I am big fan of quinoa. I make quinoa-black bean salad, quinoa-avocado salad, quinoa dosa, quinoa idlis, quinoa cutlets. However, unlike many people, I cannot substitute rice with quinoa. I love my rice. You see, I am South-Indian and we South-Indians love our rice! Being that I am always looking for novel ways to incorporate quinoa into my diet, I experimented making a pilaf using it. I mixed it with rice in the ratio of 1:1. I loved it! Even my picky kids ate without any fuss ( or even realizing), which to me was very encouraging. Since then, I became even more adventurous and made quinoa-methi pulao. This one came out perfect and my husband almost didn't realize that anything was different.
I think this is a technique that all those who want to incorporate quinoa in their meals should use until they are habituated to quinoa.
Methi pulao is one of my favorite dishes. It is simple and easy to make one-pot meal.
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients :
Basmati rice: 1 cup
Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves): 1 cup ( from 1 medium bunch), washed and cleaned.
Soya chunks: 1 cup ( optional)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Clove: 2-3 nos
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Bay leaf: 1 medium-sized
Cardamom pods: 2-3
Cashewnut halves: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise.
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 3-4( depending on your spice level),chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 medium, chopped
Salt : to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Hot Water: 3 cups + 1 cup
Method:
Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.
Soak the soy chunks in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt for 5-10 mins. Squeeze and remove them from water. Keep aside.
Wash the quinoa and keep ready.
Boil the water and keep ready.
Heat oil/ ghee mixture in a kadai/ sauté pan/ pressure cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and the onions. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.
Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds.
Now add the turmeric powder and the chopped tomatoes. Saute until the tomatoes wilt.
Add the methi leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the garam masala powder and drained soy chunks.
Add the drained rice and sauté for 2-4 minutes.
Add in the hot water, salt, sugar and bring it to a boil.
Add quinoa.
Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes. If you are using a pressure cooker/ pan, do not use the whistle/ weight.
When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon.
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with a Raita of your choice or by itself.
Enjoy!
I am bringing this delicious dish to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120 and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters
Cooking made easy:
The quinoa can be cooked separately and added to the pulao at the end once the rice has cooked.
Quinoa can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can use only garam masala powder or only whole garam masala depending on your preference and availability.
Tip for healthy living:
Fenugreek leaves are highly nutrient-dense . They are especially beneficial for diabetics. Quinoa as we are all aware is a super-food! It is gluten-free and protien-rich. You can read more regarding the benefits of quinoa in the references below:
References:
http://healthnfitnesshops.com/7-health-benefits-of-quinoa.html/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4994/7-Benefits-of-Quinoa-The-Supergrain-of-the-Future.html
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-quinoa
Food for thought:
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James Baldwin
Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!
I always have cooked rice in my refrigerator. Does that sound weird??? No, not because I like leftover rice. There are several reasons why. First and foremost, I don't like to eat too much outside food. Funnily enough, neither do my kids. My way of thinking is that if I have atleast some cooked rice in the fridge, I can quickly rustle up something.. A veggie stir fry, some dal.. Just papad and pickle or yogurt and pickle or make fried rice or tawa pulao as I have done here. This is another one of my quick meals, a complete meal, perfect for weeknight dinners. This meal can be ready in 15 mins! Yes, it is that easy! I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday # 57 for all my friends who work but love to rustle up a good meal!
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
Cooked white rice: 2-3 cups
Ghee( Clarified butter): 1 tbsp
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Cloves:2-3, whole
Cardamom: 2-3 whole,
Bay leaf: 1 small
Cashew nut halves: 1 tbsp ( optional)
Raisins: 1 tsp ( optional)
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste: 1 heaped tsp
Green chilli: 2 ( optional) , adjust according to your spice level.
Frozen peas and carrots: 1 cup
Parboiled cauliflower florets: 1 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Sugar: a pinch
Black pepper: freshly ground, 1 tsp
Cilantro : 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional).
Method:
Heat ghee/ oil in a sauté pan/ wok/ skillet .
Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and cashewnut halves and sauté for a 30 seconds.
Add ginger garlic paste, sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the chopped onion and green chillies, raisins and sauté until the onion turns transparent.
Add the peas, carrots and cauliflower florets. Mix well. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins until the vegetables have cooked.
Add the cold cooked rice, salt, sugar, black pepper powder and mix well. Reduce the flame,cover and let it cook until the rice has warmed.
Garnish with chopped cilantro if you wish.
Serve hot with a side-dish of your choice, raita or some cucumber slices.
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
I have used frozen vegetables as it was convenient for me. You can also use boiled vegetables.
Cauliflower can be cooked slightly by either letting it sit in warm water for few minutes or cooking it in the microwave for 3-4 mins.
Tip for healthy living:
Bulk up your carbs with vegetables so that it is more filling without loading up on the carbs. For example, for the above pulao, you can bulk it up with equal amount of veggies, so that you are not filling up with just rice but also get the much needed vegetables.
Food for thought:
The present time has one advantage over every other- it is our own. Charles Caleb Colton
Angie, I am here! I know I am late for the Fiesta Friday anniversary party , but I am here! I have brought this amazing wild rice pilaf!
I love trying new stuff. One such thing is the Wild Blend Rice from Lundberg that I recently got.It is essentially a blend of wild rice, long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, whole grain Wehani rice, and whole grain black Japonica rice. I have always been fascinated by wild rice. I have eaten wild rice salad many a time and enjoyed it. Brown rice I know is healthy, but I cannot switch it for my regular parboiled or Matta rice. This rice blend was perfect for those times when I wanted something different and a little more exotic.
Being that it is cold outside, I like to eat warm/hot food. I therefore didn't want to make a salad. I also had butternut squash, some green squash, carrots and fresh cranberries on hand and therefore decided to make a pilaf utilizing everything I had on hand. I must say that it came out really good and was gone in no time! I like my rice cooked until tender, I therefore soaked it for a couple of hours so as to reduce the cooking time. Brown rice takes forever to cook! This again is a one-pot recipe, easy to make.
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
Wild blend rice: 2 cups
Butternut squash: 2 cups, diced medium.
Green squash( zucchini): 1 cup, diced.
Baby carrots: 1 cup
Clarified butter : 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, diced small
Garlic: 3-4 small cloves, minced
Boiling hot water: 5 cups ( you can use vegetable or chicken broth if you wish)
Fresh Cranberries: 1/2 cup, chopped
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp( optional)
Slivered almonds: 1 tbsp( optional)
Pomegranate seeds: 2 tbsp( optional)
Parsley( fresh) : 1 tbsp, chopped
Salt : to taste
Black pepper: 1 tsp,freshly ground ( can adjust as per individual taste)
Method:
Soak the rice blend in water for 1-2 hours. Drain and keep aside. ( This step is optional. I do this to reduce the cooking time and to make the rice more tender).
In a sauté pan or pressure cooker pan, heat butter and olive oil.Add the minced garlic, sauté for few seconds.
Now add the chopped onions and sauté on medium until the onion turns transparent.
Now add in the cashew halves, cranberries; sauté for a minute.
Add in the wild blend rice and the boiling hot water. Add salt, pepper powder,baby carrots, parsley and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
While that is cooking, you can cut the butternut squash and the green squash if you have not done so already.
After 30 mins, add in the butternut squash and the green squash to the pan, stir, cover and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the rice reaches the desired level of tenderness.
Note: if using the pressure cooker/pan to cook, do not use the whistle/weight.Garnish with pomegranate seeds, slivered almonds and cranberries.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
Any kind of vegetable can be used in this pilaf. You can use peas and carrots or mushrooms; anything really.
If you don't have fresh cranberries, you can used dried ones.
If you are allergic to nuts, you can skip it. If not, you can even use walnuts or pecans in this recipe.
Tip for healthy living:
Although brown rice is more tedious to cook, it is much healthier for the body. Not only is it less processed, it has a higher dietary fiber content when compared to other kinds of rice. It also has a lower glycemic index and is therefore good for diabetics. It has both the outer bran and germ layers and therefore more vitamins and other nutrients.
Food for thought:
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Today is Indian Independence Day. It is in fact the 68 th Independence Day. It has been 68 years since India became free from the British. I wanted to make something that would simulate the Tricolor Indian flag, popularly referred to as "Tiranga"( Tricolor). I pondered for a while and finally decided to celebrate this wonderful occasion by making a Tricolor Rice Platter. Before going into the details of my platter, let me tell you all a little bit about the Indian Flag. It is of course made up of three horizontal bands of equal colors: saffron, white and green with a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes in the center of the middle band.Saffron stands for valor,courage and sacrifice of the Indian people. White stands for truth, peace and purity. Green stands for prosperity, vibrance and life. The wheel which is based on the Ashoka Chakra represents righteousness, progress and perpetuity.It represents motion. The 24 spokes of the wheel represent the 24 hours of the day.
My Tricolor Rice Platter comprises of Carrot Pulao for the Saffron band, Jeera Rice for the white band and Palak Pulao( Spinach Rice) for the green band. I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday! I am sure everyone there will enjoy this platter! Jhuls and Selma are co-hosting this week.I have already packed my pretty floral tankini and the sunscreen for the pool-party! Each week I look forward to Angie's party!
Carrot Pulao ( Carrot Rice)
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Basmati rice: 1 cup
Grated carrots: 1 cup ( from 1 large carrot)
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Coconut oil: 2 tbsp
Lemon juice: from one small lemon
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( optional for garnishing)
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp chopped fine ( for garnishing)
Water: 2 cups
Salt: as per taste.
Method:
Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.
Heat oil in a kadai/ sauté pan. Add 1 tsp jeera and the onions. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.
Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds. Now add the turmeric powder and garam masala powder.
Add the rice and sauté for 2-4 minutes. Add the grated carrots, sauté for a minute. Add in the hot water, salt and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes.
When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon. Add in the lemon juice, mix well.
Garnish with freshly grated coconut and chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with some Raita of your choice or by itself.
Enjoy!
Jeera Rice ( Cumin rice)
Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1 cup
Water: 2 cups
Clarified butter( ghee): 1 tbsp( you could use regular cooking oil if you don't have ghee)
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 3/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1 small
Cashew halves: 1 tsp( optional)
Salt: to taste.
Method:
Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.
Heat ghee in a sauté pan/ pot on low heat. Add the jeera( cumin) and cinnamon stick and sauté for few seconds. Add the cashew halves and saute until slightly golden.
Now add in the washed and dried rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add 2 cups of hot water, salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to the lowest possible, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
When done, open, fluff the rice and keep covered for 10 more minutes with the flame turned off.
Serve hot with a side dish of your choice.
Palak Pulao ( Spinach Rice)
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Cooked rice: 2 cups
Spinach purée: 1 cup
Ghee( clarified butter): 1 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp( from one small lemon)
Chopped Ciilantro: 1 tbsp( for garnishing).
Method:
In a sauté pan/ kadai, heat 1tsp ghee. Add the ginger garlic paste and onions and sauté until the onions turn transparent.
Add the chopped green chillies, garam masala, spinach purée, salt, sugar and cook for 5-6 mins.
Add in the rice and mix well. Cook for 1-2 mins.
Now add the lemon juice.
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Serve hot.
My husband likes his food to be colorful. So, whenever a side dish calls for a little fancy kind of rice, like jeera rice or ghee rice, I make this instead. My children like it too and this way they get their portion of veggies too. It's quick & easy to make.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 2 cups
Ghee(clarified butter): 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Clove: 2
Cinnamon : 1 half-inch stick
Cardamom :2 whole
Bay leaf: 1 big
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp
Raisins: 1 tsp
Peas and carrots(frozen):1/2 cup
Hot Water:4 cups
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash basmati rice thoroughly, drain and keep aside 15-30 mins before adding it to the pan.
In a sauté pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add clove, cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaf, cashew halves one after the other. Sauté on medium-to low flame until cashew halves start turning a little golden. Now add raisins and sauté for 10 seconds until they begin to turn a little plump.
Add the drained basmati rice and sauté for 2-3 mins or until the rice crackles. Add in the peas and carrots.Now add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt. Mix well. Once you see the liquid is boiling, reduce the flame to low, cover it and cook for 15 mins.After 15 mins, switch off the flame,fluff the rice.Keep it covered for another 15 mins before serving.
Serve with any side dish that has gravy . I served mine this time with butter chicken. Recipe will be made available in my next post.
Cooking made easy:
- While making any rice dishes that uses uncooked rice, the general rule of thumb for rice and water ratio is 1:2 unless stated otherwise.
- Make sure that you use hot water and not cold. This makes cooking faster.
- If using pressure cooker, do not put the weight ( whistle) on.
- Fluffing the rice at the end of 15 mins ensures that the top layer of the rice does not get hard.
- In the above recipe, I used frozen fresh peas and carrots.You can use dried peas which has been soaked and cooked and fresh carrots, diced.
- I use ghee and olive oil in 1:1 ratio in my dishes instead of ghee alone in order to reduce the amount of calories. Ghee is needed as it adds flavor to the dish.
Tip for Healthy Living:
Some amount of fats are required in our diets as they have numerous essential functions in the human body. This is especially true in growing children. As long as the fats are natural and not man-made and in small amounts, it is healthy.
Food for thought:
One step at a time. ( unknown)
For the longest, making vegetable pulao for me was a long-drawn process to be saved only for weekends when I had the time. I used to always think you have to grind and make a coriander/ cilantro or mint based green paste then sauté this, do that... Just thinking about it used to tire me out. My mother-in-law broke that myth for me. To date, her vegetable pulao is the best! Every time she visited us, I just couldn't stop eating! I decided to learn the recipe from her. It is simple, quick and absolutely lip-smacking! My husband's all-time favorite! Here's the recipe.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Ghee( clarified butter):1tbsp
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 2 medium chopped
Garlic : 5 cloves chopped fine
Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine
Green chillies: 4 chopped fine
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Frozen Mixed vegetables: 11/2 cups
Mushrooms: sliced 1 cup( optional).
Soya chunks: 1/2 cup
Cashew nut : 1 tbsp chopped(optional)
Garam masala: 1 tbsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder):1 tsp
Water: 4 cups + 1 cup
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash basmati rice thoroughly and keep aside 15-30 mins before adding it to the pan.
Boil one cup water with a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat, add the soya chunks and keep it aside for 10-15 mins. Then squeeze the excess water out of the soya chunks and keep it in a separate bowl.
In a sauté pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add chopped garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped ginger and again sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. Add chopped cashew nuts and strained soya chunks. Then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies and sauté for 3-4 mins until the tomatoes are wilted. Now add haldi( turmeric) powder and garam masala powder, sauté for a minute. Add the drained basmati rice and sauté for 2-3 mins or until the rice crackles. Add the mixed vegetables.Now add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt. Mix well. Once you see the liquid is boiling, reduce the flame to low, cover it and cook for 15 mins. (If adding mushrooms,mix it in at the end of 10 mins).After 15 mins, switch off the flame,fluff the rice . Keep it covered for another 15 mins before serving.
Serve hot with raita or plain cucumber salad.
I love mine with slices of avocados .
Cooking made easy:
- Learn to use what is available in your pantry. There is no hard and fast rule for cooking. We can always improvise, experiment within reason.
- Any combination of mixed vegetables can be used for pulao.I used frozen mixed vegetable comprising of peas, carrots, beans and corn.You can use fresh vegetables of your choice.
- You can use ghee alone for the pulao. I use a combination of oil & ghee to make it a little less fattening.
- Instead of fresh ginger and garlic, ginger garlic paste can be used if you are in a rush.
- The reason for adding mushrooms towards the end is to avoid overcooking the mushrooms.
- Make sure that you use hot water and not cold. This makes cooking faster.
- If using pressure cooker, do not put the weight ( whistle) on.
- Fluffing the rice at the end of 15 mins ensures that the top layer of the rice does not get hard.
Tip for Healthy Living:
Incorporate at least 20-30 mins of physical activity into your day. This could be any type of recreational activity you like or just part of your daily life. For example: walking briskly to the busy stop, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. This not only burns calories but also improves your general health and facilitates a sense of well-being.
Food for thought:
Desire is the root cause of misery.(Buddha)
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