Green & Pink: Coriander Mint Rice and Pomegranate Raita

Yes! I have finally returned after my more than a month long break from the blogging world. Well not the blogging world – because I have started a new blog. Making My Day Brighter is my hobby blog and it would be great if you could visit it sometime. Your views are welcome.
Coming back to the break from this blog – the reasons are several. My hubby was / is on a restricted diet due to health reasons and a few changes at the workplace were keeping me occupied as well.
But since November is ending today, I did not really want to have a complete month of inactivity – technically speaking. Plus I did cook something exciting yesterday which I surely want to share with the world! And with D of India Shoes.

But before we come to the actual recipe, here are a few (abridged and approximate) snippets of conversation:

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Time: Sunday noon. On phone with D.
Me: I am hungry. I want to have Pudina Pulao
D: Pudina Pulao? Why? I have never had it before. And then why don’t you go ahead and make it?
Me: Because there is a power cut since morning. Which means I cannot use the Mixer to grind the leaves.
D: (Laughing) Why don’t you use the old fashioned Imam Dasta (traditional mortar and pestle)?
Me: Humph! #%#@%

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Time: Sunday evening. Returning with Hubby after grocery shopping.
Me: I want to have Pudina Pulao.
Hubby: I have been hearing you say this since morning. What’s stopped you?
Me: The power cut
Hubby: Now that the electricity is restored, why don’t you go ahead and make it?

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Time: Sunday Night. On phone with Mom.
Me: What is the recipe for the pudina pulao you used to prepare?
Mom: I never used Pudina!
Me: Then what was the green pulao?
Mom: That’s coriander pulao.
Me: (Disappointed) Oh! What’s the recipe?

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So, even though the recipe called only for coriander, I went ahead and used mint. Generously. After all, the craving had to be satisfied. Even though it called for modifying my Mom’s recipe – a bit.
I served it with Pomegranate Raita. It is adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe which was telecast on one of her shows last year, sometime during Christmas.

For the Coriander Mint Rice:

Ingredients:
Rice (Basmati or any other variety): 1 Cup
Coriander & Mint: a small bunch each, cleaned and washed
Green Chili: 1 – 2 (Optional)
Onion: 1 medium, sliced
Peanuts: ¼ - ½ cup, roasted and coarsely ground
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Bayleaf: 1
Juice of half a lemon
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: To taste

Method:
- In a blender, ground the coriander and mint leaves, and the green chilies, to a smooth paste. Add a tsp or 2 of water if required.
- Heat Oil in a heavy bottomed pan / pressure cooker
- Add the cumin seeds and the bay leaf. Once the seeds begin to splutter, add the onions. Sauté on low heat till the onions turn golden brown.
- Add the rice and the coriander – mint paste. Mix well. Add salt to taste.
- If cooking in a pressure cooker: Add 1 ¾ cups of water. Cook on high heat for 2 subsequent “whistles” plus around a minute on low heat. Turn off heat. Let the steam subside before opening the lid.
- If cooking without a pressure cooker: Add 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on low heat till the rice is cooked. Add more water if required.
- Once the rice is cooked add the juice of half a lemon. Mix.
- Add the peanuts before serving.
Verdict: The flavor enhancer is undoubtedly the lemon juice. It complements the coriander and mint flavor beautifully. The peanuts add a nice crunch to each bite.

Pomegranate Raita

- Whisk around 2 cups of curd / yoghurt.
- Add the seeds of half pomegranate. Mix well
- You can add a bit of sugar / salt as per your taste. I did not add any seasoning which worked very well with the pulao.

Vegetable Biryani Pulao

Wikipedia differentiates Biryani and Pulao (aka pilaf, pulav, pilau) as:

“The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.”

Also, a biryani usually has rice layered with either meat or vegetables and flavoured with spices such as saffron.


For this reason, I have never attempted to cook a biryani. I find it too complicated even though there are numerous recipes which are available on the internet. And yet, I discovered last weekend that my pantry included an unopened box of “Biryani Masala”.

The memory rewound to the fateful month last year when I had employed a cook and she had claimed to be an expert at making biryani. The day never came and she left within a month (not her fault). The Masala had been purchased especially for her. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, the packet indicated that the expiry date was still a few months away and I could make use of it…if I wanted to. And I did use it. Not to make the traditional biryani. But to make pulao – which tasted quite like biryani! And hence the name Biryani Pulao. Since I donot cook non vegetarian food, this is a vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:
Rice (preferably Basmati): 1 cup
Onion, sliced: 1 medium
Potato, cut in small cubes: 1 medium
Cauliflower: a few florets
Soya Chunks: ½ cup
Peas: ¼ cup
Biryani Masala: 1 – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp
Bayleaf: 1
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Oil: 1 – 2 tbsp
Salt: To taste

Method:

- Soak the soya chunks in hot water for around 5 minutes, or till they are soft. I usually microwave them for around 2 minutes. Drain the water and squeeze the chunks till they are dry. Keep aside
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or a pressure cooker. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds and the bayleaf.
- When the seeds begin to splutter, add the sliced onions and sauté on medium heat till they start turning golden
- Add the potato cubes and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes
- Add the rest of the vegetables, soya chunks, biryani masala and turmeric. Stir for another 3 – 4 minutes
- Add the rice, 1 ¾ cup water, salt and pressure cook on high heat till 2 whistles. Remove from heat and open the lid when the steam has subsided
- In the absence of pressure cooker, add 2 ¼ cups water and cover and cook on low heat till the rice is cooked.
- Serve hot with raita / curd and pickle

Quick Fried Rice - with Vegetables

What do you do when you have leftover rice in the refrigerator? I know there are several recipes in which it can be used, but the most common use which I have seen in Indian households is to temper it with cumin or mustard seeds, and / or fry with onions to make Jeera Rice or Lemon rice. Turmeric is often added to the rice to give it a fresh color – Sanjeev Kapoor once said that Indians have a dissonance when a dish is white in color and is served hot, and hence they add turmeric to add color. Quite true actually.
My favorite leftover rice recipe is the quick fried rice with veggies – lots of them. Sometimes I add an egg to it, but most of the times its just rice, stir fried vegetables, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice: 1 cup (preferably leftover, and kept in the refrigerator for sometime)
Onion (sliced): 1 small
Capsicum (sliced / cut in cubes): 1 (You can use different colored bell peppers)
Mushrooms (sliced): 3 – 4
Peas (frozen): ¼ cup
Frozen Mixed vegetables – chopped carrots, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, corn: ½ cup
Spring onion greens (finely chopped)
Oil (Vegetable / Olive): 2 tbsp
Salt, Pepper: To taste

If the vegetables / peas are not frozen, cook them with 1 ½ cup of water in a microwave for 5 min or till par boiled. Drain the water before using.

Method:
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan / kadhai. Add the onions and stir fry on medium – high heat till translucent
- Add the mixed vegetables and stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes
- Add mushrooms and capsicum and stir for another 2 – 3 minutes till the water from the mushrooms has evaporated
- Add the spring onion greens, rice, salt and pepper and mix well
- Stir for another minute
- Serve hot

Matar, Paneer and Corn Rice

It’s finally started raining, in Western India atleast. I hope that this spell of showers do not end in a day or two, but continue for sometime.
This weekend, it was raining in the afternoon and I had the pleasure of watching the rain with a cup of coffee in my hand. It was such a lovely weather that I did not want to cook an elaborate meal. Yet, I did not want to resort to junk food either. I finally prepared Pulao – with peas, paneer and few niblets of corn.
Simple and nothing fancy – but what caught my attention were the green and yellow dots on a white background. And hence this post.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1 cup
Shelled Peas / Frozen Peas: ½ cup
Paneer (Cottage Cheese) cut in cubes: 12 – 15 cubes
Corn Niblets: ¼ cup
Bay Leaf: 1
Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp
Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tsp
Salt: To taste

Method:
- Wash the rice with water and keep aside
- Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed pan or a pressure cooker
- Add the cumin and the bay leaf. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the peas, paneer, corn, rice and salt
- If using a pressure cooker: Add 1 ¾ cups water, cover the lid and cook on high heat for 2 whistles. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Do not open the lid till the steam is cooled
- If cooking without a pressure cooker: Add 2 ¼ cup of water, cover with a lid and cook on low heat till the water has evaporated and the rice is completely cooked
- Serve hot with curd and pickle of your choice