Bell Pepper Rice

Ingredients

Bell Peppers (Red,yellow,orange,green) – 1 each
Peas – handful(frozen)
Cauliflower – 5-6 small florets
Basmati rice – 2 cups
Bay leaf – 3
Water – 3 cups
Salt to taste
Cashew,kismis – hand ful
Ghee – 6 tsp
Coriander leaves to garnish

For Masala

Onion , tomato – ½ each, sour cream – 1 tbsp, Garlic- 3 cloves, ginger-medium piece, greenchilli – 1, cinnamon – stick, cloves – 4, cardamom – 2pods

Fry the above ingredients in 1 tsp ghee and grind it into a smooth paste.

Method

In a wide pan add 3 tsp ghee add the basmati rice and fry lightly. Add the bay leaf and fry again. Then add the masala and salt to taste to rice. In a vessel add 3 cups water and put the rice. Let it stand for 10 mnts.
Pressure cook it. You can also use a rice cooker.

Meanwhile cut the Bell Peppers into small pieces. Add 2 tsp ghee. Add chewand kismis. Fry it . Add capsicum, cauliflower and fry it nicely . In the end add the peas also to it.

When the rice is done mix the fried vegetables. Garnish it with coriander leaves

PS: If you have biriyani masala you donot need the to grind the ingredients. Just dissolve it with the rice and water before cooking.

Kofta

Koftas are meat ball dumplings in rich gravy. But in todays world vegetarianism becoming very popular koftas are made of all sort of vegetables like long squash(chorakkaya), potatoes, peas,carrots, paneer, cabbage, cauliflower etc. The gravy recipe also varies a lot. The curry I have presented here is a very easy method . Usually I use chorakkaya for koftas since that is my favourite. But this weekend to make it a little different and easy I made koftas with potatoes.


To make Koftas

Potatoes – 2 large
Seasoned Bread crumbs
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Pressure cook the potatoes adding little salt. Peel the skin and mash it nicely. Add enough bread crums to hold it together. Mix well and make it into oval balls. Deep fry it in oil.

To make Gravy

Onion – 1
Tomatoes – 1
Badam – 7-8 nos
Ginger- a small piece
Garlic- 3 cloves
Green chillis -2
Coriander and cumin seeds – 1 tsp each
Cardamom – 2 pod bay leaf - 2
Maida – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Milk – ¼ cup

Cut the onions and tomatoes. Fry it in 1 tsp ghee along with badam, garlic, coriander,cumin seeds and bay leaf. Grind it in to a paste adding ginger and green chillies.

In the same pan add 1tsp ghee. Add 1 tbsp maida. Fry it in low flame . Then add milk. It will start to thicken, at this point add the ground mixture to it . Add ½ cup water, salt to taste and cook it in low flame for 10mnts stirring every now and then.

Just before serving heat the gravy. Add the koftas and Garnish it with coriander leaves.

This is nice with rice and parathas
PS: Insted of milk you can use light cream. It will give more richness to the gravy.
Also you can add 2 tsp rice flour to the koftas if it is breaking while deep frying.

Lima Beans Curry

Studies says that lima beans are good for reducing cholestrol in the body.Also it is rich in protien and fibre. These are also known as butter beans and are sweeter types. You can use fresh , frozen or dry lima beans for this recipe. Dry lima beans should be soaked atleast 8 hrs prior to cooking. To know more Click here.

Ingredients

Lima beans – 1 cup(frozen)
Potato -1
Onion – 1
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric pdr – ½ tsp
Jeera -1 tsp
Masala pdr – 1 tsp(parampara brand)
Coconut milk – ½ cup
Salt to taste
Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Method

1. Peel the potatoes. Cut into cubes and cook it in boiling water till it starts to turn soft. Drain it.
2. In a pan add 2tsp oil. Add jeera and masal pdr.
3. Then add the cut onions and green chillies. Fry it.
   
4. Add turmeric pdr and half cooked potatoes. Fry till the potatoes are cooked.
   
5. Add the lima beans. Add salt to taste.
   
6. When the beans become soft add coconut milk add cook it for 7-8 mnts in low flame till it all comes together.

This dish will not be too gravy. If you need gravy add more coconut milk and little water .Cook it for 10mnts.