Flavorful and Easy Green lentils and rice

There was a time when I didn't know the difference between green lentils and whole masoor dal or red lentils. Since they both looked the same I thought they both are one and the same. Since I didn't use either of the lentils that much, I didn't know the difference in their cooking times either. Now I know the they both are different, other than the looks which is the whole red lentils are kind of smaller than the green lentils and where as the green lentils cook much faster than red lentils, which cook for a way longer time or have to be pressure cooked.

There is a Greek rice dish which is made of these green lentils known as 'Majadra'" which is cooked with lots of caramelized onions and garlic. A very flavorful 'Pilaf' as they call it!
This is a twist on that dish....the twist being making it Indianized with addition of Garam masala and ginger garlic paste. I left out adding green chillies and making it more spicier, but for the adult version, I think you should add few chopped green chillies and add more chilli powder. When I make this for my kids, I can't stop eating it, because I love having whole lentils in rice. It surely gives a whole new texture to the rice.

To make this rice, you will have to be little bit of prepared, as you to boil the lentils for about 10 minutes before making the dish. The lentils should be only cooked so much that they don't loose their wholeness or split open or become mushy. When you check if they are cooked, there should still be a slight bite to it. They will cook completely when you cook them again as a dish.
It makes for a yummy one pot meal, as well as a nutritious lunch box dish for kids or adults.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup green lentils, washed and boiled for 10 min
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 piece onion, cut lengthwise
1/4 piece of tomato, chopped
coriander leaves for garnish

Pinch of shah jeera or kala jeera
pinch of jeera, cumin seeds
1/4 ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp chilli powder
pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:

Wash and boil the lentils, till they are tender but not split open or mushy. Takes about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the shahi jeera and jeera. Let them splutter.
Now add the drained lentils.
Add the some salt and add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
Add the chopped tomato, along with turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, till the tomatoes are soft.
Add the chopped onions and saute for about a minute.
Add the cooked rice and some more salt. Mix well. Cover and cook for another couple of minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot or warm.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Instant Egg rice (with Dhaniyalu podi or coriander lentil powder)

If I ask my little one what should I make for lunch, he will reply Peas rice....little does he know that egg also goes into it and its more like an Egg rice instead of a Peas rice.
He doesn't mind eating it everyday, only I do get bored of making it everyday! I guess he just likes the taste of what goes into it!
He will say I don't like onions..don't feed me onions, but then he sees that rice and say..thats fine, just feed me the onions, I like the onions in peas rice.
Well here is his version of 'peas rice' and my version of 'Instant Egg rice' :) Both being same!
All you need to have is the Dhaniyalu podi (which we use as idli or dosa podi too) on hand and if you have some leftover rice, its very quick to make.
Comes in handy when you are pressed for time and want something to do done very quick! For adult version, add some chopped green chilies and spike the chili powder! :)


Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 egg
1/4 cup peas (frozen or fresh)
small piece of onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
pinch of turmeric
pinch of chilli powder
1-2 tsp dhaniyalu podi / coriander lentil powder
1 tsp of oil
salt to oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai.
Add the egg and scramble it well.
Add the onions and saute for a minute.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute it well.
Add the peas and some salt and cook for couple of minutes till they are cooked.
Now add the rice along with all the powders (turmeric, chilli powder, and the dhaniyalu podi). Mix everything up well. Add salt to taste.
GArnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Easy Okra Rice / Lady's finger Rice / Bendi Rice

Bendakaya is the most popular vegetable in my house. Every week we have to have Bendi fry or any dish which has Bendi in it. I use it in rasams, sambars and pulusus too! My kids, along with me love it a lot and so no one had any complaints when I make any dish with okra. I just wish I had a constant supply of okra all the time! :) well my grocer is not too bad in carrying fresh ones most of the time.

So having this is in lunch box it surely a hit. In lunch box I mean as lunch as my kids rarely take rice to school!
I sometimes even add a few pieces of cashew nuts to this rice and it tastes yummy! This is surely for the kids who love bendi and cashews!

This dish is pretty easy to make, all you need is a few bendi on hand along with cooked rice. Bendi doesn't take much time to cook and cutting like about 10 bendi in the morning isn't much of a hassle. You can always cut them the day before and have them ready for you to use.

Ingredients:

10 Okra, cut into small pieces
1 cup cooked rice
1 small piece of onion, chopped

pinch of urad dal
pinch of mustard seeds
pinch of jeera or cumin seeds
1 dry red chili, broken
few curry leaves
salt to taste
pinch of chili powder (optional)(as per taste)
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp of oil
garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin.
After the brown and splutter, add the red chili, curry leaves and onions.
Saute till translucent.
Add the cut bendi and salt, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the bendi is cooked through.
Add the chili powder, turmeric and saute well.
Add the cooked rice and mix it up well with the cooked bendi.
(If you want to add cashews, add them just before you add onions and them brown a little)
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve warm or hot. Pack in a hot box for lunch. I don't mind eating it cold either :).
Enjoy!!!


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Easy Channa or Chick pea rice

Having Canned or frozen channa / Chick peas on hand is quite useful for those rushed mornings.
When using canned chick peas, you don't even have to cook for long. I usually soak channa overnight and then freeze them, so that I have them ready whenever needed. Any kind of chick peas is fine. While you find of white or kabuli channa for the canned ones, we can always get black and the littler ones at the Indian grocery always (along with the big white ones too).
To make a rice using chick peas doesn't take much time at all. I like to to add a little bit of ginger garlic paste along with tomato and some garam masala to make it flavorful and yummy to eat for the kids. I don't use much chili powder of green chilies but to make an adult version, go ahead and increase the amount of chili powder and add some chopped green chilies to spike up the spice intensity.

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice
1/3 cup frozen of canned chick peas or channa
1/4 piece of onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste
1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp chili powder
pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai. Add onions and saute till translucent.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 sec before adding the tomatoes.
Add the chick peas and some salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till the chick peas are cooked.
Add the turmeric, chili powder and garam masala and saute for another couple of minutes.
Add in the cooked rice and mix it up well the cooked chick peas.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve warm or pack it in a hot box.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Quick and easy Carrot rice

Here is another simple and easy dish which I am sure your kids will enjoy! My kids do and I love to eat it with them. Its pretty quick and very easy to make when you have cooked rice ready. If you are going to make this the kid's lunch box, you can always grate or shred the carrot the night before and keep it ready. Shredding one carrot doesn't take much time and therefore this rice get ready very quickly!

I don't use ginger garlic paste in this preparation but if you want to use it, don't hesitate. I just keep it simple and easy with just a some tempering.
Remember not to cook the carrot too much or over cook it, as it could get mushy. Even if there is a slight crunch in the carrot, it won't be that noticeable and I am sure the kids will enjoy it.

For an adult version of this similar rice, add some chopped green chilies and step up the spice level by adding  some chili powder to it!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 medium sized carrot, grated or shredded
1 small piece of onion, chopped

pinch of mustard seeds
pinch of cumin / jeera seeds
pinch of urad dal
pinch of turmeric powder
1 red chili, broken
few curry leaves
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste
1 tsp of oil


Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the urad dal, mustard and jeera.
After they start spluttering, the red chili and curry leaves.
Add the carrot and saute for a minute. Since its shredded or grated, it doesn't take much time to cook.
Add the cooked rice along with salt and turmeric. Mix it up well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves if you wish.
Serve it warm or hot.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Quick Egg and Green onion Rice

Eggs are very common in my house. I use them almost everyday. There might be a day or two when I may not use them but my fridge is always stocked with eggs. Though we don't eat more than 1 per person per day, I think having one per/day is good for your health.
Egg burji and hard boiled egg dishes are a favorite of my old son and my husband. My younger one prefers them little lesser than the older one. For this reason, for him its mostly burji or mixed up in rice type of dishes, where he won't know its presence in a dish.

Here is a dish where the protein 'egg' is mixed with rice and green onion otherwise known as the greens of the scallions. This dish doesn't have any masalas in it. You are welcome to add some and make it how your prefer it. Rice is sauteed with ginger garlic paste, salt and bit of pepper for taste.
This rice is better when eaten warm or hot, so remember to pack it as a hot pack lunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice
1 egg
few chopped green scallion leaves
1/4 onion, chopped

1 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add the egg. Scramble it on medium heat till its cooked.
Add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
Add the rice along with some salt and pepper. Toss them all together.
Cover and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the green onions.
Serve hot or warm.
Enjoy!!!


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Easy Paneer and Peas rice - BM # 13

HI Guys...I am back again with Blogging Marathon # 13....the only reason why my blog gets some blogs posted by me! The only way I get up and do something for the blog, otherwise my busy life just takes over and I don't find enough time to blog hop or even write up posts!

I always promise myself to write and be regular but that doesn't seem to happen very often! Something or the other has to happen...this time around its the crashing of the laptop! I thought I won't be able to participate this time around, but thankfully my hubby fixed a working station..a combo of a old laptop and an old computer screen, which seems to be working when it has a mood to work!! I just hope it will cooperate with me and not stop for the next 7 days!

So for this Marathon, I decided to go with the Easy Lunch Box Recipes for kids made of rice. We should really Thank Srivalli for having so much patience and thought in bringing all this together with amazing themes every month.

Coming to the theme, my kids don't take rice to school, at least my older one does not and will not take rice to school...how much ever I plead with him. My younger one will, as long as it is something which he likes. I surely wish whatever they take, may the lunch box come back home empty...that will not happen either.

But make the same dish at home, they will complete it without asking any questions. So there is a gain and hope that someday that will happen in school too! So my recipes for this theme are all home tested and are eaten at home for lunch or rarely for dinner.

I prefer making easy lunches either for me or for them and not a routine dal and veggie curry which they have for dinner. This way it gives a variety and allows them to think they are having something different. 

As this is not going to have any other extra protein source, I rather mix it up with rice.

To make any of my instant rice versions, all you need to have in hand are onions, sometimes tomatoes, any protein source, ginger garlic paste, garam masala or any other podis or powders and some veggies if you wish.

Here is the recipe for an easy Paneer and Peas Rice. Here I mix up Paneer with some peas into some freshly prepared rice. Leftover rice also can be used. Adding some ginger garlic paste and garam masala makes the rice flavorful and yummy enough to eat!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice

1/4 cup Paneer pieces cut into small pieces

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 piece of onion, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

pinch of turmeric

Chili powder (optional - I do not use it for kids)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala (more or less)

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add in the paneer pieces.

When the paneer starts to brown, add the onion and frozen peas, along with some salt.

Once the peas are thawed, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or two.

Add the rice, turmeric, garam masala and some more salt. Mix to combine well. 

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!!!

If packing for school, make sure you pack it in a hot box, so that it will stay warm till lunch time.

To make an adult version - add more veggies and some chili powder.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Read More

Dhaniyalu Pappulu podi / Coriander and Lentil Powder

When ever my Mom or my MIL is here they used to make all the podis, garam masalas and pachadis for me. But these days I try to make them myself and learned that they are not very difficult to make.
This is a recipe I got from my MIL. Its called Dhaniyalu podi...My kids call it brown powder :)

Its a simple podi which is like a life saviour to me. My kids like to eat it with anything like idli, dosa or rice. If I give them this chapathi too...they will gladly eat it!
Since it has all the good ingredients like a masala, I even use it in flavoring rice. My younger one will eat it without making a fuss.
Whenever there is nothing much in the house...stir fry some veggies or even an egg to rice and flavor it with this powder and here you have an easy breezy dish ready in a jiffy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Chanaga pappu / Channa Dal
1/4 cup Minapa pappu / Urad dal
1/4 cup Dhaniyalu / Coriander seeds
20 dry red chilies (more or less)
2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 tbsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
6-7 cloves of garlic
1 golf ball sized tamarind / Chintapandu
Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast Channa Dal, urad dal til they are slightly brown in color.
Add the coriander and roast them too for a minute or two.
Add the red chilies and curry leaves, roast them all together for another couple of minutes.
Let this cool before adding the cumin seeds.
Grind this along with garlic, tamarind and salt.
This can be stored for a few months in an air tight container.
Serve with idli, dosa, or upma too or with hot rice and ghee.
Enjoy!!!

Read More

Martinelli's Vanilla Ice cream float for Valentine's Day

Hi Everyone! How is everyone doing? I hope you missed me :) just kidding!!

Hopefully my computer problems are solved for the time being and I will be able to blog more often! Well what can you say 'Technology'...its likes you or it doesn't!

But for sure I am loving my iPhone technology...as it has helped me in not missing a day of my photo blog :) I could use it very easily to post pictures right from my phone!
As I wanted to edit pictures for this blog, I couldn't use it as such! But that's fine, something better than nothing right! :)

With Valentine's day here already, I am sure you guys must be looking up recipes to make this day as special as it can be! Bakes and cakes, pinks and red, Chocolates and more chocolates, and every other thing which that special one is bound to fall in love with. Why only that special one, it can also be done to make yourself feel better, a pat in the back, a treat for yourself. :) Don't you think!?

If you are going out for dinner, then you are going to have a relaxing day, but if you are going to be preparing a special meal at home, like me, then be ready for a tiring whole lot of work! :) Well yes....its surely a whole lot of work, the tension of coming up with a meal plan and executing it...which may go well with the family or they might just smile or they might not even give a word of appreciation! Well even if that's the case, I will be preparing a home made meal for this Valentine's day and I chose items which I know all my family will enjoy and love!


So as a treat at the end of the day, I have decided to go for a ice cream float. My kids love this it surely is very delicious!

Floats are usually made of root beer and vanilla ice cream but who said we can't try out new flavors which are much more enjoyable than root beer. 

So I have decided to make it with what I have at home at that being "Martinelli's Sparkling apple cider" with vanilla ice cream...yum! :) Easy to put together and very much enjoyable as a dessert drink for that quiet candle light dinner or a enjoyable family time with the kids included!

** You can use any kind of sparkling soda or as a matter of fact any soda will be just fine...Choose your flavor! :) Orange soda, grape soda, ginger ale, sprite or coca cola or Pepsi even.

Ingredients:

8 oz of Martinelli's Apple cider (I had apple cider with berry flavor)
1 big scoop of Vanilla ice cream
Apple slices for garnish

Method:

In a glass, drop a scoop of ice cream and fill it up with the apple cider.
Garnish with Apple slices.

Enjoy!!!

Read More