Rice Recipes

[minisoji]

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

Long grain rice 1 cup
Coconut milk 1 cup
Broken cashew bits 1 tbsp.
Green chillies slit 3
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Cumin and mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. each
Urad dal 1 tsp.
Grated fresh coconut 2 tbsp.
Coriander chopped 1 tbsp.
Oil 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Lemon to taste

Directions:

*Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 minutes.
* Drain rice in colander, keep water aside.
* Heat oil in a heavy saucepan.
* Add urad dal, seeds, cashews, stir till spluttering.
* Add chillies and curry leaves. Stir, add rice.
* Stir very gently, with a wide spatula till oil coats rice evenly.
* Add coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups drained water.
* Add salt, keeping in mind the water was salted.
* Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered.
* Stir occasionally. When done 3/4, add lemon.
* Mix very gently. Simmer till done and all water evaporates.
* Add more water in between if required.
* Garnish with coriander and coconut before serving.
* Serve hot with raita, kadhi or rasam.

[minisoji]

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

Boiled and cooled rice 2 cups
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Onions finely chopped 1
Grated fresh coconut 1 tbsp.
Coriander finely chopped 1/2 tbsp.
Cumin seed, mustard seeds, urad dal 1/4 tsp. each
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida 2-3 pinches
Salt to taste
Juice of half lemon
Oil 1 tbsp

Directions:

* Use a heavy or nonstick pan.
* Heat oil, add seeds, and dal. Allow to splutter.
* Add green chillies, curry leaves, onions, asafoetida
* Cook till onions are light pink.
* Add rice, turmeric, salt, lemon, coriander, coconut.
* Stir gently till well mixed.
* Cover and simmer till steaming hot.
* Serve hot.

[minisoji]

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Long grain rice 1 cup
Cumin seeds
(shajira & ordinary mixed) 1 tbsp.
Halved cashews 1 tbsp.
Whole pepper corns 4-5
Bayleaf 1
Water (approx.) 2 1/2 cups
Sugar 1 tsp.
Clove-cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp
Onions cut into rings 2
Ghee 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Directions:

* Wash rice well and soak in salt water for 30 minutes.
* Heat ghee in a heavy or nonstick pan.
* Add onions and fry till dark brown & crisp.
* Drain, and add cashews to same ghee.
* Fry to a light brown, drain, keep side.
* Add jeers, peppercorns, bayleaf to same ghee.
* Stir fry for a few seconds, drain, and add rice.
* Keep aside the drained water.
* Add sugar, stir gently, frying rice till light brown.
* Add spice powder, stir.
* Add salt water, bring to a boil.
* Simmer covered, till rice is cooked and water evaporates.
* Each grain should be separate.
* Serve hot with dal fry or a spicy gravy vegetable.

[minisoji]

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

Saffron 1/2 tsp
Hot milk 2 tsp
Rice 150gms
Ghee 45gms
Cardamom seeds 3
Cinnamon 1"
Cold milk 2/3 cup
Sugar 4 tsp
Thick cream 2 tsp
Flaked almonds 30gms
Toasted walnuts 30gms
Raisins 30gms

Directions:

* Saffron should be socked in the hot milk. Cook the rice for five minutes, and drain.
* Melt ghee in a saucepan saute rice, cardamom and cinnamon for three minutes.
* Add cold milk and sugar cook over low heat, cover until the rice is fully cooked.
* Add cream and saffron milk, cover cook for 1 minute. Rice is ready to serve.
* While serving decorate it with almonds, walnuts, raisins, mace, and mint leaves.

[minisoji]

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Long grain rice 1 1/2 cups
Tomato puree 1 cup
Onions chopped 2
Green chillies slit 2
Ginger paste 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste 1/2 tsp
Onion bunch chopped fine 1 spring
Coriander finely chopped 1 spring
Clove-cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Tomato sauce 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter or oil 2 tbsp

Directions:

* Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
* Heat oil in a large saucepan.
* Add ginger, garlic pastes. Stir.
* Add chopped onions, green chilli, stir fry till light pink.
* Add all dry masalas, sugar, salt, stir.
* When the oil separates, add rice.
* Stir, add tomato puree, sauce, bring to a boil.
* Add 1 1/2 cups water, stir gently.
* Bring to a boil, taste liquid to check salt, etc.
* Cover, simmer on low till almost cooked.
* Stir occasionally in between, adding more water if required.
* When about done, add spring onions, coriander.
* Stir gently, allow all water to evaporate.
# Serve hot with or without a gravy vegetable.

[minisoji]

Mango Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1/2 kg
Raw mangoes, grated 2
Red chilies 4
Green chilies, chopped 6
Curry leaves few
Bengal and black gram 50gms
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds 5g
Ghee or butter 25g

Directions:

* Wash the rice and cook with sufficient water until it is done.
* Heat ghee in a pan, fry mustard seeds, Bengal and black gram, curry leaves, turmeric, red chilies and fry until they are golden brown.
* To this, add grated mangoes, salt and fry for another 5 minutes.
* Add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix well.
*Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

[minisoji]

Curd Rice

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups
Milk 2 cups
Curd (yogurt) 2 cups
Salt 1 tsp
Red chilies & green chilies 2 each
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped ginger 1/2 tsp
Few curry leaves & few
coriander leaves, for garnishing

Directions:

* Cook rice until very soft in a pressure cooker. Mash the rice well.

* Add the milk, salt and mix well.

* Heat oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds, red chilies, green chilies, then ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida. Mix the seasoning to the rice.

* When the rice is cooled add the curd and mix well without lumps and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

* Note: Add just a teaspoon of curd instead of 2 cups curd to the rice if you are in a tropical country. Do not mix salt. This rice will not get spoilt for two days and it will not become sour also. Just add the salt before serving.

* Grated carrot or mango can be added to the rice. Finely chopped cucumber can also be added to the rice. Any curry, dry or gravy goes well with this rice or even pickle is fine.

[minisoji]

Peas Pulao

Basmati rice 2 cups
Peas (shelled) 2 cups
Carrots, cut into medium sized cubes 1/2 cup
Green chilies, chopped 2
Ginger, chopped 1"
Onion, chopped 1
Garlic flakes, finely chopped 6
Butter 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Cloves 2
Cardamom pods 2
Cinnamon stick 1"
Salt to taste

Directions:

* Wash the rice well and drain off all the water.
* Heat butter in a pan, fry cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms for a while until they splutter.
* Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies and fry until they are golden brown.
* Add the drained rice, peas, carrots and fry till the rice gets separated.
* Pour 11/2 cups of water, salt and cook until the rice gets cooked.
* Stir gently once in a while so that the rice does not burn at the bottom of the pan.
* Serve with any curry or raita

[minisoji]

Prawns Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 500g
Prawns 300g
Onions, chopped 75g
Chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cardamoms 5g
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Mint leaves 1bunch
Corriander leaves few
Coconut milk 2 cups
Tomatoes, chopped 100g
Green chilies, chopped 25g
Curry leaves 10
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Lemon 1
Oil 50g
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Directions:

* In a vessel, mix coconut milk with mint leaves, cardamom powder, 4 green chilies, turmeric, washed rice, salt and boil on medium heat until 3/4 rice is cooked.
* In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the prawns for few minutes.
* Then add salt, turmeric, chopped onions, green chilies and tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder and stir well.
* Cook until the prawns are well cooked. Now add chopped curry leaves, cilantro, garam masala and this mixture to the rice. Mix well and cook for another 10 minutes on steam.
* Sprinkle the lemon juice and serve hot.