Category: Variety Of Rice Preparations

Biryani brings to one’s mind the aroma of fragrant Basmati rice, spices, ghee and of Hyderabad. Known for it’s Biryanis both veg and non veg, Hyderabad, the land of the Nawabs abounds with food trucks selling mouth watering Biryani.

Ingredients :

• 250 gms Basmati rice, cooked and ready
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 potatoes cubed
• Peas( equal to the proportion of the above chopped veggies)
• 100 gms paneer shallow roasted

To be ground to a paste

• 3 onions
• 11 cloves of garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 2 tbsps grated coconut
• 12 green chillies
• A small bunch of coriander leaves
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 sprigs mint leaves
• 2 tbsps coriander seeds
• 6 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 tbsp fennel
• 1 tsp cumin

Method :
Grind the above to a fine paste. Cook the vegetables in salted water. Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 5 tbsps oil. Add the ground masala and roast till it leaves the sides of the vessel. Add the cooked vegetables, salt and heat well. In a microwave safe container first arrange a layer of the Masala. Top it with a layer of Rice. Top it up with the remaining curry and garnish with coriander leaves. Microwave for ten minutes. Serve with raita or kachumber.

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Methi or fenugreek leaves are rich in Iron and also a good digestive. They are also called as Kasuri methi when sun dried. Kasuri methi is used in most North Indian dishes to enhance their flavour, whereas fresh methi lea leaves are also used to make Parthas and in Bhajiya.

Ingredients :

• 250 gms Basmathi rice cooked and ready
• 2 potatoes chopped into bite size pieces
• A small bunch of methi leaves chopped fine
• Coriander leaves chopped fine
• 8 green chillies minced
• 2 onions chopped fine
• Haldi
• Salt
• 2 tbsps ghee
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1tsp jeera/Cumin seeds

Method :
Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 5 tbsps oil. Add a spoon of jeera and after it splutters add the green chillies. Toss. Add the onions, the potatoes and methi leaves. When half cooked add salt. Cook till done. Add the haldi, rice and heat well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with papad and raita.

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Two types of Pongal are prepared during Sankranthi. Posting a Ven pongal or spicy rice preparation which is a one pot meal. It is accompanied either by a chutney or with curd. I prefer mine with store bought Onion pakoda.

Ingredients :

• 200 gms rice
• 200 gms moong dal
• 1 tsp pepper corns
• 1 tbsp jeera
  5tbsps ghee/clarified butter
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
  A pinch of haldi /turmeric
• Salt
• 2tbsps of ghee to drizzle when done.

Method :
Wash the moong dal and rice. Heat the ghee. Add the jeera and pepper corns. After they splutter add 3 sprigs of curry leaves. Toss. Add the washed moong dal, rice salt, haldi and water enough to cook it. Cook till done. Drizzle with more ghee and serve hot.

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Bisibele bhath a one pot meal of rice, Dal and vegetables is a Karnataka specialty. It is served along with potato wafer or spicy Boondi.

Ingredients:

• 125 gms rice
• 125 gms toor dal
• A fistful of peanuts
• One large carrot chopped
• Peas and beans equal quantities as that of carrot
• 3 tbsps coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 2 inch piece of dalchini
• 5 Marat moggu
• 15 pepper corns
• 5 lavang
• 15 tbsps of coconut grated.
• A pinch of haldi
• Byadgi and Guntur chillies roasted(as per spice level)
• 2 tbsps tamarind paste
• 7 tbsps ghee
• 7 sprigs curry leaves

Method :
Pressure cook the Dal with the peanuts. Cook the rice and keep aside. Chop the vegetables and boil them with a little salt till done. Dry roast all the ingredients till you get a good aroma. Dry roast the coconut separately till it turns a rich brown. Grind the roasted ingredients, coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked dal, peanuts and rice. Add salt, the cooked vegetables, ground masala and the curry leaves. Boil well. Add the ghee. Mix well and serve. ( you can add more ghee if required)

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Puliogare literally means tamarind rice. Served as a prasad in the temples of South India, it is sweet, spicy and tangy all rolled into one.

Ingredients :

• 250gms rice cooked and ready
• Lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 5 tsps jaggery
• 2tbsps Coriander seeds/ dhania
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek/ methi
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
• 1tsp sesame/ til
• 2 tbsps gram dal/ chana dal
• 8 dry red chillies
• 4 tbsps groundnuts
• A pinch of asafoetida /hing
• A pinch of turmeric /haldi.

Method :
Roast all the ingredients except groundnuts and powder them. Place the tamarind in hot water and extract the pulp. Boil the jaggery and tamarind pulp. Add the powdered masala, and salt and boil for a couple of mnts. Mix it with the rice. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves and groundnuts. Do not over roast them. Add the rice and mix well. Heat till done.

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