Carrot rice.

Winter is the season where I buy carrots  regularly , the winter red carrots. I buy the thin slender ones.I eat one slender carrot daily preceding lunch.I love it ! I had been told in my childhood that carrots are good for weak eyesight & I have stuck to eating carrots during winters.Summer carrots, I am unable to munch on .Whatever remnant eyesight I still possess, is due to this carrot eating.

Since carrots were too many , I thought why not try some carrot rice. There are many  recipes on carroty rice. I wanted to use pressure cooker to make it a one pot meal. I chose this one from Indian Khana. I changed it a little. I skipped using garlic & onions.I added peas as I had them.

 I cut carrots in small pieces after peeling them .I put them in mixer & got very bit sized pieces .I was failing too lazy to chop them finely.Slender carrots do not grate properly.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup basmati rice,1/2 cup carrot bit sized pieces, 1/4 cup peas,1 green chilly roughly chopped, a few sprigs of curry leaves, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 4-5 peppercorns, 1-2 cloves, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp haldi, 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, 1tbsp oil, salt to taste.

Method : Wash rice & keep aside.

Take  the green chilly pieces, curry leaves & grated ginger into a mix by grinding in mixer without water.Keep aside.

In a pressure pan, heat oil.Add slightly crushed cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, mustard & cumin seeds.They will soon get aromatic.

Add the   ground green chilli, ginger curry leaves mix. Fry nicely.Add green peas.Fry nicely so that all spices, coat the peas.Add carrot .Mix nicely.Add haldi. Mix all things nicely.After 2-3 minutes, add rice.Mix nicely.Add salt.Mix nicely.Add 1.5 cups water.Mix nicely.Add garam masala. Mix all with rice & water.Close the lid of the pressure pan.Put on the whistle on the lid.Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. After cooker cools, take off whistle & fluff up rice with a fork.

Serve carrot rice with dahi or raita or papad or enjoy it just like that !

My recipe turned out too spicy maybe because I ground the green chillies, ginger & curry leaves. I had to add a dash of lemon juice before I ate it !

Jeera rice

I have made jeera rice earlier & it turned out mushy. This time around , I was determined to make a  a better version. I wanted to use the pressure cooker method. I have no patience trying to cook rice in an open pan.I checked a few recipes like Nithya's Nalabagam & Veg recipes of India.

And believe me, my version of jeera rice turned out real good though it can be made better next time.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup rice, 1/2 ts jeera, 2 cloves slightly crushed , 1-2 bay leaves, 1/2-1 inch cinnamon stick, 1tbsp ghee,

Method : In a vessel, heat ghee. Add bay leaves, crushed cloves, cinnamon stick & jeera or cumin. After they all get aromatic, add rice & mix all nicely.Roast for 2-3 minutes. Add salt Add 1 1/4 cup water. Pressure cook upto 2 whistles .Put off gas.After cooker cools, remove lid of pressure cooker. Jeera rice is ready ! This can be served with aloo matar or whole masoor or chhole or rajma or any other side dish of choice.

I think ,i need to add more cumin seeds. Next time around, I must improve on that.

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.