One Pot Corn Spinach Pilaf | Corn Palak Pulao Recipe [Video Recipe]

Corn Spinach Pulao - Delicately spiced Indian pilaf made with fresh spinach, sweet corn and whole spices.

Indian rice pilaf made with corn, spinach and whole spices

This Corn Spinach Pilaf / Corn Palak Pulao was long in the making.

To those who are new..ish here, we have a small balcony garden where weve been growing a few greens and vegetables. I love eating what we grow, I know it is genuinely organic. There is no pleasure greater than knowing that the food you eat is as healthy as it should be. We feed our plants with compost that we make at home again. Around 1.5 years ago, we started composting our kitchen waste and have not looked back since. Again, that is one soul satisfying venture that lets us keep garbage out of land fills while making enriching compost for our own garden and all it takes is 10 minutes of our time daily.

A few weeks ago, I planted spinach in one of the grow bags out there. If you are just starting out in gardening, spinach is the first thing you should grow. It grows so easily. You plant it and water it once a day and you will see those tiny green leaves popping out in no time. And you now have a fresh supply of baby spinach ready to pluck when you want.

When I have home grown vegetables, I usually make a salad or something similar to let my veggies shine. This Corn Spinach Pulao is exactly that. It is simple, delicate, fragrant and so super easy to make. This is a classic OPOS dish - One Pot One Shot.

To make the perfect Corn Spinach Pulao, use the best quality ingredients. This is a very simple dish, so there is nothing much to hide behind. Select the best Basmati Rice, preferably something that is long grain and aged. You can use either fresh or frozen corn. And definitely, use the freshest spinach you can get.

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!

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Video Recipe

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Corn Spinach Pilaf | Corn Palak Pulao Recipe

Corn Spinach Pulao is a delicately spiced Indian pilaf made with fresh spinach, sweet corn and whole spices. Vegan and gluten free.

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

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice
2 cups loosely packed Spinach leaves
0.5 cup Sweet Corn kernels
1 large Onion
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Oil
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
0.5 tsp Caraway seeds
1-2 Cloves
1-2 Green Cardamom
1 strand Mace
1 Bay leaf
0.5 inch Cinnamon
1.5 cup Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 4-5 times until the water runs clear. Soak and keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. Slice the onions. Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop it.
3. Drain the rice and keep aside.
4. In a large thick bottomed pan, heat oil.
5. Once the oil is hot, add bay leaf and cinnamon.
6. Add all the other whole spices and fry on low heat for 1 minute.
7. Add sliced onions and fry for 1-2 minutes
8. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the onions turn golden brown.
9. Add chopped spinach and sweet corn. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts.
10. Add the basmati rice and water.
11. Add salt as per taste. The water should be salty when you taste it.
12. Cover and cook on low heat until the rice is cooked. It should take around 15-20 minutes.
13. Serve hot.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Ghee Rice

Raw Mango Rice

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Spicy Guava Cooler | Peru Panna | Guava Panna Recipe

Indian summer cooler (mocktail) made with Guava and spices!

Indian mocktail made with guava and spices

If there was another fruit, other than the mango, that screams Summer to me, it is the guava. A better part of our childhood summers was spent on guava trees. They are some of the easiest trees to climb, if you are into that stuff. We would be tree hopping all morning until it was time for lunch. Mango, guava, and so many more tree. Me not so much as Gee and my cousin.

If you've had pleasure of plucking a fruit right from the tree and eating it then and there, you know how that feels. That fruit is so much more sweeter than what we buy outside.

After moving to Bangalore, I'm yet to spot a guava tree, but that doesn't stop me from buying and eating them. After all, it brings on nostalgia, and who doesn't love that?

This is the first time I did something other than directly eating the fruit. I made us a summer drink. Guava Panna!

Panna is a spicy summer drink most commonly made from raw mangoes. Check out that recipe here.

I've used fresh guavas to make the juice, but feel free to use your favorite Guava Juice to make the same. I added a little twist to the regular guava juice to make the Guava Panna. The juice is spiced with roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder or paprika, black salt, regular salt and some sort of sweetener if the guava isn't sweet enough. I used jaggery to sweeten up my drink, hence, the slightly brownish tinge to the drink.

Use the quantity of the ingredients in the following recipe as a guiding value and adjust them according to your taste. You can add mint, lime and/or sparkling water or soda to create your own version of the Guava Panna.

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Spicy Guava Cooler | Peru Panna | Guava Panna Recipe

Guava Panna is an Indian summer drink made with guava and spices.

Recipe Type: Drink
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Yield: Serves 3

Ingredients:

3 glasses Guava Juice or juice of 1 large Guava
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp roasted Cumin Powder
1 tsp Black Salt
2-3 tsp Sugar or Jaggery (Add sugar only if juice is not sweet enough)
Squeeze of lime (Optional)
Crushed mint leaves (Optional)

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a large jug.
2. Adjust the spices and sugar according to your taste.
3. Chill and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

rose yogurt beverage smoothie curd flavored drink Indian Punjabi

Rose Lassi

Panaka

Raw Mango Panna

Instant Mango Pickle [Video Recipe]

Quick and easy to make Indian mango pickle with video instructions. Simple and flavorful!

Instant Indian spicy pickle made with raw mangoes recipe

It's been long that we spoke about Mangoes. They are making their presence felt in the market and it's time to start giving them the attention they deserve.

I am all for enjoying the succulent sweet ripe fruit as is. But I LOVE cooking with the tart raw mango. The tartness of the raw mango is so different from that of lime or tamarind. I just find it fresher, don't you? It may be my love for the fruit talking.

Avocado, Cucumber, Carrot Sushi | Vegan Maki Roll [Video Recipe]

Vegan Maki Sushi Roll made by rolling avocados, cucumber and carrots in sushi rice and Nori sheets.

Avocado, cucumber, carrot vegan maki sushi roll

Remember here, I spoke of Gee going to Malaysia and shopping in super markets? It paid off, a second time!! It is she who bought me the Nori Sheets and the Sushi Rice all the way from a Japanese store in KL. (You can buy them in Gourmet stores in Bangalore or buy them online).

Well, she looves sushi. And this time she got to eat them sitting at home in her pajamas without worrying if they are really vegetarian. Win-win! I always knew of sushi as a raw fish dish. But the first time I heard of a vegan one was when I was in California and my friend wanted to make me try some. I did not get the chance to try there, but I did try it the first chance I got once I was back in Bangalore and the love affair has continued since. Every single time I see a vegan sushi on the menu, I order it. This was my first time making it at home, but it definitely won't be the last.

Making sushi is really not that difficult, if you have the correct variety of rice. A lot of recipes online say you can use quinoa or brown rice or some other variety of rice. While I'm sure you can work with them if you are a pro at sushi making. For an amateur, sushi rice works best. This rice is very different from the other varieties of rice in my pantry. It is sticky, yet the grains hold their shape. Any Indian rice when cooked to become sticky, will turn mushy and become paste like. And that is definitely a no-no for sushi making. You want to be able to identify the grains, yet have them stick to each other. I was scared when I rolled my first roll, but the rice made it impossible for me to mess it up. So say what you may, according to me it is the rice that is the hero of the sushi. Making the rice is simple, you cook it as per instructions on the packet. Then spread it out in a large bowl or plate and mix in the vinegar, sugar and salt while smashing the rice a little. Adjust the vinegar, sugar and salt to your taste.

Once your rice is ready, you can fill your rolls up with basically anything. Keep it fresh and simple. I filled my rolls with avocado, cucumber and carrots. And for a few, I threw in some sauteed mushrooms as well. The flavor of a sushi comes majorly from the rice and the nori sheets. Nori sheets give the sushi a mild fishy umami flavor.

Serve sushi with a good quality Soy Sauce, Pickled Ginger and Wasabi paste.

Note: Sushi is usually rolled with a bamboo mat, but the technique is achievable with a kitchen towel and a plastic wrap. Watch the video for more details!

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Video Recipe

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Avocado Cucumber Carrot Maki Sushi Roll

Vegan Maki Sushi Roll made by rolling avocados, cucumber and carrots in sushi rice and Nori sheets.
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4. Makes 27-30 individual rolls.

Ingredients:

3 Nori Sheets
1 cup uncooked Sushi Rice
2 cups Water
2 Tbsp Vinegar
1.5 tsp Sugar or Jaggery
0.5 tsp Salt
0.5 Avocado
1 Cucumber
1 Carrot
Wasabi paste to serve
Soy sauce to serve

Method:

Making the Sushi Rice:

1. Wash and cook the rice as per instructions on the packet. I rinsed the rice once and pressure cooked it with 2 cups of water for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.
2. Once the rice is cooked, remove it into a large steel or wooden bowl or plate.
Heat the vinegar in a small pan, add the sugar and salt. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.
3. Add the vinegar to the rice and with a wooden spoon, mix it well. The rice should be sticky, yet retain the grain structure. Allow it to cool.

Making the Avocado Cucumber Carrot Maki Sushi Roll:

4. Slice the avocado and julienne the cucumber and carrot.
5. Take a kitchen towel and spread a plastic sheet on it. I used a clean plastic packet in which I had purchased rice. I cut it into a rectangle and laid it on top of the kitchen towel.
6. Place the nori sheet, shiny side down on the plastic sheet.
7. Take 1/3rd of the rice and place it on the nori sheet. Wet your hands and spread the rice until it covers the nori sheet. Layer it as evenly as you can. It doesn't have to be perfectly even, the rolling later will ensure it spreads evenly.
8. On one edge, place 1/3rd of the cucumber, carrot and avocado.
9. Gently roll the nori sheet until the vegetables are covered. Use the kitchen towel now to compress the vegetables.
10. Continue rolling until the full nori sheet is rolled up.
11. Using the kitchen towel, compress the roll. Turn and compress again.
12. With a sharp wet knife slice the roll into individual maki rolls. Wet the knife between each slice. Do not apply pressure while slicing, make gentle to and fro motions. The roll should be sliced in 2-3 knife movements.
13. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Vegan healthy soup made with white miso, wholewheat noodles and fresh vegetables

Vegan Miso Soup

Vegan Tomato Onion Avocado Olive Mint Coriander Italian Sourdough Baguette Bread Sandwich

Breakfast Bruschetta

Baked Tofu Lettuce Wraps

5 activities you cannot miss in Phuket, Thailand!

Raj recently went with his sister and parents (my in-laws) to Phuket on a long pending family vacation. The last time Raj and I went to Phuket was in 2011 and we both loved it so much. But I did not have a blog then and I had a lot going on then in my life - we'd just gotten married, I was to start a new job, that I had no inclination to note down anything about that trip. So when he planned this vacation, I begged him to write a guest post for One Teaspoon Of Life.... My very first guest post ever. So handing it over to him..

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Pristine beaches and crystal clear water - two things that always fascinate me. Given a choice I will any day prefer a place with a beach than a place with a mountain as my holiday destination. Well.... it all started the same way with my parents. We have been planning a vacation for more than 2 years now, but never succeeded. Then came the options, some snow capped mountains in Europe or the beaches of Thailand. So in the end, Thailand it was!! Now you know from where I inherit my taste buds :-p.

Previous travels and a lot of googling around helped me to sort out all the details needed for the vacations. Thailand, an amazing country with its lush natural beauty and humble people had a lot to offer us than just a trip. We wanted to stay away from the hustle and bustle of a big city, so we chose to stay at Patong in Phuket. Patong offers a good mix of both, peace and a tolerable level of hustle-bustle.

Firstly, I traveled with my parents who are both over the age of 60 and my younger sister. And they tried most of the activities mentioned here. So, really, age is not a factor. As long as you are young at heart and in a moderate state of health, you can experience almost all of what we did. I did not want to bore you off with detailed itinerary or a full description of the travel, so I'm only listing down the top 5 activities you should do when in Phuket. For any other details, leave a comment, and I will get back.

1. Island hopping [Phang Na Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don, James Bond Island, Monkey Island, Khai Island, Maya Bay]

One of the activities that this archipelago offers its tourists is a vast stretch of sea routes for island hopping. You have a lot of options to select from when it comes to island hopping. Be it a relaxed ride on a big boat or a rush through a splash of water in a speed boat. Trips and boats are available in all budgets and options. We chose the more relaxed [slow and steady] and yet pretty sturdy boat ride. Out in the open waters for the first time, it was a time well spent with family. A lot of boats take you to places where you can do snorkeling if you have previous experience. They also allow you to swim in pristine aquamarine water.

Tip 1: If you have a specific diet preference, mention it while booking the trip. We had to mention we were vegetarians, else we could have missed out on lunch.

Tip 2: Book a smaller boat that seats 20-25 people if possible, than a huge one that seats 50+ for a more personalized experience.

Cost: Around THB 1600 per person for a 20-25 seater boat.

2. Canoeing [Viking Caves, Pileh Cove]

Canoeing is another experience that Thailand has to offer to it tourists. The big boats are equipped with canoes that they use to show bat caves and calcium formation around a few lagoons. They let you take out the canoes by yourself near a sparsely crowded beach. All operators may not allow you to do so, please confirm before you book the tour if you are very keen on doing so. While it is fun, rowing a canoe is not as easy as it looks. I had to flex a lot of muscles to steer it. Also, I struggled with directing the boat where I wanted it, hopefully, you are better at it than me. My parents just enjoyed being passengers in the canoe and did not row.

Cost: FREE. It is a part of the island hopping package.

3. Scuba Diving [Koh Phi Phi Don Island]

This was definitely not in my list of planned activities. For a non swimmer like me, first time scuba diving was an awesome experience. A 5 min crash course & basic sign language to communicate with my diving instructor was all that took to get me started. The weight of the diving gear + oxygen cylinder was near zero once I jumped into the water.A few gasps later I got accustomed to breathing under water and open my eyes too. It felt like I was living in a documentary of National Geographic channel. Upon touch down to sea bed [approx 25 - 30 ft] we could see fish of different colors & shapes circling around us. It made a good scene for an under water photo. After a few minutes I could figure out the calmer side of myself [so much better than talkative side above water]. Overall it was an adventure that cannot be described, but to be experienced. So whether you are an expert swimmer or a novice like me, do not give this activity a miss.

Cost: Around THB 1600 per person.

4. Tiger Kingdom [Kathu, Phuket]

Tigers, one among the feline family have always fascinated me. So majestic in their stature and looks; Tiger Kingdom gives a unique opportunity to get close to this endangered species. Depending upon your choice of the tiger [big/medium/small] the entry fee varies. You are allowed to pet the tigers under the careful guidance of the caretakers within their enclosed living quarters. Don't be scared, the tigers don't mean any harm.

Tip 1: The gift shop is great for shopping tiger souvenirs. Especially for kids.

Tip 2: You can hire a professional photographer to take your photo with the tigers that can later be printed onto mugs and t-shirts. Charges extra.

Cost: THB 900 to THB 3700 depending on the tigers you want to see. If you take a day tour of Phuket, then it is inclusive in it.

5. Parasailing in Patong

You can fly, and see the beautiful seas of Phuket from the sky! Well, not really, but you can get pretty close to it. A phrase from a nursery rhyme 'up above the world so high' was all I remembered when I flew like a bird or rather a bird with a parachute. The Patong beach and the perfect weather allowed us to do parasailing. It was exhilarating to be so high up. To ensure your safety, there will be an instructor sailing along with you. They control the parachute and the steering allowing you to experience the magic of being up there. This was an activity that my mom also enjoyed doing.

Tip 1: Avoid if you have a fear of heights or water, unless you are trying to conquer that fear.

Tip 2: Preferably, plan for this activity before eating a heavy meal.

Cost: Around THB 1000 per person.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences. If you have any comments/questions, leave it below in the comments section and I'll get back to you.

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Find more travel posts here. Bon Voyage!