Pudina Pulao - Nothing, but the flavour of pudina dominates ! I do not add much spices to this dish, since they mask the pudina flavour greatly. By this recipe we get a rice which has fully absorbed the flavour of only pudina. Basmathi rice - 1 cup Onion - 2 – chop ( optional) Pudina leaves - 1 cup – do not chop with knife, but pinch with hand for best flavour Lime juice - 2 tsp Water - 2 cups ( or less, depending on the rice) Ghee - 3 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 “ Cloves - 4 Shahjeera - ½ tsp Salt Wash & soak rice for 15 mtes. Drain & keep ready. Heat ghee in a pressure pan & fry cinnamon, cloves & shahjeera. Then add chopped onion & saute till they become glossy. Add rice & fry for a few mts. Add water, salt & pinched pudina leaves. When the mixture starts boiling, close the cooker & put the weight. Immediately simmer the flame & cook for 10 mts. Cool, open, add lime juice, mix well & keep it closed for sometime till you serve. Note: Pudina, pinched by hand & added raw when water is boiling, gives a different & nice flavour.
Corn Pulao - pulao with yellow pearls ! Basmathi - 1 cup Corn kernels - 1 cup – boil & keep Onion - 1 – chop Bay leaves - 1 Cinnamon - 1 “ Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 2 Saffron - a pinch ( mix with 2 tsp hot milk) Salt Oil + ghee – 2 tbsp Grind together: Onion - 1 Garlic - 3 Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp Haldi - a pinch Garam masala powder - ¼ tsp Ginger - 1 “ To decorate: Onion - 1 – slice thin Cashewnuts, chopped - 1 tbsp Raisins - 1 tbsp Wash & soak rice for 15 mts. Drain & keep ready. In a pressure pan heat oil – ghee mixture. Temper cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & bay leaves. When they splutter, add chopped onions. When they are lightly fried, add the ground masala & fry till the raw smell goes. Add rice, fry for a few mts & then add 2 cups of water, salt & boiled corn kernels. When the mixture starts boiling, close the cooker & lower the flame. Cook for 10 mts & switch off. Cool, open & add saffron dissolved in milk. Lightly mix. Decorate with browned onions,cashews & raisins fried in 2 tsp ghee.
Cauliflower Kofta Pulao - Can we call it a Sunday Special ? This goes well with any curd based raitha. For koftas: Grated cauliflower - 2 cups Besan - 2 tbsp Green chillies - 4 Garlic - 4,5 flakes Ginger - 1 “ Garam masala - 1 tsp Salt, haldi, chopped coriander leaves Wash well, drain & steam cauliflower. Grind with ginger, garlic, green chillies & mix with besan ,chopped coriander leaves, garam masala & salt. Make into koftas, deep fry & keep. Pulao: Basmati - 1 cup Salt Onion - 1 – chop Ghee + oil - 3 tbsp Grind to a paste: Ginger - 1 “ Green chillis - 4 Garlic - 5,6 Dhaniya - 2 tsp Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Roast in ½ tsp ghee & powder: Cloves - 3 Cinnamon - ½ “ Cardamom - 3 Pepper - ½ tsp To garnish: Cashewnuts & raisins - 1 tbsp, each Wash, soak rice for 15 mts & drain. In a pressure pan, heat ghee-oil mixture, fry onions till glossy. Add ground paste till raw smell goes & add rice. Roast for a few mts, add salt & the masala powder. When the mixture starts boiling, close the cooker, keep the weight & reduce the flame. Cook for 10 mts. Cool & open. Make a depression in the center, keep the koftas in it & cover with some pulao. This will help the pulao absorb the kofta flavour. Garnish with cashews & raisins fried in ghee.
Small Onion Sadam - with our eternal favourite Sambar Vengayam ! This can be cerved with any chilled raitha. Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Small onions - 1 cup ( peel & cut lengthwise into 2, 3 pieces) Grated coconut - ½ cup Salt Oil - 3 tbsp To temper; Cinnamon - 1” Cardamom - 2 Cloves - 2 Red chillies - 5,6 Jeera - ½ tsp Wash & soak the rice for 15 mts. Drain & keep ready. Add warm water to coconut, extract milk & make it up to 2 cups, adding water. In a pressure pan, heat oil, temper the given ingredients & then fry the onions well. The add the rice, fry till it stands in peaks. Add salt & coconut milk – water mixture. When the mixture stars boiling rapidly, close the cooker & put the weight. Lower the flame & cook for 10 mts.
Coconut Rice - the old time favourite, but always in demand ! For SBS photos, please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/971268-post5.html Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup ( grate only the white portion ) Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 2 tbsp Red chillies - 2 Green chillies - 2 ( slit vertically ) Curry leaves - few Hing - ½ tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt, little sugar Soak urad dhal for one hour, drain & dry in a cloth. Cook rice so that the grains are separate & cool the same. Refer; http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3578&postcount=65 Heat oil in a kadai, temper mustard seeds, red chillies & add urad dhal. Fry till light brown, add green chillies, hing, coconut & curry leaves. Fry uniformly till coconut colour changes to light golden colour. Remove, add cooled rice & salt. Mix well. Addition of little sugar makes it very tasty, but this is one’s choice. Just before serving I add 1 tbsp fresh raw grated coconut & a tsp raw coconut oil for a very good flavour.
Mango Rice - try this for " Pathinettaam Perukku" . Use mangoes which are medium sour for a good taste. If you grate it ,it is likely to become mushy. So chop into small pieces. Thin variety if rice - 1 cup Finely chopped mango - ¾ + ¼ cup Salt To grind together: Red chillies - 2,3 Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Chopped mango - ¼ cup Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Haldi - a pinch To temper: Oil - 3 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tbsp ( soak for 1 hr & drain well) Red chilli - 1,2 Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few Cook rice so that grains are separate. Cool by spreading on a plate. Heat oil & temper as given When the gram dhal becomes light brown, add mango cubes. Cook for a few mts till mango is done. Add ground paste & fry carefully & lightly to remove the raw smell. Remove & add to rice with salt. Mix thoroughly. 1 tbsp raw oil added at the end gives a nice taste. Serve with appalam & any kootu.
Kesar Bhath - let this be the " sweet offering" for Adi perukku. This dish is mildly sweet, but deliciously rich. Basmathi rice - 1 cup Ghee - 3 tbsp Sugar - 3 tbsp ( minimum), can use upto 5 tbsp Almonds -- 25 gms Raisins - 25 gms Pista - 25 gms Cashew - 25 gms Dates - 3, thinly sliced ( optional) Dry coconut - a small piece ( optional) Yelolow colour - 2, 3 drops Saffron - a pinch ( warm & powder) Cloves - 2 Cardamoms - 2 Salt - a tiny pinch Wash & soak the rice for 15 mts. Drain & keep ready. Heat a pressure pan & add 1 tbsp ghee. Out in cardamoms & cloves. When they pop, add rice & fry a little. Add colour, a pinch of salt & 2 cups of water. When the water starts boiling, close the cooker & keep the weight. Simmer & cook for 10 mts. Cool, open & toss in the saffron. Grease a pyrex dish well. Place a layer of rice at the bottom. On this sprinkile part of the sugar, nuts, raisins & dates. Sprinkle a little warm ghee. Repeat the layers & finish with rice. Cover & microwave for 5 mts ( or baking can be done). While serving gently mix with a fork. Serve hot.
Kollu Saadam - specially for the “ cholestrol conscious”. This rice is prepared with sprouted kollu & is very tasty. To sprout horse gram or kollu, refer to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16556&postcount=159 Thin variety of rice - 1 cup Sprouted kollu - 1 cup Ghee - 2 tbsp Salt, haldi To roast in ½ tsp oil & powder: Red chillies - 5,6 Gram dhal - 1 tbsp Urad dhal - 2tsp Dhaniya - 4 tsp Jeera - 1 tsp Methi seeds - ½ tsp Copra - 1 tbsp Soak rice for 15 mts, wash & drain. In a pressure pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee & fry rice till it becomes slightly stiff. Add 2- 2 ¼ cups of water, sprouts, haldi & little salt. When the water starts boiling vigorously, close the cooker, put the weight & immediately lower the flame. Cook for 10 mts. Cool, open, add the freshly made powder, 1 tbsp & a little more salt. Mix thoroughly & serve. If you are not using sprouted kollu, slghtly roast 3 tbsp of kollu to light brown colour, soak for 3 hrs, drain & proceed the same way. Serve with any raitha.
Vatha kuzambu sadam - do not take this lightly ! This is a simple recipe, but when served hot for lunch or dinner, is always a sure hit because of our weakness for vathakuzambu. Make any vatha kuzambu – it can be with any vathal like sudaikkai or manathakkali or it can be menthaya kuzambu with drumstick or brinjal or ladies’ finger. Make it quite hot & spicy since we are going to mix it with rice. Cooked rice - 1 cup Vathakuzambu - 1 cup or more For topping powder, fry in 1 tsp oil & powder: Pepper - 1 tsp Dhaniya - 2 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Tur dhal - 1 tsp Curry leaves - few Mix rice, kuzambu & the powder to a uniform mixture. Add 1 tbsp gingelly oil as a topping & serve hot with appalam & chips.
Morkuzambu Kadamba Sadam - Shall we call this S I Pulao ? This is a very old traditional recipe, but at the same time very novel. You can make this for lunch or dinner when you want to avoid onions & masala. Use all the vegetables generally used for avail. Rice - 1 cup Vegetables - 2 cups ( cut as for avail) Besan - 1 tbsp Water - 2 cups Karasev - 100 gms ( can be store-bought) Vadai - 5, 6 ( as given) Curds - 1 cup Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Oil - as given To temper: Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Red chillies - 4,5 Urad dhal - 2 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Tur dhal - 2 tsp Pepper - ½ tsp Jeera - ½ tsp Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few Salt, haldi Topping - 2 tbsp ghee Cook rice soft. Soak ½ cup urad dhal for 30 mtes, grind coarse with salt & fry tiny vadais. Heat 2 tbsp oil & temper all ingredients as given. Add 2 cups water + tamarind paste + vegetables & haldi + salt. Mix besan with curds & keep ready. When the vegetables are cooked, add the curd-besan mixture. Simmer & cook for a few mtes. Add the rice & mixwell. As soon as you remove add karasevai, mini vadais & top with ghee. Serve hot. This does not require a side-dish at all !