Spicy Bell Pepper & Tomato Rice
I heart Bell Peppers. All colors. I tend to include them practically in anything. From South Indian cuisine, to North Indian to Italian to Mexican. I can eat them raw, steamed, roasted, smoked .Yep, Bell peppers & I share a very loving relationship.
But Shankar, isn’t exactly fond of these beauties. You give him anything that has diced bell pepper, & he painstackingly discards them. Anyways, that doesn’t stop me from cooking bell peppers ..
You Will Need:
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1 cup Basmati Rice
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1 cup bell peppers - diced ( All colors - Red, Green, Yellow & Orange )
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1/2 cup Green Peas - fresh/frozen
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2 small onions - chopped finely
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2 large tomatoes - chopped
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1 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
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1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
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1/2 tsp Garam Masala
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1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
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1 tsp whole Garam Masala
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Salt as per taste
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Juice of half a lemon ( optional )
Method:
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Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water. Drain & set aside for about 15 mins. Heat a tsp of desi ghee in a pan, Roast the rice for a couple of minutes. Pressure cook the rice with 1 1/2 cups of water. Once done, set aside & let it cool completely.
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In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee/oil. Splutter whoe Garam Masala. Add ginger-garlic paste.
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Saute onions till they turn pink. Add diced bell peppers, turmeric & red chilli powder & saute for about 5 mins. Add chopped tomatoes, Green peas & saute until the tomatoes are completely cooked & bell peppers are cooked yet form.
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Mix in Rice, Garam Masala, Kitchen King Masala, Salt & give a gentle mix without breaking the rice.
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Turn off the stove, add lemon juice & transfer to a bowl
Serve HOT with some onion-cucumber Raita. Enjoi !!!
I love this mainly because it has bell peppers in it. They give a nice twist to the otherwise plain tomato rice. Make this for your guests, if you are bored of Pulaos & Biryanis. Your guests will love it too.
Lemony Bell Pepper Rice
What do you do with leftover rice? I normally make Lemon Rice, which is the most convinient option during weeknights. And, it works for me because my husband gorges on it.
I was so so bored of eating the same old Lemon Rice, I thought I’d try something else which has a strong lemony flavor.
I had a bag of fresh bell peppers, I sauteed them & threw in some frozen green peas & added a dash of lemon & then this dish was ready in no time.
If you are a bell pepper fan, you will love this one.
You Will Need:
- 1 1/2 cups rice ( I used Sona Masuri ) - leftover will be fine
- 1 cup diced bell peppers (I used Green, Red, & Yellow)
- 4 green chillies - chopped
- A handful of curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Salt as per taste
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
Method:
- Cook rice such that each grain is separate. Set aside & let it cool completely
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Splutter mustard seeds, green chillies & curry leaves
- Add diced bell peppers & a tsp of salt. Saute for about a minute. Close the lid & let it cook. Keep mixing in between to avoid the bell peppers from getting burnt.
- When the bell peppers are well cooked & firm, add frozen green peas & mix well & let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Mix in cooked rice, grated coconut & lemon juice.
- Check for salt & mix well
- Serve with yogurt .. Enjoy !!!
I made this really long ago, & we really loved the flavors. I have been meaning to make this one again, but somehow I never got around doing it. Hopefully I should be making this again, real soon.
If you have leftover rice, give your regular lemon rice a miss, & try this one.
NOTE: If you are using fresh green peas, add them right in the beginning as it takes longer to cook than the frozen ones.
Shahi Pulao
Well well, this is the perfect time to post my favorite Pulao recipe of all times ..
You Will Need:
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1 cup Basmati Rice
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2 onions - sliced lengthwise
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2 carrots - sliced lengthwise
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2 potatoes - sliced lengthwise
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1/2 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
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1 green bell pepper - sliced lengthwise
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1 tsp Garam Masala
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Juice of half a lemon
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Salt as per taste
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1 tbsp Desi Ghee
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2 tbsp oil
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5-10 cashewnuts
To Grind:
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3 tbsp grated coconut - fresh
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A handful of mint leaves
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1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
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4 green cardamoms
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2 cloves
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2 inch cinnamon stick
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2 garlic pods - optional
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3 tsp grated ginger
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8 green chillies - low to medium spiced
Method
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Clean Basmati Rice in several changes of water & soak in water for 15 mins. Pressure cook rice with 1 cup water, such that each grain is separate. Once cooked, spread it on a plate & allow it to cool completely.
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Meanwhile, grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list adding a tbsp of water, into a smooth paste
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Heat Desi ghee in a wok, Add cumin seeds & allow them to sizzle. Add bay leaves & onion & fry until they turn pink.
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Add carrots, potatoes & french beans & add a tsp of salt & fry at regular intervals. Add some more oil to fry.
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Once the vegetables are half cooked, add bell peppers & green peas & the ground paste & fry until the vegetables are completely cooked, yet crunchy. The raw smell of the ground paste should have disappeared by now.
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Add cooked rice, Garam Masala & lemon juice. Check for salt & mix well on low flame.
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Close the lid & let it stand on low flame for a couple of mins
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Garnish with toasted cashewnuts.
Transfer into a bowl & serve warm with any Raita of your choice .. Enjoi !!!
NOTE: DO NOT ever skip adding poppy seeds as the pulao acquires a special taste due to the addition poppy seeds.
Bisi Bele Baath - The Authentic Way
I am doing so much better with my finger injury. It has now completely healed & Iam back to my old routine now. Thanks so much for your concern people, I really did mean a lot to me. I am going to be a million times more careful next time I grate something 
Bisi Bele Baath is a signature dish of the Kannadigas, BBB is undoubtedly my favorite amongst all karnataka dishes. For, its quite simple to make, it has a rich flavour to tickle your taste buds & is very very healthy.
The recipe out here is more common in the Bangalore-Mysore regions of Karnataka. You will probably find most households around this region, preparing BBB in this way more or less.
I learnt this from my Grand Mom who in turn learnt it from her Grand Mom, so this one is a family recipe & a very authentic one at that.
Here it is,
You Will Need:
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1/2 cup Toor Dal
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1/2 cup Rice ( I used Sona Masuri )
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2 tomatoes - chopped
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1 cup french beans - chopped
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1 potato - cubed
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1 carrot - cubed
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1 green bell pepper - cubed
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1 cup cauliflower florets
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A handful of double beans ( optional)
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A handful of green peas - fresh/frozen
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A few curry leaves
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1 tsp mustard seeds
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A pinch of asafoetida/Hing
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1 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp oil
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3 tsp desi ghee
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Salt as per taste
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5-6 cashewnuts
To grind:
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2 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
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10 - 12 dry red chillies ( I used Byadagi )
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2 tsp coriander seeds
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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2 inch stick of cinnamon
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6 green cardamoms
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4 cloves
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2 tsp poppy seeds
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1 tsp dagad phool/rock flower/Kallu Hoovu
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A small lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in water
Method:
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Pressure cook toor dal until completely cooked & set aside
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Meanwhile, roast all the ingredients mentioned in the ‘to-grind’ list except coconut & tamarind, with a tsp of oil until fragrant. Grind along with grated coconut & tamarind into a smooth paste.
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Take a pressure cooker, Add cooked toor dal. Along with it, add carrots, beans & potatoes & double beans. bring it to a boil.
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To this mixture, add the ground paste & bring it to a boil again. Add a tsp of ghee at this point to avoid the bottom of the cooker from getting burnt. Keep stirring at regular intervals. Boil this mixture on low flame for about 5 minutes.
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Wash rice in several changes of water & add it to the boiling mixture, give it a gentle stir.
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Add the remaining vegetables & add about 3 cups of water. Adjust salt as per taste. Add 2 tsp of ghee/oil & close the lid & let it cook completely.
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Once the cooker releases pressure, open the lid. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, cashewnuts, turmeric & asafoetida.
Mix well & serve HOT with a dollop of ghee on top & Raita . . . Enjoi !!!
NOTE:
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The consistency of BBB should be rather watery. Once complelely cooked, if you find the dish slightly thick, add some water & boil the mixture. This dish is very forgiving that way.
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The whole idea of cooking toor dal twice is to prevent the dish from getting hard once it cools down. But if you ensure that the dal is twice cooked, the baath will retain its watery consistency
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DO NOT add onions while making BBB. I often find a lot of people adding onions to this dish. Addition of onions gives this dish ‘a sambar’ like taste, since the ingredients used in sambar are more or less same. So remember, NO onions.
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Replace Tamarind with 3 tsp of lime juice for a slightly different taste.
Chettinad Vegetable Biryani
As every food enthusiast would probably do, I have about 3 -4 versions of making a Biryani, the Chettinad variety being a recent additon to my ever expanding palette.
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Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
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2 red onions chopped finely
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3 tomatoes - blanched & pureed
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1 carrot - cut into thin sticks
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1 potato - peeled & cut into thin sticks
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1 cup cauliflower florets
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1 green bell pepper - chopped
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1/2 cup green peas - fresh/frozen
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2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
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2 bay leaves
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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1/2 tsp turmeric powder
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1 tsp Garam masala
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Salt as per taste
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2 tbsp Desi ghee/oil
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Chopped cilantro/fresh coriander - for garnish
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2 tsp lemon juice
To Grind:
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1 small red onion
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2 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
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2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
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4-5 dry red chillies
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2 tsp coriander seeds
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1 tsp cumin seeds
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2 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
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A small stick of cinnamon
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4 cloves
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4-5 black peppercorns
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4 green cardamoms
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1 star anise
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Clean Basmati rice in sevefral changes of water. Drain & keep aside for about 15 minutes. Heat a tsp of ghee in a frying pan & fry the rice till fragrant. This takes about a minute. Pressure cook rice or cook on stove top with water in the proportion of 1:1 or 1:1.25 depending on the quality of rice, such that each grain is separate. Set aside & allow it to cool completely.
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Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list into a smooth paste adding little water.
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Heat Ghee in a large wok, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, turmeric powder & green chillies. allow them to sizzle & add chopped onions. Fry onions till they turn pink.
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Add chopped carrots, potatoes & saute for a while. When half done add cauliflower florets, bell peppers & green peas one by one until cooked. The vegetables should retain their crunch.
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Add pureed tomatoes & bring the mixture to a boil. Add lemon juice & salt as per taste.
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Add rice & Garam Masala & fluff with fork & garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with any Raita of your choice. Enjoi !!!
NOTE: You can even add store bought Chettinad Masala powder instead of grinding the ingridients. Blend onion, grated coconut & the store bought masala into a paste & you will be good to go.
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