This is my entry for Leftover tuesdays # 2. Being a South Indian, our staple food is rice, whether its for lunch or for dinner. So, the frequent left over item is cooked rice. So, daily  my thali will have atleast 1/4 cup of left over rice . 1/4 cup is manageable, but  sometimes, particularly during some family dinners, the quantity of leftover rice gets increased. So, here comes the  problem. Throwing away some food item is considered to be wrong in our households ( In most of the Indian families). So, we have to finish them off at any cost(obviously before they get spoiled). So, every family  has their own idea for left over rice. In our family, we either consume with curries, or with Tadkas..etc. After coming to Tokyo, I used to see the Japanese having Onigiri(Japanese rice ball) comfortably at any place. I liked their idea. So, I used my Indian brain and here is the result. Hmmmmm….we liked its taste,..an exceptionally tasty food.

                                                                       Before Frying

Ingredients:
Cooked rice – 150-200 gm
Finely grated potato – 3 tbspn
Finely grated carrot – 2 tbspn
Frozen Peas – 1-2 tbspn
Finely chopped shitake mushroom – 2 no.
Coriander leaves – acc to taste
Salt – acc to taste
Garam Masala - acc to taste
Unsalted cheese grated finely – 1 tbspn
Oil – 1 tbspn

Method:
1.Blanch the grated potato and carrot.
2.Fry chopped shitake mushroomss, and peas.
3.Take cooked rice in a plate (or wide opened vessel) , add blanched potato, carrot, fried shitake mushrooms, peas, coriander leaves,  salt, garam masala, grated cheese. Mix well.
4.Take the mixture and make the desired shape and fry briefly (both the sides) in 1 tbspn of oil for abt 5 min.
Serve with any chutney or have them as it is. We had with coriander chutney.
                       

                                            Onigiri Indian Style with coriander-tomato chutney

Notes:
1.I blanched the grated potato and carrot to make sure that they cook properly and also takes less time in frying.
2.I fried shitake mushrooms and peas with 1/2 tspn of oil and little salt.
3.I used jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is a sticky rice.
4.Can be made into any shape, like heart shape, triangular shape, oval shape.
5.It took abt 7 min for me in frying them, I breifly fried them as I have already added cooked ingredients to the mixture.

                                       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.
 

                        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.

                               Though I love biryani/pulav (frequently prepare) , I always had a doubt ..”What is the difference between biryani and pulao?” . Recently I read an article (www.uppercrustindia.com) and got my doubt cleared ….Thanks to internet.

There is a subtle difference between the biryani and the pulao.

In a biryani, the parboiled rice is layered twice or more between the spices and the meat, and they are all cooked together.
In a pulao, the stock of meat forms the base and the rice is cooked with the spices so that it absorbs the flavor of the spices. A pulao is like an assembly of cooked rice and meat.

Pulao is made by the absorption method of cooking rice.
Biryani is made by the draining method of cooking rice.

In pulao the base ingredient is mixed with the rice, while in biryani the main ingredient is at the base of the vessel.

In biryani lot of aromatic masala is used.
Pulaos are relatively less spiced.

The other basic difference is that the Pulao has quite a bit of gravy in it whereas the biryani tends to be dry.

Mushroom Pulao :      

                                       Mushroom Pulao , Aloo Raita                

                     This is again my own creation. Sometime back, my husband desired to have vegetable pulao. At that time I had only mushrooms and peas in the freezer. I was reluctant to prepare but he made me to prepare with mushrooms.I prepared using the same method I use for normal pulao.I was bit afraid of the final result, but to my surprise it came out well. From then onwards, he insists( in fact, even I am interested in this pulao) me to prepare mushroom pulao rather than veg pulao.

Ingredients :

Mushrooms – 1 pack
Potatoes – 2
Green peas (optional)
Onion – 1 medium
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Ginger garlic paste
Garam masala,
Coriander powder,
Mint Leaves,
Coriander leaves,
Curd 1-2 tbspn
Salt to taste
Oil

Spices:
Red chilli – 1
Bay leaf – 1
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon small piece
Cardamom – 2
Star Anise – 1
Maratha Moggu – 1
Jeera – 1 tspn
Shahi Jeera – 1 tspn

Method:

1.Add 2 tbspn of oil to the preheated pan and add all the spices one by one.
2.When jeera and shahi jeera starts spluttering, add mint leaves , coriander leaves and fry them for 2 min.
3.Add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, coriander powder, salt(acc to ur spice levels) and a pinch of turmeric(optional)
4.When onions turn golden brown, add potatoes, mushrooms, green peas(optional) and close with lid.
5.Let the mushrooms cook in its own water(if necessary add little quantity of water). 
6.When mushrooms gets half cooked, add curd and stir it well. Then add 4 cups of water. When water starts boiling add 2 cups of rice and pressure cook it.
7.Serve with any spiced curry or any raita…..this time we had with Aloo Raita.

             
                                              Mushroom Pulao

                                     Jeera Rice

Though I love cooking , there are sometimes I don’t feel like cooking. But my taste buds crave for home made foods.I always question myself “why this happen to me? Why do I hunger for home foods on a lazy day ?” Ahh,..whatever may be the reason I start preparing my lazy dinner. My converstion with my husband :HE : What’s for dinner??
ME : What u want me to do?
HE : Do whatever u like ra..
ME : No problem,U tell me
.
.
.
.
[It happens.......u tell me....No No u tell me ......BUT this day is my day. Whatever may be the converstion the ultimate menu on this day - Jeera rice, Rasam,Aloo Capsicum fry]well, coming back to the convesation,.. ME : I am planning to prepare jeera rice
HE : Wow !! Jeera rice!! Good ra, but u said,..
ME : Yeah, I am preparing my version of jeera rice
HE : Oh! Ok! So u r also preparing your version of rasam??
ME : Obviously yes…..my “lazy version.”
HE : ,…. He is a such a nice guy,…he never troubles me,…

JEERA RICE :

Its a simple version.

Source : Who can it be,…ofcourse myself…

Ingredients:
Jeera – 2 table spoon
Rice – 2 cups
Oil – 1 table spoon
Red Chillies – 2
salt
Curry leaves ( I feel this one is the most important besides jeera as it gives fine aroma)

Method :
1.Heat the oil in a pan, add red chillies, jeera.
2.Once jeera splutters turn off the stove and add curry leaves.
3.Add this tadka to the rice , add some salt(according to your taste) and turn on the cooker.

Simple isn’t it….yet tasty with rasam and Fry (any veg fry goes well with this).

See you with my II nd part of ‘A Lazy Dinner’ in the next post.