Chickpeas Pulav

Most of the days, I will be running out of time in the mornings.  Rice being the stable food at home, has its different ways to serve.  To make it more healthy, we try to add vegetables & present it more nutritious.  Addition of chick peas & potato makes the dish really tasty & quick to make.   I like to serve it with onion raita or with pakoda.  Its optional to use pulav masala for this dish.  Fried bread pieces can be used for garnishing.  It taste yum !!!

Ingredients :

1. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Chick peas - 1/2 cup (Soaked in water overnight)
4. Oil - 1 tbsp
5. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
6. Cloves - 3 nos
7. Cardamom - 1 no
8. Bay leaf - 1 no
9. Onion (sliced lengthwise) - 1/4 cup
10. Potato - 1 large sized
11. Chilly powder - 1 tsp (to spice)
12. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
13. Salt to taste
14. Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
15. Pulav masala - 1/4 tsp (optional)
16. Corriander leaves & roasted cashewnuts for garnishing

Direction to Cook :

1.   Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf & sliced onions.  Saute till tender.

2.   Add cubed potatoes, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt to taste & basmati rice.  Saute it well until aromatic and the rice becomes translucent. 

3.   Drain & add the chick peas, lemon juice, pulav masala, water & little corriander leaves.  Pressure cook it till done.

4.   Garnish it with corriander leaves & roasted cashew nuts.

Serve it warm.

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Vangibath (Brinjal Rice)

Happy valentines day to all my viewers. This is my most comfort & tasty rice variety, which I cook very often for my DH lunch box.  I always prepare the vangibath powder & store it in the freezer for a week or more.  It makes my cooking very simple & easy.  Best way to serve this rice is with papads or with raitas as well.  

Ingredients :

1. Green / purple Brinjal - 100 gms (or eggplant - 1 medium sized)
2. Basmati rice - 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Channa dal - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Tamarind pulp -1/2 tsp
7. A pinch of jaggery
8. Onion - 1 no
9. Potato - 1 small sized
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Vangibhath powder 
12. Dry coconut powder - 1 tsp
13. Roasted cashewnuts for garnishing
14. Salt to taste

For vangibhath powder :

1. Red chillis - 2 nos (or black pepper corns)
2. Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
3. Poppy seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
5. Channa Dal - 1 tsp
6. Dry coconut powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
8. Clove - 2 nos
9. Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp
10. 1/4 tsp hing

Dry roast the above ingredients & grind it to smooth powder.

Direction to cook :

1.   Cook the rice & allow it to cool.

2.   Meanwhile, heat oil in the pan.   Add channa dal, mustard seeds, finely chopped onions & then cut potato slices.  Cook till tender.

3.   Slice the brinjals in lengthwise & add them to the above mixture.  Add turmeric powder & salt to taste.

4.   Add tamarind pulp & coconut powder.  Cook till brinjals are done.

5.   Now add grounded vangibath powder & a pinch of jaggery.  Add cooked rice & mix them throughly till nicely combined.

6.   Add roasted cashewnuts.

Serve with papads or raita.

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Sweet Jaggery balls (using wheat flour)

I m back after a long uninformed break with sweet wheat flour balls, perfect for weekend breakfast.  When it comes to weekend cooking, I will be bit slow in cooking & finally, it will arround 3 when we have our lunch.  So, I prefer to cook something very heavy for the breakfast.   

Very healthy & heavy  perfect for kids.  Addition of cardamom powder & nuts are totally optional but I would recommend it for ultimate taste.  This dish needs to be served immediately otherwise it will become hard & difficult to eat.

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Jaggery - 3/4 to 1 cup (Depending on ur sweet)
3. Water - 1 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Cashew nuts (Roasted) - 1 tbsp
6. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Direction to Cook :

1.   Dry roast the wheat flour till light brown in color.

2.   Melt the jaggery in water over low flame & filter it.  

3.   Bring the dissolved jaggery water to boil & add the roasted wheat flour in the middle of the pan.  Do not stir it.

4.   Over a low flame, allow the wheat flour to cook & finally mix it together till u get the required consistency. 

5.   Add the cardamom powder & roasted nuts.  Switch off the flame.

6.   Apply some ghee in the palm & make little balls.  

Serve immediately.

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