Fried rice

I have moved to a new city again and as expected the first few days were super hectic and disorganized. In between this chaos and slogging I have had bouts of nostalgia too. Till you settle in your new house and it transforms to a home it is bound to continue.

On one such lovely romp down the memory lane I started thinking about food, restaurant which left me ravenous.

So with the limited pantry supplies I had to make something that is simple, fresh at the same time filling. Since I had a bunch of fresh spring onions I decided to make fried rice  (south Indian restaurant style yea  ... Indo-chinese).

It is just chopped veggies tossed with pepper and rice. To get good fried rice, rice has to be cooked to perfection. They should be firm , separate and not sticky. You can use any rice but I prefer basmati.



Ingredients
(serves - 2)

• Rice - 1 cup (basmathi preferred)
• Spring onion - 3
• Spring onion green - 3
• Capsicum - 1/4 cup
• Cabbage - 1/4 cup
• Carrot - 1/4 cup
• Beans - 1/4 cup
• Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
• Garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped
• Green chilli - 2 (whole chilli just slit it)(optional)
• Pepper - 1 tbsp (freshly ground)
• Oil - 1tbsp
• Salt

1. Chop all the vegetables finely. 

 2. Cook rice in a pressure cooker. Rice should be non sticky so if it is basmathi rice for 1 cup  add 2 cups of water. If it is normal rice then 3. Pressure cook for 2 or maximum 3 whistles. Spread it on a plate and allow it to cool.

3. Take a big wok or kadai. Heat oil and add green chilli, garlic and ginger. Saute for few seconds. Add all the vegetables and cook in high flame for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add rice, salt, pepper and stir fry for few more minutes in high flame.

5. Remove from heat and DIG IN !!!

Aloo masala

 

When I was a kid puri masala used to be a sunday special. At least once a month my mom used to make this for me and my bro. I used to love the hot puffed up poori. As kids even small things used to amuse me. I loved to put my hands in the middle of the puffed puris and watch it deflate. 

Vathakozhambu or vaththal kozambu

My paati makes the best vathakozambu and I follow her recipe. If made well this kozhambu will stay for atleast 3 days (without refrigeration).

Ingredients
serves - 2

• Tamarind - size of  big lemon / 1/4 cup loosely packed
• Gingely oil - 5 to 6 tsp
• Red chillies - 4
• Fenugreek seeds - 4 to 6 seeds
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 10 to 15
• Vegetable - drumstick or onion or lady's finger - 1 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Sambar powder - 2 to 3 tsp
• Salt

1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard and wait for it to splutter. Then add red chillies, curry leaves and fenugreek and saute for few seconds.
2. Add the vegetable and saute well for few minutes. If it is onion saute till it becomes translucent and looses its raw smell.
3. Add sambar powder and saute for few seconds. Make sure it doesn't get burned.
4. Immediately add tamarind juice. If possible soak the tamarind 20 minutes prior to get thick tamarind juice. Remove the pulp and add only the juice. If the tamarind juice is not thick it will take long time to reach the right consistency.
5. Boil till it becomes little thick and the vegetable gets cooked. If it is too watery, make a thick slurry with water and 2 tsp rice flour. Add it to the kozhambu. Allow it to boil. Finish off with a dash of asofoetida.

Veggie dho corn

This post is dedicated to one of my close friend, who is an amazing cook and from whom I learnt this recipe. She used to be my neighbor too and used to send these oh-so-good kind of dishes. M and I used to love it and would literally polish of the vessel. This corn-baby corn subji (hence the name veggie dho corn... hmm may be little lame!) was the first dish she gave us and I totally fell in love with it.

Onion paste is sauteed in oil along with capsicum. Tomato puree (boil tomato, remove skin and then liquidize using a blender), veggies and kasuri methi are added and simmered to get the right flavour. Milk is added in the end to get the right consistency and to even out the flavours of the gravy.

It is a simple gravy and to save time I usually boil the veggies and tomato in cooker along with rice.

The best part about this subji is just a couple of cardamoms and a handful of kasuri methi gives so much flavour to the gravy. It is loaded with veggies and goes well with both rice and roti.  

INGREDIENTS
Serves - 4

• Baby corn - 6-8 ( cut all the veggies lengthwise into thin strips)
• Sweet corn kernels - 1/2 cup
• Beans - 6 to 8 
• Carrot - 1 big stick
•  Capsicum - 1 small
• Tomato - 4
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 11/2 tsp (or more depending on your preference)
• Dry mango powder or aamchur - 1 tsp (optional)
• Dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi - 2 tbsp (heaped)
• Milk - 3/4 cup
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt

Grind to a smooth paste

•  Onion - 2 (roughly chopped)
• Almonds - 3 (can be substituted with watermelon seeds)
• Elaichi or cardamom - 2
• Green chilli - 1 (big)
• Ginger - small piece
• Garlic - 1 or 2 cloves 

1. Boil baby corn, corn kernels, beans and carrot. Add little salt and keep aside.
2. Boil tomatoes, remove skin and grind to a smooth puree.
3. Heat oil in a kadai (preferably non stick as the onion paste gets sticky and burns very easily). Add the ground onion paste and saute till it loses its raw smell and turns light brown.
4. Add capsicum and saute again for few minutes. ( You will get a lovely aroma of capsicum and the cardamom)
5. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, aamchur and salt. Cook for few minutes.
6. Add boiled vegetables, 1 cup water, kasuri methi and bring it to a boil. Allow the gravy to boil for 3 to 5 minutes to bring it all together. Excess water has to evaporate and as the gravy boils it will bring out the flavour from kasuri methi.
7. Add milk in small portions and stir continuously to avoid curdling. Simmer for a minute or  two. Once the gravy thickens switch off and serve hot.

 

Sending this to favourite recipe event by zesty south indian kitchen  

Pulikaichal or spiced tamarind paste

There will be days when you just want to laze around and not step into the kitchen.Can't imagine what I  would have done on all those days if  not for the Pulikachal (seasoned tamarind paste). Just make a batch of these and push it inside your fridge.Bliss!!!

Maladu or maa laddu

 

I find the aroma of freshly made ghee simply irresistible. When I was a kid, I used to wait for my mom to make ghee at home. Of course, at that time, I cared a damn about my weight or my diet and there was absolutely no need to wait in queue for aavin butter. Life