Peas pulav

Serving size : 4
Total preparation time  10 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup basmati rice, presoaked for 10 mins
1 cup fresh/frozen green peas
2 cups water
1 cube maggi vegetable stock cube
1 tbpsn ghee
1 tspn ginger paste
1 tspn garlic paste

For the spice mixture :
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 green cardamom
2 black pepper corns
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 red chili
1 tspn shahi jeera/ black cumin seeds

Method :
Heat ghee on medium heat in a pressure cooker. Add the freshly ground spice mixture once the oil is hot and stir fry for 1 min. Now add the ginger garlic. Add the strained presoaked rice and fry the rice in the oil and spices for about 2 mins. Add the water followed by the mashed vegetable stock cube. Mix well and close the lid. Cook in the pressure cooker on medium heat  for about 2 whistles or about 8 mins. Turn off the heat, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with any spicy Indian curry.

Tips :
Making a freshly ground mixture with the whole spices gives a better flavor without pieces/ chunks of spices coming into the mouth while eating.
Roasting the basmati rice in the ghee infused with the spices gives it a good flavor and length upon cooking.

Sprouted Turkish gram pilaf/ Matki pulav

Serving size :4
Total preparation time : 5 mins
Cooking time: 12-15 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup white sona masoori/ basmati rice, washed and pre soaked for 10 mins
3/4 cup washed and sprouted turkish gram/matki/moth
2 1/4 cup water/ equivalent vegetable stock
1 finely chopped onion.
5 garlic cloves, minced.
1 tspn ginger paste
4-5 green beans, blanched (optional)
1 finely chopped tomato
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 black pepper corns
2 whole red chilies
1 tspn shahi jeera/ black cumin seeds
1 black cardamom/ 2 green cardamoms
4 - 5 roasted cashew nuts
1 tspn salt
1 tbspn ghee/ clarified butter/ oil
2 tbpsn chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves

Method :
Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole spices and chilies and saute till brown. Add the garlic and ginger and saute till brown for 1 min. Add the cashew nuts followed by the chopped onion and saute till transparent for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, green beans, the sprouted turkish gram, salt and the water/stock. Cover the cooker with the lid and pressure cook for 6-8 mins or till 2 whistles.
Once the steam is out, remove the rice and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot with choice of curry or grilled seafood/ chicken.


Tips :
Do not add too much water. 2 - 21/4 cups water is sufficient depending on the quality of the rice.
You can add a mix of sprouted lentils or a mix of veggies to this recipe.

Asparagus and mushroom rice

Serving size :4
Total preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time: 18 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup white rice, washed and pre soaked for 10 mins
12 stalks of asparagus, washed, cleaned and blanched into 2 inch length.
1 knorr/maggi vegetable stock cube.
1 finely chopped onion.
1 cup diced mushroom
5 garlic cloves, minced.
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tspn black pepper
1 tbspn olive oil
1 tspn freshly chopped parsley leaves

Method :
Cook the rice with 2 cups water, bay leaf and vegetable stock cube and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the cloves and saute well for 2 mins.
Add the chopped onion and saute on medium heat for 2 mins till transparent. Now add the blanched asparagus,mushrooms, salt and black pepper and cook on medium heat for 3 mins. Once the asparagus and mushrooms are cooked, add the cooked rice and parsley leaves and mix well.
Best served with seafood or any choice of protein.

Tips :
You could use home made vegetable stock or chicken broth instead of the readymade stock cube.
Note that if you are adding the stock cube, it already contains salt. So do not add salt to the rice.
However if using your own stock you can add salt accordingly.
Do not overcook the asparagus. Cook it till tender but crispy.
Cook the rice 90% such that its not sticky and the grains are separated.

Cilantro lime rice

Serving size :4
Total preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup white rice, washed and pre soaked for 10 mins
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup freshly cilantro leaves
1 bay leaf
1.5 tspn salt.
2-3 cilantro leaves to garnish

Method :
Puree the cilantro leaves.
Cook the rice with 3 cups water and a little salt, strain the water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add the bay leaf. Add the pureed cilantro paste and simmer for 2 mins on low heat. Add the rice,lime juice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot. Best served with black beans or with seafood or chicken on the side.

Tips :
You could add a cinnamon stick and use chopped coriander leaves instead of puree.

Chinese Vegetable egg fried rice

Serving 4-5

Total preparation time : 40 mins 

Ingredients :

1 cup raw rice, cook only 70% with salt and veg stock/ chicken broth. ( evenly separated grains and not sticky)  (See Homemade veg stock recipe)

4 eggs, well beaten, scramble with oil and set aside. 

Veggies to sauté: 

6 finely chopped green beans 

1/2 cup green peas

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped celery 

1 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 cup white onion/ white part of green onion

3 tbspn finely chopped garlic

1 tbspn finely grated ginger

Seasoning :

1 tspn sugar 

2 tspn black pepper 

1 tbspn rice vinegar

1 tbspn chilli sauce 

2.5-3 tbspn dark soya sauce

Salt to taste 

Garnishing : 

3 tbspn finely chopped green onion

2 tbspn grated carrot

A few roasted peanuts deskinned. 

To cook :

Sesame oil  3 tbspn

2 cups water or 1 cup veg/ chicken stock to cook the rice 

Method 

Heat a nonstick large skillet/ pan on high heat with 1 tbspn oil, add ginger, garlic and black pepper. Then stir fry with white onions and set aside in the bowl with the scrambled egg. Now take another 1 tbspn oil in the same pan, add rest of the veggies one by one and stir fry on high heat till partly cooked.( don't overcook). Adjust the heat to low, add the rest of the seasoning and simmer for 2 mins. Add cooked rice, the egg and sautéed ginger, garlic and onion. Mix well without breaking the rice and cook covered for 3 mins. Mix well 2-3 times and garnish with green onion, carrots and peanuts. Serve immediately with your choice of stir fry/ curry. 

Tips:

-Rice should not be over cooked, use straining method if using water.

-Add easily cooking veggies like celery, bell peppers last while you sauté and cook veggies till crispy.

-Setting aside the sautéed onion garlic and ginger doesn't let it overcook along with the veggies.

- If adding chicken/ shrimp or tofu, marinate it with rice wine, rice vinegar, soya sauce black pepper and salt, sauté it and set aside before starting. 

Vegetable pulav

Serving size :4
Total Preparation time: 7-8 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins.

Ingredients :
1 cup basmati rice presoaked for 10 mins
2 cups water.
2 tbsn chopped onion.
2 tbspn chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped green capsicum/bell peppers
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green beans
6-8 garlic cloves. minced
1 tspn ginger paste/ 1 inch grated ginger
2 red chilies
1/8 tspn turmeric
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom
2 cloves
2-3 star anise petals.
3 black pepper corns
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 maggi/knorr vegetable stock seasoning cube

Method :
Heat oil on medium oil in a pressure cooker. Once the oil is hot,add the whole spices and chilies. Saute them for 30 secs and add the ginger and garlic followed by the chopped onion. Add the turmeric. Once the onion is transparent add the rice and saute for 2 mins on medium heat. Now add all the chopped veggies and mix well. Add the water and mix in the vegetable stock cube. Mix well and close the pressure cooker lid and cook until 2 whistles on medium heat. Once the steam is out, remove the rice and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with yoghurt or pickle.

Tip :
Do not skip caulifower, green beans, carrot and capsicum in this recipe. You could add more veggies of your choice.You could use vegetable stock instead of the water and skip the veg stock cube.