Indian rice recipes

Chana Palak Pulao (No Onion-No Garlic version)

A healthy, simple, and delicious one-pot meal - palak aka spinach complement well with chana aka chickpeas.

This is especially easy, as you only have to sauté the ingredients together and toss it with cooked rice.

Ingredients

• Cinnamon - 1"
• Cloves - 2 or 3
• Mace or Javetri - 1"
• Cardamom or Elaichi - 2 or 3
• Bay leaf - 1
• Turmeric - pinch
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Finely chopped palak - 1 cup
• Soaked chana - 1/2 cup
Wash and soak the chana over night or for at least 3-4 hours in hot water.
• Cooked rice (Basmati/Brown/Sona Masuri) - 1 cup
• Ghee or oil - 3 tsps
• Salt - to taste

Cook rice and keep it aside.

Add 1 cup water and salt to the soaked chana, and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

Preparation method

1. Heat ghee/oil in a pan, and add the spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, and mace.
2. Add spinach, turmeric, and sauté until it is half cooked.
3. Add the cooked chickpeas, and stir well for about 2 minutes.
4. Add garam masala and stir well.
5. Add cooked rice, salt, and gently mix until all the ingredients are blended in.
Keep in mind the amount of salt added while cooking chana.
6. Serve hot with cucumber raita or any other raita of your choice.

Preparation time - 35 minutes

Dum Biriyani

Vegetable dum biriyani is a special Hyderabadi dish, which is a delicious medley of luscious vegetables, spices, ghee, flavorful basmati rice, and the legendary saffron. All these are layered and the spices infused so perfectly in the veggies and rice, which makes the dish most irrestible.

Here's the recipe for restaurant style dum biriyani.

Ingredients

For garam masala

• Cinnamon - 1"
• Cloves - 2 or 3
• Mace or Javetri - 1"
• Cardamom or Elaichi (both green and brown) - green/4, brown/2-3
• Bay leaf - 1
• Star Anis - 2
• Fennel seeds or Saunf - 2 tbsp
• Coriander seeds or Dhaniya - 2.5 tbsps
• Cumin seeds or Jeera - 2 tbsps
• Pepper - 1 tsp

Dry roast the above ingredients and grind them to a fine powder.

Wash and soak basmati rice for at least 1.5 hours.

Fry onions in ghee until golden brown and keep them aside.

For marination

• Curd - 300 gms
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder
• Turmeric - pinch
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or more, as per taste
• Salt - as per taste
• Vegetables (beans, carrots, peas, potatoes) - evenly chopped in medium sized chunks

Preparation method

1. Mix all above ingredients together and marinate the vegetables for at least an hour. Keep refrigerated.
2. After an hour, remove the marinated veggies and allow it to come to room temperature.
3. In a deep pan, add a tablespoon of oil and cook the marinated vegetables until they are 3/4^th done or until dry.
4. Cook the soaked basmati rice with whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom (both green and brown), cinnamon stick, star anis, mace/javetri, cloves), ghee, rose water, and salt until 3/4 ^th done.
5. Add saffron strands to 1/4 ^th cup of milk and keep aside for the milk to infuse.
6. Take it off the flame and drain the remaining water and gently mix the rice. Keep the cooked rice aside and layer the rice on the vegetables sprinkle the fried onions, garam masala and 1/4 ^th cup of saffron milk. Close it with a lid .
7. Close the pan with a silver foil or a lid, to create a dum effect. At this stage you can place the pan on a heavy bottomed skillet, as this will avoid the rice from burning.
8. Leave it for about 10-15 minutes on low flame.

Preparation time - Advanced planning

Jeera rice

Simple recipe, goes well with dal as a side-dish. Best dish when there are no veggies in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• Jeera/basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained
• Ghee - 2 tsps
• Water (to cook the rice) - 2 cups
• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 2 tsps
• Cashew nuts - 7-8
• Salt - to taste

Preparation method

1. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker pan, and add the chopped cashews and saute.
2. Add the cumin seeds, rice and saute for a minute.
3. Add the water, salt and mix well.
4. Pressure cook until three whistles and turn of the heat

Serve hot with dal of your choice.

Preparation time - 40 mins

Tomato rice/Tomato bhaath

There is no dearth of tomatoes, no matter which part of the globe you live in. Here's a simple recipe which mainly requires tomatoes.

Ingredients

• Rice (sona masuri or basmati) - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained and soaked
• Tomatoes - 3, finely chopped
• Water - 3 cups
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Turmeric - pinch
• Ghee - 2-3 tsps
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
For masala
• Dry red chillies - 4-5
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Methi - 5-6
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Sesame seeds/Til - 1 tsp
Dry roast the above ingredients (for masala) and keep it aside.

Preparation method

1. Cook rice over low flame. Add a few drops of oil to the water so that the rice doesn't stick when cooked.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and saute.
3. Add the ginger paste and mix well.
4. Add the onions and cook until they are transparent.
5. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and cook until tomatoes are mushy.
6. When the tomatoes are cooked, add the ground powder and mix well.
7. Add the rice, and mix slowly without breaking the rice.

Serve hot with raita or plain yogurt.

Preparation time - 45 mins

Peas pulao

Peas pulao is easy to make, delicious and has an irresistible aroma from the spices in it.

Ingredients

• Rice (sona masuri or basmati) - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained and soaked
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2-3 tsps
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick - 2"
• Cloves - 4
• Bay leaves - 1 or 2
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Preparation method

1. Heat a pressure cooker or a pan and add oil, ghee to it.
2. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves and saute.
3. Add the garlic and green chilli paste and mix well.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, salt, sugar and mix well.
5. Next, add the peas.
6. Add the rice, and saute for a few minutes.
7. Add the soaked water, mix well and let it cook. If using a pressure cooker, close the lid and let it cook until three whistles and cook on low flame for about a minute.
8. When cooked, slowly mix the rice and serve.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Preparation time - 30 mins

Khichdi

A one-pot meal, which is nutritious and tasty.

Ingredients

• Rice - 1 cup, washed, drained
• Red gram, Moong dal and Green gram (together) - 1 cup, washed, drained and soaked in water for about 10 mins
• Water - 5-6 cups
• Garlic and green chilli paste - 1 1/2 tsp
• Carrots - cut evenly (optional)
• Peas - 1/4 ^th cup (optional)
• Asafoetida - pinch
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - pinch
• Ghee - 2-3 tsps
• Salt - to taste

Preparation method

1. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. If you are using any vegetables, add it at this stage and mix well.
2. Add the garlic and green chilli paste and mix well.
3. Add the soaked lentils, and rice, without the water. Stir for a few minutes.
4. Add the water, salt, turmeric and mix.
5. Cook until 4-5 whistles and cook on a low flame for 10 - 15 mins.
6. Wait until the pressure is released and then open the cooker lid.
7. Mash the khichdi coarsely, to a semi-solid consistency.
8. Serve hot with papad or pickle.

Here's our version of khichdi with aralu sandige

You can use basmati or sona masoori rice.

Preparation time - 40 mins

Capsicum rice/bhaath

A very simple and comforting dish. An alternate version of this recipe is with vegetables of your choice - except the "guards".

Ingredients

• Rice - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained and pressure cooked
• Water (to cook the rice) - 3 cups
• Onions - 1, chopped (optional)
• Peas - 1/4 cup
• Potatoes - 1, evenly cut
• Capsicum - 1/2, evenly cut
• Bhaath powder
• Asafoetida - pinch
• Turmeric - pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsps

Preparation method

1. Pressure cook the rice and keep it ready.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add the chopped onions and saute it until transluscent.
4. Add turmeric, asafoetida, salt and the bhaath powder and stir well.
5. Turn off the heat and add the cooked rice. Add a dollop of ghee and mix well.

You can use basmati or sona masoori rice, we prefer sona masoori.

Preparation time - 40 mins