Pineapple Rice - for the 'sweet-toothed'! This can be made as a stir-fry rice. Cooked rice - 1 cup Chopped green chillies - 2 or to taste Boiled peas - 1/4 cup Sweet pineapple cubes - 3-4 tbsp Raisins - 1 tbsp Soya sace - 1/2 tsp Salt Ghee + oil - 1 tbsp Heat oil+ghee, add peas, green chillies, pineapple cubes,saute lightly & add rice & salt. Mix well. Serve with any HOT SPICY sabji. Add soya sauce & raisins fried in 1 tsp ghee.
Kofta Briyani - a festive dish! For bread koftas; Combine the following ingredients: Bread slices - 4 Finely chopped onions - 2 tbsp Finely chopped green chillies - 2 tsp Fresh curds - 1 tbsp Cooking soda - a pinch Salt Divide the mixture into 15 balls & deep-fry till golden. Rice: Cook 1 cup of basmathi with little salt, 1 bayeaf, 2” cinnamon & 3 pcs each of cloves & cardamom – each grain of rice must be separate. Gravy: Heat 3 tbsp oil & add in order: Cloves - 2 Cinnamon - 1” Onions - ½ cup sliced, sauté till glossy Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tap Chilli powder - 1 tsp Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp Haldi Tomaoes - 4,sliced, sauté well Fresh curds - ½ cup Simmer for 5 mtes. To garnish; Whisk together: Fresh curds - 4 tbsp Chopped coriander + mint leaves - 2 tbsp, each To proceed: In a baking dish, spread gravy. Arrange koftas. Spread rice. Top with curds mixture Cover with a lid (or clingfilm) & bake at 200 deg F for 15-20 mts. In the absence of baking oven, use a heavy bottom pan, cover & cook on a very low flame.
Black Urad Saadam - can a delicious and healthy recipe be so simple??? This dish is full of protein! Rice (thin variety) - 1 cup Broken black urad - ½ cup Grated coconut - 1 cup Salt Mix washed rice, dhal, coconut & salt. Add4 cups of water & when it starts boiling, close & keep the weight. Do not wait for whistle, but simmer & cook for 10mtes. Goes with any spicy side-dish. If you prefer it soft, add ½ cup more of water. Optionally, instead of adding coconut, you can take milk with it & use. Coconut milk gives a delicious flavour.
Vella Sadam - very easy to cook!! Cooked rice - 1 cup (preferably soft) Powdered jaggery - 3/4 - 1 cup Ghee - 2 tsp Cashews - few freshly grated coconut - 1/2 cup Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Mix jaggery with little water & boil. Strain & boil to make a syrup. Add cooled rice & cook till it thickens. Add coconut & cadamom powder. Remove & garnish with cashews roasted in ghee. This is traditionally made for Kanu & 'Pathinettam perukku'.
Double Corn Pulao - uses Sweet Corn & Baby Corn!! This is a very tasty, attractive & simple recipe. Goes with any spicy side dish. Basmathi - 1 cup Boiled corn & baby corn (cut 2” long) pieces - ½ cup or more of each Oil + ghrr - 3 tbsp Cinnamon - 1” Cardamom & cloves - 3 each onion - 1, finely chopped Ginger-garlic paste - 2 t5sp Green Chillies - 3,4 finely chopped Tomatoes -- 2 big, chopped Curds - 1 tbsp Water - 1 ¾ cups Soak rice for 15 mtes & drain. In a pressure pan heat oil+ghee & sauté in the order given. Finally add curd & simmer till the tomatoes cook soft. Add rice, vegetables, salt & water. When the mixture starts boiling, close, keep the weight & switch the flame to Low. Cook for 10 mtes & switch off.
Garlic Stirfry Rice - unusual combination!! Cooked, grainy rice - 1 cup Sliced garlic - 1 ttbsp Cut curd chillies - 2, 3 Cashews - 5, 6 Salt Oil + ghee - 4 tsp Heat oil+ghee & fry the garlic on low fire till light brown. Add curd cillies & fry to desired colour. Finally or separately fry cashews to golden colour & add. Mix all the above to rice with salt & blend well.
Continental Rice - a real winner! Cooked grainy rice - 1 cup Grated onions - 1 tbsp Shredded cabbage - 3 tbsp Thinly sliced capsicum - 2 tbsp Grated cheese - 2 tbsp Pepper powder (fresh) - ½ - 1 tsp Butter - 1 tbsp Salt Heat the butter in a pan & sauté the onions till glossy. Add cabbage & capsicum & cook for 2-3 mtes. Add rice, pepper & salt & mix well. Sprinkle cheese & serve hot.
Spicy Mushroom Rice - an easy stirfry rice. Cooked rice - 1 cup Heat 2 tbsp oil & add Chopped garlic - 2 tbsp & fry till almost red. Add Jeera - ½ tsp Freshly made pepper powder - 1 tsp Next add: Chopped mushroom - 1 cup Water - 2 tbsp. Simmer covered foe a fewmts. Add rice & salt. Mix lightly & cook covered for few mtes for flavours to be absorbed. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Macaroni Bahala Bhath - a chilled delight. Select a small variety of pasta. Cook macaroni as you cook pasta in plenty of water with 2 tsp oil & a pinch of salt. Drain, refresh & spread on a plate with oily hands to keep them separated. Then proceed as for Bahalabath Plain with only tempering of mustard seeds & red chillies No tempering - mango & cucumber pieces added Tempering with red chillies, mustard seeds & gram dhal
Paruppu Arisi Sappadu - A Kongu Nadu dish. This is one meal in a dish and can be served with curds. I am giving 2 combos for rice+dhal as well as for tempering – jain & non-jain. First: Rice - 1 cup Dry mochai, green moong & karamani - 1 tsp each (soaked overnight) Tur dhal - 1/3 cup Second: Rice - 1 cup Tur dhal - ½ cup Water - 3 ½ - 4 cups Salt, haldi To temper: First: Oil - 2 tbsp Bay leaves - 2 Cloves & cardamom - 4 each Onions, chopped - ½ cup (small onions ideally suited) Curry leaves Second tempering; oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Gram dhal - 2 tsp Tomatoes - 2, chopped Green chillies - 4-5 Hing, curry leaves. With these, adding chopped onions & garlic is optional. For both the methods, use a pressure pan or cooker. After tempering, add the rice and dhal(s), haldi, salt & 4 cups of hot water. When water begins to boil vigorously, close the cooker, keep the weight, simmer the stove & cook for 15 mtes. Serve hot, topped with ghee.