CORIANDER RICE

Coriander is also known as cilantro, chinese  parsley, dhania. Like other spices it is available throughout the year. Health benefits are the leaves contain vitamin C, vitamin K ,protein and also small amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorous,carotene.It contains anti oxidants, is anti inflammatory, good for digestion and diabetes and lowers bad cholestrol(LDL).

This recipe can be made either from freshly cooked rice or if you have  time constraint you can use left over rice. Any type of rice can be used. This is very easy , healthy and delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS

Cooked rice/ left over rice                      3 tea cup
Refined oil                                                       2 tsp

FOR GRINDING

Fresh coriander leaves chopped           3 tea cup
Onion  medium                                             1
Red chillies (according to taste)             3
lemon 1 or Tamarind                                (small size lemon)
Salt to taste

METHOD

Wash the coriander leaves and  cut finely. Chop the onion also.

Heat oil in a skillet /kadai on medium heat add the chillies and onions and stir till they turn golden brown in colour.
Add the coriander leaves and stir it for a minute and turn off the heat. keep it aside to cool.

Add tamarind or juice of 1 Lemon and salt and blend with the above ingredients. Coriander chutney is ready.

In a skillet/kadai heat oil and add the chutney and rice. Mix it well and on low heat saute for 2-3 minutes.  Check for salt. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot with pappad/raita/veg curry.

TOMATO RICE

Tomatoes are sweet, juicy and delicious. They are fat free, low in calories and and have Vitamin C. They protect the body from variety of cancers. Fresh tomatoes help to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Garlic has antiviral, anti-fungal, antioxidant  and antibacterial properties.

Tomato rice or thakkali (tomato) sadam(rice in Tamil) is a easy recipe to make. If you have time constraint you can prepare this dish with left over rice and serve with raita,/pickle/pappad. This dish can be taken for lunch and makes great tiffin box.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato                                     3
Onion                                         1
Green gram sprouts             3/4 tea cup
Garlic                                         3-4
Ginger                                        1 inch piece
Turmeric powder                 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida                                1 tsp
Green chillies                          2-3 OR
Chilli powder                          1-2 tsp
Cumin powder                       1 tsp
Cooked rice                             2 tea cup
Refined oil/ olive oil           2 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD  

Heat oil in a large kadai/skillet add the onions and garlic - ginger paste. Saute till raw smell of garlic disappears.Add turmeric powder and asafoetida, saute for a second.

Blend the tomatoes in a blender and add it to the onions. Cook on medium flame till the tomatoes reduces to a thick consistency. Stir occasionally.

Add the cooked rice and the sprouts, nicely mix the rice with the tomatoes. Season with salt,cumin powder and chilli powder/green chilles.

Serve hot with any accompaniment of your choice.

MUSHROOM FRIED RICE

Basmati is a fragrant, long grained rice traditionally found in North India. It is gluten free and low in fat. It contains amino acids, folic acid and is low in sodium and has no cholesterol. Mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and medicinal value. They are easily found in markets.

Button mushroom is the most common variety of mushroom consumed all over the world. The white button mushroom is sold as fresh mushroom or is canned and used for soups, sauces and other food products.

I had some home grown celery and spring onions. Celery gives a unique taste and flavour to the rice. This recipe is easy to prepare.    Saute the garlic, celery and mushrooms and add the cooked rice.

INGREDIENTS

Basmati rice                        1 cup
Mushroom                           200gms
Onion                                    1
Celery                                    2 tbsp
Olive oil                                1-2tbsp
Spring onions chopped     3 tbsp
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

METHOD

Wash and chop the mushrooms, onion, celery and spring onions.

Add 5-6 cups of water in a thick bottomed pan, when water starts boiling add washed basmati rice. Cook in low to medium flame. When the rice is cooked ( al dente) strain it in a colander. Spread the rice in a plate, season it with salt and pepper and keep it aside. Rice has to cool down completely.

Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a wok and on medium heat add garlic, spring onion bulbs and celery saute for a minute.

Add mushrooms and saute till the water released from mushrooms are absorbed. Season with pepper and salt.

Add the rice and mix it sell. Add the spring onions and turn off the heat.
Serve hot with sauce.

MUSHROOM FRIED RICE

Basmati is a fragrant, long grained rice traditionally found in North India. It is gluten free and low in fat. It contains amino acids, folic acid and is low in sodium and has no cholesterol. Mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and medicinal value. They are easily found in markets.
For recipe   http://ahaaafood.com/mushroom-fried-rice/

TOMATO RICE

Tomatoes are sweet, juicy and delicious. They are fat free, low in calories and and have Vitamin C. They protect the body from variety of cancers. Fresh tomatoes help to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Garlic has antiviral, anti-fungal, antioxidant  and antibacterial properties.

Tomato rice or thakkali (tomato) sadam(rice in Tamil) is a easy recipe to make. If you have time constraint you can prepare this dish with left over rice and serve with raita,/pickle/pappad. This dish can be taken for lunch and makes great tiffin box.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato                                     3
Onion                                         1
Green gram sprouts             3/4 tea cup
Garlic                                         3-4
Ginger                                        1 inch piece
Turmeric powder                 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida                                1 tsp
Green chillies                          2-3 OR
Chilli powder                          1-2 tsp
Cumin powder                       1 tsp
Cooked rice                             2 tea cup
Refined oil/ olive oil           2 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD  

Heat oil in a large kadai/skillet add the onions and garlic - ginger paste. Saute till raw smell of garlic disappears.Add turmeric powder and asafoetida, saute for a second.

Blend the tomatoes in a blender and add it to the onions. Cook on medium flame till the tomatoes reduces to a thick consistency. Stir occasionally.

Add the cooked rice and the sprouts, nicely mix the rice with the tomatoes. Season with salt,cumin powder and chilli powder/green chilles.

Serve hot with any accompaniment of your choice.

CORIANDER RICE

Coriander is also known as cilantro, chinese  parsley, dhania. Like other spices it is available throughout the year. Health benefits are the leaves contain vitamin C, vitamin K ,protein and also small amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorous,carotene.It contains anti oxidants, is anti inflammatory, good for digestion and diabetes and lowers bad cholestrol(LDL).

This recipe can be made either from freshly cooked rice or if you have  time constraint you can use left over rice. Any type of rice can be used. This is very easy , healthy and delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS

Cooked rice/ left over rice                      3 tea cup
Refined oil                                                       2 tsp

FOR GRINDING

Fresh coriander leaves chopped           3 tea cup
Onion  medium                                             1
Red chillies (according to taste)             3
lemon 1 or Tamarind                                (small size lemon)
Salt to taste

METHOD

Wash the coriander leaves and  cut finely. Chop the onion also.

Heat oil in a skillet /kadai on medium heat add the chillies and onions and stir till they turn golden brown in colour.
Add the coriander leaves and stir it for a minute and turn off the heat. keep it aside to cool.

Add tamarind or juice of 1 Lemon and salt and blend with the above ingredients. Coriander chutney is ready.

In a skillet/kadai heat oil and add the chutney and rice. Mix it well and on low heat saute for 2-3 minutes.  Check for salt. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot with pappad/raita/veg curry.

HOW TO MAKE IDLI STEP BY STEP

Idli is an ideal South Indian breakfast and is famous all over India. It is light and nutritious and can be eaten by people of any age. Even doctors recommend this when one is sick as it is easily digested. Making Idlis is not at all difficult but preparing the batter takes a lot of time as it has to be fermented. Rice and urad dal are the main ingredients which goes into preparing idlis.

I love idlis and like to eat when ever I am hungry . Long time back people used to use mortar and pestle to grind idlis ,it was a tough job. After the invention of grinders it is very easy to make idli batter. This dish was limited to south india , but now it has become one of the most popular dish in whole of India.

INGREDIENTS

Ponni boiled rice                                            5   1/2 tea cup
Black gram(urad dal) without skin         2  1/2 tea cup
Fenugreek seeds                                             2 tsp
Salt to taste
Refined oil                                                         2 tsp

METHOD

Wash the rice and urad dal separately. Soak rice in 6 tea cup water and urad dal in 6 1/2 tea cup water separately for 5-6 hours. Add the fenugreek seeds in rice.

Clean the grinder add urad dal and the soaked water in it and grind it. Occasionally stir it with a spatula.

Grind atleast  for half an hour or  till it doubles

Take the ground urad dal out from the grinder and put it in a deep bottomed big vessel. Keep it aside.

Now add the rice and the soaked  water in it in the grinder and  grind it for 20-25 minutes. Switch off the grinder.

Add the ground urad dal into the ground rice and grind for 2-3 minutes.

Take everything out in the deep bottomed vessel. Add salt and mix it nicely.

Cover it with a lid and ferment for 6-7 hours. The idli batter will rise up.

Mix nicely the idli batter. Pour the batter in special idli vessels after greasing them with oil. Pour water in the bottom of a pressure cooker and place the idli stand inside it. Steam it for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.

Take it out and let it cool down.  Take a butter knife and remove the idlis.

Serve hot with coconut chutney/tomato chutney/sambar.

•  Note:
• The batter can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days.
• Idli batter is ideal for fermentation  at 32 - 38 deg C,  it will take 6-7 hrs.
• Fenugreek helps in fermentation
• Adding soaked water helps in fermentation
•  Salt helps in fermentation
• The batter can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days