Dry fruits Pilaf

This dish was pending in my list and one fine day i tried this and came out very nice!!
This pilaf i followed the Arabian style of cooking rice. In middle east i know people prefer rich food even for everyday menu. The blend of spices and ingrdients is very different from Indian cuisine. I tried this rice recipe and sharing this with you all.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice- 1cup
Dry fruits- 1 cup (mixture of Almonds, Raisins, Cashews, Pistachios)
Potatoes- 2 Sliced round
Saffron- 1 pinch
Ghee- 2tbspn
Salt

How to make:
1) Wash and cook basmati rice outside, in a pan.
2) Remove it once its half done, (Do not cook fully). Drain water and wash in cold running water.
3) Soak the saffron in water, or if u prefer can be soaked in rose water. (Not the coloured rose water)
4) In a pan, heat ghee and sautee the dry fruit till golden brown.
5) Peel a raw potato and cut it into round pieces.
6) In the same pan heat ghee and spread the potatoes as a bottom layer and sprinkle some salt.
7) Then put one layer of the rice covering well the potatoes, add salt to taste.
8) Then spread the nuts. Likewise, do layers of all these alternatively and pour a the saffron soaked water.
9) Cover and Dum these for 5mins. Check for rice if its done.
10) Take the rice portion seperately and mix well.
11) Serve the potatoes seperately.
12) A colourful, rich, tasty Pilaf is ready for serving !!

Coriander Rice- Kothamalli Sadam

This is one easy variety rice i prefer to make when lot of coriander is available. Nice menu to treat guests too...

Ingredients:
1) Coriander leaves- 1bunch
2) Basmati rice- 2cups
3) Green peas- 1/2 cup
4) Green chillies- 3nos
5) Ginger Garlic paste- 1tbsp
6) Potato-1nos
7) Onion- 1 big size
8) Salt to taste

How to make:
1) Pressure cook the rice until its half done.
2) Grind the coriander leaves, green chillies together.
3) Add oil to a pan and saute the ginger garlic paste, shredded onions and the ground paste until its all done.
4) Add boiled potatoes and green peas with this sauteed mixture and allow it to cook well.
5)Finally add rice, salt and mix well. Cover and cook until the rice and the masalas blend with each other.
6) Serve with onion raita!

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

Tomatoes : 250gms
Basmati rice : 1 cup
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Ginger : 2” piece
Garlic : 4 pods
Green chillies : 2 or 3
Cloves : 2
Cinnamon : 1” stick
Bay leaves : 1 or 2
Dhania powder : 1 tbsp.
Chilli powder : 1 or 2 tsp (as per taste)
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil : 2 tbsp.
Cashew nuts : for garnishing.
Curry leaves and coriander leaves for garnishing.

How to make:

1)Blanch the tomatoes by dipping in boiling water and immediately dipping in cold water. Remove the skin and make a puree of the tomatoes.

2)Pepare coconut milk or use ready made coconut milk. Slit the green chillies.

3)Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and fry the cashew nut to a golden brown color. Remove and keep aside for garnishing.   Into the same ghee, add the whole garam masalas (cloves, cinnamon and cardamom) and bay leaf. When they stop spluttering, add the slit green chillies and saute for a minute.  Add the tomato puree and coconut milk, ginger and garlic paste. As the tomato puree is quite thick it provides only half its measure of water for the rice to cook.  If quantity of coconut milk used is 1 cup and tomato puree is 1 cup, we need to add an additional half cup of water to the rice for cooking. Add the dhania powder, chilli powder (or the sambar powder), turmeric powder and salt. Close the pressure cooker and cook the rice with the weight valve on. When done, garnish with curry leaves, coriander leaves and cahsew nuts.

Aloo Peas Pulav

Ingredients:
Basmati rice- 2cup
Potato- 4nos
Green Peas- 1 small cup
Garlic&Ginger paste- 1tbsp
Bay leaves- 1
Red Chilli powder
Oil
Salt

To Powder
Cinamom-1 small piece
Cloves- 3nos
Cardamom-1nos
Fennel seeds- 1spoon

How to make:
1)Wash and soak the basmati rice for 10mins before the preparation.
2) Peel and dice the potatoes.
3) Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves, ginger&garlic paste and saute well.
4)Then add the potatoes and peas to it.
5)Add the masala powder and mix well.
6) Then add the basmati rice, salt and stir them well.
7) Add 3cups of water and pressure for 2whistles.
Serve with raita or any vegetable gravy.

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup (do not over cook)

Jeera 2tbsp

cinnamon stick 2

Bay leaves 2

Salt to taste

Green chillies 3 slit lengthwise

Ghee

How to make:

1) Cook rice, with cinnamon stick and bayleaves.

2) Heat ghee in a pan and saute the green chillies.

3) Splutter jeera then add rice to it.

4) Add salt to taste.

5) Garnish with fried cashews and corriander leaves.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

Basmati rice -1cup

peas(frozen or fresh)- 1 small cup

Onions - cut lengthwise

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

Oil

How to make:

1) Cook basmati rice. Do not over cook

2) Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion, then add peas.

3) To that add rice and salt to taste.

4) Garnish with coriander leaves.

Easy to make and very much ideal for lunch box.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Vegetable sliced - cabbage, capsicum, carrots, beans, spring onions, onions
Salt to taste
Pepper powdered 1 tspn
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Oil

How to make:
1) Cook basmati rice, do not overcook.
2) Cut all the vegetables evenly lengthwise.
3) Heat oil in a pan and then saute onions.
4) Then saute all the vegetables one by one.
5) Add soy sauce and then add the rice into it.
6) do not stir, as it rice may break and will get mashed.
7) Add salt and black pepper powder and garnish with spring onions.
8) Do not boil the vegetables as it may loose its crunch.