Cranberry Puliyodarai

Ingredients

• Cranberry - 1 cup
• Rice - 1 cup
• Channa Dhal - 1 tspn
• Coriander seeds - 1 tspn
• Fenugreek powder - a pinch
• Red chillies - 3 nos
• Sesame oil - 1 tbspn
• Hing - a pinch
• Mustard, Urad dhal & Curry leaves for seasoning

health tip

Cranberries are rich in Vitamin C. Studies show that Cranberries lowers LDL (Bad cholesterol) & increases HDL (good cholesterol) & also helps prevent urinary tract infection.

Cranberry Puliyodarai

method

1. Cook the rice separately. I used Basmati rice but you may use raw rice too. If using raw rice, you might want to increase your cranberry volume by half a cup.
2. Dry roast channa dhal, coriander seeds & 2 red chillies & make a coarse powder.
3. Heat sesame oil in a wide pan & season it with mustard, Urad dhal & curry leaves. Add one broken red chilli, hing, fenugreek powder & cranberry when mustard begins to splutter.
   

   You can also make this paste ahead of time & store it in the fridge for future use.

   
   
4. Add the powdered spices, salt & some jaggery when the cranberry starts to get mushy. Saute all for two additional minutes & turn off the stove.
5. Mix in the rice and add some salt if needed.

Cranberry Rice

Ingredients

• Cranberries - 1/2 cups
• Green chillies - 2
• Mustard & Cumin - 1/4 tspn each
• Asafoteida - 1/4 tspn
• Rice - 1 cup
• Salt - 3/4 tspn or to taste

health tip

Cranberries are rich in Vitamin C. Studies show that Cranberries lowers LDL (Bad cholesterol) & increases HDL (good cholesterol) & also helps prevent urinary tract infection.

Cranberry Rice

method

I have re-posted this recipe for the "Think Beyond the Usual - Fruits" event.

1. Dry roast the mustard & cumin seeds & grind them to powder.
2. Grind the cranberries & green chillies into a fine paste.
3. Heat some oil in a pan & season it with curry leaves & asafoetida. Add the ground cranberry chilli paste & saute it along with some turmeric powder(turmeric powder is optional).
4. Cook the rice separately. It should not stick to each other.
   

   Using basmati rice enhances the flavor of this dish.

   
   
5. When the oil separates from cranberry mix add salt, mustard & cumin seed powder.
6. Mix the rice with the paste & garnish it with coriander leaves or green onions.
   

   You may also freeze the cranberries to get their benefits all year around.

   
   

Easy Tasty Sambar Rice

Ingredients

• Parboiled rice -1 cup
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato -1
• Chopped veggies - 1 1/2 cup ( Eggplant, Carrot, Potato, Drumstick, Beans)
• Sambar powder - 1 1/4 tspn
• Asafoteida(hing) - 1/4 tspn
• Fenugreek powder - a pinch
• Tamarind - a Goose berry size or 1/4 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

health tip

Veggies are rich in vitamins, minerals & fiber. Dhal or pulses are rich in protein. Rice is high in carbohydrate.

Sambar Rice

method

1. Wash the rice & dal together. Cook it in a pressure cooker till the mixture gets soft & mushy.
2. Heat some oil & ghee in a pan. Add curry leaves, hing, methi powder and Cinnamon stick. Add the diced onion & tomato. Saute it till tomato gets mushy. Add the sambar powder& salt. Saute it till the oil separates. Add the chopped veggies & saute for some time.
3. When the pressure goes off, mash the rice dal mixture with the back of the ladle or using potato masher. Mix in the sauted veggies, Tamarind juice & little brown sugar or jaggery. Taste it for salt & spiciness. Add some hot water & cook it for one more whistle. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves & green onions.
   

10 Minutes Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

• Basmati rice -2 cups
• Salt - 1 1/2 tspn
• Frozen mixed veggies - 2 cups cups
• Small Potato - 1
• Biryani masala - 2 tspn
• Onion - 1
• Water - 3 cup
• Mint & Coriander

health tip

Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, or cholesterol.)
Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C.

Veg Biriyani

method

This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. You can add as many vegetables as you like to this dish and are not restricted to just carrot, peas & potatoes as listed on this recipe. Frozen veggies can be substituted for fresh vegetables. Making it in pressure cooker makes the job easier. The recipe in the masala powder box may call for adding more masala than normally required. Please exercise caution since the masala powder consist of lot ground spices & may make the Biryani more stronger than usual.

1. Slice the onion length wise.
2. Dice the potato & other veggies if using fresh. Otherwise soak them in water to thaw them.
3. Heat some oil in a pan preferably pressure cooker.
4. Saute the onions & veggies along with biryani masala & salt for 3 minutes. Wash the rice & add it to the veggies. Mix in the measured water, chopped coriander & mint leaves.
5. Cover the pressure cooker & cook it for 1 whistle.

Coconut milk may be added to enhance the taste of the biryani. Reduce the amount of water if you are planning to add coconut milk. Liquid measurement is always 1 1/2 cups per cup of rice while cooking in pressure cooker.

Capsicum rice

Ingredients

Rice  - 1 cup
Bengal gram dhal - 3 1/2 tbspn
Black gram dhal  - 2 1/2 tbspn
Coriander seeds  - 2 tbspn
Cumin seeds  - 1/2 tbspn
Green pepper (capsicum) - 3
Onion - 1 nos
Cinnamon  - 1/2 inch
Cashews - 8 nos
Peanuts - 1 tspn
Coconut - 1 tbspn
Red chilli  - 4
Lemon - 1/2
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure

Dry roast urad dhal, bengal gram dhal, cinnamon, 3 red chillies & cumin seeds. Powder it when it is cool. Cook the rice & spread it in a bigger vessel to cool. The rice shouldn't stick to each other. In a pan add some oil & season it with curry leaves, mustard seeds, peanuts, cashews & 1 red chilli. Saute onions & green pepper along with some turmeric powder. When the pepper gets soft add the grated coconut, salt as per taste & ground powder. Turn off the stove & mix the cooked rice. Squeeze some lemon juice & garnish with coriander leaves.