Veg- Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice	4 cups
Carrot	1 cup – Finely chopped
Beans	1 cup – Finely chopped
onion	3  big  – Finely chopped
Capsicum	1 – finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste	4 tspn
Green chillies	2 – Finely chopped
Cinnamon	Optinal – 1 piece
Pepper powder	1 tspn
Oil	½ cup
Salt	To taste

Method to cook rice:

The basmathi rice should be washed and soaked in water for about 20 minutes.  Drain off the water.

In a big container add about 15 cups of water and bring to boil. Add the soaked rice, 2tspn of salt, 1tspn cooking oil and cook for about  7 minutes. This time is enough for the basmathi rice to cook 3/4^th.

For fried rice this consistencies in which u cook the rice is most important.

Don’t have the container closed for too long. Drain off the excess water immediately  and transfer the rice content into a basin or  preferably a Thambulam ( big wide plate) and leave it to cool.

Method :

1.       Finely chop the carrot and beans and cook with just sufficient amount of water to cook. Make sure there is no excess water. Taste is great we u add the right amount of water and cook the vegetables. Keep aside

2.       In a kadai add the oil and once heated add the onions. Cinnamon is optional .

3.       When the onions become transparent add the chopped chillies and the chopped Capsicum.

4.       When the capsicum is almost cooked add the ginger garlic paste.

5.       Cook till the green smell goes off.

6.       Add the cooked vegetable and enough salt.  Then about 1 tspn of pepper.

7.       Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes and switch off the flame.

8.       Add the cooked rice little by little and mix thoroughly.

9.       Fried rice is ready. J

Vegetable pulao

Ingredients :

Basmathi rice	4 cups
Carrot	1 cup
Beans	1 cup
peas	1/2 cup
Potatoes	1
cauliflower	optional
onion	3  big - sliced lengthwise
tomatoes	2 big – cut into Medium size cubes
Ginger garlic paste	4 tspn
Green chillies	2
Mint leaves	1 cup – coarsely ground
Cardamom	2
Cinnamon	½ inch piece
Bay leaf	1 small
Red Chilli powder	2 tspn
Oil	½ cup
Salt	To taste

Method:

1.       In a Kadai, add oil. In the heated oil add cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and green chillies.

2.       Add sliced onions. Fry till slight brown , add the ginger garlic paste and cook in low flame till the smell goes.

3.       Add chopped tomatoes and fry. Don’t mash it. Just mix it well to blend. Once the tomatoes are half cooked add the coarsely ground Mint leaves. U can also add Coriander leaves along with mint leaves.

4.       Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces. Now add the vegetables to the kadai and mix well. Fry for about 2 minutes.

5.       Add Chilli powder. U can add or reduce the chilli powder as per requirement. Keep in mind we have added Green chillies earlier.

6.       Now fry till the smell goes  and oil oozes out. U can add about half a cup of water if u feel its too dry.

7.       Add the rice to the kadai and mix well. And add required salt . Fry for two to three minutes.

8.       Now transfer the content to a Cooker.

9.       For every 1 cup of basmathi rice add 1 ½ cup of water.  So for 4 cup of rice we need to add 6 cups of water.

10.   Since we have the vegetables also to be cooked add 1 ½ cup extra.  I.e. totally we need to add 7 1/2 cups of water.

11.   Cook for two Whistles.

12.   Don’t open immediately. Leave till the pressure is completely released.

13.   Mix lightly and serve hot.

Note: The basmathi rice should be washed and soaked in water for about 20 minutes.  Drain off the water and leave it to drain for about 15 mins and then add to the kadai mixture

Araithu Vitta Sambar

Ingredients :

Thoor dhal	1 cup
Tomatoe	2 big
Onion	1 medium
Sambar powder	3 tspn
Turmeric powder	½ spoon
Garlic	4 pods
Sambar onion	1 cup
Drumstick	1 – cut into small pieces
mustard	1 tspn
Urad dhal	½ tspn
Curry leaves	few
Gingelly oil	5 to 6 tspn
Salt	To taste
Asafetida	½ tspn
Tamarind water extract	½ cup

For Dry masala:

Coriander seeds ( dhaniya)	2 tspn
Red chilies	3
Gram dhal	1 tspn
Urad dhal	1 tspn
Coconut grating	2 tspn
Curry leaves	As required
Cumin seeds	1/4 tspn

In a frying pan, Roast the ingredients for the dry masala “separately” . Each of them can be roasted for say about 2 mins ( in low flame )and keep aside for to cool. Curry leaves can be added with the coconut grating and roasted. After this is cool Grind it to a coarse powder. Cumin seed alone can be jus roasted after the taking the pan off the flame. The heat is sufficient. If roasted too much it would give a bad flavor.

Method to cook the Dhal:

In a cooker , add the washed dhal, 3 cups of water, 1 chopped tomatoe, ½ the cup of small ( sambar) onions, few garlic pods, 1tsp sambar powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tspn Gingelly oil and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.

When cooked in open container , tastes even better.

Mash it well with a round heavy karandi once cooked.

Meanwhile in a another vessel heat about a 2 cups of water enough  to cook a drumstick. Cook till the vegetable is 3/4^th cooked and leave aside.

Method :

1.       In a kadai, add the remaining oil, when its heated add mustard seeds, urad dhal and allow till it pops. Then add the remaining garlic pods ( half mashed) then  Asafetida .

2.       Add the big cut onions and fry till light brown, add the curry leaves.

3.       Add cut tomatoes. And mash.

4.       Then add the remaining cup of sambar onions and cook for 3 minutes

5.       Add samabar powder  and  cook in low flame for 2 minutes.

6.       Now add the Drumstick. It is fine if there is excess water in the cooked drumstick. But make sure it is not too much.

7.       Make sure its not too dry. If the water in the drum stick is not enough then add about half a cup.

8.       Now allow it to cook till the oil oozes out of the gravy. Say about 5 minutes in medium flame.

9.       Now add the cooked dhal mixture.  Into the kadai.

10.   Add required water if u feel its too thick. Add required salt.

11.   Now bring the sambar to boil . check for salt. ( boiling time – about 5 minutes )

12.   Now add tamarind extract and leave for about 3 minutes in medium flame.

13.   Finally add the ground dry masala. Make sure no lumps are formed.

14.   Now remove from flame and serve hot with Idly, dosa, Rice,pongal, vada! J

Note: This sambar would taste good even without the dry masala. But u will need to add the red chilies while frying the onions to compensate the spiciness.

Sambar powder

 

Ingredients:

Red  chillies	½ kg
Corriander seeds( dhaniya)	½ kg
Thoor dhal	1/2 cup
Gram dhal	1/2 cup
udar	3 tspn
Parboiled rice	½ cup
Fenugreek seeds	2tspn
Cumin seeds	5tspn
Pepper corns	5tspn
Turmeric (full )	50gms
Curry leaves. washed and dried for a day	1 cup

Method:

1.       Dry the Red chillies and the dhaniya in sun for a day .

2.       Clean it and keep it a side.

3.       In a kadai. Roast the Thoor dhal till light brown.

4.       In the same kadai roast the gram dhal and udar dhal also till light brown , separately.

5.       Roast the rice for about 3 minutes till small rice puff are formed.

6.       Similarly roast the cumin seed, pepper  and fenugreek seeds in very low flame for a minute .

7.       Add  the curry in the same kadai and leave it for a minute and add to the rest of the roasted ingredients.

8.       Once the roasted ingredients are cooled  add them to the  chillies and dhaniya .

9.       Also add the turmeric. Break them if they are too big pieces.

10.   This mixture has to be given in  mill and ground to a fine powder.

11.   Once ground u will have about 1 ½ kg of sambar powder ready for atleast 2 months.

12.   This mixture can be replace instead of the plain chilli powder purchased from stored.

13.   Best taste maker for Sambar, Kaara kozhambu, vatha kozhambu  and Fish gravy, chicken curry.

14.   Since it has dhal and rice added it gives a thick gravy.