OPOS recipe : Cabbage beans pulao

I tried this pilaf recipe , the OPOS way.Amember had shared this recipe in the OPOS support group on facebook. I changed it a little as I did not have peas & replaced peas with beans. I added cumin or jeera instead of fennel or saunf .Used green chillies & ginger instead of red chillies.

Ingredients : 2 cups shredded cabbage ( in original recipe, this  was 1.5 cups ), 1/3 cup chopped & stringed beans ( in original recipe , this was 0.5 cup peas ) , 1-2 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/4 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 badi elaichi, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp oil, 1.5 tsp salt ( in original recipe , Himalayan salt used ), 1/4 cup fresh dhania or mint ( optional ) .

Method : Wash & soak raice for 30-45 minutes. Drain after 30-45 minutes.Keep aside.

Mix cabbage, beans, green chillies  & the garam  masala powder , turmeric & salt together .Keep aside.

In a 2 litre pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil.This is the first layer.

 Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, badi elaichi & jeera. This is the second layer.

Add soaked & drained rice on top of the spices. This rice forms the third layer.

On the top of rice , add the cabbage- beans green chillies masala salt mix kept aside. This is the fourth layer. .

Add 1 cup water from sides...meaning pour one cup water from the sides of the cooker inside. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Put off gas. Allow pressure to settle. Remove lid of cooker. Add mint or dhania .Mix dhania or mint with pulao. Put on lid again. Let it settle for 10 minutes more. Serve with raita or papad.

This rice tasted superb ! My husband kept on having it again & again !!!! Each grain was separate. 

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.

Tehri Pulao

I had read about Tahiri or Tehri pulao many times on the net.I wanted to try the recipe.I felt ,that winter is the best season to try this mixed veggie pulao,I googled & came across many  recipes.I made changes as I had some spices & not all.Moreover, I favour dishes to be slightly spiced.Sangeeta Khanna has a green tehri pulao recipe

Ingredients : 1.5 cups basmati or tukda basmati, 1/4 cup cauliflower florets ( boiled in water up to 1 boil with salt & turmeric ) , 1/4 cup beans chopped into 1/2 inch pieces, 1/ 4 cup carrot chopped into 1/2 inch pieces, 1 small potato roughly chopped into quarters ,1/4 cup peas,  1-2 onions, thinly sliced, 1/4 tomato roughly chopped, 1-2 green chillies, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp jeera, , 1/4 tsp clove powder, 1-2 bay leaves, 1 stick cinnamon broken into 2-3 pieces, 2-3 chhoti elaichi  chilkas, 1tsp dhania powder,1- 2tbsp ghee, 1/4-1/2 tsp red chilli powder ( optional ), 1/2 tsp haldi, salt to atste.

Method : Take ghee in pressure pan ( twin vessel of the pressure cooker ) .Heat it on slow flame Add jeera,When they splutter, add sliced onions, chopped green chillies, grated ginger & fry till onion changes colour slightly.Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick pieces & fry them till they get aromatic.Add chopped veggies & peas.Fry them all .All veggies will get mixed with spices.Add chhoti elachi chilkas, Add washed rice to the pan.Mix nicely. Add dhania powder, clove powder ,turmeric powder & red chilli powder .Mix nicely.Add 1/4 tsp garam masala powder.Add 2 cups water .Add salt. Mix all ingredients nicely.

Pressure cook upto 3-4 whistles. Cool till whistle sound stops.Remove lid .Serve tehri pulao with raita and papad.

Palak rice

I was surfing Archana's Kitchen for recipes .I came across this simple recipe of Palak rice. I surfed on other food blogs as well.Everyone seemed to have their own version. I decided to do my own version as there are no limits to my laziness. You would have already realised this, by going through my recipes.

I made palak rice in pressure cooker.I simply pureeed palak without chopping it with ginger, green chillies & kadi patta ( for that South Indian touch ) !

Ingredients : 1--1.5 cups washed & unchopped palak, 1 cup tukda or broken basmati , 1/2 " cinnamon stick broken into two or three pieces, 1 bay leaf, 2 small poatoes deeeled & sliced roughly, 1 medium onion roughly sliced, 2 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2' inch ginger roughly chopped, few curry leaves, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1 bada elaichi chilka  cut into smaller pieces, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/4tsp hing, 1/4 tsp haldi, 1 tbsp oil, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, salt to taste.

Method : Wash the rice & keep aside.In the mixer, take the washed palak, curry leaves, ginger & green chillies.

Add 1/4 cup  water & puree it nicely.Keep aside.

In a pressure pan , take the oil.Put on the gas & heat the pressure pan with oil in it. Add jeera.When they splutter add cinnamon stick pieces followed by badi elaichi chilka. After the spices start giving aroma,add sliced onions.Saute the onions till they start turning brown on the edges.Add sliced potatoes.Saute them Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely. Add rice & fry all the rice with onions & potatoes & spices. After 2-3minutes, add the pureed palak mixture to the pan.Mix the rice ,palak puree,onions & potatoes nicely. Add salt. Add garam masala. Mix nicely,Add one more cup water as the palak puree was nearly 1 cup water.Cover the pressure pan lid.Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Put off gas. Cool. Remove whistle.After 5-10 minutes.Open the lid.The spinach rice is ready.Squeeze a piece of lemon.Lightly fluff up the rice .Serve it with roasted papads, raita, achar ...endless possibilities !

I use spices in small quantities as I love subtle tastes.My family prefers it this way.If you want stronger taste of spices, add more amounts accordingly.In some palak rice recipes, mint as also coriander was used. Some added peas as well.I felt that mint would interfere with palak taste. I had no peas so skipped adding them. I added potatoes as potatoes go well with palak  a I added kadipattas as I had them & they add to the nutrition by their iron content.

Coconut free Veg Kurma

I made veg kurma with coconut earlier.I wanted to try out a recipe sans coconut.Hence, this recipe.

Ingredients :

For sabzi : 3/4- 1 cup cauliflower florets,1/4 cup beans stringed & chopped into 1/2 " pieces, 1/4 cup carrot peeled & chopped into 1/2 " pieces,1/4 cup capsicum roughly chopped,1/4 cup green peas,2 tsp oil,1/4 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp cumin,1 /2 tsp garam masala powder,salt to taste.

For gravy : 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped,1 onion roughly chopped,1/2 carrot peeled & roughly chopped( optional ) , 2-3 green chillies, 1/2 ' ginger finely chopped,1 tbsp dalia or daria dal or roasted chana dal & 4 cashews,1 -2 tbsp dahi( optional ) , 1/2 tsp flaxseed meal ( optional )

Method : Cauliflower is supposedly ,the vegetable that is loaded with pesticides.So ,I have started boiling the florets in water, to which a pinch of salt & turmeric has been added.After one boil,the florets can be used for cooking.Keep aside the  boiled florets .

Pressure cook beans,carrots & peas .Pressure cook tomatoes & onion as well.Keep aside.

Powder dalia & cashews.Add finely chopped green chillies & ginger.Add pressure cooked tomatoes,onions & just half a carrot ( optional ) which as been pressure cooked to the dalia cashew mixture.Blend all together in mixer.Keep aside.

In a pan or kadhai take oil.Heat it.Add cumin.When they splutter,add chopped capsicum.Add haldi.Mix.Add cauliflower florets.Add salt.Let it cook for five minutes.Add salt.Mix nicely.Add pressure cooked veggie pieces...beans,carrots & peas.Mix nicely.Now add the gravy that is tomato onion dalia cashew mix to the kadahi.Mix nicely.If it is too thick,add water.Add garam masala powder .Bring it to a boil.Put off gas.Serve with chapatis and or rice.

The gravy turns out pretty thick.The gravy has a creamy texture perhaps due to cashews.Though I used 3 green chillies,it was not spicy at all.Those who want more spicier versions can add more chillies and ginger or any spice which they prefer.

Another method : Take oil in a kadhai.Heat it up.Add cumin seeds.Let the cumin seeds splutter.Add onion, green chillies & ginger to mixer & make a coarse paste.Put this coarse paste in kadhai.Shallow fry this paste till raw smell of onions disappears.Make a coarse paste of tomatoes & carrots & add it to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Cook till raw smell of tomatoes disappears. Add salt. Add chopped potatoes,capsicum , partially boiled florets ,carrots , beans & peas. Mix .Add haldi.Mix again.Let it cook.

Powder dalia & cashews in mixer & add to the kadhai.Mix with all vegetables.Add half a teaspoon of flaxseed meal ( optional ) as it is good fat.Mix nicely. Add 1 tbsp of yoghurt ( optional ) to the kadhai & mix. Add garam masala powder. Now transfer the contents of kadhai into a small vessel which can fit into the pressure cooker.Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water.Mix nicely.

Pressure cook for 2 whistles.Slow cook in pressure cooker for 10 minutes.Put off gas.Let cooker cool.Remove lid.Veg kurma can be served as a side dish for chapatis and even as an accompaniment for rice.

Veg. Biryani

Ingredients :10 beans ,1-2 carrots,1tbs green peas,1medium sized tomato,1 medium sized onion,1 sprig of curry leaves,1 green mirchi,1' inch ginger,1 cup rice,1/2 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 cup dahi with cream or only cream of preferably sour dahi,2 tej patta,2 cinnamaon sticks of 1/2 inches,2 cloves,5-6 black pepper ,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method :Wash the rice & keep aside.Take 2 tbsp oil in a pressure pan & heat it.Put tej patta & cinnamon sticks.Add cloves & pepper.Add hing.After the spices start emitting their aromas,add the carrots & beans which have been cut into 1/2 ' pieces.Add shelled peas.Fry the veggies.Add the rice & fry a little, maybe for a minute.Add turmeric & mix it nicely.

Take onions tomatoes,hari mirch,curry leaves & adrak.Cut them all .Now put all this in amixie & grind them.Now add dahi or cream of dahi to this mixture & again grind.Now pour this mixture on to the rice veggie mixture in the pan.Add salt.Now add 11/2 cups water to the rice.Less water is added as the onion tomato dahi paste contains some water.

Pressure cook for two -three whistles.Put off the gas.Let it cool.Remove whistle after the cooker gets silent.After 10 minutes,remove the whistle.After another ten minutes,remove the lid of the cooker to view & smell the veg biryani .

Tip :I added diced potatoes also with carrots & beans as my kid loves aloos.