Simple grated carrots and zucchini pulao

We had three parties for Navarathri.  With back to back parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we ended up eating a lot of rich food three days in a row.  And – since we had a ton of leftovers, we continued eating rich food through the week.

 

By Thursday, I was ready for comfort food.  So made keerai (spinach), cabbage curry, and rasam.

I also had a lot of carrots and zucchini at home.  So yesterday, I made a simple but flavorful pulao, that takes about 20 minutes to make, but tastes great.  We had this with left over ghuguni and a salad.

Here is what you need:

• 2 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 -3 cloves
• 1 cup basmati rice
• salt to taste
• 2 – 3 medium carrots grated
• 1 zucchini grated 

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Soak basmati rice in water for about 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside
2. Heat ghee in a pot.  Add cumin seeds and cloves
3. When the cumin changes color, add the rice and salt, and fry on medi
   um heat till it turns translucent.
4. Add two cups of water.  Bring it to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.
5. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Add grated carrots and zucchini.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Turn off the heat.  Let this sit for 5 more minutes.
8. Fluff with a fork to separate grains.

Serve hot with dal or curry of your choice.

One-pot Tomato Rice – perfect for a busy day

We just got home after a wonderful three-day camping trip with four other families.   As with any other trip with friends, it was filled with food, fun, campfires, tough hikes, many cups of chai, conversations, and lots of laughter.  The location was perfect – we had a large group site, with no one else in sight.  The kids could be as loud and boisterous as they wanted to be, and even though there were only a couple of vault toilets, we had it to ourselves.

After two days of no showers though, I was so ready to get home.  This is the toughest part of camping for me.  I really love the national and state park campgrounds, because the tent sites are not too close and the locations are gorgeous.  I think I have camped at KOA only once and did not enjoy the experience at all.  They do have pools, flush toilets, and showers, but it somehow feels like the tent sites are one on top of the other, with no privacy at all.

Anyway, since I only had done camping specific grocery shopping before we left, I had very little to work with at home for lunch.  We were toying with the idea of going to our local Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet, but no one was in the mood.  My husband suggested Maggi, but I didn’t feel like it.

After my much needed shower, I looked at my available options and decided to make tomato rice.  I had a couple of tomatoes, some spinach, onions, garlic, and potatoes.  This is an easy one-pot meal, and can be made with whatever you have on hand.  It takes less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish.

 

Here is what you need:

(I used potatoes and spinach because that’s what I had.  You can add any vegetable you have on hand – carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas, cabbage – all work well)

• 2 – 3 tsp. oil
• ½ tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3 green chilies, slit lengthwise
• ½ medium red onion, chopped
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• salt to taste
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 2 cups basmati rice, washed in several changes of water

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil in a kadai or pot.  Add mustard seeds.  When they sputter, add the cumin seeds.
2. When the cumin seeds change color, add green chilies, onions, and garlic.
3. Sauté on medium heat till the onions turn translucent.  Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, and chili powder.
4. Cook on medium heat till the whole thing gets a bit pulpy.  Add potatoes (or whatever vegetable you are using).
5. Cover and cook till the potatoes are half done.  Add the chopped spinach and rice.  Mix well.
6. Now add 4 cups of water.  Bring this to a boil.  Turn heat to low.
7. Cover and cook till the rice is done (about 12 – 15 minutes)

Serve with papads and raitha.

Brown Rice (with Basmati Rice) –my mom’s specialty

My one year anniversary and my 100th post!

I am so lucky to still have in my life, the friends I grew up with.  Not only are we in touch, we are a huge part of each others' lives.

We used to spend a lot of our vacation time in each others' houses, just “hanging out”, being silly, getting emotional, providing each other with a shoulder to cry on, feeling righteous, getting riled up against our common enemies (there were quite a few), talking, eating, more talking - about mean teachers, boys, clothes, things of consequence, things of no consequence, movies, music, parents, siblings – you name it, we talked about it - and still do.  Nothing was off limits, and you could say whatever came to your mind – no censoring or sugar-coating necessary.

Birthdays were also spent together.  For my birthday, which always came during summer vacation, everyone would come to my house.  The girls would bring me presents – something small and sentimental, with sentimental cards to go with them.  Anu would have written something way better than any professional card writer could write, and all of us would get emotional.

My mom would cook an elaborate meal, which almost always included brown rice, because, that was her most requested dish, and my friends loved it.  My mom is a great cook and makes a lot of things well, but even today, this is what my friends talk about, when we reminisce about the good old days - this brown rice and my mom’s adais.

I never thought to get this recipe from my mom, and by the time I got around to asking her, she had forgotten exactly how she made it.  She told me what she remembered, but it never turned out to be exactly the same.  I have been making minor adjustments to what she told me and this is as close to the original as I can get.

Girls, this one is for you.

Here is what you need:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 -5 cloves
• 1 star anise
• ½  medium onion, slivered
• 1 tsp. garlic , minced
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• ½ tsp. sugar
•  ½ cup frozen or fresh green peas (I use the one from the Indian store)
• salt to taste
• browned onions for garnish (optional)

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice in enough water for about 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
2. Heat ghee and oil in a pot.  Add cumin, cloves, bay leaf, and star anise.
3. When the spices get slightly browned, add the onions.
4. Fry on medium heat till the onions get richly browned, but not burnt.  I usually save some of this for garnish later, but you don’t have to.
5. Add the sugar and mix well.  Keep stirring so that the sugar melts and starts caramelizing.
6. Add the ginger and garlic.  Mix well.
7. After a couple of minutes, add the drained rice. 
8. Fry on medium heat till the rice gets slightly browned.
9. Now add 2 cups of water and bring this to a boil.
10. Add peas and salt.  Stir well.
11. Cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes, till the rice is done.
12. Turn off the heat and let this sit for 10 more minutes.  Fluff it up with a fork to separate the grains.
13. Top with browned onions (if you are using them).

Serve with vegetable kurma, egg curry or raitha.