Tomato rice

I learnt this dish some years back.Then I had forgotten all about it.Recently,I packed this for my kid's tiffin box.She ate it & that is a big deal as she seldom eats rice !

Ingredients : 1/2  cup rice ,2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green chilly, 1/4 inch ginger, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp gram masala,1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp cumin ,1/4 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing,1 sprig of curry leaves,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook rice.After the cooker has cooled ,spread the rice on a plate so that the grains do not form lumps.

In a kadhai, warm oil.Put mustard seeds followed by jeera or cumin.When they splutter add urad dal.They will become golden brown.Add chopped green chill pieces & chopped curry leaves.Add finely sliced onions & grated ginger.Fry all nicely till onions get transluscent.Add chopped tomatoes.Fry nicely.The mixture in kadhai will be reddish.Add haldi,hing ,garam masala ,red chilli powder & salt.Mix nicely.The red mixture will start separating from the oil in the kadhai. Put the cooked  rice into the kadhai & mix nicely.Cover with alid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.

Tomato rice can be served by garnishing  with fresh coriander.

Even left over rice can be used in place of freshly cooked rice.

Sprouted masoor curry

I came across this interesting masoor recipe @ http://sindhirasoi.com/2008/08/25/masoor-daal/I made some changes.I soaked whole masoor overnight.Next day ,I threw the water.I covered the masoor with a plate & let it sprout.The next day.,Masoor had sprouted roots.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup sprouted masoor, 1/4 tsp ajwain, 1/4 inch ginger,1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chilli, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1 tsp garam masala powder,1tbsp oil,1/2 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook sprouted masoor.Keep aside.

Chop tomato ,onion ,green chillies & ginger.Add curry leaves.Grind all the veggies -tomato ,onion,green chilly,ginger & curry leaves into  a paste in the mixer.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Warm the oil.Add garam masala .Now add the ground paste of tomato onion,curry leaves,green chilyginger to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Now add haldi,hing & slat.Add the cooked sprouted masoor to the kadhai .Add ajwain & salt .Mix.Put off the gas.

Now take another vessel & pour this mixture in it.Pressure cook for two whistles.After the cooker has cooled,the masoor can be relished.

Aloo -gobhi in pressure cooker.

Well, there is a joke, about any such mixed veggie dish-if it is aloo gobhi ,it has more potaoes less of cauliflower & if it is gobhi aloo ,it has more cauliflower & less of aloos. !

My vegetable recipe has no such standard.I just added aloo,gobhi ,tomato & some spices & pressure cooked it.

Ingredients : 1/4 kg cauliflower -cleaned & cut into medium sized florets,2-3 aloos -peeled & diced into big chunks,1 tomato,1/4 inch ginger -grated,1 green chilli -chopped in two -three pieces,2 tsp oil,1 tsp all spice powder ( garam  masala ) or a mixture of pepper,dhania & jeera powder,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 hing,salt to taste.

Method : Take oil in a kadhai & put it on the gas for cooking.As the oil gets warmer ,toss aloo chunks,grated ginger & green chilli.Shallow fry for 2-3 minutes.Add haldi & hing & mix all to enable haldi & hing to nicely coat the aloo pieces.Now put in the cauliflower florets & mix all veggies once again.Lastly add tomatoes,all spice powder & salt & nicely mix.Put off the gas.

Take all this veggie mix & transfer it into a vessel which can be fitted into the cooker.Sprinkle little water & mix all together.Pressure cook for two to three whistles.Check for the veggie after the cooker has cooled down.It will have cooked well.Mine had cooked after 2 whsitles.If not ,it can be cooked outside cooker or pressure cooked for 1 whistle.This method uses little oil.Water is sprinkled on the veggie so that florets don't get overcooked & aloo pieces get cooked.