COLOURFUL RICE / VEGETABLE PULAO

INGREDIENTS
1 glass Basmati rice
1+3/4 glass water
2-3 tej pata (bay leaf)
3-4 cloves (laung)
1/2 stick cinnamon (dalchini)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 large sliced onions
1 large chopped or diced carrot
1 small chopped or diced beetroot (very important for red colour)
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup corn (optional)
salt to taste

METHOD
Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes. Heat oil in kadai or pan, add cumin seeds, tej pata, cloves and cinnamon. Add sliced onions and saute till golden in colour, make sure it's good golden in colour for nice flavour and aroma.

Once onion is done, add all the veggies and salt. Mix well.

Add soaked rice and water. Cover with lid and cook on low flame for 20-25 minutes or till rice is cooked and water is absorbed.

Let it come down to room temperature and serve with curd.


I don't like to add any masala like coriander powder or garam masala, as I feel it suppress the flavour of rice, if you wish you can masala of your choice.


If you are planning to give this to your child in school lunch, prepare night before, this will ease the work and beetroot will give a very good colour after keeping for long which children love.


Pictorial:

1. Keep tej pata, cumin seeds, cloves and dalchini ready.

2. Heat oil in kadai, add the above mentioned ingredients.

3. Sliced onions, make sure it turns good golden in colour.

4. Add all the veggies and salt. Mix well.

5. Add soaked rice.

6. Water as mentioned. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes on low flame till done.

7. yummy and colourful rice is ready to serve.

8. A closer shot!

RICE-CHOCOLATE BALLS

INGREDIENTS
2 cups leftover or fresh unsalted rice
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp condensed milk (if required add more)
1/2 cup coconut powder (desiccated coconut)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
1/2 cup white chocolate
1/2 cup dark chocolate
1 tbsp butter
handful of chopped nuts (almonds, cashewnuts)
1 tbsp sprinklers for garnishing


METHOD
Mash rice till it resembles breadcrumbs. Add coconut powder, powdered sugar, roughly chopped nuts. Give it a good mix. Take taste test and adjust sugar level accordingly.

Add condensed milk little by little and keep mixing it to form tight dough. Make sure you don't add condensed milk at one go to avoid loose and sticky balls.

Using hands make round balls and keep uncovered in fridge to set for 5-10 minutes.

Take chopped white chocolate add 1 tsp butter and melt in double boiler or microwave.

Dip half balls in it and coat well. Immediately garnish with sprinklers so that it sets properly. keep in fridge for 5 minutes.

In same or other bowl, add chopped dark chocolate with some butter and and melt in double boiler or microwave.

Dip remaining half balls in it and coat well. Immediately garnish with sprinklers so that it sets properly. keep in fridge for 5 minutes.

Serve and store in fridge in air-tight jar.

NOTES: 

IF DOUGH BECOMES LOOSE ADD MORE COCONUT POWDER.

MAKE SURE TO ADD CONDENSED MILK LITTLE BY LITTLE

Pictorial:

1. Mash rice till it resembles breadcrumb.

2. Add coconut powder, powdered sugar, chopped nuts.

3. Condensed milk little at a time.

4. Make tight dough and keep in fridge to set for 5-10 minutes.

5. Melt chopped white chocolate with 1 tsp butter.

6. Dip half balls in white chocolate.

7. Melt dark chocolate.










8. Dip remaining half balls in dark chocolate.

9. Immediately garnish with sprinklers.

10. Set in fridge and serve.

11. Happy Diwali!

SWEET BEETROOT RICE

INGREDIENTS
1 large chopped beetroot
1 glass rice
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel powder (saunf powder)
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil.
2 cups water
nuts of your choice (optional)


 


METHOD
Wash and soak rice in water and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Chop and boil beetroot till soft and tender. Grind it with some water to make puree.

In a pan, heat ghee, add cinnamon stick and fennel powder, saute for 1 minute, add rice and beetroot puree. Add more water (should be 2 glasses in total)

Cover and cook on low flame till 90% done. Add sugar, mix well and cook again till its completely done.

Let the pan be covered for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or pack in kids school lunch box.

KEEP PROPORTION OF WATER AND RICE AS MENTIONED IN PACKET OR KEEP IT IN SAME WAY AS YOU COOK NORMAL RICE.

Pictorial:

1. Chop and cook beetroot.











2. Make fine puree adding more water if required.

3. Heat ghee, add fennel powder and cinnamon stick.

 4. Add soaked rice with beetroot puree.











5. Add more water.











6. Cover and cook.

7. When its 90% cooked, add sugar.

 8. Cover and cook again till completely done.

 9. Add nuts.

10. Serve and pack in kids lunch box.

RICE MANCHURIAN

INGREDIENTS
FOR BALLS
1 cup leftover/cooked rice
1/4 cup minced cabbage (optional)
1/4 cup minced carrot
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced capsicum
2-3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp rice flour (optional)
salt and chilli to taste


FOR SAUCE
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar

I have posted Rice Pakora and Rice-Cheese balls recipe with leftover rice.

METHOD
Take leftover rice mash it roughly with fork or spoon, add minced veggies, salt, chilli,  tomato sauce, soya sauce and vinegar. Mix it well.

Add cornflour and rice flour for binding. Mix well. Make small balls and deep fry on medium flame.

Don't fry on high flame or it will remain raw from inside. Keep aside.

In a pan, saute onion and garlic, till transparent. Add tomato sauce, soya sauce, vinegar and sugar. Mix well add fried balls. Stir and serve.



 

Pictorial:

1. Roughly mash cooked rice, add veggies.

2. Add sauces, vinegar and mix.

3. Add flour. Mix well.










4. Make small balls. If you difficulty in making balls add some more cornflour. (don't over add or balls will become hard).










5. Deep fry.



For Sauce:









1. Saute onion and garlic.










 2. Add all the other ingredients mentioned.

3. Add fried balls.

4. Garnish with spring onion.

5. Serve hot!!

RICE FLOUR MOMOS

INGREDIENTS
1 cup heaped rice flour
1 and 1/2 cup water
2 tsp ghee or oil
1 tsp salt

For Filling
1/2 cup soya chunks or soya granules (Nutrela) (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1-2 finely chopped spring onion
1 small sized finely chopped onion
2-3 finely chopped garlic
1/2 inch finely chopped ginger
salt and pepper to taste
oil for greasing

METHOD
In a pan, add oil and water, bring it to boil add rice flour, cook it combines and become like dough. Cover with lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.

For Filling:
Mix together finely chopped onion, cabbage, carrot, ginger and garlic. Keep aside.

Take soya chunks in deep pan, add plenty of water and bring it to boil. Once done, squeeze out the excess water.

Transfer it in a blender jar, and pulse twice or thrice to get coarse texture as shown in pic below, here make sure not to make a fine paste.

Take pan, add soya chunks, saute for 1-2 minute on high to medium flame till raw smell fades, add mixed chopped vegetable and saute for another 2 minutes till it becomes soft, don't over cook. Add salt and pepper, you can green chilies too if not preparing for children.

Let this mixture come down to room temperature.

Take out the dough on clean slab. Grease hands well with oil and combine it together to make soft and smooth dough.

Divide dough in equal portion, make lemon sized balls. Roll the balls with light hands, add prepared stuffing, seal from all the ends as we does for paranthas, be very gentle as dough will be very soft.

Grease idli stand, keep these momos in it and steam for 15-20 minutes on medium flame.

To check if it is cooked, prick knife or toothpick. It should come out clean.

Serve with chilli or tomato sauce.

NOTES: I DIDN'T HAVE SOYA GRANULES AVAILABLE SO ADDED CHUNKS, IF YOU HAVE GRANULES JUST BOIL, SQUEEZE EXCESS WATER AND ADD IN VEGETABLES.

Pictorial:

1. Bring water to boil with some oil and salt in it. Add rice flour.

2. Cook on medium flame till it becomes like this.

3. Switch off the flame, cover with lid and keep aside..



Now let's prepare filling:


1. Mix all the chopped vegetables, ginger-garlic and keep aside.






 
 
2. In a deep bowl, add 1 glass of water, bring to boil, add soya chunks. Let it become soft.

 

3. Squeeze out the water.

4. Transfer in blender jar and pulse to make coarse paste.

5. Transfer in pan, saute on high to medium flame till raw smell fades. If required add a tsp of oil.

6. Add chopped vegetables.

7. Saute again for 2-3 minutes. Don't over cook it.

8. Take out the dough and knead or combine with soft hands till it becomes smooth.

9. The soft and smooth dough is ready.

10.  Divide dough in equal portion. Make lemon sized ball and roll it.











11. Roll it thin from sides using your fingers.

12. Fill it.

13. Seal it.

14. Keep in greased idli stands.

15. Steam it on medium flame. Check by piercing toothpick, it should come out clean.

13. Serve hot!!