Lima Bean Biryani

This is another one of my crazy kitchen sink recipes. Kitchen sink recipes are ones I have no plan or recipe for. I just make it up as I go along, with whatever ingredients I have at that moment. Most of the times it works well and the times it doesn’t, you don’t hear about it!

I love lima beans and I think these classic flavors go very well together and jazz up the usually challenging lima beans. It’s just another way of using the yummy beans.

2 cups lima beans, thawed ( I used frozen)
2 cups basmati rice
1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large red tomato, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1″ piece ginger, peeled
3 serrano chillies, roughly chopped ( I use the whole peppers. Feel free to adjust this as you please)
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder ( Optional: don’t let not having this ingredient discourage you from trying this recipe!)
1tbsp + 1tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter

In a blender, add garlic, ginger, serrano chillies, cilantro, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 1 tsp salt, tomato and onions. Blend this mixture together, with no added water. The watery tomatoes yield just enough. Make this into a smooth paste and set aside.

Heat a largewide non-stick pan over medium heat with canola oil and  butter. Once the butter has melted add the remaining 1 tsp cumin seeds  and asafoetida powder.As I mentioned above, asafoetida is one of those things that not every one may have available. But don’t let not having  this one ingredient discourage you  from making the dish. It will taste great either way.

When the cumin seeds start spluttering, remove the pan from heat and  add the blended mixture. Doing it on heat will make a mess, there is a lot  of spluttering. Make sure you reduce the heat to low before returning the  pan to heat. Cook over low heat partially covered for 20-25 minutes,  stirring every  8 or so minutes. This will remove the raw smell from the  onion and spices and give room for all the flavors to meld together. Your kitchen must smell heavenly just about now!

Add the lima beans, the measured water and remaining tsp of salt. Increase the heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes. Add the basmati rice, mix and let it come to a boil.

Just when it comes to a boil, cover and drop the heat to low. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is perfectly done. Remove and gently fold or fluff using a spatula. Do not over mix or the rice will break and become mushy.

Garnish with cilantro and serve this dish hot with a cup of cool raita.

Fried Tomato and Onion Rice

I call this the South Indian risotto. It has the same comfort and warmth to it. On a cold day, this is one of my favorite things that I look forward to.

 

1 cup basmati rice (I used brown basmati rice)
2 tbsps butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
8 indian green chillies, split into two lengthwise
1″ piece ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cup of rice, cover and let simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let cool.

If using white basmati rice, follow the same procedure, just use 1 1/2 cups water per cup of rice and simmer for 20-22 minutes to cook completely.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. As soon as they start spluttering add garlic, ginger and green chillies.Fry for a minute, add the onions and turmeric powder.

When the onions start turning golden brown, add the tomatoes, salt and coriander powder. Mix well, cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Uncover, add the cilantro and stir together.

At this stage, this makes a great side dish on its own, served with chapathi or naan.

Add this tomato-onion mixture to the cooked rice, mix well together and serve warm.

Leftover Makeover – Vegetarian Burrito

The leftover black bean-cilantro pilaf made a great base for  this easy to assemble burrito. I made a simple grilled onion and green pepper mixture to make the filling.

You will need :

1 cup guacamole
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
1 cup black bean pilaf
2 cups shredded cheese, I used a mixture of  pepper jack, monterey jack and cheddar
2 green peppers, sliced lengthwise
1 large red onion, sliced lengthwise
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
4 tortillas

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapenos. Fry for a minute and add the sliced onions. Cook until they soften and start browning. Add the green bell peppers and salt. Saute for 5-6 more minutes just until the peppers soften. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Here’s a little assembly line I made to make things easy. A bowl of mildly spic salsa, a bowl of guacamole, a bowl of sour cream, a bowl of leftover black bean cilantro pilaf, the grilled onions and peppers, the mixed shredded cheese and the tortilla. Warm the tortillas for 20-30 seconds in the microwave before you make the burrito.

Sprinkle an even layer of cheese on the tortilla. lay a dollop of the salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Top with the black bean pilaf.

Add the onion-green pepper mixture and top off with more cheese. Fold over the right and left edges and fold the top and bottom flap over it like a package.

Line them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 5-8 minutes just until the tortilla is slightly crisped and the inside is hot, cheesy and melted. Serve with more sour cream, salsa and guacamole if needed.

Black Bean-Cilantro Pilaf

1 cup Basmati Rice
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 green pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained well ( I used canned cooked beans)
1 red onion, sliced thin lengthwise
1 cup vegetable stock (if you can’t find vegetable stock, you could use all water)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt

In a large non-stick pan melt the butter over medium and add the chopped jalapeno and garlic. Stir for a minute and add in the onions. Cook until onions soften and start to slightly brown.

Add green and red peppers. Cook for 5 minutes until peppers just start softening. Add in the 2 cups raw rice and stir until the rice turns opaque. Add the black beans and salt and mix well.

After about 5 minutes of stirring the rice, add in the vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check to see if all water is absorbed. As soon as the bottom of the pan doesn’t have any stock remaining when you stir the rice, turn off heat and let rice sit about 10 minutes.

Then remove lid and add the lemon juice and cilantro, fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.

Chickpeas and Methi leaf Curry

Methi(aka Fenugreek) Leaves and Seeds are common ingredients in Indian cooking. They have a slightly bitter but intensely nutty and savory flavor. Added to any gravy or vegetable curries, it adds a great depth. Herb combination of Methi leaves and Cilantro is just a great flavor treat!

Using chickpeas or potatoes with methi leaves is most common. Here is a version of methi leaves with chickpeas in a tomato/onion masala.

1 32 oz can Chickpeas
1 cup Methi leaves (aka Fenugreek leaves) cleaned & washed
5 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/3 cup cilantro

To make into a paste:
1 stick Cinnamon
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
8 Indian green chillis (use 4-5 for a milder version)
1 ” Ginger piece
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 large tomato
1 medium onion
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup water

Add all of the above paste ingredients to a blender. Add the cup of water and blend everything together to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Prepare the methi leaves: pluck the leaves from the stem and discard the stems. Put all the leaves in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, all the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom. Gently pick the leaves out the water, pat dry with a paper towel and rough chop the leaves and set aside.

In a pan heat 5 tbsps canola oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan off the heat and pour the blended spice mixture into the pan stirring the mixture and the oil together. If you pour the mixture into the oil while still on heat there will be a lot of splattering. Put the pan back into medium heat, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and cook this masala for 15-20 minutes stirring ever 5 minutes. The raw flavor and smell of the spices will mellow down as it simmers. Your kitchen will smell insanely good by now!

Add remaining salt, garam masala powder and the chopped methi leaves. Mix throughly. Let this cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and cilantro making sure the chick peas is really coated well in the masala. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot. I served it over a bed of hot basmati rice and with Chapatis. Naan would be great too!

This curry tastes even better the next day when the chickpeas has completely soaked into the masala sitting in it all day! In fact I always make this dish in the morning and serve it for dinner. The flavors intensify and marry better the longer it sits.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. Here are the rules if you want to participate and  here’s Who’s Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging if you’d like to join the weekly celebration of cooking with fresh herbs.

Pine Nut-Parmesan-Basil Pilaf

I love pilaf/pulao dishes. I experiment a lot with flavor combinations and this is one such attempt, which was a success! The nuts, basil and parmesan that makes a great pesto or pasta accompaniment, added so much flavor to the rice.

It was also well balanced from the crunchy pine nuts, cheesy and salty parmesan, nutty toasted rice and the intense basil.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tbsps crushed red pepper( I like a lot of spice, for a milder version use 1/2 or 1 tbsp)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp dry basil

In a large pan, heat the olive oil for 30 seconds and add crushed red peppers and rice. Over medium-high heat, stir continuously until the rice turns opaque and starts to turn golden and looks slightly toasted. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

When the stock starts to boil turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Check to make sure all the liquid is absorbed. When it is, turn off heat and let rice sit for 5 minutes.

While rice sits, toast pine nuts in dry pan until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Shake pan a few times and watch them closely so they don’t get too brown.

After the rice sits for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, stir in parmesan cheese, chopped basil, and pine nuts and serve immediately.

I am entering this to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Leftover Makeover

Here is what I do with my leftover Pesarattu batter - Fritters!

Sprinkle 3 tbsp rice flour per 1 cup of  leftover batter and mix well. Add a pinch more salt and red chilli powder (optional) and stir together. This will make the batter thicker and help make crisp fritters.

Heat a large frying pan with around 2 inches of oil over medium heat to 350 F (don’t have a thermometer? this takes around 7-8 minutes usually).

Use a spoon and drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil. Fry on one side until golden brown(3-4 minutes) turn it over and cook over on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer them to paper towels and let absorb any excess oil and serve warm.

It is crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside and makes a great snack with evening coffee or tea.

Pesarattu (pronounced pes-a-ret)

Here’s another authentic south Indian breakfast/supper dish. Pesarattu is a savory pancake made from whole green gram dal. You can make the batter ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator up to 5 days. This is traditionally served with rava upma. But for more everyday ease I usually serve it with any chutney, like Onion chutney, tomato chutney or ginger chutney( will post the recipe soon!)

1 cup Whole Green Moong Dal
1/4 cup rice (use any long grained white rice)
2″ fresh Ginger, peeled
6 Indian Green Chillies
4 Dried red chillies
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp asafoetida powder
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp canola oil

As with most Indian lentils first wash them well. Soak moong dal and rice overnight. (at least 10-12 hrs).

In a blender, add the soaked dal, rice, green chillies, red chillies, asafoetida, ginger and salt. Grind to a smooth batter adding in the water slowly 1/4 cup at a time. You want the batter thick but still in pourable consistency. Add the cumin seeds and the chopped onions, mix thoroughly and set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease it with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle in the batter (1 ladle full) and with the back of your ladle and with gentle pressure, starting from the center of the circle, spread the batter with a circular motion to make a thin even circle.

Drizzle 1/2 tsp of canola oil around the edge of the circle. Cook until the edges become brown around 3-4 minutes). Flip the pesarattu over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until completely cooked. Make as many as needed and serve hot.

Store the leftover batter in the refrigerator.

I am sending this for the My Legume Love Affair : MLLA Sixth Helping : Hot & Spicy event hosted by Tasty Palettes. For more on the future line-up of this event visit Susan’s event page.

String Beans and Green Bell Pepper Rice Sauté

Using my South Indian spice mix I posted before, here is another easy one pot dish. Serve this with salted creamy plain yogurt and you have a delicious meal.

1 cup basmati rice
2-3 tbsp South Indian spice mix
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp salt
1 cup green beans (I used frozen cut beans)
1/3 cup frozen peas (Thawed to room temperature)
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
10 curry leaves (1-2 stems), finely chopped
2-3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups water
3 tbsp canola oil

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds and add the green peppers, beans and peas. Add a tsp of salt and saute until the green peppers and beans soften, around 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle the spice mix and fry for a minute.

Add the rice and remaining tsp of salt. Mix well together and saute until the some of the rice kernels turns opaque, around 3 minutes. Add the measure water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low/medium and cover.

Cook for 20 minutes and check for doneness. Gently stir the rice to fluff it and check for seasoning. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, mix well and serve.

Coconut-Coriander Rice

2 cups basmati rice washed, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained
4 cups water
1 tsp jeera( aka cumin seeds)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder 
1 red onion, finely chopped 
2 tbsp butter 

To make into a paste:

1 big bunch coriander leaves( aka Cilantro), washed and drained
20 curry leaves( approx 3 stems of leaves), washed and drained

4-5 Indian green chillies
2″ ginger piece
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated coconut( frozen or fresh, just make sure the frozen coconut is thawed and soft at room temperature)

Melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. Add in the cloves, cinnamon fry for a few seconds until the cloves just start popping. Now add in the cilantro, curry leaves, ginger and green chillies. (None of these are chopped because they are going to be ground into a paste). 

After a few minutes of wilting transfer into a blender, add the coconut and grind to a smooth paste with 1/3 cup of water. Set aside.

In a pan melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter, add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and fry for a few minutes until the mustard seeds start spluttering. Now add in the onions and fry on medium-high heat until crispy and brown. 

Stir in the rice and keep stirring until it starts turning opaque. 

Pour in the ground coriander-coconut paste, add salt and stir for a few minutes.

Add the measured 4 cups of water drop the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 20-25 minutes. Uncover and stir gently and transfer to a a serving bowl let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with Raita.

Beetroot Pulao

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. It’s sweet, juicy and works great with indian flavors. This is my version of an Indian Pulao with beet roots, onions and warm indian spices and herbs. It’s a no fuss one pot dish that packs in explosive flavor!

2 cups Basmati Rice
3 tbsps butter
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
3 large beets, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
3 indian green chillies, finely chopped
2 medium onions, sliced thin
4 cups water
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp salt

In a large non-stick pan melt the butter over medium heat and add the chopped chillies and garlic, cloves and cinnamon. Stir for a minute and then add in the onions.

Cook for 5 minutes until the onions just start softening and turn light brown. Add in the sliced beets, add salt, dried mint stir and cook covered for 8 minutes or until the beets have just softened.

Add in the raw rice and stir well together and keep stirring until rice turns opaque. (and yes it will be red) After about 5 minutes of stirring, add in the measured water.

Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook covered for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Then check to see if all the water is absorbed by stirring gently so there is no water remaining in the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat and let rice sit for another 10 minutes. 

Remove the lid, add in chopped cilantro, mix well and serve hot with chilled cucumber raita.

Jeera(Cumin) Pulao

2 cups Basmati Rice
1 onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 inch piece of giner, finely chopped
2 Indian green chillies, split into two( I use the seeds as well) Remove seeds if you don’t want any heat
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 dry bayleaf
2 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera in Hindi or Jeeragam in Tamil)
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp Salt
2 1/2 cups Water
Cilantro for garnish

In a nonstick pan, heat the ghee over medium heat. Add in cumin seeds, cloves, bayleaf and the cinnamon stick. Fry for a minute and add in the sliced onions, garlic, ginger and chillies. Fry until the onions turn translucent and slightly golden brown.

Now add in the raw basmati rice. Fry this mixture over low heat continously stirring it for a few minutes. You will notice the rice slowly starts turning opaque and it smells insanely good!

Transfer this mixture into the cooking vessel of an electric cooker. Add in 2 1/2 cups of water and salt. Mix well and turn on the cooker.

Once cooked remove from the vessel spread it out in a serving platter top with chopped cilantro and serve with just about any Indian curry you feel like!

Peas Pulao

 

2 cups Basmati rice, 4 cups water to cook the rice in
1 cup frozen peas, thawed and at room temperature
1 large onion , thinly sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ( Substitute: 1 tsp garlic paste)
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped (Substitute: 1/2 tsp ginger paste)
4 Indian Green chillies, finely chopped ( Substitute : Serrano chillies)
4 cloves
1 dried Bayleaf
1/2 cinnamon Stick
4 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
Dhaniya leaves(cilantro) to garnish  (Optional)

Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat and add in the garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and chopped chillies. When the cloves start spluttering add the onions and fry until onions are soft and translucent. Add the peas, mix well and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the 2 cups of Basmati rice to this pan and fry until the rice turns opaque/white,usually takes around 3 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a rice cooker (electric cooker). Add the measured water, bayleaf and salt to it and cook until done.

You can also cook it on the pan itself. In this case you will add the measured water,bayleaf and salt to the rice-peas-onion mixture in the pan, mix well and close it with a lid. Keep the heat at Medium-low. You don’t want the bottom to burn. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until done. Garnish with chopped Cilantro.