Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

Bell peppers ( colored ) - 4 to 6
Cooked pilaf - 3 to 4 cups
Ghee (or butter) - 2 tsp

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
• Cut each bell-pepper in the middle to make 2 halves. If the bell pepper is too small, just cut the top off. Remove the seeds.



• Coat the cut bell peppers with ghee (or melted butter) on the outside.
• Fill each half with pilaf. I used brown rice pilaf.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

Serve with any gravy curry or chutney. I used pistachio chutney.

Read more...

Brown Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

Brown rice - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Blacked chana ( soaked overnight) - 1/2 cup
Peanuts (soaked overnight) - 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegetables (cut evenly) - 2 cups
Green peas - 1 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 Tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Rinse and soak brown rice in water for half an hour. Keep it aside.
• Place a thick bottomed pan on medium heat. Put ghee.
• As the ghee gets warm, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cut mixed vegetables, green peas and salt.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• As the vegetables are half way done, add black chana and peanuts.
• Cook for ten more minutes stirring occasionally.
• Next drain the water and add the brown rice. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Now add 2 cups hot water and 1 cup hot milk.
• Cook until all the liquid is absorbed.

Serve it with some chutney or raita.

Read more...

Broccoli Rice (Broccoli Bhath)

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets - 3 cups
Rice - 1 cup
Cashew nuts (halved) - 1/2 cup
Ginger (grated) - 2 tsp
Cilantro or Mint (chopped) - 1 cup
Green chilies - 1 or 2
Cloves - 2 or 3
Cinnamon - 2" piece
Cardamom - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Vangi bhath powder - 2 tsp
Fresh lemon ( juice ) - 1 Tbsp
Ghee (optional) - 2 Tbsp

Procedure:

• Cook rice with 1 and half cups of water. Keep it aside.
• Add oil to a pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot add cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, green chilies followed by cashew nuts.
• When the cashew nuts turn golden brown add turmeric, broccoli florets and salt. Cover and cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
• Next add vangi bhath powder and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Next add cooked rice, ghee and lemon juice. Mix well and cover and keep for 5 minutes before serving.

Goes well with yogurt. Vangi bhath powder is available in most Indian grocery stores. In case you can't find it you could follow this Vangi bhath powder recipe.

Read more...

Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients:

Rice ( Basmati) - 2 cups
Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds (Zeera) - 1/4 tsp
Ground pepper - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Cloves - 2 or 3
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 2"
Bay leaves - 2
Cilantro (finely chopped) - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup

Procedure:

• In a rice cooker add 1 Tbsp oil, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, cashew nuts and cumin seeds.
• When the cashew nuts turn light brown add cut mixed vegetables, ground pepper, turmeric and salt to taste. Let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes stirring once in a while.
• Add rinsed rice and let it cook covered for 5 minutes.
• Next add 2 cups hot water, 1 cup warm milk and chopped cilantro. Stir well and cover it and let cook until done. You may add 1 Tbsp of ghee (clarified butter) if desired.

Serve hot with raita or gravy curry.

Read more...

Cracked Wheat Pulav (Goduma Nooka Pulav)

Ingredients:

Cracked wheat - 1 cup
Mixed vegetables - 2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 2
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6 to 8
Cashew nuts - 10
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tsp

Procedure:

• In a pan add 2 tsp of ghee on medium heat. When it is warm add cracked wheat and fry for 3 minutes. Set it aside.
• In another pan add 2 Tbsp of oil on medium heat. When the oil is warm add cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, black pepper, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Mix and cook for a minute.
• Next add mixed vegetables of your choice and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add fried cracked wheat and 2 cups of hot water. Cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
  
  

Serve it hot with any chutney.

Read more...

Pressed Rice Pilaf( Atukulu Pulav)

Ingredients:

Pressed Rice - 2 cups
Black chana (Kala chana) - 1cup
Moong dal (whole) - 1 cup
Peanuts - 1 cup
Pamogrenate seeds - 1/2 cup
Cilantro(finely chopped) - 1 cup
Onion - 1
chili - 3
Curry leaves - 6 to 8
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds (Zeera) - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1'' piece
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• Soak peanuts, moong and kala chana in water overnight. Let them sprout. Keep them aside.
• In a bowl wash and keep aside the pressed rice.
• Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot add mustard.
• Wait for the mustard to sputter. Then add cumin seeds, cut chilies, curry leaves and onion cut into small pieces.
• When the onion turns transparent add turmeric powder, grated ginger, sprouted peanuts, sprouted green gram, sprouted chana and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Then add pressed rice. Mix well and cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add pomegranate seeds, chopped cilantro, mix well and serve.

Read more...

Mint Rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1cup
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Green chilies - 2
Ginger - 1'' piece
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 10
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1'' piece

Procedure:

• Cook rice with 2 cups water and keep it aide.
• In a food processor grind mint leaves, green chilies, cumin seeds and ginger with a little water into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
• In a pan add 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Wen the oil is warm add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and cashew nuts.
• When they turn light brown add the ground paste, peas and salt to taste. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Then add cooked rice, ghee and mix them well. Serve hot.

Read more...