Kidney Beans Tomato Rice

Kidney Beans Tomato Rice.

Kidney Beans are pressure cooked and added to the basmati rice along with tomato puree and spices. Basmati rice is then cooked till it absorbs all the flavors. Garnish with cilantro and serve kidney beans tomato rice with any raita of your choice.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Kidney Beans Tomato Rice.

Ingredients:

Kidney Beans 3/4 Cup
Basmati Rice 2 Cups
Onion 1 Large
Tomatoes 4
Green Chiles 3 – 4
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Cilantro few Leaves

Talimpu:

Cinnamon 4 inch Long Stick
Black Cloves 5
Star Anise 1/2
Green Cardamom 2
Bay Leaf 2
Oil 2 Tbsps

Method of preparation:

If using raw kidney beans, soak the kidney beans in water for few hours and pressure cook in 2 cups of salted water for 3-4 whistles.
Strain the pressure cooked kidney beans and keep aside.
If using canned kidney beans, wash them under water, strain and keep aside.

Peel and slice the onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes. Using a blender, grind the chopped tomatoes into puree adding enough water. (total of 4 Cups puree)

Wash and soak the basmati rice in a cup of water for around half hour.

Heat oil in a rice cooker, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When cloves are plump, add sliced onion and green chiles.
Fry till onion turns translucent, add ginger garlic paste.
Fry briefly, stir in kidney beans, tomato puree, red chili powder and salt.
Then stir in soaked rice along with water and cook covered till rice absorbs all the water and is completely cooked (around half hour).
Fluff the kidney beans tomato rice and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Garnish with cilantro and serve kidney beans tomato rice with any raita of your choice.
Notes: Make sure kidney beans are cooked properly before adding to the rice.

Suggestions: Add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are little sour.
Variations: Add a big pinch of garam masala at the very end to make it more flavorful.
Other Names: Kidney Beans Tomato Rice.

Bread Potato Vada

Bread Potato Vada.

Bread is softened with water and mixed with yogurt and potato mixture. It is then bonded with besan / gram flour and made into small disks. The bread potato vada are then deep fried in oil till golden brown in color. Serve bread potato vada immediately as a tea time snack with ketchup.
Makes: around 8 Bread Potato Vada.

Ingredients:

Brown Bread Slices 4
Potato 1
Besan / Gram Flour 2 Tbsps
Onion 1/2 Small
Plain Yogurt 1 Tbsp
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Cumin Seeds a big Pinch
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Wash, halve the potato and boil in water till cooked and soft.
Peel the boiled potato and crumble it.

Remove the crusts of the bread and tear the bread.
Soak the bread in little water for few minutes to soften it up.
Squeeze the water out of the bread.

In a mixing bowl, mix together squeezed bread, yogurt, besan, crumbled potato, onion, green chiles, cumin seeds and salt.
Adjust seasonings if necessary and take a big spoonful of above mixture and form into soft ball and press the ball between palms to form a disk.
Repeat the same with remaining bread potato vada mixture.

Heat oil in a deep fying pan on medium low heat.
Carefully drop the prepared bread potato vada into hot oil.
Repeat the same until surface of the oil is filled up.
Fry the bread potato vada on both sides till golden brown in color.

Once fried, remove the bread potato vada onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with any remaining bread potato vada mixture.
Serve bread potato vada immediately as a tea time snack with ketchup.
Notes: Make sure to adjust the temperature where necessary to fry the bread potato vada evenly.

Suggestions: If the bread potato vada is soft inside, put them back into hot oil and deep fried again till crisp outside and cooked inside. If its hard, make sure the mixture is not too tight, adjust with yogurt.
Variations: You can also add coriander leaves or mint leaves to the bread potato vada mixture before deep frying.
Other Names: Bread Potato Vada.

Mixed Dal Vada

Pappula Vada.

Three different dals are soaked in water and ground into coarse paste and mixed with freshly ground spices and onion. The small amount of mixture is flattened on the palm and then left in hot oil and fried till golden brown in color. Serve mixed dal vada immediately as a tea time snack.
Makes: around 8 Mixed Dal Vada.

Ingredients:

Chana Dal 1/2 Cup
Urad Dal 1/8 Cup
Moong Dal 1/8 Cup
Raw Rice 1 Tbsp
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Green Chiles 2 – 3
Onion 1 Small
Coriander Seeds 1 tsp
Cloves 4
Cardamom 1
Cinnamon 1 inch Piece
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Soak chana dal, urad dal, moong dal, rice in enough water for around 4 – 6 hours.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chiles.
Peel, wash and finely chop the onion.
Peel and roughly chop the ginger.

Grind the coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon into fine powder using spice grinder.
Grind the soaked dals, ginger, salt into coarse paste using a blender.
Add least amount of water only if necessary while grinding the dals.

In a mixing bowl, mix together chopped green chiles, chopped onion, ground spice powder, mixed dals coarse paste and salt (if necessary).

Heat oil in a deep fying pan on medium low heat.
Take a lemon sized portion of the mixed dal mixture and form into small ball.
Flatten the ball on the palm of your left hand and slowly drop into hot oil.
Repeat the same until surface of the oil is filled up.
Fry the mixed dal vada on both sides till golden brown in color.
Once fried, remove the mixed dal vada onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with any remaining mixed dal mixture.
Serve mixed dal vada immediately as a tea time snack.
Notes: Make sure to adjust the temperature where necessary to fry the dal vada evenly.

Suggestions: If the dal vada is soft inside, put them back into hot oil and deep fried again till crisp outside and cooked inside.
Variations: You can also add coriander leaves or mint leaves to the dal vada mixture before deep frying.
Other Names: Mixed Dal Vada, Pappula vada. .

Masala Deep Fried Bittergourd

Masala Deep Fried Bittergourd.

Bitter gourd is slightly scraped and deep fried in oil till golden brown in color. It is the layered with fresh mix of powdered spices. Serve masala deep fried bitter gourd with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Masala Deep Fried Bittergourd.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd 4
Coriander Powder 1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder 1/8 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1 tsp
Garlic 2 Cloves
Salt to Taste

Method of preparation:

Peel and grate the garlic cloves onto a bowl.
Stir in coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt into grated garlic bowl.
Slightly scrape, wash and remove little bit of both ends of the bitter gourd.
Cut the bitter gourd into halves vertically.
If the bitter gourd is long, halve the slices horizontally.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat for deep frying.
Carefully add the quartered bitter gourds and deep fry till the bitter gourd turns golden in color.
Remove the deep fried bitter gourd onto absorbent paper.
Once warm enough to handle, layer few pinches of the garlic masala powder on the deep fried bitter gourd.
Repeat the same with any remaining bitter gourd pieces.
Serve masala deep fried bitter gourd with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure oil doesn’t get too hot while deep frying bitter gourd.

Suggestions: Adjust spice with red chili powder. If desired, discard few of the bitter gourd seeds before deep frying.
Variations: Check other variations of bitter gourd like moong stuffed bitter gourd here.
Other Names: Masala Deep Fried Bittergourd.

Potato Yogurt Rice

Potato Yogurt Rice.

Potato is boiled and deep fried. Steamed rice is mixed with fresh yogurt and seasoned with spices. The deep fried potatoes are mixed with yogurt rice as a last step. Serve potato yogurt rice immediately with any pickle if desired.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Potato Yogurt Rice.

Ingredients:

Potato 1 Large
Yogurt 1 1/2 Cups
Steamed Rice 2 Cups
Green Chiles 3 – 4
Ginger 2 inch Piece
Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp
Salt to Taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps + for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and chop the green chiles into small pieces.
Peel, wash and finely chop the ginger.
Peel and chop the potato into small chunks.
Boil the chopped potato in salted water till they turn soft.
Strain the boiled potatoes and place on the kitchen towel to absorb any remaining water.
Deep fry the boiled potatoes till brown and crisp from outside.
Remove the deep fried potatoes onto absorbent paper.

In a mixing bowl, mash the steamed rice with back of the spoon.
Add the yogurt, turmeric powder and salt to the mixing bowl and mix everything well.
Add a splash or two of fresh water if necessary to the mixing bowl.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add ginger and green chiles.
Fry briefly and remove from heat.
Once warm enough, add the above talimpu to the yogurt bowl.
Stir in fried potatoes to the yogurt bowl and serve potato yogurt rice immediately.
Notes: Make sure potatoes are added to yogurt rice just before serving.

Suggestions: Microwave the rice with a splash of water for a minute or two if using leftover steamed rice. Adjust spice with green chiles or red chiles. Use fresh plain thick yogurt if available.
Variations: Check other variations with yogurt here.
Other Names: Potato Yogurt Rice.