This is a simple and flavorful pulao. Can be served with any dal or taste great with just yogurt too.

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice (250 gms)
1 cup frozen peas (You can use fresh too)
1 tsp jeera - cumin seeds
1 tsp ghee
1 inch ginger, grated
2 green chilies, chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)
few curry leaves, chopped (optional)
2 cups water
salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the rice in water. Keep soaked in water till the pea mix is made.
   
2. Heat ghee in a pan.
   
3. Add the cumin seeds.
   
4. Once they splutter,coriander leaves, curry leaves, mint leaves, green chilies and ginger. Cook for a minute.
   
5. Add the peas. Cook for 2 minutes. (If using fresh peas cook till the peas are half done).
   
6. Drain the rice. (Soaked for about 10 minutes now)
   
7. Add 2 cups off water, the drained rice and salt.
   
8. Bring the water to a boil on medium high.
   
9. Once it reaches a rolling boil stage, reduce the heat to low.
   
10. Cover the pan and cook till the rice is done. (About 10 to 15 minutes)
    

1. You can cook this in a pressure cooker too, only difference is in step 7, just add the water and salt. Bring the water to a boil. Add the rice, close the cooker and give 2 whistles. (Depends on each cooker, check yours to see how many whistles for basmati rice)
   
2. You can also cook this in the rice Cooker, after step 6 place the pea mix, water, rice and salt in the rice cooker and cook as per instructions.
   

(Stuffed Bitter Gourd Curry)

Dhaas Karela is a stuffed Karela which is deep fried and then cooked in a curry. I never heard of this till I got married. This was cooked atleast once every 2 weeks, thaough I learnt to cook it I never had the Karela I would only eat the gravy with roti. I started eating Karela's after Pooja from My Creative Ideas had the Vegetable of the Week -Bitter Gourd event, ever since Karela is loved by my husband and me.

This recipe has passed down by my husbands Grandmother who is known as Mummy by everyone. Though I never got to meet her, have heard a lot about her cooking and how innovative she was in even making the simplest dish more appealing. I am grateful to have learnt many of her creative dishes which are so simple to make but very tasty. But those recipes will be for a later date.

Every Part of the Karela is edible including the seeds and the outer skin. We will use the seeds in this recipe but dont throw away the outer skin that you peel, you can wash them dry them in the sun and deep fry them and have them as a snack or over khichidi to add some crunch.

Now for the recipe: (This recipe is for 2 people, I have used 2 Karela's, Increase the Karela and the recipe doubles well.)



Ingredients

2 Karelas
1 tbsp Wheat Flour (Atta)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 onion
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic (Indian garlic use 6-7)
1 green chili
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
5 peppercorns
1/2 cup fresh corriander leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
handful of curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
a pinch turmeric powder
1/2 cup curds (yogurt)
salt to taste
white sewing thread
oil for deep frying

Method

1. Wash and peel the karelas. Do not throw the peels, store them seperately.
   
2. Slit the Karelas lengthwise leaving 1/2 inch intact on the top and bottom, so that it does not open when we fill it.
   
3. Coat the Karelas with the wheatflour, 1 tsp of salt and sugar. Dampen your hands with water while doing this to make sure the karelas are coated well.
   
4. Cover and keep it for 24 hours.
   
5. After 24 hours, wash them thoroughly in water and dry them.
   
6. using your hands slowly remove the seeds, making sure not to tear the Karelas.
   
7. Grind the Karela seeds along with onions, green chilis, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, peppercorns, corriander leaves, mint leaves and curry leaves using as little water as you can.
   
8. Pass the ground masala in the above step through a seive to remove the excess water. Store the water, do not throw it.
   
9. Now to the seived masala, add the corriander powder, turmeric powder,chili powder and salt. Mix
   
10. Fill the karelas with this masala and tie with the thread to secure the open slit, so that the masala does not come out while cooking it. There will be some extra Masala left behind about 1 tblsp, even if you have more does not matter but make sure there is atleast 1 tbsp. (You can remove it before you fill the Karelas)
    
11. Deep fry the Karelas on Medium High Heat till they are Brown in color.
    
    
    
    
12. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker, add the left over ground masala and cook till oil seperates.
    
13. Beat the curds well.
    
14. Add the masala water collected earlier, curds and Karela to the cooker. You can add more water if you feel there is less water.
    
15. Close the cooker and cook for about 3 whistles.
    
16. Let the steam out normally and then boil the curry till required consistency.
    
17. Adjust salt. Remove the thread.
    
18. Serve with Roti/Phulka/Chapati/Puri.
    

(Mint leaves Spiced Rice)

This is my contribution to the Monthly Blog Patrol-April: One Pot Wonders, I have since been browsing blogs and had so many options. I finally decided to make the Pudina Biryani from Andhra Flavors - For Spicy Lovers Blog. I loved the color of the dish and was healthy too. I did make a few changes, I added some coriander leaves and onions as well, ground everything to a paste together, did not use beetroot since did not have them at home instead used a bowl of mixed vegetables. This is an easy recipe but still very delicious, loved the addition of pudina (mint).





INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Rice
3/4 Cup mixed vegetables of your choice (carrots, beans, potatoes, corn, double beans)
1 Tbsp ghee
1 Bay leaf
2 tbsp curds
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp Red Chili powder
21/2 Cups water
Salt to taste

Grind to a paste
1/2 cup Pudina/ Mint Leaves
1/2 Onion
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/2 inch Ginger
2 Garlic cloves
1 Green chillies
2 Cardamoms
2 Cloves
5 pepper corns
1 Cinnamon stick

Method

1. Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour.
   
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add the bay leaf.
   
3. Add the ground paste and cook till the oil separates.
   
4. Add rec chili powder, coriander powder and cook for a minute.
   
5. Add the curds and mixed vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
   
6. Add the water and salt.
   
7. Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice and close the cooker.
   
8. Give 2 whistles.
   
9. Serve rice with any raita or plain curds.