Chitranna

Chitranna is what we call Lemon rice in Kannada.It is a quick rice that is part of feasts.On festive occasions like Ugadi,it is this  flavoured rice, that is part of the spread.

I love it as it is quite easy to make & is quick too.Moreover,the lemon juice brings it a freshness which is so invigorating.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup rice,1 tbsp oil, 1/ 2 a lemon 1 tbsp peanuts,1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp urad dal, 1-2 chopped green chillies ,1 red byadgi mirchi broken into pieces, a sprig of curry leaves,14 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook rice for 3 whistles.Take care to prepare rice by using lesser quantity of water than otherwise as the rice grains must be all separate for this dish.

I cook for 3 whistles. Then I put off gas.After the pressure is off,I remove the rice & spread it on to a plate so that rice grains are not sticking to each other,Keep it aside.

In a kadhai take oil. Put on the gas.Add mustard seeds,When they splutter,peanuts,Let the peanuts brown alittle.Add urad dal ,byadgi mirchi,chopped green chillies, curry leaves.After 1 minute.put off gas.Add haldi & hing to kadhai & mix.The oil ,peanuts,urad dal ,chillies,kadi patta mixture is all yellow .Keep it aside.

Take the spread out rice.Squeeze half alemon on the rice & mix nicely.Pour the yellow oily vagar prepared by using peanuts,urad dal etal over the rice. Add salt to rice & mix all the things with a spoon.The chitranna is ready.

Chitranna can be garnished with fresh finely chopped dhania & fresh grated coconut. I am too lazy to do all this .Moreover ,the aroma of lemon rice keeps beckoning me to savour it & I simply comply.

If the tanginess is found wanting ,more lemon juice can be added.Some even add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar while mixing vagar with lemon juice.

Masala peanuts.

I attended microwave cooking demo class this week.The chef taught masala peanuts .It was simply amazing as this recipes makes no use of oil.And as far as I know ,this is deep fried snack.I knew that I had to try this.

I tweaked the recipe as the chef had used water .I used chaas,The chef had omitted use of ajwain or carom seeds.I added that as well.

Ingredients : 1 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup besan ,1/4 cup chaas ( not very thin ) ,1/4 tsp ajwain ,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Mix all ingredients nicely.If you feel the mix is too dry,add some more chaas or drop by drop water.Mix.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Put the mix in that.Turn on the microwave at full power.Put timer for 5 minutes.Keep the microwaveable vessel with mix in microwave.Turn on microwave.After 1 minute,press pause button.Take out the vessel & with aspoon try to seperate out all peanuts from each other.They would be sticking in bunches.Again keep in microwave for 1 minute.Puase.Take out & try to separate out bunches.Repeat this till 5 minutes get over .By the end of this ,the vessel will be in & out 5 times.Put off microwave.Take out the vessel.Let it cool for 5 minutes.Take a peanut & taste.It will be crisp & crunchy.If it i soft ,keep vessel in microwave on full power for 1 more minute.Put off microwave.

The snack was just apt for my consumption .My mom who eats less salt now said it was a tad bit salty.My friend said that more red chilli & ajwain could have been added.Accordingly ,more chilli powder n ajwain can be added.Same for salt.

Pudina pulao

I love pudina.It smells awesome & tastes great ! Especially the pudina paani or the mint water which adds the kick to the pani puri is simply irresistible ! So, when I came across Pudina pulao,I gave it a try.I used very little pudina & it turned out quite bland.So ,this time around,I took care to use sufficient quantity of mint.

Ingredients : 1.5 cups basmati rice, 2 cups of cleaned & cut vegetables (  beans,green peas,carrots, capsicum is optional ,potato), 1tsp grated ginger,2-3 green chillies finely chopped, 1/3 cup cleaned & chopped hara dhania , 1/2 cup cleaned & chopped pudina leaves, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1-2 cinnamon sticks,2 bay leaves, 2 lavang, 5-6 peppercorns, 2 small elaichi,1 tbsp ghee,salt to taste.

Method : Make a green paste of green chillies,grated ginger ,hara dhania & pudina by adding some water.Keep aside.

In a pressure pan ,take ghee & warm it up.Add the jeera.When jeera sputters,add cinnamon .Slightly pound the peppercorns ,lavang & elaichi & add them as well.Add the mixed vegetables.Slightly fry them.Add the bay leaves & mix nicely.Next add rice & mix nicely.Let it be for 5 minutes.Now add the green paste.Mix nicely.Add salt.Mix.Add 2.5 cups water .Close the pressure pan lid.Pressure cook upto 2 whistles.Slow it down & let it cook for 5 more minutes.Put off gas.

When it cools,remove the whistle.After 5-10 minutes,open the lid to smell the aromatic pulao ! Serve with papad ,raita or salad of your choice.

My rice got a little mushy .Maybe too many veggies made it so .Maybe I added more water.Or perhaps,I should not have slow cooked it after reducing the gas.Next time around ,I will be more careful.