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.

Spicy Potato Curry

Potatoes are a hot favorite in every household. There are many ways potatoes can be cooked and consumed. I make it very frequently and it is my favorite veggie..This spicy potato curry is my mom's recipe and it tastes yumm.. This spicy potato curry can be served with rice, roti's, dosas or with puri's. It is a very simple recipe and super easy to make.

Ingredients:

Large russet potatoes - 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Asafoetida - A pinch
Cilantro - To garnish - A few
Curry leaves - About 4-5

Method:

• Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes and boil them in water for about 10-12 minutes. Drain the water and set it aside.

• In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal.

• Add potatoes once the mustard seeds starts spluttering and add the salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder and red chili powder. 

• Mix them all well and allow to cook them for 5-7 minutes.

• Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro.

• Spicy potato curry is ready to be served. 

• Enjoy the curry with a dish of your choice.

Notes:

• You can add asafoetida in the oil itself after adding the mustard seeds.
• You can add curry leaves in the oil or you can add it while garnishing.
• You can boil whole potatoes and then later peel them off and cut them into cubes.
• A dash of lime juice while garnishing will enhance the taste of the curry and will give it a very tangy taste.

Thattai /Crispy Rice Snack

Thattai is a crispy rice snack that is made during Janmashtami. Since Krishna Janmashtami is around the corner, I decided to post this recipe. They are perfect for eating as a snack with tea, or just like that when you get bored!! It is very easy and simple to make them. It requires very few ingredients and I am sure it will be readily available in all your pantries.

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 1 Cup
Urad Flour - 3 Tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp
Chana Dal - 2 Tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp
Crisco or Dalda - 1 Tbsp
Ghee - Clarified Butter - 1 Tbsp
Curry leaves - A Few
Salt - According to taste
Water - A few tablespoons
Oil - For Frying

Method:

• Soak the Chana dal in water for about 2 hours and drain the water and keep aside.
• Take a bowl and add the rice flour, urad flour, sesame seeds, soaked chana dal, asafoetida, crisco/dalda, ghee and the curry leaves.

• Mix all the ingredients well without adding water.

• After mixing the ingredients well, we have to be able to hold the dough together between our fingers and our palm.

• Add water slowly using a spoon and make a very stiff dough.

• The dough should be like as shown below.

• Take an aluminum foil or a zip-lock cover for making the Thattai's.
• Take a little bit of ghee for greasing the hands so that flattening the Thattai's will be easy.

• Make small balls out of the dough and place it on the foil and flatten it out.

• Do not make it very thin otherwise they will break while removing.

• Make enough Thattai's and keep so that it gets easier and it saves you a lot of time.

• Prick the Thattai's with a fork so that they don't puff up while frying.

• In a pan heat oil and once the oil is hot enough, drop in a few Thattai's and allow them to fry for some time.

• Once they fry on one side, turn them so that they fry equally on the other side.

• Once they turn golden brown,you can remove them from oil.

• Drain out the excess oil and place them on a paper towel.

• Allow the Thattai's to cool down completely before relishing them.

• Store the Thattai's in a air-tight container and it stays fresh for about a week.

Notes:

• You can dry roast the curry leaves and add them or add dried curry leaves too.
• Crisco or Dalda is added so that the Thattai's get more crispy.

Vendakkai Thayir Pachadi/ Spicy Okra in yogurt sauce/ Bhindi Raita

I had a lot of veggies in the fridge the other day. But there were very few veggies 2 of each type and I had a handful of Okra. So I decided to make a festive menu with all the veggies on-hand. And I ended up making Sambar, rasam, 2 curry/poriyal varieties, appalam, and my all time favorite Okra raita.

It is a very simple and easy recipe. My mom makes it very often and of course she makes it very delicious too. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients:

Okra - About 8-10 small sized ones
Oil - 1/2 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - A few for tempering
Urad Dal - 1/4 Tsp for tempering
Chana Dal - 1/2 Tsp for tempering
Asafoetida /Hing - 1/8th of a Tsp
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/8th of a Tsp
Curry Leaves - Optional (I did not use them)
Salt - To taste

Method:

• Cut the okra into small pieces about 1/2 an inch thickness and set it aside.

• In a pan heat oil. Once the oil is hot add in the mustard seeds, urad dal chana dal, asafoetida/hing, salt and curry leaves. Then add in the okra and fry well.

• Once the okra is cooked through, remove from flame and allow it to cool down completely.

• In a bowl take some yogurt and whisk it well to get a very smooth consistency.

• Add the cooled okra to the yogurt and mix well. Set aside for about 1/2 an hour before serving.

• Serve chilled or at room temperature with lunch or dinner.

Notes:

• Some like to deep fry the okra until it is dark brown. It depends on you whether you would like it to be deep fried or just cooked.
• You can choose not to add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
• I did not have curry leaves. So I did not use them. You can add them for extra flavor.
• Thickness of yogurt depends on how you like it. I like it medium thick. I whisk it so that I get a smooth yogurt.