Ellu Sadam/Sesame Seeds Rice

                                                                Sesame Seeds is what we call Ellu in Tamil.There are two types of Sesame seeds one in black and other in white.My mother used to use lot of black seeds in making ellu sadam or ellu urundai or in idli(dosai) chilli powder.
My mother used to make this rice on Saturdays of Tamil month(purattasi(sept15th-oct 15th)).It is a speciality neivedhayam for lord balaji(venkatajalapathy)along with paruppu payasam and ulundu vadai.
This rice is made when you fry the sesame seeds in some sesame oil along with red chillies,urad dal and channa dal.Then you powder it and mix it with cooked rice.When you fry the seeds you can hear a crackling noise!!!!

Methi Pulao/Methi Leaves Pulao

                                         I am writing this post after a very long time.I had this pulao in my friends house and i reallly liked it.I always wanted to include greens in the pualo and this one is a perfect one.It is very aromatic and healthy pulao.You can add some boiled channa or some peas to the pulao to make it even more protein rich and healthy.

Channa Pulao/Channa Biryani

                                                                Channa Pulao or Biriyani is different from the usual biriyani or pulao with vegetables.This one is with boiled kabuli channa so it is protein rich and becomes a complete meal with a vegetable raita.You can make it mildly spicy and call it a pulao or add a little more spices mint leaves and curd and make it a biryani.Choice is yours!!!! I made it mild like a pulao and cooked the rice seperately and mixed it with the gravy. I feel this way it is tastier.
                                        Soak the kabuli channa for 6-8 hours and boil it with salt for three whistles and five minutes.Usually I cook the channa for 10 more minutes than mentioned above for the channa masala but for this pulao or biryani, it is enough if you cook for this much.

Kashmiri Pulao

                                                            I have been wanting to try out this (Kashmiri Pulao)aromatic and mildly sweet  rice recipe in a long time but somehow could not accomplish it.Today i had all the ingredients i wanted for this recipe and wanted to make some rice dish along with some rotis and dal for dinner tonight so finally got to make this pulao.You can try this in the summer!!!

Sprouts Fried Rice

                                                                     Sprouts fried rice is something new to me.While i was looking for some new recipes i came across this recipe.It seemed simple and healthy.My daughter is very fornd of Fried rice so i thought it let me give a try to this one which has proteins also and which will make her eat the sprouts.
To make the sprouts softer i boiled it for few minutes.You can either boil or steam it for few minutes so that is soft at the same time crisp.

Corn and Methi Pulao

This is the first time i am trying a pulao in a pressure pan.I always cook the rice seperatley and mix with the vegetables and masala or put in in the electric rice cooker.But i prefer cooking the rice seperately cooling the rice and then mixing with the masala.When i was looking for this(corn and methi pulao) recipe most of the recipe said only the pressure cooker method so i decided to follow the same.You just have to be careful about the water quantity and the time for cooking.Corn and methi pulao came out very well the whole house was so aromatic with the corn,methi and the butter!!!!

Tamarind Rice/Puli sadam/Pulianchadam

Tamarind rice or Puli sadam is one of our favourites.I would prefer pulisadam for coconut rice or lemon rice simply because it is Tangy and spicy making it tastier.Even my kids love it, so it is often a lunch box menu with some vadams or potato chips.I just posted pulikachal recipe last week and I made this Tamarind rice for the kids lunch box!!!!!!

Most of the people make a spice powder with coriander seeds,channa dal red chillies and seasame seeds but my mother used to make a powder only with fenugreek seeds and add it to the pulikachal.We love this version better than the one with spice powder.

Fried Rice/Indo Chinese

The best way to finish your old rice while satisfying a craving for restaurant-style Indo chinese food is to make this "Fried Rice".Yes, old rice best suits this recipe because it has to be tossed in high flame along with vegetables and it should withstand the tossing.

My daughter is very fond of this Fried Rice and she orders it most of the time when we go out.I never knew until recently that it tates best with old rice. If I had known, I would have made it more often

Carrot Rice/Spicy Carrot Rice

                                                                              Carrot rice is not something that everyone makes often!! I do not make it often either, but when you need a variety or something for your lunch box this rice recipe comes out. My recipe for carrot rice is a little spicy version, but you can make it mild without grinding the masalas for a party with many dishes.If you are making it as a single dish might as well make it spicy and tasty and have it with raita and chips.
                                     

 

Tawa Pulao/Mumbai street food

                                                      Tawa Pulao is a popular street food in Mumbai(Bombay).As the name suggests it is made on the tawa used to make Pav Bhaji.Tawa pulao is usually made with Left over rice.Left over rice is tossed with few vegetables and masalas and made in to a very tasty masala rice.
you can either use leftover rice or use Basmati rice if you are making with fresh rice.I have been wanting to make this rice for sometime now and was looking through a lot of recipes and all of them have the same basic recipe with slight variations.Here is my version of it......

Jeera Rice/Jeera Pulao

                                                                    Jeera Pulao or Jeera Rice is the most simple rice dish after steamed rice.It is a flavourful rice that is good on the stomach and goes well with any kind of dal or subzi.I made Moong Dal today and was wondering what rice I would make with this. I tried out Jeera pulao with Basmati Rice amd it was a hit ! The aroma of the Basmati rice engulfed the house and the kids couldn't wait for Lunch !

Masala khichidi

I had a lot of Gujarati friends when i was studying  in school I used share their lunch boxes and developed a taste for gujrathi food.I learnt a few Gujrathi Recipes from them.There is a little sweetness in all the Gujrathi dishes and i love that sweetness in the food.

Vaghareli Khichdi is a variation of Gujarati Khichdi.This Khichdi is a combination of rice,dal,vegetables and masalas.It is a perfect one pot meal.I make it when i am tired and want to wrap up something really fast.It is very nutritious because it has rice,dal and vegetables and ghee.There is no sweetness in this khichdi but it goes well with gujrathi kadhi which is sweet.

Lemon Rice/Lime Rice/Elumichai Sadam

                                                     Lemon Rice is the simplest of variety rice.It is a non spicy tangy rice apt for this summer.It is done during some festivals like Aadi 18 and Kanu pandigai during Pongal.It is the best way to finish left over rice,ideal for bachelor cooking and of course it is a one pot meal.
                                       It can be served with onion,carrot or boondi raita and of course with any fried vadams and if not at least some store bought chips.My mother used to make Onion and potato curry to go with this since it does not have any vegetable in it.It is a perfect rice for take away(lunch box menu)...

Samba Rice Recipe

                                                                              Samba Rice was very  new to me.It is a  rice variety i tasted recently in a temple as prasadam. .I started looking for recipes on the net and could not find much.Finally  found this recipe in Meenakshi ammal's cook book.I think it is very traditional recipe and of course very simple and easy to make.The pepper and cumin seeds in the rice can be really appetizing.I thought I might as well record the recipe and share it with all of you!

Vegetable Biryani

                                                                           This Vegetable Biryani is my version (of course i learnt it from my mother)of the biryani.I have made it a lot of times at home and for few parties and who ever has tasted it so far has liked it very much!My  friends love it and so do we. so i thought i will share it with all of you.It is actually my mothers recipe.She was never exposed to the dum biryani so this is how she used to make biryani and here is the recipe.......

Capsicum Rice

                                                                       Spicy Capsicum rice is a different rice variety recipe.It is not very common and frequently made.It is very similar to Vanghi Bath or Kathikkai sadam but with capsicum it is good variation.Do try!!

Cauliflower Rice/Sadam

                                                                 

I would say i dedicate this recipe to my dad.He is the one who came up with this simple recipe.He loves cauliflower and would not mind having it daily in his menu.

This cauliflower sadam is my father's invention.He used to love cauliflower and used love eating it in any form.I remember him going for his evening walks and buy three or four cauliflower at a time and plan a menu for each one and my mother would religiously follow whatever he says.As far as this rice we used to have it every Sunday during cauliflower season.Another such invention of his is the Cauliflower Kootu which i have posted earlier.

Vegetable Pulao

                                                                        People make pulao in so many different ways and there are many recipes and versions to it.I also make it in three or four different ways depending on the time and availability of ingredients at home.Today i made some Channa masala so to go with it i made a mild pulao which looks more restaurant style one.
It is very simple and easy to make and requires very few ingredients.I cook the basmati rice separately and mix it with the vegetables in most of my pulao recipes.I feel the colour and taste is better this way when cooked seperate.

Tomato Rice|Thakkali Sadam

                                                               This is another type of Tomato Rice i tried recently.It is very simple and more South Indian style.It taste yummy with any kind of raita and of course some vadams or chips.It is a easy lunch box recipe too!!!The ingredients are simple and easily available at home.

Narthangai Sadam

                                                            Narthangai comes from the Citron or Lemon family.It is slightly bigger and green in colour.Though it is similar to Lemon, it has its own unique flavour.Usually it is made into a pickle and the tender leaves are used to make Narthellai Podi which is quite popular in Tamil Cusine.
This Narthagai Sadam is similar to lemon rice in preparation, but has a different flavour.