Lasuni (garlic) moong dal palak (spinach) khichdi

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

35 mins

TOTAL TIME

50 mins

Ingredients:

1 Cup white rice (short to medium grain)

⅓ Cup yellow moong dal

1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 ½ Cup water

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon Garam Masala 

For palak puree:

2 Cup spinach leaves (palak)

1 green chilli

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

4 garlic cloves

For tadka: 

2 tablespoon ghee

1 tablespoon fine chopped or sliced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

4 dried red chillies (preferably Kashmiri Red Chilli)

Preparation:

1. • Combine dal and rice in a bowl. Rinse them with water 2 – 3 times. Soak them in clean water for 15 minutes.
   • To blanch the spinach first, clean it and rinse with water to remove dirt particles. Next, place a bowl of ice-cold water ready.
   • Boil water in a saucepan with a teaspoon of salt. Once the water starts boiling, add the cleaned spinach leaves to the hot water. Cook for about 40 – 50 seconds until the colour of the leaves turns bright green. Turn off the heat.
   • Transfer the leaves immediately to the bowl of ice-cold water. This step stops the cooking process and retains the leaves green colour.
   • Make a smooth puree of blanched spinach, green chilli, ginger, and garlic using one to two tablespoons of water. Keep it aside.
   • Drain all the water from the soaked dal and rice. Transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add salt, asafoetida (hing), water, and cinnamon stick. Pressure Cook for two whistles over low heat. Release the steam manually.
   • Open the lid, add spinach puree, and stir to combine. Simmer over low heat. Meanwhile prepare the tadka.
   • For tempering, heat ghee, add dried red chillies, cumin seeds, and sliced garlic. Fry over low heat till garlic turn light golden. Turn off the heat.
   • Pour lehsuni tadka over the palak khichdi. Stir to combine.
   • Lehsuni Palak Khichdi is ready to serve.
     Recipe Notes:
   • After adding spinach puree do not cook the khichdi for too long. Simmer over low heat only for 5 – 6 minutes for flavours to combine. 
   • Blanching spinach removes its raw taste and give the puree a beautiful green colour. 
   • If the khichdi is too thick, add more water while simmering it to get the desired consistency.
   • This is a medium spicy khichdi. Adjust the quantity of red and green chilli to get the desired level of spiciness. 

Capsicum Rice

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cup

Oil - 1.5 tb sp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tb sp

Chopped onion - 1 large

Chopped Capsicum - 1 large

Jeera - 2 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Channa dal - 2 tsp
Cilantro - 1/2 cups

Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Hing

MTR vangi bhat masala - 2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2

Raisins - few
Curry leaves - few

Salt as per taste

Cashew - 8 - 10

Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Making the masala for rice:
• In a Kadhai, heat oil 
• Add Kadipatta
• Add ginger-garlic paste and roast 
• Now add Jeera, mustard seeds, urad daal, channa daal, Haldi and hing
• Add red chilly and fry
• Add chopped onion and fry till golden brown
• Add chopped capsicum and fry till oil leaves from the sides in the kadhai
• Add vangi bhat masala
• Add Cashew nuts and raisins
• Fry for 5 min
2. Making the rice
• Wash rice and cook the rice 
• Add above masala and mix well
• Add salt
• Add chopped cilantro 
• Once ready add 2tsp ghee and mix well
• Serve hot garnished with some fresh coconut and cilantro with raita

Palak rice with mixed vegetables

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cup

Oil - 1.5 tb sp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tb sp

Chopped onion - 1 large

Chopped tomato - 2 large
Spinach - 2-3 cups

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya Jeera powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 2 tsp
Chopped green chillies - 1
Mixed vegetables (Beans, peas, Cauliflower, Carrot,
Curry leaves - few

Salt as per taste

Cashew - 10 - 15

Cilantro

Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Palak paste:
• Chop spinach coarsely
• Grind to paste: Spinach, ginger, garlic, Green chillies, little water to grind
• Keep aside 
2. Making the masala for rice:
• In a Kadhai, heat oil 
• Add Kadipatta
• Now add Jeera, mustard seeds, Haldi and hing
• Add chopped onion and fry till golden brown
• Add chopped tomato and fry till oil leaves from the sides in the kadhai
• Add Garam masala and Dhaniya Jeera powder
• Add Cashew nuts
• Add mixed vegetables and fry for 5 min
3. Making the rice
• Wash rice and keep it ready
• Add above masala and mix well
• Add salt
• Add the palak paste by measuring it as it is watery. Minus that much water. (i.e. if you use 1 cup of rice and the paste is half cup use a little more than half cup water)
• Add chopped cilantro 
• Cook it normally using pressure cooker or electric rice cooker
• Once ready add 2tsp ghee and mix well
• Serve hot garnished with some fresh coconut and cilantro with raita

Mumbai Mast Tomato Pulao

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 3/4 cup

Oil - 1.5 tb sp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tb sp

Chopped onion - 1/2 large

Chopped tomato - 1 large

Tomato ketchup - 1.5 tb sp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Pav bhaji masala - 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Chopped Red or green bell pepper - 1/2 

Paneer - 20 cubes

Cilantro

Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. First wash and cook the rice in any method you prefer. Add few drops of oil while cooking to get well separated strands. Bring to room temperature and keep aside.
2. In case of using store bought paneer, soak it in hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the water and keep aside.
3. Now, heat a pan with oil, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 secs. Follow it by onion and saute until translucent.
4. Now, add the tomato and give a stir. Then add the ketchup and give a quick stir. Follow it by turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala powder, salt and mix well.
5. Add the capsicum, give a nice stir and add 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and turn the flame to low-medium. Cook for a minute and then add the paneer cubes. Stir once and continue to cook until the mixture gets thickened up. By now all the raw smell of masala would be gone. 
6. Finally, add the cooked rice to the mixture and mix well until combined. Make sure not to break the rice strands. Turn off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves, ghee and mix well.
7. Serve hot and enjoy with a simple papad or raita.