Curd Rice recipe| Thayir Sadam| Bagala Bath

Thayir Sadam Recipe| Curd rice| Bagala bath is a quick fix variety rice which requires very limited ingredients. It is simple and a quick to prepare lunch box recipe too. It is also prepared during festivals like Navaratri, Vinayaka chaturthi, Pongal ..etc.

The best combinations are pickles like Mango, Lemon or Gooseberry, Moor milagai and pearl onions. My favourite is pickle and curd rice combo, an unbeatable tasty evergreen combination. At every Iyengar's home it is an inevitable dish in their day today life.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves:1

INGREDIENTS:
Raw rice- 1/2 cup (I used to make with parboiled rice(leftover) too)
Curd/Yogurt, cold- 1 cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Carrot, grated- 2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste

To temper:
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal/ Ulunthu- 1/2 teaspoon
Dry red chillies, broken- 2 small(optional)
Curry leaves- 2 stands
Hing/ Kayam- pinch
Green chillies, chopped- 1big
Ginger, finely chopped- 1 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Wash the rice and pressure cook the for 4 whistles till slightly over cooked consistency.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds; then add urad dal and cook till golden. Add the dry red chillies and curry leaves with hing.
• Finally add the green chillies and ginger and cook for fifteen seconds just to leave the raw flavour; switch off the gas.

• Once the pressure releases open the lid and mash well with a masher or backside of aladle.
• Now add milk and cook till it get absorbed; switch off the gas and allow to cool.
• Once it the mixture is cool add the salt and curd; mix well.

• Add the tempering, grated carrot, chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

• Serve with pickle, moor milagai or pearl onion.
• Notes: Add more milk if the curd is sour and adjust the proportions.
• Do not add curd in hot else the curd rice it turns watery.
• You could add some fruits like pomegranate, apple and grapes to make fruity curd rice.
• You could add some nuts like cashewnuts at the time of tempering if you like.
• You could add a teaspoon of butter while mashing the rice to make the rice more tasty rich and creamy.

Read More »

Broccoli Pulao

       I have previously tried Broccoli Rice in South Indian way and Chinese Style,  Broccoli Fried Rice and I wanted to try the North Indian Pulao version  with this healthy veggie. So today's post is Yummy 'Broccoli Pulav'. I very much wanted to add this veggie in my family diet as it contains so many health benefits. So i am trying out different combinations to see what combo works out with broccoli to suit the Indian Palatte.

      This is an easy to make healthy rice preparation & suits for quick lunch box recipes. I have added peas in this recipe. Adding peas is purely optional. This recipe could be tried with leftover rice too if it is not mushy. One pot meal;tastes really nice when consumed with Onion Raita and Pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

Broccoli, chopped- 1 medium sized head
Basmathi Rice/ Any rice used to prepare rice- 1 cup
Peas, fresh/ frozen- 2 tablespoons (optional)
Cinnamon bark- 2 pieces
Cardamom- 3
Cloves-3
Bay leaf-1
Jeera/ Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Onion, chopped- 1 1/2
Green Chillies, slit-3-4 big
Ginger- 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic- 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 tablespoons
Salt- to taste
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Ghee- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Cashews- 5, broken

PROCEDURE:

• Half cook the rice with salt and drain the water and allow to cool.
• Heat oil in a pan and roast the raw gram masala spices cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and  jeera.

• Once you get the roasted aroma of spices, add the onion with green chillies and cook till soft.
• Add ginger,  garlic and cook till the raw smell leaves.
• Add the broccoli, salt and saute for a minute. Add the peas and sprinkle  a tablespoon or two of water; close with a lid and cook for two minutes.
• Now add the garam masala and mix well.

• Add the cooked rice and mix well. Add salt if required and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

• Heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashew nuts till golden and add with the rice and mix well (This step is optional)

Read More »

Broccoli Fried Rice

       Broccoli rice is an easy to make dish. So yummy and also colourful with the combination of sweet corn. It is a healthy alternative to the normal fried rice. You can add veggies of your choice when you prepare. I like the sweetness of the sweet corn in the fried rice a lot.  So I am adding sweet corn.You can also add scrambled eggs, if you are making for your kids.

       Fried rice is always an easy to make, one pot meal. Really comes in handy when you are running out of time. And also easy to make rice for kids lunch box. Dry one pot meals are easy to prepare and carry for travel, picnics, the places where we try to avoid messy eating.

INGREDIENTS:

Basmathi rice/ Raw rice- 1 cup
Broccoli, chopped- 1 head (350-400 grams)
Sweet corn- 1/2 cup
Spring onion, chopped-
Garlic, chopped- 1 big clove
Soya sauce- 1 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Pepper- 1/4 teaspoons
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Half cook the rice with salt and drain extra water.
• Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and saute till you get the aroma of garlic for thirty seconds in low flame.

• Now add the broccoli and salt; saute in the oil to stir fry by keeping flame to medium high.
• When the broccoli cooks and starts to slightly shrink, some water oozes out from broccoli.
• Now add the sweet corn and cook well. 

• Once the veggies are cooked sprinkle the spring onion and add the rice, soya sauce and salt if required.
• Mix rice with veggies well and season with pepper.
• Serve hot.

Read More »

Raw Mango Rice/ Mangai Sadam

        Perfect dish to try during the mango season when mangoes are available in abundance at our home.This variety rice is easy to prepare in minutes. Looks like lemon rice but tastes similar to puliogare/ tamarind rice. This rice can be made with left over rice too.

       This  can be made for lunch box or quick lunch menu. The sour taste of mango goes well with the rice and tastes nice. This dish can be made with any mango variety. But the sour varieties tastes better. You can grate the mangoes or even cut the mangoes in to pieces and grind as a paste with green chillies in blender and can be prepared by following the same procedure.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw Sour Mango, grated-1 big
Rice, Basmathi/ Ponni/ any rice used to prepare lunch- 1 cup
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoons
Channa dhal- 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal- 1/2 teaspoon'
Onion, chopped- 1/2
Green chillies, chopped-2
Ginger, chopped- 1/2 teaspoon
Peanuts/groundnut, roasted- 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Asafetida- pinch
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Half cook the rice with salt and drain the excess water. Roast peanuts and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds; when it starts to splutter add channa dhal and urad dhal and roast till the colour changes to golden brown. 

• Add the onion and green chillies; cook till translucent in medium flame; now  turn the flame to low and add ginger and cook for thirty seconds. Add the roasted peanuts, curry leaves and asafetida; roast for a minute till the oil gets flovoured with the smell of curry leaves.

• Add the grated raw mango and salt saute in that oil for a minute. Add turmeric powder and saute in the same oil. Add two tablespoon of water to prevent the turmeric getting burnt.

• Now add the rice and mix well and allow the rice to get warm. Check the salt and add if required;switch off the gas.

Read More »

Vangi Bhath/ Egg Plant Rice/ Brinjal Rice

        Vangi Bhath or Eggplant Rice is a popular variety rice from Karnataka. When in Bangalore I got to savour this delicious rice and i have become a great fan of it. This dish generally is served with thick coconut chutney,  papat and raita.

       After marriage i dont know the right mix of masalas to prepare this rice dish  and was initially making it with ready mix powders and did not like the taste much. Once i got the right proportion of ingredients, i tried this dish again and it has now become my favorite family variety rice.

       You can prepare this powder and store in air tight container and use it for a month. But i always grind the masala powder freshly. Generally the vangi bath is prepared using green long brinjal variety. But you can prepare with any brinjal you get. You can make this variety rice with left over rice too.

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjal/ Egg plant (green long thin variety), cut into small long pieces- 3
Rice (Basmathi/Ponni/ Any rice used to make lunch)- 1 cup
Dried Red chilli- 3
Coriander seeds- 2 teaspoons
Coconut, grated- 2 tablespoons
Urad dhal/ Black gram dhal- 2 teaspoons
Bengal gram dhal/ Channa dhal- 2 teaspoons
Green cardamom/ Elaichi-2
Cinnamon bark- 1 small piece
Asafetida- pinch
Ghee- 1 tablespoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Cashewnuts, broken- 4
Salt- to taste
Lemon- 1/2(or) tamarind water- 3 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• In a pan dry roast dried red chillies, coriander seeds, coconut, urad dhal, channa dhal, cardamom and cinnamon, till light golden colour. Allow to cool and make in blender as a fine powder.

• Roast broken cashew nuts in ghee and set aside.
• Half cook the rice with salt and drain excesss water; Allow to cool and set aside.
• Cut brinjal into 1 inch long thin stips and soak it in water to avoid browning.
• Heat oil with a teaspoon of ghee in a pan and roast the brinjal till the skin gets the white colour.

• Sprinkle some salt; add some curry leaves and roast the curry leaves in that oil to get the curry leaves' flavour.
• Now add the powdered spice mixture, add asafetida and mix well. (If you are planning to use tamarind juice instead of lemon juice add now add allow to boil and cook till the raw smell leaves)
• Since the masala has dhal in it, it easily can form lumps, so sprinkle some water in the masala (if required) and add rice mixing well with out any lumps till the rice and masala are evenly mixed together.

• Now add the cahew nuts and cook for a minute. 
• Squeeze the lemon juice and mix well. Add salt if required.

Read More »

Broccoli Rice

       As everyone knows Broccoli is a healthy vegetable. Well I also think so and always keep stock in fridge till the colour turns to yellow and mostly throw away. If you are a person who does this or hates broccoli try this dish and you would start to buy this veggie regularly.

       I bet you are going to love this dish. You do not get the mustardy smell and the bitter taste of broccoli in this dish. You can make this dish using leftover rice too.

       Its health benefits inclues cholesterol lowering effects if cooked by steaming, and also detoxifies our body. May be an ideal food to be included for Vitamin-D deficient people. Rich source of flavonoids which lessens the impact of allergic substances on our body and has anti inflammatory  benefits.

  

INGREDIENTS:

Broccoli- 1 head medium sized (around 250-300grams)

Basmathi or Ponni Rice -1cup

Oil- 3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds- ½ teaspoon

Channa dhal- 1 tablespoon

Urad dhal- 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves-1sprig

Onion, chopped-1

Green chilli, chopped-1

Ginger, chopped- ½ teaspoon

Garlic- 1 big clove

Coconut- 2 tablespoons (optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Half cook rice with salt and drain the excess water.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, then add channa dhal, urad dhal and curry leaves. When it turns golden colur add the onion with green chillies  and cook for a minute. Then add ginger and garlic, cook till the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves.

• Now add the chopped broccoli and salt, sauté for two minutes on medium flame. 
• Sprinkle little water and close with lid. Allow to cook for a minute or two. But the vibrant colour of broccoli should not leave. 
• Add the grated coconut and mix well and cook for a minute.

• Then add rice and salt if required. Mix well and allow the rice to get the heat for a minute and put off the gas.

Notes:

• Add lots of channa dhal and urad dhal in this dish. You'd get a bursting  taste when you bite the dhal in the rice.
• Adding coconut in this recipe is purely optional. But it gives a nice flavor to the dish.

    

Read More »

Mint Pulao/ Mint Rice/ Pudhina Sadam

      Mint's health benefits include alleviates a stomach ache and soothes the digestive system, cleans the stomach and clears up skin disorders such as acne. Mint helps in eliminating toxins from the body and acts as a blood cleanser.

       In this pulav, i have additionally used potatoes and peas. You can make mint rice fast and simple with out adding these. You can make this dish using left over rice too.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice Basmathi/ Ponni- 1cup

Cinnamon-1small bark

Clove-2

Cardamom-2

Onion, chopped-1 big
Potato-1
Green peas, fresh or frozen - 1/4 cup

Mint leaves- 1 bunch
Coconut- 3 tablespoon
Green chillies- 3-4
Ginger- 1 inch
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon- 1/2

Oil-3-5tsp

Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE: 

• Half cook the rice with salt, drain excess water and allow to cool.
• Grind mint leaves,  coconut, green chillies, ginger and turmeric powder, make a fine paste.

• Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, clove and cardamom then add the onion and potato pieces cook till the onions becomes soft and potatoes almost (say 75%)  percent cooked.
• Now add the ground mint paste, peas and salt, Cook well till the raw smell of the masala leaves.

 

•  Mix the rice with the masala well and allow to heat.
• Switch off the gas and sprinkle the lime juice.

• Note: Finely chop the potatoes though it takes longer time to cook (or) precook the potatoes and add.
• You can replace lemon juice with tomatoes.(add tomatoes after the onions and potato gets cooked)

      I am linking this recipe to this event, Cook N Share What u Like Event & Giveaway.

Read More »

Ven Pongal/ Ghee Pongal/ Rice and Lentil Pudding/ Kara Pongal/ Spicy Pongal/ வெண் பொங்கல்

        Pongal is a unique Tamil cuisine. Pongal is unique to Tamil cuisine, pongal in Tamil means "boil over" or "spill over". There are two varieties of pongal, namely, sakarai pongal (sweet pongal) and ven pongal (spicy pongal). Spicy pongal, and is a common breakfast food in several parts of India.

       Pongal festival is celebrated as the harvest festival and is spread over four days. This dish is served with vada, sambar and coconut chutney and coffee. 

INGREDIENTS:
Raw Rice-1cup

Moong dhal- 1/4- 1/3 cup

Ghee-2 tablespoons

Black pepper-1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds-1teaspoon

Salt- to taste

Broken cashew-1tablesppon

Ginger (chopped)-1tablespoon

Curry leaves-few (optional)

Milk- ½ cup (optional and can be replaced with water)

PROCEDURE:

• Dry roast the moong dhal till slight golden color appears. Allow to cool.

• Pour 3-4cups of water in cooker and add rice, dhal and salt and cook for 3 whistles.
• When the steam escapes remove the lid and add ginger, curry leaves and milk (can be replaced with water) and cook for 3-5 minutes till semi solid consistency.

•  Fry cashew, pepper, cumin seeds in ghee, pour over pongal. Mix well, cook for a second and put off the gas.

• Note: Milk gives the pongal a rich taste. So we require less ghee in this pongal.
• People those who like to add ghee more in this pongal can replace milk with water and add a teaspoon or more ghee.

 Check my Medu Vada and Brinjal Gotsu Recipe to pair with Ven Pongal.

Read More »