Methi leaves Pulao (Vendhaya Keerai Pulao)

Category: Rice Varieties
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Methi Leaves Pulao with Green peas

This is an easy pulao recipe using Methi leaves or Vendhaya keerai. There will be slight bitterness in these leaves  so while making for kids, I prefer to add other vegetables like green peas, carrots or potatoes along with it. 

Methi leaves Pulao

This is a quick recipe and goes well with any raita or plain curd.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup (I used Sona masoori rice)
• Methi leaves / Vendhaya keerai - 1 cup, tightly packed
• Oil / Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 3 
• Green Cardamom - 1
• Star anise - 1 
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1, thinly sliced
• Green chillies - 2 (adjust to taste)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 Tbsp  or Finely chopped garlic - 1/2 Tbsp
• Frozen green peas - 3/4 cup (Optional - Can substitute with 1 small carrot or potato)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Guacamole with Pinto Beans

 Category: Dip / Salad 
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking time: 15-20 mins for cooking the beans           
Servings: 2 Servings

Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are full of healthy, beneficial fats that help to keep you full and satiated. Pinto beans are extremely nutritious. They're an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and also rich in various antioxidants. 

Guacamole with Pinto beans!!

Guacamole is a dip made from ripe avocados and is originally from Mexico. There are so many variations for this recipe. I have already posted the Guacamole recipe here.

Lets give our guacamole a protein boost!!

This recipe is a very easy one, I have just added pressure cooked Pinto Beans into the guacamole to make it more nutritious and filling. 

We can have it as such as a salad or as a dip for tortilla chips, as a sandwich or taco filling. We have it as a side dish for roti this time :) This is also a quick-fix lunch option when we have the cooked beans ready.

Pinto beans Guacamole

Ingredients:

• Avocado, ripen - 1 big or 2 small
• Pinto beans - 1/2 cup (dry)
• Lime juice - from 1 lime / lemon
• Red Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
• Tomato  - 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Peas Masala - Creamy Version

Category: Gravy / Masala
Preparation Time: 10 mins + soaking time
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Servings: 3 servings

Peas Masala

Ingredients:

• Green Peas - 1/2 cup (I used dried peas)
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1/2 tbsp
• Cinnamon - 1 stick
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Star anise - 1 no
• Channa Masala Powder (Home made) - 1 tsp (can be replaced with 1/2 tsp of Garam Masala)
• Salt - to taste
• Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

To Saute & Grind:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Onion - 2 no, chopped
• Ripe Tomato - 1 no, chopped
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves
• Green chillies - 1-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, loosely packed

To grind: 

• Cashews - 6-7 nos, soaked in warm water for 10-15 mins
• Curd - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak dried peas overnight or for 4-6 hours; pressure cook it with enough eater, salt, cinnamon and cloves till it gets cooked but not mushy 
   
   
   
2. In a pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add chopped onion and garlic, saute for 2-3 mins until they become transparent. Then add the green chillies and chopped tomatoes and saute till they turn mushy. Finally add the coriander leaves and saute for 1 min and switch it off. Allow to cool down and grind to a fine paste
   
   
   
   
3. Grind soaked cashews with curd into a fine paste and keep it ready
   
4. Heat Oil in a pan, once it becomes hot add Bay leaf and Star anise, fry for 30 secs
   
5. Add the ground onion-tomato paste and saute for 2 mins
   
6. Add the Cashew paste and saute for another 2-3 mins in low flame
   
7. Add the Channa Masala powder and saute in low flame till oil starts separating
   
   
   
   
8. Now add the cooked peas (along with cooked water) and saute for 1 min
   
9. Add milk and little water if required and allow to cook in low to medium flame till the peas get blended with masala
   
   
   
   
10. Switch it off and add crushed Kasoori Methi
    
11. Garnish with coriander leaves
    
12. Serbe hot with Rotis / Chapathis!
    

Rajma Kuzhambu for Rice (South Indian Style Kidney Beans Curry)

Category:  Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins + Soaking Time
Cooking Time: 30 - 40 mins
Servings: 3-4 Servings

Rajma Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Rajma / Kidney Beans - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp
• Small Onions, halved - 7-8 nos
• Garlic, chopped - 4-5 cloves
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chiily, broken - 1 no
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required
• Coriander leaves - 2-3 stalks
• Tamarind extract - from a small lemon sized tamarind

To Saute and Grind:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Small Onions - 12-15 nos or Big Onion, chopped - 1 no 
• Tomato, chopped - 1 no
• Garlic - 4-5 cloves
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kuzhambu Masala Powder (Home made) - 1 tbsp*
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut, grated - 1/3 cup

*Home made Kuzhambu Masala powder is already spicy so I didnt add any Red chilly powder; If we dont have the Masala Powder we can replace it with Coriander and Chilly powder

Method:

1. Soak the Rajma beans for 7-8 hrs or overnight and then pressure cook it with required salt and enough water for 5-6 whistles or until it gets cooked
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add small onions followed by garlic and saute for few mins 
3. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and saute for another few mins till the tomato gets well sauted and raw smell goes off
4. Once the tomato gets cooked, switch off and add fennel seeds, Kuzhambu Masala powder, turmeric powder and give a quick mix
5. Allow the mixture to cool down and then grind with fresh coconut to a fine paste
   
   
   
   
6. Heat Sesame oil in a pan, once it gets hot add the mustard seeds, followed by Channa dhal, Urad dhal, Curry leaves, methi seeds and fry till dhal turns golden brown
   
7. Add the small onions and garlic and saute well
   
8. Add the cooked Rajma along with the water used for cooking and mix well
   
9. Then add the ground masala paste, water if required; mix well and check for salt
   
10. Allow to cook in low to medium flame for 10-15 mins till the oil gets separated and the Rajma gets blended with the masala
    
11. Then add the tamarind extract and allow to boil for few mins
    
12. Switch off, garnish with coriander leaves
    
13. Serve hot with rice!
    

Pattani Sadham (Green Peas Rice) - Home Style

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 15 mins + 5-6 hrs soaking time
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings:For 2-3 persons

Pattani Sadham is one of my (and all my friends') favourite lunch box meal during my school/college days and my mom is an expert in these one pot lunch box meals:) I tried to adapt my mom's method and it turns out good. Addition of coconut milk makes it more flavourful and it can be had with spicy veg gravy! Since it's not having strong masala flavour, kids will surely like it. For this I personally prefer dried peas over the frozen ones.

Pattani Sadham

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Green Peas (Dried Peas) - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1-2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Star anise - 1 no
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Green chillies, slitted - 2-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

For Spice-flavoured coconut milk:

• Fresh coconut, chopped - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Cloves - 2-3 nos
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Water - as required

Method:

1. Soak the dried peas for 4-6 hrs and pressure cook with little salt for 2-3 whistles. Cooked peas should be firm and not mushy
   
2. Wash and soak rice for 30 mins
3. Take the ingredients under grinding in a blender/ mixie, add required water and grind to a smooth paste. Using strainer, extract the spice-flavoured coconut milk. We can grind and strain the extract 2-3 times until we extract all the liquid. Make sure the extract comes to about 1.5- 2 cups
   
4. Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker / pan, add bay leaf, star anise and fry for 30 secs
   
5. Add the sliced onion, sprinkle a pinch of salt, saute till it becomes golden brown and then add the green chillies, saute for a min
   
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute till the raw smell goes off
   
7. Add the cooked peas and saute for a min
   
8. To this add the drained rice, required salt (since we had add salt for peas, adjust accordingly)
   
9. Measure and add the required spiced coconut milk, around 2 cups
   
10. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 5 mins, switch off and allow to cook in the steam itself Or we can cook using electric rice cooker
    
11. Allow to sit for 15 mins before mixing
12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any kurma / raita
    

Peas-Paneer Paratha

Category: Chapati / Paratha   
Preparation Time: 15 mins + 6-8 hrs of soaking time   
Waiting Time: 30 mins      
Cooking Time: 20 mins      
Servings: For 2 persons

Peas Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

For dough:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
• Salt- to taste
• Ajwain / Omam-  a pinch
• Warm Water - as required (Here I used Whey water left over from paneer making)

For Stuffing:

• Green Peas, dried - 1/2 cup (I felt Dried peas gives nice texture than frozen / fresh ones)
• Paneer, grated - 1 cup (Home made Paneer)
• Oil -1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Small onions - 6-8 nos
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp / Green chilly, minced - 1 no
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur Powder - a pinch
• Coriander leaves, chopped - 1-2 tbsp 
• Salt - to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - for dusting
• Ghee / Oil - for toasting
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Clove - 1 no

Method:

1. Soak the dried green peas overnight or for 6-8 hrs
   
2. Drain the water and pressure cook the peas with 1 bay leaf, 1 clove, little salt and required water for 3-4 whistles
3. Once it gets cooked well, drain the water (can be used to knead dough or for gravy) and coarsely ground in a blender for few secs - should be in crumbly texture
   
4. In a wide bowl, take 2 cups of wheat flour, ajwain seeds and required salt, mix well and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water / whey water. Keep aside for atleast 30 mins and prepare the stuffing
5. Grate the paneer cubes and set aside
   
6. Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and once it crackle, add the ginger-garlic paste and minced chilly (if using) saute for 30 secs , then add finely chopped onion and saute for 3-4 mins
   
7. Add the cooked peas, saute for a min
   
8. Then add the dry masala powders and required salt, saute till the raw smell goes off
9. Add the grated paneer and coriander leaves,mix well
   
10. Allow the stuffing to cool down
    
11. Divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls, dust them with flour, flatten them to a small thick circle
    
12. Place about 2 tbsp of stuffing inside, cover it up and then roll again to a thin paratha
    
13. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface
    
14. Turn over and cook the other side
    
15. Once it's cooked, spread a little ghee / oil on the paratha and transfer to plate or place it in hot box till you serve
    
16. These parathas are soft and tasty; you can have it with plain curd / any raita