 |
-
Methi (Fenugreek leaves) has exceptional medicinal uses and can be used as a beauty aid as well. Methi has good dietary fiber and is abundant in Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
Raw methi leaves have a bitter taste, which can be confined to a minimum in cooking process. Try this methi pulao recipe and you will be surprised with its heavenly taste!
Ingredients
- Basmati rice- 2 cups (washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- Methi leaves – 2 bunches (leaves cleaned, washed and drained)
- Onion – 1 (chopped)
- Tomato – 1 (big size- chopped finely)
- Garlic – 4(minced)
- Baby lima beans – 1 cup
- Green chili – 5 (slit)
- Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder- ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric powder -1/4 teaspoon
- Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
- Cardamom – 2
- Cloves – 2
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Oil – 3 tablespoon
Directions
1. Set a heavy bottomed pan, add oil. Once hot add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When it gives nice aroma, splutter cumin seeds.
2. Add onion, green chili and minced garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become mushy.
3. Chop my methi leaves at this point, so that you can add them immediately to avoid bitterness.
4. Sauté until the methi leaves wilt and add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
5. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric powder and mix well.
6. Add baby lima beans and fry for a couple of minutes
7. Add drained rice and fry for a minute more.
8. Add 3 cups of water. Add salt and mix well.
9. Once the water reaches the boiling point, simmer the stove and give it a mix once again.
10. Turn off the stove once the rice is cooked(this would take approximately15 minutes.)
Notes
1. Tomato and lemon juice brings down the bitterness of methi leaves.
2. Fresh methi leaves adds flavor to the dish.
-
This quick-fix meal is so versatile that it can be had for breakfast, dinner or as a snack.
Ingredients
- Flat rice (poha) -2 cups
- Onion -1 small (cut into length wise)
- Carrot -1(shredded)
- Green peas -1/2 cup
- Green chilly -2(slit length wise)
- Pepper – 1 teaspoon
- Ginger – 1 inch (grated)
- Turmeric – a dash
- Salt – to taste
- Lime or lemon juice -1 to 2 teaspoon
- Cilantro (to garnish)
- Coconut -1 tablespoon (to garnish)
- Oil – ½ tablespoon
Directions
1. Soak the flat rice in water for 5 minutes. Drain the water.
2. In a deep pan, add oil and sauté the onion, green chilly and ginger followed by vegetables and add the salt, turmeric powder one by one and stir-fry for few minutes.
3. Finally add the drained flat rice and mix well.
4. Now switch off the stove and add lime juice, pepper and cilantro and mix well and serve hot.
Notes:
1. For a rich flavor, add any nuts of your choice.
2. After soaking, drain as much water as possible from the flat rice.
-
I have been thinking for a while to make pilaf with three different kinds of beans. These beans have very different amino acid profiles and combining different beans with rice increases the quality of the protein. Ths pilaf tastes very good too. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
- Brown rice – 2 cups (soaked for 2 hours and drained)
- Butter beans – ½ can (rinsed and drained)
- Garbanzo beans – ½ can (rinsed and drained)
- White beans – ½ can (rinsed and drained)
- Onion – 1 (chopped)
- Tomato – 1 (chopped)
- Garlic – 4 pods (minced)
- Ginger – ½ inch piece (chopped)
- Green chili- 4 (slit)
- Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Cinnamon stick – ½ inch
- Cardamom- 2 pods
- Cloves – 2
- Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
Directions
1. Set a pan, add oil. Once hot, splutter cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves. Stir in onions, ginger and garlic. Cook till the onions turn translucent and stir in tomatoes.
2. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add chili, coriander, cumin and turmeric powders. Mix well.
3. Stir in drained beans and stir fry for 5 more minutes. Add rice and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add 4 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add salt. Simmer the stove to medium low and cook the rice for 30 to 35 minutes until rice is done.
4. Switch off the stove and serve warm.
-
Fenugreek leaves have so much nutritional and medicinal value. We try to incorporate them in our recipes as much as possible. Since fenugreek leaves have characteristic bitter taste, we add them to dishes in which the other ingredients counteract the bitter taste and make the dish tasty.
This recipe uses a combination of rice and lentils with fenugreek leaves.
Ingredients
- Basmati rice – 1 cup (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- Moong dhal -1/4 cup
- Fenugreek leaves / methi- 1 cup
- Celery seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Ginger – 1 small piece, grated
- Garlic- 2 pods, minced
- Onion -1(chopped)
- Tomato- 1(cut into small chunks)
- Green chilly- 1 or 2(slit into 2 in length wise)
- Oil – 2 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
Directions
1. Soak the basmati rice with moong dhal for 30 minutes.
2 Wash the fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.
3 Sauté the leaves well with 1 tablespoon oil. Once the leaves get wilted, add onion and stirfry. Then add green chilly, ginger, garlic and celery seeds.
4 Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes or until the tomatoes turn mushy.
5 Now add 2 3/4 cup of water with salt and bring to boil.
6. When the water boils add the soaked moong dhal and rice and cook for 5 minutes in high flame by closing the lid.
7. Now reduce the flame and cook for 15 minute. Switch off the flame when the rice is done.
9. Serve hot with mango sauce.
Notes:
1. Cumin seeds can be substituted for celery seeds.
Mango sauce
Mango sauce has the sweet and sour taste, and is a perfect companion for this rice.
Ingredients
- Mango- 1(ripened well)
- Red chilly – ½ teaspoon or (tablespoon Paprika)
- Sugar- 1 tablespoon
- Dash of salt
- Brown sugar
Directions
1. Remove the skin from mango and use only the pulp.
2. Cut the pulp into small pieces and bring to boil by adding 1 cup of water.
3. When the water boils add red chilly, salt, sugar and mix well.
4. Cook it for 10 to 15 minutes.
-
“Ven Pongal” is the next popular dish to idli/ dosa of South India and, can be had for breakfast or dinner. It has a creamy texture and has a superior taste. This dish is prepared with rice and lentils and is spiced up with cumin, pepper, green chili and ginger. (There is another version of pongal which is sweet and is made on occasions, festivals, as offering to God and on the “Pongal” celebration day.)
Ingredients
- Long grain rice- 1 cup
- Moong dhal – ¾ cup
- Green chili – 2 (chopped)
- Ginger – ½ inch piece (crushed)
- Peppercorns- 1 teaspoon
- Cumin seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Curry leaves – 3 sprigs
- Cashews – 2 tablespoons
- Margarine – 3 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
Directions
1. Set a pan, melt 1 teaspoon of margarine and fry the moong dhal until it turns into golden yellow color. Set aside. Wash and cook rice, along with moong dhal with 4 to 5 cups of water. Cook the rice with salt. (We don’t want the grains of rice to be separate; rather it should be cooked to a creamy consistency)
2. Set a small pan, melt margarine, splutter cumin seeds, peppercorns, ginger and curry leaves. Add cashews and fry them till golden brown. Add this to the cooked rice and dhal. Mix the rice well and serve with sambhar, chutney or kothsu.
-
This is a twist to the ordinary rice noodles/ idiappam. Usually “idiappam” is seasoned with lemon juice or coconut milk and sugar. Here I have seasoned the rice noodles with spiced up tomato puree.
Ingredients
- Rice noodle – 1 packet(cook according to direction)
- Tomatoes- 2 or 3( boil tomatoes, remove the outer skin and puree the tomatoes well )
- Peas – ¾ cup (cook until it is tender)
- Fennel seeds- 2 teaspoons
- Chilly powder- 2 teaspoons
- Coriander powder- 3 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
- Ginger – 2 pods, minced
- Garlic – 1 tsp, grated
- Onion – 1 (cut into length wise)
- Green Onion – 2 ( to garnish)
- Oil – 2 tablespoon
-
Salt to taste
Directions
1. In a deep bottom pan, add oil and splutter fennel seeds,
2. Add onions, ginger and garlic and cook till onions become translucent.
3. Now add the tomato puree. Stir in coriander, chili, turmeric powders and salt.
4. Stir in thawed green peas. Cook it for five minutes.
5 .Now stir in the separated cooked rice sticks into the tomato mix and cook well for 5 minutes. Toss well until the ingredients are well blended.
6. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
Notes:
1 .You can add soy chunks, beans or veggies such as cauliflower and peas to add nutritional elements to this recipe.
2. If you don’t have rice noodles, you can use 1 cup of cooked rice instead.
To prepare rice noodles at home, refer to the post Rice Noodles and Stew
-
Looking for dinner ideas? Try this spinach rice. This fragrant, colorful rice is packed with vitamins.
Ingredients
- Brown rice or Basmati rice – 1 ½ cup, soaked in water for 30 minutes.
- Spinach- 2 cups
- Fennel seeds – 1 ½ teaspoon
- Ginger – 1 (small piece)
- Garlic – 2 pods (cut into 2 pieces)
- Onion – 1(cut into thin slices)
- Green chilly – 1 or 2(slit into 2 in length wise)
- Nuts 10 (sliced and roasted- almonds or any kind of nuts can be used)
- Margarine or olive oil- 2 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
Direction
1. In a hot pan, add 1 tsp of oil and sauté 1 onion, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic one at a time.
2. Now add the washed green leaves and cook until it loses its water. Take it off stove and grind the mix once it cools down.
3. In another pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté with onion and green chilly.
4. Add the ground spinach mix, nuts and 1.5 cups of water.
5. Once water content boils, add the rice and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the flame and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
Note: To add variety to this rice, you can add any veggies you like in step 4.
-
You could call this a king of vegetarian dishes. Not only does this have the merit to stand on its own as a complete dish, but it is very tasty dish which bursts with many flavors of spices, mint and spiced vegetables. Even while cooking this dish, the aroma that wafts in your kitchen would prophesize that you are cooking a very tasty dish. This tasty Indian dish is served in weddings and family functions and on many special occasions. All you need is variety of vegetables and some patience to get your dish perfect.
Ingredients
- Basmati rice – 2 cups (soaked in water for 30 minutes and well drained)
- Carrots – 3 (chopped)
- Green beans – 30 (chopped)
- Turnip – 1 (chopped)
- Cauliflower – ½ head (cut into florets)
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Onion – 1 big (chopped)
- Tomato – 1 (chopped)
- Green chili – 4 (slit)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
- Fresh mint leaves – 4 sprigs (chop the leaves)
- Coriander leaves – ½ cup (chopped)
- Chili powder – 1 teaspoon ( I use Kashmir chili powder which is not hot. If using regular chili powder reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon)
- Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
- Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Cloves – 2 nos
- Cinnamon stick – 2 pieces (1 inch each)
- Cardamom – 2 nos
- Bay leaves – 2 nos
- Cumin seeds- 1 table spoon
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil – 4 tablespoons
Directions
1. Set a wide bottomed pan, add oil. Splutter cumin seeds and add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. Toast them for few seconds. Add green chili, onions and ginger, garlic paste. Once the onions become translucent add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry them till they wilt.
2. Stir in chopped tomatoes and cook them until they become mushy. Add chili, coriander and turmeric powder and mix well.
3. Now, add chopped veggies and sauté those for 10 minutes on medium flame until the veggies are tender but crisp.
4. Add drained basmati rice and toss carefully.
5. Add 3 cups of water. Add salt and mix well. Bring it to boil.
6. Reduce flame and let it cook for 15 to 20 more minutes.
7. Switch off the stove and gently mix the rice with a wooden spatula as not to break the rice grains. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
1. Soaking the rice is important as it makes rice soft.
2. You could use 1 teaspoon of dry mint leaves in place of fresh mint leaves.
3. 4 tablespoons of olive oil is mandatory as the veggies and spices needs to be cooked to be flavorful.
4. You can stir in one chopped beetroot and ½ cup corn kernels for more colorful biryani.
-
It’s been a long since we had rice for dinner. Usually roti with curry, dhal or gravy would be the menu. Sometimes it would be noodles or some kind of burger. Today I wanted to make something with rice for dinner which everyone would relish and decided to go in for tofu pilaf which is a welcome meal at anytime in my house. Try it; this dish will become your favorite too.
Ingredients
- Firm tofu – 1 lb (cut into squares and marinate in ¼ cup of soy sauce)
- Onion (large) – 1 chopped
- Mushroom – 1 lb (slit in lengthwise)
- Curry powder – 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
- Green chili – 2 (slit)
- Raisins – ¼ cup
- Garlic – 3 (minced)
- Brown rice – 2 cups (soak them for 2 hours and cook them in 3 cups of water)
- Olive oil – 4 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
Directions
1. Stir fry the marinated tofu cubes in a skillet with 2 teaspoons of oil. Make sure not to brown them. Set them aside.
2. Set a deep bottomed pan and add 3 table spoons of oil. Add the minced garlic, green chili and onions. Once onions become translucent add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add curry, coriander and cumin powders. Sauté for few more minutes until raw smell goes away.
3. Add fried tofu and mix well. Add salt and mix well. Now add cooked rice and toss well until veggies and tofu are well mixed. Add raisins at the end.
4. Switch off the stove. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
The smoky flavor of cumin powder and coriander powder adds to the richness of pilaf and the curry powder enriches the pilaf.
-
Methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) helps control the sugar level. Due to its medicinal ability in treating indigestion, bronchitis and rheumatic pain, it is known as wonder herb in India.
Raw methi leaves have a bitter taste, which can be confined to a minimum in cooking process. We have shared with you a recipe that uses this “wonder herb” to make a delicious meal.
Ingredients
- Methi leaves – 1 cup
- Basmati rice – 1 ¼ cups(soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- Green chilies – 2
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ teaspoon
- Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Red chilly – 2
- Onion 1 big – Cut into thin slices)
- Oil – 2 tablespoons
- Lime juice – 1 tablespoon
- Salt – to taste
Directions
1. Wash the methi leaves and cut into small pieces.
2. Fry the leaves well with 1 tablespoon oil. Once the leaves get wilted, add green chilly and cumin seeds . Turn off the stove and let it cool.
3. Once cooled, Grind them coarsely in a food processor.
4. In a pan/rice cooker, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil gets hot, add mustard seeds. When the mutard crackles, add sliced onion and red chilly and fry for two miuntes .
5. Add the ground methi and cook for 5 mintutes .
6. Now add water for rice . (For one cup of basmati rice we need 1 ½ cups of water. ) Add salt to your taste.
7. Wait till the water boils . Add the rice and cover the pan with the lid. Reduce the flame and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add lime juice before serving.
Note:
Use only methi leaves (not stem) for the dish.
| Copyright (c) 2009 VeganOrbit LLC. All Rights Reserved. |
| | |
