Ingredients:

• Mushrooms (white button)- diced 1/4-1/2 lb
• Onion – 1 medium chopped
• Tomatoes – 1 medium chopped
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Green chillies – 1 slit
• Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala items – saunf – 1/4 tsp, cinnamon stick – 1, bay leaf – 1, cloves – 2 or substitute with 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Rice (basmati) – 2 cups

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat oil and add the garam masala items. Then, add the onions, saute for a while. Then, add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute. Then add the chilli, coriander,turmeric powders,salt and tomatoes and mix well. Add a little water. Then, add in the diced mushrooms and fry for a while. When the mushroom is half done, add in the rice and mix well. To this add, 3.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat (so that the rice doesnt get burnt and stick to the bottom of the cooker). Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Make sure not to overcook the rice. Be sure to add the right amount of water depending on the rice you use. Serve with chips and raita.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal – 3/4 cup
• Rice – 1 1/4 cups
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Ginger – 1/4 inch finely chopped
• Green Chillies – 2 slit halfway
• Cashews – 1 tbsp
• Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves – 7
• Salt – to taste
• Ghee – 3 tbsp or to taste

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, cook the rice and dal together with green chillies, ginger, asafoetida and salt adding around 4-5 cups water. (The dal should be well done and smashed along with the rice).

In a small pan, heat the ghee, fry the cashews till roasted and set aside. Then in the same pan with the remaining ghee, fry the pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves and pour the entire mixture into the cooked rice and dal. Add in the roasted cashews. Mix well. if needed, can heat some more ghee and add to this.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: You can also crush the black pepper into a coarse mix and add instead of using whole black pepper. Serve with pickle or any hot chutney or sambhar, coconut chutney.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal – 1/2 cup
• Rice – 1 1/2 cups
• Garlic – 6 cloves
• Onions – 1 medium finely sliced
• Green Chillies – 2 slit halfway
• Garam Masala items – cinnamon stick – 1, cloves – 3, bay leaf – 1
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 4 tbsp

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat oil, add the garam masala items and then the onions. Saute for a while. Then, add the garlic, and saute till the nice smell of garlic starts to come out. Then add the green chillies, salt, rice and dal. Add 4-5 cups of water. Mix well. Pressure cook till the rice and dal is done.
Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Note that the dal and rice should be cooked well so add more water than you made do when preparing ven pongal. Serve with pickle or any hot chutneys or curries.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Capsicum (Green Peppers)- diced 1/4 lb
• Onion – 1 medium chopped
• Tomatoes – 1 medium chopped
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Green chillies – 1 slit
• Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala items – saunf – 1/4 tsp, cinnamon stick – 1, bay leaf – 1, cloves – 2 or substitute with 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Rice (basmati) – 2 cups

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat oil and add the garam masala items. Then, add the onions, saute for a while. Then, add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute. Then add the chilli, coriander,turmeric powders,salt and tomatoes and mix well. Add a little water. Then, add in the diced capsicum and fry for a while. When the veggie is half done, add in the rice and mix well. To this add, 3.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat (so that the rice doesnt get burnt and stick to the bottom of the cooker). Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Make sure not to overcook the rice. Be sure to add the right amount of water depending on the rice you use. Serve with chips.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Rice – 1 cup
• Toor Dal – 1/2 cup
• Veggies – Potatoes – 2, Drumstick – 1, Radish – 1, Carrot – 1, Peas – 1/4 cup (can use a combination of these veggies or one or two of them as preferred)
• Tamarind Paste – 1 tsp
• Onions – 2 medium finely sliced (or small onions – 10 – these are preferred)
• Cashews – 1 tbsp (optional)
• Oil/Ghee – 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves – 6
• Salt – to taste

To make the sambhar powder:

• Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
• Red Chillies – 7
• Feungreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
• Gram Dal – 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick – 1
• Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Method :

In a dry pan, fry the items to make sambhar powder and grind them to a coarse powder (Note: Don’t grind it to a very fine powder)

Cook the rice and dal in a pressure cooker adding a pinch of salt. Cook the veggies in a separate pan and set aside.
In a large pan, heat ghee/oil, splutter mustard seeds, add the onions and saute for a while. Then add the curry leaves. Then add the boiled veggies. Add tamarind paste and little water, salt and the ground sambhar powder. Let the mixture come to a boil. Then, add the? cooked rice and dal and mix well. Top this with coriander leaves for garnish and a little ghee.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: It is best if the rice is slightly overcooked for this preparation. Serve with chips, or appalam/pappad. You can vary the preparation by making it plain without any veggies or just use 1 or 2 veggies.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Rice – 1 cup
• Mixed Veg – 1 to 1 1/2 cup (or chopped carrots, green beans, cauliflower, peas )
• Green Chillis – 2 (slit them open) (if not available, substitute with 1/2 tsp more chilli powder)
• Onions – 1 (sliced)
• Tomatoes – 1 medium (sliced)
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
• Dhania powder(coriander powder) – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp (or garam masala items like cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, sombu etc)
• Salt – to taste
• Oil

Method:

Heat oil in the cooker, put garam masala items, then add the sliced onions and saute for a while. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute for a couple of mins. Then, add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and fry for a minute. Then, add the tomatoes and mixed vegetables. Fry this mixture for a while till the veggies are covered with the masalas. Then, add the rice and required amount of water and salt. Pressure cook for 5 -10 minutes.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Make sure not to overcook the rice. Be sure to add the right amount of water depending on the rice you use. Serve with chips.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Brinjals/eggplant – diced 1/2 lb
• Onion – 1 medium chopped
• Tomatoes – 1 medium chopped
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Green chillies – 1 slit
• Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala items – saunf – 1/4 tsp, cinnamon stick – 1, bay leaf – 1, cloves – 2 or substitute with 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Rice (basmati) – 2 cups
• Mint leaves (optional) – a few

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat oil and add the garam masala items. Then, add the onions, mint leaves and saute for a while. Then, add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute. Then add the chilli, coriander,turmeric powders,salt and tomatoes and mix well. Add a little water. Then, add in the diced brinjals and fry for a while. When the veggie is half done, add in the rice and mix well. To this add, 3.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat (so that the rice doesnt get burnt and stick to the bottom of the cooker). Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Make sure not to overcook the rice. Be sure to add the right amount of water depending on the rice you use. Serve with chips.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Onions – 1 medium chopped
• Tomatoes – 3 chopped
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Garlic – 3 cloves – roughly chopped
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Rice – 1.5 cups

Method: Heat the oil in a pan, splutter the mustard seeds, then add the onions and garlic and saute for a while. Then add the tomatoes and chilli,coriander powders and salt with some water and allow to cook till the oil comes out on top. Cook the rice separately adding 2.5 to 3 cups of water for 1.5 cups of rice (depending on whether you are using regular rice or basmati). Take portions of the rice and mix well with the tomato masala prepared until you have exhausted all the rice and masala. Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Serve hot with chips or papads.
• Cooking time: 30 min
• Serves 5
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Onion – 1 big sliced
• Tomatoes – 3 medium chopped
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Green chillies – 1 slit
• Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala items – saunf – 1/4 tsp, cinnamon stick – 1, bay leaf – 1, cloves – 2 or substitute with 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Rice (basmati) – 2 cups
• Mint leaves (optional) – a few

Method:

In a pressure pan/cooker, heat oil and add the garam masala items. Then, add the mint leaves, onions, saute for a while. Then, add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute. Then add the chilli, coriander,turmeric powders,salt and tomatoes and mix well. Add a little water. Then, add in the rice and mix well. To this add, 3.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then pressure cook for 1-2 whistles on medium heat (so that the rice doesn’t get burnt and stick to the bottom of the cooker). Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Miscellaneous:

• Tips: Make sure not to overcook the rice. Be sure to add the right amount of water depending on the rice you use. Serve with chips.
• Serves 4-5
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

• Concentrated Lime or Lemon juice – 4 tbsp (extracted from 2 medium sized lemons)
• Split urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Gram Dal – 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves – 7
• Dry Red Chillies – 2 or 3
• Green Chillies – 1 (finely chopped) (optional)
• Salt – to taste
• Rice – 2 cups
• Oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

Cook the rice separately adding 4 cups water and allow to cool.

In a pan, heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds, then add the urad dal, gram dal, chillies and curry leaves and fry till the dals turn a slight brown. Then, add the lemon juice with little water and turmeric and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Then add this mixture to the rice and mix thoroughly.

Miscellaneous Info:

• Tips: Depending on the tanginess preferred, you can adjust the lemon juice proportion. Serve with any hot side dish or fried items, or chips.
• Cuisine: Indian
• Cooking Time: 20 min
• Serves 4-5