Capsicum Peas Rice

You will need:

• 1 cup Basmathi rice
• 1 ½ cup water
  
• 1 Green Bell Pepper(cut into small cubes)
  
• 1 cup green peas
• 3 green chillies(finely chopped)
  
• 1 medium onion(cut lengthwise)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 2 tsp black cumin(gala jeera)
  
• salt as regd
• oil for frying onions(2 tbsp).. Can use clarified butter(ghee)/butter also.
• roasted cashews, raisins for garnishing(purely optional)
  

Step 1:

Take a nonstick pan and add some oil to it. When its hot add black cumin seeds to it. After it splutters add cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise to it. Then add chopped onions to it and saute it till it turns light golden brown color.

This process is similar to Fish Biryani

Step 2:

Add the above mixture to the rice along with water, salt and cook in the rice cooker till its done.

Hint:

Don't stir the rice when its hot. Use a fork to stir the rice when its cool.

Step 3:

In a non stick pan add some ghee/oil and saute the bell pepper along with chopped green chillies for 3 to 4 mins. Then add the green peas to it and cover it with a lid for 2 more mins. Switch off the heat when both the ingredients are cooked.

Don't overcook the bell pepper.

Step 4:

Mix the cooked bell pepper, green peas to the cooked rice and stir it using a fork. By this way you avoid breaking of rice. Check for salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro(coriander leaves).



You can garnish with roasted cashews and raisins for better result. Serve this delicious rice with your favorite veg/Non-Veg curries..like Beef gravy, chicken masala,

You can make mixed rice with any veggies like, cabbage, beet, carrot, beans, corn. Go for your favorite veggies!!!

Egg Fried rice

This recipe is one of my favorite recipe from my college days onwards. After knowing this recipe i love to make this whenever there are new visitors to our home. They don't know how simple it is right.. I used to make this without black cumin. One of our friend gave me good idea to add this in fried rice.Then i started hunting for this black cumin. But couldn't find that in 2 Indian stores. But he brought this to us and i started adding this to all the rice varieties.Specially to peas pulao, tomato rice, vegetable biryani,etc.. Here's the simple recipe for that simple fried rice. Even you can make everyone happy by making this!!!!

You will need:

• 1 cup Tilda Basmathi rice
• 1½ cups of water
• 3 tbsp ghee/butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp black cumin(gala jeera)
  
• 1 cup mixed vegetables(carrot, green peas, beans)
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 3 green chillies(finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce(optional) I prefer without soy sauce!!
  
• ¼ cup cashew nuts
• ¼ cup raisins
• pinch of ajino moto
• salt for taste

Step 1:

In a rice cooker just cook the rice with 1½ of water. When it turns to cook just allow it to cool. After 5 mins using a fork just stir it carefully to release the heat from the rice.

Handy Hint:

Cook the rice a day before. So that the rice wont stick one on one.

Step 2:

In a non stick pan heat ghee and add black cumin to it. When it splutters add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and mixed vegetables to it and close with a lid. Stir it occasionally. When its fully cooked add eggs to it and stir it continuously till you get scrambled egg form. Now add pepper powder to it. Sprinkle some salt also at this stage. Switch off the heat.Now the mixed rice mixture is ready!!!

Step 3:

In another small pan just roast the cashews and raisins with 1 tbsp ghee till the raisins get ballon structure.

Step 4:

Add the mixed fried rice mixture to the cooked rice. Add ajino moto, soy sauce to it and stir it nicely.Check for salt and pepper.

Step 5:

Garnish with roasted nuts and rasins and serve with chicken masala. Click here for chicken masala recipe.

Enjoy!!!!!

Note:

Chicken Fried Rice

Sameway we can make chicken fried rice also. Just shred the rotisserie chicken or the cooked chicken and add it instead of vegetables.

Lemon Rice

Will upload the pics soon.. I made this long back and i dint take pics of this at that time!!!!

You will need:

• 1 cup Sona masoori Rice
• 2 cup water
  
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• few Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu)
• 1 tbsp Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu)
• 2 Red dry chillies
• 1" piece Ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 Green chillies - (finely chopped)
• 1 Onion- (finely minced)
• Turmeric Powder - A pinch
• 1 tbsp Peanuts(Nelakadala)
• Salt - As reqd

Step 1:

Pressure cook the rice for 5 whistles and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, Bengal gram, black gram and red dry chilly and stir well.

Step 3:

When these turn a little brown in colour, add green chillies, chopped ginger, onions, peanuts and turmeric powder. Stir well till onion turns light brown in color. Add pre-boiled rice, lemon juice and salt. Keep on medium flame for about 3-4 minutes.

Tomato Rice

You will need:

• 1 cup Basmati Rice - (soaked in water for 1/2 hr)
• 1 cup Coconut milk (can substitute with 1 cup water too)
  
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp Tomatoes paste (Can add 2 finely chopped tomatoes too)
  
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
  
• ¼ tsp Poppy seeds powder (Khashakhasha)
  
• ¼ cup Onions - (cut length wise)
• 3 nos Green chillies - (cut length wise)
• 4 dry red chillies
  
• 1 0r 2 sticks of Cinnamon(Karugapatta)
• 3 tbsp ghee/oil
  
• 2 Cloves(Grambu)
• salt to taste
  
• ½ cup chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method 1:

Step 1:

Heat ghee in a pan. Saute cinnamon, cloves,red chillies, onions, green chillies. When the onions turn translucent add the garlic paste and poppy seeds powder. Saute it for 1 min till it get rid of the raw garlic smell.

Step 2:

Add tomato paste and coconut milk to it. Allow to boil. Now add rice and salt. Cover the pan and keep on a low flame.

Step 3:

When it is done, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Method 2:

Step 1:

Cook the basmathi rice with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of coconut milk and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Now heat ghee in a pan. Saute cinnamon, cloves, onions, chillies. When the onions turn translucent add the garlic paste and poppy seeds powder. Saute it for 1 min till it get rid of the raw garlic smell.

Step 3:

Add tomato paste to it and saute it for just a minute. Add it to the cooked rice and mix it well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with boiled egg and favorite pickle.

Sambhar rice/ Bisi bele bath recipe

You will need:

• 1 onion(chopped)
• 2 tomatoes(chopped)
• 3 green chillies(chopped)
• 3 carrots(chopped)
• 1 potato(chopped)
• 1 cup green peas
• 2 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup lady's finger (okra)
• 1 cup eggplant(chopped)
  
• 1½ tsp tamarind paste (You can add more or less according to your taste)
• 7 garlic pods
• ¾ cup toor dal
• ¼ cup moong dal/channa dal
• 1 cup rice
• 5 cups of water
• salt to taste

Hint:

You can add whatever vegetables you have in your refrigerator. This is the nice way to empty your refrigerator.

For tempering:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp urad dal
• 3 dry red chillies
• some curry leaves
• some coriander leaves(chopped)
• 3 tbsp sambhar powder
• ½ tsp asafoetida powder(hing, perungaayam)

Step 1:

Microwave chopped vegetables:

Microwave chopped carrots and potatoes for 6 minutes.

Step 2:

In rice cooker:

In a rice cooker add toor dal, channa dal/moong dal, rice, garlic, tomatoes and add 4 cups of water and allow it to cook.

Step 3:

Stir fry okra and spinach

Take a non stick pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Add the chopped okra and fry it for few mins. Then add chopped onions, eggplant and spinach along with the okra.

Step 4:

Mix veggies with dal

When the dal-rice is half cooked add okra, eggplant, onions,spinach, carrot, potato, peas, tamarind paste, salt with the dal mixture. At this point if you need more water add some. Then allow the dal and veggies to cook till your rice cooker automatically turns to warm position.

Step 5:

Tempering:

For tempering heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal. When it splutters add asafoetida powder, sambhar powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves. Then add this mixture to the veggie dal rice mixture. Now your sambhar rice is ready to serve.

Enjoy your sambhar rice with pickle, pappad, chicken fry, fish fry, egg bhurjee.

Fish Biryani

For Rice:

• 2 tbsp Ghee
  
• 4 Cardamom(Elakka)
  
• 4 sticks - cinnamon(Karugapatta)
  
• 4 Cloves(Grambu)
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
  
• ½ cup Onion(sliced)
• 1½ cups Basmati rice
• 3 cups Boiled water
  
• 2 tsp Salt
  

For fish masala:

• ½ kg King fish (neimeen in Nagercoil, Vangiram in Tamil)
• 1 tbsp Chilly powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• Oil as reqd
  
• 2 Onion(sliced)
• 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic-green chillies paste
• 1 Tomato(chopped)
• 1 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Biriyani masala powder
  
• 1 tbsp Curd
  
• 1 cup Coriander leaves(chopped)
• 2tbsp Mint leaves(chopped)
• 2 tbsp Ghee

For garnishing:

• Cashew nuts(roasted)
• Raisins(roasted)

For preparing rice:

1) Heat ghee in a pan.

2) Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Stir them.

3) Add onions and fry for 5 min.

4) Add rice and stir for 5 min.

5) Pour boiled water along with salt and cook till it's done.

For making fish masala:

1) Marinate fish pieces with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
for 1 hour.

2) Fry the marinated fish pieces in oil.

3) Heat the same oil used to fry the fish in a pan.

4) Add sliced onions and fry on a low flame, till it becomes slightly brown.

5) On medium flame, add ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and tomato.

6) Stir it for 6 min.

7) Add garam masala powder, biriyani masala powder, curd, coriander leaves and salt and stir it for 5 min.

8) Add fried fish pieces and reduce the flame.

9) Cook till it starts to boil.

For making fish biryani:

1) Take a deep bottom vessel and layer fish masala rice.

2) Pour 2 tbsp of ghee and tightly cover with a lid.

3) Keep it on a very low flame for 10 min.

4) Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins.

Handy Hint:

Pour 2tsp of pineapple essence or some small pieces of pineapple before putting the lid on.it will give a very nice smell
:-You can use prawns or chicken instead of fish

Chicken Biryani Recipe

Step 1:

You will need:

• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Chicken - 1 lb (chopped into medium size pieces)
• Garlic pods - 12 nos
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Green chillies - 8 nos
• Onions(medium) - 4 nos
• Tomatoes - 2 nos
  
• Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 1 small stick
• Cloves(Grambu) - 5 nos
• Garam masala - 2 tbsp
• Biriyani masala - 2 tbsp
  
• Salt - As reqd
• some cashews and raisins
  
• oil or ghee 3 tbsp
  

For marinade:-

• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Ginger(minced) - 1 tsp
  
• Garlic pods(big) - 7 nos
• Vineger - 2 tbsp

Step 2:

Marinate

Mix together the ingredients for marination along with chicken in a bowl. Refrigerate it for 6 hours.

Soak the rice in water and keep aside for 2 hours.

Step 3:

Start frying

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of ghee or vegetable oil.


Step 4:

Chop

Peel and finely chop onions, then tomatoes.

Step 5:

Grind

Grind together the rest of garlic,ginger and green chillies and keep it aside.

Step 6:

Get started

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker and saute the onions. When its half done add cloves and cinnamon to it and continue to saute. Then add ground mixture of ginger, garlic and green chillies. After that add chopped tomatoes and cover with a lid for 2 mins. Then add marinated chicken and saute it for 5 mins.

step 7:

Add the ingredients

Add garam masala and biriyani masala and saute it for 3 mins then add 4 cups of water and add rice to it and pressure cook it for 2 whistles.

Step 8:

Garnishing

Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves,fried cashews and fried raisins.