Beetroot Biriyani/Pulao with Black Beans Raita

My mom always has had rave reviews about this particular kind of rice called "Seeraga Samba."
She tells me that this rice has a very aromatic quality to it just like basmati rice and is also very flavorful. It is extremely cute to look at, kind of like baby basmati.
If you are not able to find this at your store under the name of "Seeraga Samba" or "Kalijira", you could use the regular white basmati rice. It shouldn't make that big of a difference. The grated beets add a lovely pinkish red hue to the rice grains. I tried not to add any other vegetable just to keep the color intact.
It looks beautiful when it is done, like the tiny grains just blushed!

The raita was something I decided to make with the pulao when I started planning this meal. Keeping the beans crunchy is key to making this raita. Mushy beans and yogurt is not what I would recommend. Finish off with some cilantro for some fresh flavor.



Beetroot Biriyani/Pulao with Black Beans Raita

Beetroot Biriyani/Pulao:

Ingredients:

Seeraga Samba rice - 2cups
Water - 3 cups
Clove - 3
Cinnamon stick - 2-3
Cardamom Pod - 3
Star Anise - 1
Beetroot - 2 cups (grated and packed)
Shallots/Onions - 1 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
Chilly powder - 2 tsp (or to taste)
Green chillies - 2 small slit
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp
Grind to a paste:
Garlic - 6-8 pods
Ginger - 2 tbsp roughly chopped
Shallots - 2 tbsp roughly chopped
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Grind the ginger, garlic, shallots and fennel seeds to a paste and set aside. Do not add water.

In a large pan, add 2 tbsp oil, and add the washed and thoroughly drained rice. Sauté till the grains turn opaque. Turn off heat and cool. At this point I add the rice to the rice cooker and use the same pan for making the masala.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan, add the cloves, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom and green chillies.
Add the ground ginger-garlic paste and sauté well till the raw smell is gone.
Then add the chopped shallots, followed by the tomatoes. Once they are halfway cooked, add the grated beets and mix well. Allow to cook till the beets soften. Finish off with salt and chilly powder.

Now add this beets masala to the rice. Add 3 cups of water, and let the rice cooker do its thing. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook for about 20 minutes or two whistles. Do not overmix after it is done.





Black Beans Raita:



Ingredients:

Dried Black Beans - 1 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup
Shallots - 1/2 cup
Cilantro/Coriander - 1/4 cup chopped
Salt - to taste

Method:

Soak the black beans overnight in some water. Pressure cook the beans for about 15 min or 2 whistles depending on your cooker. It should not get mushy, it should still have a bite to it.
Drain water, rinse with cold water till the water runs clear.
Add yogurt, shallots, cilantro, salt and mix well. Garnish with a little more chopped cilantro and serve with biriyani or any kind of rice.

Lite Coconut Milk - Mint Pulao

There are only good memories associated with this recipe. One of my mom's best dishes, which in order to perfect took innumerable attempts for me. She uses wonderful thick first-press coconut milk from home grown coconuts and it gives it this rich texture and taste.
The only changes I made from her recipe, is using lite canned coconut milk (fewer calories!) and adding my favorite herb on this planet... Mint.

So, when I say attempts, it involved using a varied combination of fresh coconut milk, canned coconut milk, light canned coconut milk, brown rice, and then white rice.
This recipe is traditionally prepared using white rice in my family, but since I have switched to brown rice, I did initially try with it. It was absolutely tasteless! Not a good idea!
See, the part of enjoying this is the subtle taste of the coconut milk hitting you when you bite into the rice. My brown rice failed to absorb anything at all! And tasted like I cooked it with water instead of luscious coconut milk.
There are certain dishes that are not meant to be changed, and I guess this is one such recipe. If you are making this, use only White rice, there I said it!
Using basmati rice will enhance the experience, if not just use Jasmine or any long grain rice.

The rice grains after being cooked, should be light, fluffy and not mushy. Here's how I did it.



Lite Coconut Milk - Mint Pulao

Ingredients:

White Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Mint - A bunch
Lite Coconut milk - 3 cups
Water - 2 cups
Dry Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 1
Dry Star anise - 1
Whole Cardamom - 2
Whole pepper - 3
Green chillies - 1 small chopped
Ginger - 1 inch chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves chopped
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Roasted cashews - 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean and soak rice with some water for 15 minutes.

Finely chop mint, or use a blender like I did and grind the leaves with a few drops of water till they are mushy.

In a pan, add oil, when hot add all the spices, fry for a minute then add green chillies, garlic, and ginger. Saute well.

When all the above ingredients are well roasted, drain water completely from the rice (use a strainer), and mix it will the spice mixture.
Roast the rice till it turns opaque and the oil coats the grains of the rice completely. Add the ground mint and salt.
Mix well.

Transfer to a rice cooker, add the coconut milk and water. Mix thoroughly. You may need more or less water depending on the type of rice/cooker you are using.
My rice cooker senses the amount of liquid and cooks accordingly. If you are using a regular cooker/ a different type of rice cooker, then check the water content.

When done, add a tsp of oil and fluff the rice with a fork. Check for salt. Garnish with roasted cashews and mint. Serve with onion raita.



Sending this dish to:

Nags's Monthly Mingle #33 - Ravishing Rice Recipes
Ashwini's JFI:Mint

Brown Basmati Egg Biriyani with Chickpeas

This recipe is for a friend who asked me once... "How do you eat brown rice, I just can't seem to get used to it!"
I am sure she would be reading this today :) And I hope I can convert her from White to Brown with this recipe.

Brown rice has a lot of benefits. For one, it is very filling and you would tend to eat less. Well, there's a start!
It falls under the whole grain variety which seems to be recommended a lot these days. You must have seen those "Get more whole grains into your diet for a healthier you" appearing everywhere. If you haven't seen it, then you are looking at the wrong places, er... defnitely not in a fast food place.

So, what exactly is the difference between a brown and white rice, you may ask...
When only the outer husk is removed you get brown rice, and when the inner bran layer is removed you get white rice. Seems simple, but the bran layer is what packs all the nutrients. All that remains is white rice and carbs after stripping the grain of all its actual goodness.

Nutritional benefits of brown rice: They are rich in fiber, fatty acids (that lowers cholesterol), certain vitamins and Iron.

How to prepare brown rice:
If you have a rice cooker, then put it on "Brown rice" setting and forget it. Most modern rice cookers have this setting.

If you are using the conventional method, then wash the rice. Soak in warm water for at least an hour or two. Add water in the ratio of 1:2 (or in some cases 1 1/2). Depending on rice and texture preferences, these ratios might change. Always check your package instructions for how much water is recommended for one cup of rice.
Cook using a microwave cooker or cook on stove top like you would normally do for white rice.

Soaking brown rice is important. It allows germination and making it much more nutritious.

Changing from white to brown, does take time and you may not enjoy the fuller taste and feel of brown rice initially. But if you care more about your health, then more power to you!

This is a easy recipe to make especially if you are trying out brown rice for the first time. Egg Biriyani is an Indian dish normally prepared with rice, some vegetables and eggs of course.
I added chick peas to give it that added bite and flavor.
This is only kind of biriyani I make at home and I just love it.



Brown Basmati Egg Biriyani with Chickpeas

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4
Brown Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Garbanzo/Chickpeas - 2 cups (canned or soaked and cooked)
Red onion - 2 cups (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 cups (chopped)
Egg Biriyani masala - 2 tsp
Ginger - 2 tbsp chopped
Garlic - 4-5 cloves sliced
Bay Leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5 torn by hand
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Fried Onions - 2 tbsp (To garnish, optional)
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - To taste

Method:

Hard boil eggs and keep separately.

Cook brown rice according to package instructions, which includes soaking in warm water and then cooking it with rice cooker or on the stove top.
The cooked rice should be al dente, not mushy. Cool completely.

In a wide pan on medium-high heat, heat oil, add cloves, bay leaf, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and saute well.

Add onions and saute till slightly brown. Add turmeric and salt.

Next add the tomatoes, pepper and saute for at least 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the egg biriyani masala and saute again. Add the garbanzo/chickpeas and mix well. Let the chickpeas cook for a while in the masala.

Score the eggs with a knife, or split them in half and add it to the masala.

At any point if you think the masala is too thick, add a little water. I normally don't do this, since the rice tends to become soggy when mixed together.

Turn off heat and then add the cooled cooked rice and mix well with a little oil to keep the rice grains separate.
Make assessment as to how much rice will be needed for the masala you make. Add more or less rice according to taste and heat level.

Mix thoroughly. Just before serving, add the fried onions and serve it along with yogurt raita.



This dish goes to:

Alexandra's Chefspiration's Healthy Choices
Ms's JFI Chickpea
Sudeshna's Harvest: The Festival of Rice

Breakfast Lentil crepes - Traditional Adai made easy

This recipe was requested by a co-blogger. And here it is!

Adai as we traditionally call it, is basically a mix of lentils and rice ground together to form a batter. And then formed into crepes on a griddle and cooked on both sides.

And what makes my method easier? Here is why...
Originally, rice is soaked along with the lentils and ground together, there are specific grinders that are used for this purpose.
Since I don't have the heavy duty grinder, I use the normal blender.
Now, here is the problem with using normal blenders... it might be too much stress on the machine to grind soaked rice, and also if you are using a very powerful blender, it produces heat (you can feel the contents warming up) which eventually cooks the batter even while it is grinding. Not good!

To avoid the problem, I used "Idli Rava" - Cream of Rice instead of the actual rice.
There is no need to grind this. The only grinding you will be doing is for the soaked lentils (which is relatively easy on the blender)
Also remember to add enough water, so the blender does not heat up.
(Detailed instructions below in the recipe)

I have used four different types of lentils for this recipe. All of them can be found in an Indian grocery store. Mung and Split chick peas (Channa dal) can be found in the bulk section of your regular grocery store (if it has one).
You may use whole or split Mung beans for this recipe. Both give a different taste and are both great. I personally like the whole green mung dal for this.

There is no need to ferment the final batter, you may proceed making crepes as it gets done. And not having to grind the rice saves on a lot of time and energy.

Breakfast Lentil crepes - Traditional Adai made easy

Ingredients:

Idli Rava - 2 cups
Mung Dal - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Thur Dal - 1/4 cup
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Dried Red chillies - 4 (you may add more if you like)
Curry Leaves - 8-10
Hing/Asafoetida - A couple of pinches
Salt - To taste
Water - 4 cups (To mix with Idli Rava)

Method:

Wash and soak all the four varieties of dal with red chillies and curry leaves for at least 4-6 hours. I soak them overnight.

Next day, just before grinding the lentils together, mix the Idli Rava with 4 cups of water to form a batter (it will absorb the water when you let it sit while you grind the dals, and that is okay). There is no need to add more water.

Grind the lentils, chillies and curry leaves in a blender in batches. Add enough water to get the machine running. Grind till smooth.

Add it to the Idli rava that has already been mixed with water. Mix well.

Add Hing/Asafoetida and again mix thoroughly.

Cover with a lid and let it sit for a couple of hours. Or you can prepare crepes immediately if you are in a rush. Does not alter the taste very much, and both ways are great. The batter would look like this. Add water before preparing crepes just enough so that it resembles a pancake batter.



To prepare crepes... Check out this step-wise pictorial. The picture below is from my earlier post which I made for regular dosais, but "Adai" follows the same method.



You will need a smooth non-stick griddle on medium heat.
Step 1: Pour a small ladle of batter in the center, and spread out in circular motion till you get a thin layer. Drizzle oil.
Step 2: Flip over when the bottom side starts browning, and cook on other side.
Step 3: You may leave it on the griddle for a little longer to get crispier crepes, or take it off the heat as soon as it starts browning to get a softer crepe.
Step 4: For this particular dish, I would suggest softer crepes, as that is how it is traditionally prepared.

Variations include:
Grinding garlic and ginger along with the batter.
Adding cilantro and or onions just before making the crepes.

Enjoy with Chutney or Molagai podi (which is basically a mixture of chillies and lentils ground together, mixed with oil and dipped into)

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews and Lemon-Mint Dressing

I took this amazing cooking class instructed by Omid Roustaei, (who is also a personal chef) a few weeks back. As healthy and nutritious as all his creations that day were, there was one particular dish that caught my attention "The wild rice salad".
It was a sensual burst of flavors in my mouth, almost like a perfect medley of sweet, bitter, nutty and every bit pleasantly Herby.

Wild rice is a different variety of rice that grows in water, and only the flowering part is above the water. It is black in color and high in protein, amino acids and dietary fiber, and low in fat. Gluten-free like every other rice.
They are normally used in sync with other rices and sold like a medley, but they can be brought separately too, and can be used in salads like these. They are harder than normal rice, and thus takes longer to cook.
I don't use wild rice on a regular basis, so got what I needed in the bulk section of the grocery store, that works out cheaper too.

The original recipe called for cranberries which I omitted, added green bell peppers, and subtituted zucchini with raw mangoes. And it turned out just the way I liked it.
Mangoes did add its own magic to the whole salad. It is a must try. And super healthy too.

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews and Lemon-Mint Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:
Wild rice -1 cup
Vegetable broth - 2 1/4 cups
Raddichio/any bitter greens - 1/2 cup
Raw mango - 1 small (diced) (Could substitute this with zucchini)
Red pepper - 1 (diced)
Green bell pepper - 1 small (diced)
Carrot - 1 (diced)
Roasted salted cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Salt - To taste

Dressing:
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Lemon juice - From 2 large lemons
Garlic - 4 cloves (finely chopped)
Mint - 1 bunch chopped
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste

Method:

In a cooking pot, combine wild rice, salt and broth and bring to to a boil. Simmer, and cover. Cook for about 40 - 60 min or till the grain is soft.
I used a rice cooker to cook the wild rice, so did not have to keep checking.
Cool completely.

In another large bowl, mix all the ingredients listed in the dressing section.

To this add the cooled wild rice, the rest of the vegetables, (except cashews), salt and pepper and let it sit for an hour in the refrigerator.

Just before serving add the roasted cashew nuts and serve.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.



This goes to:

Sangeeth's Eat Healthy Fight Diabetes event
Srivalli's Rice mela event
Kimi's Nourishing Holiday Food event
Ivy's World Food Day event
Suganya's Vegan Ventures event

Soybean and Green pepper Fried rice

Wondering why the fried rice looks brown?
This is as healthy as it can get. I used brown basmati rice for this recipe, just because that is the only rice I have been using for the last couple of years.
There we go again, the thing about brown food better than white food!
It probably would taste much different with white rice, but I am sticking to what I know and feel is healthful.
Green peppers, carrots and soybeans are the main ingredients, with a dash of soy sauce to give that little kick. I also used red chilly paste from a Korean market, it comes in a red tub with inscriptions you probably wont understand if you don't know Korean:)
It is just too good! I add them in noodles/rices and other stir-fry dishes, and with its red flare it does its job well.

On a cautious note, I usually have a bad experience cutting green bell peppers. Since their skin is so waxy and the knife very so often takes a break and decides to chop off a part of my skin rather than cutting the peppers.
To avoid this, make sure you cut the peppers skin side down where it is more easier for the knife to get a grip on.

Completely off topic... do any of you, my lovely readers (who really, actually, read all my write-ups before my recipe) watch "Lost" series on ABC channel?
I am beating myself up as to why I did not watch it earlier, in spite of glowing recommendations from friends!
I just finished watching Season 1, and am on Season 2. If you have not watched it, you really are missing some real good action. Trust me, it is not like those soaps that they beat to death on Television. I must warn you, it is very addictive.

Just could not conceal my excitement, so there was my little detour... back to the recipe.

Green pepper and Soybean Fried rice

Ingredients:

Brown Basmati Rice - 4 cups cooked & chilled for at least 2 hrs (I say chilled, so that when the rice goes into the hot wok along with the veggies, it wont get mushy, and will hold its shape well during the cooking process, this holds good especially for white rice if you decide to use that instead)

Julienne Green Bell peppers - 2 medium
Julienne Carrots - 1 cup
Soybeans without shells - 1 cup
Red chilly paste - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Olive oil - 3 tbsp

(Julienne is a fancy-schmancy term for cutting the vegetables into long thin strips)


Method:

In a wok/a wide open pan take the olive oil and saute ginger and garlic for a few seconds.

Then turn in the vegetables in the order of carrots, soybeans and bell peppers and saute till half cooked.

Add the red chilly paste, salt, pepper, chilly flakes and soy sauce and saute for another 2-3 min.



Add the cooked, chilled rice directly to the wok and quickly stir-fry it for a few minutes till the rice is warmed through, and thoroughly mixed with veggies.

Sprinkle with some green onions and serve with raitha (plain old yogurt with raw onions and cilantro)



Off to Sia's JFI-Soya event
Lore's Original recipe event
And last but not least Rachel's Seasonal Veggies Version of "Go Ahead, Honey - It's Gluten-Free" event

Basic Plain Dosai - Easy Method

Dedicated to all those dosai fledglings, or those who would like an easier method!
Some of you might be wondering why such a basic post about plain ol' dosai... When I was learning to make them, I was longing for a simple way to make it with fewer resources. This method does not involve grinding the rice, or those big bulky wet-grinders, and with just a normal blender, you will be flipping out dosais by the minute!

Dosai is the South-Indian answer to all the fancy crepes and pancakes out there. It is not a delicacy, but a everyday breakfast in South India, the most scrumptious way one can start off the day with. It is the most easiest to make for anyone who is used to it, but it can be daunting for somebody who is just starting off, and is not that familiar with the workings of this wonderful man-made creation.

The avatars of a dosai are innumerable. They are what you want them to be. I have given the recipe for "plain dosai" here, but you can transform them into any of these very easily.

Pacha maavu dosai- When you make them on the very day the batter is made. It has a distinct virgin taste to it
Plain dosai - Dosai made with fermented batter
Onion dosai - Onions either mixed into the batter (or) scattered on one side of the dosai
Podi dosai - Dosai sprinkled with chilly powder (which is specially prepared, definitely not the raw one)
Masala dosai - Masala potato mixture stuffed in between the dosai and folded over
Paper roast - Very thin (paper like) dosai
Uthappam - Atleast 2 days old batter, which is slightly sour and made into pancake-like thickness and has onions, tomatoes, & cilantro on one side.
"XYZ" Dosai - The "XYZ" standing for whatever you choose to stuff into the dosai, like curried cauliflower, grated paneer, tomatoes, spinach, baby corn, lentils and so many others, I am not going to go in detail about the varieties (apparently there are 104 different types in an Indian restaurant in Hyderabad! Wonder what they came up with!)

I use the same batter for idlis, and they come out pretty nicely. Give it a try.
I have tried to explain it to my best, giving step-by-step method. Hope it helps :)

Plain Dosai

Ingredients:

Idli Rava - 2 cups
Split Urad Dhal - 1 cup
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 2 pinches (approx. 8-10 seeds, adding more will give bitterness to the batter)
Salt - To taste
Sugar - 1/4 tsp (for fermentation, not to add sweetness)
Hardware - Blender (Any 400-450 watts one will do)

Method:

For Batter:

Soak Urad dhal & methi seeds in water overnight, atleast 8 hrs.
Next day, mix the idli rava with water just enough so it reaches wet-sand like consistency.
Grind the soaked urad dhal with water (from soaking) along with the sugar and salt till smooth. Consistency should be like a cake batter, not too loose.
Mix the urad dhal batter with the wet idli rava mixture and mix well.
Keep in a warm, dry place overnight. It will ferment and double in size.
Next day, you can make idlis or dosais out of them.



For making dosais:

1. Mix fermented batter well. Pour a ladle of batter onto a griddle (medium-heat), and spread in a round circular motion till completely spread out (If you are not used to it, it may take a few trys before you perfect it)

2. Drizzle oil on the sides, and wait till other side appears golden brown, lift the sides and flip over.

3. Cook the other side for a few minutes, again till crispy or soft as you may like it. Less cooking time yields soft dosais, and longer yields crispier ones.



4. Serve with chilly powder (Molagai Podi), or chutney of your choice.

How easy was that? Er... maybe not if it is your first time, but it will become easier the more you try it. I can post a video on how to make it on demand.