Tag Archives: Rice

Recipes: Mixed Vegetable Moong Dal Pulao

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A couple of months back, while doomscrolling, I came across a similar recipe and knew I had to try it. Last week, I finally had a chance to make this. Combining the goodness of whole moong dal and mixed vegetables, this pulao is wholesome, flavourful and protein-packed and is ideal for a school or office lunchbox.

Sprouted moong dal is often referred to as a superfood due to its exceptional nutritional profile. It is rich in nutrients as it contains essential vitamins like A, B, C, and E, as well as minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, as well as being high in protein and dietary fibre. Sprouting enhances enzyme activity, making it easier to digest compared to regular legumes. The high fibre content promotes gut health by preventing constipation. It is rich in potassium and magnesium, which help regulate blood pressure and antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation linked to heart disease. Because of its low glycemic index, glucose is slowly released into the bloodstream, and thus it is beneficial for diabetics due to its ability to stabilise blood sugar levels. The high protein and fibre content promotes satiety and prevents overeating. Sprouted moong dal contains vitamin C and antioxidants that strengthen immune defenses while its antioxidants help combat free radicals that cause skin aging.

Mixed Vegetable Moong Dal Pulao

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
  • 1 cup whole moong dal, soaked for 6-8 hours. Bonus points if the dal starts to sprout
  • 1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (I used carrots, peas and corn)
  • 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 10-12 cashew nuts
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 4-5 cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp ghee 
  • 2 cups water

Method:

  • If using whole green moong beans, soak them overnight or for 6-8 hours. Drain and leave them in a damp cloth for a day to sprout. Rinse the sprouts before use. If you are unable to sprout, just use the soaked and drained moong beans.
  • Soak the rice for 30 minutes
  • Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or pressure cooker.
  • Fry the cashew nuts until light brown and keep aside.
  • Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods in the same ghee. Sauté until aromatic.
  • Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
  • Stir in the ginger-green chilli paste and cook for a minute.
  • Add chopped mixed vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes
  • Add in the mixed vegetables and moong dal. Sauté for another minute.
  • Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Gently mix with the vegetables.
  • Season with salt as needed.
  • If using a rice cooker, add the rice, moong dal, and vegetables to the rice cooker. Add in the fried cashew nuts and mix well. Now add in the 2 cups of water and cook until done. Let the pulao sit in the rice cooker for a while, then open and lightly fluff with a fork. 
  • If cooking it on the stove, pour in water and bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat until the rice is done. Alternatively, you can pressure cook for one whistle. Let the pulao rest for a few minutes after cooking.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with a raita of your choice.

Recipes: Zafrani Pulao

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Infused with the rich aroma of saffron and garnished with raisins, cashew nuts and almonds, Zafrani Pulao is perfect for special occasions. Saffron is known for its antioxidant properties, which can help combat oxidative stress in the body. It has also been linked to improved mood and may help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. When garnished with nuts like almonds and cashews, Zafrani Pulao gains additional nutrients such as healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup milk
  • 10-12 strands of saffron
  • 2 tbsp ghee (or oil for a vegan option)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 green cardamom pods
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 1-inch cinnamon stick
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tbsp sugar (optional, adjust to taste)
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped nuts (cashews, almonds) and raisins for garnish 

Method:

  • Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Soak it in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in warm milk for about 15 minutes. This will help release the colour and flavour of the saffron.
  • In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat ghee over medium heat. Add the chopped nuts and fry until golden brown. Remove and keep aside on a kitchen towel. Add the raisins in the same ghee and once they plump up, remove and keep with the nuts. 
  • In the same ghee, add the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the drained rice to the pot and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes to toast the rice slightly.
  • Add the salt and stir for a minute and then transfer to a rice cooker with the two cups of water. 
  • Cook until the rice is done. Switch off the rice cooker and let it sit for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open the rice cooker, and drizzle in the saffron milk, add the sugar if using and fluff the rice with a fork. Be gentle so as to keep the grains separate. Add in the fried nuts and raisins. 
  • If using the stovetop, after adding the salt, pour in 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. 
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.
  • After the rice is cooked, gently fluff it with a fork. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk over the rice and add sugar if using. Mix gently to combine without breaking the grains. Add in the fried nuts and raisins and sprinkle over the pulao. 
  • Serve hot as a standalone dish or with your favourite curry or raita.

Recipes: Raw Mango Rice

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A dish from the state of Karnataka made on special occasions, my mother has been asking me to make this ever since she tasted it in Bengaluru. My sister also makes a version of this rice and kept telling me to try it as it was very tasty. I finally caved in and made it a couple of weeks back when I found some nice raw unripe mangoes in the market. The rice was very tasty and reminded us of lemon rice which is prepared similarly.

Recipes: Raw Mango Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 raw mango, peeled and grated to get about ½ cup of grated mangoes
  • 1 cup basmati rice, soaked in water for about 30 minutes
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp broken urad dal
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
  • 6-8 cashew nuts
  • 2 dried red chillies, broken
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp grated coconut
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the rice and let it cool. When cool, gently fluff it with a spoon and spread it on a large plate. Keep aside
  • Heat the oil in a pan and when the oil warms up, add in the mustard seeds and let the seeds pop.
  • Next add the turmeric powder, and the urad dal and stir for a few seconds. After this add in the dried chillies, the peanuts and cashew nuts and stir until the cashew nuts start to become golden brown.
  • At this point, add in the grated mango and the salt and stir. Cook covered until the mangoes become tender and cooked.
  • When the mangoes are cooked, add in the rice and gently mix everything. You can check for seasoning at this point and add what is missing.
  • Add in the grated coconut and stir well.
  • Cook covered for a minute or two and serve hot garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Recipes: Cauliflower and Broccoli Pulao

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Since GG started her internship, I have been trying to make more one-pot meals that she can take with her. Some experiments in making one-pot meals are successful or some are a big failure. Today’s recipe is one of those experiments which were successful. Everyone loved it and S who is usually not a big fan of the cauliflower and broccoli combination asked me to make this instead of the usual stir fry I make.

This is a very simple recipe to make and barely took me 10 minutes to prep and put in the rice cooker. If you are making this on the stovetop, it will need a bit more care as you need to keep an eye on the water level.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Pulao

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • ½ a head of cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets
  • ½ a head of broccoli, cut into medium=-sized florets
  • 1 medium-sized onion, halved and sliced finely
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • inch cinnamon stick
  • ½ tsp green chilli paste or 1 green chilli, chopped into big pieces
  • 10 pieces of cashew nuts
  • Salt to taste
  • 1.5 cups water

Method:

  • Wash the basmati rice well till the water runs clear and then soak it in water for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat a pan and add the ghee and when the ghee warms, add the cashew nuts and let the nuts become golden brown.
  • At this point, add the cumin seeds and let the seeds pop.
  • Once the cumin seeds pop, add in the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods and saute for a few seconds each.
  • Then add in the green chillies or the chilli paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
  • Now add the chopped and washed cauliflower and broccoli florets and saute for a couple of minutes.
  • Once the florets are cooking for a few minutes, add in the washed and drained rice and season with salt. I usually add about 1 tsp of salt for a cup of rice, but this is a personal preference.
  • Transfer the rice mixture to a rice cooker and add 1.5 cups of water and cook until done. If you are using the stovetop, stir once a while until all the water is completely absorbed by the rice and the rice is cooked.
  • Once the rice is done, switch off the stove or rice cooker and let it sit for a while before opening it and fluffing it with a fork.
  • Serve hot with a raita.

Recipes: Spinach Mint Rice

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During the lockdown, I was experimenting with food and one day found a small bunch of spinach and another small bunch of mint lying in the fridge. I usually make a chutney with the mint, but I didn’t have enough coriander leaves to make my usual chutney, so thought of combining the two. I used my Spinach Rice recipe as the basis of this one and it turned out super yummy! When the rice was cooking, the whole house was enveloped with this pleasant mint aroma and while eating this dish, I was eating with more than just my mouth! And the best part about this recipe is that it is a one pot meal dish. This is a great addition to a lunchbox and both GG & BB have asked me to add this to their lunch boxes.

Spinach Mint Rice

Ingredients:
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1 bunch mint with the leaves plucked
• 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 10-15 curry leaves
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped roughly
• 1 bulb garlic, peeled
• inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 5-6 green chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10-12 pieces of cashewnuts, chopped into half
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• Salt to taste

Method:
• Soak the rice in water for 20-30 minutes and then wash it thoroughly, drain and keep aside.
• Take some water in a large pan and boil it. While the water is boiling, wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and keep aside.
• Wash the mint, curry and coriander leaves and keep aside.
• Blanch the spinach leaves, a few at a time for around 10-15 seconds in the boiling water and remove and keep aside.
• In a blender, blend together the spinach, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, green chillies and onion into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and when it warms up, add the cashewnuts and fry until they are brown and nicely toasted. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
• In the same pan, with the remaining ghee, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Then add the blended paste and some salt and let the paste cook for around 5 minutes. The paste should start thickening and at this point add the rice.
• Mix the rice well into the spinach mint paste and once each grain of rice is coated with the paste, remove it to a rice cooker and add the water needed to cook the rice. Cook until it is done and then let it sit for 10 minutes before opening the rice cooker. Fluff it with a fork and add the fried cashewnuts.
• If you are cooking in a pan, when the rice is coated with the paste, add the water and let it cook until the rice is done. Switch off the gas and let it sit for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and then garnishing with the cashewnuts.
• Serve hot with a raita and some chips. I served this with an onion pineapple raita. This raita is very simple. Beat some yoghurt in a bowl and add salt and pepper to it. Then add some finely chopped onions, finely chopped pineapples (either fresh or from a tin) and some finely chopped coriander leaves. Taste for seasoning and serve. For the chips, I fried some traditional vadam.
• Vadam is traditionally made by drying a paste made of rice and other ingredients in the sun until all the water is leeched out. Then during days when vegetables are in short supply, you fry these in hot oil and use them as an accompaniment to any rice dish.