BEETROOT BRIYANI

BEETROOT BRIYANI

INGREDIENTS:-

Grated Beetroot - 1/2 cup (approx. 100 gms)
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (approx. 200gms)
Water - 2 cups
Sliced Onion - 1
Fresh Green peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
Mint leaves - 5 to 8 nos.
Coriander leaves roughly chopped - 2  tsps
Finely chopped Tomato - 1/2 no. or Fresh Curd - 3 tbsps

Slit Green Chilly  - 2 nos.
Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly  Powder - 1 tsp (or as required)

Salt - as required
Methi leaves crushed - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

For Seasoning:-
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves - 3 nos.
Black Stone Flower/Kalpasu - 1 no., crushed

METHOD:-

Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat a Pressure cooker with oil. Keep it in low flame, add all ingredients given under Seasoning, so that nice aroma arises.

Add green chilly, chopped ginger and garlic. Fry in low flame for 1 minute and add coriander leaves, mint leaves, sliced onion, and grated beetroot. Add required salt, mix well, cover the cooker with lid and cook for few minutes; mix occasionally, to avoid burning.

Once the beetroot is half cooked, add fresh peas, garam masala powder, coriander powder, and red chilly powder. Mix well. Add water to boil. Add basmati rice, tomato ( or curd), methi leaves and ghee.

Check for salt, cover the cooker with lid only (with gasket & without cooker whistle). Cook in Sim flame for  20 minutes. After the stipulated time, uncover the lid, mix gently, check for salt and spice. If it is less spicy, add Black pepper powder to it. Switch off the flame and cover the cooker with lid and cooker whistle, let it sit for 5 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

SEERAGA SAMBA VEGETABLE RICE

INGREDIENTS:

Seeraga Samba rice – 1 cup (250g)

            Onion – 2

Tomato -2

Carrot, Beans, Peas, Capsicum etc. – 150g

Ginger – 1 piece

Garlic cloves – 10

Lemon – ½

Salt

Oil – 3 tbs

Ghee

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Sambar Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Coriander,

mint  leaves – 1 handful

FOR SEASONING:

            Cinnamon – 1 piece

            Cloves – 2

            Cardamom – 2

            Fennel seeds or Sombu – 1 tsp

            Jathipathri or Mace – 1

            Star Anise – 1

            Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

 METHOD:

           

1.    Soak Seeraga samba rice in a bowl of water.

2.    Heat oil in a pressure pan and add the ingredients given for seasoning one by one. Saute for a minute and add onions.

3.    Crush ginger and garlic and add them and cook till the raw smell goes off.

4.    Add the vegetables and pinch of salt. The helps the water content to come out of the vegetables and lessen the cooking time.

5.    Add the powders and cook for a minute.

6.    Add 1 ½ cups of water, salt and allow it to boil.

7.    Add the soaked rice and stir gently till it is half cooked.

8.    Add lemon juice, coriander and mint leaves.

9.    Close the Pressure cooker and allow it up to 2 whistles on high flame and 5 minutes on low flame.

10.  After the pressure goes off, open the lid, add ghee and stir gently and close the lid.

11.  After 5 minutes aromatic vegetable rice will be ready.
12. Onion raitha with a pinch of chat masala will be a good side dish.

Health Benefits of Seeraga Samba rice:

1.    This rice variety resembles the shape of Jeera ( cumin) , it is called seeraga samba.

2.    It has its own aromatic flavor and small in size.

3.    It is easily digestable, prevents gastric disorders & increases the appetite.

4.    Hand broken rice contains Selenium which prevents the cancer of colon & intestines. This has got more fiber contents & also anti-oxidants. Hence it will remove the chemicals in colon & intestines, so they will not stay to create cancer of colon & intestines.

5.    It contains more Phytonutrients and Magnesium which preserves bone density.

6.    The Glycemic index (GI) is 56 to 58. It means food will be digested & absorbed slowly and glucose will be released more slowly and steadily (Glucose has a glycemic index of 100)

BISI BELE BATH

Ingredients:

             Boiled rice – 200g

            Toor dhall – 50g

            Mixed vegetables – 100g

            (carrot, beans, capsicum, brinjal, yellow pumpkin, yam, drumstick etc.)

            Onion – 1

            Small onions – 10

            Tomato - 2

            Curry leaves

            Tamarind – lemon size

            Salt

            Oil and ghee – as desired

            Mustard, fenugreek – ½ ts each

            Asafotedia – a pinch

            Cumin – ½ ts

To roast and grind:

           

Coriander seeds – 25g      

            Channa dhall – 25g

            Red chillies – 4         

            Coconut – 6 small pieces

Jaggery – 1 spoon  

           

Method:

            Soak rice and dhall for 15 minutes. Take a pressure cooker or pan. Add oil and add mustard, cumin, fenugreek, curry leaves, asafotedia one by one. Add onions, saute till it turns transparent , add the mixed vegetables and tomato. Saute till all the vegetables are half cooked. Add tamarind juice. Add water 3 times the quantity of rice and dhall. Allow the water to boil and add the soaked rice and dhall. Add salt and close the lid of the cooker when it starts boiling.

Cook upto 3 whistles on high flame and simmer it for 5 minutes and switch of the cooker. After pressure is released, open the pan and add the grinded powder and coriander leaves and mix well. Add 1 or 2 spoons of ghee to enhance taste and to give a glossy look.

Onion Raitha or Pappad will be a good side dish for this recipe.