Flavours Of India

Energy rich rice has been the staple food of India since the earliest times. It is easy to cook and blends well with vegetables, meats and pulses. There are three main varieties of rice: the short grained colam rice, used in most of east, west and south Indian; the long grained basmati, used mainly in north India, and the par boiled rice mainly in the coastal regions of south India.

Here are some delicious and mouth watering rice dishes with all together different flavor and touch that you can prepare at your home and enjoy.

Mint and dry fruit pulao

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice; 1 tbsp oil; 1 tbsp mint leaves (chopped); 1/2 cup assorted nuts (chopped) (almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, walnuts); water to cook; salt to taste

Method:

Clean, wash and soak the rice for 10minutes.
Heat oil in a pan, fry the rice for few seconds, add water, salt to taste and cook with absorption method.
When done, mix the mint and the dry fruits and serve on a platter along with assorted vegetable pickle, raita or papads.

Tomato coconut pulao with olive raita

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice;2 tsp oil;2 bay leaves;2 green cardomoms;1 tsp jeera;1/2 cup tomato puree;2 tomatoes (chopped);1 tsp garam masala;1 tsp garlic(chopped);1 small onion(chopped);1/2 cup grated coconut;2.5 cups hot water; salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, sauté the garlic and onion with the whole garam masala, jeera, add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the washed and soaked rice, salt to taste, add hot water, bring to a boil, simmer until done, allow then open the lid. Serve garnished with fried red chili and serve with pickle, papad and olive raita.

For olive raita

Ingredients:
1 cup whipped curd;10-20 black olives sliced;6-9 green olive sliced;1 tsp chaat masala; 1tsp green coriander leaves(chopped)

Method:

Mix all together, chill and serve.

Lime rice-Tamil style

Ingredients:
5 cups water;4 cups washed colam rice;1 tsp turmeric powder;1/2 cup vegetable oil;1 tsp mustard seeds; 1tbsp Bengal gram;1 tbsp split skinned black gram; 1 sprig curry leaves;16 green chilies chopped; 4 ¾ tsp salt; 1/3 cup+ 1tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Pour water into cooker. Bring it to boil on high heat. Add rice and turmeric powder. Stir once. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on a high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally. Open cooker. Flick rice gently with a fork to separate grains.

In a pan, heat oil for about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds. While crackling, add Bengal gram, black gram and fry till golden brown. Add curry leaves and chilies. Stir for few seconds. Remove pan from heat and pour over rice. Mix salt with lemon juice and pour over rice. Mix well. Serve hot.

Tags: lunch, recipes