Tomato rice and my first award

I regret I didnt blogged for the past one week.I miss you all gals..I was little busy by throwing a small barbeque hawaii style party at our backyard this weekend.The party was great, my three year old son Adarsh and all the kids had a great time by enjoying the water sports and eating lots of grilled food..I will post some pictures here for sure..But I couldnt able to take lot of food pictures.Actually I planned but I couldnt make it out..So how you gals spend your long weekend?..
I had this tomato rice recepie in my draft since last week itself.. This tomato rice is very easy to prepare..It requires very less time..Even you can preapare it with some left over rice..It doesnt even require any special side dish...chips goes well with it...

You need
rice-2 cups
onion-1+1/2(medium size finely chopped)
tomato-2(medium finely chopped)
chili powder-1 tsp
garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
green chillies-3
ginger and garlic paste-1 tbsp
salt

For Tempering

oil-2 tbsp
cinnamon-1 stick
fennel seeds-1/2 tsp
elachi-2

Method

Cook the rice and keep it aside.

In a Wok/Kadai add some oil add the items for tempering and add onion fry until it is translucent.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.

Add all the powders and fry for few minutes.

Now add the green chillies and tomato and fry it in a high heat fry it until it turns completely into a paste.

If you feel its little spicy at this stage you can add some lemon juice to it.

Mix it with the rice..If you have time you can put it in a dum for 10 minutes..

Thats it..
Enjoy!!

I got this award from Parita.I am so happy to get this award..Thanks a lot parita..Its encouraging me to do a lot..
Thanks again parita..

Egg fried rice with toasted egg on side

I got this recepie from my sister in law.She is an wonderful cook.Before her marriage she is an OK cook.After her Marriage with the courtesy of my brother she became an wonderful cook.Not by means of my brother helping her in kitchen,by critizing the food she make.My brother is a very picky eater..If the food is not good he wont even touch it..If the food is good he will finish everything..:)
Senthil is not like that, if the food is spicy or if the food is salty,he wont even complaint it to me.Even If I said 'Senthil I guess its lil bit salty'he used to say'yeah thats Ok..No pblm..its edible only'..If I prepared the food in a really excellent..He will appreciate me like anything..'Super da..Excellent da..Blah..Blah..This egg fried rice is one of his favorite..

You Need
Basmati Rice-2 cups
water-3+1/2 cups
Shredded Cabbage-1+1/2 cups
Carrot and peas-1 cup
Onion-1(big thinely sliced length wise)
Ginger and garlic paste-1 tbsp
Bell Pepper-1/2(big thinely sliced length wise)
Egg-3
oil-2-3 tbsp
All spice powder-1/2 tsp
Salt
Pepper-as per taste

Method

Cook the rice in the rice cooker(Make sure rice dont turns mushy add water accordingly..or else it will spoil the taste)

In a wok add 1 tbsp oil saute the onion until it is translucent..Add the g&g paste fry it for few sec until the raw smell goes off..put it in a bowl..

In the Same wok add some 1/2 tbsp oil saute cabbage until desired consistency..I like mine b/w overcooked and undercooked(means perfectly cooked:)..Put it in same bowl...

In the same wok add some 1/2 tbsp oil saute bellpepper,peas,carrot for few mnts..Put it in the same bowl..

In the same wok add pam/oil..Saute the egg with pepper and salt and put it in the same bowl

In the same wok add pam/oil .. saute the cooked rice for 2-3 mnts..add all the sauteed veggies and egg to it..add the salt and pepper and all spice powder..

Serve it with some Toasted boild egg seasoned with salt and pepper..

Enjoy!!

I am sending this recepie to Sudeshna's Bengalicusine 'Events for Egg'

http://bengalicuisine.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/announcing-event-for-eggs/

Vegetable Briyani

Most of the times I used prepare only non-veg briyani.I love the mutton briyani which is the king of all briyani,my hubby didnt like mutton so I never cooked mutton in my kitchen in US.I studied in national engineering college,tirunelveli.Which is muslim organization,nobody can beat the muslim mutton briyani.During our hostel day function we usually order outside food from a very well known muslim caterer in tirunelveli.There is no words to express the taste of that mutton briyani.That is the best briyani I ever had in my life.

I got bored of making chicken briyani all the time.So for a change I decided to make vegetable version.I had lot of left over veggies in my refrigerator like yellow squash,brocolli,zucchini so I added all these in addition to the usual peas,carrot,cauliflower,potato.It turned out into a healthy veggie meal.If you have the veggie briyani with some raita and some nice and rich eggplant curry,It sure will be a feast.

you need:

BasmatiRice-2 cups
water-4 cups
veggie-(your choice I added a lot)
onion-1(big finely chopped)
tomato-1+1/2(medium finely chopped)
ginger and garlic paste-1 tbsp
ghee/butter-2tbsp
oil-1 tbsp
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
salt-as per taste

To grind
green chillies-5-6
coriander leaves-1/2 cup
mint-1/2 cup
cinnamon-1/2 stick
fennel seeds-1/2 tsp
cloves-2
elachi-2

For Tempering

star anise,fennel seeds,cinnamon,elachi,bay leafs-your choice

Method

Heat the oil and butter in the Pressure cooker add the items for tempering when it started spluttering add the onion and fry well until it is translucent.

Add the tomatoes and fry well until it turns almost into a paste consistency,now add the g&g pasteand fry until the raw smell goes off.

add the salt and turmeric powder and mix well.add the grinded paste and fry well.now add the rice and fry for few mnts finally add the veggies mix it well

add the water and close the lid and cook it for two whistles and sim the stove for 10 mnts(this is similar to dum method)

Serve hot!!Enjoy!!

Note:

By the adding the veggies last makes the veggies look in its natural color.

frying the rice for few mnts will not make the rice turns into mushy.

Simmimg the stove for to mnts its very important which will add all flavors induced and for nice aroma..

Spinach bisibelebath

This is my test recepie it turns out really good..I love spinach so much..I tried to make all sort of Dishes using spinach.. I started cravings for bisibelebath..I checked my refrigerator,,,There is not any suitable vegetable for making bisi..Then I got an idea of making like an spinach bisi..The end result was very good.. I almost used one full bag of spinach.It turns out into one healthy food..

You need:

1.Spinach-1 bag

2.rice-1+1/2 cup

3.Toor dhal-3/4 cup

4.onion-1(medium finely chopped)

5.Tomato-1(Medium finely chopped)

6.sambar powder-1 tbsp

7.tamrind -1 lemon size(Make the extract)

8.turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
9.ghee-3bsp
5.water-1+4cups


To Roast and grind


1.dry chillies-4
2.channa dhal-1tbsp
3.coriander-1+1/2 tbsp
4.grated coconut-2tbsp
5.pepper-1/2 tsp
6.cumin-1/2tsp
7.cinnamon-1" piece
8.cloves-2
9.methi seeds-1/4 tsp

Method

1.cook the toor dhal,onion,tomato and spinach with salt water and turmeric powder in a cooker.
2.once it is cooked add the sambar powder,grinded paste,rice and tamrind to it.
3.Add water mix it well and cook it for 3 whistles.
4.once it is done add the ghee and place it in a low flame for 3-4 mnts.
Have it with pappadam.

note:
I used extra ghee to it once in a while it is OK..

Enjoy!!

Puliyotharai

puliyotharai is the temple prashadam in most of the temple.They usually give very little amount,but it will be very tasty.My mom usually makes this puliyotharai,when we are goin out of town.You know we dont even need to tell to our neighbours that we are goin out of town,they itselg will assume we will be goin out of town.Even our dog shiny(pomeranian) knows that we are goin out of town by showing his sad face.My mom made puliyotharai for my baby shower party it was the super dooper hit.So I asked my mom for the exact recppie and I tried it here,but I didnt get the exact taste of my mom,but it was good.

you need:

1. rice-1 1/2 cup

2.tamrind-1 +1/2 big lemon size

3.turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

4.salt as per taste

5.sesame oil-21/2 tbsp

for tempering

1.mustard-2 tsp

2.peanuts-1 tsp

3.curry leaves-1 stalk

4.channa dhal-2 tsp

5.cashews-1 tsp(optional)

for fine powder

1.fenugreek seeds-1 tsp

2.Asafoetida-1/2 tsp

for coarse powder

1.dry chillies-6

2.coriander seeds-1 tbsp

Method:

Cook the rice seperately and allow it to cool.

Fry both the items for fine powder and coarse powder seperately without oil and grind it as per specification

make the tamrind into tamrind pulp make sure its not very thick or thin.

In a deep skillet add the oil and add items for tempering,Add the tamrind pulp

add the turmeric powder and salt,let it boil for 3 mnts.

add the coarse powder and let it boil until oil seperates and looks like a paste(consistency should be like cheese dip).

finally add the fine powder let it cook in a low flame for 2 mnts.

now add the mix to the rice.

There you go!!!