Jeera Rice

When I started packing lunch to my husband after marriage, I think every alternate day he took jeera rice whatever went for side with it. There are two reasons for this; it is easy-peasy and it remains non-sticky until afternoon (I was still learning the proportion of water for rice then). Once when my aunt was here I prepared jeera rice and ‘kollu thovial’ (a typical south Indian chutney); she liked the combination so much that she got them wedded, a proper north Indian and south Indian combo you’d have not heard of.

Ingredients:

1.       Cooked rice – 2 cups

2.       Ghee – 2 tbsp

3.       Onion – 1 (Optional)

4.       Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tsp

5.       Ghee roasted cashewnuts – 1 tbsp (Optional)

6.       Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp chopped

7.       Salt to taste.

Method:

Step 1: Cut the onion into halves and slice them thin.

Step 2: Heat ghee in a non-stick pan, splutter cumin, add onion and sauté in high heat until brown; then add coriander.

Step 3: Immediately add rice, sprinkle enough salt and toss well until they are mixed.

Step 4: Garnish with roasted cashews and serve with gravies or dal.

Barley & Red Rice Salad

This is a modified version of the salad that Viky Ratnani demonstrated in one of his shows. First time, i felt I had a healthy salad that tasted as good as a chaat. 

Ingredients:

1. Steamed red rice - 3/4 cup
2. Steamed barley - 1/2 cup
3. Cooked rajma - 1/2 cup
4. Pomegranate beads - a handful
5. Coriander - 3 tbsp finely chopped
6. Onion - 1 chopped
7. Orange - 1/2
8. Lemon - 1/2
9. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Drain the water from cooked rice, barley and rajma. Spread them in a wide bowl to let the moisture evaporate.
Step 2: Add pomegranate beads, coriander, chopped onion and toss well with olive oil.
Step 3: Add this to cooked grains; then squeeze in orange juice, lemon juice, sprinkle pepper, salt and mix well.
Step 4: Serve chilled or as is.

Tri-root Cutlet

This again is an experimental attempt as a beginner. I had eaten one sweet chutney from north called sont or saunt which is an ideal combination for cutlets or tikkis; it is such an explosion of tastes inside the mouth that we can’t understand which is complimenting which. Okay, here we are discussing the cutlet part…

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
2. Yam - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
3. Sweet potato - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
4. Corn flour - 2 tbsp
5. Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
6. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
7. Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp
8. Salt as per taste
9. Oil as required

Method:

Step 1: Take the shredded vegetables in a bowl and add salt, bread crumbs, corn flour, crushed saunf and coriander and mix well.
Step 2: Shallow fry them in a tawa
Step 3: Serve hot with chutney/ sauce