Spicy Tomato Rice

Tomatoes come with fully packed minerals, antioxidants and high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium. Tomatoes are one of my favorites and just can't imagine my pantry without these luscious and gorgeous red beauties. Made with loads of tomato and spices, green chilies & gram masala, this rice preparation is utterly delicious. This tangy Tomato Rice makes a great one-dish meal. Eat it as is, of course, with Thayir pachadi/Raita and poppadoms. 

Ingredients:

Basmati rice                                  - 2 cups

Water                                            -2 ¼ cups

Cherry Tomatoes                           – ½ cup

Ginger Paste                                   1 tsp.

Thai Green Chilies                           – 4 no

Organic Tomato Sauce                   – ½ tin

Chopped coriander leaves              – ½ cup

Chopped Mint leaves                    – 3 tbsp.

Ghee                                        – 1 tbsp.

Salt                                          – to taste

Masalas:

Cinnamon sticks                         – 1no

Cardamoms                               – 2nos

Cloves                                       – 3 nos

 Kashmiri Red chili powder          – 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder                      – 1/2 tsp.

Seasonings:

Ghee                                     – 1 tbsp.

Raisins                                  – 1 tbsp.

Cashew nuts                          – 1tsp

Peanuts                               – 1 tbsp. (optional)

Decoration

Chopped Cilantro                   - 1 tsp.

Chopped Mint                     – 1 tsp. (optional)

Almonds                              -8 nos

Cherry tomatoes                     – 3 no

Preparation: 

• Wash and soak the rice for 35 minutes. Drain it.
• Grind cilantro, mint and 2 chilies together. Set aside.
• Heat the ghee in a wok, add chopped, tomatoes, green chilies and ginger paste. Sauté for 3 minutes.
• Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder. Lower the stove heat and fry for 3 minutes.
• Then add the Pudina cilantro paste and saute well for few more minutes.
• Now add tomato sauce in it and heat for5 to 8 minutes. Keep aside this masala.
• Heat the ghee in wok adds the whole spices when it splutters, add the rice and fry well. Now add the tomato masala in it and mix it well.
• Put this rice masala in the rice cooker vessel; add hot water, and salt. Cook it.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the all seasonings and keep aside.
• When rice is cooked add the fried seasonings. Mix with fork, so that the rice retains its shape and does not get smashed.
• Transfer the rice to the plate and decorate with cilantro, mint, blanched almonds, and cherry tomatoes.
• Serve hot with Raita, Pachadi, and Poppadums.

Tips:

• You can add coconut milk in this recipe. It will taste more when you add coconut milk. Adjust the water quantity, to change the consistency and thickness of coconut milk according to your needs.

421 : Chitrannam - Variety Of Mixed Rices

Chitrannam or the rice cooked in different flavors, colors and ingredients. It is prepared by cooking rice and by mixing it with various condiments. Chitrannam varieties improve the taste of food and are mainly indicated in Anorexia.

To See the recipe , Please click the Link

VARIETY OF MIXED RICES 

Puliyodharai (Puli Sadam)                   Lemon Rice                          Coconut Rice
 
       


Kathamba Sadam                            Raw Mango Rice                         Dhadiyonnam 
         


Arisi Paruppu Sadam                           Spicy Tomato Rice                     Sarkarai Pongal          
        
 
     Kothamali Rice                          Bisi Bela Bath                           KalKandu Satham
         

Venn Pongal                                   Capsicum Rice                               Pudina Rice 
          

Handi Vegetable Biryani

 Vegetable Biryani is a  spicy rice dish with vegetables. Biryani are a contribution of the Mughals and that has been adapted by Indians.  This is a simple version of Vegetable Biryani which is served along with Raitha.The saffron aroma makes this dish very inviting. For a quick lunch or to serve your guests in a short notice, this is one of the best dishes. Hope you will enjoy this dish. Here you go…

Ingredients:

Basmati rice                      1 and 1/2 cups

Vegetables                       2 cups (carrot, beans, peas, potato, cauliflower)

Coconut milk                    2 cups

Water                            - ¼ to ½ cup

Tomato                           – 2 no

Ginger paste                    – 1 tsp.

Saffron                                – ½ tsp (soaked in 2 tbsp. of warm milk)

Finely chopped mint leaves    – 4 tbsp.

Coriander leaves                 – 4 tbsp

Unsalted butter                 1 tablespoon

Golden raisins                    2 tablespoons

Blanched, sliced almonds     2 tablespoons

Green chilies                     – 2 no

Butter /Ghee                       2 tbsp

Salt                                 – to taste.

Masalas:

Cinnamon                             – 1″

Cardamom                             – 2

Cloves                                   – 2

 Small bay leaves                 – 3 no

Fennel seeds                        – 1 tsp.

Red chili powder                   – ¾ tsp.

Star anise                           – 1no

Gram masala powder             – ½ tsp.

Method:

 Step 1

• Soak rice for 30 minutes. Wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear.  Drain the water and set aside.
• Chop the vegetables into small pieces. Chop, tomato, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Slit open green chili.  Keep aside. 

Step:2 

• Heat a pressure with 1 tbsp. of butter/ghee.  When hot, add, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and star anise.
• Add the ginger pate and all masala powders. Cook until the raw smell of the spices is gone for about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Now add green chilies, mint, coriander leaves and fry for one more minute.   Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it becomes gravy.

Step: 3

• Heat a 1 tbsp. of butter /ghee in a pan, add bay leaves, , and fry for few seconds. Now Add the chopped vegetables leaves and fry for 3 minutes until it’s half cooked in the ghee. 
• Now add the rice , swallow fry in the ghee for 3 minute . Mix them well.
•  Now add the step 2 gravy in the rice and mix well, so that rice gets coated with all the masala. Turn off the stove.

Step: 4

• Add coconut milk, and water to the rice. Add salt and mix well.
• Transfer it to an electric cooker or pressure cooker.
• If you are using a pressure cooker, cook the rice for one whistle and then remove from heat.
• If you are using an electric cooker as soon as the light turns to warm or the rice is cooked, switch of the cooker. Let it cool.

Step : 5

• Transfer the rice into the Handi or baking vessel.
• Now sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice, 6 to 7 places.  Lastly pour the melted ghee, over the rice.
• Cover and seal with aluminum foil or roti dough. Cook in the preheated oven, for ten minutes at 275°C. Reduce temperature to 225°C and cook for another ten minutes.
• Alternately keep the Handi on a tawa and cook on low heat for fifteen minutes.
• Remove from the oven; decorate with   fried raisins, nuts, and fried bread cubes.
• Serve immediately with Raitha.

Kathambha satham /Sāmbhar Satham

Tamilnadu is ever known for its delicious sambar and idly. This has become a usual menu in all wedding receptions where rice Items are also served along with Tiffin .This rice for sure will tickle the taste buds of all sambhar lovers. I added the vegetables to my taste and  also I have added lot of green chillis. This is really a very nice recipe and easy to make too.

Ingredients

Rice-                                        1 ¼ cups

Toor dhal-                                 ½ cup

Chenna dhal                             – ¼ cup

Tamarind-                                a small lemon size

Turmeric powder                      – ½ tsp.

Curry leaves –                           2 stems

Coconut oil –/ Ghee                  2 tbsp.

Salt                                      – to taste

 Vegetables

 Chopped Carrot-                     1 no

 Chopped Potato                   -1 no

 Chopped Beans-                  ¼ cup

 Chopped Pumpkin                 - 1 cup

 Chopped Sweet potato           – ¼ cup

Green Peas or chickpeas           -1 handful

Green chillies                         - 4no (slit)

Coriander leaves                    -little

 Chopped Tomato-                     1 no

Curry leaf                               -little

Masala to grind

 Dry Coconut                         – 2 tbsp.

Red chillies                           -4 no

Coriander seeds                    -3 tablespoons

Pepper                                  -1 teaspoon

Bengal gram                         -1 tablespoon
Khus Khus                              - 2 tsp

Curry leaf                                  -little

Fenugreek seeds                      -1/2 teaspoon

Asafetida                                -a small piece (if powder is used add while seasoning)

To seasoning

Mustard seeds                          -1 teaspoon

Red chillies                             -4 no

Asafetida                                -a pinch

Curry leaves                          – 1 stem
Cashew nuts                         – 1 tbsp.

Cinnamon                                -2 pieces

Clove                                     2

 Method:

• Soak the rice and dals for 15 minutes in water. Cook rice & dal, turmeric with  little extra water in pressure cooker for 4 to 6 whistles.. Smash the rice well. Keep aside.
• Dry roast all the items .Add fenugreek at last as it will get roasted fast. Powder the roasted items. Keep aside.
•  Cook the vegetables (except tomato) in microwave for 3 minutes.
• Heat the oil in pan; add vegetables and shallow fry the vegetables for one minute. Add chopped tomatoes and ground Sāmbhar powder in it. Fry for 2 minutes.
•  Now Take 2 cups of tamarind extract and add to the mixture. Add salt, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cooked rice mixture in it. Mix it very well. Add coconut/Ghee in it.
• Mix well and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Heat the ghee in a pan, add all seasonings and fry well and add to the Kathambha satham.
• Serve when it is hot with chips or potato fry or Vadams.

TIPS:  

•  You can  use Rice cooker also.  If you are using rice cooker, when the rice gets cooked add all cooked vegetables, tamarind water, sambhar powder, salt, ghee into the rice cooker. Cook it for another 10 - 15 minutes.The rice should be watery. 
• If you making for Prasadam, please avoid cinnamon sticks.
•  Instead of making  fresh Masala powder,You can use sambhar powder .

Kadambha Satham

Rice Uppuma

The rice Uppuma does look like a delicious and quick meal. .... Simple and Elegant. I love to have this hot with Tomato chutney and Green chili pickle.
Ingredients
Long grain rice - 2 cups
Toovar dhal - 1 tsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Seasoniings:
Oil/Ghee - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urdh dhal - 2 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tsp
Chenna dhal - 2 tsp
Whole Red Chilies - 4nos
Curry leaves - 4 - 5 nos
Asafetida – 1/8 tsp
Method:

• Wash Rice & pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Let it dry for 5 minutes.
• Grind the rice, Toovar dhal, and black pepper and cumin seeds into a course mixture.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add all seasonings and fry, when they turn golden brown add 3 cups of water.
• When it boils, add the salt, Asafetida and curry leaves.
• Now add the ground mixture of rice, cumin seeds and black pepper. Stir well.
• Now put it in a electric rice cooker and cook. (If  you  are using a pressure cooker, allow the mixture to cook until the first whistle. )
• If you need  more water ,you can add more water to the rice mixture. Stir it continuously until the mixture thickens and the rice is cooked.
• Mix well again & serve with tomato& ginger gravy & sambhar.

Note: This rice Uppuma will take more time to cook than ordinary rava Uppuma.

Rice Uppuma

Capsicum Rice

This rice dish is very easy to prepare with simple ingredients. Looks colorful and delicious. Here is my recipe. 

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice                                     2 cups

Water –                                            2 - 1/4 cup

Red, Orange, Green Bell peppers      Each one (Chop medium size)

Green Peas and Carrot                      1 cup

Chopped Tomato                              2 no (chop medium size pieces)

Green Chilies                                    2 no (Slit lengthy)

Ginger Paste                                     1 tsp

Ghee                                                1 tbsp

Salt                                                  to taste

Masalas:

Cinnamon sticks                               1no

Cardamoms                                     4 nos

Cloves                                             4 nos

Red chili powder                               1 tsp

Turmeric Powder                              1/8 tsp

Fresh Gram masala powder              ¼ tsp

Seasonings:

Ghee                                                 1 tbsp

Raisins                                              1 tbsp

Cashew nuts                                      1tsp

Peanuts                                             1 tbsp (optional)

Decoration

Chopped Cilantro                               1 tsp

Chopped Mint                                    1 tsp (optional) 

Preparation:

• Wash and soak the rice for 35 minutes. Drain it
• Heat the ghee in a wok, add chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, green peas, carrot and ginger paste. Sauté for 3 minutes.
• Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder, gram masala powder.
• Lower the stove heat and fry for 5 to 8 minutes. Keep aside this masala.
• Heat the ghee in wok adds the whole spices when it splutters, add the rice and fry well. Now add the  capsicum masala in it and mix it well.
• Put this rice masala in the rice cooker vessel; add hot water, and salt. Cook it.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the all seasonings and keep aside.
• When rice is cooked add the fried seasonings. Mix with fork, so that the rice retains its shape and does not get smashed.
• Transfer the rice to the plate and decorate with cilantro and mint.
• Serve hot with Raitha

494: Elai Vadam/ How to Make Elai Vadam

Most of the Indian housewife makes large quantities of vadam and dry it properly and store it and use it even for 1 year.  Such traditions are dying a slow death now in a fast-paced world. Now a days, Supermarkets are stocking vadam and Vathals.

Elai Vadam is a delicious papad/ rice cracker that is very traditional to the south Indian homes. A simple recipe using raw rice,jeera  and salt. “Elai” in Tamil means leaf and since the batter of these vadam gets cooked in a banana leaf it gets its name. But these days, Elai Vadam stand is readily available and the Vadam can be made using that.

Taking full advantage of the bright summer sunshine, getting ready for the preparation of vadam making in full swing the last couple of weeks.

Today I am going to share my favorite recipe from my Amma’s kitchen. I love them and prefer eating them when just steamed. Most of the times, my Mom make only the steamed vadam to eat them just like that. 

Have fun in making this vadam and you will also enjoy making as much as I did.

Recipe Cuisine:       South Indian

Recipe Category:     Snacks/ Vadams

Preparation time:    12 hours (including soaking and fermentation time)

Cooking time:         1 hour

Makes:                   30

Ingredients

Raw Rice                 2 cups

Javvarisi/ Sago        2 Tablespoons (Optional)

Cumin seeds           1 Tablespoons

Salt                        To Taste

Green chilies -         2-3 Nos.

Special equipment needed are:

Banana Leaves/ Elai vadam stand

Pressure cooker/idli cooker/any steamer

A plastic sheet/ Cotton cloth ( to dry the vadam )

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice for 4 hours.
• Wash and clean the rice and Grind to a fine paste along with salt and green chili. Add water gradually while grinding.

• Allow  the batter to ferment for overnight.  In the morning, you will get a nice fermented aroma from it. After fermentation, you will notice that there is a small layer of water on top of the batter. Remove this water and set aside.
• Soak the Javvarisi for 2 hours.   Cook the Javvarisi in the hot water. Keep aside.

• Now add the cooked Javvarisi and cumin seeds into the batter. if needed you can add more water to adjust consistency.

• Cut the banana leaves and keep ready.
• Grease the banana leaves with a drop of oil and add a ladle of batter on this. Spread it in a circular motion like a dosa.

• Add water in a idli pan and keep a small cup filled with water inside. Keep a banana leaf on a plate, which should fit into the pan.

• 
  
• Steam this for a minute. The color will change as shown in the picture.

• Take out the stand and remove the plates. When it is warm slowly peel it off, it will come out easily. Repeat the process until you finish all the batter.

• You can eat them fresh as a evening tiffin. I love it.

• To Store:
• Peel the vadam slowly. you can arrange in a clean white cloth/ Plastic sheet for drying. Let it air dry/ sun dry  for a day or two.

• After drying it, you can store it in an airtight box for up to a year. Whenever needed, fry it like the normal papad.

• Heat oil in a deep-frying pan; fry a vadam at a time, they will fluff up and become bigger than they are.
• Fry in enough oil and drain in paper towel. Serve the Elai Vadam as it is or along with your meal.

• You can also roast it in open flame or microwave it.

Notes:

• You can use Idli rice also.
• Consistency of the batter should not be too thin. If it is too thin, it will run out from the leaf.
• Now a days, Elai vadam stands are available. If you are using the stands, slightly grease the plate with little oil spread the batter and steam it.
• The vadam will stick to the plate if they have not steamed enough or if the plates have not been greased well.
• If you are too tired to make all the vadam in one day, you can store the batter in the fridge and use it the next day.
• Thank you Amma for the tips.

Have a look at the other South Indian recipes here

Puiyodharai

Tomato Rice

Killu Vadam

Arisi Paruppu Sadam / Lentils Mixed rice

 This is an authentic Kongunadu (Coimbatore) recipe. It is very delicious and my favorite dish too.  It is taste like kichadi and easy to prepare also.

Ingredients 

Raw Rice                              2 cup

Tovar Dhal                            ½ cup

Moong Dhal                           ½ cup

Water                                    3 cups

Turmeric powder                     1/tsp.

Ghee                                     2 tbsp.

Chopped Tomato                     1 no

Chopped ginger                       1 tbsp.

Finely chopped green chilies      tsp

Salt                                        to taste

Grind the following  Masalas to fine powder

 Grated coconut-                 3 to 4 tbsp

Coriander seeds                    3 tbsp

Fennel seeds                         1 tbsp.

Red chilies                            4 no

Jeera/Cumin                       -2 tsp

Pepper corns                       -1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds               a pinch

For tempering

Coconut Oil (or) Ghee        2 tbsp.

Mustard seeds                   -1 tsp

Fennel seeds                       1/4 tsp.

Whole pepper corns           -1/4 tsp

Roasted Cashew nuts          2 tbsp

Bay Leaves                        2 no

Clove                                2 no.

Cinnamon                        1/2"

Cardamom                        2 no.

Curry leaves-                    few

Fresh grated Coconut         2 tbsp.

Method:

• Wash and soak rice & dhals for 30 minutes.
• Drain the water and keep the rice & dhals, keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add ginger, tomatoes, green chilies , cloves, Cardamom, and cinnamon  , fry for a minute.
• Now add  turmeric powder and grounded masala powder and fry for a minute.
• Immediately add in the rice, dhal & enough water (about 5 cups).Add salt & let it start to boil. Check the taste & adjust the masala powder and salt. Put in the pressure cooker.
• Close the cooker & Cook until the rice and dhals are well cooked. 
• Let the steam release & then open the cooker and mix the rice gently but well. 
• Heat the coconut or ghee, add mustard seeds, fennel seed, pepper corns, curry leaves and cashew nuts and fry for a minute. 
• Add the seasonings into the rice. Add fresh grated coconut in it and mix well. Now rice is ready. 
• Serve hot with pappad , pickle and cucumber Raitha.