Quick Tomato Rice Recipe !

Hi… I am going to post some quick rice recipes, when you want to prepare a quick lunch / dinner or you have any guests coming up with short notice.

Though, sometimes we run out of vegetables & time..but at least we would be lucky to have that one last tomato or onion or green chilli….still there hiding in some corner of the refrigerator !

So, a very simple & quick recipe for the Tomato rice…for you all,

Tomato Rice !

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice - 1 to 2 cups

Chopped Tomato - 1 to 2

Chopped Onions - 1 to 2

Chopped Green Chilli - 1 to 2

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup

Curry Leaves - 1 to 2

Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Roasted Cashew - 4 to 5 (optional)

Oil - 1 table spoon

Salt - As per the taste

Ingredients

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan.

2. Add cashew nuts, curry leaves, chopped onions & green chili and fry for 2 minutes.

3.Add chopped tomato pieces & cook until they become softer..takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add salt, turmeric powder & coriander powder and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat & mix this tomato seasoning to the cooked rice.

……. and that is all you need to do…Tasty Tomato rice is to be served & to enjoy !

Moong Sprouts Cutlet / Mung Bean Sprouts Cutlet

Hi….Today, I am going to share a Nutrition rich recipe & personally the diet I followed 7 years ago to loose oodles of weight. 

I used to be over weight for 3 years in my late teen years to early 20's. Yes, I lost  44 LBS ( 20 KG )…. and all I used to eat for lunch & dinner is Moong (Mung Bean) Sprouts salad for almost 6 months. Though, I don't suggest you to follow the same diet, rather I recommend you to make this salad as part of your diet, now and then to get all the goodness of the sprouts. Moong / Mung Bean is a 'powerhouse Protein'.

I am sharing the recipe of, Moong Sprouts Cutlet recipe along with, I also share Moong sprouts salad recipe.

Mung Bean Cutlet

Ingredients :

Whole Moong Dal / Mung Bean - 1 1/2 cup

For Cutlet :

Chopped Onion - 1/4 cup

Chopped green chili - 1 table spoon

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup

Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Amchoor / Dry Mango powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Oil - 1 to 2 table spoon

Salt - As per the taste

For Salad :

Chopped Tomato - 1 cup

Chopped Onion - 1/4 cup

Chopped Green chili / Ground black pepper - 1 tea spoon

Lemon juice - 2 tea spoons

Salt - As per the taste

Method :

Making Moong / Mung Bean Sprouts - 

- Soak Whole Moog dal in water over night.

Soaked Moong dal

- Next day morning, strain all the water and separate the moong dal.

Soaked Moong Dal

- Keep them in a bowl and cover with a lid & leave them outside for 1 day. (Don't keep them in the refrigerator).

- Next day, You can see the sprouted Moong dal.

Mung Bean sprouts / Moong dal sprouts

 - Boil / steam  the sprouts using minimal water adding pinch of salt.

Moong dal sprouts / Mung Bean Sprouts

- Take the boiled / steamed moong sprouts in a bowl & mash them.

- Add chopped onion, chopped green chili, chopped coriander leaves, dhaniya or coriander powder, salt,  amchoor or dry mango powder, salt and mix well.

Moong dal sprouts Cutlet

- Take the moong sprouts cutlet mix fistful quantity & gently pat &  make cutlets.

- Heat the pan & grease with little oil & place the cutlets on the pan & fry them.

- Once, done on one side , flip them on the other side, gently.

Mung Bean sprouts Cutlets

- Once done on both the sides, take them in to a plate & serve them with either coriander chutney or your favorite ketchup.

These cultes don't take much time to be fried, since the moong dal sprouts have already been boiled / steamed.

Moong Dal sprouts SALAD :

- Add chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, lemon juice, chopped green chili and salt to the boiled / steamed moong dal sprouts or Mung Bean sprouts. Mix gently and enjoy the salad.

Coconut Rice !

Rice being our staple food …..we do, try many variety with rice… one of the flavorful & yummy recipes that could top the list is, Coconut Rice !

This coconut rice recipe, today I am going to share needs coconut milk. I got the readymade creamy coconut milk. But for those, who wants to extract the coconut milk from fresh coconut, will give you the method 'how to extract coconut milk' which my mom used to follow.

Coconut Rice !

Ingredients :
Coconut Milk / cream - 1 tin
Rice - 3 cups
Water - 4 1/2 cups
Fresh Mint Leaves - 1 cup
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tea spoon
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Oil - 1 table spoon
Roasted Cashew - 5 to 6
Green Chilli - 1 to 2
Salt - As per the taste

&

Whole Garam masala Ingredients :

Bay Leaf - 1 (big) or 2 (small)
Cinnamon / Cassia bark stick - 1
Cloves - 4 to 5
Green / black cardamom - 2
Anis flower - 2 to 3

Ingredients

Preparation :

1. Wash & soak the rice.

2. Take the coconut milk / cream in a bowl. Here there are 2 ways to measure the water / milk for the cooking.

If it is Coconut Milk  CREAM based,

Coconut Milk CREAM based

Add 4 1/2 cups (for 3 cups of rice) of water to the coconut milk cream, so this coconut milk we are going to use to cook the rice.

Coconut Milk

If you have Coconut milk not like cream, directly use the coconut milk instead of water. The measure is 

3 cups rice : 4 1/2 cups of coconut milk , so NO EXTRA WATER NEEDED.

3. I am using pressure cooker to cook coconut rice, you can use any cooking (sauce) pan which has lid. Add oil to the pan and heat, now add the ghee and let the ghee be melted. Add slit green chili, roasted cashew & all the whole garam masala and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add Ginger & Garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.

5. Add soaked rice to the pan & mix well.

6. Add coconut milk to the rice & give a quick stir and add salt.

7. Add the fresh mint leaves & close the lid.

8. Let it cook on the medium to low heat.

Once done, turn off the heat and let it come down to luke warm state and The Coconut Rice is ready to serve with any veg / non-veg korma as a side.

Method to extract Coconut Milk:

- Take freshly grated coconut.

- Boil 2 to 4 cups of water depends on the quantity of grated coconut.

- Turn of the heat & add the grated coconut to the boiled water.

- Let the water cool down.

- Using a strainer, separate the coconut scrape & coconut milk. Now you can use this coconut milk for cooking.

Ginger Chutney !

A very own & special chutney for Andhra people … The mornings…with Dosa / Idly .. along with Coconut chutney … you will be served with a - SWEET..SOUR..PUNGENT..SPICY & AROMATIC chutney…is nothing but Allam Pachadi / Ginger chutney !

I love..this chutney..& I am sure many of you as well… !

Ginger Chutney!

Ingredients :

Fresh Ginger - (chopped) 1/4 cup

Red Chilli powder - 1 table spoon

Jaggery - (grated / powdered ) 2 table spoon

Tamarind Pulp - 1 table spoon
Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning :

Oil - 1 tea spoon

Curry Leaves - 1 or 2

Chana dal / Urad dal / Moong Dal / Mustard seeds  mix - 1  table spoon

Method :

Step 1 :

Grind chopped ginger, red chilli powder, tamarind pulp, jaggery powder & salt together.

Ginger Chutney 

Do not need to add extra water,while grinding. Since the tamarind pulp is good enough to get nice consistency. But if you prefer it little runny consistency ..just add 1 to 2 tea spoons of water while grinding.

Ground Ginger Chutney

Step 2 :

Heat the oil in the sauce pan & fry all the seasoning ingredients. Once fried enough tamper the ground Ginger chutney with the seasoning.

And now, the tasty Ginger Chutney is all yours :-)

Egg Curry / Egg pulusu

This recipe is from my mom…I didn't cook / learnt cooking before marriage…but I used to observe a lot how my mother used to cook. Now, I come up with so many recipes that I try..but some or other way they all have been influenced by my mother's cooking style & she cooks really fast and never measures the quantity …like 1 tea spoon of salt…or so…she says as you been cooking..your fingers just know how much to add….

Ok…Let's quickly get into the recipe !

Indian Egg Curry

Ingredients : 

Eggs - 4

Tamarind Juice - 1 to 2  table spoons

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tea spoon

Dry coconut scrape - 1 tea spoon

Chopped Onion - 1 cup

Chopped Tomato - 1/2 cup

Coriander / Dhaniya powder - 1 tea spoon

Red Chilli powder - 2 1/2 tea spoon 

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Oil - 1 table spoon

Salt - as per the taste

Water - 1/4 cup

Method :

Step 1 : Boil the eggs & remove the shell and just make small slit over the eggs and keep them aside.

Step 2 : Heat oil in the sauce pan & add ginger garlic paste and fry until the nice aroma you can feel.

Step 3 : Now add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes & just saute for 2 minutes. Don't have to fry until they turn to golden brownish. Now add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder & salt and mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Step 4 : After the onions & tomato are half cooked , now add the tamarind juice & water and let it cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. If needed add little bit more water and slowly cook.

Step 5 : Now add the dry coconut scrape & cook until you see the onions and tomato are cooked well.

Keep tasting and adjust the salt & water (as per your preference). Now add the boiled & shell removed eggs to this gravy and let them cook for 5 more minutes in a low flame. 

This tastes awesome with steamed hot rice !

Palli Chutney

The Palli Chutney recipe ..I am going to share today..goes really well with any variety of Dosa / Idly…

Palli Chutney 

Ingredients :

Peanut / Palli - 1/2 cup

Green chili - 4 to 5

Grated fresh / dry coconut - 2 tbl spoon

Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

Tamarind - small chick pea size

Coriander Leaves - 1 to 2 strands

Oil - 1 tea spoon

Salt - As per taste

Seasoning :

Oil - 1 tea spoon

Curry Leaves - 1 or 2

Dry Red chili - 1 or 2

Chana dal / Urad dal / Moong Dal / Mustard seeds  mix - 1 table spoon

Method :

Step 1: Add 1 or 2 drops of oil and roast the Peanut & keep them aside. (I use the peanuts with skin /   husk..It is optional if you want to remove the husk).

Step 2: In the same pan, roast the green chili.

Step 3: Grind roasted peanuts, green chili, tamarind, cumin seeds, grated coconut & coriander leaves with salt.

Seasong :

Heat oil in the pan & roast all the seasoning ingredients & add to the ground peanut chutney. Adjust the salt & enjoy the palli  / peanut chutney with your favorite Dosa / Idly.

Instant Raw Mango Pickle !

The the very thought of MANGO …takes me back to the Indian Summers….officially we start eating Raw Mango from Ugadi..but..for students,…eating Raw Mango with Red chili powder & salt…starts very early…which we get near schools.

So as a grownups..let's make it a time for Raw Mango Pickle ! but, for instant Mango pickle! There are many variations of Mango pickle in all over India…from region to region..& state to state…& I find very few people who don't relish this..Mango Pickle !

I am going to give you a quick & easy instant mango pickle recipe, which you can store it in refrigerator and can enjoy it for 7 to 10 days.

Instant Raw Mango Pickle

Ingredients :

Chopped Raw Mango pieces - 1 cup

Red chili powder - 1 1/2 table spoon

Methi / Fenugreek powder - 1 tea spoon

Grated fresh ginger - 1 tea spoon

Lemon Juice - 1 tea spoon (optional)

Salt - As per the taste 

Seasoning :

Oil - 2 table spoon

Mix of Chana daal / urad daal / Mustard seeds / Cumin seeds / Moong daal - 1 table spoon

Curry Leaves - 5 to 6

Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tea spoon

Method :

1. Take a Raw mango , wash & peel off and chop into small pieces.

Raw Mango

2. In a bowl, add chili powder, grated fresh ginger, salt & lemon juice (lemon juice is optional) to the Raw Mango pieces and thoroghly mix.

Raw Mango pickle

3. Now for Seasoning, Heat oil in the pan and add, Chana daal / urad daal / Mustard seeds / Cumin seeds / Moong daal & hing, methi (or) fenugreek powder. And let the seasoning tampered on a low heat.

Seasoning for the Mango pickle

4. Now add the , seasoning to the Mango pieces & mix well. Taste it & adjust the salt. No need to add any water to this pickle. And, as I said, depends on the sourness of the raw mango, you can decide how much (no) lemon juice to be added to the pickle.

Let the Mango pickle settle for some time …and now The Instant Raw Mango pickle is ready to be served !

Enjoy the cooking, enjoy the food & invest in your health !

Instant Raw Mango Pickle !