Pudina matar rice

Pudina (mint leaves), they smell heavenly and it does have a lot of medicinal values as well. They say raw pudina leaves when chewed early in the morning in an empty stomach helps in bringing the cholesterol level to a control.

I visit the local farmers market (raitara santhe) once in a fortnight to buy vegetables. I use it for about 15 days and they remain fresh even after that.. that's the advantage of straight from the farm i guess and on one such visit i got about 2 big bunches of pudina leaves.. so my menu was planned, pulao, pudina matar rice and pudina parantha. Once back home i removed all the leaves from the stem and stored them in newspaper and put them into the fridge.

Lunch box time and my hubby loves green peas, so does my son. So with menu planned in advance i had to make pudina matar rice. Very easy and hassle free..

Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Pudina leaves 1 bunch
3. Oil
4. Jeera seeds 1tsp
5. Onions 2nos
6. Garlic cloves 9-10
7. Tomatoes 1nos
8. Green chillies 9-10 (vary according to your taste)
9. Grated coconut 1/4 cup
10. Ginger paste 1tsp
11. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
12. Water
13. Salt to taste
14. Mustard seeds 1tsp


Method: 

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds, jeera seeds, cinnamon stick, ginger paste and saute.
2. Grind the pudina leaves along with onion, tomato, garlic cloves, coconut and green chillies to a fine paste.
3. Add this fine paste to the pressure cooker and saute well and let it boil for about 2-3 minutes till raw smell disappears.
4. Add green peas, rice, water and salt. Mix gently and well so that the rice doesnt break.
5. Cover the cooker and cook for about 2 whistles.
6. Serve hot.

Potato and cauliflower pulao

Pulao is always made of veggies like beans, carrots, potatoes, peas etc... and the day before i just bought a cauliflower for the 1st time... yes for the 1st time i bought a cauliflower... i had just heard about others cook with it but i personally had never cooked it at home... so me and my hubby thought y not try it... and moreover i had planned for a moonlight dinner (beladingala oota) on sunday when my in laws, brother in law and co sis wud join us for dinner so i had to make something different... So i was just browsing thru the net for some rice based recipes with cauliflower and found one such on Tarla Dalal's website..


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower 1 whole (about 1kg)
2. Potatoes 5-6
3. Onions 3-4
4. Cinnamon stick an inch
5. Clove pods 3-4
6. Oil
7. Ghee
8. Rice 1.5 cups
9. Salt
10. Water
11. Bay leaf 1 leaf
12. Coconut milk/ coconut milk powder
13. Green chillies 6-7
14. Red chiili powder 1/2tsp
15. Turmeric powder 1tsp
16. Garam masala powder, dhania powder, jeera powder, amchur podwer 1tsp each
17. Mustard seeds 1tsp
18. Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp


Method:

1. The most important thing is to wash clean the cauliflowers and put them in boiling water along with some salt and turmeric.. Let them settle for about 15-20 mins. Once done wash them again thoroughly with cold water and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker, make seasoning of mustard seeds and add ginger garlic paste, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove pods and onions to it, saute well.
3. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well.
4. Next add the garam masala, dhania, jeera and amchur powder and mix well.
5. Make a paste of the green chillies and add them as well.
6. Now let it cook till rawness is gone.
7. Now add in the potatoes cut into cubes, then cauliflower and mix them well.
8. Now add the coconut milk/coconut milk powder (use as per directions) and mix well.
9. Add rice, salt along with water and give it a nice slow mix..
10. Cover the lid and cook for 2 whistles.
11. Serve hot with tomato and onion raitha.

Peas Pulao

Peas pulao... a super yummy and flavoury lunch or dinner recipe... This is the time of the year when green peas are available fresh and green and in plenty at throwaway prices. I just brought some of them and made a yummy pulao out of it with a little Kerala touch to it..


Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Green peas 1/2kg
3. Green chillies 12
4. Coconut milk 1 packet (I used one whole packet of store bought milk, if you're making it at home you'll need 1/2 coconut's milk.)
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil 3-4tbsp
7. Ghee 3tbsp
8. Bay leaf 1-2
9. Elaichi pods 3
10. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
11. Maratha moggu 1
12. Ananas flower 1
13. Onions 4-5
14. Jeera seeds 1tbsp
15. Ginger garlic paste 2tbsp
16. Cashews 10

Method: 

1. Wash rice and soak for about 15-20 minutes
2. Slice the onions lengthwise and set aside.
3. Heat a little oil and ghee in the pressure cooker and add jeera seeds. Let them splutter.
4. Add bay leaf, elaichi pods (whole), maratha moggu, ananas flower, cinnamon stick and finally the cashews. Let them emit their flavour in oil.
5. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute. Add in the onions and saute till translucent.
6. Grind the green chillies and 2 onions to a fine paste with a little water. Add this to the onion mix and saute till raw smell disappears.
7. Once done add the green peas, coconut milk, salt and let it boil for about 2-3 minutes. Give it a mix slightly.
8. Next add in the soaked rice and mix gently. Add required water and close the pressure cooker. Don't make it too watery and note each grain of rice should be separate.
9. Cook for 2 whistles and wait till it settles down.
10. Garnish with the cashews and serve hot with kurma or raitha.



Make sure you remove the bay leaf before you serve. The bay leaf leaves behind a bad taste when left in cooked rice for a long time.

Methi matar rice

Fresh methi leaves and sweet green peas, such a heavenly combo.. when cooked along with steamy hot rice it becomes a wonderful breakfast or lunch option.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Fresh methi leaves 1 bunch
2. Green peas 200gms (frozen or fresh)
3. Onions 2
4. Tomatoes 3
5. Green chillies 10-12
6. Fresh coconut 1/2 cup
7. Coriander leaves
8. Salt
9. water
10. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
11. Clove pods 4
12. Garam masala powder 1 tsp
13. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
14. Jeera seeds 1tsp
15. Dry red chillies 4
16. Rice 2.5 cups

Method: 

1. Wash the methi leaves thoroughly and cut them. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and make seasoning of mustard seeds, dry red chillies.
3. Now add the cut methi leaves and saute for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Grind coconut along with green chillies, tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves, cinnamon, clove pods and jeera seeds to a fine paste. Add water required for grinding.
5. Once done add this paste to the pressure cooker and mix well.
6. Saute for about a minute.
7. If you're using fresh green peas add them as well.
8. Add salt, rice and water. Don't add too much of water, else rice will turn soggy.
9. Close and cook for 1 whistle.
10. As the cooker cools, serve hot.

If you're using frozen peas add them after the cooker is cooled and keep the cooker closed for about 5 minutes before you serve.

Capsicum and peas bhath

Capsicum are a plenty this season and deciding on breakfast menu's daily in a big family is really problematic. Everyone demands tasty stuff and we women in kitchen have very limited time, so decided upon making this rice bhath, easy to make and yummy to taste..

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients:

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Capsicum 1/4 kg
3. Green peas (Frozen/fresh) 200 gms
4. Green chillies 10-12
5. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
6. Clove pods 4-5
7. Salt
8. Oil
9. Water
10. Grated fresh coconut
11. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
12. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
13. Amchoor powder 1 tbsp
14. Garam masala powder 1 tsp
15. Dry red chillies 3-4
16. Coriander leaves
17. Curry leaves

Method:

1. Cut the capsicum's and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, dry red chillies and jeera seeds. Add curry leaves as well.
3. Now saute the capsicum till they turn tender.
4. In a mixer grind green chillies, grated coconut, 1 tsp jeera seeds, cinnamon, clove pods, coriander leaves and a little water to a fine paste.
5. To the capsicum add amchoor powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
6. Add the grind paste and cook until raw smell disappears.
7. Cook rice and let it cool.
8. If you're using frozen green peas add it now and mix well. And if using fresh peas add them along with capsicum's only.
9. Add the mixture to the cooled rice along with 2 tsp of oil and salt and mix well.

Serve hot.

Chawal chamak challo

A little vatiation from the usual pulao, i've named it a little finkily as i learnt it on a t.v show and he named in a similar manner.. well here comes the recipe..


Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Vegetables (I took 200gms each of beans, carrots, potatoes)
2. Green pees (frozen/regular)
3. Rice 21/2 cups
4. Water
5. Oil
6. Onions 2-3
7. Coriander leaves
8. Green chillies 10-12
9. Cashews 8-10
10. Mustard seeds
11. Jeera seeds
12. Bay leaf
13. Clove pods 2-3
14. Cinnamon sticks 1 inch
15. Grated coconut 1 cup

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables and keep aside.
2. In a mixer grind coconut, green chillies, onions, coriander leaves, clove pods, cinnamon stick to a fine paste and keep.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and season with mustard seeds, jeera seeds, bay leaf and cashews.
4. Add the grind paste and saute till raw smell disappears.
5. Now add the vegetables and mix well.
6. Add salt, water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Make sure each grain of rice is separate.

Serve hot with raitha or just like that.

Make sure you remove the bay leaf before you serve, when left behind for  along time it makes the rice bitter.

Shahi biriyani

Ahh.. mughlai food... that heavenly smell arouses ur smell buds right away... shahi biriyani as the name says is a rich food.. Try out this royal food, in a easy to cook manner. I made this for my son's birthday party and the guests just loved it.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 10


Ingredients:

1. Vegetables (200gms each of beans, carrot, potatoes)
2. Green peas (i used the frozen ones)
3. Shahi Biriyani masala (Store bought, use everest Masala) 4tbsp
4. Elaichi pods 2
5. Garam masala powder 2tsp
6. Onions 4-5
7. Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp (optional)
8. Green chillies 8-9
9. Coriander leaves
10. Cashews
11. Ghee (another option is vanaspati)
12. Oil
13. Rice 3 cups
14. Water
15. Chakra moggu (Pineapple flower) 1
16. Bay leaf 2-3
17. Curd 5 tbsp
18. Cinnamon stick 1 inch
19. Clove pods 5
20. Pepper corns 10
21. Red chilli powder 1.5tsp

Method:

1. Heat 4 tsp of ghee and 4 tsp of oil in a pressure cooker/vessel, once heated add the bay leaf, pineapple flower and let it splatter.
2. Add cashews, onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till onions turn golden brown.
3. Now add the garam masala, shahi biriyani masala, red chilli powder, curds (beaten), the vegetables and saute them.
4. In a mixer grind green chillies, elaichi pods (whole), cinnamon, pepper corns, clove pods along with a little water.
5. After 5 minutes add the grind paste, rice, required amount of water, salt and let it cook.
6. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook it up to 1 whistle and if using a vessel keep an eye until the rice is cooked. Note that each grain is separate.
7. If you are using frozen green peas add them after rice is cooked. Because they are very soft they don't need much cooking.

Variation: If cooking in a large vessel you can even make a dum biriyani. Take some wheat dough and seal the lid of the vessel with the dough when the rice is cooking so that the steam doesn't escape and that taste remains fresh, like straight out of an oven.


Serve hot with raitha of your choice. I made onion and tomato raitha.

Methi leaves and togari kalu (green pigeon peas) bhath

A little before the avrekai season comes the togarikalu season. Green pigeon peas are available in plenty during this time and can be used for various dishes including upma, sambar and rice. Like in this dish i've used methi leaves and green pigeon peas.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves 1 bunch
2. Togarikalu (Green pigeon peas) 100 gms
3. Vangi bhath powder 5-6 tablespoons
4. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
5. Dry red chillies 3-4
6. Rice 2 cups
7. Oil
8. Salt
9. Water
10. Tamarind extract about a lemons size

Method:

1. Wash the methi leaves thoroughly and cut them.
2. Cook the togarikalu with a little salt and water until they turn tender.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds and dry red chillies.
4. Add the cut methi leaves and saute for a while.
5. Add very little water and cover and let it cook.
6. Now add the vangi bhath powder, salt and tamarind extract and let it cook.
7. Mix in the cooked green pigeon peas well.
8. Add this mixture to cooked rice (make sure each grain of rice is separate) and serve. Add salt when mixing with rice as well.

Birthday dinner platter (Veg fried rice, tomato soup, Schezuan sauce and pakoda)

Well well well, it was my hubby's birthday and i was planning about what all i would cook for him from almost a week back and as the day neared i asked him what he wanted. I had decided upon baby corn dry for starters, fried rice/biryani for the main course, carrot halwa for the dessert and of course soup. My husband gave the green signal for carrot halwa and veg fried rice, so for the fried rice accompaniment would be schezuan sauce and then i started the process to cook.

As a last minute change my father in law ordered for pakoda's from a local vendor coz he just loves them so i dropped the plan of making baby corn dry for starters since it would be a little too heavy for the platter.

Lets start with Soup. To be honest i bought a packet of Maggi Tomato Soup and mixed it with water and put it on stove for things to turn out quick as i had others stuff to arrange for as well.

Then comes the turn of Veg Fried Rice. My mom makes this but her version doesn't have onions in them and yet it turns out tp be super yummy. Well my version does have onions and its equally yum.


Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes (includes time for cooking of rice)
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Vegetables [1/4 kg fresh beans, 3 carrots, 2 capsicums, 1 cup of grated cabbage, 5-6 onions, 1 bunch spring onions (if available)]
2. Green peas (frozen or fresh) 125gms
3. Soy sauce 4-5 tablespoons
4. Chilli sauce 3 tbsp
5. Vinegar 1tbsp
6. Ginger garlic paste 4tbsp
7. Oil
8. Rice 4 cups
9. Water
10. Ajinomoto 1 tbsp
11. Salt
12. Peppercorns crushed finely 8-9

Method: 

1. Cut the carrots into medium thin slices and beans into vertical shape. Grate the cabbage or cut it very thin into long strips.

2. Cook the green peas till almost done and keep aside. Slice the onions as well.
3. Heat oil in a vessel and add ginger garlic paste and onion and saute till onions turn golden brown.
4. Now add the vegetables one by one and mix well.
5. Let them cook till tender. Add salt, finely crushed peppercorns and mix well.
6. Once cooked add soy sauce, chilli sauce and mix thoroughly.
7. Add the cooked rice (make sure each grain of rice is separate) and mix all ingredients well.
8. Add the ajinomoto and vinegar as well at this stage and mix.
9. Finally add the green peas and let the rice cook for about 2 more minutes on low flame.

Serve hot with Chinese Schezuan Sauce or just plain Tomato Sauce.

Chinese Schezuan Sauce 


Well this again is store bought but a slight difference is that I've added some paneer and baby corn pieces into the sauce to make it more yummier. Buy Knorr Chinese Schezuan Sauce and just follow the ingredients on the pack and your sauce will be ready in about 15-20 minutes.

Blissful Curd rice

Curd rice is a very delicious and healthy food. Generally people have it after rasam/sambar rice. But when made this way it can be had alone... Usually made in temples as prasada this one's also called devasthanada mosranna.


Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 7

Ingredients: 

1. Rice 2 cups
2. Water
3. Salt
4. Chana dal 1 tsp
5. Urad dal 1tsp
6. Mustard seeds 10 tsp
7. Green chillies 4-5
8. Cashews about 10-12 broken into half
9. Dry grapes (raisins) 10-12
10. Ghee 1tsp
11. Oil 2 tsp
12. Curry leaves
13. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
14. Curd 1/2 litre
15. Milk 1/4 cup
16. Coriander leaves.

Method: 

1. Cook rice and let it cool.
2. Heat ghee and oil in a kadhai and make seasoning of mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and jeera seeds.
3. Add the cashews and raisins as well.
4. Chop the corriander leaves and sprinkle over rice.
5. Once the rice is cooled add curds, milk, and this seasoning and mix well.
6. Also add salt and mix well.

Milk is added so that the curd doesn't turn sour in case you're making it much before serving. Best method is to mix curd just before you serve.

Variation: You can add pomegranate or green grapes as well to make it more tasty.

Bisi bisi bisi bele bath

Bisi bele bath is cooked literally in all households, and not to mention at functions or marriages its is a regular. I made it for breakfast and it carried over for lunch as well...

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients: 

1. Cut vegetables [ i took 2 carrots, 1/4kg beans, 2 potatoes, 2 chayote squash (seemebadanekai)]
2. Toor dal 3 cups
3. Rice 3 cups  
4. Water
5. Salt
6. Tamarind extract about a lemons size
7. Jaggery 1 (if ur using the square one)
8. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
9. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
10. Pepper corns about 8-9
11. Cinnamon stick about an inch
12. Jaiphal (jakai) 1 small piece
13. Marathi moggu 1 piece
14. Urad dal 1 handful
15. Chana dal 2 handfuls
16. Dhania seeds 3 handfuls
17. Dry red chillies (byadagi and guntur) 20-22
18. Curry leaves
19. Ghee 2 tsp
20. Oil 5 tsp
21. Hing (asafoetida) 
22. Grated fresh coconut /4 cup
23. Dry coconut 1/2 cup




Method: 


1. Cook rice, dal and vegetables in a pressure cooker. 
2. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a kadhai and roast urad dal, chana dal, dhania seeds, jeera seeds, hing, pepper corns, jaiphal, marathi moggu, cinnamon stick and the dry red chillies. 
3. In a mixer grind all this with fresh coconut and dry coconut along with water. 
4. Heat oil and ghee in a large vessel. Make seasoning of mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. 
5. Add the ground paste and a little bit water and let it boil until the raw smell disappears. 
6. Add salt, tamarind extract and let it boil for 2 minutes. 
7. Now add the cooked toor dal, vegetables and mix well. Add the cooked rice also. 
8. Mix well and simmer the flame and cook for about 5-7 minutes stirring in between. 
9. Add the jaggery and mix well and cook for 1 more minute. 
10. Add water if necessary as per the required consistency. The bath once cooked tends to soak all the water so make sure its watery enough but not too watery. 




Serve hot with ghee and boondi or chips. 

Spicy Urad dal rice

Urad dal and spicy.. yes this recipe is a traditional one.. simply yum and easy to make as well.. Try this out for breakfast, lunch or even dinner..

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 7


Ingredients:

1. Urad dal 7 teaspoons
2. Black pepper corns 3 teaspoons
3. Ghee
4. Oil
5. Curry leaves
6. Chana dal 1 teaspoon
7. Dry red chillies 3-4
8. Green chillies 5-6
9. Cashews 10-12
10. Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
11. Rice 2 cups
12. Dry coconut 1 cup
13. Water
14. Salt

Method:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a tawa and add the pepper corns and roast them till they splutter.
2. Now add the urad dal and roast till they turn light brown.
3. Add the dry red chillies and dry coconut as well.
4. Grind this into a coarse mixture without adding water.
5. Cook rice and make sure each grain is seperate. Let it cool slightly.
6. Again heat 2 teaspoons of ghee and 2 teaspoons of oil. Add seasoning of chana dal, urad dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
7. To this add peanuts and cashews as well.
8. Add this seasoning to the rice along with salt and mix well.

Serve hot.

Variation: You can fry urad dal appalam and break into pieces and add to the rice before you serve. Makes a yummy combination.

Pudinaaahhh pulao

Here's one refreshing recipe.. ideal for breakfast or even lunch...

Cooking time: 40 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 7 people

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Pudina leaves 1 bunch
2. Frozen Green peas 100 gms
3. Green chillies 10-12
4. Onions 5-6
5. Coconut 1 cup
6. Mustard seeds 1 tsp
7. Jeera seeds 1 tsp
8. Oil
9. Rice 2 cups
10. Water
11. Salt
12. Cinnamon sticks 1 inch
13. Bay leaf 1 leaf
14. Cloves 3-4 pods
15. Lemon juice
16. Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and make seasoning of mustard seeds and jeera seeds. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and the bay leaf.
2. Now add sliced onions and saute them till they turn golden brown.
3. Next add the cut pudina leaves and saute them.
4. Grind green chillies and coconut along with coriander leaves into a paste
5. Add this mix to the cooker and fry till raw smell disappears
6. Now add rice, water and salt and mix well. Make sure you don't add don't much water.
7. Let the rice cook for 2 whistles. Once its cooled add the boiled green peas and mix well.
8. Add the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves

(Remove the bay leaf before you serve.. leaving it for a bad time in the dish makes it bitter)

Hubbymade Tomato pulav

My hubby's actually a very good cook when he turns p in the kitchen. He makes lipsmacking food that everybody at home loves to eat. Well he did turn up to kitchen over this independence weekend and here's one of his signature dishes.. The Tomato Pulav... simple yet tasty...

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes
2. Onions
3. Mustard seeds
4. Jeera seeds
5. Garlic cloves
6. Rice
7. Water
8. Oil
9. Salt
10. Red chilli powder
11. Garam masala
12. Green chillies
13. Corriander leaves

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker heat oil and add seasoning of mustard and jeera seeds. To this add the slit green chillies. Also add the garlic cloves at this stage.
2. Now add onions, red chilli powder, garam masala and saute till the onions turn golden brown.
3. Now add the tomatoes and a little bit of salt so that they turn tender quick.
4. When the tomatoes are half done add the rice and water. Make sure you dont put in too much of water coz the rice might turn sticky.
5. Add a little more salt and shut the cooker and let it whistle up to 2 whistles.
6. Once the cooker cools your pulav is ready to serve after garnish with corriander leaves (which mu hubby doesnt like much)

Dam Dam Kadamba

It was weekend again and i thought of trying some new recipe... Well actually i had tried making this Kadamba Rice sometime back, but disaster struck as it got burnt coz i tried to cook in a rather thin bottomed stainless steel cooker.. So this time i decided to cook it in an another way.

Ingredients: 

1. Chopped vegetables (I took beans, carrot, potatoes, tomatoes, green peas, capsicum, chayote squash(seemebadanekayi). You can also add pumpkin, drumsticks and anything else you like.
2. Dry redd chillies
3. Pepper corns
4. Chana Dal
5. Urad Dal
6. Toor dal
7. Rice
8. Ghee
9. Cashews
10. Mustard seeds
11. Water
12. Oil
13. Dry grated coconut
14. Salt
15. Tamarind
16. Curry leaves


Method:

1. Cook the vegetables except tomatoes, capsicum along with toor dal in cooker.
2.  With a little oil roast the chana dal and urad dal in equal proportions, dhania (half spoon more than the dals), pepper corns, dry red chillies and curry leaves (Vary the pepper corns and red chillies as per taste)
3. Grind this along with dry grated coconut and some water.
4. Cook Rice in another cooker and let it cool. (If u take 1 cup of toor dal take 1 and half cup rice)
5. Once the dal and vegetables are cooked add seperately cooked tomatoes the ground paste to it and let it boil.
6. Add salt, tamarind pulp and let it boil.
7. In a pan heat ghee and make seasoning of mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and cashews.
8. Add the cooked rice to this and mix well till all ingredients blend well.
9. Your Kadamba rice is ready to serve hot.

You can accompany this with any raitha.. 

Traditional Breakfast for a festive day

After the aashada season for one whole month it was Bhimanaamavasya - the day when women pray for the longevity of their hubbies.. So did I. After the pooja i had to cook something both for breakfast as well as lunch and it had to be traditional but i wanted to make something different... So i thought if making Sweet and Khara pongal.. Though i could change nothing much about the sweet pongal i did make small variations to the khara pongal...

Lets start with something sweet...

Sweet Pongal


Ingredients:
1. Milk
2.Moong Dal (Hesaru Bele)
3. Cashews and raisins for seasoning
4. Jaggery
5. Ghee
6. Rice

Method:

1. Slightly roast the moong dal and rice separately with a little ghee.
2. Now let it cook in a pressure cooker.
3. After the cooker has cooled add milk and jaggery to the cooked rice and moong dal.
4. Let the jaggery melt well. Keep a watch on the sweetness of the jaggery though. Keep stirring in between.
5. Once all the jaggery has melted and u get a wonderful aroma make a seasoning of the cashews and raisins in ghee and add it.
6. Your sweet pongal is ready to serve.



Khara Pongal


Ingredients:

1. Chopped Vegetables like beans, carrot, potato. 200 gms
2. Green peas 100 gms
3. Garam masala 1 tsp
4. Coarsely pound black pepper 10-12 peppercorns
5. Oil 3-4 tbps
6. Salt to taste
7. Ghee 1-2 tbsp
8. Mustard seeds for seasoning
9. Jeera seeds for seasoning
10. Green chillies 6-7 slit
11. Water 4 cups
12. Rice 1 cup
13. Moong Dal 1 cup
(Note: Rice and moong dal should be of the same quantity).
14. Curry leaves
15. Coriander leaves

You can alter the ingredients as per your requirement
Water should always be double the amount of moong dal and rice u have taken

Method:

1. Roast the rice and moong dal separately with a little ghee.
2. In a cooker add oil and ghee. Let it heat.
3. Now add seasoning of mustard seeds, jeera seeds and also curry leaves.
4. Next add coarsely pound pepper corns and also the green chillies
5. Add the chopped vegetables and fry for a while.
6. Add garam masala and mix well.
7. Now add the moong dal and rice. Pour in the water, add salt and let it cook with the weight on.
8. Let the cooker whistle a couple of times.
9. Once the cooker is cooled garnish with corriander leaves.

You can accompany the khara pongal with Tamarind Gojju or with a little different Cucumber Raitha. I made cucumber raitha. But it tastes equally good with Tamarind gojju.


Cucumber raitha:

Ingredients:

1.Cucumber finely chopped
2. Green chillies chopped
3. Curd finely beaten
4. Salt
5. mustard seeds and oil for seasoning


Method:

1. To beaten curds add finely chopped cucumber.
2. Heat oil add seasoning of mustard seeds and green chillies.  Mix this to the curd.
3. Add salt and serve.


Tamarind Gojju:

Ingredients:
1. Tamarind - a handful
2. Jaggery
3. Salt
4.Green chilies
5. Corriander leaves
6. Mustard seeds and oil for seasoning
7. Sambar powder or red chiili powder


Method: 

1. Soak a handful of tamarind in luke warm water for about 15 min.
2. Once its done squeeze only the pulp.
3. Now to this add some water, sambar/red chilli powder.
4. Grate the jaggery and add it to this.
5. Make a seasoning with mustard seeds, oil and green chillies
6. Add coriander leaves and let the jaggery melt for a while.