Traditional South Indian Rice Recipes

Pongal

Ingredients

• Rice (washed and soaked in 2 cups of water) - 1/2 cup
• Moong dal (yellow, washed) - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric - 1/3 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Coarsely crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Coarsely crushed cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 5-6, roughly chopped
• Dry coconut (grated) - 2 tsps
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation method

1. In a cooker, add 1 tsp ghee. Add dry coconut, turmeric, half the quantity of crushed pepper and cumin, asafoetida.
2. Add the washed moong dal and soaked rice and give it a stir.
3. Add salt and mix well. Pressure cook until two whistles and allow it to cool.
4. Add ghee in a small pan, temper it with the remaining crushed pepper, cumin, asafoetida, and curry leaves.
5. Add the tempering to the cooked rice/dal mixture.
6. Serve hot with chutney, pickle, or raita.

Preparation time - 30 mins

Vaangi Bath aka Brinjal Rice

A simple and traditional dish that comes from the authentic Karnataka cuisine. It is a delectable dish that is made with many herbs and spices

Ingredients

• Cooked and slightly cooled rice - 2 cups
• Vangi baath powder - 1 1/2 tsps
• Mustard seeds - 1/3^rd tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/3^rd tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/3^rd tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Brinjal - 1 1/2 cups cubed
• Tamarind pulp - 1/4^th tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 tsp, finely chopped
• Ghee or oil - 1 1/2 tsps
• Turmeric powder - 1/3^rd tsp
• Salt - to taste

Preparation method

1. Heat ghee/oil in a pan, and add mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida.
2. Add the cubed brinjal pieces, turmeric powder, and salt, and saute until the brinjal is tender.
3. Add the tamarind pulp and stir well for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the vaangi baath powder and give it a good mix.
5. Add cooked rice, salt, and gently mix until all the ingredients are blended in.
Note: Keep in mind the amount of salt added while cooking the brinjals.
6. Serve hot with plain yogurt, cucumber raita or any other raita of your choice.

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Alu Bath aka Potato Rice

A simple, traditional, and a flavorful dish, which calls for very few ingredients and is yet so delectable.

Ingredients

For masala
• Shajeera - 1 1/2 tsps
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Green chillies - 2-3, roughly cut
• Cinnamon - 1/2" piece
• Cloves - 4-5
• Fresh coconut - 3 tsps
• Mint leaves - 1 cup

Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste by adding very little amount of water.

Remaining Ingredients
• Boiled and roughly cut potatoes - 1 1/2 cups
• Mint leaves, roughly chopped - 1/2 cup
• Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsps
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Shajeera - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cooked and slightly cooled rice - 2 cups

Preparation method

1. Heat ghee/oil in a pan, and add mustard, shajeera, and asafoetida.
2. Add the mint leaves and the ground masala paste and saute until it is cooked well, approximately for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the boiled potatoes, turmeric powder, and salt, and saute well.
4. Add the cooked rice and mix it gently.
5. Serve hot with plain yogurt, cucumber raita or any other raita of your choice.

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Bisi-Bele baath

This is a traditional, one pot dish from the land of Karnataka - bisi means hot and bele means lentils (dal). It is a variant of the regular sambhar or huli anna, with this one having a lingering taste of the spices and the vegetables.

Ingredients - for rice

• Beans (tender) - 7-8, cut
• Carrots - 1, large, cut
• Onion shallots - 5-6
• Potatoes - 1 or 2, washed-peeled and cut
• Tamarind - about a size of a lemon, washed and soaked in water
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Rice - 1 cup, washed and drained
• Toor dal - 1/2 cup, washed and drained
• Water - 4 cups, to cook the rice and dal

For bisi-bele baath powder

• Chana dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Red chillies (prefer Byadigi chillies) - 10 to 12
• Black pepper corn - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Javithri (Mace) - 1-2 petals
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon - 1" stick
• Marathi Moggu - 3

Roast the above ingredients with 1 tbsp of oil. Cool it and grind it to a fine powder.

For seasoning

• Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp (fresh and finely powdered)
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp (fresh and finely ground)
• Asafoetida - 2 piches
• Red chilies - 3-4, cut
• Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs

Preparation method

1. Pressure cook the rice and dal together. Wait until steam releases.
2. Add oil to a deep-bottomed pan, add the onions and saute. Next, add the remaining vegetables, one-by-one.
3. Extract the tamarind pulp and pour into the veggies. Lower the flame.
4. Add turmeric, bisi-bele baath power, salt and stir.
5. Mash the cooked rice and dal and add it to the tamarind mixture. Mix well and add water as required.
6. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies. Pour this over the rice and mix well.
7. Serve with potato chips, boondi or arulu sandige.

Preparation time - 1 hour