Ghee rice

Nei choru / Neychoru or ghee rice is the Indian form of fried rice served during special occasions, when one cannot prepare the traditional biryani. Ghee rice is a much flavorful and non-spicy variety rice, always accompanied by some spicy curry like dum aloo or paneer masala for vegetarians and Mutton / chicken masala fry for non vegetarians. It is a common dish / one of the main courses in 'Tamil, Kerala and Islam' cuisine.

Neychoru served with lamb curry and onion pachadi.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cup
(3/4 cup for 1 adult )
water - 3 cups
water measurement for open vessel cooking and rice cooker :(number of cups of rice x 2) - 1 = (2x2)-1 = 3
ghee - 3 tbsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

spices:

bay leaf - 2
clove - 4
cardamom - 2
cinnamon - 1 inch
star aniseed - 1
nutmeg (jathi kai) - a small shaving
mace (jathi pathiri) - a small piece

garnish:

onion (thinly sliced)- 1 cup
ghee / oil - 2 tbsp
cashew - 10
raisin - 10
mint leaf - a handful
cilantro - few sprigs

Preparation:

Wash the rice thrice and drain excess water. Let it remain for 10 minutes.
Slice the onions into thin long pieces.
In a wok, heat 2 tbsp oil / ghee and fry the onion till they get golden brown. Keep aside. In the remaining ghee sticking to the pan, add the cashew , raisins and fry separately.Take them out and keep aside.
Finely chop the mint leaf + cilantro and keep everything for garnishing.

Procedure:

Start boiling some water in a separate pan.
Heat the remaining ghee in a wok and add the spices listed above.
After a few seconds, add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
If needed add one more tbsp of ghee.
To this add the soaked, drained rice and saute well till it starts puffing.
Add salt and pour the boiling water just to completely immerse the rice.
Cover with a tight lid and keep the flame in minimum.
Now we will see small holes all over the rice. Continue cooking in low heat. If needed sprinkle a handful of hot water and stir once very carefully without breaking the rice.
After the rice gets cooked (but should be stiff, straight and long.....not mushy), switch off, keep closed and leave for 10 minutes.
Add the fried onions, chopped cilantro, mint leaves, cashew, raisins and mix once.

Ghee rice is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as main course with any spicy curry.
If needed reheat by microwave or by placing over a hot tawa.
While measuring the rice, consider taking more rice for this kind of ghee rice, as we won't cook the rice completely like the regular day and we may need more quantity to serve.

Jeera Poori

Jeera poori - a sugary fried snack.

I tasted it long back in a canteen in Tuticorin and learned that they do some make-over on their leftover pooris and sell as delicious dessert with evening tea. I have never heard of such a thing before....may be it was/is a local snack or an invention to attract the crowd.  All the workers would rush to get this sugary poori and it will be sold even before the tea break begins:) My colleague Ambika akka, would drag me there to get our quota from our friendly waiter, who would sneak some for our table as per plan:) Recently I prepared poori with kilangu (yellow potato masal) on a Saturday and made these jeera poori with afternoon tea to surprise my hubby. Though it is nothing but sugar and oil, it will definitely brighten up a lazy weekend. Try this and enjoy!

Poori:

All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
oil - 200 ml (deep fry)
salt - a pinch
water - to knead.

jeera / syrup:

Sugar - 1/2 cup
water 1/2 cup
orange food color - a pinch
cardamom powder - a pinch
rose essence - a drop
almond / cashew - 3

Method:
Mix salt, baking soda, maida well. Add water little by little to get a thick smooth dough. Flatten them into small circles using chapthi rolling pin and base.
Deep fry them till crispy, drain oil and keep aside.

(We can use left over wheat poori too)

In a separate vessel mix sugar and water and bring to a boil. Let it give a lot of bubbles and reach a 'single thread consistency'.Add cardamom powder, rose essence and switch off.

Arrange the pooris on a large plate and drizzle the sugar syrup over the pooris.
After some time flip and sprinkle more syrup. Sprinkle finely chopped nuts and let it soak for 10 minutes or more.

Jeera poori is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot / cold as dessert or snack.

Kambu dosai

Kambu (Tamil) - Pearl millet, bajira ,Bajari, Bhajira

Ingredients:

Kambu - 1 cup
idly rice - 2 cup
black gram (ulunthu) - 3/4 cup
fenugreek (methi / venthayam) - 1 tbsp
salt - 2 tsp (adjust as per taste)

To make 1 dosa:
gingelly oil - 1/4 tsp

Batter preparation:

(i)Wash and soak the idly rice + kambu overnight.
Soak the urad dhal + fenugreek seed for 4 hours and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
Grind the rice+kambu to a fine paste with little water.
Mix both and add enough salt. Let the batter ferment overnight.

(ii) Alternatively soak 1/2 cup kambu overnight and grind to a fine paste. Mix with leftover dosa batter and use immediately.

(iii)Dry roast the required kambu till it gives a nice smell, powder it and add to sour dosa batter or buttermilk+ dosa batter to make instant kambu dosa.

Dosa:

Mix the batter well before using.
Heat a dosa tawa, sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil. Using a clean cloth wipe and spread the oil uniformly allover the tawa.
Pour a ladle of batter and spread into thin crepe.
After one side starts getting red, flip and cook the other side too.

Kambu dosa is ready!

Serving suggestion:

Serve with some spicy chutney.
Makes a healthy breakfast or dinner.

Dal makhani

Some years ago I tasted this dal makhani and jeera pulav , in a restaurant in NJ and since then tried to figure out the recipe. But I couldn't get the exact taste. Then decided to try from Deepa's 'Hamare Rasoi', which I admire more often. I like her dedication in explaining the recipes with utmost care and details. The curry came out just like the restaurant version and no wonder it became our favorite:) The following recipe belongs to Deepa and recording the notes for my future reference only. Click to see the original recipe. I am sure you all  will  like that. Thank you Deepa dear, I learned a popular recipe from you:)

Dal:

Black gram / urad dhal (with skin) - 1/2 cup
rajma - a handful
channa dhal - a handful

Method:
Soak the dhals in water overnight. Pressure cook them for one whistle, reduce flame and keep for 20 minutes. Then mash gently without breaking much dal, add salt , 1/2 cup milk and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a wok. Add finely chopped onion (2 tbsp) and let it get golden brown. Then add finely chopped ginger- 1 inch, garlic - 4, green chillies - 2 and saute well. Pour 1/2 cup tomato puree and saute till raw smell vanishes. Add 1 tsp red chilly powder, 3 tsp coriander powder, garam masala, curd 1/2 cup and saute well.

Pour the cooked dhal and bring it to boil.

Tadka:

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a separate wok, add bay leaves -2 , cumin - 1/2 tsp and pour over the dhal. Crush 1/2 tbsp kasoori methi and sprinkle all over. Garnish with some chat masala, few tsp fresh cream, finely chopped cilantro.

serving suggestion:

Serve with a dollop of butter over the dhal makahni.
Serve as side dish with chapathi, naan, jeera pulao etc.

Amla buttermilk

Today I read in a Tamil E-newspaper about an Indian festival associated with Amla, Goddess Lakshmi, a golden amla rain, gold buying tradition and more importantly CHARITY. It is called Akshaya trityai. So I wanted to make a post on the Amla, which Indians consider as a holy fruit. The festival comes around the peak of Indian summer and it will definitely remind us to take more amla, which can make people fit for the weather. Amla (Indian gooseberry / nellikkai), has innumerable medicinal benefits. Click this link to read the medicinal value of Amla. I prepare this buttermilk often with breakfast during summers. Enjoy this drink at any time to get more healthy, beautiful and of course wealthy too, as per the belief.

Ingredients: (2 cups)
amla - 4
fat free buttermilk - 1 cup
water 1 cup
cumin - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - few.
salt - 2 pinches

Method:

De-freeze the amla or wash and clean the fresh gooseberries.
Remove the seed and slice the amla. Pulse it in a blender along with little water and extract juice. Repeat extraction thrice.
Mix the juice with buttermilk, salt, cumin and chopped curry leaves.
Amla more is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as healthy drink with breakfast or at any time.

Pomegranate pulav

Pomegranate pulav is more famous among people who cannot take spicy hot dishes. This pulav goes well with any spicy non veg curry or paneer makhani. This is more like a 'sweetish ghee rice' topped with pomegranate or Kashmiri pulav . After tasting it in a restaurant I tried it at home to bring back that taste. This is a very forgiving dish and anyways we will get an amazing pulav. I am pleased with the outcome and we both enjoyed it to the core. Hope you all like it too. Enjoy :)

Pomegranate pulav served with lamb curry and onion raitha.

Ingredients:

(for 2 people)
Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
ghee / butter - 3 tbsp (1 tbsp for 1/2 cup rice)
pomegranate fruit - 1/2 cup
cashew nut - 10 (halved)
almond - 4 (thinly sliced)
onion - 1/2 cup
(thinly sliced lengthwise)
green chilly - 2 (halved)
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful

saffron - few strands.
milk - 1 tbsp

Spices:

cinnamon - 1 inch
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
star aniseed - 1
fennel - 1 tsp
bay leaf - 2

Method:

Wash the rice thrice. Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Cook it with more water (5 cups)and 1 tsp salt , till it is 3/4 th done (cooked but very firm).
Immediately pour over a strainer / colander and remove the water.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashews + slivered almond till they turn golden. Keep aside. Add the remaining ghee and put all the spices except the saffron. Immediately add the finely sliced onion, little salt + sugar (1/4 tsp each) and saute till it turns mild red.
Then put the ginger garlic paste, chillies and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the rice and mix without breaking the rice. Soak the saffron in milk while cooking.  Garnish with soaked saffron + milk , finely chopped cilantro+mint, fried nuts.  Reduce the heat and cook covered for a few minutes .Keep aside.

Choose a very ripe seedless pomegranate.
Take out the red fruits (fleshy seeds) alone and keep aside.

Before serving, bring the pulav to piping hot by microwaving or dum process (placing over a hot tawa). Remove from heat and add the pomegranate, mix well.

Pomegranate pulav is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Pomegranate pulao can be served with spicy Indian lamb curry (mutton kulambu) or mutton sukka varuval or kheema curry or simply with a raitha.
A glass of mango lassie with this combination is common.
The pulav should be tasty all by itself, but not spicy hot.
Avoid reheating after adding pomegranate, as it will affect the pulav's color.

Lemon pickle

I never thought of preparing a big batch of pickle at home, as hubby always buys many kinds of pickles from the Indian grocery stores and moreover I am not a big fan of store bought pickles. I used to prepare a small quantity of lemon pickle and finish off soon. I was kind of afraid to make that big batch of lemon pickles at home because of lesser Sunlight.
Then one fine day, I prepared this lemon pickle last year after talking with a friend (Mrs.Aruna Satya). She said that her mom made it for her without sun-drying and I got that clue and wanted to try immediately. I couldn't follow her recipe, as I wanted to prepare my mother's special oil-less Lemon pickle recipe, which I had enjoyed so much. Mom used to make this lemon pickle using our home grown lemons. We had a big 'Malta lime' tree in the backyard and that tree would yield sacks of bigger lemon and we would enjoy them as lemonade, lemon rice, leaf podi and pickles along with our neighbors. At that time mom would make extremely big batches of these pickles for our aunts and family friends. I tried her recipe while living in Madras and it was so good. Here I added a few drops of vinegar to the same as I need to keep them for a long time. It was a wonderful process and I enjoyed that fresh lemon smell all over the house for days together. I am more delighted to see my hubby checking it everyday, if it has soaked or not, just like a kid:) From then on, hubby stopped buying pickles from the stores and I am happy with the oil-less home made pickle:)

Ingredients: (see the process for measurement)
Lemon -

sea salt (கல் உப்பு) -

red chilly powder -
mustard / kadugu- 1 tbsp (for 5 lemons)
fenugreek / methi/ venthayam - 1/2 tbsp (for 5 lemons)
green chillies - 2 chillies for 1 lemon

Method:

Wash the lemons, green chillies and pat dry.  Do this in the evening and let it dry overnight. Then in the morning, cut the lemon into 1.5 inch size triangular pieces or squares and slit the chillies.

Measure the  pieces using a dry tumbler / cup. Add salt to the lemon. (sea salt: lemon - 1:4), (1:6 for fine table salt: lemon). Mix the lemon, salt, chillies by shaking well. Keep the mixture in a porcelain jar (china clay jaadi). keep it under hot sun for from morning to evening, without closing the lid. Take care that no sand or dirt falls on it. we can place a mesh cover or tie a fine muslin cloth over the vessel too. In the evening shake it well and bring inside home and keep it closed after it cools down.
Repeat placing under hot sun for 2 more days.
Now the pickles could have turned a little pale and started soaking.

Take dry red chilly powder in ratio, chilly powder: lemon measure= 1 : 5.

On the 4th day dry roast the mustard till it cracks. Dry roast the fenugreek (venthayam / methi) till it turns red and flavorful. Powder them together.
Add the chilly powder, mustard, methi powder to the soaked pickle and mix well with a clean dry spatula. Keep in sunlight for the whole day . Close the lid portion by tying a muslin cloth (prevents drying of pickle) and place the porcelain lid over it . Then store it in a clean dry shelf. Never touch the pickles by hand, as we may need to keep the pickle safely for an year.

How to make the lemon pickle in colder countries?

As we can't allow the pickle to soak under Sun in colder countries, add 1/2 tsp of vinegar to every cup of chopped lemon and place the container open inside the house. Let them soak for 2 days and on the 3rd day add the powders and keep them open for 2 more days. Stir every evening and on the 4 th day , store it in an air tight container and preserve safely as instructed above.

Serving suggestions:

This pickle will remain good in the room temperature for many years, if handled with care.
Adding green chillies is optional only.
This pickle can be used without tempering also. But if needed, take the required amount of pickle for a week and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a dry wok and splutter a tsp of mustard seeds, the add a tbsp of channa dhal, curry leaves and pour over the pickle.
Serve with any rice or roti.