Lemon Rice

I like variety rice very much. But my husband is not a big fan of it. As he has been eating it on a daily basis when he was a bachelor. But I used to make it still rarely. Lemon rice is my favorite. I like the smell of the tempering specially the curry leaves and the crunchy peanuts. It can be made with left over rice as well. But I prefer cooking it fresh. I like to have it with lemon pickle, yeah lemon rice with lemon pickle.. Yum.. Over to the recipe now :)

 Easy Vegetable Fried Rice !
This is a guest post by my dear friend Reshu.... whom i know through My buddy Indu.. 
Ingredients

1 Cup Cooked Rice
1 Cup of Mixed Vegetables chopped (carrots, peas, French beans, capsicum)
1 Small bunch of Celery stacks
1 Small bunch of Spring Onion, chopped
1 Onion sliced
2 tsp of soya sauce
1 tsp of green chilli sauce or hot sauce.
2 tsp of tomato ketchup
1 tbsp of ginger + garlic paste
1 onion sliced
1 tsp of black pepper
1-2 tbsp of oil
Cloves
Cinnamon

Heat oil and add sliced onion, cloves and cinnamon.
Saute until onion is light brown.
Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add the finely chopped vegetables and celery mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the soya sauce, tomato sauce and green chilli sauce.
Fry on high heat until the sauces bubble and reduce flame to medium-high, stirring constantly.
Continue to stir- fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine.
Check for salt and add more if required.
Finally add some pepper powder and spring onions.
Stir well and turn off flame.

Paneer Capsicum Fried Rice

I prepared this paneer capsicum fried rice for valentines day. Its simple but a tasty rice variety worth trying.

Ingredients:

Onion	1 sliced
Paneer	1 cube chopped into small pieces
Capsicum	½ chopped roughly
Pepper powder	2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Garlic	2 or 3 flakes chopped
Coriander leaves	To garnish
Rice	Cooked 1 cup

Method:

1.       Heat oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes until it turns light brown on all sides. Keep it immersed in water so that it stays soft.

2.       Then heat some oil in the same pan and sauté the thinly sliced onion till it turns golden brown. Then add the capsicum cubes and fry for a while. Allow the capsicum to get cooked.

3.       Then add the cooked rice and fry it also. Finally add in the paneer, salt and pepper and give a stir fry. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with something spicy.

Chole or Chick Peas Biriyani

                This recipe just came through my mind when I saw soaked channa. The result of the recipe was awesome. It was flavourful and rich in taste just like any biriyani. So here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice	1 cup
Soaked Chickpeas/Channa	1 cup
Onion	1 big sliced
Tomato	1 sliced
Green Chillies	3-4 slit lengthwise
Chilli powder	1.5 tbsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Garam Masala	½ tbsp
Cinnamon stick	1 inch piece
Bay leaf	1
Cardamom and cloves	2 each crushed
Coriander and mint leaves	Chopped to garnish
Ginger garlic paste	1 tbsp
Salt to taste and oil as needed

Method:

1.       Clean and soak the basmati rice for atleast 30 mins.

2.       Pressure cook the channa/chick peas with little salt and keep it aside.

3.       Heat oil in a pan and add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and then add the onion and sauté till it turns transparent.

4.       Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes. Then add the tomato, fry till it turns mushy. Add the masala powders and fry it their raw smell goes. Then add the cooked channa and rice and water ( I used 1:1.5 ratio, depends on the variety you use).

5.       Allow to boil, then close the lid of the cooker and cook it for 10 mins on low flame. Once the pressure is released, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any raita.

Puliodharai/puliogare

                       Its a very common variety rice made when u have a long time travel.This is simple also to do.And here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Raw rice/Basmati rice-cooked and cooled
Tamarind juice-lemon size tamarind soaked in hot water.
Peanuts-1/2 cup roasted and skin removed
Mustard seeds-few
curry leaves- a spring
salt to taste
Gingely oil

Method:

1. Heat gingely oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow to splutter.
2. Then add in the peanuts and roast in the oil.Add the extracted tamarind juice,salt and bring to boil.Wait till oil seperates on the top.Then allow it to cool.
3. Add the boiled mixture to the cooled rice and mix well.Check for salt.Can be had to thogayal.

Ghee rice

Ingredients:
basmati rice-2 cup
onion-2 thinly sliced
peas-half cup(cooked)
salt to taste
Ghee- 3 tbsp(depends on how delicious u want)
Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
cloves,cardamom,cinnamon-lil amt
fennel seeds-2 tbsb

Method:
1.Pressure cook the basmati rice in ratio of 1:1.5.I kept for 3 whistles.See that the rice is not overcooked
2.In a big frying pan,heat ghee and saute the cloves,cardamom and cinnamon stick.then fry the ginger garlic paste till the raw smell goes
3.Fry the onion till it becomes golden brown.then add the precooked rice and peas and fry on low flame for about 15 mins
4.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot :)