Cilantro & Channa Pulao

Such a simple & vibrant pulao in under 30 mins, perfect for your busy mornings and works great for lunch box! Healthy, nutritious and very filling too!!

The only catch in this recipe however is to remember and soak garbanzo beans the previous night. Incase you forget, this recipe is so flexible that it will work great even with canned garbanzo.

Mughlai Vegetable Biryani

Just wanted to give a little shout-out as this marks my 300th post on Sasi's kitchen! Yayyyy!!!! "300" - this BIG number sure is exciting and the experience... very rewarding!! I got into this whole "blog" thing just to record & remember some of the traditional recipes that were passed down to me and now has turned into one of the serious hobbies of mine... and ahem, ahem.. an expensive one too!! Come home and see my collection of kitchen gadgets and utensils, you 'll know what I am talking about!! Oh, and how did I forget the DSLR that I recently added to this list!

Inspite of all this, let me confess that I have enjoyed doing all the 300 posts and it had been such a wonderful journey for me. Beside having fun trying out new recipes, what's more exciting is that I’m constantly learning something - be it a new technique in cooking or food photography. So, I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you for trying my recipes, reaching out to me with your comments & criticism and for constantly encouraging me, one way or the other and that’s what keeps me going. Without you, my readers, this blog would have never been possible. And, to all my silent readers out there, I would like hear from you too - Just shout back to me so I can hear you all!

Mint flavored Quinoa Pulao

So, here we are.. with a fresh start to another week.. My weekends are the busiest with a load of things to juggle around other than the regular stuffs that I do through-out the week. Managing both the kids at home full-time, shuttling my older one to her music & dance classes, stocking up vegetables, fruits and other provisions for the week, a week load of laundry, and other sundries... well, two days had never been enough for my never-ending list of chores!! And, that's one reason I don't get to blog during the weekends. But, weekdays are different. With VJ & my older one are busy at their respective places, I get lot of time, trying new recipes, clicking and blogging them away to glory!! 

Corn Pulao

Whenever I go to costco, I love to elaborately browse their produce section for the choices of vegetables & fruits that they have to offer, without compromising on freshness & quality! The only downside though is that it always comes in bulk quantity with an expiry attached! Tomatoes, avocados, oranges, strawberries, spinach, pepper, cucumber, corn, apples, melons... Oh!! You can see me going round & round the produce section just like a kid in a candy store. My hands will start to itch, if I see any veggies/fruits with atleast couple of weeks (or more) of shelf life. 

If I buy corn, I either roast them in the oven (or) microwave with spices to make 'corn in a cup' (or) use them up in mexican recipes (or) add them to salad. One of my recent findings is corn pulao and all of us at home absolutely love this simple & easy pulao.

This is a very simple one-pot rice meal of corn cooked with milk. The taste & flavor of garlic, pepper along with the other spices is truly appetizing. This recipe is on the milder side, but you can add more pepper / green chillies to make it spicy. With some raita on the side, even my little one loves to finish this pulao in no-time.

Basic Info
Recipe Source - Rak's Kitchen
Complexity - Simple
Prep time - 30 mins (includes soaking time)
Cook time - 30 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1.25 cups
Corn - 1.25 cups (about 2 corns)
Green chilli - 2 nos (slit vertically)
Mint leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cilantro - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Milk - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1.5 tbsp
Ghee - 1.5 tbsp

Whole Spices
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cardamom - 2 cloves
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 2 nos

To Grind
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cashews - 7-8 nos

Method

Wash and soak basmati rice for atleast 20 mins.

Use a mixer and grind all the ingredients under 'To Grind' into a fine paste. Use 1-2 tsp of water, only if necessary.

In a thick bottomed sauce-pan, heat 1.5 tbsp of oil. When hot, fry all the ingredients under 'Whole Spices' until fragrant. Add green chilli and saute for few seconds. Next, add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell of garlic is gone.

Add corn, salt and cook for 2-3 mins. Add drained rice and saute for another 2 mins.

Add milk, water, mint leaves, cilantro and give it a good mix. Let everything come to a boil on medium heat. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 - 15 mins. Switch off the stove and keep it covered for another 15 mins.

Fluff it up and serve warm with raita.

Mint Pulao (Stove Top Method)

Mint pulao is quite a regular affair in our household, but what is new is the stovetop cooking. This is the first time I am trying pulao directly in a saucepan on the stovetop versus in a pressure cooker. Surprisingly enough, the rice was cooked to perfection compared to the pressure cooker method that  I am so used to. I should admit that this is the "fluffiest ever" pulao that I 've made, where the rice is long, whole, firm yet soft and flavorful.

The trick behind getting a perfect pulao is .,

Tight-fitting pot lid - to not let the steam escape which helps in getting a even texture.

Right amount of water - basmati rice usually requires 2 parts of water but use only 1.5 parts, if the rice is soaked in water for atleast 30 mins before cooking.

Cook under even & gentle heat - Initially, bring the water & rice to a rolling boil on high heat, and then let it simmer & cook on low heat for about 10-12 mins.

Post-cooking resting period - Resting period of about 10 mins is very much essential for the rice to dry and lose out the wet/steamed texture.

Basic Info

Complexity - Medium

Prep time - 10 mins

Cook time - 25 mins

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1.5 cups

Onion - 1 no (Medium sized, chopped)

Ginger - 1 inch (grated)

Frozen shelled edamame - 1/2 cup (replace it with peas)

Mint leaves - 1/4 cup

Cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup

Thai green chilli - 1 no

Bay leaf - 1 no

Cardamom pods - 1 no

Cloves - 2 nos

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Oil - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp (optional)

Salt - to taste

Cashews - few (optional)

Method

Rinse the rice in water for a couple of times, drain and keep it aside.

Grind mint leaves, cilantro leaves, green chilli into a fine paste (using as little water as possible). To the paste, add water to measure about 3 cups and keep it aside.

In a thick bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, fry bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves until fragrant. To this, add onion, grated ginger and saute until onion turns soft and translucent. Now, add washed/drained rice, peas and saute for a min or two until rice turns crisp. Take care not to burn the rice.

Finally, add water (mint+cilantro water mix), ghee (if using), salt and give it a good mix. When the water starts to boil and as the rice starts to expand, close the saucepan with a lid and let it simmer on low heat. After 10 mins, switch off the stove. Leave the saucepan undisturbed for another 10 mins. Do not remove the lid.

After 10 mins, fluff up the rice with a fork and garnish with roasted cashews. Hot & tasty pulao is ready to be served! Cool raitha with chips makes perfect accompaniment.

Note

- Rice expands as it cooks, so use a saucepan large enough to accommodate. A 2-quart saucepan for one to two cups of uncooked rice is a good size.

- Don't take off the lid while the rice is cooking — this lets the steam out and affects the cooking time.

- Do not mix / peek / open the lid while the rice is cooking.
- Sending this off to Made with Love Mondays!

Corn & Capsicum Pulao

Another tasty pulao with mild flavors. With spicy pepper-cauliflower gravy on the side, you can't think of a better combo for the weekend brunch! The great mix of flavors from corn, mint & coriander makes this pulao simply irresistible.

Amazingly quick & easy to make, this wholesome meal is a real crowd-pleaser of all ages. VJ was double 'thumbs up' for the spicy combo (corn pulao + pepper-cauliflower gravy) and no complaints from my daughter either! My little one, being a corn lover, was all ga-ga over the corn pulao.

Basic Info

Complexity - Medium

Prep time - 20 mins

Cook time - 20 mins

Serves - 3-4

Ingredients

Rice - 1.25 cups

Water - 1.25 cups

Onion - 1 no

Bell pepper - 2 nos (1 yellow + 1 orange (or) whichever available)

Corn - 2 cups (3 corns)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp + a pinch

Dry Masala

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Star anise - 1 no

Bay leaf - 1 no
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3 nos

Cardamom - 2 pods

To Grind
Whole Cashews - 10 nos
Tomatoes - 1 no (Medium sized)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 2 pods
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 1 no
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Wash rice and soak in water for atleast 30 mins. Grind all the ingredients given under 'To Grind' into a fine paste without adding water and set it aside.

Heat oil in a pressure pan, fry all the ingredients under 'Dry Masala' for a min. To this, add onion, bell pepper and saute until onion becomes translucent. Now, add the ground paste and saute for 2 mins. Add corn, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute for 2 more mins. 

Drain the water completely out of rice. Finally, add rice & water, give it a nice mix and pressure cook upto 1 whistle.

Enjoy this mild, flavorful sweet corn pulao with a spicy gravy & raitha.

Soya Chunks Pulao

Carbs - Yes ; Protein - Ofcourse ; Vegetables - Certainly ; Fat - Sure ;

How about a pulao loaded with all the goodness that you would want in a meal?! Served with raitha, this pulao makes a well rounded & complete meal packed with lot of flavors!

There are few recipes that never make it to the blog; a few others finds their place in the blog, but rarely attempted for a second time; but there are few recipes that are repeated again & again even before making it to the blog and soya chunks pulao is one! I have made this pulao 3-4 times in the last 3 weeks and I know for sure that I will be making it often hereafter. VJ & my daughter loved this pulao especially for that chewy protein-packed soya chunks!

I know a few families who do not like soya chunks. My family is one among them - I think my parents couldn't appreciate soya for its meat-like texture and also for that distinct smell that soya has. I was very doubtful when I bought a pack of soya chunks (Nutrela brand) mainly for its health benefits, but I totally gave in after tasting the pulao. The flavor of soya chunks is really amazing mainly from the marination and the texture is something that you have to get used to. All in all, this is a low cost / high protein product with long shelf life that comes handy whenever you want a wholesome variety!

Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 30-45 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 1 cup (I replace it with sona masoori if I run out of Basmati rice)
Soya chunks - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos (chopped)
Tomato - 1 no (chopped)
Green chillies - 4 nos (vertically slit open)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Garlic - 4 pods (minced)
Mint leaves - 2 tbsp (optional)
Carrot - 1 no (peeled & chopped)
Potatoes - 2 nos (peeled & chopped)
Peas - a handful (chopped)
Beans - 15 nos (chopped)
Fresh coconut - 1/8 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp (substitute with 1 tbsp of oil)
Lime juice - from 1 lime

For marination
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp

Dry MasalaFennel seeds - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cashews - 10 nos
Bay leaf - 1
Star anise - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 4 nos
Cardamom - 2 pods

Method

Grind fresh coconut into a fine paste by adding few drops of water. Set aside.

In a saucepan, add 1-2 cups of water and when it comes to a boil, add soya chunks. Let it boil for 2-3 mins (or) until soft. Drain the water and squeeze the soya chunks to take out the extra water. Marinate soya chunks for atleast 20 mins in a mix of yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Set aside.

Wash and soak rice in water for atleast 30 mins. Set aside.

Heat oil & ghee in a pressure pan. When hot, add all the ingredients in the same order given under "dry masala" and fry till cashews are golden brown. Now, add chopped onion, green chillies and saute until onion turns translucent. Add garlic, ginger, mint leaves and saute until the raw smell of garlic is gone. Add tomatoes and saute until soft. 

Now, add all the vegetables, marinated soya chunks, salt, coconut paste and give it a nice mix.

After 2-3 mins, add drained rice, and water (1:1), give it one last mix and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Set the cooker aside until all the pressure is released and the cooker is cooled down.

Add lime juice to the rice & mix well before serving. Serve this delicious pulao with cool raitha!

Methi Pulao

First, let me admit that I am a total methi (fenugreek) freak. I always tend to add a tbsp of dry / fresh methi leaves (whichever in stock) in almost every north Indian recipe that I make. Though these leaves are said to be slightly on the bitter side, I love them for the flavor & aroma that it adds to the recipes.

Apart from its medicinal properties for treating diabetes, methi leaves are also known to increase lactation in nursing mothers. I was on balanced diet (pathiya samayal) during the first 2 months of my postpartum (with both the deliveries), and my mom used to prepare "methi leaves - moong dal" kootu (stew) for atleast 3-4 times a week. Surprisingly, I have never gotten bored of these teeny-tiny leaves. Probably, I am one among the "not-so-common" few who actually enjoys pathiya samayal!

Well, that 's just me. VJ is not very fond of methi leaves. Every time, I try some recipe using methi leaves, he neither complains nor appreciates. But, methi pulao definitely came in as a surprise for him. He loved the pulao, especially for that extra zing in the flavor from methi leaves. He suggested a small change though - to add fried cashews for texture. "Sure, you got it next time dear!"

Methi pulao indeed tasted great with cool cucumber raitha - finely chopped pieces of cucumber mixed with yogurt & spices - Yum!!

Check out my other recipes using fresh methi leaves - Methi Malai Matar, Aloo Methi, Methi Thepla.

Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 30-35 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serves - 3-4

Ingredients
Rice - 1.5 cups
Fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves - 2 cups (packed)
Mint leaves - 1-2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Onion - 1 no (big sized)
Garlic - 6-7 pods (minced)
Green chillies - 2 no (slit open vertically)
Tomato - 3 nos (medium sized)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Dry Masala
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves - 4 nos
Bay leaf - 1 no
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Star anise - 1 no
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Method

Wash and soak rice in water for about 30 mins. Set aside.

Separate methi leaves from its stem and soak the leaves in about 2 cups of water with a tsp of salt. Set aside.

In a pressure cooker, heat 3 tbsp of oil. When hot, add all of the ingredients under "dry masala" and fry for 2-3 mins until a nice aroma comes out of it.

Add chopped onion, minced garlic, slit green chillies and fry until onion is soft.

To this, add methi leaves & mint leaves and stir for about a min until the leaves wilt. Add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and give it a mix. Let the tomatoes cook for about 2-3 mins until soft.

Add rice & water (use 1:1 ratio if rice is soaked in water for atleast 30 mins otherwise use 1:1.5 ratio). Adjust salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Let it cool, and fluff it up with a fork.

Enjoy this hot & tasty methi pulao with cool raita!

Beetroot Pulao

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with great food, good company & gaining deals!

For me, Thanksgiving '12 was not really thankful but handsful! If you think I grabbed quite 'some' deals on black friday, you are wrong! VJ had to travel away from home for few weeks and that got me handful with two 'ever-active' kids! Believe it or not, it took me two full days to sink into reality that VJ will not be around to help with the kids!

On the brighter side, this is the only time when I get to try variety of recipes, anything & everything that is NOT elaborate (or) south-Indian ;) And, the very first day after VJ left, I tried this one-pot meal that I have been wanting to try for long! Here it is - a healthy, complete & colorful meal that can be easily put up in no time.

My 'fantasy-obsessed' daughter thought it was very fancy to eat a "purple" pulao and she absolutely loved it! The recipe is very mild when it comes to heat, but you can always bump up green chillies/red chilli powder if you are a heat lover!

Printable Recipe

Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 25 mins
Cook time - 40 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Grated Beetroot - 1.5 cups, packed (from 2 medium-sized beets)
Raw basmati rice -  1.5 cups

Onion - 1 no (Medium sized, finely chopped)
Green chilli - 1 no (slit vertically)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
Shelled Edamame / Peas - 1/4 cup

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp, replace it with red chilli powder
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Mint leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

Wash rice and soak in 2 cups of water.

In a thick bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, fry bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves until fragrant. To this, add onion, green chilli, grated ginger/garlic and saute until onion turns soft and translucent. Add grated beetroot, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, sambar powder and saute until the raw smell of beets are gone.

Drain rice from water, add to the pan and saute for a min or two until rice turns crisp. Take care not to burn the rice.

Lastly, add shelled edamame, coconut milk, 2.25 cups of water, chopped mint & cilantro, ghee, required amount of salt and give it a good mix. When the water starts to boil and as the rice starts to expand, close the saucepan with a lid and let it simmer on low heat. After 10-15 mins, switch off the stove. Leave the saucepan undisturbed for another 20 mins. Do not open the lid in-between.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and garnish with roasted cashews. Hot & tasty pulao is ready to be served! Cool cucumber raitha with chips makes a perfect side for the pulao!

Jeera (Cumin) rice

Jeera (Cumin) rice is one of the simplest & easiest one-pot rice recipes. It pairs so well with any kind of spicy gravy / dal curry. I love the inviting aroma of jeera (cumin seeds) that you get along with the other spices.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup (wash & soak rice in water for 20 mins before cooking)
Water - 1.5 cups
Finely chopped onion (Medium sized) - 1 no
Green chillies - 1 no (vertically slit)
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Jeera - 1.5 tsp
Cardamom pods - 1 no
Cashews - 6-8 nos (broken into small pieces and roasted in ghee)
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method
Heat a tsp of oil and fry cashews until golden brown. Keep it aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan (I use pressure cooker), heat ghee & oil. When hot, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and saute until fragrant. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add onions, green chillies and saute until onion turns golden brown. Add drained rice and saute for a min or so until crisp. Add water, salt & pressure cook for one whistle. (I usually switch off the stove for the first whistle, but leave the cooker on the stove itself until it cools.)

Fluff up the rice with a fork, add roasted cashews and serve hot with any spicy side of your choice.

Tips

- You can also cook this rice directly on stove-top / in a rice cooker.