Capsicum (Bell peppers) Rice - Version 2

If at all you are a person who says "I hate capsicum"?, its high time you change your opinion. Else you would be missing this absolutely mouth watering rice variation. :)

Try it out and I bet you would not regret :p

And yeah!!! Frogs can also look cute at times :)

Ingredients:

Plain rice - 1 cup
Capsicum(bell peppers) - 4 to 5 medium sized
Lemon - 1
Grated dry coconut - 1 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black gram dhall - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dhall - 2 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Cashewnuts - 8
Roasted peanuts - 1 tblsp

For masala powder:

Red chillies - 6
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black gram dhall - 1 1/4 tsp
Bengal gram dhall - 1 1/2 tsp

Method:

Fry all the masala items in a tsp of ghee or oil till golden brown. Powder it after it cools down and keep this aside.

Cook rice until it is three fourth cooked and allow it to cool on a plate. Each grain should remain separate. Mix a tsp of oil or ghee to it.

Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings one by one and fry till golden brown in color. Add diced capsicums and fry till it becomes soft. Reduce the flame and add grated coconut. Fry till light brown, now add the turmeric powder and salt. Add rice to this and fry till rice becomes hot. Squeeze lemon juice and add powdered masala. Mix well and garnish with cut coriander leaves.

Yummy yummy capsicum rice is ready to eat :) Happy making. Enjoy eating :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Ghee Rice & Veg Kuruma

It was awesome to see Sivaji and Padmini together.
It is brilliant to hear SPB and S.Janaki together.
It was super cool to see Sachin and Saurav scoring together.
If there is another combination like that!!!!
It should be Ghee rice and Veg kuruma together. :)

I just adore this combination and its really heavenly. :) A simple rice with a rich kuruma is perfect for lunch. :)

Ghee rice

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Onion - 1
Saunf(Soambu) - 1/2 tsp
water
Salt - for taste


Method:

Take a pressure pan and add the ghee. Once it is slightly hot add all the spices and chopped onion and fry for a min. Now add the washed basmathi rice to it and fry for 2 min. Once done add 2 cups of water and salt and pressure cook for just a whistle.

Yummy ghee rice is ready to serve. :)

Veg Kuruma

Ingredients:

Chopped vegetables(Carrot, beans, potato etc) - 1 cup
Chillies - 4 (you can increse according to your taste)
Grated coconut - 2 tblsp
Cashews - 10
Poppy seeds - 1 tblsp
Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Salt - for taste


Method:

Cook the diced vegetables and keep them aside. Grind coconut, chillies, cashews, poppy seeds, saunf, cloves and cinnamon together adding water liberally. Now mix the cooked vegetables with the ground masala adding adequate salt and allow it to boil for five min.

Simple yet rich and tasty kuruma is ready to eat. :) Goes best with ghee rice but sure it would be a nice combi with roti or chapathi too :)

Happy making and happy eating :)

I am sending this dish to Aathidhyam's Rice feast event.


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Colorful Capsicum Rice :)

God is the most creative and aesthetic man ever I guess. He has got a such a great taste.

You ask for food, he gives you a wide choice of vegetables and fruits.
You ask for vegetables, he gives you a choice to eat it raw or cook and eat.
You simply ask for capsicum, he gives you a choice of four colors!!!!!!!

When we have them, why don't we use them to make attractive food. :) So here we go for a colorful version of capsicum rice.




Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Capsicum(yellow, green and red) - 1/2 of each
Cumin - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch pieces
Garlic - 4 pods
Tomato ketchup sauce - 3 tsp
Chilly powder - for taste
Salt - for taste




Method:

Dice capsicum into cubes and keep it aside. Now in a pan heat one tsp of oil and crackle cumin seeds. Add ground ginger garlic paste to it and fry. Once done add the chopped capsicum and a pinch of salt and saute for five min. Add rice, salt, chilly powder and the tomato sauce to this and fry till everything gets mixed well. Colorful capsicum rice is ready to eat. :) serve it hot with raitha of your choice. :)


I am sending this to Aathidhyam's Rice feast event.



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Babycorn and Cauliflower Pulav

Every kid opens his lunch box expecting a great deal of a surprise inside. :) I have come across that age and yes I did expect something fishy in my box everyday to tickle my tongue and to share with my friends.

Mixed rice or pulav has always been a super good choice I would love to have. Because it fills my tummy and satisfies my tongue.

I just love baby corns and cauliflower so much.. So this combi of both was a treat to me and sure would be to you too. :)

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Baby corn cobs - 5
Cauliflower flowerettes - 1 cup
Onions - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cardamoms - 2
Cloves -3
Ghee - for frying
Salt - for taste

To grind:

Onion -1 big
Garlic - 4 pods
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbl sp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp



Method:

Soak rice in water for ten min. In a pressure pan take a spoon of ghee and fry bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Now add chopped onions to it and saute till it turns golder brown. Add the ground masala paste and fry till ghee floats on top. Now add chopped baby corns and cauliflower flowerettes and fry for few minutes. Once done add the rice along with required amount of water and salt. Cook it for one whistle.

Baby corn and cauliflower pulav is ready to eat. Serve it hot with raitha of your choice. :)

This quantity will suffice 4 people.

Happy making and enjoy eating :)



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Vegetable Briyani

All in one!!! A real treat for the eyes, nose and tongue :)

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 2.5 cup
Garlic - 1 full
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chillies - 6
Mixed vegetables (carrot, beetroot, beans, potato, piece etc) - 1 cup
Salt - to taste

Masala:

Cinamon (pattai) - small piece
Ani seed (sombu) - 1 tsp
Clove(Lavangam) - 3
Brinji leaf - 1
Cadamom(Elachi) - 2



Method:

Powder the cinamon, ani seed and cadamom finely and keep it aside. Grind ginger and garlic together and keep it aside. For best results wash and soak the rice in water for ten min before making it.

Now take a pressure pan and add a tbspn of oil. Add the masala powder, cloves and brinji leaf. Now add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry till you count ten in reverse order:) . Now add all the diced vegetables and salt and fry for 5 min. Now drain the rice and add it to the mixture. Fry again for 3 min. Now pour coconut water and close the pan and let it cook for 2 whistles. You can garnish it finally with roasted bread and cashews. Vegetable briyani is ready :) Happy eating :)

Serve it hot with raitha(onion and cucumber). This quantity would serve 4 ppl.



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com