kovakkai Rice (Ivy Gourd)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice                    -  1 cup
Kovakkai (Tindli)                -  200 gms
Turmeric powder                -  1 tea spoon
Ghee                                -  2 - 3 table spoons
Curry leaves                      -  a few leaves
Asafoitida                          -  1/2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds                  -  1 table spoon
Black gram dal                  -  1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal                -  1 table spoon
Salt to taste


For Masala
Coriander seeds       -  1 table spoon
Ground nuts             -  1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal       -  1 tea spoon
Black gram dal         -  1 tea spoon
Red chillies               -  3 - 4 nos
Pepper                     -  1/4 tea spoon
Clover                      -  4 nos
Cinnamon stick         -  1 inch long finely broken
Gingly (Til)                -  1 table spoon
Khus khus                 -  1 table spoon
Grated coconut         -  2 table spoons




1.  Heat 1/2 table spoon, add the masala ingredients except coconut and stir fry till the dals turn golden brown.
2.  Now add the coconut and fry till that dries up.
3.  Allow it to cool and dry grind it into coarse powder.

Now the Rice preparation:

1.  Wash and soak rice in 1 1/2 cups of water for 20 mins.
2.  Drain the water from the rice and keep it aside.
3.  Heat 1 table spoon of ghee in a kadai and rice to it and fry till the rice changes colour.
4.  Now add the drained water and 1/2 tea spoon of salt and cook till the rice is done.
5.  Wash and cut the kovakkais into small pieces.
6.  Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a kadai, add mustard seeds, black gram dal and bengal gram dal.
7.  As soon as the mustard crackles and dals turn golden brown, add the cut vegetable, salt, turmeric powder, asafoitida and chopped curry leaves.
8.  Stir well and cover with a lid and low flame.
9.  Keep stirring inbetween and cook till kovakkai is done.
10.Once the vegetable turns soft add the cooked rice and ground powder and mix well.
11.Kovakkai rice ready.  Serve hot with curd and papad.

Sambar Rice

Ingredients:

Rice                        -  1 cup (200 gms)
Thoor dal                -  4 table spoons (little more that 50 gms)
Tamarind                 -  1 small lemon size
Brinjals                    -  2 nos
Drumsticks
(Murungakkai)         -  1 no
Lady's fingers           -  3 nos
Pumpkin                  -  100 gms
Tomatoes                -  2 nos
Onions                     -  1 no
Ash gourd
(poosanikkai)           -  100 gms
Green chilies             -  2 nos
Curry leaves             -  a few leaves
Sambar powder        -  2 table spoons
Gur (Jaggery)            -  1 inch cube
Ghee                         -  3 table spoons
Gingely oil(Nallennai) -  3 - 5 table spoons
Mustard seeds           -  1 table spoon
Turmeric powdoer     -  1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds        -  1 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak rice and thoor dal together for 1/2 hr.
2.  Cook the rice and dal mixture till they are done and soft.
3.  Soak tamarind in warm water and take 2 cups of juice.
4.  Cut all the vegetables into 1 inch big cubes.
5.  Heat 2 table spoons of gingely oil in a kadai, add the mustards and fenugreek(vendayam).
6.  Once they crackle add the cut vegetables and stir fry till the oil spreads evenly on the vegetables.
7.  Now add the sambar powder and again stir till the whole powder spreads evenly on the vegetables and gets fries in the oil.
8.  Now add the curry leaves, slit green chilies, salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and also the tamarind juice.
9.  Let it boil till the vegetables are cooked and the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
10.Now add the sambar to the cooked rice and dal mixture and also the ghee and gingely oil.
11.Mix thoroughly and serve hot with papad.

Raw Mango Rice

Ingredients:

Raw Mango        -  1 no
Rice                    -  1 cup (200 gms)
Ghee                  -  2 table spoons
Green chilies       -  3 nos
Curry leaves       -  aa few leaves
Grated coconut   -  2 table spoons
Pepper powder   -  1 tea spoon
Asafoitida           -  1/2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds    -  1 table spoon
Black gram dal    -  1 table spoon
Ground nuts        -  1 table spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash, soak rice for 1/2 hr and cook till done.
2.  Spread the cooked rice in a plate and allow it to cool.
3.  Peel and grate the raw mango.
4.  Slit the green chilies.
5.  Heat ghee in a kadai and add mustards seeds, balck gram dal and groundnuts.
6.  As soon as the mustard crackles and the dals turn golden brown add the grated coconuts and curry leaves.
7.  Immediately remove from stove and add the mixture to the cooled rice.
8.  Also add the pepper powder, asafoitida, salt and grated raw mango.
9.  Mix throughly and serve.

Soya chunks Pulao

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice               -  1 1/2 cup

Soya chunks               -  1 cup
Mint leaves                 -  1/2 cup
Onions                       -  2 nos
Tomatoes                   -  2 nos
Garlic                         -  4 - 6 nos
Ginger                        -  1 inch
Green chilies               -  3 - 4 nos
Grated Coconut          -  1 table spoon
Ghee or Cooking oil    -  3 - 4 table spoons
Cinnamon stick            -  1 inch
Cloves                         -  3 - 4 nos
Salt to taste

1.  Wash, soak rice in 3 cups of water for 1/2 hr and cook till done and spread it to cool.
2.  Soak soya chunks in warm water for 1/2 hr and squeeze and remove the water and soak it against and squeeze and repeat the process for 3 times.
3.  Finely chop onions.
4.  Grind together ginger, garlic, tomatoes, green chilies, grated coconut and mint leaves.
5.  Heat 1 table spoon of oil in a heavy kadai and add the squeezed soya chunks, fry in low flame till they become golden brown from all sides and keep it aside.
6.  Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a large kadai, add the cloves and finely broken cinnamon stick.
7.  Once they turn brown add the finely chopped onions and as soon as they turn transparent add the gound masala and salt.
8.  Stir fry till the ghee splits and then add the soya chunks and 1/2 cup of water.
9.  Let the mixture cook together for 3 - 4 mins and add the rice and mix well till the whole masala spread and blend with the rice.
10.Remove from stove and serve hot with onion raita.

Manchurian Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice            -  1 cup

Onions                     -  2 nos
Green chilies            -  2 nos
Chili sauce               -  2 table spoons
Tomato sauce          -  5 table spoons
Soya sauce              -  2 table spoons
Red chilies               -  3 nos
Cooking oil             -  3 table spoons
Salt to taste

For Machurians:

Maida(All time flour)-  1 cup
Cabbage                 -  1/4 cup
Carrot                     -  1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

1.  Grate cabbage and carrot.
2.  Take maida, grated vegetables and salt and knead it to a tight dough adding water.
3.  Heat oil in a kadai and making small balls of the kneaded dough deep fry them till golden brown and keep it aside.
4.  Wash, soak rice for 1/2 hr in 1 1/2 cups of water and cook it till done.
5.  Spread the rice in tray and let it cool.
6.  Chop onions into long thin pieces and green chilies finely.
7.  Heat 3 table spoons of oil and add finely broken red chilies to it and as soon as it turns brown add the chopped onions and green chilies.
8.  After the onions turn transparent add the tomato sauce, chili sauce and soya sauce.
9.  Also add the manchurians and mix well till flavour comes out say for 3 - 5 mins and then add rice.
10.Mix thoroughly till all the sauce blends well with the rice.
11.Serve hot with tomato sauce and chili sauce.

Fresh Green Channa Kitchidi

Ingredients:

Fresh Green Channa-  1 cup
Basmati Rice           -  1 cup
Ghee                       -  2 table spoons
Cloves                     -  3 - 4 nos
Cinnamon sticj         -  1 inch
Onions                     -  1 no
Garlic                        -  4 - 6 pearls(optional)
Ginger                      -  1 inch(optional)
Tomatoes                 - 2 nos
Green chillies            -  2 - 3 nos
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak the rice in 1 1/2 cups of water for 20 mins.
2.  Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
3.  Clean and grate ginger and garlic.
4.  Heat ghee in a kadai and add cloves and cinnamon sticks broken into small bits.
5.  Once they turn brown add the finely chopped onions and green chillies.
6.  After the onions turn transparent add the grated ginger garlic and also the tomatoes.
7.  After the tomatoes are cooked add the fresh channa and salt.
8.  Fry for 4 - 6 mins and then add the rice along with the water and cook till the rice is done.
9.  Can even pressure cook.  Fresh channa cooks very soon.
10.Serve hot with pickle and curd.

Carrot Pulao

Ingredients:

Carrots               -  3 nos

Basmati Rice       -  1 cup
Onions                -  1 no
Garlic                  -  4 - 5 pearls
Cinnamon stick    -  1 inch
Cloves                -  2 - 3 nos
Green Chillies      -  2 nos
Grated Coconut  - 2 Table spoons
Ghee                   - 2 table spoons
Mustard seeds     -  1 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak rice in 1 1/2 cups of water.
2.  Wash, peel and dice carrots into 1/2 inch long pieces.
3.  Finely chop onions.
4.  Grind together coconut, garlic, cinnamon stick, cloves and green chillies with as little water as possible.
5.  Heat ghee in a thick bottomed vessel, add mustards and once they crackle, add the finely chopped onions.
6.  Once the onions turns transparent add the diced carrotsand stir fry till the edges turn light brown.
7.  Add the ground paste and salt, stir and cook till the water in the masala dries.
8.  Now add the soaked rice along with water and cook till the rice is done.
9.  Carrot pulav ready.  Serve hot with papad and raita.