Brown Rice Pulao/Pilaf

Summer time. Beautiful  flowers blooming all around, fresh colorful produce flooding the farmers market, no heavy winter clothing to wear and making life whole lot easier to move around and with kids out from school there is no reason to waste even a single minute in this wonderful season. So I settle down to easy to make, healthy and filling one pot meal dishes like this.  This brown rice pulao tastes simply fantastic with all the spices and herbs thrown in and seasoned with some pan fried cottage cheese(paneer) and cashews. Served with some spiced kidney beans(rajma), they are so tasty and filling and keeps you going for hours. If you include brown rice as a part of your diet, you should try this pulao and I am sure you will happy you did it. Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients,  believe they are pretty easy to put together.

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Brown basmati rice – 1 1/2 Cups

Chopped vegetables – Cauliflower florets, green beans, green peas, carrots, bell peppers(multiple colors) – 4 Cups or more of your choice

Onion – 1 big sliced

Salt – 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Coconut oil or clarified butter – 2 Tsp

Cinnamon stick – 2 inch pieces

Yogurt – 1/4 Cup

Water – 4 Cups and add more if required

To be ground to paste

Coriander leaves – handful

Mint leaves – few

Green chilies – 2 or more to taste

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Fennel seeds – 1/2 Tsp

For seasoning

clarified butter – 1 Tbsp

Cashews – few broken

Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – few cubes

Method

1) Soak the basmati rice for at least 12 hours.

2) Heat a thick bottomed pan add the coconut oil and add the cinnamon sticks, once they are slightly brown add the sliced onions and add a pinch of salt and saute till they are translucent.

3) Now add the chopped veggies and half of the salt cover and cook for 5 minutes. To the veggies add the soaked and drained basmati rice and add the yogurt, ground green paste, water and the remaining salt and cover and cook till the basmati rice is well cooked. Keep stirring in between and add more water if necessary.

4) Heat the clarified butter in another small pan and once it is warm fry the broken cashews till golden and after removing the cashews, fry the paneer adding a pinch of salt till golden and transfer both the cashews and the paneer along with the remaining clarified butter to the cooked pulao and stir gently and serve.

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Cilantro Quinoa

Quinoa is a staple in my house. Traditionally we are rice eaters and make so  many varieties of rice. Since Quinoa has replaced rice, now I try out the different rice dishes with quinoa. Believe me instead of just adding it to salads and eating, the addition of spices give a totally new taste to this nutritious pseudo grain. Since quinoa is high protein and complex carbohydrate grain, even if you are weight watcher, diet watcher or carb watcher perfectly fits the bill.

For those of you who have questions on quinoa - Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. Technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it's cooking characteristics. Quinoa can be found in most natural food stores and if you are buying in bulk, look for deals online.

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Serves – 2 to 3

Ingredients

Cooked Quinoa – 2 Cups(Preferably cooked previous day and refrigerated)

Cilantro leaves – 1 bunch(washed, stalks removed)

Tamarind – 1 inch piece

Red chilies – 2 or to taste

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida – 1 small piece

Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp

Split Urad Dal – 1 Tbsp

Coconut oil – 1 Tbsp

Water – 1/4 Cup or more

Roasted Peanuts - handful

Method

1) Heat a pan and add 1 Tsp of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds stop spluttering add the asafoetida piece and urad dal. Once the urad dal slightly browns take a Tsp of spluttered mustard seeds and urad dal and keep it aside.

2) Now in the hot pan along with the rest of the ingredients add the tamarind piece, red chilies and saute till the chilies are slightly brown. Switch off and allow this to cool.

3) Now reheat the cold quinoa and once warm, add the spluttered mustard seeds and urad dal, roasted peanuts and keep it ready.

4) In a blender put the cilantro leaves, the roasted content, salt and add little bit of water and blend into a smooth paste. Add water as necessary and do not add more as we are not making a juice but a thick paste.

5)  Now add this cilantro paste to the warm quinoa and rest of the coconut oil and combine it. Serve with some vegetable raita and enjoy.



Events

Sending this to Sangee’s HITS- Fiber Rich foods.

Sending to Julie’s EP-Series Herbs & Spices Cilantro and Cumin.

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Eggplant Quinoa

Quinoa is a protein rich pseudo grain, meaning a seed actually used as grain and is of South American origin. With a slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor this can be substituted in place of rice in most of the dishes. Quinoa is available in your local health food store or online stores. This eggplant quinoa is super quick to make. With rice being a staple in the region from where I come, there are so many varieties of rice that are prepared and relished and this is one amongst them. But in my house hold since quinoa is a staple, I just substituted the rice with quinoa to make this protein rich one pot meal.  The spice powder  is the key to this flavorful and delicious dish and I make it before hand and this stays good for at least a week refrigerated.  Very easy to put together, just try out this dish and do let me know how you liked it.

Preparation Time - 10-15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 2



Ingredients





For the spice powder



Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp

Split Channa Dal(Kadali paruppu) -1 Tbsp

Dry red chilies - 4 or as per taste

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Fennel seeds - 1 Tsp

Tamarind - 1 inch long piece

Coconut - 7 one inch pieces



Cooked Quinoa - 1 Cup

Eggplants - 1 big or 2 small Japanese eggplants(Chopped into small pieces)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Onion - 1 small(chopped into small pieces)

Coconut oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Urad dal - 1 Tsp

Ghee roasted cashews - 1 Tbsp



Chopped cilantro - 1 Tbsp



Method



1) Dry roast the ingredients given under the spice powder section until fragrant and once cool enough to handle, make a coarse to fine powder and keep this aside.



2) Heat the pan, add a tsp of oil and once it is hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal. Once it slightly browns add the onion pieces and saute for a few minutes till translucent.



3) Now add the eggplant pieces, add the salt and turmeric powder and saute till well cooked. Cover and cook and this will take any where between 8-10 minutes. Now add half of the spice powder saute for a second and add the quinoa. Add one more tsp of oil and mix thoroughly.



4) Garnish with ghee roasted cashews and chopped cilantro and serve with raita(yogurt dip) of your choice.

Events



1) Sending this to Healthy Lunch box ideas - Brinjal an event hosted by Priya an event started by Kalyani.



2) Sending this Healthy Cooking Challenge - Healthy Lunch Box Ideas by Edible Entertainment an event started by  My Tasty Curry

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Tomato Quinoa

Looking for high protein, low carb, gluten free grain. Then Quinoa is a very good choice for you.  Quinoa is a highly nutritious pseudo grain ( a seed which is treated as grain) originating from South America. Quinoa contains complete  protein meaning it contains all the essential amino acids required by the body. Apart from protein it is a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, copper and magnesium. Next time you get that migraine think Quinoa because diets rich in magnesium are good for people suffering from migraine, child hood asthma etc. If  you think healthy food doesn't taste good. Try this out and let me know.

If you looking for quick one pot dish this recipe will be really handy for you. Soak the Quinoa for 30 minutes and cook it and refrigerate. Cook the tomato and onion for few minutes, mix it with cooked Quinoa,  garnish with some roasted peanuts and enjoy.

Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 30 Minutes

Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients

Cooked Quinoa - 2 Cups

Onion - 1 (chopped)

Tomato - 2(Ripe and firm, chopped)

Green Chili - 2 to 3 or to taste(Slit vertically)

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Fennel Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Sesame Oil - 1 Tsp

Peanuts - Handful (Toasted)

Method

1) Heat a pan and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering add the slit fennel seeds, green chilies and chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt and fry till translucent.

2) Now add the chopped tomatoes and the salt. The tomato will start cooking and will leave out a lot of water. Simmer till all the water evaporates in medium to high heat stirring in between and you will get a thick tomato paste. This will take at least 10-15  Minutes.

3) To the cooked and cooled quinoa add the sesame oil and fluff with a fork and add it to the tomato paste and gently stir so that it is well coated with the tomato gravy.

4) Add the toasted peanuts and serve with some vegetable yogurt dip(raita).

Note - Soak Quinoa in water for atleast half an hour, rinse and drain. Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of Quinoa and cook till it fluffs up. Remove quinoa and let it cool completely. Infact for this tomato quinoa if you have left over quinoa from the previous night, refrigerate it and then take it out nextday and warm it. The left over, refrigerated quinoa doesn't have a mushed texture, so it tastes much better than freshly cooked quinoa.Alternately you can pressure cook to 2 whistles also.

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Quinoa Peas Pulao/Pilaf

Quinoa is a highly nutritious food from South America. Quinoa is rich in protein content, complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues. Apart from Protein it is also a good source of  iron, calcium, potassium, copper and magnesium. If you are looking for a gluten free diet, Quinoa is a boon for you. The high protein content and low carb content will make this a best fit for people with diabetes, childhood asthma,  migraines and vegetarians aiming for a high protein diet.



Do you eat Quinoa on a daily basis and are getting bored with your usual Quinoa salad recipes, try this one out and I am sure you would love the taste and flavor. Very easy and quick to make, this recipe is a sure keeper. I served this with Paneer Makhani an Indian Cottage Cheese dish cooked with spices & salad, a complete balanced and great tasting lunch.



Preparation Time - 20 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 1 1/2 Cups

Frozen Green Peas - 1/2 Cup (defrosted)

Onion medium sized - 1 (Chopped into thin slices)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili - 2 or to taste

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Garam Masala powder - 1 Tsp

Toasted cashews - 8 to 10 (broken into pieces)



Method



1) Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil, once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the fennel seeds and the ginger garlic paste.



2) Saute this for a few minutes till the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste is gone and it is slightly browned. Now add the chopped green chilies and the onions and add 1/4 tsp of salt and cook till the onions are translucent.



3) Now add the green peas and another 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cook till the peas are tender. (Add more water if required but do not add a lot because we just need 1 to 2 Tbsp of water when we add the cooked quinoa)



4) Now add the cooked quinoa, rest of the salt, garam masala powder and simmer till the water as well as the spices are absorbed by the quinoa and switch off the stove. Add a tsp of the remaining coconut oil for good flavor and garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted nuts and serve.

Event



This goes straight to Only Fusion Recipes hosted by Priya of Now Serving and an event started by Pari.

Sending this to WWC-Quinoa for Dinner hosted by Ohtastensee an event started by Sanjeeta.

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Quinoa Kichidi

If you like Quinoa, you should definitely try this. Even if you don't like the taste of this high protein seed, you should try making this dish and I am sure Quinoa will go away from your not so favorite food list. The addition of mung bean gives a very nice taste to this dish. The addition of sweet peppers & spices not only makes it taste better but also kind of hides the slight bitter taste of Quinoa.



This is a one pot dish, with low carb and high protein content. With a cup of raita, this would be a perfect balanced, quick and filling meal.  So try this out and let me know, how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 1 to 2



Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 1 Cup

Cooked Mung Bean(Moong Dal) - 1/2 Cup

Chopped bell pepper - 1 Cup (Red, Yellow & green)

Sambar powder - 1/2 Tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1/4 Tsp

Salt - 3/4 Tsp or to taste

Lemon Juice - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Ghee(Clarified butter) - 1/2 Tsp

Water - 2 Tbsp or more depending on the thickness desired



Tempering



Coconut Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Curry leaves - few



Garnishing



Chopped Cilantro



Method



1) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil and once this is hot add the mustard seeds.



2) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves and the chopped bell peppers and little bit of salt.



3) Once the bell peppers are tender, add the sambar powder, saute for a few seconds and then add the cooked quinoa and cooked moong dal along with the remaining salt.



4) If the quinoa mixture is too thick, add little bit of water and simmer for 3-5 minutes.



5) Switch off and add 1/2 tsp ghee and chopped cilantro. Add the lemon juice once it slightly cools down, combine well.



6) Serve with raita enjoy.

Event Participation

1) This goes to Only Original Recipes hosted by Nivedita an event started by Pari.

2) Sending this to WWC-Quinoa for Dinner hosted by Ohtastensee an event started by Sanjeeta.

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Lemon Quinoa(Quinoa Lemon Pulihora)



Quinoa is a highly nutritious food from South America. Quinoa is rich in protein conten, complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues. Apart from Protein it is also a good source of  iron, calcium, copper, potassium and magnesium. If you are looking for a grain free as well as gluten free diet, Quinoa is a boon for you. The high protein content and low carb content will make this a best fit for people with diabetes, childhood asthma,  migraines and vegetarians aiming for a high protein diet.

 The seed of quinoa has a coating of saponin that imparts it a bitter taste and is quite toxic. It needs to be soaked for minimum 30 minutes and rinsed under cold running water to remove this coating. Very easy to cook and so good for you. This can be easily substituted for any rice dish instead of rice

Preparation Time - Nil

Cooking Time - 25 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups

Red or Green Chillies - 4 (more if you want it spicy)

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp

Sesame Oil - 1 Tbsp

Channa Dal - 1 Tbsp (Soak this in water for 20-30 minutes)

Chopped curry leaves - 4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp or to taste



Method



1) Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering add asafoetida powder, drained channa dal, chillies, curry leaves. Saute for a minute till the channa dal slightly browns.



2) Now add the turmeric powder and sautee for a few seconds and switch off the stove.



3) To this add the lemon juice and salt.



4) To the cooled Quinoa add a tbsp of Sesame Oil and toss it and then add it to the lemon juice mixture and combine well.



5) Now add the roasted peanuts  and serve with raita.



Note - Soak Quinoa in water for atleast half an hour, rinse and drain. Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of Quinoa and salt to taste and cook till it fluffs up. Remove quinoa and let it cool completely. Infact for this lemon quinoa if you have left over quinoa from the previous night, refrigerate it and then take it out nextday and warm it. The left over, refrigerated quinoa doesn't have a mushed texture, so it tastes much better than freshly cooked quinoa.







Event Participation



1) This goes straight to Twist the traditional an event hosted by My Innovative Kitchen.

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Kovakkai Sadam(Tindora/Indian Ivy Gourd Brown Rice)

Kovakkai(Tindora) is a popular Asian Indian Vegetable and is widely used in Indian Cooking. It looks like a small cucumber with a crunchy taste and can be used to make stir fry, stuffed and baked, or pickled raw by adding spices. Tindora is widely recommended for people with diabetes in alternate medicine due to its low glycemic index and its possible role in regulating blood glucose.

I love Tindora and this rice is a nice variation in using Tindora than the regular curries or pickle. Tindora, Onion, Brown Rice, Peanuts and Spices, this combination not only tastes so good but is absolutely good for you too. Who said Healthy Food doesn't taste good?

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 15 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Cooked Brown Rice - 2 Cups

Tender Tindora - 1 lb

Big Onion - 1

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 Cup

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Curry Leaves - few

Lemon Juice - 1 Tsp or to taste

Chopped Cilantro - 1 Tbsp for garnishing

Spice Powder/Masala

Split Chick Peas (Kadalai Paruppu) - 1 Tbsp

Coriander Seeds - 2 Tbsp

Red Chili - 4 or to taste

Fennel Seeds - 1/4 Tsp

Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp

Method

1) Heat a pan and dry roast split chick peas till they are slightly brown, then add the coriander seeds, red chili, fennel seeds. Once all the ingredients are thoroughly roasted, add the grated coconut and saute till slightly browned and then switch off the stove and let these cool for a few minutes and after that grind into a coarse to fine powder and keep it aside.

2) Heat a wide mouthed pan, add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering, add asafoetida powder and curry leaves.

3) Add the chopped onion and once it is translucent, add the finely chopped Tindora, 1/2 Tsp salt, turmeric powder and cook till tender.

4) Once the tindora is cooked, add the brown rice, remaining oil, salt, the ground masala powder and saute for a minute.

5) Now switch off, add the roasted peanuts and lemon juice, chopped cilantro and serve with vegetable raita(pachidi/dip)

Event Participation

This goes to WWC- Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking - Brown Rice hosted by Siri an event started by Sanjeeta.

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Lemon Rice (Brown)

Know what you Eat -A platter consisting of Lemon Brown Rice, Pumpkin in Coconut Milk, Ginger Rasam(Spiced Soup), a cup of yogurt or butter milk(is not included in the click) and some dried fruits & nuts for dessert not only fills you up. It is a deliciious whole some meal with all the essential nutrients from all the food groups.



Brown rice contains four times the fiber of white rice and powerful quantities of vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, iron and over dozen other nutrients. A 12-year Harvard Medical School study found 49 percent less weight gain among women who regularly eat brown rice and other whole foods compared with those who eat more processed grains. Ginger has been found to be helpful in blocking the harmful effects of prostaglandin, a substance that can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and even cause migraines.



All these dishes are very popular South Indian dish and i substituted white rice with brown rice to make it even more healthier.



For the Olan Recipe check out here.

For the Ginger Rasam recipe check out here.

 Ingredients



Cooked Brown Rice - 2 Cups

Lemon Juice - (Juice of 1 lemon taste and increase it to two based on the sourness of the lemon and to your taste)

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste



 For tempering



Oil - 1 Tbsp (Increase this if you want the rice to be greasy)

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Channa Dal(Split Black Chick Pea) - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - handful

 Green or Dry red Chili chopped - 2 (or increase it if you want more spicy)

Asafoetida powder - 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Grated ginger - 1/4 tsp

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup



Method



1) Soak the channa dal in water for half and hour and drain the water completely and set it aside.



2) Soak brown rice in water for a minimum of 30 minutes.



3) Drain the water from the rice and measure 1 3/4th cup of water and add it to the rice and cook in a pressure cooker or in a pan till the rice is completely cooked.



4) Once the rice is cooked set it aside to cool completely.



5) Heat oil add the mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering add the asafoetida powder, channa dal, chilli, curry leaves, grated ginger and turmeric powder and saute for a minute till the chilli, curry leaves etc change the color slightly and switch off the stove.



6) Now add the salt, lemon juice to the tempering and add the cooked and cooled rice and mix till all the lemon juice and salt is evenly mixed.



7) Add the roasted peanuts to the rice and serve.

 

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Coconut Quinoa

Know what you Eat - A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa is high in protein, the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa's amino acid profile is well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, also quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Coconut is a tropical fruit that is rich in protein. Coconut boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance. It quickly creates a nutritional boost of energy that lasts. Coconut prevents weight and obesity problems by speeding up the metabolism.



I love coconut rice and wanted to try it with quinoa. Quinoa has a very slight bitter taste, which was totally unnoticeable in this dish. The sweetness and flavor of coconut, gave quinoa a total new makeover. This dish is guilt free with less carbs and power packed with protein.



Cooking Time - 10 minutes

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Serves - 3 to 4



Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups

Unsweetened Grated Coconut (fresh if possible) - 1 cup

Red or Green Chillies - 4 (more if you want it spicy)

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Broken Urad Dal - 4 tsp

Chopped curry leaves - 4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste



Garnishing



Roasted Cashews - 4 tsp

Chopped cilantro - 4 tsp



Method



1) Soak Quinoa in water for atleast half an hour, rinse and drain. Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of Quinoa and salt to taste and cook till it fluffs up.

2) Remove quinoa and let it cool completely.

3) Heat oil, add mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering add asafoetida powder, broken urad dal, chillies, curry leaves. Saute for a minute till the urad dal slightly browns.

5) Now add the grated coconut and keep stirring continously for few minutes till the coconut slightly browns evenly.

6) Switch off add roasted peanuts, salt and cooked Quinoa and mix thoroughly.

7) Garnish with cashews and cilantro and serve.

8) If you are planning to cook and store this dish, saute the coconut for few more extra minutes.

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Sesame Quinoa

Know what you Eat - Quinoa, is an extremely nutritious seed. It has a protein value that is extremely

high (12-18%) and the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential

amino acids. Quinoa is easy to digest and naturally contains no gluten. It is also a good source of

dietary fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. If you are on a weight loss program or aiming for a

high protein low carb diet, go for quinoa. Rice, Wheat, Corn, barley even if they are whole grains they

do add to weight problems, but a seed based diet like Quinoa, Ragi(Finger Millet) will allow you to

take charge of your weight. Even though whole grains, contribute an important part in the food

pyramid there are various views on this and some believe these to be the cause of obesity, diabetes

etc. But it is very difficult to eliminate grains, when you are used to a grain based staple.  But substituting

it with seeds like Millet, Quinoa at least one meal of the day will really help in moving towards the direction.



When you are changing your eating pattern and substituting your staples with new things, you do get craving

to eat the things you liked. Quinoa and finger millet are slowly replacing our staples. Inorder not to get bored and make it more appetising, i try susbtituting quinoa with different rice varieties, which i am used to and this is one of them.



Preparation Time – 5 mins

Cooking Time – 25 mins

Serves – 2



Ingredients



Sesame seeds – 1/4 cup

Red Chili – 4-6 or to your taste

Salt – 1 tsp or to your taste

Quinoa – 1 cup

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dal – 2 Tsp

Asafoetida a pinch

Curry leaves – few

Water



Method



1) Rinse and soak and rinse sesame seeds in enough water for 2 hours.

2) Rinse and soak for 30 minutes.

3) Drain the water completely from the sesame seeds.

4) Cook the Quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water till they are fluffed up or

you can pressure cook for 1 whistle and switch off.

5) Heat a pan and add the drained sesame seeds and keep stirring till they

are evenly popped.

6) Leave the sesame seeds to cool for few minutes.

7) Meanwhile take the quinoa out and let it cool down. I actually make this

using quinoa cooked from the previous day, which is refrigerated to get

a nice separate grains.

8) Grind the sesame seeds with red chili and salt to coarse to fine powder.

9) Heat a pan, add oil and add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering

add urad dal and a pinch of asafoetida powder and the curry leaves.

10) Add this oil to the quinoa and then add the sesame powder and mix well.

11) Serve this with raita, yogurt with raw vegetables of your choice for a quick, healthy and balanced

meal.



Notes -  Add sesame powder according to your taste more or less and the

left over sesame powder keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 weeks.









Event Participation



1) This goes to Cooking with Sesame seeds event hosted by Priya.

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Garlic Rasam

Good to Know - Garlic is thought to play a role in providing natural protection against some forms of cancer, and the compounds in this herb continue to be studied as possible cancer treatments. It is thought that many of the compounds found in garlic have the ability to neutralize many cancer causing compounds, and that the compounds found in garlic may even be able to slow the growth of tumors.

Rasam is a South Indian soup cooked with spices, lentil and tamarind or lemon juice.
Cooking Time: 10 min

Preparation Time: 5 min

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size ball.
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Garlic - 8 cloves
Curry leaves

Oil/ Ghee - 1/2 tsp


To Grid (Rasam Masala)

Red Chilli – 1 (or to taste)
Black pepper - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3/4 stalks
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Ghee – ½ tsp

Tempering

Ghee – ½ tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1) Soak tamarind in warm water for a while and once soaked squeeze the juice thoroughly and filter and keep it.
2) Heat the ghee and roast Black Pepper, Jeera, Red Chilly and curry leaves and set them aside.
5) Chop the tomato and keep it aside, crush the garlic slightly without making them to pieces.
6) Now heat 1/2 tsp oil and add the crushed garlic and saute till they turn golden.
7) Add the tamarind juice, salt, asafoetida and tomato pieces and boil for till the tomato and garlic is cooked.
8) Mix the cooked horse gram and the roasted pepper, jeera, red chilly and curry leaves into a fine paste and add it to boiling mixture.
9) If the mixture is thick add little more water and boil it for another 5 minutes till all the spices are well mixed.
10) Heat the 1/2 tsp ghee and add cumin seeds and once they splutter turn golden add it to rasam.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.

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Kollu Rasam

Good to Know - Horse gram is a very healthy legume and is one of the home remedies for cold and body aches.

Rasam is a South Indian soup cooked with spices, lentil and tamarind or lemon juice.


Cooking Time : 15 min
Preparation Time : 10 min
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Kollu (Horse Gram) - 4 tbsp
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size ball.
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Garlic - 5/6 cloves (optional)
Tomato - 1/2
Curry leaves
Asafoetida - 1 small piece or if using powder 1/2 tsp


To Grid (Rasam Masala)

Red Chilli – 2 (or to taste)
Black pepper - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3/4 stalks

Tempering

Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Garnishing

Chopped cilantro – 2 table spoons

Method

1) Soak tamarind in warm water for a while and once soaked squeeze the juice thoroughly and filter and keep it.
2) Dry roast the horse gram till it is well roasted, watch carefully as it will burn out very quickly.
3) Remove the horse gram and pour enough water to immerse it and pressure cook it along with rice or whatever you cook. Once cooked filter any excess water
and keep this aside
4) Dry roast Black Pepper, Jeera, Red Chilly and curry leaves and set them aside.
5) Chop the tomato and keep it aside, crush the garlic slightly without making them to pieces.
6) Now heat 1/2 tsp oil and add the crushed garlic and saute till they turn golden.
7) Add the tamarind juice, salt, asafoetida and tomato pieces and boil for till the tomato and garlic is cooked.
8) Mix the cooked horse gram and the roasted pepper, jeera, red chilly,curry leaves and grind into a fine paste and add it to boiling mixture.
9) If the mixture is thick add little more water and boil it for another 5 minutes till all the spices are well mixed.
10) Heat the remaining oil and add mustard seeds and once they splutter add it to the rasam.
11) Garnish with cilantro and serve.

This dish is our contribution to RCI-Pondicherry Cuisine, hosted by Lavi as an entry from Tamil Nadu. RCI was originally started by Lakshmi.

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