Cucumber Yogurt Rice

I am back with another cucumber treat from Tarla Dalal, Cucumber Yogurt Rice. I don’t like plain yogurt rice and don’t eat it everyday, which is very uncommon for a south indian. Whenever I am on a guilt trip that I am not getting enough calcium from my diet, I make cucumber raita, spinach raita, tomato yogurt chutney or any chutney or salad that has yogurt in it. This is my only source of calcium rich food. When I saw Cucmber yogurt rice, I was curious to try it, as it is another calcium recipe for me and it seemed like a variation of Daddhojanam, Flavored Yogurt Rice.

I usually have the tendency of tinkering with recipes when I make them and it ends up in a disaster. So this time I stuck to the recipe and used all the ingredients listed in the recipe and made some adjusts to the measurements (bad habits die hard, no matter how hard I try ). Rice was tasty and is very easy to prepare. However, the next time I make it, I would add few more ingredients to the tempering to make the rice more flavorful, such as mustard seeds, chopped ginger and may be little bit of butter.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes (For cooking and cooling of rice)
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Uncooked Rice cooked and cooled (the measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker)
• ¾ cup Cucumber peeled and cut into small pieces
• ½ – ¾ cup Grated Carrots
• 2 ½ - 3 cups Yogurt (I used homemade yogurt)
• ¼ cup Cilantro
• Tempering
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 red Dry Chili
  • 4-6 Curry Leaves
  • 1 tsp jeera
  • 1 tbsp Urad Dal
  • ½ tsp Hing
  • 4 Green Chilies chopped

Preparation:

• Mix yogurt, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, salt and rice.
• In a pan take oil and add all the tempering ingredients.
• Mix it with yogurt rice.
• Garnish with some cilantro and grated carrot.
• Serve immediately. Refrigerate rice immediately as yogurt becomes sour at room temperature.

Suggestions:

• To make it more flavorful try add mustard seeds, chopped or grated ginger and little bit butter when tempering.

Sahaja of SpicyRasam asked for a Single Serving Recipe and Trupti is hosting Cooking for Kids: Rice started my Sharmi of Neivadyam.  I am sending this recipe to Sahaja and Trupti for their events.

Carrot Fry

I remember eating this side dish a long time ago, back in India. I usually don’t cook carrot stir fry at home but do love eating it raw in my salads and raitas. Few days ago, a pack of carrots was helplessly staring at me and didn’t want to end up in the trash, the following day. I had to consume it that day itself or throw it away, as that day was the sell by date. I was helpless too, as I did not have any vegetables in the fridge, to prepare dinner. So, I decided to give carrots stir fry a try. I was a little hesitant at first and wasn’t use if Mr.U would like it. He does not like sweetness in his food. To my surprise, he didn’t complain at all and by the time I got back home from my class, the bowl was clean.

I made it again yesterday and this time, I took some pictures, so that I can send it to JFI: Carrots.  JFI is a brainchild of Indira.  I am also sending this over to Vegan Ventures, hosted by Taste Palettes. 

Total Time: 15 minutes
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ – 2 tbsp Oil
• ½ tsp Cumin
• ½ small Onion chopped
• 5 Green Chillies chopped (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp Crushed Garlic
• ½ tsp Coriander Powder
• ¼ tsp Chili Powder (adjust according to taste)
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt to Taste
• 4 large Carrots Chopped or 2 ½ cups chopped carrots
• Cilantro chopped for garnish

Preparation:

• Peel and chop the carrots to small pieces, about ¼ “ pieces.
• Chop the onion and green chillies.
• Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds. When they start sputtering add onions.
• Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and green chillies.
• When chillies change color and the garlic is roasted, add coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add carrots and mix it until the spices coat the carrots. Cover and cook on medium high flame for 3-4 minutes until the carrots are tender.
• Remove the cover and fry/saute for another 4-5 minutes until the carrots are fried enough.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve with roties or chapaties, the Indian bread, or with rice.

Vegetable Noodles

It has been a long time since I cooked Chinese food at home. Today for lunch, I made myself vegetable noodles. Usually when I fix myself some noodles, I just follow the instructions on the package. Boil the noodles and vegetables and then season it with the flavor that comes with the package. But today, I pampered my self a little bit. I boiled the noodles and then fried it in some oil, along with the vegetables.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 Top Ramen (any noodles of your choice)
• 1 tbsp Oil
• ½ Small Onion Sliced
• ½ tsp Ginger Paste
• 4 Green Chilies Chopped
• 1 Carrot Chopped
• 5 Strings Beans Chopped
• ¼ cup Green Peas
• Cilantro Chopped
• ¼ tsp Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp Tamari Sauce or Soya Sauce
• Salt to Taste

Method:

• Boil water in a pan and add the noodles. Cook for 3-4 minutes until noodles are cooked.
• Drain the noodles and run it under cold water. Add little oil to the noodles and mix, to avoid the noodles from sticking.
• Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Cook until onions are translucent. Add ginger paste, green chilies, beans carrots and peas, and cook until vegetables are tender.
• Add pepper powder, ½ a packet of flavoring, tamari and salt. Be careful with salt. Seasoning flavor has some salt it in it. Mix well and add noodles.
• Sauté until noodles are fried, for 3-5 minutes.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Carrots, Beans, Peas and tan color of the Noodles are a beautiful color combination.  Vegetable Noodles will be a perfect entry for Whats Your Favorite WYF – Color in Food event, hosted by EasyCrafts. 

Carrot Pachadi / Carrot Salad

Friday, August 15th is India’s 61st Independence Day. To celebrate the Independence Day, I bring you healthy, nutritious carrot pachadi with a patriotic theme. I garnished the pachadi with grated carrot, chopped onions and cilantro to look like an Indian flag. I used the tempered green chillies and mustard seeds to make the chakra of the flag.

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Carrots grated or 2 cups of grated Carrots
• ¼ cup Green Gram Sprouts (opt)
• ½ small Onion chopped or ¼ cup chopped Onion
• 4 Green Chilies seeded and chopped (adjust to taste)
• ¼ tsp dry roasted and powdered Mustard Seeds
• ¼ tsp dry roasted and powdered Fenugreek Seeds
• Lime Juice to taste
• Salt to Taste
• Cilantro Chopped
• Tempering:
  • 1-2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Urad Dal
  • 1 Dry Red Chili
  • 3 Green Chilies Chopped (adjust to taste)
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the the ingredients listed under tempering.
• Heat oil in a pan, add red chili and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop and splutter, add urad dal and green chilies. Once the chilies change color, add turmeric powder and turn off the stove.
• Add the tempering to the carrot mixture and dig in.
• Serve pachadi as a side dish with rice. I eat it as a snack, when ever I am hungry.

Carrot Pachadi after mixing all the ingredients

Note:

• Sprouts are not part of the traditional recipe. I like sprouts and added it to the pachadi. If you don’t like them, you can skip it. Meera of Enjoy Indian Food has a detailed post on how to make homemade sprouts.
• You can substitute sprouts with grated fresh cabbage or/and fresh grated coconut, as mom does it.

This is my entry to Pooja’s Theme of the Week: Saffron White Green event

I am also sending it to EC’s Whats Your Favorite WYI: Color in Food event.

Vegetable Bagara

Total Time: 35 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp Oil
• 4 Cloves
• 6 Cardamons
• 1 Bay Leave
• 1 Bay Flower
• ¼” Cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp Sahajeera
• ½ bunch Mint chopped (opt)
• ½ cup Methi chopped (opt)
• 1 medium sized Onion sliced
• 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 long Carrots cut into 1″ length
• 10 Beans string cut into 1″ length
• 1 medium sized Potato diced
• pinch of Turmeric Powder (for color)
• ½ cup Lima Beans
• 3 cups Rice soaked in water for 30 minutes
• Cilantro

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves, bay flower, cinnamon, sahajeera, mint.
• Add methi, onions and fry until light brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the vegetables and turmeric powder and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add rice and fry for 2 minutes, add salt.
• Add 4 1/2 cups hot water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat the cook until rice is done.
• Add Cilantro and serve hot.