Categories
Lunch OnePot pulav Salad

Mint Pulav

Mint/Pudina Pulav

I like to prepare Pulav in Different ways. It amazes me how with each ingredient this rice dish varies in taste and texture. Also there are numerous ways to prepare it. Its a dream to try as many pulav recipes and have a collection of them. This mint pulav is flavourful and my husband says gives him biryani feeling. Well that’s another confusion I have. The similarities and differences between pulav and biryani. So much to learn and explore! For now sharing the recipe of my pudina pulav.

Ingredients required-

  1. Mint leaves- 1 cup
  2. Green chilly- 2
  3. Ginger- small piece
  4. Garlic- 8-10 pods
  5. Oil – 3tsp
  6. Ghee – 2tsp
  7. Onion – 1big
  8. Baby corn – 2-3
  9. Green peas- 1/4 cup
  10. Turmeric powder- 1/4tsp
  11. Garam masala – 3tsp
  12. Chilly powder – about 3tsp
  13. Salt to taste
  14. Coriander leaves
  15. Basmati rice – 1cup

Method of preparation-

  • Firstly separate mint leaves from the stalk and clean them.
  • Add them to mixie along with green chilly, ginger and garlic. You can add roasted whole spices at this stage and reduce or skip garam masala.
  • Grind it to a fine paste
  • Take a pressure cooker and add oil and ghee
  • Add roughly chopped onion and fry for 2min.
  • Now add the baby corn and green peas. You can also add diced potatoes, capsicum and other veggies of choice. I decided to keep it simple.
  • Saute the vegetables for a min. And then add the masala paste and mix well.
  • Now add washed basmati rice. I haven’t soaked it.
  • Then add salt, chilly powder (you can vary it based on tolerance), garam masala and turmeric powder. Give a good mix so that rice is coated with masalas.
  • Add water such that everything is just immersed. Adding more water may make it mushy.
  • Now cover the lid and cook for 1 whistle.
  • Allow the pressure to settle naturally and open the lid.
  • Add coriander leaves and mix well.
  • Keep aside for 10min and then enjoy it along with cucumber raita.

I have paired it with cucumber raita and roasted potatoes.

Categories
konkanirecipe Lunch Side Dish thali

Ghar dudde Saung

Ghar dudde(bottle gourd) Saung

Bottle gourd is in season. We usually prepare halwa, payasam or a simple stir fry(upkari) using it. I was discussing with mom for some spicy curry ideas using this vegetable. She suggested this recipe. I usually do not like one dish to other but I this one tasted like alambe phanna upkari. So if you see people selling this super summer veggie on the road side, do buy and try different recipes or you can even prepare juice.

Ingredients required-

  1. Coriander seeds – 1tsp
  2. Grated coconut- a little more than 1/4th
  3. Tamarind- gooseberry sized
  4. Red chilly- 5-6
  5. Bottle gourd (ghar dudde) – 1 big cup
  6. Oil – 2tsp
  7. Garlic cloves – 10-12
  8. Onion – 1
  9. Salt to taste

Method of preparation-

  • Clean and peel the skin of bottle gourd. Also remove the skin. Cut it into tiny pieces
  • Roast the coriander seeds and red chilly with 1/2tsp oil
  • After cooling grind the coriander seeds, red chilly, tamarind and grated coconut into a fine masala paste
  • Take a pan and add the oil. Add the crushed garlic after removing skin.
  • Fry it till golden. Then add onion and fry well.
  • Once onion is fried add bottle gourd. Mix it well and add very little water. Cover and cook it for about 10min or till bottle gourd is cooked. Don’t cook it till mushy.
  • Now add the masala and salt to taste. You can also add the water from cleaning mixie.
  • Mix well and cook for about 10min.
Categories
Breakfast pulav

Vermecili Pulav

Vermecili Pulav

One of the quick breakfast dish which I make often. I use roasted vermecili which saves the roasting time. If you are using non roasted vermecili, please add 2tsp oil or ghee and roast it on medium flame for about 5min and keep aside. This can be packed in lunch box as well. Only precaution to be taken is while adding water to avoid it from becoming sticky.

Ingredients required-

  1. Oil- 3tsp
  2. Ginger- small piece
  3. Garlic-8-10 pods
  4. Onion- 1big
  5. Vegetables (beans, carrots, baby corn, capsicum, green peas etc) – 1 cup
  6. Vermecili 1.5 cup
  7. Water
  8. Salt to taste
  9. Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
  10. Chilly powder- about 2tsp
  11. Garam masala – 2 tsp
  12. Coriander leaves
  13. Green chilly- 2

Method of preparation-

  • Firstly chop onion and other vegetables such as beans, carrots, baby corn, Cauliflower, capsicum. You can add as per availability. Make sure to chop them into tiny pieces.
  • Now take a pan and add finely chopped ginger and garlic
  • Fry them for a while and then add onion.
  • Once it turns golden, add chopped green chilly.
  • Next add the veggies and add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook for 3-4min.
  • Open and add the vermecili and mix well. Add the salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.
  • Mix well and add water just to immerse everything. Don’t add more water.
  • Cover and cook for 5min. Open and mix well
  • Add coriander leaves. Keep it aside for sometime and then serve to avoid vermecili from breaking.
Categories
Lunch thali

Curd Rice

Curd rice

One of the comfort foods that has been one of my regular item for husband’s tiffin box along with roasted chilly papad(happolu). Very good option to prepare in jiffy or if you have leftover rice(for tiffin i prepare rice freshly, haven’t tried leftover rice) or just want to have something light for lunch/dinner to fix the digestion.

Ingredients required-

  1. Cooked and cooled rice – 2cups
  2. Onion – 1 medium
  3. Tomato- 1 medium
  4. Green chilly- 1
  5. Oil – 1tsp
  6. Mustard- 1tsp
  7. Urad dal – 1.5tsp
  8. Curry leaves – 1 strand
  9. Salt to taste
  10. Red chilly – 1
  11. Curd – 1/2 litre

Method of preparation-

  • Chop the onion, tomato and green chilly
  • To this add salt to taste and curd. Add little water
  • Mix well and add the cooked rice
  • Prepare a tadka of mustard, urad dal, red chilly, curry leaves in oil
  • Add this tadka and give a good mix
  • Keep aside for about 30min and then enjoy with pickle or roasted papad.
Categories
konkanirecipe Lunch phodi Side Dish Snacks streetfood

Cabbage Ambado

Cabbage ambado / pakoda

There are different ways in which cabbage ambado is prepared. In one of the method rice is soaked and ground with toor dal and it requires bit of a planning. But if you want to prepare it instantly then you can follow this method. The food carts also use same method to prepare these mouth watering ambades.

Ingredients required-

  1. Finely chopped Cabbage -1 cup
  2. Bombay rava – 1/2 cup
  3. Besan/gram flour- 3-4tsp
  4. Coriander seeds – 1tsp
  5. Chilly powder – 2-3tsp
  6. Salt to taste
  7. Hing- 1tsp
  8. Green chilly – 1
  9. Water
  10. Oil for frying

Method of preparation-

  • Firstly chop the cabbage and also green chilly into tiny pieces
  • Crush the coriander seeds and add to the cabbage
  • Now add salt and chilly powder, hing powder and mix everything well. Allow it to rest for sometime so that cabbage softens.
  • Then add gram flour and rava. You can add more rava if cabbage turns more watery.
  • Adjust it till you can form small tikkis. You can add very little water if mixture turns too dry.
  • Now heat the oil and deep fry them. Better to fry on medium heat so that it is uniformly cooked and does not burn from outside.
  • You can serve it for lunch/dinner or as evening snacks.