Methi Pulao/Fenugreek Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped

Tomato - 2 small, chopped

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Methi leaves - 1 cup tightly packed(take the leaves alone, discard the stem)

Oil - 1 tbspn

Ghee/Butter - 1 tsp

Salt - according to taste

Water - 2 cups

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Garam masala - 3/4 tsp

For tempering;

Jeera/cumin seeds -1 tsp

Sombu/fennel seeds -1 tsp(optional)

Bay leaf -1

Method:

Wash and drain the rice thoroughly. Let it rest for 30 minutes. 

Heat a tsp of ghee/butter and fry the drained rice for a few minutes. Keep it aside.

Heat oil, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and bay leaf. When the cumin seeds splutters, add chopped onions and saute till it turns transparent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few more seconds. Add all the dry powders and saute for a minute.

Add tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes followed by methi leaves .

Saute well till the leaves wilt. Add salt and 2 cups of boiling water and rice to it .

Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Or else;

If the rice cooker is used for cooking, transfer everything to a rice cooker and switch on the cooking mode.

Serve hot with raita.

Recipe Courtesy: Padhu's Kitchen

Sending this recipe to Dish in 30 Minutes hosted by Sarawathi Tharagaram

Spaghetti with Meatless Balls

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
1 cup packed baby spinach
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 cup cooked rice, roughly mashed
Salt
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Tandoori Masala - 1 tsp
8 ounces spaghetti
1 - 1 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce or Pasta Sauce(recipe follows)

Method:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and spinach. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender and spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine the sauteed mixture, beans, rice and all the spices. Stir until combined.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake meatballs 30 minutes or until heated through and crisp on the outside. 

Stove top Method;

Grease a kuzhi paniyaram kal and place the balls. Drop a tsp of oil on the balls. Cook until heated and crisp on the outside(add 1 more tsp of oil if the balls are too dry).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well and return to pot. Add pasta sauce and toss until combined and heated through. Add meatballs and toss very gently to combine, taking care not to break up meatballs. Serve hot.

Pizza Sauce/Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 cup, chopped finely

Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup, chopped finely

Tomato Puree - 2 cups( around 6-7 small sized tomatoes)

Garlic Cloves - 3, chopped finely

Tandoori Masala - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder or Chili flakes- 1/4 tsp

Italian Seasoning - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/4 tspp

Salt - according to taste

Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Olive Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the bell pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes. Now add the tomato puree, spices, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 -25 minutes. Use in the recipe as directed.

Sending this recipe to Valentine's Day Recipe Contest hosted by Priya 

Gatti Payasam(Rice cooked in Jaggery Syrup)

Ingredients:

Raw Basmathi Rice* - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup, powdered

Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup

Cardamon Powder - 1/4 tsp (add more if you like the flavor)

Ghee - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Cashews - 1 tbspn

Raisins - 1 tbspn

Salt - a pinch

*This dish gives an extra flavor when cooked with basmathi rice.

Method:

Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain it and add 2 cups of water and pressure cook it for 6 whistles. Let it cool.

In a pan add 1/2 cup water and bring it to a boil. Now add the jaggery and wait till it gets a foamy consistency. Switch off the stove and strain it through a muslin cloth or a strainer. Again place the jaggery in the pan and heat it for a minute. Now add the cooked rice and mix it well. Let the mixture gets cook. Keep stirring until it reaches a thicker consistency(approximately 5 minutes). Now add the ghee and keep stirring for a couple of minutes and add the cardamom powder. Now add the salt and switch off the stove.

In a separate pan add a tbspn of ghee and fry the cashews and raisins. Add the cashews and raisins to the payasam.

Let it cool completely. As the payasam cools down, it becomes thick and looks like sakkarai pongal.

Recipe Courtesy: Chef Venkatesh Bhat

Sending this to Jagruthi's "Celebrate MakarSankranti and Republic Day of India" event.

Bread Dahi Chat

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

Wheat / White Bread* - 3 slices

Sweet Chutney - 1 tbspn

Green Chutney - 1 tbspn

Sev - 3 tbspns

Green Gram - 1/4 cup

Raw Onions - 2 tbspns

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 tbspn

Curd - 1/2 cup

*Can be replaced with mini pooris

Method :

Soak green gram for 30 mins and pressure cook until soft and keep aside.

Dry toast the bread in a dosa pan (or add little oil and toast) until crispy or toast it using a toaster which makes it very crispy. Cut each bread slice into 4.

Now for the assembling : 

Lay the bread slices first (about 8-9 pieces in a plate), add boiled green gram, then add the chutneys generously. Spread a layer of curd over it, then chopped raw onions and garnish with sev and chopped coriander leaves.

Recipe Courtesy: Sharmi's Passion

Sending this to Priya's Versatile Recipes and Kitchen Chronicles

Kothu Parotta(Egg and Eggless)

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Parotta - 2, medium sized

Egg - 2

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1 small, chopped finely

Tomato - 1, chopped finely

Green Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup, chopped

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green Chili - 2, slit lengthwise(add one for more spicyness) 

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Red Chili powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to your taste)

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1 tsp chopped finely

Method:

Chop the parottas into small pieces. Keep aside.

Heat oil, add cumin seeds then add add curry leaves, green chilies let it splutter. Then add ginger garlic paste, allow it to brown slightly. Now add onions, saute for 2 minutes and add green bell pepper. Saute for 2 more minutes and add the tomatoes. Saute till it turns mushy. Now add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. Add required salt and mix well. 

Without Egg;

Now add the chopped parottas and mix well with the masalas. Garnish with coriander leaves.

With Egg;

Beat the eggs well and add the pepper and salt. After sauteing the tomatoes add the eggs, mix it and scramble well. Once it turns nicely fried and blended with the masalas add the chopped parottas and mix well with the egg and masalas. Garnish with coriander leaves.