Green Rice

Today I am feeling very happy as I got some time to sit down and write a few recipes for my blog. I stumbled upon this recipe,Green Rice as I was selecting the recipe for today's post. It is an all time favorite at our home because it is an easy one-pot meal and very nutritious. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup

Cilantro leaves - 1/2 cup

Basil Leaves - 1/4 cup
Green Chilles - 2
Red Onion - 1 (medium sized)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Shelled Edmame beans - 1 cup

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Black Cardamom - 2

Bay leaves - 3

Star Anise - 2

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Salt - To Taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the Basmati Rice for 20 mins and set aside.
2. Wash and grind the mint,cilantro and basil leaves along with green chillies and salt to a coarse consistency.
3. In a non - stick pan add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is heated add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, bay leaves and star anise. A nice aroma will be released from the spices. 
4. Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes.
5. Now add the ground green paste and the shelled edmame beans and green peas and cook until the raw smell of the greens is gone.
6. Add the rice and cook covered for 15 to 20 mins until the rice is fully cooked. Fluff it up with a fork to ensure that the rice is cooked.
7. Serve hot as it is or with Raita..
8. Enjoy the green rice..Let me know how it turns out..

Notes

• You can use butter instead of olive oil.
• Green chilles can be more or less depending on the spice level you prefer.
• You can use both edmame beans and green peas or either of the two.

**I did not have good pics of the step wise pics. Will upload them soon the next time I make this rice.**

Pudina Rice / Mint Rice

This time I am back with a rice recipe. This is one of my favorite rice dishes and I dedicate this dish to my Late friend. Latha Akka. Whenever I prepare this dish, her memories just flash back. We miss you Latha Akka! Latha Akka would have been one of the finest bloggers in the food/ cooking category, if she would have been with us by now. She was such an amazing person by heart and art. This recipe was passed on from her to my Mom and from my Mom to me. And here are all what you need to prepare this yummy rice dish!!

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati Rice
1 cup of Mint leaves /Pudina
1" stick of cinnamon
2-3 Bay leaves
4 cloves
4 Whole Green Cardamom
1-2 Star Anise
1 floret Mace/ Jawetri
7-8 Cashews
7-8 Pistachios
3-4 Green Chillies
1/2 cup of Grated/ Shredded coconut
2 tbsp of butter
Salt to taste

Method:

For the Mint Chutney:

• In a shallow frying pan, melt about 1/4 tbsp of butter. To this add the green chillies and mint leaves.Roast the ingredients well on low flame until the mint leaves wilt well.

• In another pan roast the shredded/ grated coconut until it turns into a light brown color. 

• Once done, remove from the pan and after the mixture has cooled, blend it will in a blender and grind it to a coarse paste.

For the Rice:

• Soak 2 cups of rice for about 30 minutes.

• Melt the remaining butter in the pan. To this, add all the dry spices: cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom (seeds with the skin slit), star anise, mace, pistachios and the cashews.

• Roast for about a minute or two on medium heat. 

• Then add the ground paste and salt and cook for a few minutes. 

• To this mixture, add the soaked rice and cook until done. (For pressure cooker let 2 whistles. Rice will be done quickly as it was soaked for 30 minutes).

• Serve hot with Raita.

Spinach Rice

Spinach Rice is a very easy dish to make and requires no much prior preparation. A quick fix solution for those who cannot wait for long to eat good food. I usually make this after I am back from a tired day of work. I have provided a very simple and step-by-step procedure to make the Spinach Rice

Required Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 3 cups

Baby spinach - 2 cups

Oil/Butter - 2tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1  1/2 tsp

Red chillies - 4-5

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat a pan and add the butter (or oil). Then add the cumin seeds, red chillies and asafoetida.

• Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the chopped spinach to the seasoning . Add salt according to taste and mix well.

• Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium flame. The spinach will wilt and reduce in quantity.

• Spinach takes very less time to cook. Once the spinach curry is done, add the cooked rice. Mix the rice and the curry well. 

• Let the cooked rice cool for a while before adding to the spinach rice. Otherwise the rice may get lumpy and mushy.

• Hot spinach rice is ready to serve.

• Spinach rice can be enjoyed best alone. There is no side-dish required. Raita can be used as an accompaniment if needed. Enjoy your spinach rice!

Notes : 

• Usually red chillies are added while cooking greens due to the fact that people who do not want to eat chillies can easily separate red chillies from the green curry as opposed to finding Green Chillies in Greens!

Vegetable Pulav

Vegetable Pulav is a very easy rice dish. It can be made with a lot of vegetables and the choice of vegetables is totally personal. I like to make it very colorful and vibrant using green peas, carrots and kidney beans. This is a very simple dish and mildly spiced. It tastes best served with Raita made out of cucumber, onions and curd.

Ingredients:

Cooked Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1" stick
Cloves - a few
Bay leaves - 2-3
Star Anise - 2
Mace - 2-3
Black Peppercorns - A Few
Frozen/ Fresh green peas and carrots - 1 cup
Butter beans / Kidney beans - 1 cup
Salt - To Taste


Method:

• Take 2 Tbsp of butter in a pan and allow it to melt.

• To this add cumin seeds,cinnamon sticks,cloves, star anise, cloves, mace, bay leaves and black peppercorns.

• Allow all these dry spices to roast in the butter for 3-5 minutes. Then add 1 cup of green peas and carrots and add salt to taste. Cook  for 5-7 minutes.

• Add the kidney beans/ butter beans and allow it to cook for 5 more minutes.

• Once the vegetables are cooked, add them into the bowl of cooked Basmati rice.

• Mix the vegetables well with the cooked rice. Serve hot!

Pudina Rice

This time I am back again with a rice recipe. This is one of my favorite rice dishes and I dedicate this dish to my Late friend. Latha Akka. Whenever I prepare this dish, her memories just flash back. We miss you Latha Akka! Latha Akka would have been one of the finest bloggers in the food/ cooking category, if she would have been with us by now. She was such an amazing person by heart and art. This recipe was passed on from her to my Mom and from my Mom to me. And here are all what you need to prepare this yummy rice dish!!

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati Rice
1 cup of Mint leaves /Pudina
1" stick of cinnamon
2-3 Bay leaves
4 cloves
4 Whole Green Cardamom
1-2 Star Anise
1 floret Mace/ Jawetri
7-8 Cashews
7-8 Pistachios
3-4 Green Chillies
1/2 cup of Grated/ Shredded coconut
2 tbsp of butter
Salt to taste

Method:

For the Mint Chutney:

• In a shallow frying pan, melt about 1/4 tbsp of butter. 
• To this add the green chillies, mint leaves and the shredded/ grated coconut. 
• Roast all the ingredients well on low flame until the mint leaves wilt well.
• Once done, remove from the pan.
• After the mixture has cooled, blend it will in a blender and grind it to a coarse paste.

For the Rice:

• Soak 2 cups of rice in the electric rice cooker or a normal pressure cooker for about 30 minutes.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pan.
• To this, add all the dry spices: cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom (seeds with the skin slit), star anise, mace, pistachios and the cashews.
• Roast for about a minute or two on medium heat. Then add the ground paste and fry well.
• Add salt to this and turn off the heat.
• Add this mixture to the soaked rice and cook until done. (For pressure cooker let 2 whistles. Rice will be done quickly as it was soaked for 30 minutes).
• Serve hot with Raita.

Spinach Rice

Well,here I come with my first recipe! This is a very easy dish to make and requires no much prior preparation!A quick fix solution to those who cannot wait for long to eat good food! I have provided a very simple and step-by-step procedure to make the Spinach Rice!

Required Ingredients:


For Cooked Rice:

1 cup rice
3 cups water

For Spinach Curry:

2 cups of chopped spinach (Can use baby spinach leaves)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
4 red chillies
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp of unsalted butter (Can use even oil)
Salt to taste

For the cooked rice,

• Cook 1 cup of rice in three cups of water. Rice triples in its volume when cooked.
• Make sure that the cooked rice are separated and not mushy and lumpy.
• Set the rice aside.
• You can cook the rice as the spinach curry is being cooked to save time.

For the Spinach Curry,

• For the seasoning of Spinach Curry, heat a deep pan and add the butter (or oil) to the pan.
• Once the butter (or oil)has been heated enough add the cumin seeds.
• As the cumin seeds crackle,add a pinch of asafoetida and add the red chillies.

{A small tip :Usually red chillies are added while cooking greens for the fact that, people who do not want to eat chillies can easily separate red chillies from the green curry as opposed to finding Green Chillies in Greens!}

• Add the chopped spinach to the seasoning and mix all the ingredients well.
• Add salt according to taste and mix well.
• The spinach will wilt and reduce in quantity.
• Cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.
• The spinach curry is done.
• Ensure that there is no much of water in the curry and the curry is dry.
• Take the cooked rice and spread it in a wide pan.
• Add the spinach curry to the cooked rice and mix the rice and the curry well.
• Hot spinach rice is ready to serve.

Spinach rice can be enjoyed best alone. There is no side-dish required. Raita can be used as an accompaniment if needed.


Enjoy your spinach rice!