A - Z Tamil Nadu Recipe Series ~ B for Brinji / Tamilnadu Style Brinji Rice Cooked in Coconut Milk

Brinji or vegetable brinji is a simple, delicious and easy one pot meal made with rice and mixed veggies, with it's origins in Tamil Nadu. Some believe the dish has Persian roots, since rice is called berenj in Iran, thus indicating that the dish might be a borrowed one. This rice dish is considered to be in existence way before biryani/pulao arrived in the region. Being older, the south Indian ingredients like coconut and pepper are incorporated into the recipe, thus making it different than biryani / pulao / tahiri dishes. Also the Tamil word for bay leaves, brinji elai comes from being generously used in the preparation of brinji.  

South Indian style short grain rice is preferred to make brinji. Flavored rice like seeraga samba would be a perfect fit but Basmati would be a nice substitution which is easy to source. It is possible that the earlier version used little or no vegetables but the modern versions uses the standard vegetables used in a pulao recipe. Also the early recipe must have relied only on pepper for the heat since chilies were still an unknown ingredient in the Indian subcontinent. A garnish of fried bread cubes or soya nuggets chunks to the finished dish is also common.

Over the years, I have been seeing brinji recipe where the standard spices like cloves, cinnamon and cardamom being used and onions get sautéed. I made a small portion following the recipe here which does not use those spices and also onion or tomatoes do not get sautéed. It is hard to even notice the fact that they were not sautéed.  I even skipped the garlic from the recipe as I am not a fan of it's flavor. The recipe still is a keeper as the dish is absolutely delicious and very easy to remember or follow. This is a fuss-free dish where all you do is chop a few vegetables and layer it to pressure cook. The recipe is a quick one if you overlook the one hour wait time that is needed for marinating the veggies in coconut-ginger-garlic paste and soaking the rice part. 

Here are some other rice based dishes from Tamil Nadu for you to enjoy.

Arsis Paruppu Sadam

Chettinad Vegetable Biryani / Kaikari Biryani

Dindigul Thalapakatti Veg Biryani 
Ellorai (Sweet Version)
Ellu Sadam / Sesame Seeds Rice

Iyengar Style Kadambam

Iyengar Puliyodharai

Kalkandu Saadam

Lemon Rice

Paal Pongal / Vellai Pongal

Sambhar Sadam

Yogurt Rice

Ven Pongal

Ingredients for marinating: (Yield 4 servings)

1/2 cup peeled and cubed potatoes

1/2 cup peeled and chopped carrot

1/2 cup shelled fresh / frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves (I used both mint & cilantro)

1 tsp. red chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 cup coconut paste *

2 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste **(I omitted garlic.)

1 tsp. salt

* Grind 1/4 cup coconut to a paste using 1/4 cup water

** 6 garlic cloves and an inch piece of ginger ground to paste with little water. Use 1 tbsp. paste if using store bought one.

Ingredients for brinji:

1 cup Basmati rice

1 tbsp. ghee

3 bay leaves, crushed

2 medium sized onions, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/3 cup light coconut milk

2/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients mentioned under marination list to a wide bowl and mix well. Cover and leave it aside to marinate for about an hour. The mixture would release liquid after marination.

2. Rinse and soak rice in water for about an hour. Drain the rice after soaking period.

3. Add ghee to a 3 liter sized / small pressure cooker and add the torn bay leaves. 

4. Top it with chopped onions and tomatoes uniformly.

5. Spread half of the marinated vegetables along with the liquid over onion and tomato mixture.

6. Next add rice over the veggies in an even layer.

7. Layer it again with the remaining veggies.

8. Pour the coconut milk and water over it and close the lid.

9. Cook on medium flame for two whistles and turn off the stove. Wait until the cooker's valve pressure is gone. 

10. Wait for 15 - 20 minutes and open the lid. Fluff and serve with raita or vegetable korma.

This is going to be my contribution to this week's Blogging marathon, with the theme 'A -Z Series'. Check the page link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Edamame - Millet Khichdi

I picked 'easy dinner ideas' as my theme for this week's marathon which required the dish to be a meal by itself or can be served as a main course. This healthy and tasty khichadi happens to be a one pot meal, prepared with millet, spinach and edamame and one that can be cooked at the last minute. It is quite a simple and easy preparation as all you do is dump everything into a cooker / pot and cook them. I cooked the khichadi directly in a small sized pressure cooker but of course it can be cooked in any sturdy pot on stove top, under 30 minutes. 

Edamame pronounced 'eh-dah-maa-may' is the Japanese term for the young soybeans that are harvested before they get ripened. They are available both in pods / shelled forms, fresh or frozen. They are great to snack on or tossing them in a stir fry or salad. I have used frozen ones here and added them along with spinach and potato to boost the nutrition factor of this khichdi. I used the yellow colored millet commonly available in US stores and threw in a handful of Basmati rice as well. Substitute any long grain / Basmati rice or a combination of rice and millets or any other quick cooking grain in place of millets. This edamame and millet khichdi is a quick, wholesome and nutritious meal that can be prepared under 30 minutes.  

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. ghee and/or oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 inch piece cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 green chilies or according to spiciness preferred
1/2 inch piece ginger, grated and crushed
1 big onion, sliced
1 big tomato
1 potato, chopped
1/2 cup edamame (I used about a cup of edamame and that quantity seemed more.)
2 cups chopped spinach
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp. garam masala (optional but recommended.)
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
Salt to taste
1/2 cup millets
1/4 cup yellow moong dal
2 cups + extra water

Directions:
* Wash millets and moong dal, drain and keep aside.
* Heat ghee / oil directly in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. Toast for few seconds until you start to smell fragrance of the spices.
* Add the chopped green chillies and ginger and saute for few seconds. Next add onion and saute until golden brown. After onions are done, add tomatoes and cook until they soften.
* Next add potatoes, spinach, edamame, turmeric, salt (I used about 2 tsp.), garam masala, millets, moong dal and about 2 cups of water.
* Close the lid, put the valve on and pressure cook for 3 whistles. 
* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid and check the consistency. Do the taste testing to check the seasonings. If needed, add salt / chili powder. If the khichdi appears too thick, add a cup of water (or as needed). Simmer for few minutes until it starts to bubble, stirring in between to avoid the khichdi sticking to the bottom of the cooker. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page to find what other marathoners are cooking.

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A - Z Indian Biryani / Khichdi / Pulao Series ~ V for Vaal Khichdi

This is going to be my last khichdi of the series and I wish I could have planned some more. I had no idea when I started that I would end up loving these simple, one pot meals more than the classic version biryanis and pulaos that I 'vegetarianized'. In fact, this one pot meal was the one my husband enjoyed the most among all the dishes I cooked for this month. He even recommended to rotate the dish frequently from now on and that sure is an indication of a successful attempt on my part and a well enjoyed meal. I came across this  khichdi made with field beans, when I went on  exploring regional rice dishes as I didn't want to choose a predictable vegetable pulao or biryani as my 'V' dish. There are plenty of recipes with variations over online and my version is kind of mish mash of those, suiting my preference and my palate. 

The star ingredient of this khichdi is 'vaal' aka field beans and that is one of the reasons I tried this. My husband and I have nostalgic memories associated with the tender beans and so he recommended to try it even dried beans are being used here. However note that the strong flavor of the tender green beans is not pronounced as much when using the dried beans. I soaked the val beans for 2 hours accidentally which is not needed unless you are going to cook it in a pot on stove top. About 15 to 30 minutes should be enough if pressure cooker is going to be used. 

This khichdi makes a filling and nutritious one pot meal even when you don't have vegetables on hand or need to finish off those odds and ends left from the refrigerator. The addition of vegetables here is quite optional but I added to make it a more wholesome meal. Only onions can also be added in place of vegetables. This is a simple yet awesome tasting khichdi served with some drizzling of ghee, pickle and papad on the side. The quantity serves 4 adults generously if served alone.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (American standard measuring cup)
1/2 cup vaal dal / field beans
2 cups of chopped mixed vegetables
(I used green beans cut into 1 inch pieces, peeled and cubed potato and carrots and a handful of frozen peas.)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp.mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
I sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste (about 2 tsp)
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. chili powder (less or more depending upon the heat.)
1 tbsp. goda masala*
1 tbsp. or more, freshly extracted thick tamarind paste (Again less or more depending upon the sourness of tamarind and preference. If using store bought paste, add as preferred.)
1 tsp. jaggery powder (optional. I did not feel the sweetness is required but anyway added 1/2 packet Stevia) 

* I had prepared goda masala at home and I added a tbsp. for flavor since it was less hot. Add about 1/2 to 1 tsp. if the goda masala is hot. Check the taste and add extra if needed.

Directions:
1. Soak beans for about 15 to 30 minutes and drain. Rinse the rice in two exchanges of water.
2. Pressure cook together rice, vaal dal, vegetables if using and turmeric adding 3 cups of water. 
3. In a non stick pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add asafoetida and curry leaves. At this point, if you prefer add a one chopped onion and fry until translucent. 
4. Next add the cooked rice and vaal dal mixture, ground cumin, ground coriander, goda masala, chili powder, salt, tamarind and jaggery if using. Add about a cup of water and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cook on medium flame stirring intermittently until the mixture starts to boil and sputter, about 5 minutes. 

In case if one prefers to cook this as one pot meal, cook in one of the following methods:

Pressure cooker method:
* Start with step 3 directly in a 3 liter sized pressure cooker. Add the rinsed and drained rice-vaal dal mixture, vegetables, turmeric, salt, ground coriander, ground cumin, goda masala, chili powder, tamarind, jaggery along with about 3 and 1/2 cups water. Pressure cook the mixture for three whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid, stir well and serve hot.

Directions to cook in a pot:
* Soak vaal dal for a couple of hours and drain.
* Heat a pan, non stick one preferably. Start with step 3. Then add the rinsed rice, vaal dal, vegetables and turmeric. Add about 4 cups of water initially and cook until the rice and dal are cooked, stirring intermittently. Extra water may need to be added.
* Once the dal is cooked, add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes and turn off the stove.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E -  Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani
M - Motiwale Pulao

N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
P - Pariba Khechudi
Q - Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi
R - Rajma Pulao
S - Sindhi Biryani
T - Tehri / Tahiri
U - Uttarakhandi Khichdi

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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A - Z Biryani / Khichdi / Pulao Series ~ U for Uttarakhandi Khichdi (Tilantha Khichdi)

When I made a list of recipes to try for this marathon, I made it a point to pick as many as possible choices for each alphabet. The idea was that I can cook whatever I can depending upon the mood and the ingredients I have on hand at the time of cooking rather than sticking my guns at one dish which may have proved not feasible at all. I went on to cook about 2 dozen different pulaos and biryanis in the past couple of months that we my husband somewhat hit a vexation point just at the mention of it. He enjoys them once in a while but not when his wife is determined to experiment and cook all known varieties, in the span of few weeks. 

My initial plan was to cook a 'ulava chaaru biryani' for the alphabet "U'. I zeroed on a particular recipe and bought a packet of horse gram for the first time in my life.  I kept delaying the preparation until this weekend to break the biryani monotony but it turns out that I was no longer in the pulao / biryani mood. I therefore turned to this easy-breezy kind khichdi, the one pot meal being a dish which I don't get tired of, irrespective of regional variations. 

I tried to pick a handful of khichdis for this month's marathon, each with at least some minor variations. This one pot khichdi which is also called as tilantha khichdi or tilwali khichadi that I found on youtube, comes from the Uttarakhand region as the name suggests. It doesn't use any garam masala either in whole or ground forms, which seems to be a norm in most of the masaledar khichdis. This version is prepared using rice and small sized lobia / black eyed peas which are brown in color. I used chori beans instead. The khichdi is supposedly preferred during the winter months as sesame seeds and ginger are natural warmers. A paste made with toasted sesame seeds, generous amounts of ginger and garlic and green chillies is used in this khichdi preparation. I omitted garlic from the recipe but feel free to use it liberally if you prefer it's addition. The delicious khichdi is quite spicy on it's own, thanks to green chilies, chili powder and ginger in the recipe. Serve it along with some plain yogurt, papad, and ghee to make it a wholesome and filling meal.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup small sized brown colored black eyed peas
1 tbsp. white and /or black sesame seeds
1 inch piece of ginger
2 green chillies
2 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup basmati rice

1.5 cups water

Directions:
* Soak beans overnight. Drain after the soaking period.
* Toast sesame seeds on low flame until they start to crackle and turn off the stove. Let them cool.

* Grind sesame seeds, ginger and chilies together finely adding water as needed.

* Heat ghee directly in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and when they start to brown, add drained beans and saute for a minute. Next add the sesame seed paste and fry on low flame for about a couple of minutes.

* Next add salt, coriander powder, turmeric and chili powders and stir well. Continue to cook until the paste thickens and the beans are coated well with it, about 3 - 4 minutes.

* Rinse and drain the rice. Add it to the cooker and saute for few seconds. Add water and bring the mixture to a boil. Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. 
* Wait for few minutes after the valve pressure is gone. Open the lid of the cooker, gently mix and serve warm.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E -  Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani
M - Motiwale Pulao

N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
P - Pariba Khechudi
Q - Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi
R - Rajma Pulao
S - Sindhi Biryani
T - Tehri / Tahiri

 
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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A - Z Biryani / Khichdi / Pulao Series ~ T for Teheri / Tehri / Tahiri

Tahri is one dish from the bygone era that fortunately didn't need any substitutions since it is vegetarian in origin. Tehri also called as tahri, tahiri, or teheri is a vegetarian one pot rice meal that had interestingly found a place in the royal kitchens of Awadh, which are almost synonymous with their lavish, non-vegetarian version biryanis. It is believed to have been first created for the vegetarian book keepers of the Nawabs. It makes sense that the royal kitchens catered to it's staff considering that it was a period when there was no practice of either carrying a lunch box or eating out. Tehri seems to have gained quite popularity during second world war when meat prices substantially increased and potatoes became a favored alternative to meat in biryanis. Apart from north India, primarily Uttar Pradesh where the dish has originated and is cherished, it is also quite popular one in Pakistan and Bangladesh where it no longer remains a vegetarian dish. It seems to be a popular street food of Kashmir too. 
 
I honestly enjoy this delicious tehri more compared to the biryanis where I need to convert meat based ones to 'vegetarian' ones. It is probably because the dish is perfect as it is and honed over time and needs no modifications. It is quite easy to put together this one pot comfort meal that needs no fancy ingredients. Unlike a biryani preparation where rice and vegetables are cooked separately, rice in this case is cooked along with spices and vegetables in one handi / pot. Typically though potato is the commonly used vegetable in tehri, one can experiment with any preferred vegetables.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 to 3 cups mixed vegetables (I used peeled and diced potato and carrots, green peas and cauliflower florets.)
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon piece
1 big onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp. ginger - garlic paste
1 green chili, slit lengthwise
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala (optional)
Salt to taste
3/4 cup water

Ingredients for garnishing:
Minced cilantro leaves
Lemon juice
Ghee

Directions:
* Heat ghee directly in a small pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
* When the cumin starts to brown, add onion slices and saute until golden brown.
* Next add the ginger - garlic paste and saute until the raw smell leaves.
* Next add the tomato and green chilies. Cook for a couple of minutes. 
* Next add turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder and salt, stir and mix well.
* Then add all the vegetables and saute for a minute. 
* Wash and drain the rice. Add rice and saute well until the rice is coated well with ghee and spices. 
* Add 3/4 cup of water and pressure cook for three whistles.
* Wait for few minutes after the valve pressure is gone. Fluff the rice. Drizzle a bit of ghee and lemon juice over and garnish with cilantro before serving.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E -  Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani

M - Motiwale Pulao
N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
P - Pariba Khechudi
Q - Quinoa Panchkuti Dal Khichdi
R - Rajma Pulao
S - Sindhi Biryani

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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O for Oodhala Pulao / Oodhalina Pulao (Barnyard Millet Vegetable Pulao)

There are a plethora of pulao options available now for vegetarians, thanks to creative minds. However until a few decades ago, the most common and popular versions were vegetable pulao and peas pulao, at least down south. Here is a millet pulao, a tad bit healthier take over the traditional version of vegetable pulao. Millets have been grown and consumed in India for ages and these gluten free grains are a healthier option over rice and wheat, the two staple grains of the Indian sub continent. Millets can easily be substituted for rice in everyday cooking.

I had to think a bit for my 'O' recipe. Oralu chitranna and oliya were already done and to be honest, I could not think beyond onion, okra, oats and orzo when planning for 'O' recipes. Onion pulao would have been redundant after my ghee rice post yesterday and I like my okra to be crunchy and crispy. I am not a fan of 'oats replacing rice' kind of dishes and so all my options were out of the window. Then the thought of using barnyard millet which is called oodhalu both in Telugu and Kannada occurred and here is that oodhala pulao. I made a garlic free pulao but feel free to add 1/2 tsp. garlic paste along with ginger.

I have given the preparation of this pulao in both pressure cooker and pan. And also the method of cooking the vegetables and millets separately so that it comes handy when you have leftover cooked millet or you want your millet grains to stand apart.

Ingredients: (Yield 4 - 6 servings)
2 tbsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds or caraway seeds (jeera or shahjeera)
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
2 one inch cinnamon pieces
1 big bay leaf
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 inch piece ginger, finely grated or 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. minced cilantro leaves
1tbsp. minced mint leaves
2 small carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup green beans (stringed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 cup peeled and cubed potato
1/4 cup fresh / frozen green peas
1 cup oodhalu / barnyard millet
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
1 and 3/4 cup water
Salt as needed (I added about 2 and 1/4 tsp. salt)

Directions for method 1: (Cooking vegetables and millet together.)
1. Heat ghee / oil in a small sized pressure cook directly. Add cumin / caraway seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and saute for few seconds. Add sliced onions, cilantro, mint and keep cooking until the onions turn pink. Add ginger paste and garlic paste if using and saute for few seconds. Then add the vegetables and stir well.
2. Rinse the millet in two exchanges of water and drain. Add the millet, water, turmeric and salt. (If you don't prefer pulao to be a very dry version, add 1/4 cup more water.) 
3. Pressure cook on medium flame for 3 whistles and turn off the stove. When the valve pressure is gone, fluff and serve the pulao with plain yogurt or a raita.

Notes:
1. If using a pan instead of a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water to millet and vegetables. Cover a lid tightly over the pan and cook on low flame until all the water evaporates and the millet is cooked through. Taste and check if the millet is cooked. If not, add a little extra water and cook until done.
2. If one doesn't prefer cooking directly in a pressure cooker, then cooking until step 2 can be done in a pan. Then transfer the contents of the pan to a container that fits into a pressure cooker, place it in a pressure cooker with water at the bottom and pressure cook as usual for 3 whistles.


Directions for method 2: (Cooking vegetables and millet separately.)
1. Rinse the millet in two exchanges of water and drain. Pressure cook millet on low flame for 3 whistles adding 1 and 3/4 cups water, salt, and turmeric. (I add only about 3/4 cup water for 1/2 cup millet.)
2. Heat ghee / oil in a pan and add cumin / caraway seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and saute for few seconds. Add sliced onions and keep cooking until onions turn pink. Add ginger paste and garlic paste if using and saute for few seconds. Then add mint, cilantro, vegetables and stir well. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked (but not mushy), stirring intermittently.
3. Add the cooked millet to the pan and stir gently to mix. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving so that the flavors can mingle.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A for Ambur Biryani
B for Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C for Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D for Donne Biryani
E for Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F for Fada ni Khichdi
G for Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H for Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I for Iyengar Puliyogare
J for Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K for Kashmiri Pulao
L for Lucknowi Biryani

M for Motiwale Pulao
N for Nei choru


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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Mixed Millet and Lentil Kadambam

This dish is one of my favorite one pot meals and gets made very frequently in my kitchen. At least twice a week, I should say. Kadambam is a flavorful, spicy and wholesome meal from Tamilnadu, prepared with a medley rice, lentils and vegetables. When I started to incorporate millets into our diet, the first thing I did was converting all one pot rice meals that were being cooked in my kitchen to millet based dishes. No surprise, this one among those is being made again and again for the ease and comfort apart from it being a tasty meal on it's own. 

The kadambam can be cooked with a single variety millet and pigeon peas. This can be pressure cooked for a quicker version and I do so when I am using toor dal aka pigeon peas to cook it faster. I choose to go with masoor dal if I am cooking in a pot over stove-top since the dal cooks in around 20 minutes. The same time it takes for the millet and the vegetables to cook. This dish takes around 30 minutes to go from stove to plate even if pressure cooker is not used.

In this recipe I used a combination of millets and lentils. I used proso millet, barnyard millet and kodo millet. I used toor dal (pigeon peas), moong dal (yellow lentils) and masoor dal (red lentils). Any combination of vegetables that hold shape while pressure cooked can be used here. Sometimes I add a bit of jaggery too to the kadambam. The sambhar powder, tamarind and chili powder quantities I mentioned below can be taken as guidelines since the potency varies from one variety to another one when it comes to those ingredients and we eat somewhat on the spicier side. Taste and adjust the quantities according to one's preferences.

Ingredients: (4 servings)
1/2 cup mixed millets
1/2 cup mixed lentils
1/4 cup peanuts (optional)
1 onion, peeled and diced (optional) 
2 tomatoes, chopped 
3 cups chopped mixed vegetables (1 used 1 big sized potato - cubed, 2 carrots - peeled and cubed, 20 green beans - cut into 1 inch pieces and peas. Vegetables like drumsticks, brinjals can also be used.)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste (I used about 1.5 tsp. salt.)
1 to 2 tbsp. sambhar powder (The quantity depends upon how spicy and strongly flavored the sambhar powder is. I used homemade sambhar powder.)
About 2 tbsp. thickly extracted fresh tamarind puree
2 tsp. mild chili powder
2 tbsp. ghee and/or oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)
10 - 15 curry leaves
 2 pinches of asafoetida powder

Directions:
* Wash lentils and millets in two exchanges of water and drain. Add millets, lentils, peanuts, vegetables, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water to a 3 ltr. pressure cooker directly or to a container that fits into a big pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 3 whistles and turn off the stove.
* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid and add salt, sambhar powder, tamarind puree, chili powder and 3 cups of water to the millet - lentil mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if preferred. Also add water if it appears too thick. Please note that the kadambam thickens once it cools down.
* If using a pot to cook kadambam, follow the same procedure but keep adding the water as needed.   
* Heat ghee / oil in a small pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop, add curry leaves and asafoetida to the pan and turn off the stove. Add it to the kadambam and stir well to combine.
* Serve warm with papad / chips.
 
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Rice Dishes ~ A for Achari Chole Pulao

 
It's time for another mega marathon. Readers who follow my blog may have noticed that I do participate in an event called blogging marathon based on preset themes and this month, there are going to be 26 recipes posted here as part of that event. Participants had a choice of picking any one ingredient or one category for each week of  the month or the entire month. I chose to base my recipes on one ingredient for the entire month. I picked 'rice' as my ingredient and my focus mainly remained on Indian based one pot meals that can be put together quickly and easily. And of course there is some sweet stuff thrown in the mix.

The first one in the series is going to be achari chole pulao. Achar in the title refers to the Indian style spicy pickle that is being used in the cooking and chole are the garbanzo beans. In India, serving a spicy pickle along with rice based dishes like a khichdi (a savory porridge) is norm but this pulao is unusual in the sense where a pickle is part of the cooking. It lends an interesting base to the dish whereas garbanzo beans add nutrition to the dish. If you have the garbanzo beans ready, this pulao makes a quick one pot meal. If using canned beans, rinse thoroughly before using. Serve it along with yogurt to make it a quick meal.

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
3/4 cup soaked and partially cooked garbanzo beans / chana
2 tsp. ghee/oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Whole spices - I used 10 black peppercorns, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise
1 tsp. ginger paste / minced ginger
1 onion, sliced lengthwise / minced
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp. mango achaar / pickle
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala (optional)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Minced cilantro to garnish
1.5 cups water
 
Method:
* Soak rice in water for about 10-15 minutes and drain.
* Heat oil / ghee in a pan or a small sized pressure cooker directly. Add cumin seeds and the whole spices and saute until cumin seeds start to turn a shade darker. 
* Next add ginger and onion to the pan and saute until done. Next add tomatoes and cook until mushy.
* Add salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala if using. Saute for few seconds and next add mango pickle to the pan and stir.
* Finally add rice and garbanzo beans, saute for few seconds and add the required amount of water. 
* Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for 3 to 4 whistles.
* If not using a pressure cooker, cook on low flame covered, until the rice grains appear done. (A little extra water may be needed if not using cooker.)
* Let cool a little before serving and fluff t with a fork if needed to separate the grains.
* Serve it along with yogurt to balance the flavors.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Coconut - Soya Chunks Pulao

 

Though an unintended one, I was on a blogging break for the past couple of months. And it proved to be the one I very much needed with the kids around home with their summeer breaks, visiting guests and plethora of other things that one need to tackle around in order to get going. I am still in lethargic mood and today's one pot meal is a proof of it. A simple, nutritious meal that can be put together in around 10 minutes, using a pressure cooker. The coconut milk lends a subtle flavor base to this soy chunks based pulao. Pair it with some plain yogurt and you end up with a quick, lazy meal without putting in much efforts or time.

Ingredients: (yield 4 servings)
1 cup Basmati rice
1/2 cup soya chunks (I used small sized ones.)
1/4 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1" piece of cinnamon
 2 bay leaves
1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
2 chopped green chillies
1 chopped onion, sliced lengthwise
1 tsp. garam masala
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp. chopped mint leaves

Method:
* Wash and soak rice in water for about 10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile whisk salt and yogurt in a bowl and add soy chunks to it. Mix well and and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a small sized pressure cooker directly. Add cumin, clove, cardamom, cinnamon and  bay leaves. Saute until cumin changes a shade darker.
* Next add ginger - garlic paste, chili and onion. Saute for a couple of minutes.
* Add soy chunks mixture, garam masala and mint leaves to the cooker and stir to combine.
* Next add rice, coconut milk and about 3/4 cup water to the cooker. Cover the lid and cook for three whistles. Remove the lid when valve pressure is gone.
* Garnish with extra mint leaves before serving.

This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #67 under 'Pick one appliance and Cook 3' (My choice being pressure cooker). Check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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