Potato Egg rice

The complete makeover of some leftover rice...Potatoes and eggs make it a yummy meal perfect for lunchbox too...

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 2 cups
Potato - 1, peeled and cubed
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Egg - 1 or 2
Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Add the potatoes and chilly and turmeric powders, salt and garam masala. Fry it well. Sprinkle a little water and cover and cook till potatoes are done(they should retain the shape).
2. Beat the eggs and add it to the cooked potatoes and scramble well.
3. Now add cooked rice and coriander leaves and combine everything well and toss it for a few minutes.

Serve with plain yoghurt or raitha.

Events


Lets cook with leftovers

The Kerala Kitchen - Jan 2012 hosted by Kaveri, an event series started by Ria and Rose.

Let's Cook: Rice by Radhika

Also to Potato Mania hosted by Siri

Vegetable pulav

A yummy and healthy pulav loaded with veggies. A one pot meal perfect for lunchbox.

Ingredients:

Basmati / Biriyani Rice - 2 cups, washed and drained

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Tomato - 1, chopped

Chopped mixed vegetables - about1.5 to 2 cups 

(I used beans, carrot, capsicum, green peas, potatoes, cauliflower and babycorns)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Ghee or oil - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 2 or 3, grind to a paste

Salt to taste

Whole spices

Cinnamon - 2 inch piece

Green cardamom - 2

Cloves - 4

Star anise - 1/2 of a flower

Bay leaves - 2

To garnish

Cashewnuts and raisins roasted in ghee 

Coriander leaves chopped

Preparation:

1. Heat ghee/oil in a pan and add the whole spices and fry for a minute. Then add ginger garlic paste and ground green chillies and saute. Add onions and mixed veggies and tomato and saute for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the rice and combine everything well. Meanwhile boil 4 cups of water in another pan/kettle. Pour the boiling water and enough salt and cook covered till rice and veggies are cooked and all the water is evaporated.

3. Garnish with coriander leaves and Cashewnuts and raisins roasted in ghee.

Enjoy with raitha, papad and pickle.

This image is for Susan's B&W Wednesday.

The healthy pulav goes to the following events

Cook with spices: Cardamom

Royal feast - Biriyani

Let's Cook: Rice

Kerala Kitchen - Jan 2012 hosted by Kaveri

Spinach/Palak Paratha

Palak Paratha with Boondi raitha and Pickle

Ingredients:


1. Spinach/Palak leaves chopped - 2 cups
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chilly paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt for the dough
Oil - 1 to 2 tsp

2. Atta/Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Water for the dough
Butter/Ghee - as needed

Notes:
1. Another method is to puree/grind the spinach mix after sauteing and then mixing it with the dough.
2. Substitute methi (fenugreek leaves) to make Methi Paratha

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add the oil. Add all the ingredients listed as item 1 and combine well and saute for a minute or two till the spinach turns darker and shrinks. Remove from the stove and transfer it to a mixing bowl.
2. Add atta and enough water to the same mixing bowl and knead to make a soft dough like roti/chappathi. Keep aside for 10-15 mins.
3. Make lemon sized balls from the dough and roll it the same way like chappathis.
4. Heat a tawa and cook the paratha and flip till both sides are cooked well. After the last flip, smear some ghee or butter.

Serve hot with raitha and pickle, any chutney or curry you like..

Linking to Anyone can cook:Series 34 and to Life is Green

Carrot Rice

Another Blog Hop Wednesday is here and this time I'm paired with Rajani of My Kitchen Trials. Her blog has a variety of simple and easy recipes. Carrot being my daughter's favourite, I decided to try the Carrot Rice. The picture of the colourful rice tempted me a lot and when I made it, my daughter loved it too..Carrot rice is perfect for a lunchbox.
So, here is the recipe. I didn't have paneer in stock, so I had to do without it. May be next time :-)

Ingredients:

Carrot finely grated - 1 cup
Cooked rice - 1.5 to 2 cups (Basmati or Sona Masoori or Ponni)
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp or more
Salt
Coriander leaves to garnish.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add onions and salt saute  till they start turning light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and combine.
2. Add carrots and saute for a couple of minutes. Now add chilly powder and curry leaves and mix well. Add the cooked rice and fold in gently. Switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm...Raitha goes well with this rice.

Sending this to Blog Hop Wednesday an event initiated by Radhika and  to Anyone can cook: Series 33 and to Friday Potluck

Sambar Saadam

If you are looking for a healthy and easy lunchbox recipe, this is the one...I found this simple and easy recipe at Nags Edible Garden and bookmarked it to try on a lazy morning where I wake up late and have to pack lunch. In this recipe, rice is cooked along with dal, veggies and sambar powder in a pressure cooker. 

Ingredients:

Rice (Sona masoori/Basmati/Ponni) - 1 cup

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind - a small piece

Chopped vegetables - I took 5-6 green beans, 1 carrot, 1 potato and 1 tomato which was about 1.5 cups. You may add veggies of your choice.

Onion - 1 small, chopped ( you may use a few shallots instead)

Green chillies - 2, slit

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Sambar powder - 1 tbsp or more (adjust to suit your taste)

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (no need to add if your sambar powder is spicy enough)

Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Water 

For Seasoning

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Preparation:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 mins. Extract the juice and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter mustard seeds. Add onions, green chillies, hing, turmeric, chilly and sambar powders and combine well. 

3. Now add all the veggies and mix well. Add toor dal and rice and 1 cup tamarind juice. To cook 1 cup of rice, we need 2 cups of water. As  1 cup tamarind juice is added already, add just one more cup of water. I wanted rice to be a little overcooked and mushy like bisibele bath. So I added 1+1/4 cups of water. 

4. Add salt and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. The number of whistles may vary with the size of your cooker and the quantity you are cooking.

5. When the pressure gets released, open the lid and mix well. Sambar Saadam is now ready.

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday Vol 53 and Anyone Can Cook:Series 29

Also linking to Rice Recipes

Mushroom Wrap

Wraps are a convenient option for packing lunch or a quick dinner. You may make the wrap with chappathi/roti or even tortilla. I have chosen a saucy mushroon filling for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Close cup or button Mushroom - 200 gms

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp

Finely chopped garlic- 1 tsp

Red chilly flakes - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp (adjust to your taste)

Chopped coriander leaves

Salt

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cooked Roti or Tortilla - to wrap

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Add onions, ginger and garlic and saute till onions are soft. Add red chilly flakes and coriander powder and saute. 

2. Add mushrooms and salt and combine well. Cover and cook till mushroom is done. Mushroom releases lot of water, hence no need to add water for cooking.

3. After mushrooms are cooked and water is evaporated, add tomato ketchup and saute well. Add coriander leaves and give a good stir. The filling is ready.

4. Take a roti and do the filling at the centre. Wrap the bottom and sides. If you are packing it for lunch, wrap in a foil or cling film.

Sending this to Dish It Out hosted by Kalyani of What's Cooking?

Linking to Anyone can cook - Series 26

Sending to Signature Recipes hosted by Saras

Lemon and Coconut rice

Lemon rice has saved me many times when I had to pack something for lunch, but had very little time. This is one of the best options when I feel lazy to make a curry. Serve with pickle and thats a tasty meal...I just added some coconut to the basic lemon rice recipe just for a change.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion – 1 small size, finely chopped
Green chillies – 2, slit
Curry leaves - a sprig
Chana dal - 1 tbsp or a little more
Shredded Coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp (If you skip this, you get lemon rice)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice – of 1 lemon
Salt

Preparation:

1. Cook rice and let it cool. Keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add chana dal and saute.
3. Saute onions, green chillies and curry leaves  for a minute.Add turmeric powder and mix.
4. Add Shredded coconut, salt and lemon juice and combine well.
5. Add cooked rice and saute for a few minutes till the rice gets mixed well.

Serve hot.

Sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela hosted by SpicyTasty

Also linking to Rice Recipes

Palak Pulav

A very nutritious pulav which can be made in a jiffy. If you pack lunch for yourself, kids or spouse, give this a try. A friend had asked me for some nutritious and colourful varities of rice that she can pack for kid's lunch. She was running out of ideas, and this was one I suggested.Instead of palak, you can choose methi (fenugreek leaves) or a combination of both.

Ingredients:

Palak/Spinach - a big bunch
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Green chilly - 3 slit lengthwise
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice with 3 cups of water. Spread it on a tray and let it cool.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
3. Add onion and green chillies and saute for a minute.
4. Add chopped palak and salt and mix well.Palak releases lot of water while cooking. So, keep it on high flame, till the palak is cooked and and water is evaporated.
5. Add the cooked rice and mix well.Saute on high flame for few minutes.

Sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela hosted by SpicyTasty

Linking this to Life is Green Event 

Mushroom Biriyani

Mushroom Biriyani is a quick and easy meal. I make it quite often when I'm lazy to cook something elaborate . It is a tasty dish to pack for lunch too...

Ingredients:

Closed up or button mushrooms - 250 gms (cut each into 4 or more pieces)
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1  finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cloves - 2 or 3
Cardamom - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp (Check cooking tips for the recipe)
Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Hot water - 3 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - to garnish
Oil/Ghee
Salt

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a big pan and add the fennel seeds, cardamom,cinnamon and cloves.
2. Add onions and saute till soft.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add tomatoes and when they turn soft, add the masala powders and saute for a minute.
5. Add mushroom pieces and cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Mushroom releases lot of water.
6. Add the rice and combine well. Add 3 cups of hot water, lemon juice and salt and mix well.
7. Cover and cook till rice is done.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with raitha...

Linking to Rice Recipes