Recipe
Make your own Tri Colour Pulao at home for Independence Day
Cooking time- 20-30 minutesServes- 1-2 people Ingredients: 250 gms or 3 cups cooked basmati rice- partitioned into three portions ½ cup chopped onions Oil/ghee -3-4 teaspoons Jeera-three teaspoons 2 cardamom pods 2 bay leaves 3 cloves Tomato puree- ½ a cup Coriander mint paste- 2 tablespoons ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder Garam masala ½ spoon Salt to taste Method: In a pan, add one tablespoon of ghee/oil, and once it is hot, sputter jeera, 2 cardamom pods, 3 cloves, and 2 bay leaves. In a minute, add one cup of cooked basmati rice, add salt, toss for a minute, remove and keep aside. In the same pan, once again add ghee/oil add the jeera, and once it sputters add the chopped onions. Allow the onions to brown up for a minute. Now add the tomato puree, add turmeric powder, and garam masala. Close the pan and allow this to simmer for five minutes. Now add the second bowl of cooked rice, add salt and toss for a bit. Now to the third portion of rice, add the green chutney or mint coriander paste, add the salt and toss it up for a minute. Take a bigger bowl, now layer in the order of tomato pulao, jeera pulao, and the mint-coriander pulao. Take a plate, and put this bowl upside down carefully. Remove the bowl to find the wonderful healthy tricolored pulao ready to be served. Tips: 1) If you want a little spice, add green chilli while grinding your coriander-mint chutney.2) Likewise you may also add a pinch of red chilli powder to your tomato paste while it cooks.
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Lemon Millet Rice
Cooking time- 20-30 minutesServes- 1-2 people Ingredients: 1/2 cup or 150 gms of washed fox tail millet Oil- 2-3 teaspoons Water- 4 cups Peanuts- 50 gms One teaspoon each of mustard seeds, jeera, urad dhal, and channa dhal ½ a teaspoon of turmeric powder 2 small green and red chillis. One sprig of curry leaves Juice of one medium-sized lemon Salt to taste Method: Soak the washed fox tail millet for about 30 minutes. Once done, in an open pan cook the millets in about 2-3 cups of water until it is soft. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can also pressure cook the millet provided you are familiar with the method of cooking. The millet must not be overcooked. Once this cools, keep it aside. In another pan add oil and sputter the dhals first, add mustard, jeera, and the slit chillis. Now add the curry leaves and saute till they are crisp. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice. You may add the cooked millets to this pan and give this a good stir. Your lemon millet rice is ready. Tips: 1) Add lemon juice only after you switch off the flame.2) You may use ghee instead of oil.3) You can grate carrots, and greens also to the mixture for a healthier version.
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Sapota Milk Shake
Cooking time- 10 minutesServes- 1-2 people Ingredients: 2 cups chopped sapota/ chikoos 1 chopped banana Forest honey- 4 teaspoons Milk about 200 ml Method: In a blender, add the chopped-up sapota and banana, and add the milk and honey. Adjust the pouring consistency by adding milk if needed. Blend for about two-three minutes and transfer to a serving glass. Serve chilled. Tips: 1) Freeze the chopped fruits for a little while for the smoothie to come out with betterconsistency.2) If the fruits are too sweet skip the honey.3) You may also add some roasted powdered nuts and blend for a protein-richsmoothie/milkshake.
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Ragi Chilla
Cooking time- 20 minutes. Serves- 1-2 people. Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour ½ a cup wheat flour ½ a cup oats ½ a cup curd 2-3 cups of water Chopped vegetables -onion, capsicum -1 cup Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon Chopped chillis a few. Oil/butter about 200 ml Salt to taste Method: In a mixing bowl, add the ragi flour, and then the wheat flour and oats. Now add the curd and mix this well. Add the 2 cups of water and keep on mixing to ensure that the batter is smooth and without lumps. Add the chopped vegetables. Mix it in the batter. Add the salt, spices, and green chillis and mix. Now take a pan or a flat skillet, heat it, apply oil, and spread uniformly. Heap a ladle full of batter and spread evenly like a pancake, allow it to cook on one side, and then flip. Add oil/butter to grease if needed. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup. Tips: Ensure that the batter is smooth and free-flowing, and adjust the water accordingly. Experiment with different kinds of vegetables and greens in the batter. Do not allow the batter to rest.
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Red Poha Cutlet
Cooking time- 20 minutes Serves- 2-3 people Ingredients: 2 cups or 250 gms of red poha Oil – 100 -150 ml Onion chopped – One medium size 2 medium sized boiled potatoes Chopped coriander -1/2 a cup 2-3 chopped green chilies Water – ¼ th cup. Chat masala – 1 teaspoon Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon Besan or gram flour – 3 teaspoons Salt to taste Method: Thoroughly wash and drain 2 cups of red poha. Add 2-3 spoons of water to this and keep aside for 5 minutes. Now mash and add the boiled potatoes and blend in with the poha to form a dough-like mixture. Add the chopped onions, coriander leaves, and green chilies. Now add the besan to this dough. Add the spices one after another, red chili powder, chat masala, and the required salt. Now blend them all in carefully until all these ingredients are mixed in well. Pinch into small balls and flatten them into a cutlet-like shape. Heat oil in a pan and carefully shallow fry on both sides, it is cooked and crisp. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with ketchup. Tips: Remember to add just the right amount of water to the poha. Excess water will cause the dough to fall apart. You can grate carrots, and greens also to the mixture for a healthier version.
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Murmura Poha
Cooking time- 20 minutes Serves- 1-2 people Ingredients: 2 cups or about 150 gms of puffed rice or poha 50 gms of raw peanuts ½ a cup of water ½ a lemon ½ a cup each of chopped onions, capsicum, boiled potato, and tomato 2-3 chopped green chillis 50 gms of curry leaves ½ a teaspoon of mustard seeds and jeera seeds ½ a teaspoon each of chilli powder, turmeric powder 2-3 teaspoons of ghee Salt to taste Method: Heat a shallow pan, add about a spoon of ghee and roast the peanuts until it is a golden brown. Keep this aside. In the same pan, add a little more ghee and add mustard seeds, and jeera seeds to sputter. Now add the chopped onions, chillis, capsicum, potato, tomato, and curry leaves. One after another. Allow this to cook till mushy. Add the spices and mix them in. In another bowl, soak the murmura or puffed rice in ½ cup of water and allow it to soak up the water. Once the vegetable mix is cooked, add the soaked murmura and blend in everything well. Squeeze the juice of the lemon on top, mix it and then add the roasted peanuts to this. Serve hot. Tips: Do not oversoak the murmura in a lot of water, else the entire dish will become lumpy. Sprinkle a little water on the vegetables for them to cook faster.
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Kabuli Channa Salad
Prep time- 10 minutes Serves- 1-2 people Ingredients: 1 cup or 100 gms of cooked Kabuli Channa or Chickpeas(white) Onion chopped- One medium size Tomato chopped-One medium size Cucumber chopped- One small size Chopped coriander leaves about 50 gms Juice of half a lemon/1/2 spoon red vinegar Olive oil- one teaspoon ½ a spoon of pepper powder About 50 gms of paneer/ feta cheese Salt to taste Method: In a mixing bowl, add the boiled chickpeas and chopped vegetables, and coriander leaves. In a small bowl or a bottle shaker, add olive oil, lemon juice, or red wine vinegar, pepper, and salt. Mix this up thoroughly to make a salad dressing. Drizzle over the salad bowl and gently mix this all in. Now you may crumb the feta cheese or paneer to this and mix this once again in the bowl. Your super-fresh protein-packed filling salad is ready! Tips: Ensure the chickpeas or channa are soaked and cooked well for good taste. You may play around with more vegetables and herbs, and use your choice of a salad dressing too but ensure the hero of your salad- Kabuli channa/ chickpeas retains its taste.
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Garlic Turmeric Rice
Prep time: 20 min to cook a cup or 150 gms of rice. Cooking time- 15 minutes. Serves- 1-2 people. Ingredients: 1 cup of cooked rice. Butter – 2-3 teaspoons. Onion- 1 medium (sliced) Garlic- 5-6 pods chopped fine. Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon. Salt to taste. Method: Heat 2-3 teaspoons of butter in a pan and fry the onions in them. Once the onions turn a little pink, add the chopped garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes till it loses its raw smell. Now add the turmeric powder, and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Now add the cooked rice and toss it around in low heat. Switch off the flame and add the required amount of salt. Tips: Any flavored rice tastes best only if the rice is cooked right. Mushy rice can spoil the dish. You may play around with garnishing, can add green chillies, add coriander leaves, or add more butter while cooking.
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Jaggery Atta Halwa
Cooking time- 15 minutes. Serves- 1-2 people. Ingredients: ¾ cup or 150 gms of whole wheat atta. 3 teaspoons plus ¼ th cup of ghee. ½ a cup of jaggery. ½ cup water. A few pinches of cardamom powder. Assorted roasted nuts (optional). Method: Heat a pan with two teaspoons of ghee and gently roast the whole wheat flour for a minute.Once it is done, add 1/4th cup of ghee and keep cooking till it changes color.It will take about 5-10 minutes.Now keep this aside. Heat another pan with ½ cup water and add the jaggery to it, keep stirring till it is completely dissolved.Now add this syrup to the warm atta mixture and cook this on low flame till the mixture is thickened and fully cooked. Now add the cardamom and mix it.Add another teaspoon of ghee and blend well. You may garnish with roasted dry fruits and nuts if needed. Tips: Ensure that the raw smell of the atta is completely eliminated before you add the ghee and cook the atta. The amount of water will depend on the quality of jaggery and hence ensure the consistency and measures are maintained accordingly
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