Garlicky Brown Rice

My daughter's exams are on and I am one harried mom. Nah, she ain't a 10th or 12th grader - Far from it. But I have slowly realised that even the 5th grade exams are nothing short of a nightmare. Makes me wonder if I went through the same grind back in school. Gotta ask my mom about that! On a random note, I have been completely MIA vis-a-vis my blog. Blame it on my lethargy or a hectic work schedule, my blog's attention deprived. To set that right I am back with a no brainer of a recipe. This rice is a simple but heavenly affair when paired with a gravy that's hot and exciting. Remember the Thai Green Curry dished out by hubby dearest? Well that had to go with something fresh and earthy.  

While on a trip to the super market a few months back, my 'stay healthy' alias went all berserk. Packets of brown rice, millet and soy granules were grabbed off the aisles like no tomorrow and has been languishing ever since. Save for this sporadic recipe, my health bug seems to have scooted off. It reminds me to put more health into my Sunday menu. Coming back to the brown rice,  I was pleasantly surprised that the rice was well received by family. This rice is power packed with nutrients and beats the white rice hands on. I pressure cooked the rice giving it 2 whistles. The rice came cooked just right - fluffy and not mushy

The recipe can be tweaked to suit your palate. You can add whole spices or your choice of veggies too !

What's in it :-

• Brown Rice - 1 cup
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Garlic - 15 pods - sliced
• Green Pepper - 1 sliced
• Mint leaves - a small bunch (chopped)
• Soy Sauce - A dash - for the flavour
• Pepper powder - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Here's How:-

Cook the brown rice as per instructions in the pack. In a separate kadai, add olive oil and as it warms up, tip in the sliced garlic and saute till the raw smell goes. Add the mint leaves and give it a good swirl. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the cooked rice and mix well. Serve hot with your choice of gravy or other accompaniments. I served it with Thai Green Curry.

E.N.J.O.Y !

Gupshup Galore over Mom's Tomato Rice

Look who's grinning from ear to ear ? Yours truly is in the Pearl City happily basking in the collective love and attention from her parents and sister ----incessant laughter, din and cacophony are ruling the roost and the elegantly furnished pad of my sis looks proudly Tornado hit. I am meeting my 'lil' once upon a time partner-in crime after almost six years and yes it is a whole lot of catching up. Regular phone calls or occasional Skype hellos haven't the same magical allure of face-to-face meets and hence ceaseless banters, mindless giggling & ilk are in perpetual loop. Flashbacks and endless nostalgia follow happily too.

And you know what's the best part ? Our parents who incidentally are here have added to the zing and there is gupshup galore. Chatting away to glory we the four musketeers are also dunking down finger licking food in truckloads. It is a recipe guaranteed for groaning weighing scales and not so accommodating old jeans. But then who's complaining ;) 

Amidst these amiable times, mommy dearest is bombarded with culinary requests varied. So i am either neck deep in piping hot mysore rasam one day or the very hot n happening paneer mattar the other day. I so wanted to eat one of my favorite comfort food - her simple but yum packed Tomato Rice. It boasts of fuss free flavors and one happily purring tummy :D

The spice in it is our quintessential sambhar powder and a smattering of garam masala. Sambhar powder is nothing but a medley of coriander seeds,red chilies,cumin seeds,bengal gram,fenugreek etc. The spice powder is  store bought though it can be easily pulsed at home too. 

What's in it :-

To temper :-

• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli - 3 (to taste)
• Garlic Pods (large) -  6 to 7 (finely chopped)
• Curry Leaves - a few

For the paste :-

• Onion - 4 (medium) - roughly chopped
• Tomato- 3 (large) 

Other ingredients

• Sambhar Powder - 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2tsp
• Cooked Rice - 2 cups

Final Garnish {optional} :-

• Roasted Peanuts - a fistful (roughly pulsed)
• Coriander Leaves - few - chopped finely

Here's How :-

Grind the tomatoes and onions well and set aside. In a big kadai/pan, tip in the oil and after it warms up let the mustard and cumin seeds sizzle and crackle. Add the curry leaves and red chillis and saute it for a few seconds. Dunk the chopped garlic and let its divine aroma waft all over. Then tip in the ground paste. Let it simmer for a few minutes till the rawness of the onions and tomatoes begins to evaporate.

Finally tip in the sambhar powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Saute well and let the whole mix be on low flame till they come together and thicken considerably. Take off flame and season it with salt to taste.

Add the cooked rice to the mixture and combine it well. Garnish it with coarsely pulsed peanuts and coriander leaves. Serve hot with choice accompaniments.

  

We enjoyed the rice with a whole lot of elements thrown in. Enjoy!

Masala Baath - A Spicy Maharashtrian Rice

Wishing all the fellow Indians a very Happy Republic Day

and hoping we better ourselves and make our country more prosperous and united.

(Source:Google)

Don't we all love some 'ME' time ? My idea of quality me time is making a dent on the huge collection of books waiting to be read and/or enjoying a stream of good movies vying for my attention. Recently, I whetted my appetite for good flicks as well as fine reads for 3 whole days when the hubby was not in town and the kids too were having a full working day. Such treasured time was enjoyed to the hilt by curling up with a big mug of a hot chocolate and/or a bag of munchies. And the kitchen time was reduced to the maximum by opting for one-pot meals. What comfort is to whip up a wholesome rice dish filled with veggies and some tongue tickling spices. One of such meals was the spicy rice called as Masala Baath. 

This traditional Maharashtrian rice is a blend of spices and is full of zip & pep. Served with curd/raita/salad and/or crunchies ,the dish is elevated up a many notches. 

Ingredients (Preparation Time: 20 mins ;Cooking Time: 20 mins ;

Serves 4 to 6)

• Basmati Rice (uncooked) - 2 cups (350 to 360 grams)
• Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - a liberal pinch
• Ginger - a small piece (peeled & minced)
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Onion - 2 medium (chopped)
• Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
• Ivy Gourd/Tendli/Kovakkai - 8 to 9 (vertically sliced)
• Brinjal - 2 (medim/vertically sliced)
  Tomatoes - 2 medium (chopped)
  
• salt to taste

For the coarse masala(spicy) powder

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Red Chillis - 3
• Cloves - 4 to 5
• Cinnamon Stick - 2 small pieces

For the topping :-

• Coriander leaves - a few sprigs (finely chopped)
• Grated Coconut - as required (optional)

Here's How :-

Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.Drain and set aside.

Dry roast all the ingredients for the masala and let it cool. Grind to a coarse powder.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the bay leaf. Let it sizzle for a second and then add the cumin seeds. As it splutters add the asafoetida, ginger. Saute for a second or two and tip in the turmeric powder ,onions and green chillies.  Sauté till the onions turn translucent. Add the brinjals and the ivy gourd and saute well. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook for a minute or two. Add the ground coarse powder and combine well.

Finally add the drained rice along with required water. Add required salt and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. When the rice is done add the garnishing and serve hot.

Useful Pointers

1.	I used brinjal, ivy gourd , green peas and tomatoes, you can use any veggie of your choice like carrot, beans, potato or cauliflower.
2.	For the spice powder you can also add some dry coconut powder.
3.	The dish is a great lunchbox idea too.
4.	Potlucks or some party at home ? Why not try this dish

This is off to this month's AVC- Week 3 : Maharashtrian Cuisine

Vegetable Biryani - The Royal Sunday Lunch

Who doesn't love a sunday -  I definitely do ; A sunday well spent brings  a week of content - so I read sometime back. Happy Hoots to that thought ! And well spent for me is well slept, well enjoyed and well fed (not necessarily in that order) . While well slept and well enjoyed is not always fully possible as the two brats  keep me on toes making  sure I am constantly out of breath, well-fed is something my hubby and me look forward to. And if the let's eat out bug does not bite me on a particular sunday, then the hearth buzzes with aromas divine. One such sunday saw this tongue tickling vegetable biryani  that made the day extra special. 

Biryani,Biriani or Beryani derives it name from a Persian word  Beryan which means fried or roasted. Biryani is a tasty melange of spices,herbs,rice and veggies or meat. The multi-layered mix of rice and veggies/meat gives the dish its punch. Biryani sees a lot of variation globally but the underlying essence behind them is the bang on flavor.

The dum method of cooking the biryani (locking the flavours while cooking ) gives the best taste as the flavours gets infused thoroughly . For the dum process you can seal the lid using an aluminium foil or a dough of wheat flour.I simply close the lid and place a heavy weight on top of it so that the flavours don't escape.Rice and veggies gets cooked about 3/4 th of its original time, and then after layering them with other ingredients they  simmer on a low flame for the dish to get its oomph.

The other day as I was browsing, a recipe for the biryani by Geeta caught my eye. It had veggies marinated in a spice mix. This definitely added the extra pep to the recipe. 

What's in it :-

Preparation Time: 45 minutes; Cooking time (Al Dente) : 15 minutes ;Cooking Time (Dum) :20 minutes; Serves : 4 to 6

For Cooking the rice :-

• Long Rice (Basmati) - 2 cup
• Water - as required (for cooking the rice)/ I used 3 cups of water 
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom Pod  - 1
• Oil - 1 tbsp

For the layers :-

• Fried Onion - 1/2 cup
• Curd- 1/2 cup
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Saffron Strands - a few
• Orange Colour - a pinch
• Coriander & Mint Leaves -  a small bunch - chopped finely

The vegetables and the marinade mix as well as the spices for cooking it:-

• Carrot - 2
• Beans - 10 to 12
• Cauliflower - a small head
• Potato - 1 medim
• Green Peas - a fistful
• Tomato - 1

• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp 
• Green Chillis - 2 - finely chopped
• coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• garam masala - 1 tbsp
• Dried fenugreek leaves - 1 /2 tsp
• sugar - 1 tbsp
• mint leaves - a few - finely chopped
• coriander leaves - a few - finely chopped
• salt - to taste
• oil - 1 tbsp

• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cloves - 4
• Cardamom Pods - 2
• Aniseed -1
• Bay Leaves - 1or 2
• Biryani Masala - 2 to 3 tbsp - to taste
• Cinnamon - a small piece
• Curd - 1/2 cup

Here's How :-

Wash vegetables well and cut in to long strips/big florets. Tip the vegetables in to a bowl and add all the spice mix mentioned in blue for the marinade. Mix them well and keep it closed for at-least 30 minutes.

Soak saffron strands and /or orange colour in milk.

Wash rice well. Soak it for about 30 minutes. Add, cloves and cardamom, oil. Pressure cook it for one whistle. The rice was done about 3/4 th.

In a pan, tip in oil and ghee. After it warms up add cloves, cardamom, aniseeds, bay leaves, cinnamon. Add marinated veggies, and biryani masala. Mix well, add curd and swirl. Let it cook al-dente. The veggies should be cooked to retain their crunch. set aside.

For the Dum :-

In a thick bottomed vessel, spread 1/2 of the rice first, spread little fried onions, add little curd and some chopped herbs. Add  1/2 of the vegetable fried masala. Repeat the process by adding rest of the rice and spread the remaining onions, curd and the herbs. Top it with the rest of the rice. Now add milk infused with saffron/colour. Add fried cashewnuts. close the lid and cook on  a low flame for 15-20 minutes.

Finger-licking Dum Vegetable Biryani is ready to be devoured !

E.N.J.O.Y

Coriander (Cilantro) Rice - Simple, Tasty N Healthy

Mom's presence is weaving all the magic in the kitchen and the creeping bulges in my body are merrily making the most of it :P There is definitely something about her cooking that is prompting me to binge like there is no tomorrow. Guess the child in me has awakened. The sad part is my parents  are leaving tomorrow and the kitchen will miss her zesty touch. On a happier note, me donning the apron will hopefully keep the weighing scales dainty :D

Remember the  Mint & Cilantro Pulao, my hearth dishes out regularly. While that involves a considerable time, my mom's version without onion,tomato & garlic is a breezy preparation.

Coriander or Cilantro is a much loved herb in my hearth and its medicinal properties are well documented. Also, the herb's versatility needs no description.
Do you know that coriander is also regarded as an aphrodisiac ?

Tips & Useful Pointers :-

1.	The spread/relish/thogayal need not be very fine in texture. A slightly coarse paste gives the mix a good pep.
2.	The green relish with the herbs also doubles up as a spread for sandwiches or also can be used as an accompaniment to Indian Flat-bread/Rice.
3.	Any leftover rice can also get a dainty makeover with this spread-y paste.

Here's How :-


Warm a skillet and dry roast urad dal and red chillis. Let them turn a golden hue and take them off flame.Tip in the roasted ingredients along with the tamarind paste and the coriander leaves in to a blender. Grind them to a paste of spreadable consistency with required water. Add  salt and mix well. In the same skillet, tip in the oil and let the mustard seeds crackle. Dump the ground paste and let it come to a boil. On a low flame let the paste simmer till the raw smell of the mix evaporates and the oil starts separating. The spread/relish/thogayal is ready.


 In a mixing bowl tip in the cooked rice and add the herby relish as required and mix well. Sprinkle the powdered groundnuts.The rice is ready to be devoured. Serve hot with choice accompaniments.

E.N.J.O.Y

Pulao Spiked with 7 UP

Sun God has unleashed a fury incomparable; couple that with power-cuts ranging anywhere between 8-10 hours (and on some days more than that), I am in to slugging down glasses of liquid ; water is cool and so is lemon-mint cooler or any fresh fruit juice. While tender coconut water is my perennial favourite, I am also heavily (pun intended) in to gulping down carbonated/soft drinks ! The soft-drink is no match for the uber-cool TCW but my stomach seems to <3 guzzling it. Guess the health freaks have to look the other way !


The other day as I was ambling on a red hot afternoon gulping down the aerated drink & stifling a few burps :p I got a call from my hubby saying he will be home for lunch. Hurrying home, I ditched thoughts for an elaborate menu, and sliced n diced the available veggies and threw in a few spices. While at it, my eyes fell on the half-finished 7 UP bottle and decided to sizzle up things ! What followed was dunking a liberal quantity of the fizzy drink to the veggies while sauteeing and proceeding as usual for the pilaf 

Pulao that tasted exotic ! 

Verdict:-
Hubby dearest loved it and was amused to know that 7 UP had played a part in it ! The saucy blend of sweet & spice had us going for repeat serves !

Here's How :-

In a pressure pan/thick bottomed pan, warm up the oil and let the fennel seeds sizzle. Tip in the chopped chillis & garlic and saute for a few minutes. Dunk in the sliced onion and after it turns a translucent pink add the cubed potato as well as the baby corn (sliced). 


Give them a stir or two and this is where you get adventurous. Splash in a liberal quantity of the aerated drink and watch the veggies lap it up. Saute for a few minutes till they turn tender. Add garam masala and salt (to taste) and further saute it, adding a few drops of the soft drink or water (if it gets too dry). 


Add the grated cottage cheese and give it a good mix. Drain the rice completely and mix it along with the veggies. Add required water and pressure cook it up to 3 whistles. Alternately, let it cook with a lid closed. Garnish with Coriander leaves/fried onions and enjoy with choice accompaniments.

It's off to Nancy's YBR-April 2012

Bangala Dumpa Annam (Potato Pulao from Andhra) & Winners of the giveaway

Do you think twice before cooking the same dish already showcased ? Do you plan your meals according to the umpteen events happening in the blogosphere ? Do you constantly feel the urge of dishing out something wow ? of course, you are a food blogger and your quest to keep your blog glitzy & glam must be driving your family members crazy. 
Gone are the days when hubby-dearest used to wish for some scrumptious treat regularly --- now he is actually wishing I stop dishing out something nice. His only request is to cook something hearty & comfy and most importantly not for the blog. I think about the pictures that the dish will produce & the request more often than not gets a boot with a "I am a food-writer and I have a hungry blog to satiate" retort :p


Luckily for him us, the not to cook for blog bug has bitten me hard these days and I am up to dishing out & eating hearty food. Yup, I do think about my blog and dish out something to keep it happy, but am glad to be cooking dishes that are more likely to appeal to our current palate. This rice dish was cooked for review of the book Southern Flavours but appealed immensely and was thoroughly enjoyed.

Rice, the versatile ingredient has a peppy makeover with poppy seeds & coriander giving the spice factor & the very humble potatoes bask as being the highlight of the dish. The dish is a specialty from the region of Andhra in South India. A few changes were given- for instance, I used olive oil instead of the ghee/clarified butter specified. The author has painstakingly explained the process of getting fresh coconut milk, which no doubt has its charm & appeal but I used store bought coconut milk.



What's in it :-

• Long Grained Rice/Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Potatoes - 2 large - peeled & cubed
• Onions - 2 large- finely chopped
• Green chillis - 3 to 4 - to taste
• Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Milk - 200 ml ( I used store bought)
• Water - enough to mix with coconut milk (for cooking rice)

For the spice powder :-

• Cardamom - 2 to 3
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon stick - a small piece
• Poppy Seeds (Khus-khus) - 2 tsp
• Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp

For Garnish :-

• Ghee /Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp (I used olive oil)
• Cashew nuts - few - roughly chopped
• Coriander leaves - a few sprigs - chopped
• Curry leaves - a few

For Tempering :-

• Ghee/Clarified Butter & Oil - 2 tbsp (I used olive oil)
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cardamom & Cloves - 2 each
• Cinnamon stick - a small piece

Here's how :-

Wash rice & soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain & set aside. Grind all ingredients for the spice powder & set aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, add the ghee/oil and as it warms up let the mustard crackle & sizzle. Dump the whole spices mentioned in the tempering (cardamom,cloves, cinnamon) and fry for a few minutes.

Add the potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Tip in the onions & green chillis and fry for a few minutes till the potato is cooked & golden brown.

Stir in ginger & garlic paste and saute for a few seconds. Mix in the spice powder and fry for a minute. 
Add coconut milk with water as required, and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
When it begins to bubble, mix rice & salt.
Reduce heat & cook it for 15-18 minutes or as required till the rice turns tender & fluffy.In a separate skillet, roast the cashewnuts in ghee/oil till they are golden brown and garnish them over rice along with coriander leaves & curry leaves.
Serve hot with choice accompaniments.
Enjoy


Finally, the winners of the giveaway have been selected.
Gauri @ Pasta& Parathas is the International winner ; Radhika @ Tickling Palates is the winner within India.
Congratulation ladies, Your books are on the way.

Bottle Gourd & Green Peas Khichdi

My 3 year old is humming the Coca-Cola advertisement these days ;
in his sweet,gibberish & guess what language voice the verses sound magical !
And that's when I took time to really find out what the lyrics were all about 


Ummeed Waali Dhoop
Sunshine Waali Aasha
Rone Ki Wajah Kamm Hai
Hansne Ke Bahane Jyada
Zidd Hai Muskurayenge
Khush Rehne Ka Hai Waada

Tum Dil Se Agar Puchoge
Woh Khush Rehna Hee Chahe
Jab Sache Mann Se Maango
Toh Khul Jaati Hai Raahein
Toh Khul Ke Khushi Lutao
Ye Kya Aadha-Aadha

Umeedon Wali Dhoop
Sunshine Wali Asha

The song gushes about hope,sunshine,expectation,peace and to the ears that is already dead with the overflow of Kolaveri tune, it was like a breath of fresh air. 

Remember the Oasis song - Whatever

I'm free to be whatever I

Whatever I choose

And I'll sing the blues if I want

The worldwide Coca-Cola advertisement with this song gets a regional flavor and Ummedon Waali Dhoop manages to convey the emotion of spreading cheer & sunshine !

And thanks to the lil one, I am humming this song endlessly these days !

Now coming back to today's recipe, remember the Khichdi , I was talking about in my last post - well this is that comfort food that kept us hooked last sunday.

 Simmering lentils & rice with the gourd & peas thrown in, getting some sweet heat from the jalapenos & spiced up with pepper corns & cinnamon wore a glamourous look with grated coocnuts & coriander leaves

Khichdi/khichdee/Kedgeree/Kitchree (and many other variants) is  the one-pot meal that sees a medley of rice & lentils thrown with some veggies. There are different ways the dish is cooked and our very own pongal & bisibele bhaat is but a version of this Khichdi. Forgetting the usual veggies like cauliflower, carrots & beans , I used the bland gourd and it gelled well with the rice & lentils to give a satisfying dish.

What's in it :-

• Rice - 1 Cup
• Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
• Bottle Gourd - 1/2 cup - washed,peed,chopped in to chunky cubes
• Fresh Green peas - a fistful
• Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Water - as required\
• Black Pepper - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 or 2 small stick
• Salt - to taste
• Jalapenos or Green Chillis - 3 to 4 - to taste - chopped
• Water - 4 1/2 cups - as required

For Garnish:-

• Coriander Leaves - a few sprigs -finely chopped
• Grated Coconut - as required

Here's How:-

Wash the rice & lentils thoroughly and set aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, warm the oil and let the mustard seeds crackle & sizzle. Add turmeric powder and gently roast the rice & lentils till it turns a magical golden. Take care not to brown them by leaving it unattended. Now add the chopped gourd & the green peas.

Fry for less than a minute and add the required water. Top it with asafoetida and let it cook for 10-12 minutes. Tip in the black pepper,cinnamon, salt & jalapenos/green chillis. Let it cook again for 15 minutes, till the water is drained .
Garnish with coconut & coriander leaves. Serve hot with choice accompaniments 

Enjoy !


It's off to Kalyani's Magic Mingle # 1 & Priya's Veggie of the month - Bottle Gourd, hosted by Raji;also to Radhika's Let's Cook : Rice & to Vardhini's New U
  

Egg Pulao

Four Happy Souls just having fun,

the lil one fell sick and then there were three,

Three jolly amigos taking care of the ill lil,

the young girl had the flu and then there were two,

He & she nursing the sick kids,

She caught the flu too, and then there was he,

He the brave soul, battling all alone,

with no respite he fell sick too !!

No poetic eloquence there, but the crux of the matter is all four of us had a horrible fortnight. After a terrible spell of viral & throat infection, not to mention conjunctivitis, we have finally booted out all off them - Yay ! Soups n Rasam,Bland dal n Idlis were the staple and the kitchen is finally happy to see some palate appetizing food after a long time. 

My daughter missed eggs from her menu and the sunday lunch not only had egg pulao but also spicy dal with phulkas (Fluffy Indian Bread) and other crunchy-munch  accompaniments !

The recipe for egg pulao is from my hubby who during his bachelor days had (apparently) wowed his friends with this dish. I made a few subtle changes and enjoyed the fare thoroughly.

What's in it :- (Serves : 3)

• Basmati Rice - 250 grams (approx)
• Hard Boiled Eggs - 4
• Clarified Butter/Ghee or Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Bay Leaves - 1 or 2
• Onion - 2 medium
• Garlic - 4 pods
• Whole Spices - 1/2 tsp each of black pepper corn, cloves,cinnamon stick, cardamom,cumin seeds - you can increase the quantity of peppercorns a little more if you please
• Turmeric Powder - 1 /2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Raisins - 1 tbsp 
• Water - as required

For Garnish :-

Onion - 1 large- sliced to rings

Oil - for frying

How :-

Wash the rice thoroughly and let it soak in cold water for 1 hour. Drain well. Shell the eggs and gently run a sharp knife (just poking in & not cutting across completely) on the sides to enable the flavours to infuse. Gently fry the eggs in ghee or oil for a few minutes turning frequently. Set aside.

In a thick bottomed pan, add the bay leaves and the whole spices. Let it sizzle for a a minute or two and then tip in the chopped onions & garlic. Let it saute for some time. Add turmeric powder & red chilli powder along with with salt & drained rice. Add required water to the pan and bring it to a boil. Drop the eggs & raisins and cook over a low heat till the rice is cooked and the water is completely absorbed. Or alternatively, pressure cook it till 3 whistles. In the meanwhile, prepare the garnish by slicing the onions in to thin rings and frying them in oil till they crisp well. Garnish them over the rice.Serve hot with choice accompaniments.

Enjoy !

Linking it julie's Christmas Delicacy