RICE KHICHDI

Ingredients:

2 cups rice
1 cup toor dhal
5 cloves
1 cinnamon
5 cardamom
2 finely sliced onion
6 to 8 small size tomatoes
4 slitted into halves green chillies
12 to 15 mint leaves
1/2 bundle corriander leaves
1 tsp garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
salt to taste
1/4 cup veg. oil
a few curry leaves
3 cups water
a pinch of turmeric powder

How to make rice khichdi:

* Wash and cook dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder. Set aside.
* Don't discard the cooked dhal water.
* Fry the onions, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
* When onions are golden add slit green chillies, mint, curry leaves and a part of the corriander leaves.
* Keep the remaining corriander leaves for garnishing.
* Add salt, ginger and garlic paste. Fry for 2 minutes.
* Add the washed, drained rice and chopped tomatoes. Fry for few minutes.
* Add the cooked dhal, mix well and add 3 cups of water.
* Add cooked dhal water. Cook it for 8 to 10 minutes till the rice is done.
* Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve hot.

Vegetable Pulihora

Ingredients:

500g basmati rice
50g carrots, chopped finely
50g cauliflower, cut into florets
50g cabbage, chopped
20g green chilies
20g red chilies
15g mustard seeds
25g Bengal gram
25g Black gram
50g peanuts
1/2 tsp turmeric
A pinch of asafoetida
2 bunches curry leaves
75g tamarind, soaked in water
75g oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice, add chopped vegetables, required quantity of water and cook until the rice is three-fourth cooked. Remove from heat and cool it.

2. Heat oil in a pan, fry mustard seeds, red chilies, Bengal gram, black gram, peanuts, and curry leaves until they gets golden brown.

3. Then add chopped green chilies, asafoetida, and tamarind water. Cook until all the ingredients are tender.

4. To this, add turmeric, salt and mix well.

5. Transfer this mixture to the rice and mix well. Allow it to cook on steam for 10 minutes.

6. Serve hot.

Beerakaya/Ridge Gourd Rice

Ingredients:

1 ridge gourd, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 cup cooked rice

1 onion, cut length-wise

3 tbsp sesame seeds

3-4 dried red chillies

3 green chillies, cut into small pieces

few curry leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

3 tbsp oil

few cashews

coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Fry sesame seeds and red chillies without adding any oil until golden brown. Cool them and grind to powder.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add onion, green chillies, curry leaves and fry until onions turn brown.
3. Add ridge gourd, salt, turmeric and cook on low flame until ridge gourd pieces turn soft.
4. Add rice and the sesame, red chilli grounded powder.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and friend cashews.

Serve hot with plain yogurt or raita.