METHI RICE

This is a very easy rice recipe which can be  packed for lunch.
It can be prepared by using different vegetables like beans, capsicum or methi leaves or by mixing all vegetables like beans , carrot, capsicum and peas

Here I have used methi leaves(fenugreek leaves) along with capsicum and peas/matar for making the rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
2 cups chopped methi leaves
1/4 cup matar/green peas
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
1/4 tsp haldi 
2 tbsp wangi bhath powder


4-5 tbsp oil
2 tbsp groundnuts
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp udad dal
1/4 tsp hing
2  red chillies

PREPARATION

• Steam cook the rice and keep aside. Spread on a plate and allow to cool.
  
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed wide pan.
• Add groundnuts,followed by mustard.
• When the mustard splutters,add chana dal ,udad dal, hing and red chillies,
• Add the chopped vegetables and 1/4 tsp salt.
  
• When the vegetables are cooked, add haldi and wangi bhath powder.
• Mix well for a min or two.
  
• Add the cooked rice ,salt and mix well.
  
  
  
  

FOR THE WANGI BHATH POWDER

1/2 cup chana dal

1/2 cup udad dal

1/2 cup copra (dry coconut)

2 tbsp dhania (corriander seeds)

2" piece dalchini (cinnamon stick)

2-3 cloves

4-5 red chillies

• Roast each ingredient separately.Allow to cool.
• Mix all ingredients except copra and grind to a fine powder.
• Add the copra and grind again.
• Store in an air tight container.
• Stays for almost a month.

If copra is not available ,it can be skipped and fresh grated coconut can be added to the rice .(optional)

Wangi bhath powder can be stored for almost a month and can also be used as masala to make  vegetable sabji which can be made very quickly.

Just temper any vegetable with mustard and chana dal . Add and allow to cook.Add the masala and  mix well.

PUDINA RICE/ MINT LEAVES RICE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
2 cups mixed vegetables (beans,carrot,peas/matar)

FOR THE MASALA 
1 bunch pudina/mint leaves
1-2 green chilies
1" piece ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp jeera/cummin
1" piece dalchini/cinnamon
2-3 cloves/laung

FOR TEMPERING

3-4 Tbsp oil
2 tbsp ground nuts
1tsp rayee/mustard
1 tsp chana dal
1tsp udad dal
2-3 red chillies
1/4 tsp haldi

SALT 

PREPARATION

• Cook the rice and spread it on a plate to cool.
  
• Meanwhile prepare the masala
• In a drop of oil,fry the dalchini and laung.
  
• Grind to a fine paste all the above ingredients required for the masala.
• In a thick bottomed kadai, heat oil.
• Add ground nuts followed by mustard/rayee.
• When the mustard splutters add chana dal ,udad dal, and red chillies.
  
• Add the vegetables and along with a pinch of salt.
  
• When it is 1/2 cooked , add the pudina paste, and cook till the vegetables are soft and the water from the masala is almost dry.
  
  
  
  
• Add haldi and mix well.
• Add the cooked rice , sprinkle salt and mix well.
  
• Serve hot with onion raita

PRECAUTIONS

Do not add too much water while grinding the pudina masala. If the paste is fried for a long time , the green colour is not retained.
Mix the rice only when it is completely cool .
Add the salt after adding the rice and mix thoroughly to remove all lumps.
Do not mash the rice while mixing.
Always take a big thick bottomed pan for easy mixing.

BISI BELE BHATH

Bisi Bele Bhath which means Hot Lentils and Rice is a dish from Karnataka.. It is a complete meal in itself as it contains rice, dal and a mix of vegetables.
Here I have shared a quicker way of making this dish,
Though it sounds very complex, it's very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
1 cup toovar dal (pigeon peas)
3-4 cups of mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, potaoes, peas etc)
Chop the vegetables into large cubes to prevent them from getting overcooked.

• SPICES USED

3-4 cloves ( laung/lavang)
1 1/2'' piece of cinnamon  (dalchini)
1 small cardamom (elaichi)
1 1/2-2tsp sambar powder
1 tsp coriander powder(dhania powder)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1/4 tsp asafoetida ( hing)
salt
2-3 tsp Tamarind pulp
Curry leaves

FOR TEMPERING
6-7 tsp oil
3 tbsp groundnuts
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 whole red chilies
Curry leaves
2 onions, sliced
2 tomatoes finely chopped

METHOD

• Add about 5 cups of water to a pressure cooker and add rice, dal , vegetables, 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder and cook till you get one whistle.

• Meanwhile fry the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a drop of oil and powder them.

• In a vessel add a cup of water, the powdered spices, turmeric powder, sambhar powder ,coriander powder,1tsp salt ,asafoetida (hing) curry leaves and boil well till the raw smell of the powder is gone. You will get a nice aroma of the spices.

• Check your pressure  cooker now. The presuure would have subsided and you may be able to remove the lid. Check to see that the dal is cooked.

•  Add a cup of water and mix lightly. The rice should not turn to a paste.

•   Mix the  spiced up tamarind water and simmer. 
• Add water to make the mixture of a medium pouring consistency. Stir occasionally, but always be careful not to mash up the rice. Check the taste now. You can then adjust the sourness and spice (chili) in your  tempering.

• Heat oil. Add the groundnuts, mustard and  hing.  When the mustard splutters, add the red chilies and curry leaves
• . Add the sliced onions and saute till they become transparent .
•  Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and fry till  the water starts evaporating from the  tomatoes and the oil  starts leaving the sides . You can add an extra tomato if you want the rice mix to be  sour. Remember you have checked the mixture before!! 
•  Add sambhar powder or chili powder as per your requirement and mix this to the rice mix.

The whole mix should be semi solid in consistency.

Serve with papads and fried chilies and sandige . (These are sun dried products easily available in the super markets)

SANDIGE MENASU, HAPPALA , ARALU  SANDIGE

MIXED VEGETABLE KURMA

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped vegetables like beans,carrot,green peas and potatoes. Do not peel the potatoes. Wash them well and chop along with the skin.
1/4 tsp jeera(cumin)
3/4 cloves(lavang)
1" piece cinnamon(dalchini)
1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus)
2/3 green chiilies
2/3 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
1 small onion
1/4th cup grated coconut
2tsp roasted gram(putana)
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt to taste

METHOD
Boil the vegetables along with a little salt and keep aside. In a drop of oil, fry the cloves,cinnamon,cumin and poppy seeds.Grind the above fried spices along with the other ingredients to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the boiled vegetables along with a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. When it just starts boiling , remove from flame.
This tastes well with rotis and puris.

The kurma should not be boiled too much after adding the ground masala. If boiled too much, the oil from the coconut gets separated.

NOTE

I have used very mild spices. If you like it spicy ,you can increase the quantity of ginger, garlic and green chilies as per your taste and flavour.