Khichdi or Pongal

Recommended Season : All seasons
Ingrediants : Rice 1 cup Whole Green Gram (with skin) 1 cup (or Turdal) OR Rice 1 ¼ cup Dal ¾ cup Water 3 cups Salt 2 teaspoons (or according to taste) Turmeric 1 teaspoon Red chilly powder 1 teaspoon (only if adding vegetables) Mustard 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons Asafoetida a pinch Curry leaves a handful Vegetables 1 ½ to 2 cups (Vegetables that can be suitably used for khichdi are carrot, beans and green peas.)

Soak rice and dal together in water for ½ an hour. Remove the water, wash well and drain the water. Keep aside.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard pops, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add the chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric and red chilly powder, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the drained rice and dal, mix well, add the water and pressure cook for 4 or 5 whistles (or cook in a pan, covered, over a slow fire). After the pressure is released, remove lid, mix well and serve.

The quantity of water may be adjusted as per the consistency preferred.

For Pongal, vegetables, turmeric and red chilly powder are not added, ghee is used for seasoning, and split green gram (without skin) is only used. Also, the more common ratio of rice to dal is 2:1.

Jeera Rice and Dal Fry

Recommended Season : All Seasons
Ingrediants : Rice 1 cup Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons Ghee 1 tablespoon Salt 1 teaspoon

Basmati rice or jeera samba rice may be selected for this dish. Plain raw rice can also be used. Soak rice for half an hour. Remove the water, wash well and drain the water. Heat ghee in a pressure pan, add cumin seeds, when they splutter, add the drained rice, sauté for 5 minutes, add water and salt, and pressure cook for 3 or 4 whistles. When the steam is released, remove lid, mix gently and serve hot with Dal Fry or Vegetable curry.

(3 cups of water is generally added to 1 cup of plain raw rice and 2 cups of water to 1 cup of basmati or jeera samba rice. The volume of water may be adjusted according to age and quality of rice and consistency preferred.)

Dal Fry
Ingrediants : Turdal or Split (dehusked) green gram dal 1 cup Ghee 2 tablespoons Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon Curry leaves 7 or 8 Tomato 2 big Salt 1 to 1½ teaspoons Chilly powder ¾ teaspoon Turmeric

Soak the dal for half an hour. Drain the water, wash well and drain again. Chop tomatoes into small pieces. Heat ghee in a pressure pan or cooker. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chilly powder and sauté for 5 minutes. Add dal and sauté for two minutes. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles. You can add chopped coriander leaves also if preferred.

Alternatively, you can first pressure cook dal and tomatoes separately and then add to the seasonings in a pan.

Vegetable Pulao

Recommended Season : All seasons
Ingrediants : Rice 1 cup Salt 1 teaspoons (or according to taste) Turmeric 1 teaspoon Red chilly powder ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons Tamarind 1 inch piece Coriander seed powder ½ teaspoon Coriander leaves handful Vegetables 1 to 1 ½ cups (Vegetables that can be suitably used for pulao are carrot, beans and green peas. Cabbage and potato may also be used if preferred.)

Soak rice in water for ½ an hour. Remove the water, wash well and cook the rice. Chop the vegetables. Wash tamarind, soak it in ¾ cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes and squeeze it in the same water, and filter it.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric, coriander seed powder and red chilly powder, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tamarind juice, cover and cook till the vegetables are soft and cooked, and the raw smell of tamarind disappears. When they are cooked, add the coriander leaves, and mix well. Add the cooked rice, mix gently and serve.

Channa Pulao

Recommended Season : All seasons
Ingrediants : Rice 2 cups White chick peas 2 cups Salt 1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon Tamarind 1 ½ inch piece Turmeric a pinch Chilly powder ½ teaspoon Coriander seed powder ½ teaspoon

Soak (Punjabi or white) chick peas overnight. In the morning, remove the water, wash the chick peas well, add enough water to cover the chick peas, a pinch of turmeric and ½ teaspoon of salt. Pressure cook up to 4 whistles, then turn to slow flame and let it cook for half an hour. After half an hour, turn off the flame.

Soak rice in water for half an hour, wash well and cook. Wash tamarind, soak it in ¾ cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes and squeeze it in the same water, and filter. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee, add cumin seeds, when it splutters, add the tamarind juice, 1 teaspoon salt, chilly powder and coriander seed powder. Cook it till the raw smell of tamarind disappears. Add the cooked chick peas, mix, let it cook for 5 minutes, add coriander leaves and mix again. Add cooked rice, mix well, and serve.

Alternatively, ¾ teaspoon salt can be added to rice when it is being cooked and ¼ teaspoon salt added to the seasonings. If the taste is preferred, cooked cabbage or any other vegetable can also be added to the rice.

(Instead of chilly powder and coriander seed powder, 1 teaspoon of sambar powder can be added. If sambar powder is used, then it has to be cooked for at least 10 minutes.)

Tomato Rice

Ingrediants : Rice 2 cups (250 gms) Green peas 1 cup Mustard 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon Tomatoes 4 or 5 big Curry leaves 7 or 8 Salt 2½ teaspoons Turmeric pinch Sugar 1 teaspoon Chilly powder 1 teaspoon Coriander leaves handful Ghee 2 tablespoons

Soak rice for half an hour. Drain the water, wash well and drain again and cook the rice. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, chopped tomato pieces, curry leaves, salt, turmeric, sugar and chilly powder, and mix well. After 5 minutes add the green peas and mix again. Cook till the tomato pieces turn mushy or into paste. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well and add the cooked rice. Mix well and add serve hot with papad or plain raw plantain chips.

Tamarind Rice

Recommended Season : All seasons, but not too often (Advisable to avoid for people with skin problems)
Ingrediants : Rice 2 cups Mustard 1 teaspoon Black gram 1 tablespoon Bengal gram 1 tablespoon Fenugreek seeds 10 to 12 grains Curry leaves 8 to 10 Tamarind lemon sized (or according to taste) Red chillies 7 to 8 Roasted Groundnuts 2 cups Salt 2 teaspoons Oil 3 to 4 tablespoons

Soak rice for half an hour and cook rice. Wash and soak the tamarind for 10 to 15 minutes, preferably in warm water for softening it quickly. Take thick juice out of the tamarind. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard, black gram, Bengal gram, and red chillies and fry till the dals turn pink in colour. Add curry leaves, tamarind juice and salt, and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears and the oil separates. Add the cooked rice and roasted groundnuts and mix well.

Coconut Rice

Recommended Season : All seasons
Ingrediants : Rice 2 cups Mustard 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon Black gram 1 tablespoon Bengal gram 1 tablespoon Curry leaves 8 to 10 Red chillies 2 to 3 Grated coconut 2 cups Salt 1 teaspoon

Soak rice for half an hour and cook rice. Heat 2 or 3 teaspoons oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, black gram, Bengal gram and red chillies and fry till the dals turn pink in colour. Add curry leaves, cooked rice and salt, mix well. Turn off the flame. Add the grated coconut and mix well. Alternatively, salt can be added to the rice at the time of cooking for better taste.