Mushroom Peas Pulao

Mushrooms are known for their meaty texture although not considered as a vegetable but contribute as good source of vitamin B. They taste good no matter how they are used, be it grilled, sautéed or cooked any other way. In the past couple weeks, mushrooms have been frequenting my kitchen in some form or the other.

Normally, I take an easy route to making dishes, nothing too complicated, no elaborate procedures...that's me!! There have been days when I don't really cut anything but manage to make a good dish with things at hand...I'll save that story for another day. 

Now, coming back to mushrooms, I am sure many of us have several different ways to cook them. I like spicy food, so I decided to make mushroom peas pulao (the other version of pulao I make, is by adding coconut milk and using green chillies and skipping other spices). 

Here's a recipe that doesn't take too long but makes no compromise on your taste buds...

Ingredients:

8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 big onion, thinly cut lengthwise
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
1-2 green chillies, cut lengthwise (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder (fresh is better but store-bought will do too)
2 1/2  cups water
1/4 cup cilantro, freshly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp oil
3-4 cloves
3-4 cinnamon
3-4 bay leaves

Method:

In a pan, heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add the onions and green chillies and fry for few minutes. Now, add  the ginger-garlic paste (preferably use home-made, big difference in flavor) and fry until the raw smell fades away.

Add the chopped tomato and cook until it gets a bit pulpy. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and black pepper powder and mix well. Add the mushrooms and peas and cook until it blends well with the spices. Add the basmati rice, and fry for 3-4 minutes until the rice starts to separate.

Add water and salt to the rice and allow it to boil. As it starts boiling, add lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Close the lid and reduce to medium flame. Allow the rice to cook for about 10-12 mins. Remove from heat and stick it in the oven (a tip I learned from my grandma) - (just regular, not preheated oven) for about 5 mins. The heat generated from the rice lets it cook longer and remains grainy. This tip works flawless every time!! So, no more pans with sticky rice at the bottom :). Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Veg. Paneer Pulao

In Indian cuisine, Pulao (also spelt as Pulav) is a dish made with rice and vegetables or meat. Typically, paneer pulao is an easy rice dish that uses paneer and peas. I decided to use some veggies instead of just peas. You can let your imagination decide as to what kind of pulao you want to try. Here's my recipe...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen (peas, carrots, beans, corn, lima beans)
1 cup paneer (indian cottage cheese), cut into small cubes
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
4-5 green chillies, cut each lengthwise into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 large onion, cut lengthwise into thin slices
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 tsp chilli powder (adjust according to taste)
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice (adjust according to taste)
5-6 cloves
4-5 bay leaves
1-2 cinnamon sticks (small pieces)
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (whisked) or buttermilk + 1 1/4 cup water (yields 2 3/4 cups)

Method:

Rinse and soak the basmati rice for 20-25 minutes.

In a pan, shallow fry the paneer cubes using some cooking spray until they turn slightly golden brown.

In a deep pan or stockpot, heat oil & ghee, add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and bay leaves. Add the onions and green chillies and fry until the onions are slightly brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until it turns pulpy. Add the ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder. Cook until the raw smell fades away.

Now, add the mixed vegetables (if you feel that its too much veggies, you can reduce the quantity... but it never hurts to have more veggies!!!) and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the paneer and soaked rice. Mix well with the vegetables and spices and fry the rice for 3 minutes or so. Add the yogurt and water to rice and salt to taste. When the liquid starts to boil, add chopped cilantro and stir well. Close the lid and cook on medium flame for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked (do not stir in between).

Squeeze the lemon juice on the rice and slightly mix it. Serve with raitha.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Nut Rice

Nut Rice as the name implies consists of nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews and some raisins too. Before you read ahead, this recipe is not meant for the calorie conscious. If you don't mind occasional splurges on your calories, then go for it. The more the nuts, the tastier the rice. Feel free to add any other kind of nuts you wish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1/4 cup cashewnuts, each cut in half
1/2 cup walnuts, each cut into 2 or 3 pieces
1/2 cup almonds, each cut lengthwise into 3 pieces
1/4 cup raisins, any kind (I used california raisins)
1 big onion, sliced lengthwise
7-8 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 1/2 cups coconut milk + 3/4 -1 cup water
2-3 bay leaves
5-6 cloves
2-3 cinnamon  sticks
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste

Method:

Rinse and soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes.

In a deep pan or stockpot, heat 1 1/2 tbsp ghee and fry the nuts individually until golden brown and fry the raisins till they start becoming plumpy. Set aside.

In the same pan or stockpot, heat the remaining ghee and oil. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. As it heats up, add the onions and green chillies and fry until the onions are slightly brown. 

Now, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the raw smell fades away. Add the soaked basmati rice and fry for 2 minutes until the rice starts to separate. 

Add the coconut milk, water and salt to the rice and mix well. Allow it to cook on medium flame for 10-12 minutes until the rice gets cooked.

Turn off the stove and add the nuts and raisins to the rice. Gently mix them with the rice. Serve with raitha.

The next time you make raitha, try adding some sour cream with plain yogurt to give a creamy texture. I like the taste and for all you know, you might like it too!!

Makes 4 servings.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is one of the very first recipes I learnt from my mom. It is a simple recipe that you can make quickly and tastes so much better than the plain old tomato rice. One of my friends has been asking me for this recipe and I keep telling her that I will make it for her someday but it hasn't happened yet....maybe when I meet her next time. Normally, I make beetroot raitha but since I am out of beetroot, going back to the usual onion raitha.

Ingredients:

1 big onion, thinly cut lengthwise
4-5 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1-2 tsp chilli powder (I like it spicier, so I add 2 tsp)
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed & soaked for 1/2 hour
2 1/2 cups water
4 tbsp oil
1/2 fresh lemon juice, squeezed
1 tbsp ghee (melted butter)

For seasoning:

2-3 cinnamon sticks
2-3 cardomom
3-4 cloves
2-3 bay leaves

Method:

In a pan, heat the oil and ghee and season it with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. Add the onions and fry for sometime.

Now, add the tomatoes and fry again till it becomes pulpy. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute the mix for sometime. Add chilli powder and cook for few minutes until the raw smell fades away. Add chopped mint leaves and fry for a minute. Add the basmati rice to the mix and fry for 3 minutes until the rice starts to separate.

Add water to the rice and some salt to taste. When the water starts boiling, add the chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Close the lid and set it on medium flame for 10-12 minutes until the rice is cooked completely. Don't stir in between.

After 10-12 minutes, turn off the stove and mix it well. Serve with raitha.

Makes 4 servings.

Bisi Bela Bhath

Bisi Bela Bhath is a kannada phrase which literally translates to hot lentil rice. The traditional recipe involves a lot of spices, lentils, and vegetables. A variety of spices contribute to the unique flavor of this dish. The spices used in this dish are available either as paste or powder, but I like to prepare my own. There are several versions to this recipe but this one is my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

For the powder:

4-5 red chillies
1 tsp channa dhal
1 tsp oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp cumin
4 tbsp shredded coconut

For the bisi bela bhath:

1/2 cup tur dhal
1 cup raw rice
1 cup mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower, drumsticks-optional)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder (can add more if you want it spicier)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida powder
Tamarind pulp, to taste

For seasoning:

3-4 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
1-2 tbsp ghee

Method:

For the powder:

In a pan, pour oil and fry red chillies, channa dhal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin and shredded coconut. Fry for a while until the ingredients turn golden brown. Cool it and then powder it finely.

For the bisi bela bhath:

Soak the tur dhal and raw rice. Pour 5 cups water in a cooker and add the soaked rice and dhal to it. Boil it with turmeric powder for 2-3 whistles.

Boil the diced vegetables, onion and tomato with salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida powder. After the vegetables get cooked, add tamarind pulp and boil again. Now, add the vegetable mix to the boiled rice and dhal. Mix it well.

Add the spice powder and mix well with the rice. Add some salt, tamarind pulp based on your taste.

Heat 5 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. After it splutters, add the seasoning to the rice mix. Mix well before taking it out from the stove and add ghee. Mix well and serve.

Makes 4-5 serving.