Semiya Pulav / Vermicelli Pulav

I am participating in BM #50. And this week I have selected colorful dishes for kids :-)

Since we need a colorful dish I thought of preparing a colorful rice item for lunch box. But I have already posted pulavs and biriyanis. That is when I saw a pack of MTR semiya wherein a recipe of Semiya pulav was given. And I imediately thought of trying it.

I have also seen this recipe in Rak's kitchen. So combined both the recipes and made it in my style. This is the first time I used MTR semiya. The usual semiya I use is very thin when compared to MTR semiya. So kids after tasting this semiya pulav said its veg noodles :-). But they loved it thorougly.

This recipe can be made very quickly and would be a good idea to serve for guests with raita and pickle.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli/semiya(roasted) - 350 grams
Mixed vegetables (chopped) - 100 grams
Onion - 50 grams
Tomato - 40 grams
Mint leaves - little
Coriander leaves - little
Coconut milk (thin) - 2 cups
Salt - to taste

To grind to a smooth paste:

Cardamom/Elaichi - 1
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cloves - 1
Star anise - a small piece
Fennel - 1 tsp
Ginger - a small piece
Green chillies - 4
garlic - 5 pods

To temper:

Ghee - 4 tbsp
Jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1

Method:

• Roast the vermicelli with a tsp of ghee in medium flame,evenly with out changing its colour(if it not raosted vermicelli),you can also skip this part too
• Grind the items given under ‘to grind’ table to a smooth paste with very less water.
• Heat a heavy bottomed pan (I used pot shaped cooker) with ghee and temper with the items given under ‘to temper’ table.
• Add sliced onion fry till onion turns just transparent and add the ground paste. Fry in medium flame for 2-3 minutes,taking care to not to burn it.
• Add the chopped veggies along with tomato(if desired) and the mint and coriander leaves and fry in medium flame for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to boil,add required salt
• Then add the vermicelli.Let it boil till it absorbs all the coconut milk and then keep the flame in lowest possible and cook covered for 4-5 minutes.
• Garnish with cashews fried in ghee if you want,or just simply with chopped coriander leaves… serve hot with raita of your choice!

Note:

• If you make the pulav with proper care/just like we make our rice pulav, you will get an equally yummy,delightful pulav.
• Vegetables I used are-carrot,beans,capsicum and cauliflower.
• Don't cook for long time than mentioned as it will make the vermicelli sticky. Also increasing the water/coconut milk will make it sticky and gooey. Using less water ratio and cooking in low flame is the key to get it nice!
• You can grind the mint leaves along with the grinding items.
• You can use ginger garlic paste and add the whole masalas while tempering and avoid the grinding part,if you are lazy to do grinding!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

Cauliflower Biriyani

This week I had chosen cauliflower as the vegetable to show 3 different recipes in BM #49. Ok so I posted a snack, a side dish - what next??? Of course a rice item. So here I am presenting cauliflower biriyani :)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup

Raw rice / Basmati rice - 3/4 cup

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Curd - 2 tbsp

Onions - 2 

Tomato - 1 

Garlic - 5 Pods

Cardamom - 1 

Cloves - 2 

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Immerse the cauliflower florets in hot water for 5 minutes and take it out.
• Marinate the cauliflower in a mixture of curd, half the quantity of the mentioned powders (chilly powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder) and salt.
• Wash the rise and soak it  in 1 and half cup of water for half an hour.
• Pressure cook the rice by adding little salt and a drop of oil.
• When it is done allow it to cool in a broad vessel.

• Cut the onions into big pieces and sauté them till it turns pink.
• Allow it to cool and grind it to a smooth paste along with cardamom,garlic,tomato and cloves.
• In a Kadai add oil and sauté the marinated cauliflower until the curd is swallowed and the cauliflowers turn light brown.
• When the cauliflowers are done keep it separately.
• In the Kadai add the ground masala and fry till the raw smell goes off.
• Keep it in a low flame while frying and add the remaining powders and salt.
• Now add the cooked cauliflower florets to this. Mix well.
• Mix the cauliflower mixture well with rice.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any rather of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

Aloo Gobi

Since I Selected cauliflower as the vegetable for this week's BM, The next recipe I decided to post was a side dish for rotis / chapathis. And the first thought that struck my mind was Aloo Gobi. Whenever I visit punjabi dhabas I used to order aloo gobi with rotis. Punjabi dhabas serve very delicious aloo gobi. Here is my version below.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 to 4( chopped)

Cauliflower - 1/2( chopped)

Onion - 1 ( chopped)

Green chilli - 2

Ginger&garlic paste -  2 Tsp

Mustard seeds -1/4 Tsp

Jeera - 1/2 Tsp

Chilli powder - 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp

salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and Jeera ,when it starts spluttering add chopped onions and green chilly.
• Add ginger&garlic paste, fry for a few minutes and then add potato and cauliflower pieces. Sprinkle water, close and cook for 5 minutes.
• Once the potatoes and flowers are cooked 80-90%, Reduce the flame to medium and start frying until potatoes are soft.
• Now add turmeric powder, salt, chilly powder and fry in medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Switch of the flame when potato and cauliflower almost cooked and browned little bit.
• Enjoy Aloo Gobi with rotis or chapathis.

Aloo Gobi would also be a good side dish for some of the mixed rices like tamarind rice, lemon rice, curd rice etc..

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM