Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl

Summer in a bowl - Spicy grilled Cauliflower, chewy Black Rice, fresh vibrant summer salad all tossed with a mint coriander oil. What are you waiting for? Dig in!!

I love one bowl meals, so convenient. You spoon all that you want in one large bowl and then you mix together all the bits and pieces as you eat. Bowl meals are popular in so many cultures - Asians have bibimbaps and a variety of other bowl meals (I'm not sure what they are really called), there are Mexican Rice Bowls - I really really love this, I can never have enough of it. And I'm sure there are thousands more that I've never even heard of. What's your favorite bowl meal?

So while Summer hit its high notes, the weather had mercy and a few drops of rain in patches brought down the temperature a few degrees. Yay! Now I at least don't drag my feet to the kitchen. It was beginning to get so hot that I had almost wanted to give up cooking. Standing in front of a hot stove when the air around you is so hot, was definitely more unappetizing than take away food. 

Being a food blogger, I cannot "not" cook food. What will I write about? Life of a food blogger, especially a part time one like me is not at all rosy. Full time office job that pays me a salary takes up all of my day and a good part of my evenings and nights. I'm either travelling or in meetings or on a call. It's not that I hate it, in fact I enjoy a lot of it, but all that leaves me with very little time for cooking. So most of my kitchen experiments or as I call it "Delicious Exotic Cooking" happens only on the weekends. Weekdays are for simple non spicy dinners like this Tendle Bibbe Upkari with chapati. 

Today was a relaxing Saturday. I had planned to not cook anything. Breakfast was at Gee's place where she made this awesome Sabudana Khichdi. And when Sabudana Khichdi is there, I always over-eat. So we were in no mood for a regular heavy lunch. Binged watched movies on TV all day. All that lazing is doing wonders for me!! I finally feel like cooking.

But today we were in no mood for regular heavy spicy weekend lunch. We both wanted something fresh yet filling. Not so sure if he wanted filling, but I definitely am not cooking any snacks with evening tea, so lunch had to keep us full till dinner. So presenting, my Saturday kitchen experiment, *drum rolls* - Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl!!

This Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl has 4 main components - the spicy grilled cauliflower ( of course), black rice (I told you I cook exotic food), mint coriander oil (ah! so easy) and a fresh summer salad (so refreshing). 

Start by making the mint coriander oil. It is the simplest part of the entire bowl, but also the thing that ties it all together. The mint and coriander need time to infuse into the oil. So I'd start with this. 

Then comes the black rice. Why black rice, you ask? Because I had it!! You can use brown rice or even regular white rice. I loved the play of black and the other colors, plus I had to use the rice, so I used the sexy black rice. Black rice is very similar to traditional brown rice, it needs quite a bit of soaking and it takes time to cook. It also has that bite to it that's generally missing in white rice. Cook the rice you have just the way you want it and it should be good. 

The Cauliflower - marinate it with olive oil, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garlic, lime juice, turmeric powder and salt. I love this marinade, and I use it for all sorts of things - Paneer, Tofu, Chickpeas etc. Let the marinade soak in, then grill the cauliflower until it is done. I did mine in the oven. 

The salad is just a basic salad of raw vegetables with a light dressing of lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I just mixed together colorful peppers / capsicum to brighten up the whole dish. Use whatever you feel like adding to the salad.

Finally just spoon everything in a bowl and enjoy!! I preferred eating it at room temperature as it was a warm day. You can serve it at any temperature you like.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Spicy Cauliflower with Tzatziki
• Beetroot Cauliflower Burger
• Vegan Cauliflower Rendang Curry

Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl

Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl is a fresh summer bowl made with spicy grilled cauliflower, a fresh salad, black rice tossed with a refreshing mint coriander oil.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     60 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Grilled Cauliflower:

2 cups Cauliflower Florets
1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1.5 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste

For the Summer Salad:

1 Cucumber
1 small Onion
1 large Tomato
1/2 cup diced Capsicum (mixed colors)
1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

For the Mint Coriander Oil:

2 tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped Mint leaves
3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

For the Black Rice:

1 cup Black Rice
2 cups Water
1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

To make the Mint Coriander Oil: 

Mix together all the ingredients and keep aside until assembling.

To make the Black Rice: 

Wash and drain the black rice.
Add water until covered and soak for 1 hour.
Drain the water.
Pressure cook the rice with 2 cups of water and salt until done but not mushy. You can cook it in a deep pot as well. Black rice takes longer to cook just like brown rice.
Fluff the rice with a fork and keep aside.

To make the Grilled Cauliflower: 

Mix together all the ingredients except the cauliflower to make a marinade.
Add in the cauliflower and rub the marinade. Keep aside for half hour.
Lay out on a baking sheet and grill in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the cauliflower is done.

To make the Summer Salad: 

Roughly dice the cucumber, onion and tomato.
Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

To Assemble the Summer Bowl: 

Spoon the rice equally into bowls. Pour the mint coriander oil over the rice.
Place the roasted cauliflower and the salad over the rice.
Serve at room temperature or warm.

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Sunday Lunch Special - Kathal Biryani | Jackfruit Biryani (with Photo Instructions)

Sunday Lunches are meant to be special, and this slow cooked Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani made with raw jackfruit, long grained Basmati Rice and lots of spices is definitely my definition of SPECIAL (Vegan option available)!!

When I think of Sunday lunch, I always think of something that is slow cooked and delicious. A dish into which I put my heart and time into. It may be because of my mom. Being children of a full time career woman meant that weekday food was simple and quick. It was still delicious and healthy. My mom made sure we ate home cooked healthy food literally every meal every day. Eating out was a rarity. Working 6 days a week, left out just one Sunday and she made sure that Sunday was special. It was the day she got to cook something special for the large family. A Sunday fare that everyone in the family loved and awaited.

A couple of years ago, I realized I'm turning into my Mom!! Good for me, she is the woman I admire the most, but not so good for my lazy hubby. He gets picked on for not keeping his tea cup in the kitchen sink almost as soon as he finishes the tea, a most definite hand-me-down trait from my mom. I instantly NEED (yes, it is a need) cups and plates and bowls to be kept in the sink as soon as they are empty of food. It may be a really annoying good habit or just OCD, but whatever that is, came from my mom to me.

There is one thing different though, she hated spicy food. Infact, all her siblings do. They cannot stomach anything spicy, they prefer a more bland affair. Luckily for me I can eat spicy a couple of times a week, and then I crave my simple daily home cooked rice-dal type of food.

So while my Sunday lunch is a lengthy affair, it is definitely spicier than my mom's. This Sunday it was a recipe that I'd been wanting to make for a very very long time - Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani. Can I just tell you something? It was DELICIOUS!!! It was the best biryani I made till date. The aroma wafting through the house from the very first step had us drooling before we even got to eat the biryani. I am actually sorry that you cannot smell this through the photos. You can make this Biryani on anyday, but I'm just being honest in saying it is a time consuming dish and is best made on days when you have the time and do not have to rush through the steps. This is definitely not a quick weeknight recipe.

Biryani is predominantly a non-vegetarian dish in which rice is cooked along with meat and spices. Jackfruit is a perfect replacement for the meat due to is chewy moist texture. And this Jackfruit Biryani can convert anyone to a vegetarian!!

The most boring and tedious job while making this biryani is actually cutting the jackfruit. The sticky milky wax is kinda annoying. Rajeshwari of Rak's Kitchen has provided a beautiful visual tutorial on how to cut a jackfruit. You can follow that until step 2. I used coconut oil instead of sesame oil, use any cooking oil. Once the jackfruit is cut and ready, half your job is done. Salt the pieces and deep fry them. You can also steam them or just use it directly in the biryani and allow it to cook along with the rice and spices.

A major part of the biryani is the rice. Use the best long grained rice you can. Fragrant basmati works the best with this type of biryani. Since the rice is layered along with the masala and cooked again later, in the initial stages, we only parboil the rice. The rice is cooked along with whole spices until it is half done. Then it is drained and washed and kept aside.

The masala, this smells DIVINE. I'm not kidding. This is gonna bring neighbors home, that's how fragrant it is. Traditionally the masala is not vegan, but you can make it vegan. Just replace the Ghee with more Oil and the yoghurt with extra tomatoes. The spices are fried in ghee+oil and then the onion is added. Then come in the ginger-garlic, and this is when the aroma just explodes into your face. Then come tomatoes. If you are replacing the yogurt with tomatoes, just add them now. Add all your spice powders. Once everything is cooked, add in the jackfruit, yogurt, and coriander leaves. Your masala is practically ready.

Then begin by layering the masala, fresh mint leaves, rice. Usually 2 layers are made. Then on the top layer add saffron or turmeric powder mixed with either milk or water and pour. Sprinkle crispy brown onions. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 mins or until the rice is done.

You can bake this too. Preheat your oven to around 200 degree C and bake the layered biryani for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mushroom Biryani
• Vegetable Biryani
• Spinach Rice

Jackfruit Biryani | Kathal Biryani (Vegan Option Available)

Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani is an Indian layered rice dish wherein raw jackfruit is cooked with rice and spices.  

Recipe Type:  Rice
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4

Ingredients:

Fresh Ingredients:

1 small raw Jackfruit / Kathal (600-700gms)
4 Onions
4 Tomatoes
2 handfuls Coriander leaves
2 handfuls Mint leaves
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste

Grains:

2 cups Basmati Rice

Whole Spices:

4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
3 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds (Shah Jeera)
5 Cloves (Lawang)
2" Cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1 tsp Stone Flower (Pathar ke Phool / Dagad Phool)

Spice Powders:

3 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder

Dairy:

1 cup Yogurt / Dahi (Replace with 1 large tomato for a vegan option)
3 Tbsp Ghee (Replace with Oil for a vegan option)
2 Tbsp Milk (Replace with water for a vegan option)

Others:

3 Tbsp Oil
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
8 cups Water

Method:

Cooking the Jackfruit:

Oil your hands and the knife with any edible oil, preferably coconut.
Cut the jackfruit into quarters.
Peel the thorny skin of the jackfruit. Remove the center stalk.
Dice the jackfruit into 1" sized pieces.
Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt on the jackfruit pieces.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai or pan.
Deep fry the jackfruit until golden.
Keep aside until later.

Making the Crispy Brown Onions:

Slice 2 onions finely.
Deep fry the onions on medium heat until dark brown and crispy. Be careful not to burn the onions.
Remove from oil and keep aside until later.

Cooking the Biryani Rice:

Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside.

Making the Masala:

I make the masala in the same utensil in which I will be finally assembling the biryani. Use a deep bottomed pan or pot or pressure cooker for this if doing the same.
Finely slice the onions and chop the tomatoes. If you are making a vegan biryani, add one more large tomato.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan. Replace ghee with oil for a vegan option.
Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and  2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle. Do not crush it into a powder, just bruise it to allow it to release it's fragrance in the oil.
Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.
Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.Skip the yogurt for a vegan option.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Making the Jackfruit Biryani:

If you are going to cook the biryani in the same pan in which the masala was cooked, remove half the masala into a bowl.
If you are using a fresh pan to make the biryani, spread half the masala in the new pan.
Chop the coriander and mint leaves.
Sprinkle half the coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
Layer half the parboiled rice over the mint leaves.
Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Mix the layers while serving.
Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Photo Instructions:

• Dice the jackfruit into 1" pieces. Salt them and deep fry until golden.

• Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
• Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
• Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
• Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
• Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
• Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside. take just 20 mins to make.

• Deep fry finely sliced onions on medium heat until brown and crispy.
• Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan. 
• Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and  2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle. 
• Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
• Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
• Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
• Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
• Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.

• Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.
• Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Take a deep pan, and spread half the masala.
• Sprinkle half the chopped coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
• Layer half the parboiled rice onto the mint leaves.

• Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
• Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
• Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
• Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
• Mix the layers while serving.
• Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Read more ...

Methi Rice Recipe

So how is Monday treating you? 

I've always suffered from Monday Blues... more so these days as weekends seem to go off in a blur.

Come Sunday night, and I find myself wondering what I did in the past two days. Usually, it is just a lot of cooking, photography and cleaning. This weekend I added in an extra trip to a place called Pottery Town, hoping to buy some earthen pots to cook in. I've heard that the earthen pots enhance the flavor of the food cooked in them and I'm always in the forefront to try out anything that takes my food to the next level. And while the entire trip was futile, as we reached late and probably skipped the very section of the street we should have driven on, I've not yet given up hope. So if you stay in Bangalore and have visited Pottery Town/Lane/Road and know the best shops there to pick up pots for cooking, please leave me a comment, I highly appreciate any help I get to locate the place.

So this Sunday night when I did a little introspect, I realized I'm getting so involved in all this that I'm running out of time to do the thing I love next to cooking - Blogging!! I'm now consciously making a resolution to start managing my time better so I get enough time to blog. 

While I spend most of my weekend cooking for the week ahead and making dishes that are slow cooked or have too many steps, my weeknight mantra is "Quick and Simple" with a very strong emphasis on the quick part. My work has a way of interfering with my evenings and a lot of it is unplanned so I'm usually scrambling for time on weeknights. So quick it has to be.

When I think quick cooking recipes, I always turn to Rice. One of my quick rice recipes is this Methi Rice. Methi, Menthe or Fenugreek is a small leaved green that is native to India. Usually slightly bitter in taste, it goes amazingly well with rice. I've been eating Methi Sabzi all my life like this Aloo Methi, but the first time I tried Methi Rice was at my aunt's place a few years ago. I loved it instantly. Spicy, fragrant, with the slight salty bitterness of Methi leaves, what's not to love in it?

There are 2 ways to make Methi Rice. You can cook it entirely in the pressure cooker or a single pot or you can make rice separately and the methi masala separately and mix the two together. For those weeknights when I need a quick fix, I make the pressure cooker version and on weeknights like today, when I have a little more time, I use the latter method. The recipe below is for the second method, but if you plan to make it in a single pot, just skip the steps to cook the rice. Make the masala as described below, and then add the rice and water and cook the rice with the masala until it is done.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mint Rice - Mint Rice is a one pot dish of rice cooked along with a mint puree, vegetables and spices.
• Mushroom Biryani - Mushroom Biryani is Basmati rice cooked along with whole spices and mushrooms.
• Ghee Rice - Ghee Rice is a simple Indian rice dish where Basmati rice is cooked in ghee or clarified butter.

Methi Rice

Methi Rice is made by cooking rice along with methi or fenugreek leaves and a fragrant masala.

Recipe Type:  Rice
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups Fenugreek / Methi leaves
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 medium Potato
1 large Onion
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 a Lime
4-5 Tbsp Oil
2 cups + 2 Tbsp Water
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the basmati rice until the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside.
Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot. Add 1 tsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt to it.
Add the washed rice. Cover and cook until the rice is done.
Allow to cool, then fluff rice with a spoon or fork
Heat the remaining oil in a large kadhai or pan.
Add diced potato to the oil and stir fry until the potatoes are cooked. Remove from oil and keep aside. Alternately, you can boil the potato and then dice into cubes.
Add the cumin seeds the oil.
After the cumin seeds are slightly browned, add sliced onions.
Fry until onions turn golden brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add washed and chopped methi leaves and 1-2 Tbsp water.
Cook until the methi leaves are completely cooked. Add sugar, salt and lime juice. Mix well. Fry for another 1 minute.
Add the cooked rice and mix until the masala coats every grain.
Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes until the rice is at least warm.
Serve with raita.

Read more ...

Ghee Rice Recipe

Happy Republic Day to all my fellow Indians...

What did you do today?

I did exactly what I have been doing since I was probably 8-9 years old. We all gather around the TV at 9am, turn on Doordarshan and watch the Republic Day Parade. Times have changed, I've moved from a 12 channel TV that actually just had one station to telecast to one that has so many channels I lose the count, but the Republic day tradition remains unchanged. And I realised, it is not just in my house, but a lot of people of my generation still continue the tradition started by our parents. 

Time stands still at the Amar Jawan Jyothi, eyes mist up when the President honors the soldiers with Ashoka Chakra and the chest swells with pride when the Armed Forces walk by in absolute synchronicity. Then come the fun floats with each state showcasing it's highlights. I loved Goa this year, such a peppy song being played. Then are the dances from children, stunts on bikes and the air force display. Of all the year I've watched, this year's bike stunt - especially one called the Christmas Tree gave me goosebumps!! 

What a lovely show it was... melancholy, patriotism, pride, happiness, awestruck - all these feelings in a duration of less than 2 hours. 

With all those emotions in me, I really wanted something simple for lunch today. Simple to make and simple in taste. This Ghee Rice felt perfect for the moment.

Ghee is to Indians what butter is to the French. Most Indian households will have a jar of ghee, mostly homemade, and sometimes store bought. Although ghee is indispensable to most Indian sweets, it has a special place in savory cooking too. Ghee is smeared on rotis, ghee is drizzled over rice, some people even add a tempering of ghee to curries. Ghee holds such a  revered place in our lives that every festival meal served on a Banana leaf begins only after Ghee has been served.

Ghee Rice celebrates Ghee like no other dish does. Ghee Rice is a simple rice dish where Basmati Rice is cooked in rich flavorful Ghee. Nuts roasted in ghee are added to add texture and more richness to the dish. Unlike most of Indian cooking, Ghee Rice is a very mild dish. While spices are added to add fragrance, they are kept to a minimal, letting Ghee take the center stage. This dish is not hot or over-spicy, 

Ghee Rice is best served with a simple dal. Try out this restaurant style Dal Fry or this mixed lentil Pancharangi Dal.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mushroom Biryani - Basmati rice cooked along with whole spices and mushrooms.
• Ginger-Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice - Vegetable fried rice tossed in ginger-garlic sauce.
• Vangi Bhaat - Rice cooked with brinjal or eggplant and a few spices.

Ghee Rice

Ghee Rice is a simple Indian rice dish where Basmati rice is cooked in ghee or clarified butter.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     40 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice
3 Tbsp Ghee
1 Onion
1 Green Chilli
1" Cinnamon
2-3 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1 Bay leaf
5-6 Peppercorns
8-10 Cashew nuts
1.5 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the basmati rice until the water runs clear. Around 5-6 times. Drain and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Heat the ghee in a large pan.
Split the cashew nuts and add to the pan. Roast them until they are golden brown, then remove from the ghee and keep aside.
Add all the whole spices to the ghee and fry for 45-60 seconds on low heat until fragrant.
Add chopped onion and slit green chilli. Fry until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice and toast it gently for 30 seconds.
Add water and salt. Cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is cooked.
If all the water is absorbed and the rice feels undercooked, sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp water and cover and cook on low heat until rice is done.
Add chopped onion and slit green chilli. Fry until the onion is translucent.
Allow it to cool a little before fluffing it with a spoon.
Serve hot/warm along with dal.

Read more ...

Pathrode Dosa | Uppu Menasu Dosa | Uppu Khara Dosa

Happy Weekend Guys!!

Isn't it a wonderful feeling that you get to wake up when you want and for once your life is not ruled by technology. No alarms to snooze, no water heaters to be turned on, no bus / train to miss. So Saturday breakfast is usually something relaxed, that does not need too much effort, but definitely not something like a zero effort cereal. I love cooking traditional recipes on weekends when we get to sit down and enjoy a meal while it is still hot.

Pathrode Dosa also sometimes called Uppu Khara Dosa or Uppu Menasu Dosa is a dish from Mangalore and its surroundings. Rice grows abundantly there and almost every meal out there has rice as their hero.

Pathrode Dosa is a very similar to the Menthe Pathrode recipe, the only difference being there the entire batter is steamed and then fried, while here it is spread on a tava or a griddle and cooked.

To make Pathrode dosa, you need to soak rice for 2-3 hours and then grind it as fine as you can. Let that rest for 30 mins to an hour. For the masala, you can either use fresh coconut or onion depending on what you have available with you. Grind the onion or coconut with tamarind pulp, red chillies and coriander powder to make a coarse thick masala. Add the masala to the rice batter along with some salt and chopped up fenugreek or methi leaves to make Pathrode Dosa batter. Add water to adjust the consistency. You can replace the methi leaves with spinach or any peppery leaf, or just leave it out. Spoon out the batter and spread it a little on a hot greased tava or griddle. Flip when one side is cooked and cook until the other side is browned.

If you don't want to wait 3 hours for your breakfast, I don't, just soak the rice the previous night for 2-3 hours or you can soak it the previous morning. Grind it at night and leave it covered on the counter overnight at room temperature. Make the masala fresh in the morning and add it to batter just 10-15 minutes before making. Don't add any salt to the batter if leaving it overnight and don't add the masala overnight either.

You have to serve this dosa hot like all other dosas. You can serve this dosa with chutney or butter, or even just plain. It has enough flavour to stand up on its own.

Try out this Tondekayee Chutney to go with the Pathrode Dosa.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mysore Masala Dosa - A rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji.
• Instant Ragi Dosa - Instant dosa or crepe  made with rava or semolina and ragi flour (finger millet flour).
• Instant Wheat Dosa - Instant savory dosa or pancake made with whole wheat flour.

Pathrode Dosa | Uppu Menasu Dosa | Uppu Khara Dosa

Pathrode Dosa is a pancake made with rice, spices and fenugreek or methi leaves. It is vegan and gluten free. 

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     3 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                8 to 10

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Dosa Rice or any Regular Rice
1/2 cup grated fresh Coconut or 1 Onion
2 tsp Coriander Powder
3-4 dry Red Chillies or 3/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
A handful of Fenugreek leaves or Methi leaves
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Soak the rice for 2 hours.
Drain out the water from the rice and grind it with very little water to get a smooth batter. Let it rest for 30 mins to 1 hour.
Grind together the coconut or onion along with the coriander powder, tamarind and the dry red chillies into a fine masala paste. Use 1/4 cup of water to help the grinding.
Wash the methi leaves thoroughly and chop it finely.
Add the masala paste and the chopped methi leaves to the rice batter.
Add salt and the remaining water and mix well.
Heat a griddle and grease it.
Once the griddle is hot, pour a ladle of the batter on to the griddle and gently spread it.
Cover and cook for 45-60 seconds on medium heat.
Spoon a little oil on the top and flip the dosa.
Cook for another 45-60 seconds or until the dosa is cooked through.
Serve hot.

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Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang

It was such an awesome day to sleep in and do absolutely nothing...

Unfortunately, it was a Tuesday!! Working day, guys. 

There is nothing worse than having to work on a day as cold, humid and lazy as today. Well, may be getting stuck on an island with no chocolate is worse, but hey, let's stick to reality. 

There is also something about cold rainy days that gets my appetite worked up. I'm always HUNGRY... Well, I'm "always" hungry most other times as well, but this rainy day hunger is different. It is just not my stomach, but my heart and my head as well that craves all sorts of deep fried goodness and endless cups of piping hot tea.

I know deep fried food is bad especially when I've missed 4 days of my workout. The first was justified, I was super tired and my back ached. But the other 3 days were just plain laziness and excuses. So no matter how much the heart or the head craves, I let my guilty conscience take over and snacked on this Savory Puffed Rice (Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Bhadang | Khara Kadle Puri) the whole day with at least 3 cups of tea. 

I've always loved Savory Puffed Rice,what's not ot love in it? It's crispy, it's light, it is spicy without being overpowering, and the best part - Peanuts, I make sure every handful has a minimum of 2 peanuts in it.

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Bhadang | Khara Kadle Puri is plain salted puffed rice that has been mixed with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts, fried gram, dry red chillies, turmeric powder, salt and a little bit of sugar. See how easy that is? The list of ingredients may seem long, but the best part of making something from scratch is infact that you can omit what you don't want. Skip what you don't have. Just make sure you have turmeric and salt. A lot of people I know add a lot more ingredients like dried coconut slices or cashewnuts or fried garlic to their chiwda, but I prefer the basic one with just fried Peanuts.

The instructions to make this Savory Puffed Rice must be the shortest ever on One Teaspoon Of Life... All you need to do is, heat oil, and then add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, chuck in the peanuts and fried gram. Fry them until the peanuts are slightly browned, then add everything else and mix and pour onto the Puffed Rice or Murmura or Churmuri or Kadle Puri. Carefully (cause the oil is hot), mix everything until every grain of puffed rice is bright yellow. Initally use a spoon to mix, but later, just get your hands dirty and mix it. If you feel anything is lacking, like turmeric or you feel you need more peanuts ( I always feel I need more), just heat a little oil, add whatever is missing and pour that oil to the puffed rice and mix again.

This is just the basic snack, there is so much more you can do with it. You can use it as a base for Bhel Puri instead of plain murmura or chop up some onions, tomato and coriander, mix well and enjoy a quick fresh snack. It also makes a great travel snack - a lot of vegetarians travelling abroad usually carry it or like me, you can just snack on it when stuck in traffic on your way back from work (and you don't have to even feel guilty about it)

Store it at room temperature in an air tight box and it will easily last you 3-4 weeks. 

Savory Puffed Rice is easily available at local stores, but I've found that many a times, the store bought one smells like old oil. Also, they skimp on the peanuts and load it up with dried coconut or sugar, both of which I don't enjoy. I assure you, what you make at home is definitely better than the one at the store.

There is just one thing you need to remember, use the crispiest puffed rice (murmura | churmuri | kadle puri) you can find. And preferably one that does not have sand in it. If you are based out of Bangalore, I highly recommend the one from Nilgiris, it's the best I've found till date - clean and crisp and it stays crisp longer.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Crispy Spicy Flat Rice or Poha Chiwda or Avalakki Mixture - Poha/Flattened rice deep fried and flavored with spices and peanuts.
• Churmuri Soosla or Kadle Puri Oggarne or Savory Puffed Rice Breakfast - A light South Indian breakfast made with puffed rice made with moist puffed rice.

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang is a simple crispy snack made by mixing plain puffed rice with peanuts and spices.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                200 gms

Ingredients:

200gms salted Puffed Rice (Churmuri / Kadle Puri/ Murmura)
1/3 cup Oil
4-5 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Tbsp Fried Gram
1 sprig Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
4-5 dried Red Chillies
1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Method:

Pour the puffed rice to a large bowl or onto newspapers and keep aside.
Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once the seeds splutter, add the dry red chillies, peanuts and the fried gram and fry until the peanuts are slightly browned.
Add the curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt.
Allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes and then pour onto the puffed rice. Add sugar and red chilli powder.
Using a spoon mix the oil with the puffed rice until the mixture is cool enough to handle with your hands.
Now using your hands, mix well until every grain of puffed rice is bright yellow.
Adjust the salt and sugar as required.
If you feel the need to add anything else like turmeric powder or peanuts or curry leaves, heat a little more oil and add the ingredient to it and then add it to the puffed rice. Mix well.
Store at room temperature in an air tight container after it cools.

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Mushroom Biryani

It's good to be back... especially with flavorful dish like Mushroom Biryani.

I've had a family filled weekend since my last post and days and days of writer's block.

I attended the first family wedding in over 2 years and what fun it was! I got to meet my cousins, aunts and uncles, eat good South Indian food and the best part was I got to dress up. Out came all those heavy Silk Sarees that I had tucked to the back of the cupboard. LOVED wearing every one of them.

Before the wedding, my palate had somehow mellowed down and I was more for eating less spicy and blander food. No known reasons for the change, but it was definitely not welcome. But the spicy South Indian Rasam-Rice managed to wake up the taste buds and then they craved more spice.

When I think of spicy food, I always think of Biryani. Biryani is usually meat cooked along with lots of spices and rice. But in India, we vegetarians are super lucky, cause there is always a vegetarian version of a non vegetarian dish, so we never miss out on the flavors. I've made vegetable biryani many times before, but this was my first time making Mushroom Biryani and with all my love for Mushrooms, there was really no way I could not LOVE this biryani.

Unlike the biryanis I've made before, I did not half cook anything and layer anything. This is a simple biryani - cook the rice until done, cook the mushroom masala until done and then just mix the two well to get a flavorful Mushroom Biryani.

To make the perfect Mushroom Biryani, you need 3 things:

1. Rice:  Biryani is as much about the rice as it is about the meat or the vegetables. Different regions use different varieties of rice, with Basmati being the most popular rice. Long grained fragrant Basmati Rice is perfect for Biryanis, and that is exactly what I used. Rice is washed and allowed to soak for 30 minutes, until it is cooked along with whole spices to enhance its taste.


2. Mushrooms: The hero of the dish is definitely the mushrooms. Either keep the mushrooms whole or half them. Anything smaller than that and the mushrooms will be lost in the Biryani. Mushrooms are cooked along with onions, ginger-garlic, tomato puree, yogurt, spices and herbs. In traditional style, a paste of browned onions is also added to the mushroom masala. Use any large mushrooms you can find. 


3. Spices: Any biryani is incomplete without an array of whole spices. A mix of cinnamon, clove, pepper, green cardamom, black cardamom, cumin seeds, bay leaf and nutmeg is added to the rice as well as to the mushroom masala. Whole spices have a long shelf life and it's good to have your pantry stocked with them. However, if you have run out of spices or don't use them much, you can replace the spices in the mushroom masala with store bought Biryani Masala ( spice powder).

Always serve your Mushroom Biryani piping hot. Raita or Salan make for great accompaniments with the Biryani.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Vegetable Biryani - Rice cooked along with spices and mixed vegetables.
• Tava Pulao - Popular Mumbai street food of rice, pav bhaji masala and mix vegetables.
• Palak Rice / Spinach Rice - Rice cooked along with spinach puree and mixed vegetables.

Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom Biryani is Basmati rice cooked along with whole spices and mushrooms.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Biryani Rice:

1.25 cups Basmati Rice
1 Bay leaf
2 Cloves 
1 Green Cardamom
0.5" piece Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
2.5 cups Water

For the Mushroom Masala:

15-20 Button Mushrooms
2 Onions, large
1 Tomato, medium
0.5 cup Yogurt
1" piece Ginger
5-7 Garlic cloves
0.5 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5" piece Cinnamon
1-2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
5-6 Black Peppercorns
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
0.25 tsp grated Nutmeg
1 Green Cardamom
1 Black Cardamom
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
Handful of fresh Mint leaves
Handful of fresh Coriander leaves
5-6 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the rice twice and keep is aside.
Halve the mushrooms and keep aside.
Slice the onions.
Chop the tomatoes finely or puree the tomato.
Crush the garlic and ginger to form a paste.
In a pan, heat 3 Tbsp of Oil. Once the oil is hot, add 3/4 the onion and fry on low heat until the onions brown. Stir frequently, taking care not to burn the onions.
In a large kadhai or saucepan, add water, salt and spices and allow it to come to a rolling boil.
Add the washed rice and cook on medium heat until the rice is almost done. Drain out the excess water and spread the rice out in a large plate to cool. This will prevent the rice from becoming sticky.
Heat the remaining oil in a clean pan or kadhai.
Add the remaining onions and the whole spices and cook until the onions are cooked.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the halved mushrooms and salt as required. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
Keep aside 1 Tbsp of browned onions, and puree the rest.
Add the onion puree to the mushrooms and fry for 1 minute.
Whisk the yogurt and add it to the mushrooms. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Add chopped mint and coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pick out the whole spices from the rice and fluff up the rice with a fork to separate the rice grains.
Add the rice to the mushroom masala and mix well. 
Add salt as required and mix well.
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining browned onions and serve hot.

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