Quick Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice (Chawal)
2 cup Water
200 gms Cauliflower (Phool gobi) Florets
2 small Potato (Aloo)
1/2 cup fresh Peas (Matar)
1 large Onion (Pyaj)
3-4 black Cardamoms (Elaichi)
1/2 tsp Red chilli (Lal Mirchi) Powder
1 x 1 inch Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini)
2-4 Cloves (Lavang)
4 tblsp Oil
1 tsp Salt (Namak)

How to make quick vegetable pulao:

• Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour, drain and keep aside.
• Slice the onion finely and chop the potatoes into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown, add all the vegetables, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.
• Saute for 2-3 minutes, add little water and cook till the potatoes and peas are half cooked.
• Then add the drained rice, salt and red chilli powder.
• Mix well.
• Add 2 cups of water and boil.
• When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame and cover and cook till the rice is done.

Quick Kheer

Ingredients:

500 ml Milk (Doodh)
250 gms Rice (Chawal)
200 gms Sugar (Cheeni)
50 gms Ghee
3 tblsp chopped Nuts

How to make quick kheer:

• Pick and wash the rice.
• Soak in water for 30 minutes.
• Drain completely.
• Melt the ghee in a pan, add the drained rice and saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame.
• add the milk and cook on a low flame till the milk is reduced to 3/4th its original quantity.
• Add the sugar and simmer further till the milk is reduced to half its original quantity.
• Garnish with nuts.

PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

 

Ingredients:

    1 small pineapple (ananas)

2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
3 tsp oil
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp flour
2 tsp jeera (cumin seed)
2 tsp saunf (aniseed)
2 tsp rai (mustard seeds)
1/2 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
2 tsp onion seeds
Salt To Taste

How to make pineapple chutney or ananas ki chutney :

• Cut the pineapple into small pieces
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add half the quantity of jeera, saunf, rai, methi, onion seeds and salt.
• Saute for some time then add the pineapple pieces, turmeric, chilly powder, salt, sugar and 2 cups of water.
• Cook till the pineapple is done. Add more water if required while cooking the pineapple.
• Mix the maida with some water to a paste and this to the chutney.
• Roast the other half of the masala mixture on a tawa and powder coarsely. Then add it to the chutney.

Punjabi Kadi with Pakora (Dahi Besan Kadi)

For Pakora:
1 cup Besan (gram flour)
Pinch of cumin seeds
2 teaspoon chopped onions
1 chopped green chillies
½ teaspoon grated ginger
pinch of turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
red chilli powder (as per taste)
½ teaspoon jwayen (optional)
water (to make a smooth batter)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For Kadi:
2 spoons vegetable Oil
1 cup Besan (gram flour)
1 huge onion (sliced in long pieces)
1 tomato (chopped)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2-3 teaspoon garlic (minced)
4-5 dry red chillies
7-8 curry leaves
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2-3 cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 spoon tamarind paste (mixed with water)
2 cups yogurt
2 teaspoon dry kasturi methi powder (fenugreek powder)
Salt to taste

Preparation

	Pakora:
1	Mix besan and all the other ingredients in a bowl.
2	Add enough water to make a very thick batter.
3	Make any random shape or balls and fry them in oil to make pakoras.
4	Deep fry them until they turn brown and crispy. Take them out on a paper towel so that the paper soaks all the extra oil. Keep them aside.
	Kadi Prep:
1	Blend yogurt,double the amount of water, pinch of turmeric powder, salt, pinch of red chilli powder, besan. It should look like a butter milk (lassi) mixture with besan in it.
2	Keep it aside for half an hour before starting to make kadi.
	Kadi:
1	Pour oil in a big pan (or any big cooking utensil) and heat it until it gets hot. Add cumin seeds mustard seeds, fenugreek seed, coriander seeds, cloves and let them pop.
2	Add curry leaves and dry red chilli to the above tadka (frying mixture)
3	Add onions to it and fry them until brown.
4	Add garlic, ginger to it and fry for 3 minutes.(watch that it should not stick to the bottom of the pan)
5	Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 3-4 minutes.
6	Add tamarind paste to the pan and let it come to the boil for 4-5 minutes.
7	Add turmeric powder ,garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and fry until oil starts floating on the top and it gives out dark reddish brownish color.
8	Add the kadi mixture, which was kept for half an hour to this tadka.
9	Keep stirring the curry, as it will start sticking to the bottom. Keep it on a medium flame first, and let it come to a boil. Keep watching it stirring it. After 3-5 boils, lower down the flame to low and let it cook on low flame for 20 minutes and stir in between.
10	Stir for another 5 minutes and check if its thick enough and looks dark yellow. Again stir it for 5 minutes and sprinkle dry fenugreek leaves on it and let it boil for another 2 minutes and than add the pakoras in the kadi.
11	Boil more for 3 minutes and don’t stir too much as the pakora can break apart.
12	For garnishing, sprinkle cilantro and serve hot with rice.