Indian Rice Recipes: Ghee Rice Recipe

Ghee rice is a delicious Indian rice dish made with Ghee, the Indian Clarified Butter and spices to give the rice flavor and aroma. As a side dish you can use a non-vegetarian side like Butter Chicken or vegetarian side dish like Vegetable Korma.

Ingredients for Ghee Rice Recipe

• Rice – 2 cups (jeera samba rice or basmati rice or sona masuri rice)
• Green chilly – 10 nos
• Tomato – 2 nos (medium, chopped finely)
• Onion – 2 medium sized made into paste
• Ginger Garlic paste – 4 tbsp
• Beans – 1/4 cup
• Carrot – 1/4 cup
• Peas – 1 cup
• Clove – 6 nos
• Cinnamon – 1 stick
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Star anise – 1 no
• Cardamom – 3 nos
• Kasturi Methi – 1 tsp
• Cashew nut – 8 nos
• Ghee – 3 tbsp
• Oil – 4 tbsp
• Coconut milk – 2 cups
• Water – 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serving: 3 to 4 people

Cooking Method for Ghee Rice Recipe

1. Take a rice cooker on medium heat and add ghee and oil.
2. After a couple of minutes add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise and cardamom.
3. Then add  onion paste. Stir the mixture and sauté till the raw smell of onion vanishes.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes.
5. Then put green chilly, cashew nuts and cook for 3 more minutes.
6. Add tomato, peas, carrot and beans with 1 tsp of salt. Cook till tomatoes are mushy.
7. At this point add coconut milk and water. Bring the contents to boil.
8. Then add some more salt to taste and put rice.
9. Close the lid and cook till 1 or 2 whistles or 15 minutes on low heat.

The Ghee Rice is now ready to be served. Serve Ghee Rice with a side dish like Vegetable Korma or with any non-vegetarian gravy like Butter Chicken.

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Vegetable Pulao Recipe

Vegetable Pulao is a flavored rice recipe which includes cooking rice with vegetables and spices. Long-grained rice varieties like Basmati are the best for preparing Pulao. You can also use Sona Masoori or Jeera Samba rice. In this recipe I have also used coconut milk, mint and coriander for added aroma and flavor.

 

Ingredients for Vegetable Pulao Recipe

• 2 1/2 cup Basmati
• 2 Onions (long slices)
• 2 Big Tomatoes
• 15-20 Beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2-3 Carrots (cut into pieces)
• 1 1/2 cup Cauliflower
• 1 cup Peas
• 1 tbsp Mint leaves (chopped)
• 1 tbsp Coriander leaves
• 1/3 cup Oil
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 4 Cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp Kasuri methi (dry Fenugreek leaves)
• 3 Marathi Moggu (What’s this)
• 1 Star Anise
• 3 Cardamom
• 1 1/2 cup Coconut milk
  TIP: If you don’t have canned coconut milk you can prepare it yourself. Grate one coconut. In a blender grind the grated coconut with one cup of lukewarm water for a few minutes. Then strain through a fine sieve to get the coconut milk.
• Salt to taste

Grind the following ingredients into a thick paste:

• 20-22 Green Chilies
• 1 hand full of Mint (Pudina) leaves
• 1 hand full of coriander (Cilantro) leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 6 Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Peppercorn
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Dhania (Coriander) powder
• 1/2 medium sized Onion
• 4 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste 

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serving: 4 people

Vegetable Pulao Recipe Cooking Method

1. First wash and soak the Basmati rice for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Take a pressure cooker or deep pan. Add oil and when it is hot add Bay leaves, Cinnamon stick, Cloves, Kasuri methi, Marathi Moggu, Star Anise and Cardamom.
3. After a minute or so add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Then put all the vegetables and 1 tsp salt.  Cook for 6 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and cook them till they are mushy or pulpy.
6. Then put the paste that was prepared earlier and mix well.
7. Cover and cook on simmer till oil separates.
8. Add coconut milk and 2 cups of water required for the rice to be cooked.
9. When the contents come to a boil. Taste the liquid and add salt if required.
10. Now add rice, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
11. Close the lid and cook till you hear 1 whistle (pressure release) if your using a pressure cooker. If you are using a deep pan then cook till most of the water dries up. You will know the rice is done when you press a grain between your thumb and index finger and it squishes completely. And you are done!

Serve piping hot Vegetable Pulao with tomato, onion and cucumber raita.

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Peas Rice Recipe with spices

The Peas Rice recipe has long been prepared in our household for generations. I learnt this from my mother. Traditionally it used to be prepared with broken rice. But I have used basmati rice.

Peas Rice Recipe Ingredients

• Rice – 2 1/2 cups
• Green chilly – 15 nos (split lengthwise)
• Tomatoes – 2 (medium sized)
• Onion – 2 nos (Big sized chopped length wise)
• Garlic – 8 nos (crushed)
• Ginger – 1 inch (crushed)
• Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Mint leaves – 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Peas – 1 cup
• Clove and Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf – 1 nos
• Star Anise – 1 nos
• Cardamom – 3 nos
• Marathi Moggu – 2 nos
• Kasuri methi – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Oil – 1/3 cup
• Salt to taste

Peas Rice Recipe Cooking Method

1. Wash the rice and soak it in water for 10 minutes.
2. Take a rice cooker and add oil. When oil is heated put all the spices (Bay leaf, Star Anise, Cardamom, Marathi Moggu, Kasuri methi) in.
3. Add crushed ginger and crushed garlic. Sauté for 4 minute.
4. Then add onion,green chilly and sauté for 5 more minutes.
5. Now add coriander and mint leaves, mix well and cook for 2 additional minutes.
6. Then add tomatoes and turmeric. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
7. Add peas and mix well. Cook for 4 minutes and add water.
8. Bring it to boil and add salt.
9. Put rice and clove & cinnamon powder.
10. Now close the cooker lid and cook till your hear 1 whistle.

Serve hot with raitha or pudina chutney! Also try out other Rice recipes.

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Tomato Rice Recipe

Tomato Rice recipe is a simple south indian vegetarian recipe and one of my husband's favourite recipes. As the names indicates tomato is the main ingredient in this recipe with onions, rice and spices.

You can also add green peas if you wish but do not add any other vegetables. Increase or decrease the spices depending on how spicy you want the recipe to be. So lets get started!

Tomato Rice Recipe Ingredients

• Tomatoes - 5 large chopped
• Peas - 3/4 cup (Optional)
• Rice (Basmati or Sona Masoori) -  1 1/2 cups
• Onion - 2 medium sized (long slices)
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 1/2 to 4 tbsp
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 nos
• Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tbsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2 nos
• Cloves or Laung - 5 nos
• Cinnamon - 2 sticks
• Cardamom or ilaichi - 2 nos
• Star anise (What is this?) - 1 nos
• Marathi Moggu - 2 nos
• Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1/3 cup

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 3-4 people 

Tomato Rice Recipe Cooking Method

1. First wash and soak rice for 15 minutes in water. Drain water and keep it aside.
2. Take a heavy bottom vessel (you can use a pressure cooker as well) and heat the oil on medium heat.
3. When the oil heats up, add Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Star Anise, Marathi Moggu and Kasuri Methi into the vessel.
4. After a minute or so, add vertically sliced green chillies and onions cut into long slices to the vessel. Saute for 8 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add ginger garlic paste. Stir until the raw smell of the paste no longer exists.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, peas (optional) and turmeric powder to the mixture and stir well.
7. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
8. Add salt to taste and chilli powder and mix well.
9. Then add water. Bring the contents to boil. Take a few drops of the liquid from the vessel and taste it. Add salt and chilli powder if required to suit your taste requirements.
10. If you are using 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice then use 2 1/4 cups of water. For other kinds of rice use equal amount of water.
11. Cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes on low heat and you are done.

The tomato rice is now ready to be served. Serve it hot with raitha. Also check out other Rice recipes.

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Chicken (Murg) Dum Biryani Recipe

Chicken Dum biryani(biriyani) though being elaborate in preparing, is a sinfully tasty and very well savored recipe. It is found in all parts of India, Pakistan, Afganistan and other countries and forms an integral part of their cuisine. This recipe here is the popular Hyderabadi chicken biryani.

The word Biryani is derived from the Persian word berya(n) which means "roasted" or "fried". Legend has it that a Nawab of Punjab wore a matching turban for each variety of biryani. The Nizam's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. Now lets get started!

Chicken Dum Biryani Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1k.g/2.2lb
• Basmati Rice - 1k.g/2.2lb
• Onions - 6 medium sized (long thinly sliced)
• Tomato - 6 medium sized (chopped)
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 cup or 6-8 tablespoons
• Mint (Pudina) - 1 bunch
• Coriander (Cilantro) - 1/2 bunch
• Green Chili - 6 nos (Whole)
• Lemon - 1 medium sized
• Red Chili powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
• Oil - 250ml
• Curd or yogurt - 1 to 1 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Bay leaves (Biryani leaf) - 1
• Cinnamon (Patta) - 6 nos
• Cloves (Lavang) - 8 nos
• Cardamom (Elaichi) - 4 nos
• Salt - 3 tablespoons (Powdered) or 2 handful (rock salt)

Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time:1 1/2 hours
Servings:6-8 people

Cooking Method for Chicken Dum Biryani:
Biryani Masala or Gravy:
1. In a heavy bottomed deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat.
2. Add bay leaves, 3 cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, 6 chillies and onions.
3. Fry the onions until golden brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw pungent smell of the paste leaves.
5. Keep aside a hand full of Mint and add the rest to the pan. At this stage add the coriander as well. Fry for 5-10 minutes until you get a nice aroma.
6. Now add the chicken and mix the content of the pan thoroughly.
7. Add turmeric powder and 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook until it gets soft and mushy.
6. Now is the time for curd (yogurt) and chili powder.
7. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until you see some oil floating on the top.
8. At this stage remove the pan from the heat.
9. Now empty nearly 3/4 of the pan contents into a separate container and set it aside.

Rice Preparation:
1. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile take a large container with sufficient water. Bring it to boil.
3. When boiling add the remaining mint, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
4. Now drain all the water from the soaked rice and add it to the container. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon salt.
5. Cook the rice until it is 3/4 done.
6. Now take the container off the heat and drain the remaining water from the rice.

Layering the Biryani and Dum cooking
In the same pan where you had 1/4 of the biryani gravy, add a layer of cooked rice. Then add another layer of the biryani gravy (that was keep aside in a seperate container) and top it with rice. Repeat until all the rice and biryani gravy is layered. Also squeeze or add a little bit of lemon juice on every layer during the layering process.

'Dum' cooking is a traditional method of slow-cooking, normally on a bed of coal with pots over them, sealed with kneaded flour so that no heat escapes it. Sometimes coal is spread out on the pot lid to distribute heat evenly.

To get the same effect as the traditional method of dum cooking, take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid with heavy object. The idea is to make a air tight seal. Alternatively you can knead the wheat flour and use that to seal the lid to the vessel. Now put the the vessel on low heat and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.

That's it! Spicy hot Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is now ready to be served and enjoyed.

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