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India is known for her food delicacies. Here are some rice recipe that are full meals in it. They are perfect for busy cooks especially for entertaining guests at a short notice.
All you have to do is to store these items at home.
Turmeric, garam masala, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, canned coconut milk, dry grated coconut, red dry chilies/pepper, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon.
You can also fry onions, pepper, cardamom and cloves with coconut and grind it to the paste. This paste can be stored in the deep freezer for about 15 days.
You can make tomato rice or lemon rice with freshly cooked rice or even with the leftover rice.
1. Tomato rice
2 cups of cooked rice
1 tsp. of oil
½ tsp. of turmeric powder (available in Indian grocery stores)
½ tsp. of mustard or cumin seeds
2 red dry chilies (pepper)
2/3 curry leaves (available in Indian grocery stores)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cm piece of ginger
Cilantro or coriander leaves to garnish
1 medium size tomato or 2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tbsp. Coconut milk
salt
Heat 1-tsp. oil in the pan. Add seasoning of mustard seeds or cumin seeds to it. Add red pepper, curry leaves, finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Fry till onion becomes tender. Then add turmeric powder.
Add tomato paste or finely chopped tomato.
If you use tomato paste them you can add rice immediately after a minute.
If you use tomato then allow it to cook for 3 to 4 minutes till tender.
Add coconut milk and stir.
After few seconds add rice and salt and mix it properly.
Cook covered for 2 minutes.
Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves (chopped) and/ or fresh grated coconut.
If fresh coconut is not available you can use dry coconut powder. Just add it to the rice and let it become soft for a minute before removing from heat.
2. Lemon rice
Follow the same recipe as above with one variation. Use 1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the place of tomato. Add this juice only when the rice is fully done.
3. Khichadi (rice and green lentil)
Khichadi is a fine mixture of rice, moong dal and vegetables. It is a full meal in itself.
1/2 cup rice preferably long grain.
½ cup green gram (moong dal)
1 lb. cauliflower coarsely chopped
1 medium potato
1 medium onion
½ cup peas
½ inch ginger
¾ garlic cloves
4 bays leaves
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
½ sp. Mustard seeds.
½ sp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Chili powder
4 cups water.
salt
Grind ginger and garlic.
Grind cinnamon, cloves and cardamom separately.
Roast green gram in one sp. Oil until brown.
Heat 1 sp. Oil and add mustard, bay leaves. Add onion and fry until golden.
Add garlic, ginger paste and stir it. Add rice and vegetables.
Add spices and water and cook under pressure or until all the water is absorbed.
Allow to rest for 15 min.
Serve hot.
4. Shrimp pulao (shrimp rice)
½ cup grated fresh coconut
a pinch of mustard seeds
3 green chilies
2/3 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
2/3 pepper corns
2 green cardamoms
2 cups water
1 cup long grain rice
1 onion sliced
½ lb. shrimps
salt
1 tsp. Garam masala (optional, available in Indian Stores)
1 tsp. Garlic powder.
Heat spoonful of oil in the pan.
Add mustard seeds. When they start bursting then add pepper corns, cloves, cinnamon, chilies and onion.
When onion is golden brown add coconut.
Fry till lightly golden.
Grind all these to a fine paste.
Heat one sp. Oil.
Add paste and shrimp.
Cook till shrimps are fully cooked.
Add little water if needed.
Add Garam masala and garlic powder.
Add salt and stir.
Then add rice.
Stir properly and cover.
Cook for two min.
Garnish with corinder leaves.
Serve hot.
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