular dishes of Karnataka and my favourite too…..

Ingredients:

Raw rice – 1 cup

Tur dal – 1 cup

Water – 4 1/2 cups

Peas – 6 to 7 pods

Carrot – 1 small

Beans – 4 to 5

Shallots – 5

Potato – 1 small

Ghee – 2 to 3 tablespoon

Tamarind water – 1/4 cup

Bisi bela powder – 4 tablespoons

Jaggery – 1/4 tablespoon

Cashews – 10 – 12 pieces

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Red chillies – 1

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Home made powder

Oil – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 3 tsp

Urad dal – 2 tsp

Bengal gram/Channa Dal – 1 tsp

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Cloves – 2

Dry red chillies – 7 or 8

Khus khus – 1/2 tsp

Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Dry coconut (Copra) – 1 or coconut – 1/2

Instructions:

Heat 1 tsp of oil and saute coriander seeds, jeera, pepper bengal gram dal, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and red chillies.

Saute until dal starts to change color.

Add khus khus and saute for few seconds on low heat.

Add the dry coconut and saute for few minutes on low heat, stirring continuously. Or if coconut is used, it is to be roasted slightly and then powdered alongwith the other ingredients.

Turn off the heat and leave it to cool and powder it coarsely.

Preparation:

Wash rice and dal first and cook it in pressure cooker with water for 2 whistles and keep it on low flame for 5 to 6 minuts. Open the cooker after it is cooled, mash it a little and close and keep it aside, once the dal is cooked.

Heat 1 tsp ghee. Add shallots, beans cut into 1/4 inch pieces, peas and carrot sliced small and saute for some time. When it is cooked, add tamarind water and jaggery powder.

Let it boil until raw smell leaves. Add bisi bele bath powder (I use home made powder). Let it boil for 2 minutes. And then add the mashed rice and dal and stir well.

Heat a tbsp of ghee and fry cashews until golden, remove. In the same kadai, add the seasonings listed under ‘seasoning’ and let it splutter.Add the seasonings also to the rice and dal. Mix well and serve hot with a tsp of ghee. Garnish with coriander leaves.