Showing posts with label Beans. Show all posts

Fried Rice with Ginger Garlic Sauce

This fried rice is so tasty, I cannot believe I never tried it before. Sigh.

When I went veggie shopping this weekend, I was extremely disappointed to see that my regular vegetable vendor has closed shop. Nothing excites me as fresh veggies, and he kept really fresh veggies. I’m still in denial. I’m sure it was a one off thing, may be a birthday or something (I’m sooo hoping it’s a onetime thing). So grudgingly I had to find a few new places to shop. To brighten my day, I picked some all colored peppers aka red, yellow and green capsicum. I even picked up zucchini and broccoli in the first shop. The next shop had more of my weekly local vegetables. I picked up some French beans and carrots. I add French beans and carrots to so many dishes – dalia, uppit, sambar, mix veg sabzi etc.

Ok, so I bought all these vegetables, but I just realized today, that I’m out of town the whole of next week and hubby dearest is not going to bother about my precious exotic vegetables lying in the fridge and by the time I come back they will be all shriveled. I had to cook them today, when they are still fresh and smiling

And I did have some wonderful fragrant Basmati rice with me. So I decided to make fried rice. Only this time, I’ve added a twist. This is my own recipe and I simply love it. Henceforth, this is how I will always make fried rice.

So grab your sharpest knife and get to work. It’s quite a bit of chopping, I accept. I julienned the peppers, French beans and carrots. I broke the broccoli into small florets. I cut the zucchini into thin semicircle slices

The recipe below makes yummy fried rice for 2.

Fried Rice with Ginger Garlic Sauce

Vegetable Fried Rice tossed with a ginger garlic sauce

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian Chinese
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

½ each Red, yellow, green Capsicum / Pepper
½ Zucchini
10-12 small florets Broccoli
1 Carrot
10-12 French beans
1 Onion
8-10 cloves Garlic (Garlic cloves in India are very small, 3 of them may make 1 garlic clove abroad)
1.5” piece Ginger
1-2 Green Chillies
1 cup Basmati rice
4 tsp Soy sauce
2 tsp Sesame oil/ Olive oil
2 tsp Rice vinegar or any white vinegar
½ tsp Sugar
1 Maggi magic cube or ½ tsp Ajinomoto (Optional)
6 tsp Oil
Salt
Water

Method:

Wash thoroughly and soak the rice for half hour. Drain the water and cook it with 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles or until done. Alternatively, follow the instructions for cooking the rice mentioned on the packet.

Once the rice is cooked, fluff it and keep aside.

In a blender/ mixer, grind together the garlic, ginger, green chillies, soy sauce, olive/sesame oil, vinegar, magic cube and sugar. It doesn't have to be a fine sauce, it can be coarse.

Julienne the capsicums, French beans and carrots. Slice the zucchini into semicircles. Break/cut the broccoli into small florets and slice the onion.

We will cook each of these vegetables separately as they have different cooking times.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok/kadhai. Add the French beans and carrot and fry until they are cooked but still crunchy.

Remove them and keep aside.

Add 1 tsp of oil into the kadhai and now add the peppers. Saute them until they are partially cooked, we want them crunchy.

Remove them and keep along with the beans.

Add 1 tsp of oil and now add the broccoli and zucchini and cook until they are done.

Remove and keep with other veggies.

Heat the remaining oil in the kadhai and add the onions. Once the onions are cooked, add all the other vegetables and the sauce.

Add the rice and mix well.

Add salt if required.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Who doesn't like the greasy Indian Chinese fried rice? Pair that with some spicy manchurian, and we have a dinner going... It has become so popular that tiny roadside carts also sell you some tasty fried rice at lower cost... But some of the best things are made at home when you know how hygienic it is... And this works perfectly for a busy week night dinner as it hardly takes any time to prepare.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Rice and vegetables stir fried together.

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian Chinese
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes (Includes cooking rice)
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked or 2-3 cups cooked Rice
1 Carrot
10-12 Green Beans
1/2 Capsicum
2 Spring Onions or 1 Onion
1" piece Ginger
3-4 cloves Garlic
1-2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Ajinomoto / Maggi magic cube (Optional)
1 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Vinegar
3 tsp Oil
2-3 drops Lime juice
Salt

Method:

Rice needs to be slightly under cooked and dry for fried rice. So cook the rice with a little less water than usual and for little less time. I cooked with a tbsp less than 1.5 cups of water and it generally takes 5 whistles or 10 mins for my rice to cook in the pressure cooker. I cooked for 4 whistles instead. Add a few drops of lime juice so that the cooked rice has separate grains.

Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a large plate until ready to use.

Chop the carrot and beans into small cubes and boil them until half done.I microwaved them for around 6 mins.

Julienne the capsicum and onions. If the spring onions are very small, you can use more.

Crush the ginger and garlic into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadhai / wok and once it is hot, add the onion and fry.

Once the onions are slightly translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and capsicum and fry for 1 min

Add the beans and carrot and cook until the vegetables are almost 90% done. They should retain their bite. Do not overcook them.

Add the 1 tbsp soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, ajinomoto or maggi magic cube and mix well.

Add the rice and mix well

Add salt and any other sauce as per taste

Serve hot with some spicy manchurian

Vegetable Biryani (2 ways)

After a short trip to Sri Lanka where we struggled to find veg food, our taste buds were craving for some spice and lots of vegetables. I wanted to make and eat something that celebrated our wonderful Indian cuisine. It had also been a long time since I had made biryani, I'd almost forgotten the recipe taught to me by my friend's mom. So I tried to recollect all I could and gave it a go. It definitely was the tastiest biryani I've ever eaten (may be cause I made it :P) Below is the recipe how I made it (1st one). There are a few things missing here that are present in an authentic biryani as I made it with things readily available. I have not added potato, black cardamom and saffron/kesar. You can add the potato along with the other vegetables. Black cardamom needs to be added to the rice as well as the masala (1 each). Few saffron strands are mixed with milk and added to the rice. I skipped all this and as I know it, it made no difference to the biryani tastewise. Also, I used regular rice and not Basmati. I highly recommend using Basmati as it adds to the fragrance. I am listing down 2 recipes below, 1st one is how I made it and the 2nd one is an easier method.

Vegetable Biryani

The masala before layering

Recipe 1 : How I made it:

Vegetable Biryani

Rice cooked with vegetables and a spicy masala

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup / 10-12 florets Cauliflower
1 Carrot
1/2 cup Peas
12-15 Beans
2 medium Onions
2 medium Tomatoes
4-5 cloves Garlic
1 " piece Ginger
1/2 cup Curd/ Yoghurt
1/2 cup Mint
1 cup uncooked Rice
3.5 cups Water
4 Cloves
2 1" pieces Cinnamon
4 Green cardamom
2 Bayleaf
A few strands Mace
8-10 Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Ajwain
6 tsp Oil
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
2 Tbsp Milk
Salt

Method:

Take 3 cups of water in a kadhai/pan. Add 2 cloves, 1 bayleaf, 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 Green cardamoms, few strands of mace and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Wash the rice and add to the water and boil until the rice is almost done.

Remove the spices from the rice and drain excess water if any.

Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.

Once they brown, add the 1 chopped onions, remaining cloves, cardamom, bayleaf, peppercorns, ajwain and cinnamon.

Cook until the onions are translucent.

Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.

Add it to the kadhai with the onions.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala and cook for 1 min.

Add all the roughly chopped vegetables and 1/4 cup water and cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are almost done.

Add more water if needed.

Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.

Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.

Add salt and remove from heat.

In another pan, add the remaining oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.

Add one layer of the masala over the onions

Add one layer of rice

Again add a layer of masala and then one layer of rice.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk and cover the kadhai and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins.

Mix well and serve hot with raita.

Recipe 2: Easy way out

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 cup / 10-12 florets

Carrot - 1

Peas - 1/2 cup

Beans - 12-15

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Garlic - 4-5 cloves

Ginger - 1 " piece

Curd - 1/2 cup

Mint - 1/2 cup

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Green cardamom - 2

Bayleaf - 1

Mace - few strands

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 6 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Biryani masala - 1-2 tbsp

Salt

Method:

Cook rice along with cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bayleaf, mace and 1/2 tsp of salt. You can pressure cook the rice until it is done. Add a little less water than you regularly do so that the rice is not too mushy. We need the rice grains to be separate.
Remove the spices from the rice and keep aside.
Parboil the vegetables outside until they are half done. Especially carrot and beans that take a little longer to cook. You can microwave them on high for 3-4 mins.
Heat 4 tsp oil in another kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown, add 1 chopped onion. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Grind together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
Add it to the kadhai with the onions.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and biryani masala and cook for 3-5 mins.
Add the vegetables cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
Add more water if needed.
Grind the mint leaves with a little water and add it to the curd and whisk to remove any lumps.
Add this to the masala and cook for 1 min.
Add salt and remove from heat.
In another pan, add the remaining oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the remaining onion sliced lengthwise and fry until brown.
Mix the fried onion, masala and rice. Heat once again if needed.
Serve hot with raita

Vegetable Pulao

In the early 1990s, cable TVs had just entered homes, infact, TVs had just entered a few homes. International brands were unknown to most except probably those who had travelled abroad. Internet was virtually unheard of and computers unseen by most. Weekends were 1.5 days long and travels by Bajaj scooters. The only McDonald we had heard of was the old farmer who had pigs and ducks on his farm. Eating out was restricted to local foods like pao bhaji, sev puri, samosas and dosas. Eating out was an extravagance, a luxury. Families ate out once in 1-2 months. Sundays became special affairs. Sunday was a day to cook out specialities by the woman of the house. The menu for sunday until lunch was pretty much fixed. Idlis with hot sambhar and spicy chutney for breakfast. And my mom's special Pulao and Chana masala for lunch. How we lusted for the lunch. All the while, playing in the street, the mind was still in the kitchen smelling in the aroma of pulao. My mom's simple yet delicious vegetable pulao was always a favourite among friends and relatives. I use the same recipe, the same ingredients, but I can never match up to the pulao of those early sunday afternoons of my life. But each time I make this pulao, the feeling of nostalgia envelopes me.

Vegetable Pulao

Indian rice pilaf made with vegetables and whole spices

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice
2 cups Water (Or how much is needed to cook 1 cup of rice in a pressure cooker)
1 cup Assorted vegetables (Roughly chopped Cauliflower, Potato, French beans. Carrots and Green Peas)
1 Onion
1 Tomato
2-3 Green Chillies
5-6 Black peppercorns
1-2 Cloves
1" stick Cinnamon
1 Bayleaf / Tej patta (dry)
1 cube Maggi magic cube (veg)
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt

Method:

Wash the rice and spread on a muslin cloth to dry until ready to use.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker

Add the finely chopped onions and slit green chillies

Add all the whole spices and fry until the onions are light brown

Add the tomato and fry for 1 min

Add the rice and fry for 30secs - 1 min

Add the water. Crush the magic cube and add it to the cooker.

Add salt. The magic cube itself has salt, keep that in consideration while adding salt.

Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the rice is done.

Serve hot with raita or pickle

Heserkalu palya | Moong masala

Monsoons have almost stopped. The weather is awesome, but the vegetables are not. On most days I am disappointed looking at the dull looking veggies in Hopcoms or the local vendors. These are the days when the Beans/Kaalu/Dals come to the rescue. Heserkalu or Moong beans are easy to cook and make an awesome gravy dish to be mopped up with phulkas, chapatis or bread.

Heserkalu palya | Moong masala

A spicy moong beans curry

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Moong beans/ Heserkalu(dried)
1 large Tomato
1 medium Onion
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera
4-5 Curry leaves
1.5 cups Water
A handful of Coriander leaves

Method:

Wash the moong and cook it in the pressure cooker using 2 cups of water until cooked. It takes me around 10 mins in sim after one whistle.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds

Once they brown add the curry leaves. chopped garlic and finely chopped onion

When the onion turns translucent, add finely chopped tomato and all the spices.

Fry until the tomatoes soften

Add the moon along with the water it is boiled it.

Add salt and cook until the water evaporates and you achieve the desired consistency.

Add more water if the moon has soaked up all the water while boiling itself.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapati or bread.

Dalia Pulao | Broken Wheat with vegetables

I always thought Dalia was a sick man’s food. Until my sister convinced me it was actually tasty. I bought broken wheat from the store but still stared at it with apprehension. Then almost a month after buying it, I decided it was high time I used it. Pleasant surprise! That’s what it was. It tastes very much like uppit/ upma. And it is supposed to be very healthy as the broken wheat is hardly processed.

Dalia Pulao | Broken Wheat with vegetables

Thick porridge made using broken wheat and vegetables.

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

½ cup Dalia/ Broken Wheat
1 cup mixed Vegetables(French beans / carrots / capsicum/ green peas)
1 small Onion
1 small Tomato
2-3 Green Chillies
5-6 Curry leaves
2 cups Water
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
½ Tbsp Lime juice
A handful of Coriander leaves
Salt

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add 1 tsp of oil and lightly roast the broken wheat for around 1 min. (You can skip this step)

Remove the broken wheat into a plate

Add the remaining oil in the cooker and add the cumin seeds

Once the cumin splutters, add the curry leaves, chopped onions and chopped green chillies

Fry until the onions are done

Add the tomato and fry for 1 min

Add the remaining vegetables and fry for another 1 min

Add the 2 cups of water and salt

Add the broken wheat and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or 10 mins.

Add the lime juice and freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

Black Bean Soup

This has been on my list to post for a long time but I guess only laziness prevented me from posting it. Black beans are pretty much unknown out here. I first ate them at Panera Bread. The black bean soup which was a Thursday regular was the low fat vegetarian soup option. It’s nice to know something tasty is also low fat, isn’t it? I came back to Bangalore and black beans were nowhere to be found L Then one day while walking around a supermarket I found canned black beans. Since then it has become quite a regular soup at home. Filling and very Indian in spices and taste, this works well with everyone at home. Rajma looks a lot like black beans but tastes quite different, so don’t mistake the two. This soup so full of bean, is also very filling.

Black Bean Soup

Vegan soup made using spices and black beans

Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 can Black Beans
1 Tomato
1 small Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera
1 tsp Cumin powder / Jeera powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2-3 tsp Oil
Salt
Water 2 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves (Optional)

Method:

Wash and rinse the black beans as specified on the can.

Finely chop the garlic, onion and tomato

Heat oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds

Once the cumin seeds brown, add the garlic and onion and fry until the onions are translucent

Add the tomato and cook until done

Add the cumin powder and rec chilli powder and fry for 1 min

Add the black beans, water and salt and boil for 4-5 mins.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (Optional)

Enjoy hot with crusty bread

Avial

Avial is I believe a Tamil/ Kerala version of the Kannada majjige huli. Majjige huli is made only from white pumpkin, but Avial has loads of vegetables. An awesome combination with dosa or adai (dal dosa). Don't fret if you don't have all the vegetables mentioned in the list, just add what you have at home and make your own version of avail like I did.

Avial

stew made with vegetables, coconut and yogurt

South Indian stew made with vegetables, coconut and yoghurt

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Coconut
3 tsp Jeera / Cumin Seeds
2-3 Green Chillies
1 cup Curd / Yoghurt
2.5-3 cups of mixed Vegetables
4-5 Curry Leaves
2 tsp Oil
Water
Salt

Method:

Cut all the vegetables roughly, appx 1” pieces. Generally used vegetables for avail are Drumstick, Carrot, French beans, Yam, Pumpkin, Raw banana and brinjal. I did not have all these, so I used Carrot, French beans, brinjal, potato and capsicum.

Boil water in a pan and add the vegetables to it and cook until they are done but still firm. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook first. Veggies like brinjal, capsicum, raw banana can be added after 3-4 mins.

Grind together coconut, 2 tsp jeera and green chillies into a fine paste.

Add the paste to the vegetables once the vegetables are done

Add salt and 1 cup water and boil for 3-4 mins. Adjust the water according to the desired consistency.

Beat the curd until smooth and add to the avial. Cook for 2 mins on low flame.

Heat oil in a small pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they slightly brown, add the curry leaves and pour this tempering to the avial.

Enjoy hot with rice or dosa.