Wash and soak the rice and dal for about 20-30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add in the finely chopped onions. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft. No need to brown the onions.

Add in the green chillies, tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Saute till the tomatoes are mushy.

Add in the vegetables and mix well to combine. Add in the 3 cups of water. Add in the soaked and drained dal and rice.

Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 5 whistles. Allow the pressure from the cooker to settle before opening.

Mix the khichdi well. If the khichdi is thick, dilute it with a little hot water to the consistency you like.

Tempering: Heat ghee in a small kadai. Add in the cumin seeds, sliced garlic and sliced shallots. Add in the curry leaves. Saute on a low flame till the shallots are nice and golden.

Top the khichdi with the tempering.

Serve hot with chips, appalam or omelette.

Rice – Wash and soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes. Drain the rice and add it to a pressure cooker. Add in the water and the salt. I use 1 rice : 1.5 water for cooking basmati rice. Cook for about 2 whistles. After the said whistles, remove from heat and let the pressure settle on its own. Open the cooker and fluff up the rice. Transfer the rice to plates and let it cool down. Set aside.

Crunch – Heat oil on a low flame. Garlic crunch needs to be made on a low flame. Add in the spices and the minced garlic. Saute on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes till it’s lite golden in colour. Add in the red chilli flakes and saute for a few seconds. Finally add in the soy sauce and the sugar. Saute for a minute more. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Discard the big spices like bay leaf, cinnamon etc..

Making the fried rice – Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok. Add in the finely chopped vegetables. Saute on a high flame for about 4-5 minutes. Once the veggies are half cooked, add in the salt and the casicum. We already salted the rice and the crunch has soy sauce that is salty. So go easy on the salt. We can always adjust the seasoning later if need be.

Add in the rice, garlic crunch, spring onions and the butter. Stir well. The little butter will make the rice very velvety.

Spicy chilli garlic crunch fried rice is ready.

Cooking the rice

Wash and soak the rice in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside. Add the drained rice to the pressure cooker. Add in the salt and the water. Cook for two whistles. Set aside for the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker, fluff up the rice and set aside to cool.

Eggs

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add in the salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk well. Heat oil in a pan. Add in the eggs and cook till the eggs are soft. Set aside.

Masala

Take in all the ingredients listed under egg rice masala to a small mixie. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Making the Egg Rice

Heat oil in a kadai or a wok. Add in the finely chopped onions and sauté till the onions are soft. Add in the sliced green chillies and the red chilli powder. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the masala paste and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add in the finely chopped cabbage and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until the cabbage is half cooked. Add in the salt and the sugar. Add in the soy sauce. Mix well to combine.

Add in the cooked rice, scrambled eggs and the coriander leaves. Mix well to combine. Egg rice is ready.

Coconut Milk Rice

Wash and soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Use good quality basmati rice and the links for the same can be found above.
Take a pressure pan ( I have used a 5 liter pressure pan) and add in the oil. Add in the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, kalpasi, star anise and fennel seeds. Saute for a few seconds. Add a few curry leaves. Add in the sliced onions and the ginger garlic paste. Add in the green chillies. If you like a spicy pulao, adjust the green chillies according to your taste. Saute till the onions are soft.
Once the onions are soft, add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Add in the garam masala. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Saute for a minute.
Add in the coconut milk and the water. We have used 1.5 cups of basmati rice and 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups of water. Since coconut milk is a little thick, 2 cups of water is necessary for the pulao to cook. Else it might scorch at the bottom. Mix well. Let it come to a boil.
Add in the soaked and drained rice to the pressure pan. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid and let it cook for 2 whistles or 5-6 minutes on a medium low flame. After the said time, remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure to settle. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and mix gently. The coconut milk rice is ready.

Egg Peas Masala

Take a pan and add in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Coconut oil is very flavourful and aromatic in this masala. If you do not like coconut oil, you can use any oil you like. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
Add in the sliced onions and the ginger garlic paste. Add in the green chillies. Adjust the green chillies  according to your taste. Saute till the onions are soft.
Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder and rock salt. Add in a little sugar to balance the taste. Saute for a few seconds.
Add in the finely chopped tomatoes and finely chopped coriander leaves. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Mash with a potato masher so the tomatoes are mushy and form a thick masala. Add in the green peas. Add about half a cup of water for the green peas to cook. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the green peas are soft.
In the meantime, hard boil the eggs and set aside. peel the shell and make little gashes on the egg so the masalas can penetrate. Add the prepared eggs to the pan. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for two more minutes so the egg masala can penetrate into the egg. Finally sprinkle little coriander leaves and remove the pan from heat. Egg Masala is ready.

We will be using brown cowpea today for making this recipe. Brown cowpea is preferred. The cowpea needs to be washed and soaked overnight in water. Soaking hard lentils overnight helps increase the bioavailability of the nutrients present. Cowpea is rich in protein and folic acid. A single seed can contain upto 25% protein. Do include cowpea in your diet if you are vegetarian. After soaking, the cowpea is ready to go into our pulav.

Let’s make the pulav
Take a pressure pan and add in coconut oil. Any oil is ok but coconut oil goes so well in this recipe. I used a 5 liter pressure cooker today to make this recipe.

Once the oil is hot, add in the whole spices. Add in a piece of cinnamon, a couple of cloves, a couple of cardamom and bay leaves and a small piece of star anise. Add in little fennel seeds along. Chop some curry leaves and add it to the pan. Add some chopped green chillies along.

Saute the spices and herbs for a few seconds. The spices should turn aromatic once sauteed in oil. Make sure not to burn the spices. Once the spices are aromatic, add in the chopped onions. Saute the onions until the onions are soft. It will take about 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Once the onions are soft and slowly starting to change color, add in the turmeric powder and the red chilli powder. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Saute the spice powders and the ginger garlic paste for a minute.

Add in a couple of tomatoes that are chopped fine. Mix well to combine. Add in the salt at this stage. Along with the salt, add in the mint leaves and coriander leaves. Make sure to chop the herbs and add to the pan. Mix well.

Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to avoid scorching at the bottom. Mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame for about five minutes. We are looking for the tomatoes to be mushy.

Tomatoes should be soft and mushy after about five minutes of cooking. Add in about two cups of water to the pan at this stage.

After adding the water, add in the soaked and drained cowpea to the pan. Mix well to combine. Check for seasoning at this stage and add in some salt if necessary. If you think the pulav needs more spice, throw in some green chillies if need be. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 15 minutes.

While the cowpea is cooking, let’s get the rice ready. I am using seeraga samba rice today. Seeraga samba rice is a short grained rice variety that is traditionally used for biryanis and pulav in Tamil nadu and certain parts of South India. If you cannot get hold of this rice, basmati rice will work just fine. Wash the seeraga samba rice in water once and soak the rice for about 15 minutes.

Once the cowpea is firm but tender, add in the rice. Drain the rice and then add it to the pan. Mix everything well. Add in juice of half a lime to the pan. After adding the lime juice, cover the pressure pan with a lid.

Make sure the flame is at a medium. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. About two whistles in an Indian style pressure cooker. After the said whistles, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to settle. Once the pressure settles, open the pan.

Gently fluff up the rice. If doing this dish for a party, add a couple of tablespoons of ghee at this stage to make this dish very rich. Our thatta payaru pulavu / cow pea pulao is ready to be served.

You can serve the pulav with fried vadagam or appalam.

I am using rakthashali, a variety of unpolished red rice, for making the khichdi today. Any unpolished red rice or brown rice variety will work for this recipe.
Add in about a quarter cup each of moong dal, toor dal and masoor dal. Wash the rice and lentils well a couple of times. If you cannot source red rice, brown rice works perfectly too. Wash and soak the rice and lentil mixture in water for atleast an hour. Soaking the rice is important as unpolished rice needs to be soaked, so they cook to a soft texture.
Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Add in little cumin seeds, finely chopped garlic, finely chopped ginger, chopped curry leaves and some asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds so the spices and herbs get toasted in oil.
Add the chopped onions to the pan. Add in the chopped green chillies. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the turmeric powder and the red chilli powder. Saute for a few seconds for the spice powders to get roasted in oil.
Add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the salt. Salt will help the tomatoes to cook faster. Saute for a few minutes till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
We will be using about 3 cups of vegetables today. Use whatever you have in your refrigerator. I have used a combination of roughly chopped spinach, chopped carrots, chopped green beans, some potatoes – potatoes add a nice texture and flavour to your khichdi. So definitely, use some potatoes, and finally some chopped radish. The kind of vegetables you use is completely up to you.
Add the veggies to the pan and mix well so the masalas coat the veggies evenly.
Add in about five cups of water and mix well to combine. After mixing well, wait for the water to come to a slow boil.
Once the water comes to a boil, add in the soaked and drained rice and lentil mixture. Mix once.
Cover the pressure cooker and add in the weight. Cook for 20 minutes. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for the remaining time. Ignore the number of whistles. Cooking on a low flame is important so the khichdi does not scorch at the bottom.
After the said time, wait for the pressure to settle naturally.
Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and mix well to combine. The rice and lentil mixture should be cooked to a soft and creamy consistency. The khichdi will slightly thicken up as it cools.
Now let’s do a quick tempering for the khichdi.
Heat ghee in a small kadai and add in the chopped garlic, sliced shallots and curry leaves. Saute till the shallots are golden and crisp.
At this stage, switch off the flame and add in the kashmiri red chilli powder. Let the chilli powder bloom in hot oil.
Add in the hot tempering to the khichdi. Our super healthy vegetable khichdi is ready.
Serve hot!

Here is how to make vegetable brinji

We will be using two cups of basmati rice for this recipe. Wash the rice in water. Once the rice is washed, soak in water for 20 minutes. Set aside.

We will be making the brinji in a pressure cooker today as it’s easy and fast. Add some ghee and vegetable oil to the pot. Add in the cloves, star anise, cardamom, bay leaves and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds.

Add in the sliced onions. Saute the onions till they are soft. It will take about 2-3 minutes. While the onions are cooking, let’s make a brinji paste. Take a small blender and add in the garlic, ginger, some green chillies – adjust the chillies according to your taste. Add in some fennel seeds and little water. Grind this mixture to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the pan. Add in the sliced tomatoes and the salt. Mix well to combine. At this stage, add in a little black pepper powder and turmeric powder. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few minutes till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Saute for a minute after adding the herbs.

We will be using three cups of mixed veggies. Use whatever veggies your family likes. I have used a combination of green peas, potatoes, carrots, green beans and chow chow. Use whatever you have in your refrigerator. Frozen green peas are what I have used today.

Add in the veggies to the pan and mix well to combine. Add in a cup of thick coconut milk. I have used canned coconut milk. Add in two cups of water. In total, that’s 3 cups of liquid made up of coconut milk and water. If using home made coconut milk, you can use a combination of first pressed milk and second pressed milk. In total we need three cups of liquid for this recipe.

After adding the liquid, mix well to combine. Let it come to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, add in the soaked and drained rice to the pan. Add in juice of half a lime at this stage. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 2 whistles on medium flame. It should take about 4-5 minutes. After the whistles, wait for the pressure to settle before opening.

In the meantime, get the croutons ready. Dice some bread slices into small squares. Deep fry these bread pieces in hot oil. While frying, keep turning them so they brown evenly on both sides. Remove the bread croutons and drain them on paper towels. They will be oily. Change the paper towels one or two times to drain off the excess oil.

Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and gently mix well. Add in our croutons to the cooked brinji and cover the pan with a lid and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

A delicious and tasty brinji is ready. Serve hot with a side of a simple yogurt raita and potato chips.

Here is how to do Paneer Fried Rice

We need a packet of Paneer – ie 200 grams for making this recipe. Cut the paneer into bite sized cubes. Instead of paneer, tofu can also be used.
Add the cubed paneer to a bowl. Add in a little salt. Add in a teaspoon of pizza seasoning powder. Add some red chilli flakes. Mix well to combine. Instead of pizza seasoning, you can also use any seasoning of your choice and it works well. Mix everything well and let it marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the marinated paneer. Roast the paneer for a few minutes till golden. Once the paneer is nicely brown and roasted, remove it from the pan and set aside to cool.

In the same pan, add a little more oil. Add in the finely minced garlic, finely minced ginger and the white root part of the spring onions. Saute for a few seconds.

Add in some finely chopped onions and carrots. Saute for a few minutes till the carrots are half cooked. Make sure to chop the carrots fine so they cook within minutes.

To the pan, add in some boiled sweet corn, boiled green peas, finely chopped yellow bell peppers and red bell peppers, soy sauce, little sugar to bring the flavours out, a little black pepper powder and some unsalted butter. The butter makes the fried rice glossy and delicious. Mix everything well.

Add the cooled rice to the pan. Add the cooked paneer at this stage. Add in some fresh chopped spring onions and mix everything well to combine.

Our delicious fried rice with paneer and vegetables is now ready. It is a perfect recipe for packing for your childrens lunch box and is healthy as its packed with veggies.

Enjoy!

Here is how I cooked the Rice

Add the basmati rice to a bowl and wash it gently in water once or twice. Soak the basmati rice in water for about 15-20 minutes. Soaking helps in keeping the rice fluffy and the rice will stay as single grains without becoming sticky.

Add the drained rice to a pressure cooker. Add little salt and the water. I used 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice today. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and add the whistle weight on. Cook for 2 whistles.

After the said whistles, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Open the cooker and gently fluff up the rice. Transfer the cooked rice onto a plate and set aside to cool. The rice for our fried rice is ready.

Frying The Chicken

Make sure to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. To the chicken, Add the spice powders, salt, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, egg white,  maida, and corn flour. Mix well.  Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes. Deep fry the chicken in hot oil for about 3-4 minutes till crispy. If the pieces are big, it will take more time to cook. Make sure not to crowd the kadai and cook in batches. Remove the fried chicken and drain on paper towels. Set aside on a plate to cool. Cut the fried chicken into small pieces so every bite of fried rice has a small piece of chicken in it.

For Cooking Rice (drain method)

Wash and soak Basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice to the hot water. Add a little salt and cook for a few minutes till the rice is cooked tender but firm. Drain on a colander and set aside.

For Scrambled Eggs

Take a small bowl and add the eggs and the yolk. Add the black pepper, and salt and whisk well to combine.
Heat a wok and add a little oil. I have used the oil that was used for deep frying as it is very flavourful. Add the egg mixture and cook till the eggs are scrambled. Remove the eggs from the wok and set aside on a bowl.

Making The Fried Rice

In the same wok, add oil. Add the spring onion (bottom part), green chillies, onions, and ginger garlic paste.  Cook for a couple of minutes. Add the veggies and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red chilli powder, black pepper powder, green chilli sauce, soy sauce and salt. Go easy on the salt as the sauces are already seasoned. Cook for a minute.
Add the cooked rice. Add the chopped capsicum, scrambled eggs and fried chicken. Mix well. Finally, finish with a generous sprinkling of spring onions. Serve hot.

Prep Work

Wash and soak the cowpea in water overnight.
Wash and soak the rice just before starting to cook.
Grind everything listed under masala paste to a fine paste.

Method

Take a pressure pan and heat little oil. Add the whole spices and the curry leaves. Add the sliced onions and saute till the onions are nice and brown.
Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Saute for a few seconds. Add the ground masala paste and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
Add the soaked and drained cowpea to the pan. Add the water and the salt and cook for about 15 minutes till the cowpea is almost 75% done.
Add the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Add the coconut milk. Add the soaked and drained rice and the lime juice. Mix well.
Cover the pan and cook for two whistles – It should take about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle.
Open the cooker and gently mix. Serve hot.

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Drain the water and add it to a 3-liter pressure cooker. Add water and salt. Cook for 2 whistles (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let the pressure settle. Open the cooker and transfer the rice to a plate. Let it cool completely.

Heat oil in a pan and add minced garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Add onion, capsicum, and salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft. Add the chopped mint leaves and red chili flakes. Add the cubed paneer. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the cooked rice, butter, and a little sugar. Toss well to combine. Finish with a generous sprinkling of spring onions.

Begin by washing the basmati rice and soaking it in water just before you start cooking.
Clean and devein the prawns, and set them aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the sliced onions. Sauté the onions until they turn nice and brown. This step is crucial as it adds flavor to the biryani.
Stir in the Kashmiri red chilli powder. This will impart a beautiful color to the biryani. Add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, and whole green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds to release their aroma.
Now, add the ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, salt, and garam masala powder. Mix everything well to combine. Add the plain curd and mix thoroughly. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes become mushy.
Add the cleaned prawns and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the hot water and lime juice. Add the soaked and drained rice, and mix everything together. Let it come to a boil.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid and give it a gentle stir. Cover again and reduce the flame to low. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes on low flame.
Finally, switch off the flame and allow the biryani to rest for 20 minutes before opening the lid.
Serve and enjoy this flavorful Madras Style Prawn Biryani with your favorite accompaniments!

Wash and soak the rice and dal for about 20-30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add in the finely chopped onions. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft. No need to brown the onions.

Add in the green chillies, tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Saute till the tomatoes are mushy.

Add in the vegetables and mix well to combine. Add in the 3 cups of water. Add in the soaked and drained dal and rice.

Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 5 whistles. Allow the pressure from the cooker to settle before opening.

Mix the khichdi well. If the khichdi is thick, dilute it with a little hot water to the consistency you like.

Tempering: Heat ghee in a small kadai. Add in the cumin seeds, sliced garlic and sliced shallots. Add in the curry leaves. Saute on a low flame till the shallots are nice and golden.

Top the khichdi with the tempering.

Serve hot with chips, appalam or omelette.

Rice – Wash and soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes. Drain the rice and add it to a pressure cooker. Add in the water and the salt. I use 1 rice : 1.5 water for cooking basmati rice. Cook for about 2 whistles. After the said whistles, remove from heat and let the pressure settle on its own. Open the cooker and fluff up the rice. Transfer the rice to plates and let it cool down. Set aside.

Crunch – Heat oil on a low flame. Garlic crunch needs to be made on a low flame. Add in the spices and the minced garlic. Saute on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes till it’s lite golden in colour. Add in the red chilli flakes and saute for a few seconds. Finally add in the soy sauce and the sugar. Saute for a minute more. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Discard the big spices like bay leaf, cinnamon etc..

Making the fried rice – Heat a teaspoon of oil in a wok. Add in the finely chopped vegetables. Saute on a high flame for about 4-5 minutes. Once the veggies are half cooked, add in the salt and the casicum. We already salted the rice and the crunch has soy sauce that is salty. So go easy on the salt. We can always adjust the seasoning later if need be.

Add in the rice, garlic crunch, spring onions and the butter. Stir well. The little butter will make the rice very velvety.

Spicy chilli garlic crunch fried rice is ready.