Masala Khichadi

Preparation Time:-20 minutes
Cooking Time:-15 to 20 minutes  
Serves:-4 to 6
Masala Khichadi:-

                                                         
Hello every body here i am posting today every bodies favorite rice variety in my family before marriage. so prepared this after ages, and i think now from onward it will be a regular dish in my kitchen as ,my kids liked it very much.The good thing is i have used five varieties of lentils,so this dish is high in protein,healthy,easy to make and YUMMY! is the word came out of my sons mouth when the khichadi is in his tummy. :).So here is the recipe:
Ingredients:-
1)Basmati Rice 1 and 1/2 cups
2)split green gram/yellow Mung dal 3 table spoons
3)split red lentils/Tuvar dal 1/4 cup
4)whole Green Gram/Whole Green moong  1/4 cup
5)Split Black lentils/Urad dal 2 table spoon
6)Split Chick pea lentils/split bengal gram/Chana dal 1/4 cup
7)Oil/Ghee 8 table spoons
8)Cummin seeds 1 table spoon
9)Cloves 2 to 3 numbers
10)Green cardamom 2 numbers
11)Black cardamom 1 number
12)Cinnamon stick 2 inch
13)Bay leaf 1 number
14)Cashew nuts or pea nuts 10 to 12 numbers(Optional)
15)Onion sliced length wise 1 number(Medium size)
16)Ginger grated 1 tea spoon
17)Garlic grated 1/2 tea spoon
18)Potato sliced in big chunks 1 number(Large size)
19) Carrot 1 number (medium size)
20)Green Peas 1/2 cup
21)Red chili powder 1 tea spoon
22)Tomato paste 1 table spoon
23)Meat Masala 1 table spoon (I used Everest meat masala)
24)Garam masala 1 tea spoon
25)Turmeric 1/2 tea spoon
26)Water 4 and 1/2 Cups
27)Salt to taste
Directions:-
1) Heat oil in a cooker,  fry cloves,cinnamon,bay leaf,cardamom,cummin seeds and cashews, add onions and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, add ginger and garlic paste, fry for another 2 minutes,add in carrot and potato, sought for 3 to 4 minutes.Add in green peas fry for 2 minutes.
2)Add in tomato paste fry till oil starts to separate or for 3 to 4 minutes, red chili powder,garam masala,meat masala,turmeric and salt. Stir well for 1 minute
3)Mix rice and all the lentil varieties and wash.
4)Add the rice,lentil mixture in to the cooker mix well, add water,cover and cook until 3 whistles on medium heat.
5)Allow cooker to cool and serve hot with papad,pickle and butter milk.
                                                               ENJOY!

Baked Mexican Rice with cheese pattise

Preparation time:- 35 minutes

Cooking time:-40 to 50 minutes

Serves:-4 to 6

Baked Mexican Rice with cheese patties:-

This is a really very yummy rice,i suggest everybody must try.Making of this dish required lots of efforts but the end product will take away all the pain. This is an yummy vegetable rice,topped with cheese patties,covered with yummy tomato gravy, topped with cheese and baked in a hot oven.It is a wonderful novelty dish though it needs lots of efforts.The only thing i have experienced while preparing this is,the amount given in the original recipe is very less i feel,so i increased the amount of some ingredients.Basically this is a Tarla Dalal's recipe but i did some variations as per my convenience and made it from the available ingredients at that time in my home. . My son really liked it and was asking me, "mamma,why don't you put this recipe on your blog?,this is really yummy! ".So here is the recipe.
Ingredients:-
For The Rice:-
1)Cooked Rice 4 and 1/2 cups(Cooking method of rice is same as i have explained in my Vegetable Biryani recipe)
2)Lengthwise chopped onion 1 number(Bigger size)
3)Red Chili Powder 2 and 1/2 teaspoons
4)Boiled Mixed vegetables 2 cups(you can use vegetables as per your choice.I have used cauliflower, broccoli,carrots,french beans,i suggest adding mexi beans or rajma if you want for a proper mexican touch)
5)Green Capsicum 1 number(Medium size and optional)
6)Oil 3 to 4 tablespoons
7)Garlic grated 1/2 tablespoon
8)Ginger Grated 1/2 tablespoon
For the Cheese Patties:-
1)Potatoes boiled and mashed 2 and 1/2 numbers (Medium size)
2)Crumbled paneer 1/2 cup
3)Plain flour 2 tablespoons
3)Chopped coriander 2 tablespoons
4)Crushed green chillies 3 to 4 numbers
5)Oil for cooking 2  tablespoons
6)Salt to taste
For the Gravy:-
1)Chopped Tomatoes 5 numbers(Medium size)
2)Tomato puree 2 tablespoons(I used ready made tomato puree)
3)Chopped onion 1 number(Medium size)
4)Red chili powder 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
5)Garlic grated 1 teaspoon
6)Sugar 1/2 teaspoon
7)Oil 2 tablespoons
8)Pinch of carom seeds or Oregano
9)Salt to taste
For baking:-
Grated Mozzarella cheese 6 tablespoons or as much as you want
Method:-
1)For The Rice:-
1)Heat oil in a deep pan or wok,fry onions for 2 minutes
2)Add ginger and garlic grated or paste ,add green capsicum,fry for another 2 to 3 minutes
3)Add in red chili powder and boiled vegetables and fry for 2 to 3 ,minutes
(Boil the vegetables in salted water and do not over boil them,the vegetables should be cooked and firm,so won't get break when mixing with the rice.)
4)Add rice and salt mix thoroughly.
2)For The Cheese Patties:-
1)Mix potatoes,paneer,coriander,plain flour, green chilies and salt mix well.take some mixture and shape into patties.Repeat for rest of the mixture.(While adding the flour ,check for the consistency of the mixture and adjust accordingly,so that the patties won't get break.To know the correct amount of flour,test by shallow frying a small patty. )
2)Shallow fry or cook on a hot tava,griddle or pan, using little bit oil.(Like how we shallow fry normal patties)
3)For The Tomato Gravy:-
1)Heat oil in a wok,fry the onions for 2 to 3 minutes,add in garlic grated,fry again for 1 minute.
2)Add the tomatoes,fry for 2 minutes, add in tomato puree,fry for 2 minutes ,add in carom seeds or oregano,chili powder,sugar,salt and add 1/4 cup water,mix well and cook till the tomatoes becomes soft.
3)When the tomatoes are ready turn off the heat,allow it to cool down and blend in a blender to a smooth gravy,if its too thick add little bit water again.
4)The final step now:-
1)Preheat the oven at 180 ° celsius,grease a baking dish or tray with oil or butter,spread the above cooked hot rice.
2)Arrange the shallow fried patties on top of the rice ,pour the tomato gravy on it,sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake at 180° celsius for 10 to 15 minutes
3)Serve hot with burritos or cheesy nachos topped with spicy salsa sauce.
                                           BUEN PROVECHO!                
                                                     ENJOY!

Sending this recipe to
http://www.jagrutidhanecha.com/2012/09/event-announcement-grand-festive-feasts.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jagrutidhanecha%2FlasJ+%28Jagruti%27s+Cooking+Odyssey%29



Also sending to
 http://www.simplysensationalfood.com/2012/10/announcing-eventcelebrate-navratri.html


Also sending to
http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2012/10/diwali-bash-event-announcement.html

Vegetable Biryani ( Spicy Mixed Vegetable Rice)

Preparation time:- 45 minutes Approximately
Serves:- 4 to 6 (when eating only biryani)

Vegetable Biryani:-

This is a spicy rice dish,being loved among my friends. I have prepared this recipe

as per my liking's and it turned out really well ,my friends said this  :). And then i kept following the same recipe. This recipe is born when  first i was making the biryani by referring the recipe from Everest Biryani Masala packet,but i have made the changes as per my likes and tried to match the restaurant like test. First i tried this in Amsterdam and all my friends loved it . So here is the recipe

Ingredients For Rice:- 

1) Basmati Rice 3 and 1/2 cups (I used 'Daawat Basmati' rice )

2) Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

3) Unsalted Butter 1 tablespoon

4) Salt 1 teaspoon

5) Hot water 3 and 1/2 cups

6) Milk 1/2 cup

7) saffron few strands

Ingredients For Biryani Masala:-

1)Oil 8 to 10 tablespoons

2)Cumin seeds 1 and 1/2 tablespoons

3)Cloves 2 to 4 numbers

4)Green Cardamom 2 numbers

5)Black cardamom 1 number

6)Cinnamon stick approx 1 inch piece

7)Bay leaves 2 numbers

8)Cashews 2 tablespoons

9)Everest Shahi Biryani Masala 1 tablespoon

10)Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

11)Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon

12)Brown Onions  5 numbers (Medium Sized and grinned to fine paste)

13)Brown onion medium sized and sliced lengthwise 1 number

14)Ginger finely grated 1 teaspoon

15)Garlic finely grated 1 teaspoon

16)Medium size tomatoes 3 numbers pureed

 ( or can use 2 tablespoons of ready-made tomato paste/ puree)

17)Cauliflower Florets  19 to 21 numbers(Big size pieces)

18)French Beans pieces medium size 19 numbers( Cut diagonally)

19)Carrots 3 numbers (Medium size)

20)Green peas thawed 1 cup ( If using frozen  do not boil them with other veggies)

21)Sultanas 1 teaspoon (Optional)

Method:-

1) Wash and cut the veggies as mentioned . Partially cook covered in 2 to 4 cups of salted water (water should be enough so that all the veggies get immersed in the water and do not overcook the veggies they should be partially cooked that is nearly cooked consistency. It will take approx.10 to 12 minutes and my suggestion is do not use pressure cooker for cooking the veggies.) 

2) Wash the rice and transfer to a microwave safe bowl. To it add water,butter and lemon juice.

Give it a stir and microwave for 15 minutes.

3) While the veggies and rice gets cooked.In a deep pan/kadhai heat oil.

4) To the oil add cumin seeds, let them sputter.

5) Add in all whole garam masala stir for 2 to 3 seconds.

6) Add cashews and sultanas stir it.

7) Add sliced onions, fry till they become translucent

8) Add in Onion paste, fry for 5 minutes add ginger and garlic grated. Then fry till it changes to golden brown and oil starts to separate.

9) Add in Tomato paste/puree, fry till oil starts to separate and raw smell of tomato puree disappears.

10) Add in red chilli powder,turmeric powder and biryani masala ,mix well for 1 to 2 seconds

11) Drain the veggies and if the rice is ready transfer it into a flat tray/plate and allow it to cool.

12) Add in green peas in to the fried masala, cook for 3 minutes.

13) Add in all the partially boiled veggies and mix gently so that the veggies won't get mashed.

14) Soak saffron in 2 tablespoon of warm milk

15) Divide the cooked rice into 3/4th and 1/4th portions, add the saffron milk into the 1/4th portion of rice

16) Mix the 3/4th portion of rice into the onion gravy.

17) In a oven proof tin or aluminium foil baking tin make the layers of saffron rice and gravy rice. 

18)Start with  the saffron rice and end with the masala rice and spread a little of saffron rice on top (Refer  the pictures in the movie) 

19) Cover the tin with aluminium foil,poke holes in the middle of the foil with a fork.

And bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes on 180° Celsius.
20) Serve with cucumber-yogurt raita(salad), Boondi raita (salad),Pineapple raita salad) or Mirchi Ka Salan            
                                                    ENJOY!