Indian Independence Day Special: Tricolor Rice Platter

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/ saut� pan. Add 1 tsp jeera and the onions. Saut� until the onions turn transparent.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and saut� for few seconds. Now add the turmeric powder and garam masala powder.

Add the rice and saut� for 2-4 minutes. Add the grated carrots, saut� 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 saut� pan/ pot on low heat. Add the jeera( cumin) and cinnamon stick and saut� for few seconds. Add the cashew halves and saute until slightly golden.

Now add in the washed and dried rice and saut� 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 pur�e: 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 saut� pan/ kadai, heat 1tsp ghee. Add the ginger garlic paste and onions and saut� until the onions turn transparent. 

Add the chopped green chillies, garam masala, spinach pur�e, 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.

Easy Peas & Carrots Pulao ( Pilaf)

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 saut� pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add clove, cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaf, cashew halves one after the other. Saut� on medium-to low flame until cashew halves start turning a little golden. Now add raisins and saut� for 10 seconds until they begin to turn a little plump.

Add the drained basmati rice and saut� 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. Check out more here: http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidelifescience/fats_do.html

Food for thought:

One step at a time. ( unknown)

Quick easy mixed vegetable pulao ( pilaf)

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 saut� 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 saut� pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add chopped garlic, saut� for 30 seconds. Add chopped ginger and again saut� for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and saut� until golden brown. Add chopped cashew nuts and strained soya chunks. Then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies and saut� for 3-4 mins until the tomatoes are wilted. Now add haldi( turmeric) powder and garam masala powder, saut� for a minute. Add the drained basmati rice and saut� 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)