bonellilou

          I had this large quantity of mango ginger/maa inji, had brought it from Chennai ( I am not able to find this in Bangalore, at least where I stay ). I made some mango ginger pickle, maa inji thokku ( still to post ) and then this rice. This is an easy and simple recipe, almost done in the same way as lemon rice, in fact we add some lemon juice in the recipe. As I had already said, mango ginger does not taste like mango or ginger, it looks like ginger and smells like mango, hence the name. The rice has a very refreshing taste, serve it with some avial or potato fry or chips..

Need To Have

• Grated Maa Inji/Mango Ginger - 1/4 cup
• Cooked Rice - 4 cups
• Raw Dry Peanuts - 3 tablespoons
• Green Chilly - 1, chopped
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 2 teaspoons
• Mustard Seeds - 3/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 15 to 20
• Lemon juice - 7 to 8 teaspoons 
• Mango Ginger Pickle - 5 - 6 tablespoons
• Salt to taste

Method


          Peel, wash the mango ginger, grate and keep.


          Heat some oil, add the peanuts and roast for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the urad dal and mustard seeds.


          When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the asafoetida, green chilly, curry leaves and grated maa inji and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and fenugreek powder and mix for a minute.


           Add the cooked rice and lemon juice and mix it well. Finally add the mango ginger pickle and mix it one more time.


Note
Actually, adding the mango ginger pickle was a last minute thought, the pieces of mango ginger gave a nice taste to the rice, don't skip this, if you are planning to do the rice, do the mango ginger pickle the previous night and add to the rice.

          We love Italian food at home, so I make pasta dishes once a week or so, other than pasta, risotto is also a favorite. I have made Mushroom and Baby Corn Risotto a couple of times, I wanted to try out a different one this time, so I made this Basil Pesto And Zucchini Risotto. It's an easy one pot dish, of course you have to have store bought or homemade basil pesto in hand. Serve this creamy and delicious risotto along with a some lentil soup and salad for a complete and delicious meal..

Need To Have

• Arborio Rice - 1 cup
• Zucchini - 1 medium, diced
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Frozen Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Basil Pesto - 3 to 4 tablespoons
• Parmesan Cheese - 2 tablespoons
• Salt And Pepper to taste

Method


          Heat some olive oil, add the chopped onion and saute till it turns pink, then add the zucchini pieces and saute for another minute.


          Wash and add the arborio rice and mix it for one more minute. Add 2 cups of water and a little salt, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook.


          Keep checking, when the water is gone, add 1 cup and  cook, do this 3 times ( total 3 cups water ). When the rice is almost cooked, add the green peas and cook till the peas are done. Mix in 2 teaspoons of butter, switch off and add the cheese and pesto and black pepper to taste, remove and serve it warm, drizzled with some more pesto.


Note
Cook the rice to the desired softness, we like it slightly mushy and creamy.
Take care with the salt, since both the pesto and cheese has some salt in them.
You can add some garlic along with the onions, or you can add some garlic butter instead of regular butter.
Also, you can serve it with lemon wedges.

          Chitranna, this is a slight variation from the lemon rice that we make in the Tamil cuisine, it's a Karnataka version. We make it in a very simple way, basic seasoning with green chillies for a little spice and then the lemon juice. But Chitranna, is even more interesting, with a paste with coconut and spices. We also add onions along with the seasoning, and this gives a nice crunch to the dish. Serve it with some avial or chips on the side..

Need To Have

• Cooked Rice - 2 cups
• Raw Peanuts - 2 tablespoons
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Onion - 1 big, chopped
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Dried Red Chilly - 1, broken into half
• Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Chopped Coriander - 2 tablespoons

To Grind

• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Green Chillies - 2

Original recipe here.

Method


          Coarsely grind all the ingredients given under ' to grind ', don't add water, remove and keep.


          Heat some oil, add the peanuts, once it's roasted, add the urad dal and mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida, followed by the red chilly and curry leaves, mix for 1/2 a minute, then add the chopped onions and saute.


          Once the onions turn pink, add the ground masala and salt and keep sauteing till the raw mustard smell goes away. Now add the rice, mix and switch off. Finally add the lemon juice and chopped coriander and mix.


Note
The rice should not be hot or mushy.
Increase or decrease the lemon juice according to your taste.

          My family likes mixed rice or variety rice, be it the traditional lemon rice , tamarind rice or tomato rice or the others using different vegetables. They are not only apt for packed lunches, but even when planning a party menu, we can also add them as one of the dishes. For today's dish I have used some leftover rice and green peas ( fresh or frozen ) along with some capsicum and potato and some fresh spice powder for flavor. Serve it with some raitha or curd and some chips for a complete and delicious meal..

Need To Have

• Rice - 1 cup
• Green Peas - 1 cup
• Capsicum -1, chopped
• Potato - 1 small, diced
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/ Husked Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10 - 15
• Salt to taste

For The Masala Powder 

• Coriander Seeds - 3 tablespoons
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 2 tablespoons
• Dried Red Chillies - 4
• Tamarind - small marble size

Method


          In a little oil, roast all the ingredients given for the masala powder except for the tamarind. Cool and make a powder with it and the tamarind and keep. Cook the rice and let it cool.


          Heat some oil, add the chana dal, urad dal followed by the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Mix for a few seconds, then add the green peas, capsicum and potato pieces, mix, add the salt, cover and cook till done.


          Then add the turmeric powder and the fresh ground masala and mix it well. Add the cooled rice and mix it on reduced heat, if needed add some oil while mixing in the rice, remove and serve.


Note
Can also add some fresh coconut at the end, can also garnish with some roasted cashews.
Don't make the masala powder too smooth, let it be a little grainy.

          Today's post is going to be a quick alternative for the delicious Bisi Bele Bath, making it the traditional way may be little lengthy, grinding the special bisi bele bath masala paste, cooking the rice and lentils, then the vegetables and then mixing them all together for the final dish. But, I have made this like a one pot meal, in the pressure pan or cooker, it's very easy to make and the taste is really good. Since avarakelu is in season now, I have used it along with red pumpkin, but if you can't find avarakelu, you can use frozen or fresh green peas..

Need To Have

• Rice - 1 cup
• Tuvar Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/3 cup
• Onions - 2 small
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Avarakelu/Papdi Lilva - 1 cup
• Red Pumpkin - 2 cups, diced
• Sambar Powder - 4 teaspoons
• Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Grated Coconut - 3 tablespoons
• Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Raw Peanuts - 3 tablespoons
• Dried Red Chillies - 2
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 15

Method


          Wash the rice and lentils together and take it in a pressure cooker.


           Add the avarakelu, pumpkin pieces, onion, tomatoes, sambar powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, fenugreek powder and salt along with about 4 to 41/2  cups of water and pressure cook it.


          Grind the grated coconut into a smooth paste. Add the coconut paste and garam masala to the cooked rice, mix it well and cook on reduced heat for about 5 minutes and remove. Heat some oil and ghee, add the peanuts, roast it till it starts turning golden, at that stage add the urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the asafoetida and curry leaves, mix for a minute and add it to the cooked rice.


Note
I have given the water amount as 4 to 41/2 cups, because this dish should be slightly loose, not very thick. Even after the rice is cooked, when adding the coconut paste, if needed add some water and mix. Bisi bele bath thickens as it cools.
Ghee gives a nice flavor and peanuts gives a nice crunch to the rice.
If you are cooking the rice and dal directly in the pressure pan, like I have done, then after 1 whistle, reduce the heat to low and cook it for about 10 to 12 minutes.

          What to pack for lunch tomorrow, this is always a big question for most of us, in my house it has to be either rotis or parathas with some curry or some mixed rice, that's the reason you can see a lot of curries and rice ( one pot meals ) in my blog. Today's dish is another simple rice using beets, I have used the simple basic South Indian seasoning of mustard seeds and urad dal and a coarse paste of coconut, chillies and ginger to give a nice flavor and taste to the rice. If you like beets, go ahead and make this delicious rice, it takes very less time and tastes great with some raitha or chips on the side..

Need To Have

• Rice - 3/4 cup
• Grated Beets - 3/4 cup, packed
• Onions - 2 amall, chopped
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 6 - 8
• Chopped Coriander - 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

To Grind

• Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Green Chilly - 1 

Method


          Coarsely grind all the ingredients given under ' to grind ', don't add water. Cook the rice, cool and keep.


          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, when it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida, followed by the chopped onions and curry leaves.


          Saute the onions for a minute or two, till it turns translucent, then add the grated beets and salt. Mix, cover and cook it for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the ground coconut mixture and mix it well for about 2 to 3 minutes.


          Add the cooled rice and mix it well with the beets mixture on reduced heat. Finally add the chopped coriander, mix and remove, serve it garnished with some more grated coconut if you like.


Note
Cook the rice well, but the grains should be separate, shouldn't become mushy.
If you like or when making it for kids, you can mix in some ghee at the and and serve.
Can also add some fried cashews for garnishing.