Thakkali saadham / Tomato rice

 

I brought some attractive, reddish, juicy and ripe tomatoes. They looked very beautiful, I enjoyed clicking them :). I have two people in my home who love tomatoes crazily- my mom and my hubby. My mom's vegetable shopping is never complete without buying tomatoes and so is Rajender. Both of them love dishes made with tomato too.

The scientific name of tomato is Solanum lycopersicum. It is also called as love apple (!!!). Tomato plant is grown world-wide for its edible fruits.  There are 7500 varieties of tomatoes (surprising isn't it ?). Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which is a powerful anti-oxidant. The lycopene in tomatoes are better absorbed by our body when they are cooked or preserved. Lycopene offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases and some forms of cancer. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. 

The tomato rice I prepare will be more like a biriyani. I love the version without much spices too. Actually this recipe is very easy and can be prepared in a few minutes time.  Try this one-pot dish for a healthy, easy and enjoyable meal.

Ingredients :

Tomatoes- 4 nos

Onion-1 no

Basmati rice- 2 cups

Garlic- 4 pods

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies- 4 nos

Cardamom- 2 nos

Cloves- 3 nos

Cinnamon- 1/2 inch piece

Fennel seeds- 1/2 tspn

Red chilli powder- 1 tspn (adjust according to your taste)

Oil- 3 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

First grind half of the onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic and fennel seeds into a paste. Heat oil in a pressure cooker ( I prepared it in a pressure cooker, you can use rice cooker too). When the oil is hot add  cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. When they emit a nice aroma add the onions and saute well. Then add the ground paste and chilli powder. Saute until the raw smell disappears. Now add the cut tomatoes and saute till they become soft. To the above mixture add rice and mix well. Then add enough water  and salt to taste (I add 3 cups water for 2 cups of basmati rice). Close the pressure cooker and cook for 3 minutes after the first whistle comes. Remove from fire and open the cooker after 10 minutes or after the pressure is released.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Quality of toamto is very important. Look for ripe but firm, red tomatoes. Do not add too much spices. Very little will give a nice aroma and taste. The dish will be much tastier if the tomatoes are a bit sour. Happy cooking !!!

Vegetable pulao

  

When I am in a hurry and need a wholesome luch or dinner I prepare this vegetable pulao. Since I love my dishes to be colourful, I use whatever veggie I have, both fresh and frozen. I prepare this one pot meal in rice cooker and it will be ready in minutes. Tastes simple and great. Definitely a bachelor freindly recipe :).

Ingredients :

Basmati rice- 2 cups

Any veggie of your choice- 1-2 cups

Onion- 1 no

Green chilli-  4 nos

Gralic- 4 pods

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece

Fennel seeds- 1 tspn

Cardamom- 3 nos

Cinnamon sticks- an inch piece

Cloves- 4 nos

Oil- 4 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Slice onions,  mince green chillies, ginger and garlic. Heat oil in a pan. When it becomes hot add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and fennel seeds. When the fennel splutter add onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute well for two minutes. Now add all the diced vegetables. Suate for one minute. Now add the basmati rice and again saute for a minute. Now add enough water ( I normally add 3 glass of water for 2 cups of rice). Amount of water needed depends on the type of rice you use. Add salt to taste. Now transfer everything to rice cooker and cook until done. A very easy, quick and wholesome lunch or dinner will be ready. Serve with any raita of your choice.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Potato and green beans add nice flavour to the dish. If you wish you can add 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Replace this 1/2 cup of coconut milk for 1/2 cup of water.  Otherwise you can add 1 teaspoon of coconut milk powder. This tastes equally good. You can also add coriander leaves for extra flavour at the end of preparation. Replacing 1 tablespoon of oil with butter also adds taste to the dish. If you wish you can garnish with roasted cashews. Take care to add proper amount of water and not to make the rice mushy. Happy cooking !!!

Khichdi

 

For me, this dish carries with it many nice memories.  Before marriage, Rajender used to cook this one-pot meal very often. A very quick one to make and very satisfying too after a day of stessful work. Rajender used to have this with raw carrots and his mom's mango pickle as a side-dish. I too got used to it and whenever I make this khichdi, carrot+mango pickle will be our side-dish .  He uses toor dhal (thuvaram paruppu) for this khichdi while the norm is moong dhal (pasi paruppu) or bengal gram dhal (kadalai paruppu). But whatever it is, kichdi smells and tastes very good.

Ingredients :

Rice - 2 1/2 cups

Toor dhal- 1/2 cup

Onion- 1 (big variety)

Potato- 1 big

Green chillies- 5 nos

Curry leaves- some 15 leaflets

Jeera- 1 tspn

Turmeric- 1/4 tspn

Oil- 3 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Cut onions, green chillies and cube the potatoes into big pieces. Heat oil in a pan. When it is hot enough add the jeera seeds. When it splutters add minced onions, green chillies, curry leaves , cubed potato pieces and turmeric powder. Saute for few minutes until onions turn translucent. Now add water depending on how much the rice you use demands. I use 5 cups of water for 3 cups of rice+lentil. mixture Let the water boil. Now add enough salt and water+lentil mixture into it. Tranfer everything into a rice cooker. When done serve with any side-dish you would like. But mango pickle and carrot tastes awesome with it !!!

Taste enhancing tips : Just follow the recipe. Make it as simple as possible without the addition of any other items. This lentil, rice medley has a very nice aroma and you will love it. Happy cooking !!!