Making Rice for Mixed Rice

To prepared mixed rice like lemon rice, puliyodharai, tomato rice, etc., the rice has to be cooked carefully.
Cooked rice shouldn't be sticky. 

Ingredients:
Rice                                : 1 cup
Water                              : 2 ( for raw rice )
                                       :2 1/2 cup( for boiled rice & depends                                                      on rice variety)
                                       : 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups for basmati rice
Gingelly oil ( till / sesame ) : 4 tsp
Take rice in a cooker container(separator), wash and add required amount of water.
Take a cup of water in a cooker.
Put the bottom plate.
Now place the rice container and close the lid after checking the valve.
Keep on High flame with weight ON.
Let the cooker be on fire for 1 whistle & 5 minutes at SIM and switch OFF.
or 3 whistles and switch off.
When the steam completely goes off (approximately 15 minutes after switching OFF) open the lid.
With the help of a tong or cloth hold the container.
Turn the container upside down into a wide mouthed vessel like basin.
Pour 3 to 4 Tsp of gingelly oil.

Slightly mix with a spoon without mashing the rice.
Keep under fan to cool the rice.
Keep stirring with spoon once in 5 minutes.
Now rice will not be sticky and seperate.

Brinjal Masala Curry

#EnnaiKatharikai -  #BrinjalMasalaCurry is prepared with specially prepared coconut masala.
The coconut masala neutralises slightly bitter taste of brinjal.
So the curry comes out very tasty!!

Ingredients:
Tender small brinjal                           : 1/4 kg
Cooking oil                                        : 2 Tsp
Mustard seeds                                    : 1/4 Tsp
Urad dhal                                           : 1/4 Tsp
Turmeric powder                               : a pinch.
           
Ingredients for masala :
Coconut grated                                  : 1 Tblsp
Red chilli                                           : 2 or 3(adjust to taste)
Cumin seeds                                      : 1/2 Tsp
Fennel seeds                                      : 1/2 Tsp
Coriander powder                             :1/2 Tsp
OR
Coriander seeds                                 : 1/4 tsp
Garlic                                                 : 2
Onion                                                 : 1 medium size diced
Salt                                                     : 1/4 Tsp ( only for masala )
Curry  leaves                                      : 10 nos
Coriander leaves                                :a small quantity
Salt                                                    : 3 pinches

Method :
First grind all the ingredients except onion in a mixer without water.
Then add little water and make into a nice paste.
Now add cut onions and run the mixer for few seconds only.
Onion has to be ground in bits and pieces only, not into very smooth paste.
Keep aside.

Turn ON the stove.
Keep a kadai with 2 Tsp of cooking oil on a slow flame.
(The curry will be more tastier if oil is used liberally. But think of your health. )
Add mustard seeds & allow it to splutter then add urad dhal.
When urad dhal just starts turning golden color, add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to the oil.
Then immediately add brinjal pieces.

Saute for a few seconds to mix salt and turmeric powder well with brinjal.
Cover the kadai with a lid.
When the pieces of brinjal become soft add the prepared masala.
(Do not overcook brinjals as it will get mashed.)

If you want the curry to be hot & spicy add 1/2 Tsp of red chilly powder.
Adjust salt.
Mix well to completely coat the brinjal pieces with masala.
Keep stirring at regular interval till the water completely dries up.
Transfer into a serving bowl.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

This dry curry goes well with sambar rice, 


rasam rice and also curd rice.






You might like to try

Turkish berry masala curry

Brinjal phata phat curry

Cluster beans paruppu usili

Bitter gourd masala curry

Tender raw jackfruit curry

Curry Index

Breakfast/Dinner

Recipe Index

Sambar Rrice

Ingredients :
for making rice
Rice                                         : 3/4 cup
Thuvar( thoor ) dhal                  : 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder                      : a pinch

for sambar
Tamarind                                   : 2 small marble sized
Vegetables like
brinjal, carrot, beans                 : each 1/4 cup
Potato                                       : 1 no.
Cooked green peas                    : 1/4 cup
Small onions                               : 10 nos.
sambar powder                               : 6 Tsp
Coriander (dhaniya ) powder       : 2 Tsp
Turmeric powder                         : 1/4 Tsp
Asafoetida powder                       : 1/4 Tsp
Salt                                              : 4 Tsp
Red chilli powder                          : 1/4 Tsp
Oil and ghee enough quantity.

Method :
Take rice & dhal together in a pressure cooker after washing them.
Add turmeric powder.
Add 4 cups of water.
Close the cooker with weight & keep on a HIGH flame.
After 1 whistle slow the burner to SIM & cook for 7 minutes.
                                        OR
Allow 3 whistles & cook at SIM for 3 minutes & switch OFF the stove.

To make sambar
Keep a kadai on an another burner on slow flame.
Add 2 Tsp of cooking oil.
While the kadai is getting heated up keep pressure pan or small cooker on another burner.
Add all the cut vegetables with 1 cup of water into cooker.
Also add all the powders one by one and strain tamarind onto it.
Let it be on slow fire.
Now the kadai would have become hot.
Splutter mustard seeds, then asafoetida powder, curry leaves and green chillies.
Then add cut onions. Saute for few minutes till you get onions' aroma and transfer it into the boiling sambar.
Close the lid with weight ON.
After a whisle switch OFF the stove.

Now rice is ready in one cooker & sambar is ready on another.

To the rice add 1/2 Tsp of red chilli powder, 1 Tsp of salt, 1/4 Tsp of cinnamon powder( Pattai ).
Mix well adding sambar slowly.
Both the rice and sambar should be mixed while its still hot.
And the mixture should be loose & watery(rice & dhal should be completely mashed and smooth).

Now temper mustard, 1/4 Tsp of chilli powder, curry leaves with oil or ghee and pour onto the sambar rice.

If you get Bisi Bele Bath masala add 1 to 2 spoons of it also while mixing sambar with rice.

This rice should be eaten when its very hot, otherwise the taste differs.   

Tomato Sambar ( Thakkali Sambar )

Thakkali Sambar

Tomato sambar without dhal

Tomato sambar with dhal

Sambar with tomato is one of the best sambars for idly and dosa. 

This can be made with dhal or without dhal.

It is a very good side dish for chappathy also.

Ingredients :
Tomato                                   : 4 nos., medium size
Onion big                                : 1 big size
Capsicum pieces                      : 1/4 cup [optional ]
Green peas                               : 1 Tbsp [ optional ]
Green chilly                             : 2 nos.
Curry leaves                            : 10 nos.  
Coriander leaves                      :  1 Tblsp nicely chopped
Mustard seeds                         : 1/2 Tsp
Urad dhal                                 : 1/2 TSp
Gram dhal                                : 1 Tsp
Asafoetida powder                   :  1/4 Tsp
Turmeric powder                      : a pinch
Jeera powder(cumin)                : 1/2 Tsp
Red chilly powder                    : 1/2 Tsp
Sambar powder                        : 1 Tsp
Oil                                          : 1 Tsp

Optional :
cooked dhal ( either thoor dhal or green gram dhal) : 3 Tblsp

Method : 
Wash tomatoes & make puree using a mixie and keep aside.

Turn ON the stove & keep a kadai with 1 Tsp of any cooking oil.
When the oil is hot & reduce the flame to SIM.

Add mustard seeds.
After it splutters, add urad dhal & gram dhal.
When the dhals become golden brown, then add asafoetida and red chilly powder.
Immediately add curry leaves, 3/4th of the coriander leaves (rest save for garnishing ) and split green chillies.
Now add cut onions and saute till it turns to rose color.

At this stage add sambar powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder & stir for few seconds.

Now add cooked dhal & keep stirring for few seconds.
Add tomato puree and add 1/2 cup of water & allow the sambar to simmer for 7 minutes.

Add salt to taste.

And  allow it to simmer for some more minutes.

Now the thakkaali sambar is ready.

Tomato sambar without dhal

If you are making this sambar for Idly or dosa, then prepare it with dhal.

If you are doing tomato sambar as a side dish for chappathy or roti, then make it without dhal.

And if you want the sambar to be hot & spicy then increase the quantity of red chilly powder and green chilly.

While eating with idly this sambar should be poured over the idlies.

That is idly should float in the sambar pool and add a spoon full of gingelly oil.
Ha! ah! thats the taste!! no chance at allllll!

Note : At the final stage if the sambar seems to be watery dissolve 1/2 Tsp of either gram flour ( Besan) or corn flour in a Tblsp of water and add to the sambar.
Allow the sambar to boil for few seconds and transfer to a serving bowl.
Garnish with coriander leaves.


other sambar varieties you may like to try

Drumstick Brinjal Sambar

Onion Sambar

Potato Sambar

Aviyal

Venthaya kuzhambu

vathakuzhambu

Vadai morekuzhambu

Vazhaipoo Kuzhambu

Ideas for Breakfast/Dinner

Tiffin Recipes

Vegetable Briyani

Ingredients:
Basmati or ponni raw rice            : 1 cup
Onion                                          : 2 nos.( medium size )thinly sliced                                              

Tomato                                       : 1 no. diced
Garlic                                           : 6 to 7 cloves nicely chopped
Ginger( optional)                          : a small piece chopped
{or ginger-garlic paste                  : 1Tsp}
Beans                                           : 1/2 cup cut pieces
Carrot                                           : 1/2 or 1 cup
Green peas                                    : 1/4 cup

Capsicum                                      : 1/2 cup diced
Coriander leaves                            : 1/2 cup chopped
Green chilly                                   : 1 or 2 
Red chilly powder                          : 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Jeera( cumin )                                : 1/2 Tsp
Sombu( fennel )                             :1/2 Tsp
Cinnamon( pattai )                        : 2 sticks
Jeera powder                                : 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala                                :1/2 Tsp
Cardamom                                     : 3 nos.
Cloves                                            : 4 nos.
Brinji leaves                                   : 2 nos.

mushroom optional

cooking oil                                     : 4-5 Tsp
water                                            : 1 1/2 cup for basmati rice
                                                    : 2 cups for raw rice

Note: Instead of 2 cups of water can use 1 cup milk( or coconut milk ) & 1 cup water

Method :
Keep a thick bottomed kadai or cooker on a slow flame.
Add cooing oil.
When the oil is hot splutter jeera, sombu, cardamom,cloves & pattai.
Immediately add green chillies & then red chilly powder.
Do not allow the red chilly powder to turn black.
Add onions & saute till it completely loses its water content.
keep stirring onions & in the mean time wash rice once & soak.
Once the onions are done, add coriander ( save a small quantity for garnishing ) & then add tomatoes.
When the tomato completely blended with onions add vegetables one by one & all the other powders mentioned.
Now drain water completely from rice and add to the kadai keeping flame on HIGH till the water in the rice goes off.
Now bring back the flame to SIM.
Keep stirring till the rice turn slightly bright white.

Now transfer it to cooker & add water.
Add salt & stir to completely dissolve salt.
Close the cooker & put on the weight.
Keep on HIGH flame till one whistle & then let it be on SIM for 5 minutes.
Switch OFF & open when the steam has gone off.

Mix the briyani very lightly & garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: If you are doubling the amount of rice, double the water and other ingredients.
But take salt 1 1/2 times.
If the salt seems to be less we can add while eating.