Akki Rotti

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Onion ( finely chopped ) - 1 medium
Coconut powder ( optional ) - 1 Tbsp
Chili powder or green chili chopped - 1 tsp
Curry leaves chopped - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Bring 4 cup of water to boil. To this add ghee, cumin seeds and salt.
• Turn down the heat to simmer and add rice flour slowly while whisking.
• Once all the rice flour is added, keep stirring until all the water is absorbed and is in a kneading consistency. Turn off the heat.
• To this add coconut powder, chopped onion, curry leaves and chili. Mix well. Let it cool down a bit.
  

• Add 1 tsp oil to a non stick pan.
• Next place a tennis ball sized dough in the middle of the pan. Using fingers, spread it out evenly into a circle.

• Place it on medium heat cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.

• Next turn it over and cook uncovered for 3 more minutes. It is ready to be served.

Tip: Use 2 separate pans to make akki rotis. This way while one is cooking, you can get the next one ready. Makes it go faster.

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Sweet Dosa

Ingredients:

Red rice ( soaked in water overnight )- 1 cup
Coconut ( grated ) - 1/2 cup
Jaggery ( grated ) - 1 cup

Procedure:

• Grind red rice to smooth paste by adding water little bit at a time.
• Next add grated jaggery and grated coconut and grind again to smooth batter(like Dosa batter.
• Add a pinch of pepper powder to taste and mix well.
• Make like Dosas.

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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.

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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.

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Firni (Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Milk - 9 cups
Almonds - 10 to 12
Pistachios - 10 to 12
Cardamom - 3

Procedure:

• Bring 6 cups milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan on medium heat. Continue to boil for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
• In the meantime add the rice flour to the remaining cold milk and mix well.
• Reduce heat and add this mixture to the boiling milk while stirring.
• Next add sugar and keep stirring until it thickens (approximately 10 minutes).
• Add cardamom powder and remove from heat.
• Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with sliced almonds and crushed pistachios.
• Refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.

Easy and yummy dessert for any time of the day.

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Vangibhat

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Eggplant - 1 lb
Cilantro (chopped) - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon piece - 1"
Vangi bhat powder (MTR) - 2 Tbsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh lime juice - 1 tsp
Salt per taste

Procedure:

• Add oil to a large pan on medium heat.
• When oil is hot add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cashew nuts.
• When the nuts are golden brown add eggplant pieces, salt and turmeric.
• Mix well and cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally or till the eggplant pieces are tender.
• Now add cilantro and MTR vanghibhat powder and mix well. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Add cooked rice , lime juice, ghee and mix well. It's ready to be served.

You can serve with plain yogurt or any raita.

Note: If you cannot find MTR Vangibath powder, you can follow my recipe for Vangibath powder.

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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.

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Pongal

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal (Pesara Pappu) - 1/2 cup
Ginger(grated) - 2" piece
Cumin seeds (Zeera) - 2 tsp
Peppercorn - 2 tsp
Bay Leaves - 2
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 3 Tbsp
Cashew nuts - 6 to 8
Water - 4 cups

Procedure:

• Add ghee to a pressure cooker on medium heat.
• When the ghee has melted, add cashew nuts, bay leaves, peppercorn and cumin.
• When they turn light brown add washed moong dal and fry for a few minutes.
• Next add washed rice, turmeric, grated ginger, salt and water. Mix well and cover the pressure cooker lid.
• Pressure cook the rice and dal mixture. On the first whistle turn off the heat.
• Once the pressure has released open the lid of the pressure cooker and add a spoonful of ghee.

It's ready to be served. It goes well with tomato korasu.

Note: In India we use pressure cooker. Instead you could use thick bottomed stainless steel vessel with tight lid.

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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.

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Coconut Rice (Kobbari Annam)

Ingredients:

Rice (washed) 1 cup
Fresh coconut (grated) - 1 cup
Whole moong (sprouts) - 1/2 cup (optional)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Lime - 1/2
Cilantro(finely chopped) - 1 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Cashew nuts - a few
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Peppercorn - 2 tsp
Zeera - 1 tsp

Procedure:

• Soak whole moong (green gram dal) for at least 8 hours or overnight. This step can be omitted if you have sprouted moong.
• In a deep bottomed pan add 3 tsp oil.
• To this add cloves, cinnamon, zeera, half of peppercorn (1 tsp), cashew nuts and curry leaves.
• Next add rice, soaked moong, chopped cilantro, grated ginger, grated coconut, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste.
• Roast this for couple of minutes and then add 2 cups water (hot water preferable).
• Let it cook until the rice is done. Squeeze lime juice and mix well.
• It is ready to be served.

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