Category Archives: Rice

BASIC RECIPES, Recipe Index, Rice, Veg Recipes

How to cook rice?

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
10
Feb

Cooking rice is a simple process but when you explore further you will learn a lot about it. Usually, white rice is used in everyday cooking and it cooks faster. But nowadays many have become health conscious and have started using brown rice.

On the basis of processing white rice is classified into two that is

a) Raw rice -In Tamil it is known as pachai arisi. This is directly obtained from paddy and cooks faster. Basmati rice and Zeera Samba rice are available as raw rice.

b) Boiled rice- In Tamil it is known as puzhungal arisi. This is processed rice and cooks slower. Basmati rice is also available as boiled rice.

Brown rice takes even a longer time to cook.

The cooking time varies depending on the type of rice you choose. The cooking time of rice also depends on many factors – variety of rice, whether pressure cooked or closed with a lid or cooked without closing the vessel, the mode of heating (gas stove, induction stove heat emission, microwave) and even the weather. By experience, you will know how to cook rice in all situations.

For example let us see how to cook rice on a gas stove with a closed lid using boiled rice at a normal temperature, say 25 to 30-degree celsius

Ingredients

1 cup of boiled rice

2 cups water

Method

Wash the rice around 2-3 times. Use a colander basket or a rice washing bowl to drain off the water. Take a saucepan or any vessel with a lid( make sure that the saucepan or vessel is big enough so that the water does not come out and the lid closes tightly and prevents the steam from escaping) and add the required quantity of water. Heat it to a gentle boil on medium flame.

Add the washed rice into the water at this stage.

Close the lid tightly and heat it on medium flame for 20 minutes. Switch off the gas stove and allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid.

After 10 minutes open the lid and fluff up the rice using a fork or spoon. Rice is usually bland and hence can be eaten along with a side dish like rajma masala, chicken curry or egg curry. You can also enjoy a whole variety of dishes with rice.

Rice tastes better when eaten hot. If you are eating along with dal or sambar you can add 1/2 a spoon of ghee to increase the flavour.

Note: You can add salt if you want but I have avoided salt for health benefits.

If you want softer rice you can add 2 teaspoons of extra water and increase the cooking time to 25 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

Enjoy eating rice, a staple food of India and many other asian countries with your favourite gravy!!

 

Recipe Index, Rice, Veg Recipes

Ghee Rice /Ghee Bhat

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
12
Jan

Ghee rice is a simple and popular Indian dish that is quick and easy to prepare. The aromatic flavour of ghee with fewer spices is a real treat.

It is relished by kids and they love it with raitha. It tastes best with khuruma, gravies like rajma, mushroom, chicken, mutton and egg. 

It is served at weddings, kid’s parties and many other functions. 

Instructions

  • This recipe tastes best with Zeera Samba rice.If you want you can make it with basmati rice too.
  • A pressure cooker is used in this recipe. Cooking can also be done in a pot.  
  • If you are cooking in a pot or if the rice is old, more quantity of water is required. In that case, you can add 250 ml more water.
  • Old rice is preferred. 
  • Wash the rice properly to remove starch.
  • Always cook on a medium flame. If the flame is high, then the water evaporates very fast and the rice gets burnt. 

Ingredients

Ghee – 4 tbsp

Indian Bay leaf (Tej patta) – 2

Cardamom – 2

Clove  – 5

Cinnamon – 2 (1inch size)

Zeera Samba rice -500g

Onions -3 medium, sliced

Garlic- 4-5 cloves, cut into smaller pieces

Tomato-1 medium, finely chopped

Green chilly- 3, slit into 2 halves

Salt to taste -About 1 tsp

Method

    1. Heat the cooker and add ghee to it. 

        Add Indian bay leaf, cardamom, clove and cinnamon. 

        Heat for about 2 minutes until you get the flavour of the spices. 

        2. Add onions, garlic and green chilly and sauté. 

     3. Then add tomatoes and stir for about 2 minutes.

4.  Now add 750 ml of water. Keep heating it until it boils.


 5. Add rice (washed and soaked for 20 minutes).    Sprinkle salt and mix well.


6.  Pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium flame.

    7. After the pressure releases take the lid off. If you want softer rice leave it for 5 minutes further.

    8. In both cases allow the rice to settle for 5 minutes and fluff gently. Be careful not to break it.

    9.Transfer to a bowl. Ghee rice is ready to eat.

       10.If required garnish the ghee rice with roasted cashew nuts (after     frying in 1 tsp of ghee).

Recipe Index, Rice, Veg Recipes

Lemon Rice(Stir Fry Method)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
06
Jan

Lemon rice is a simple recipe and hence a beginner’s choice for a perfect meal. The tangy taste of lime along with the simple tempering of the plain white rice enhances the flavour to a great extent. It tastes awesome with pickle. It is also served with papads, vada, onion pakora or any pakora for that matter.

This South Indian dish is apt for travel or a picnic as the lime increases the shelf life of the dish and makes it last longer. It is the easiest in rice varieties that include tamarind rice, coconut rice, fried rice, tomato rice and ghee rice and any beginner can give it a try.

Children love Lemon rice, so it can also be packed for their school lunch. The colour of the lemon rice makes it appealing for them. But do remember to cut down on chillies.

I have used green chillies in this recipe but even dried red chillies can be used instead. Lemon rice tastes best with grainy rice that is the rice that is not overcooked.

Ingredients

100 g uncooked rice

 3 tbsps oil

1/4 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp broken urad dhal

1/2 tsp chana dhal

2 pinches asafoetida powder

a sprig of curry leaves(chopped)

1 big onion (finely chopped)

3 green chilies (finely chopped)

1 tbsp groundnut

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 lime 

1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp or salt to taste


Method

Cooking of plain  white rice

Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. (optional)Take a pan/vessel, fill it with water and heat it. (The ratio of rice and water here is 1:2). When the water starts boiling add the rice and close it with the lid partially and heat it on a low flame. Usually, the rice takes around 18 minutes to cook. Keep this rice aside.


Roasting of groundnut

Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Add 1 tbsp of oil and allow the oil to get heated. Add groundnut and stir it till it is roasted on a low medium flame (the groundnuts are roasted when there is a slight change in colour). Transfer the roasted groundnuts immediately to a bowl. You can use the same kadai for tempering.

 

Preparation of the Lemon rice

Take the kadai used for frying of groundnut and add heat it. Add 2 tbsps of oil and heat it. Then add mustard and allow it to splutter.

At this stage add the urad dhal and chana dhal and give a quick stir. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown in colour.


Now add onions, curry leaves, green chilies and asafoetida, and saute.

 

Saute till the onions become transluscent as shown in this picture. Add turmeric powder and the previously roasted groundnuts to the kadai.


Now add the cooked rice and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Finally, add lime juice and mix.

 

Last but not least, garnish the dish with coriander leaves! 


The Lemon rice is ready to taste!! Enjoy with pickle: )