Skip to main content

Green Pulav 1

 What we need 

1/2 Cup Basmati Rice, washed

1 Tbsp Coconut oil 

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp fennel

1 tsp Ama spice mix

1/2 a tsp homemade Biryani masala (optional) 

2 pods of garlic

1 medium onion sliced thinly

1/2 a small capsicum sliced in fine strips

A handful of French beans finely cut in tiny discs

Less than 1/4 cup shelled fresh green peas or frozen.

Paneer cubes. 

Salt


What we do:

Heat coconut oil in a kadai. When it melts, tilt the Kadi to coat it all over. As it settles to the bottom, add jeera. As jeera sizzles and foams, add garlic slices followed by fennel seeds.

Mix it then add onions. Let them sweat. Then add French beans and Ama spice mix. Mix it well and when the mixture seems drier and reduced in volume, add capsicum and cook it for some time. Add a pinch of salt followed by biryani masala if using and the washed rice.

After mixing it well for some time, add 1 and 1/4 cup of water, salt, green peas. Let it boil on open for some time.

Last add paneer pieces and cashew nuts and cover with a water filled plate.

Once you see sufficient bubbles on the plate, pour off the water in plate and cook on open to evaporate the excess water off. When hardly any water is left at the bottom, add a handful of raisins, mix and cover again and switch off flame. Let it steam. Serve hot with yogurt.

Why we do what we do:

Both Rice and coconut oil are sweet and cooling and acidifying. The other ingredients balance the sweetness and cool nature with pungent and astringent tastes. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dwadashi Meal

The breaking of the fast is called paraņa and you will find a lot of different opinions and restrictions with regards to when and how a fast should be broken, at which phase of the sun and moon and with which foods in particular.  When I am fasting, I try not to focus on rules and restrictions because the idea of fasting is to free the mind, not bind it further in rituals. And when you impose strict fixed schedules and too many rules with regards to eating on the mind, it is bound to focus on food. Like it is said in the Geeta: yatato hy api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaḿ manaḥ Meaning: The senses are so strong and impetuous, son of Kunti,  that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them. I enjoy fasting because it helps me focus on reading the Bhagwat Geeta. But when my Karma calls me, it becomes difficult to focus on reading and understanding. I need this body to...

Dondakaya Pachadi or Tindi Chutney

Ivygourd (Tindi) is a wonderful vegetable that has its own unique taste that comes alive when cooked with minimum flavor enhancing spices. And the best preparations are made from the unripe pods (the ones not red from the inside). And for those times when the pods ripen before you've had a chance to cook with them there are interesting recipes like the Dondakaya Chutney or Pachhadi. There are many ways in which it is made heres how I made it to go with dosas. Heres what you need: 1 Cup Ivy gourd (Tindi), chopped into thin slices 3/4 Cup Tomatoes chopped  1 tsp tamrind juice 3 Tbsp Coconut Powder  1 tsp grated ginger garlic 1 + 1 tsp oil  1/2 tsp Ama Spice Mix  and Sendha Namak Mustard Urad Dal Jeera Asefotida  Curry leaves for the tempering Heres what you do: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add ginger garlic and Ama Spice Mix. Stir to coat oil and to it add the gourd and tomatoes and sendha namak togea...

Kamika Ekadashi

I decided to observe the Kamika Ekadashi fast today, so I am going to start this post with a story about the significance of the day of Kamika Ekadashi. This is the story as told by Krishna to Yudhistir about the significance of fasting on the day of Kamika Ekadashi as mentioned in the Brahma Vaitra Purana: In ancient times, there lived a cranky Thakur and a Brahmin. Both had a fight and the Thakur in a state of anger killed the Brahmin. Due to this, the Brahmins refused to have food. So, on feeling guilty and realizing his mistake, the Thakur asked a Muni the way to nullify his sins. On this, the Muni told him to observe the Kamika Ekadashi fast. Thakur observed the fast. Then a miracle happened when Thakur saw a dream while he was sleeping near the idol of god, god told him, "Thakur, all sins are removed and now you are free from the sin of Brahman Hatya". Therefore, this Ekadashi is considered very important for spiritual seekers, as it destroys all the negativity fro...