Palak (Spinach) Pulao Wednesday, November, 15, 2006

                                       Palak (Spinach) pulao …..does it sounds weird ? Even I thought the same when I saw palak rice in many blogs. But one should admit -”Very healthy recipe, mainly for the kids who doesn’t want to have greens.” When I saw the palak rice in many blogs I thought of preparing palak rice but in my way.. ie  adopting my original pulav recipe for palak. I also made up my mind that if this comes out bad then I will switch to the the methods used by my fellow bloggers for palak rice.  Ahhh,……I was relieved by the taste. Though it came out well, I desire to cook the palak rice the way my fellow bloggers cooked n posted.

                  

                            Palak (Spinach) Pulao garnished with carrot, and capsicum

Source: I adopted my original pulav recipe for palak.

Ingredients:
Palak – 1 bunch
Potatoes – 2 no.
Frozen peas – 1/4 cup
Onion – 1 big
Frozen green chillies – 5 no.
Rice – 3cups
water – 6 cups
Ginger – 1 tspn
Garlic – 1 Tbspn
Garam masala – 1 tbspn,
Curd – 2 tbspn
salt acc to taste
oil 2 tbspn
Jeera+shahi jeera – 1 tspn
cloves – 2 no.
cinnamon – small piece
bay leaves – 2
Turmeric – A pinch

Note:
1.I used 1 Tbspn of garam masala. check the spice level before adding garam masala as we are using 5 green chillies.
2. I used Indian green chillies frozen.
3.Make paste with all green chillies, garlic and ginger.
4.I used the pressure cooker for preparing this dish.

Method:
1.Heat oil in pan, add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, jeera ,shahi jeera.
2.When jeera starts spluttering, add onions (cut lengthwise), chilli-ginger-garlic paste, salt and a pinch of turmeric.
3.Fry for about 7 min. Now add cubed potatoes, peas. saute it well for 5 min and then add chopped palak (spinach).
4.When spinach is half cooked add 2 tbspn of curd n mix it well.
5.Add 6 cups of water.Let the water boil.
6.Once see the taste. If u feel it to be less spicy then add garam masala to it.
7.Now add 3 cups of rice and pressure cook it.

Goes really well with Bhendi(Okra) Raita.

                  

                                                           Palak (Spinach) Pulao

Terminology:
Palak – Spinach
Garam Masala – Mixture of ground spices (available readymade),
Jeera – Cumin seeds
Shahi Jeera – It has different names, Kashmiri jeera, Himali jeera, Nepali jeera, Kala jeera, Black cumin. Many think that black cumin/kala jeera as Nigella/onion seeds. Please remember Nigella / onion seeds are totally different.
 

Fried Rice Tuesday, November, 7, 2006

                        It’s been a long time since I have blogged. This time I came with the fried rice. I used noodles and soyasauce in this recipe. Should I call it as chinese fried rice,….I do not know. I am not sure, where  have learned this from,…its just an innovative recipe.

                       

source : An Innovative dish

Ingredients:
Rice 5 cups
Noodles 2 blocks
Capsicum 3 medium size – cut lenth wise
Carrot – cut length wise- 1 cup
Cubed Carrot 2-3 Tbspn (optional)
Peas -1/4 cup
Cauliflower – 1/2 cup of florets
Spring Onions – 1/4-1/2 cup
Eggs – 2
Ginger 1 Tbspn
Garlic 2 Pods(big)
Indian green chillies – 5
Soya sauce – 3 Tbspn
Olive oil – 2 tbspn
Black pepper powder acc to ur taste
Salt to taste

Note:
1. In this recipe I have used 2 blocks of Indian maggie noodles. I have not used the maggie masala powder.
2.I have used Indian green chilies frozen.
3.I have not only used the carrots that were cut length wise but also cubed carrots(2-3 Tbspn).
4.I used Negi(japanese spring onion).
5.I used basmati rice.

Method:
1.Boil cauliflower in salt water until cooked. Keep it aside
2.Boil carrot, peas. Keep them aside.
3.Take pan, add little oil and scramble the eggs. Keep it aside
4.Boil the noodles in a hot water. Before adding the noodles to the hot water , add oil. This prevents the noodles from sticking. If you are health conscious then oil can be substituted with the lime water (few drops) in this step.Now keep theboiled noodles aside.
5.Now make the paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies.
6.Heat oil in a pan, add negi(japanese spring onion), capsicum(cut lengthwise),boiled carrot, peas, cauliflower.Addchilli-ginger-garlic  paste. saute them well for about 10 min. Add scrambledegg, salt, soya sauce. Mix them well.
8.Now add bolied noodles, and cooked basmati rice. Mix well
9.See the taste. If u find it to be less spicy then add black pepper powder.