Indian Rice Recipes

Methi-Matar Pulao (no onion, no ginger-garlic version)

A very easy-to-make, lip-smacking recipe that can be served with a simple raita as a side-dish.

Ingredients

• Basmati/Sona masuri rice - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained
• Ghee - 1/4 tsps
• Oil - 1/4 tsp
• Water (to cook the rice) - 2 cups
• Cashew nuts (optional) - 7-8
• Methi or Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup, finely chopped
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Ginger-garlic paste (optional) - 1 tsp
• Onions (optional) - 1, finely chopped
• Saffron - few strands, soaked in 2 tsps of warm milk
• Bay leaf - 1 or 2
• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom - 1-2
• Cloves - 2-3
• Cinnamon - 1" stick
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
• Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Preparation method

1. Heat the ghee and oil in a pan. Add the chopped cashews, spices (bay leaf, cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, chilli, and coriander powder and saute.
If you wish you add onions, add them at this stage and saute until transparent. Next, add the ginger-garlic paste.

2. Add the chopped fenugreek leaves, peas and saute until cooked. It will take less than 30-40 seconds for the leaves to cook.
3. Add the washed and soaked rice along with water. Add salt and give it a good stir.
4. Bring it to a boil and then cook with lid covered. Check intermittently, add/adjust water as required.
5. When the rice is almost cooked (about 3/4th cooked), add the saffron milk and mix gently. Cook for a couple of more minutes.

Serve hot with dal of your choice or raita.

Preparation time - 45 mins

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 - 20 mins

Vegetable fried rice

Whenever I think of this dish, my mind instantly wanders on the streets of Himayathnagar, Hyderabad. Yes, those of you who have lived in Hyderabad will know what I am talking about! The one and only Minerva :) The fried rice and paneer butter masala served here is unmatched!
So, whenever I visit Hyderabad, I make it a point to have a meal with a standard menu - Paneer butter masala, naan/roti and fried rice. Simply delicious!!! Miss those days, when we went there with family, friends and cousins...

Ingredients

• Jeera basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups, washed, drained
• Carrots, beans and spring onions - 1 cup, very finely chopped
• Water (to cook the rice) - 2 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Soya sauce - 1 1/2 tsp
• White vinegar - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
Pressure cook the rice with 2 cups of water and a few drops of oil for 3 whistles and turn off the heat. Keep it aside to cool.

Preparation method

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the finely chopped vegetables and saute.
2. Add the soya sauce, vinegar, pepper powder, salt and mix well.
3. Add the rice and saute on a high flame.

Serve hot with raita or any side dish of your choice.

Preparation time - 45 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 - 11/2 tsp
• Carrots - cut evenly (optional)
• Peas - 1/4 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