Amla Rice,Nellikai Sadam,Usirikaya pulihora,Gooseberry Rice Recipe

Amla / Awla / Gooseberry is a super fruit and it has numerous health benefits.

Amla(known as 'usirikaya' in telugu and 'nellikai' in tamil and kannada) is rich in vitamin C and is very essential to include it in our diet frequently.



 One should eat amla daily as it is well known for its health benefits and is proved to be the best immune boosters. It is high in vitamin C and a great source of antioxidants.








It helps to control diabetes, heart diseases and protects us from cancer. Due to its high anti-oxidants, it slows down ageing.



This amla rice recipe is  called as usirikaya pulihora in telugu.....I made it simple just like lemon rice.

Ingredients
Cooked Rice - 1 and 1/4 cups
Amla - 1/2 cup heaped grated
To temper
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a small sprig
Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 3/4 tsp
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
8-10 Cashew nuts,broken
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red Chillies - 2
green chillies - 1
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - a small pinch

Method :
1.Wash and soak the rice for 10 to 15 minutes with 2 cups of water.Prepare the rice either in pressure cooker or rice cooker.spread it with a tsp of oil.Cool the rice completely.
2.Wash amla, grate it using a grater,Discard the seeds...Set aside.Heat oil in a pan - add the items under 'to temper' table, let mustard seeds splutter.
3.Fry till dals turn golden brown then add grated amla and saute for 2-3mins.
4.Add cooked rice to the amla seasoning and mix gently.
5.Serve hot with papad or any curry of your choice.
















Tips
Use amla as per sourness of amla. Some amla are very sour and may make the rice very sour.
You can use leftover rice too to make variety rice.If you are using hot rice,make it well in advance fluff and spread it with oil and keep aside.
If you wish you can even add onion for extra crunch.
Adjust the number of green chillies in the recipe accordingly.I prefer to make this rice spicy and tangy.

Kala chana pulao| Brown chickpea pulav|black gram pilaf

Kala Chana Pulao…. one of the rare pulaos which I saw in a marathi cookery show.. The taste of the pulao was just heavenly.




Give a twist to your usual pulao/biryani by adding chick peas. Legumes are not only rich in protein, but also high in fiber. Channa pulao is mild, aromatic and full of flavor!

The chickpea or chick pea (Cicer arietinum) is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It is also known as gram, or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, and sometimes known as Egyptian pea, ceci, cece or chana(in Nepal), or Kabuli chana (particularly in northern India). Its seeds are high in protein



The pulao has to be made with basmati rice and ghee or else something will be a little amiss if you do not use basmati rice and ghee. Hmm frankly speaking, its a little time consuming process to make this pulao. But I bet you would not regret the time spent. Trust me, it tastes simply fantastic.

You can use fresh black /brown chickpeas or even use leftover kala chana curry for this pulao.


Ingredients:
1.5 cup cups boiled brown gram/uble kala sukha chane/ukadlela kale chana
2 cup rice
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
 ½ cup curd
2 onions  sliced
1 tomato
1 or 2 green chilies
1 tsp kasoori methi
few strands of saffron
2 tbsp warm milk 
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ cup chopped coriander and mint leaves
salt
water  4 cups

Garam Masala to be ground in mixer
½ tsp  caraway seeds (shahjeera)
 1 black cardamom ( badi elaichi)
 2/3 small green cardamom  (elaichi)
 1/2 strands of mace  (javitri)
 2 tsp badishep (fennel seeds)
 2 cloves
 1 inch cinnamon

Tempering2 tbsp ghee
 1/2 tsp black jeera (shahijeera)
 1 bay leaf
 2 cloves
 1 black cardamom
 1/2 inch cinnamon






Method:

1. Wash basmati rice till water is clear  & keep it soaked in water for atleast 30 minutes .Drain & keep aside.



2.Soak the chickpeas overnight in water and pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles till done. Add some salt while pressure cooking the chickpeas.



3.Chop  onions, tomatoes, chillies, coriander and mint leaves and keep aside.

4.Smoothen the curd and keep aside. Soak the saffron in warm milk. Grind all ingredients under garam masala to fine powder in mixie.

5.In a kadhai heat the ghee and splutter the caraway seeds. Next add  whole garam masala –  bayleaf ,cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves.Fry the whole garam masala for few seconds and then add the onions. & fry till it is golden brown.


Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic disappears.  Add the chopped tomatoes & green chillies.Add red chilli powder ,garam masala powder prepared in step 4

6.Saute for a minute  and add. the basmati rice. Mix well and saute the entire mixture for a minute. Add the curd, saffron-milk mixture and boiled black chana, coriander and mint leaves,kasoori methi with 1.5 cups of water .





7.Season with salt and allow the rice  to cook on medium flame. Once water gets absorbed cover with lid & cook till done.



8.Serve hot with raita, pickle, papad or any veg salad.  I had served with pickle papad,spinach pakoda & masala chas

methi pulao recipe | how to make methi pulao

Methi pulao is a one pot nutritious meal with the goodness of fenugreek leaves and mix vegetables.

 i have added carrot and peas to make the methi flavors mild and to balance the slight bitterness of methi.

 

 

Healthy pulao made with fenugreek leaves and mix vegetables.quick, healthy and a mildly flavored rice cooked with fenugreek leaves. I usually make this lunch box

I use whatever veggies are in stock like potatoes, carrots, green peas or soya chunks, paneer . No matter what you use, the aroma and taste of the fresh methi leaves is dominant.




This methi pulao can be made in a pressure cooker or in a pot, the pulao can also be made without vegetables.

serve methi pulao with curd or onion tomato raita or boondi raita.

Please click here for more pulao/rice recipes

You can check out tomato methi pulao recipe here




Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups methi leaves/fenugreek leaves, 80 grams, finely chopped
¾ cup chopped mix vegetables
1 medium to large onion, sliced or ½ cup thinly sliced onions
½ inch ginger/adrak + 3 to 4 garlic/lahsun + 2 to 3 green chilies, crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
½ tsp coriander powder/dhania powder + 1/2 tsp garam masala
2 cups water
2 to 3 tbsp oil
salt as required

whole spices:
½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 black cardamom/badi elachi
2 green cardamoms/chotti elachi
1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
3 to 4 cloves/lavang
1 or 2 single strand of mace/javitri

Method:

1 wash and soak rice for at least 10 mins, drain and set aside.

2.Pluck the methi leaves from the stems and rinse in lot of water. sprinkle salt and soak for a while for the mud to settle down. Drain them completely.

3.heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil /Ghee in a pressure cooker and saute the following spices till fragrant - ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 black cardamom, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 cloves and 1 or 2 single strand of mace

4.then add ½ cup thinly sliced onions. stir often and saute the onions till they start turning golden.

5.then add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.

6.now add the finely chopped methi leaves. about 2 cups of methi leaves which have been finely chopped. stir and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.

7.then add ¾ cup chopped mix vegetables and stir well.add 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, ½ tsp red chili powder and ½ tsp coriander powder. stir very well again.

8 Add the soaked basmati rice. stir and saute for a minute.pour 2 cups water,add salt. stir again.

9 pressure cook the pulao on medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles. when the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. gently fluff the pulao.

10. if cooking in kadhai ,cover with a lid once water in rice is amost absorbed and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes  or till done
11 Serve with raita

Tips:

1. can add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to above recipe

Cashew pulao recipe ,Kaju pulao Andhra Style

A Quick, Delicious, Yummy easy to prepare dish packed with proteins from cashews with a minty flavor.

 

cashew pulao is a classic rice dish that is served in Andhra Pradesh during  weddings and other ceremonies. It is usually accompanied by a spicy kurma




generally  veggies are not added to this pulao .serve this pulao with chicken korma, veg korma ,baghara baingan ,dal makhani ,Paneer butter masala or any spicy gravy

Ingredients
1 cup aged basmati or any otherlong grain rice (I used india gate rice)
1/4 cup of cashews ( washed and soaked for 10 mins)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)
1 ¾ cups water (or thin coconut milk)
1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
Fistful of mint leaves chopped
2 to 3 tbsp. Ghee or oil (use ghee only if serving hot)
1 green chili slit

whole spices
1 to 2 strands of mace
½ medium sized nutmeg (optional)
3 inch cinnamon sticks
6 to 8 cloves
4 to 6 green cardamom
½ tsp shahi jeera (shahjeera )
few pepper corn
1 bay leaf
1 star anise

Method:

1.Soak basmati rice for atleast 30 mins.Roast Cashew pieces and raisins to golden brown in a table spoon of Ghee or butter and keep aside.
2.Heat a small pressure cooker/kadhai with oil, temper with the items given under ‘to temper’ in order. After adding jeera, do not let it burn.
3. Add green chili, mint and ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears from ginger garlic paste.Add rice ,mix well
4. Pour 1 ¾ cups water and salt. Bring water to a boil.allow to cook on a medium flame till very little water is left in the cooker. It will be almost half cooked.
5. Mix well, reduce the flame and close the cooker lid, simmer the stove (lower the flame) and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
6 fluff rice with a fork mix roasted cashew and raisins gently.Garnish with coriander leaves/mint leaves and serve.
 6.Add rice mix well and

Tips:
Soaking the rice for long time ensures using less water while cooking, yet give soft rice grains.
Adjust the water quantity according to the quality of your rice, the pressure cooker you use and the flame you keep for cooking.

Hotel style Dal Khichdi Recipe |Spicy Toor dal khichdi

Todays recipe is about hotel style dal khichdi which is topped with a spicy tadka of garlic,red chillies,spices, curry leaves ,onions,hing.

This is slightly spicy and tangy than the normal dal khichdi we make at home especially during fever or stomach upset.

An elaborate yet easy khichdi that makes a wholesome and delicious meal, the Dal Khichdi is made of toovar dal and rice combined with not just whole spices but also onions, garlic and tomatoes.

This imparts a tangy twist to the khichdi making it holistic in terms of taste too. When you don’t have time to prepare a kadhi, you can just serve this with curds and papad, and there you have a sumptuous dinner !

Ingredients

1 cup toovar (arhar) dal , washed and drained
1 cup rice (chawal) , washed and drained
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
25 mm (1") stick cinnamon (dalchini)
6 to 8 black peppercorns (kalimirch)
2 round red chillies (boriya mirch)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chillies , slit green chillies
6 to 8 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp chilli powder

Method

1. Combine the toovar dal, rice, turmeric powder, ¼ tsp of asafoetida, salt and 5 cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
2. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside.
3. Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick kadhai, add the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, red chillies and cumin seeds and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
4. Add the remaining ¼ tsp of asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves, onions and garlic and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes, a little salt and chilli powder and sauté on a medium flame for another 1 minute.
6. Add the cooked rice-dal mixture, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes,while stirring occasionally.
7. Serve immediately.

Corn Spinach Pulao Recipe|Corn Palak Pulav Rice

 

This iron-rich Corn Palak Pulao is an easy and quick recipe that will do wonders for your whole family

Delicious and healthy, this is a dish that will win many a young heart with its mouthwatering combination of ingredients and attractive appearance! Tried and tested, the combination of corn and spinach works in almost any recipe thanks to their complementary colours, textures and flavours.

Ingredients

1 cup boiled sweet corn kernels (makai ke dane)
1 cup chopped spinach (palak)

1 cup pureed spinach (palak)

2 1/4 cups cooked  rice
2 tsp oil
4 black peppercorns (kalimirch)

1 tsp jeera
1 stick cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
4 cardamoms (elaichi)
1 cup sliced onions
1/2 tbsp finely chopped green chillies

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp hing
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp lemon juicesalt to taste

Method

1.  Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.

   

2.Add the green chillies,ginger garlic paste, spinach,spinach puree,corn kernels and turmeric powder, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

   

3.Finally, add the rice and salt,garam masala , mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.switch off gas and mix lemon juice

   

4.Serve hot.

Puliyodharai or Pulihora recipe| Tamil style tamarind rice

A popular neivedhyam aka Prasadam offered in South Indian temples is Puliyodharai/Pulihora. Each temple has its own signature prasadam .

I tasted this amazingly flavourful puliyogare rice while my stay in hyderabad in the form of prasad in one of the ayappa temples. Immediately I tried this recipe first using MTR puliyogare ready mix & next preparing powder at home ...

Todays recipe is Tamil style puliyogare powder from scratch at home .i adapted this recipe from sailus kitchen....Before proceeding to the recipe , some information regarding puliharo or puliyogare

Puliyodharai(Tamil:புளியோதரை) or Puliyogare (Kannada:ಪುಳಿಯೋಗರೆ) or tamarind rice is a South Indian rice preparation typically eaten as a snack, as part of most south Indian festival luncheons and dinners, and as prasadam in temples. Puliyodharai is also known as huḷianna ("sour rice" in Modern Kannada) in some parts of Karnataka, and puḷihora ("sour rice" in Telugu) in Andhra Pradesh.

Each home has their own variation of the popular Tamil style Puliyodharai mix which is a combination of spices that include coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds and red chilies that are roasted and ground to a fine powder. It is this magic concoction along with a blend of tempered spices, tamarind paste, jaggery and roasted peanuts that gives this Tamil style tamarind rice its distinct taste.

The tamarind paste is the essence of how a Puliyogare is created. Tamarind is soaked in water to extract the juice and then boiled

Puliyodharai is commonly prepared during festivals such as Ganesha Chaturthi and Diwali.

Ingredients
Raw rice - 2 cups (cook such that  every rice grain is separate, spread to cool)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp (haldi/pasupu)
Tamarind - large lemon size/golf size ball (soak in 1/2 cup of hot water and extract pulp)
Jaggery - 1/2 tbsp
Roasted peanuts - 2 fistfuls (approx 1/3 cup)
Salt to taste

For tempering/phodni /tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tbsp (split bengal gram)
Urad dal - 1 tbsp (split black gram)
Dry red chilli - 2, tear and de-seed
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (hing)
Gingelly oil - 3 tbsps
Puliyogare Powder Mix:
Coriander seeds - 2 1/2 tbsps
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
White sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tbsps (til)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (15-18 leaves)
Black pepper corns - 1/2 tbsp (for a spicer flavor use 1 tbsp)
Dry red chilis - 4-5

Method

1. cook the rice with 4 cups of water and 1 tsp oil so that each grain is separate. Mean while lets prepare the puliyogare mix powder

2. In a heavy bottomed vessel, dry roast all the ingredients called for 'Puliyogare mix powder'. Dry roast on low to medium flame for 14-15 mts. Do not burn the spices. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

3. Spread the cooked rice on a wide plate to cool. Once cool, sprinkle salt to taste, a tbsp of oil and few fresh curry leaves over the cooled rice and keep aside.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the channa dal and urad dal and fry till the dals turn red. Next add red chilis, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.

5. Add the tamarind extract and jaggery and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears, approx 9-11 mts on low to med flame. Do mix the contents constantly while its cooking. The oil should separate and it will appear a like a thick but flowing paste. Remove from heat.

   
   

6. Add three fourth of the cooked tamarind mixtureto the rice and combine well such that its mixed well with the rice. Adjust salt. Finally sprinkle two heaped tablespoons of the roasted puliyodharai mix and the roasted peanuts and mix well. Taste the rice at this stage and if you feel that the rice needs to be more tangy, add the remaining one fourth tamarind mixture and mix well.

7. Let it rest for at least an hour for the flavors to be absorbed before serving.

Tips

• Add 2 1/2 tbsps of the roasted puliyodharai powder for spicier rice

• You can reduce dry red chilis in the Puliyodharai mix ingredients.

• Store the left over Puliyodharai powder in an air tight container for later use.

• The color of the puliyodharai depends on the color of the tamarind used. Dark tamarind will give a dark colored rice and is recommended.

• Use sonamasuri rice preferably instead of basmati rice,

Green Moong Dal Khichdi|

There is a famous saying, “Khichdi Ke chaar yaar… Dahi, ghee, papad aur aachaar”. Which means Khichdi goes really  well with curd, ghee, papad and pickle.

Moong dal khichdi is a perfect one-dish meal. I normally prepare dal khichdi using toor or yellow moong dal .

But todays khichdi is different .

It is prepared with rice and split green moong dal (chilke wali hari moong dal) and commonly considered to be a comfort food. In northern and western India.I had first tasted it at my gujarati neighbours house .This is a mildly spiced khichdi where I have added turmeric ,however the original recipe made by my neighbour didnt had turmeric .so adding turmeric is your choice.

Moong dal khichdi considered a very plain bland dish usually served to people who are ill and recuperating from sickness, and good for upset stomach, because it is light and its ability to provide a good level of nourishment. Khichdi is also the first solid food that baby is fed with.

          Ingredients

1/4 cup Rice
3/4   cup Green Moong Dal (Chilka wali moong dal)
Salt to taste
1 tea spoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi Powder)
2 tea spoon Ghee
4 1/2 cups water
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
5 pepper corns +1 tsp jeera + 1inch cinamom stick +2-3 cloves for tempering
1 tsp each dhania jeera powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder.


Serving
dollop of ghee
papad
pickle


dahi (curd)

Method:

1. Mix the rice and dal and wash properly and soak in water for minimum half hour
2. Heat the ghee in a cooker and add all spices mentioned for tempering along with asafoetida.
3. Now add the washed rice and dal and all the water.
4. Now add the other masalas, Turmeric Powder and Salt and mix.
5. Put on the lid of the cooker and wait for 2 whistles.  Then simmer the gas and wait for another whistle.
6. Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker. Serve khichdi hot with Dahi, ghee, papad and pickle.

Tips

1 If you like the Khichdi Pulav style (Thick) then serve hot. But if you like it watery (thin), boil about 1 cup of water separately and add it to the khichdi. Mix properly and mash it using the spatula and then serve hot.

2. can add 1 tsp of jaggery to above recipe.

3 for spiced khichdi give tadka as follows :In a small pan (tadka pan) heat 2 tablespoons ghee or melted butter add crushed 

red chilies or red chili powder and fry them for a minute or less turn the heat 
off.

4. Cook khichdi in pressure cooker, otherwise it takes too long to cook khichdi.

5. If cooking in sauce pan it will require more water and will take longer to cook