Brown Rice Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice

1 large onion (Fried till brown and crisp)

2 medium  carrots, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

10-12 French beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 medium cauliflower, separated into small florets

6-7 medium fresh button mushrooms, halved

1/2 cup green peas, shelled and blanched

1 bay leaf

2-3 cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 inch cinnamon

Salt to taste

2 green chillies, slit

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

Soak the brown rice in four to five cups of water for two hours.  Drain and set aside

Heat a deep non-stick pan, add the bay leaf, cloves, cumin seeds and cinnamon and roast for a few seconds or till fragrant.  Add the drained rice and salt and roast for one to two minutes.

Add four cups of water.  Bring it to a boil.

Add the carrots, French beans, cauliflower, mushrooms and green chillies.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook till almost done

Add the green peas and mix gently.  Cover and cook till done

Serve hot, garnished with the fresh coriander and crisp fried onions!

Brown rice with vegetables is abundant in vitamins and minerals and the aroma of the spices whets the appetite.

Recipe inspired from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor!

Forbidden Dirty Rice Dosa!

When someone gave me this rice I had no clue, what to do with it!! But then it was a trial and the dosas came out really crisp. Black rice is not used much in Indian cuisine except for pudding and desserts. Payasam is made out of this rice in the Chettinad Cuisine.

Photocourtesy: Getreal4healthfood


Ingredients

1 cup raw rice (washed and soaked for 3 hours)
1 cup Forbidden black rice (washed and soaked for 3 hours)
1 cup urad dal (washed and soaked for 3 hours)
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (soaked )
Salt to taste

Preparation

Grind the rice and dals together or separately. If grinding separately, mix  up all the batter which should be of dosa consistency. Add salt and mix. Let it ferment for 4-5 hours.
Heat the tawa and pour one ladle of batter on the tawa and spread to make dosa. The tawa should be on medium high flame.  Flip gently and cook till crisp. Serve warm with chutney and sambar.

Idichakka Thoran ( Stir-fried tender jackfruit with coconut from Kerala)

Ingredients

3 cups roughly chopped tender jackfruit
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt or to taste

Ground to a coarse paste

1 cup grated fresh coconut
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 cloves garlic(Optional)
2-3 tbsp water

Tempering

2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp rice grains
2 dried red chillies, halved
1/2 cup onions sliced (optional)
1 green chilli, halved
1 sprig curry leaves

Place jackfruit in a pressure pan with turmeric powder, salt and 1 cup water.  Cook for 1 or 2 whistlesand turn off the heat.  remove from cooker, drain and crush jackfruit with a ladle into small shreds.
Blend in ground paste and set aside.
Heat oil for tempering in a frying pan over moderate heat.  Add remaining ingredients for tempering in the order given.  When mustard seeds splutter, add, onions, jackfruit, Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes till mixture is dry
Serve hot as a side dish.

Note: 500 gms of tender jackfruit is needed to get 3 cups of cleaned and chopped jackfruit.