Jeera Rice / One Pot Meal / Lunchbox Recipe

Jeera rice is a simple yet flavourful rice which tastes delicious with any varieties of gravy and dal. The cumin and ghee flavoured basmati rice gives a lovely aroma while cooking and quite easy to make. There are many ways in preparing this aromatic rice and this is one of the easy method using one pot. The basmati rice is cooked along with the spices and jeera to give a flavourful dish. This is also a perfect lunchbox recipe. 

Prepared this aromatic Jeera rice for a Recipe Swap group challenge which is happening among bloggers. The bloggers will be paired each other and we need to cook recipes from the fellow bloggers webpage. I was paired with Jayashree Trao who blogs at evergreendishes.com. Her blog has many interesting, delicious and authentic recipes. I chose this delicious rice from her page as my family loves this rice. Click HERE to view her style of preparing Jeera rice. The recipe calls for pressure cooking but I made a change in that and did a slow cooking method.

Here comes an aromatic and flavourful Jeera rice....

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp Ghee 
2 Bay leaves 
2 Cloves 
2 Elachi 
1 inch Cinnamon 
1/4 Tsp Shajeera 
1 Tsp Cumin / Jeera seeds
1 onion, finely chopped 
2 Green chillies, sliced 
Few Mint leaves 
1 Cup Basmati Rice 
2 Cups Water 
Salt to taste 

Method :

Wash and soak basmati rice before starting the cooking process.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add bay leaves followed by cloves, cinnamon, elachi, shajeera and cumin/jeera seeds.

Fry and add the finely chopped onion followed by green chillies and mint leaves.

Saute until the onion turns translucent and add the measured water along with the required quantity of salt. Let it boil.

Now drain the water from the rice and add it to the boiling water.

Simmer the flame and cover it with the lid.

Cook until the rice gets cooked.

Switch off the flame and keep it aside for 5 - 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve.

Alternative method :

Fry some cashews and jeera in a ghee and then add it to the prepared rice.

Serving Options :

Serve with any gravy varieties and dal fry. 

                                                             Side dish Options 

Jeera Ajwani Aloo 

Bell Pepper Gravy 

Veggies in Spinach gravy 

Rajma Masala 

Ada Hengu Khechudi / Odia Cuisine / Ginger & Asafoetida Flavoured Rice

Ada Hengu Khechudi is a simple yet flavourful rice recipe prepared using ginger and asafoetida. Khechudi is nothing but Khichdi and this is served as prasadam / prasad in a famous temple in orissa called Puri Jaganathan. It is also commonly known as puri khichidi and Lord Jagananath's maha prasad. The preparation of this khechudi is quite easy with a minimal ingredients yet tastes flavourful. Addition of grated coconut is optional in this recipe. This flavourful rice pairs perfectly with Dalma.

Prepared this fragrant and flavourful rice for an interesting event Shhh secretly cooking challenge which is happening among group of food bloggers. For this month, I was paired with a very talented and friendly blogger Jayashree Trao who blogs at evergreendishes.com. Odia cuisine was our theme of the month and I was given ginger and salt as my secret ingredients. Using those ingredients, prepared this flavourful one pot rice recipe which turned into a huge hit among my family members.

Click HERE to check out a delicious Odia recipe prepared Jayashree using the secret ingredients given me.

Recipe Source : Here 

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp Ghee / Oil 
2 Bay leaves 
2 Tbsp Grated Ginger 
1 Tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder 
2 Green chillies, sliced 
1 Cup Rice 
2 - 3 Tbsp Moong dal 
3 Cups Water 
Salt to taste 
4 Tbsp Grated Coconut ( Optional ) 

Method :

Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add bay leaves followed by green chillies, asafoetida and grated ginger.

Saute and add the measured water along with the required quantity of salt.

Now add rice and moong dal to the boiling water.

Cover and cook on a low flame until the rice is cooked.

Add grated coconut to the cooked rice along with a tablespoon of ghee.  ( optional )

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve with Dalma or any curry. 

Vada Rice / Urad dal Vada Rice / Medu Vada Rice / Rice Varieties / Leftover Recipes

Are you bored of preparing Dahi Vada, Rasam Vada, Sambhar Vada etc using the leftover Medu vadas ? Then, this is the must try interesting recipe where the leftover ones are turn into a delicious meal. This Urad dal Vada Rice is a great way to turn the leftover vadas into a tasty and yummy lunch box recipe. As I have mentioned on my older posts, I love turning the leftover food into an interesting meal and have posted many delicious recipes using the leftovers. Click HERE to check out all the recipes.

Ever since we moved to Canada, last weekend was most fun as we got an invite from our cousin for a lovely get together to meet her friends and their family. Whatever the party or get together is about, the food is always involved right ;) Likewise, we had a sumptuous meal cooked by each family and the highlight was that the delicious spread was served on Vazhai illai ( Banana leaf). Each and every dish was truly delicious and yummy. We were back home with loads of beautiful memories and yummy medu vadas :) And yeah, using those vadas prepared this quick fix tasty rice for the next day lunch.

This rice pairs perfectly with Raita and Pickle. The addition of lemon juice and grated carrot helps to enhance the flavour and taste of the rice.

Ingredients :

1 Tbsp Oil 

1/4 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds 

1 Tbsp Chana dal / Bengal gram 

1 Tbsp Peanuts 

2 Dry red chillies 

1/2 Cup Grated Carrot

2 - 3 Urad dal Vadas / Medu Vadas ( Adjust the quantity according to the size of the vada ) 

1 Tsp Lemon juice 

Salt to taste 

2 Tbsp Finely chopped Coriander leaves

1/2 - 1 Cup Cooked Rice 

Method :

Firstly, finely chop the leftover vadas and keep aside. I have also crumbled the vadas into fine texture so that it gets mixed well with the rice. 

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. 

Once it starts spluttering, add chana dal followed by peanuts and dry red chillies. 

Fry and add the grated carrot along with the crumbled and chopped vadas. 

Sauce well and cook it for couple of minutes. 

Now add the cooked rice along with the required quantity of salt. 

Saute well and cook it for another minute. 

Now remove from the flame and add lemon juice followed by the chopped coriander leaves. 

Mix well and serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve with Raita or Pickle. 

Egg Kuzhipaniyaram Masala Bhaat / Egg Appe Masala Bhaat ( No Tomato Recipe )

                                                          Happy Weekend Friends :)

One pot recipes are always my family's favourite meal than the regular menu like kuzhambu, sambhar etc. Today's recipe is also an one pot flavourful rice prepared using freshly ground masala and eggs. Since eggs play a major role in my pantry, I love including it in our menu in a different way. In this recipe, I had prepared eggs in the form of Appe / Kuzhipaniyaram and cooked along with rice and masala. Trust me ! The taste will be really delicious since the juice of freshly ground masala gets into the eggs. Boiled eggs can also be used but adding in this kuzhipaniyaram form will sure enhance the taste of eggs. Adjust the quantity of red chillies and green chillies according to taste bud. This rice goes perfect with onion raita or any varieties of raita.

The same recipe can also be prepared in the form of regular omelette instead of kuzhipaniyaram.  Check out my Egg Omelette pulao for the reference.

Ingredients :

For Masala Powder :

1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds
5 - 6 Red chillies ( adjust according to taste bud ) 
1 Tsp Black pepper corns
1 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds 
2 Cloves 
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick 
3 Tbsp Coconut, grated 

For Masala Bhaat :

2 - 3 Tbsp Oil / Ghee 
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1 1/2 Tsp Ginger garlic paste
Few Mint leaves  
1 1/2 Cup Rice 
2 Onions, finely chopped 
3 Green chillies, sliced ( adjust according to taste bud ) 
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder 
3 Cups Water 
Salt to taste 
4 Eggs

Method :

Before starting the cooking process, wash the rice and soak it in water.

Dry roast the ingredients given in "For Masala Powder" and grind into fine powder. Keep aside.

Beat 4 eggs by adding little salt and prepare kuzhipaniyaram omelette using Kuzhipaniyaram / Appe pan.

Once done, keep aside and start the cooking process for masala bhaat.

Heat oil / ghee in a thick bottomed pan or cooker and add cumin seeds followed by mint leaves, green chillies and ginger - garlic paste.

Saute till the raw smell of ginger - garlic paste goes off and add chopped onions.

Saute till the colour of onions changes into light brown colour.

Now add the prepared egg kuzhipaniyaram along with turmeric powder, chilli powder and ground masala powder ( add little water if the masala is very dry ).

Mix well, cover and cook it for 2 - 3 minutes in a low flame.

Meanwhile, drain the water from rice and add it to the masala. Mix gently without breaking the rice.

Add the required amount of salt along with the measured water.

Cover the pan with alumnium foil and close it with a lid.

Simmer the flame and cook until the rice is cooked.

Rest the masala bhaat for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves along with a little ghee for the flavour.

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with onion raita or any varieties of raita. 

Kharzi / Arunachal Pradesh Cuisine

Though I am not regular in blogging due to personal work, the one thing which I never miss out is shhh cooking secretly challenge event hosted by three lovely co-bloggers Priya Suresh, Mayuri Patel and Amrita Iyer. As I had mentioned the rules of this event in lots of my previous posts, moving on to the October month theme. We had an interesting regional theme "Cuisines of Arunachal Pradesh" and apart from recipes, this theme helped me to know more about their culture.

I was paired with a wonderful blogger Sujatha Shukla who blogs at pepperonpizza.com. Her webpage has loads of interesting recipes and I must mention that her recipes are feast for eyes. Also, do click the below link to view the healthy and tasty Arunachal Pradesh recipe "Oying Vegetable stew" prepared by using the secret ingredients given by me.

https://www.pepperonpizza.com/oying-vegetable-stew-from-arunachal-pradesh

Carrots and Ginger were given as my secret ingredients to me by her and using those lovely ingredients, prepared a delicious aromatic rice. This recipe is adapted from one of my blogger friend Manjula's page who blogs at desifiesta.com. Though the actual recipe doesn't include any vegetables, I made a twist by including my secret ingredients.  Quite easy recipe and also healthy as it has veggies in it. This can be served as such but my family members preferred it with onion raita.

Note : Adjust the quantity of red chillies according to taste bud.

Ingredients :

1 1/2 - 2 Cups Rice, Cooked 
6 - 7 Dry red chillies ( adjust according to taste bud ) 
1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 
1 Tomato, Chopped 
1 Carrot, Chopped 
2 Tbsp Mozzarella cheese 
1/2 Cup Spring onion leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp Oil 

Method :

Soak dry red chillies in hot water for 30 mins - 1 hour.

Add the soaked red chillies in a blender along with tomato, carrot, ginger - garlic paste and mozzarella cheese and grind into fine paste by adding a little amount of chillies soaked water.

Heat oil in a pan and add the ground paste followed by the required amount of salt and cook till the oil separates from the masala.

Once done, add cooked rice along with the chopped spring onion leaves and mix well.

Transfer it to a bowl and garnish with grated cheese and spring onions.

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve with Raita.

SailFish Biryani / Olameen Biryani using Pressure Cooker Method / Product Review on "FishandMeat" - 2

Here comes an another interesting recipe using Sail Fish / Olameen....

In my previous post, I had mentioned that the Sail fish / Olameen which I bought from "FishandMeat" looked like a boneless meat, so reserved few pieces after preparing Srilankan Spicy Fish Curry. The taste and texture of fish in a Srilankan curry made me to use the second batch of Sail fish in preparing a delicious and flavourful Biryani using Pressure cooker method. And I was not wrong, the biryani tasted so delicious and my family members loved the fish too.

As I had already mentioned about the service and quality of the "FishandMeat" product in my previous post, I would love to share few things about their webpage which I had missed earlier.

FishandMeat has wide varieties of fresh Seafood and Meat which are handpicked by them. It is then processed and stored in the most hygiene conditions.  Live chat section is also provided on their webpage to guide and assist their customers.

Apart from webpage, FishandMeat Application is also available for a comfortable order which can be downloaded from Playstore or Appstore. 

In addition, they also deliver Ready to cook products like Telangana Chicken Fry, Lemon Garlic Fish, Grandmas Fish Fry etc. 

My today's recipe using Sail fish is a flavourful spicy biryani using pressure cooker method. This one pot meal pairs excellent with onion raita or any varieties of raita. The freshly ground masala enhances the taste and flavour of the biryani. The fish pieces are marinated with a regular masala and seared in a cooker to avoid breaking into pieces while cooking. The fish pieces can also be seared in a different pan but the flavour gets enhanced when done in a same pressure cooker in which Biryani is prepared. This biryani tastes little spicy as it contains red chilli powder in the marination and pepper corns along with green chillies and red chilli in the biryani. So, adjust the quantity of the pepper corns and red chilli according to taste bud.

                                               The marinated fish looks amazing right ;) 

Ingredients :

250 gms Sail Fish / Olameen pieces 

1 Big Onion, Sliced 

2 Green chillies, sliced 

Few Mint leaves 

Mint Coriander leaves 

2 Tomato ( Medium Size, grind into fine paste ) 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 

1 Tsp Coriander powder 

1 Cup Basmati Rice 

4 Tbsp Oil 

2 Bay leaves 

2 Elachi 

2 Cloves 

2 inch Cinnamon stick 

1 Star anise 

Salt to taste 

1 1/4 Cups Water 

To Marinate Fish :

1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 Tsp Red chilli powder 

1/2 Tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 Tsp Coriander powder 

Salt to taste 

To Grind :

1 Onion, chopped 

1 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste 

1 Dry red chilli 

1 Tsp Pepper corns 

Few Coriander leaves

Method :

Wash the fish pieces and marinate it using the given ingredients in "To Marinate Fish" for 30 minutes.

Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. 

Grind the given ingredients in "To grind" into fine paste and keep aside. 

Heat pressure cooker and 2 tbsp oil.

Sear the marinated fish for couple of minutes both the sides and remove from the flame. 

Now add the remaining oil followed by bay leaves, star anise, elachi and cloves. 

Add few mint leaves followed by sliced onions and green chillies. 

Saute till the onion turns light brown colour and add the ground onion paste. 

Saute till the raw smell of ginger - garlic paste goes off and the onion gravy becomes light brown colour. 

Now add tomato paste followed by turmeric powder and coriander powder. 

Add 2 tbsp water and cook till the oil separates from the masala. 

Place the seared fish in the masala and cook for another couple of minutes in a low flame. 

Meanwhile, drain the water from rice and keep aside. 

Now add measured water along with the soaked rice and required amount of salt. 

Close it with a lid and cook for 2 whistles in a high flame. 

Simmer the flame to medium and cook it for 1 whistle. 

Once done, switch off the flame and wait till the pressure releases completely. 

Carefully remove the fish pieces and add few coriander - mint leaves. 

Gently mix it without breaking the rice and serve with fish.

Serve hot. 

Serving Options :

Serve with Onion Raita. 

Note :

Adjust red chillies and pepper corns according to the taste bud. 

Achaari Capsicum Biryani using leftover Pickle

I love adding pickle oil and leftover pickle masala to my dishes. It enhances the flavour and also gives a vibrant colour to the dish. This can be used while preparing dosa or in a gravy or as tadka for dal. My today's recipe is also using leftover pickle and 3 varieties of Bell peppers. Apart from bell peppers, any veggies like beans, carrot, peas, potato etc can be used. This one pot meal pairs up excellent with any varieties of Raita or Kurma.

Instead of throwing the leftover pickle oil and masala, try this delicious spicy biryani. Here comes the recipe...

Ingredients :

1 Tbsp Pickle Oil ( Leftover oil from pickle ) 
2 Tbsp Oil ( or you can also use 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee ) 
2 Bay leaves 
1 Onion, sliced 
2 Green chillies
2 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 
1 1/2 Tbsp Curd 
Few Mint leaves 
2 Tsp Pickle masala ( I have used Mango pickle in this recipe ) 
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
1/2 Tsp Cumin powder 
1/2 Tsp  Red chilli powder ( Adjust according to taste bud ) 
Salt to taste 
1 Cup Basmati Rice ( I have used India gate brand ) 
1 1/2 Cups Water 
3 Cups Coloured Bell peppers, chopped 

To grind :

1 Onion, chopped 
1 Big Tomato, chopped 
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick 
1 Elachi 
1 Clove 
Small piece of Biryani flower 

Method :

Wash and soak Basmati rice for 30 minutes.

Grind the given ingredients in "To grind" into fine paste and keep aside.

Heat oil ( pickle oil, oil and ghee ) in a thick bottomed pan and add bay leaves followed by green chillies and mint leaves.

Add sliced onion and saute till it turns light brown color.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.

Now add the ground paste and saute it for a minute.

Add turmeric powder, pickle masala, cumin powder and red chilli powder to the masala along with curd and coloured bell peppers.

Saute and cook till the oil separates from the masala.

Add measured water followed by the required amount of salt and let it boil.

Now drain water from the basmati rice and add it to the cooker.

Simmer the flame, cover the pan with an aluminium foil and place a lid on top of it.

Cook it till the water gets absorbed and add ghee along with few mint leaves on top of the biryani.

Meanwhile, heat an iron pan and simmer the flame.

Place the biryani pan on top of the iron pan and keep in dum for 10 minutes.

Once done, mix well without breaking the rice and serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Raita or Kurma.

Note :

Adjust the water quantity according to the soaking time. For example, 1 1/2 cups will be sufficient for 1 cup of Rice, if the soaking time is 30 minutes.  If the soaking time is more than 45 mins, then equal ratio of water and rice will be perfect.

One Pot Kondakadalai & Mochai Kuzhambu Satham / Bachelor Recipe

One pot meals are not only life savers for Bachelors, it is also a perfect dish to prepare during summer to avoid standing in the kitchen for a long time. I have used chickpeas and field beans in this rice but veggies like potato, sundakai, drumsticks etc can also be included. But, be little cautious while adding drumstick in an one pot meal, as it gets mushy very fast. In order to avoid it, cook the rice as mentioned below, add the drumstick pieces to the rice and cook it again for one more whistle. Dried sundakai can also be added. The addition of ghee will make a huge difference in this recipe. It enhances the flavour and taste of the rice but its purely optional. This rice goes perfect with Sutta Appalam, Fryums or any vegetable stir fries / poriyal.

Ingredients :

1/4 Cup Black Kondakadalai / Black chickpeas, dried
1/4 Cup Mochai / Field Beans, dried
1 1/2 Cups Rice 
4 - 4 1/2 Cups Water ( adjust the water quantity according to the desired rice consistency ) 
2 Tbsp Gingelly oil 
2 Tbsp Ghee ( Adjust according to taste bud ) 
1 Tbsp Vadagam ( or 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds, 1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds and less than 1/4 Tsp Methi seeds ) 
2 Sprigs Curry leaves
2 Medium sized Onions, Finely chopped 
1 Big Tomato, Finely chopped 
10 Garlic pods, sliced
Small gooseberry sized Tamarind ball soaked in 1/2 cup of water 
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
2 1/2 Tsp Kuzhambu powder ( I have used Eastern masala Kuzhambu powder ) 
Salt to taste 

Method :

Wash and soak both chickpeas and mochai over night.

Heat oil in a pressure cook and add vadagam.

Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves followed by sliced garlic pods.

Add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns light brown color.

Now add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns soft and mushy.

Add turmeric powder followed by kuzhambu powder and mix well.

Drain water from the soaked kondakadalai - mochai and add it to cooker.

Meanwhile, extract juice from the soaked Tamarind.

Add the measured water along with tamarind juice and add salt.

Let it boil and add the washed rice.

Close and pressure cook it for 3 - 4 whistles in a medium flame.

Switch off the flame and wait till the pressure of cooker gets released.

Once done, open the lid and add ghee to the rice.

Mix well and serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Papad or any vegetable stir fry / poriyal.

BellPepper Wasabi Fried Rice

Wasabi is called as Japanese horseradish and used in Japanese cuisine. The paste form of wasabi is usually served in sushi restaurants. Nowadays, wasabi flavoured munchies are also available in the markets. It has a strong pungent and spicy flavour. So, be careful while adding it to the dish. According to the quantity of wasabi used in this recipe, the rice is not spicy but it gives a lovely flavour. This is a perfect lunchbox recipe which can be served with Tomato sauce or manchurian.

Ingredients :

3/4 Cup Basmati Rice, Cooked 

1 Tbsp Garlic, Finely chopped

1/4 Cup Spring onion bulbs, Chopped 

1 Cup Coloured Bell peppers, Finely chopped 

2 Tbsp Basil leaves, Chopped 

1 1/2 Tsp Wasabi paste ( If you like it spicy, increase the quantity ) 

1/2 Tsp Soya Sauce ( I have used dark soya sauce ) 

1 Tsp Pepper powder 

Salt to taste 

1/4 Cup Spring onion leaves, finely chopped 

1 1/2 Tbsp Oil 

Method :

Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic.

Fry till the aroma comes out and add chopped spring onion bulbs.

Saute and add coloured bell peppers followed by chopped basil leaves.

Add wasabi paste followed by soya sauce and few spring onion leaves. 

Cook it in a medium flame for a minute and add the cooked rice. 

Mix well without breaking the rice.

Add pepper powder and the required amount of salt. Mix well.

Garnish with spring onion leaves and remove from the flame. 

Serve hot. 

Serving Options :

Serve with Tomato sauce or Manchurian. 

Paneer Kuska

Kuska is nothing but plain biryani without adding vegetables or meat. This simple rice is so much flavourful and doesn't require any masala powders. The green chillies give sufficient spiciness to kuska, so adjust the quantity according to your taste buds. This goes very well with Brinjal gravy or Onion raita. I have used homemade paneer in this recipe which can also be substituted with store bought ones. For the procedure of home made crumbled paneer, click HERE. Sambha rice can also be used instead of basmati rice which indeed gives a flavourful rice.

Ingredients :

1 1/2 Cups Crumbled Paneer ( I have used homemade paneer )
1 Big Onion, chopped
3 - 4 Green chillies
5 - 6 Garlic pods
1/2 inch Ginger piece
2 Medium sized Tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp Ghee
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Cup Basmati Rice ( I have used India Gate brand )
2 Bay leaves
1 Elachi
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
Small piece of Blackstone flower / Kalpasi
1 Lavang / Clove
Few Mint leaves
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 Cups Water

Method :

Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.

Grind tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.

Grind spices ( Cinnamon, Elachi, Clove and Blackstone flower ) except bay leaves into fine powder.

Add green chillies, chopped onions, garlic and ginger to the spice powder and grind it again into fine paste by adding little water and keep aside.

Heat ghee and oil in a heavy bottomed pan or cooker and add bay leaves followed by mint leaves.

Add onion - spices paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.

Now add the tomato paste along with turmeric powder and crumbled paneer.

Saute till the oil separates from the pan and add the measured amount of water followed by the required amount of salt to the pan.

Let it boil and meanwhile, drain the water from basmati rice and add it to the pan.

Simmer the flame, cover the pan with aluminium foil and place an iron pan on top of it.

Cook it for 15 - 20 minutes or till  the rice gets cooked.

Once done, switch off the flame and keep it aside for 5 - 10 minutes.

Garnish with mint - coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Curd or Raita.

Chinta Chiguru Pulihora / Tender Tamarind Leaves Rice / Pulian - thazhai Satham

Chinta Chiguru is nothing but a Tender tamarind leaves in english and in tamil, it is known as Pulian - thazhai. Most of them would have a lovely memories of eating these tangy tender leaves during their childhood days. And in Andhra and Telanga state, these leaves are very much popular during summer and widely used in most of the recipes including veg and non - veg. Some 10 years back, one of my neighbour invited me for lunch and served a traditional Andhra thali which also had chinta chiguru dal ( will post later ) in that. I was amazed by the way of these leaves are used in a regular cooking.
Recently I was discussing about my chinta chiguru experience to my friend and in a couple of days, she bought these leaves for me. Really, I am thankful to her for making me so nostalgic :) Coming to today's recipe, I have prepared a tasty and easy variety rice using these leaves. The leaves are finely chopped and added to the thalimpu  is further cooked for a couple of minutes and gently mixed up with a cooked rice to give a tasty tangy rice. I have used basmati rice in this recipe which can be substituted with raw or boiled rice too. Spicy potato fry and fryums are the best side dish for this tangy and yummy rice.

Ingredients :

3/4 Cup Basmati rice ( Any rice can be used ) 
1 Cup Finely chopped Tender Tamarind leaves 
3 Tbsp Oil 
3 - 4 Green chillies, Sliced 
3 Dry red chillies 
1 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds 
1 Tbsp Chana dal / Kadalai parupu 
2 Tbsp Ground nuts / Peanuts 
6 - 7 Cashews
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
Less than 1/4 Tsp Hing powder / Perungayam powder 
Salt to taste 
1 Tbsp Water 

Method :

Cook basmati rice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds followed by chana dal, peanuts, cashews, dry red chillies and hing powder.

Add sliced green chillies along with a turmeric powder and saute.

Add finely chopped tender tamarind leaves and mix well.

Now add the required amount of salt and 1 tbsp water.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook in a low flame till the mixture becomes dry.

Now add the cooked rice to the tender tamarind mixture and mix it gently without breaking the rice.

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve with Potato fry or Fryums.


Stay tuned for more Tender Tamarind leaves recipes.......