How to Cook Rice

rice

This is an easy and quick recipe of cooking basmati rice. Here I have used Indian style pressure cooker used in Indian homes. The rice turns out 'khila khila' that is with open texture.
Recipe of cooking rice
1 cup basmati rice (long grain)
2 cups of water
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)- optional
How to cook rice
1. Wash rice thoroughly in several changes of water till water runs clear. Drain.
2. Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add rice along with soaking water.
4. Pressure cook to 1 whistle. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop down naturally before opening the lid of the cooker.
5. Your rice is ready to be eaten with dal, kadhi, rajma or any vegetable of your choice.

cooked rice in pressure cooker

Dal Pulao

dal pulao

I love this chana dal and rice dish and enjoy every spoonful. Dal pulao is very easy to put together and
a good option after a tiring day. There is no cutting or chopping involved which makes it easy to make
this pulao.
Recipe of dal pulao
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
3 & 1/4 cups of water
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 bay leaves (tej patta)
3-4 cloves (laung)
4-5 black pepper (kali mirch)
1 big cardamom (moti elaichi)
How to cook dal pulao
1. Wash chana dal thoroughly and soak in 3 & 1/4 cups of water for 1/2 an hour.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper and cardamom.
3. When cumin seeds change colour and turn darker, add chana dal along with soaking water. add salt and
red chilli powder. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook to 3 whistles. Turn off the heat.
4. While chana dal is cooking, wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Drain the water.
5. When (from step 3) pressure drops down naturally, open the lid of the cooker and add rice.
6. Pressure cook to 1 whistle and turn off the heat. When the pressure drops down naturally, open the
lid of the cooker and your dal pulao is ready to be savored.

How to Cook Brown Rice

brown rice

This is a recipe of long grain brown rice or brown basmati rice. Here I have used Indian style pressure cooker used commonly in Indian households. This is a simple and easy to follow recipe which gets the result you want. Brown rice is much healthier than white rice. It's as good as eating roti. So, if you are fond of eating rice and can't have your plateful for health or diet whatever reason, try this recipe of brown rice for guilt free indulgence.
Recipe of brown rice
1 cup long grain brown rice (brown basmati rice)
2 1/4 cup water
1. Wash rice thoroughly under running water.
2. Soak in water for 1 hour. Drain.
3. Put brown rice and 2 & 1/4 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Let 1 whistle come. Then turn the heat to lowest point.
4. Cook for 15 minutes no matter how many whistles or no whistle comes in cooker.
5. After pressure drops down naturally, open the lid of cooker and your brown rice is ready.

Kesar Chawal (Saffron Rice)

Kesar chawal or saffron rice is an elegant rice dish which you can prepare for some special occasions or to make dinner extra special. It's a fragrant rice dish with rich aroma and rich taste.
Recipe of kesar chawal/saffron rice
2 cups basmati chawal (rice)
3 3/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup frozen green peas (matar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp kesar (saffron threads) soaked in 1/4 cup water
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add cashews. Saute till golden brown.
2. Add rice, saffron infused water, salt and boiling water. Also add green peas and mix.
3. Cover the pan and simmer on a low heat for about 12 minutes till the water is absorbed and rice grains are fluffy.
4. Gently fluff with the forks and serve saffron rice hot.

Sweet Pongal Recipe

sweet pongal

This is a South Indian pongal recipe which is rice and lentil dessert made on the festive occasion of Pongal. This is sweet pongal recipe with jaggery, also known as chakra pongal or chakkara pongal. Some recipes use sugar in place of jaggery, then it is known as 'Sakkarai Pongal' as sugar is known as sakkarai in Tamil. Sweet pongal is more popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of South India.

Recipe of sweet pongal

1 1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

2 1/2 cup milk

2 cups gur (jaggery)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 tbsp raisins (kishmish)

2 tbsp cashew nuts (kaju)

1/2 tsp elaichi (small cardamom) powder

1. Wash rice, drain and soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Roast moong dal in a kadhai or a pan till light brown.

2. Break jaggery into small pieces and set aside.

3. Boil milk with 1 cup water in a heavy bottomed vessel like kadhai/wok.

4. Wash rice and moong dal, drain. Add to the boiled milk. Let it again come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till rice and dal cook completely, mixing continuously. It will take around 15 minutes or so.

5. Add jaggery pieces and cook mixing so that jaggery doesn't stick to the vessel. When gur melts completely, add half of the ghee and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.

6. Heat remaining half of the ghee and roast raisins and cashews. Add this to the pongal.

7. Add elaichi powder and mix well. Serve sweet pongal warm.

Mushroom Pulao

mushroom pulao

Pulao usually comes to my rescue when I am not in the mood of elaborate cooking and hence prefer to cook 1 pot meal. Yesterday I cooked mushroom pulao which is not just easy to make but also very tasty. Mushroom pulao is a nice variation from the usual matar pulao or vegetable pulao.

Recipe of mushroom pulao

2 cups basmati rice

100 gms mushroom (khumb)

1 onion- sliced

2 tejpatta (bay leaves)

2-3 laung (cloves)

A piece of dalchini (cinnamon)

2 big cardamoms (moti elaichi)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

mushroom

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain. Wash and slice mushrooms.

2. Heat 1/2 tbsp ghee in a pan and sauté mushrooms till light brown. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, tej patta, dalchini, laung and big cardamom. Fry till cumin seeds change color.

4. Add sliced onion and sauté lightly.

5. Add rice, mushrooms, salt, red chilli powder and 4 cups of water. Mix and close the lid of the cooker.

6. Cook to 1 whistle.

7. Take out in a serving dish and fluff with 2 forks. Serve mushroom pulao hot.

Tahari/ Tahiri (Spicy Vegetable Rice)

tahari

Tahari or tahiri is a spicy vegetable pulao from Uttar Pradesh. You can also call it vegetable biryani. Tahari is usually eaten with curd or raita.

Recipe of tahari/ tahiri

1 cup rice - washed and soaked for 20 minutes

1 big onion- sliced

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 cups chopped vegetables like cauliflower, potato, carrot, beans and green peas

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves (tej patta)

4-5 cloves (laung)

1 big cardamom (moti elaichi)

A small stick of cinnamon

Salt to taste

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Let them change color.

2. Add onion and sauté till light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.

3. Add chopped vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Drain the soaked rice and add to the cooker. Add salt and red chilli powder. Stir fry for 1 minute.

5. Add 2 cups of water and mix everything. Pressure cook to 1 whistle. Serve hot tahiri with curd or chutney.

Ven Pongal (Khara Pongal)

ven pongal

Today being Sunday, we ate heavy breakfast. By afternoon, we wanted to eat something light and easy on stomach. I made ven pongal or khara pongal for lunch. Usually ven pongal is made for breakfast but it was our lunch today. Ven pongal is a type of moong dal khichdi except that the seasoning is different.

Recipe of ven pongal/ khara pongal

1 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp ginger paste

6-7 black peppercorns (kali mirch) - crushed coarsely

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 1/2 cups of water

Lightly fried or toasted cashew nuts for garnish

1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal together for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add ginger paste and crushed peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute.

3. Add rice and dal and stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Add water and salt. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

5. Garnish ven pongal with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

Cooking Rice in Microwave

microwave plain rice

One of the advantages of cooking rice in microwave is that rice turns out 'khila khila' that is, grains are separate. You can serve rice in the same container in which it was cooked, that is, if you are using micro safe glassware. You can also reheat in the same container.

Recipe of cooking plain rice in microwave

1 ½ cup basmati rice

3 cups water

1. Wash and soak rice for about 1/2 an hour. Drain.

2. Cook rice with 3 cups of water, covered in the microwave safe bowl with a lid or with a cling film through which some holes have been pierced. Cook for 13 minutes on a High.

3. Turn off the microwave but let the rice stand in it for 5-10 minutes. In the meanwhile do not open the lid. Serve rice hot.

Chana Dal Pulao

Chana dal pulao is a hearty pulao which needs a little planning but well worth it. Every spoon full is a delight.

Recipe of chana dal pulao

1 cup long grain basmati rice

1/2 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 laung (cloves)

1 piece of dalchini (cinnamon)

2 moti elaichi (brown cardamom)

2 tej patta (bay leaves)

Salt to taste

3 cups of water

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash and soak chane ki dal for 2 hours, drain. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes, drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, brown cardamom and bay leaves. Fry till they splutter and change color.

3. Add chana dal and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water and salt. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook to 2 whistles. Let the pressure drop down naturally before opening the lid of the cooker.

4. Add rice and pressure cook to 1 whistle. Let the pressure drop down. Open the lid and take out on a serving platter. Serve hot chana dal pulao with curds and salad.

Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)

jeera rice

Jeera or cumin seeds are not only flavorful but also have many medicinal properties. If you are entertaining a few guests and don't want to serve plain boiled rice, then jeera rice is an ideal choice. There is not much fuss and it can be prepared at a short notice. You can also cook jeera rice in a pan or microwave oven.

Recipe of jeera rice

1 cup basmati rice

2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 tsp cumin powder

2 cups water

1 onion- sliced

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil or ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes.

2. Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker and add jeera. When they change color, add onion. Fry till light brown. Add cumin powder.

3. Add rice with 2 cups of water and salt. Pressure cook to 1 whistle.

4. Take out on a serving platter and fluff jeera rice with the help of 2 forks. 

Rice Kheer (Pudding)

rice kheer

Rice kheer or chawal ki kheer is one of the most popular desserts of Indian Subcontinent. It is even offered as prasad. It’s very delicious and my family prefers it chilled. So after the kheer reaches room temperature, we refrigerate it.

Recipe of rice kheer (payasam)

1 liter milk

1/4 cup rice

1/4 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

4-5 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp almonds (blanched and slivered)

1 tbsp kewra water (optional)

1. Soak the rice for 1/2 an hour. Drain.

2. In a heavy bottomed pan, bring the milk to boil. Add rice and lower heat.

3. Cook stirring in between till rice is cooked and kheer thickens. Cook till the desired consistency is reached.

4. Add sugar and cook stirring till sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add almonds and cardamom powder. When the kheer has cooled down somewhat, add kewra water. Serve rice kheer hot or cold.

kesari kheer

Matar Pulao (Peas with Rice)

matar pulao

Matar pulao or pea pulao is a true quick fix meal. This is a real comfort food, very easy to make and tastes fabulous. Although I myself use frozen matar many times but the truth is it tastes much better with fresh peas.

Recipe of matar pulao

1 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup matar (peas) - fresh or frozen

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves (tej patta)

4 cloves (laung)

2 black cardamoms (moti elaichi)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1. Soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves and black cardamom. When they splutter, add peas and stir- fry for 1 minute.

3. Add rice and stir- fry for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water and salt. Close the lid of the cooker and cook to 1 whistle. Let the lid be closed for 5-7 minutes before opening it. Serve hot matar pulao with cucumber raita.

Phirni (Ground Rice Pudding)

phirni

Phirni is a type of kheer (rice pudding). In kheer, you add whole grains of rice to the milk whereas in phirni, ground rice or rice flour is used to make the dessert. Phirni is much quicker to make as compared to kheer but tastes equally good.

Recipe of Phirni

½ cup rice (chawal)

1 liter milk

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp green cardamom powder

10 pistachios (unsalted)

8 almonds

7-8 strands of saffron

1. Soak rice for ½ an hour. Grind to a coarse paste.

2. Blanch pistachios and almonds in hot water. Remove skin and slice. Dissolve saffron in a little hot milk.

3. Boil milk. Dissolve rice paste in a little cold milk and add this to the boiling milk.

4. Stir continuously till the rice is cooked completely. Stirring constantly is important otherwise thick lumps will form which will stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. Add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron. Cook till sugar dissolves. Pour this into earthen bowls and decorate with sliced pistachio and almonds.

6. Refrigerate phirni and serve chilled.

Microwave Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)

microwave jeera rice

Microwave is very good for cooking rice. As far as jeera rice is concerned, it's very flavorful and tasty.

Recipe of microwave jeera rice/ cumin rice

1 1/2 cup basmati rice

2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash rice and soak in water for 1/2 an hour. Drain.

2. Take a big microwave safe bowl. Put ghee in it and add jeera. Cook uncovered, on High for 30 seconds.

3. Add rice, salt and 3 cups of water. Mix well. Cover with a micro safe lid or a cling film through which some holes have been pierced.

4. Cook for 13 minutes on High.

5. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve microwave jeera rice hot with some curry or vegetable.

Vegetable khichdi

vegetable khichdi

Vegetable khichdi is a very light and nutritious meal. It’s wholesome and non- spicy. Since it is easy to digest, you can also serve it to a sick person. I eat vegetable khichdi because I find it very tasty and satisfying.

Recipe of vegetable khichdi

1 cup rice

1/2 cup moong dal (split green gram)

Mixed chopped vegetables like French beans, carrots, cauliflower, peas and potato

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

4 cups water

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

1 1/2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash rice and moong dal separately.

2. In a vessel, heat ghee and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add hing. Add dal and vegetables. Cook stirring for 2-3 minutes. In the mean time put 4 cups of water to boil.

3. Add rice and turmeric powder and stir- fry again for 2 minutes.

4. Add boiling water and salt.

5. Cover and cook on a low heat till khichdi is completely cooked and all water is absorbed. Serve hot vegetable khichdi with curd.

Tomato Rice

tomato rice

Tomato rice is a delicious South Indian variety of rice. It is well loved by rice eaters. Tomato rice is a quick meal which comes as a saviour when you are short of time. Enjoy it with raita and papads.

Recipe of tomato rice

1 cup basmati rice

1 onion- chopped

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3 tomatoes- pureed

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Few curry leaves

1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)

2 cups of water

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain. Place rice in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and cook to 1 whistle. Let the rice cool down by spreading it in a big plate or tray.

2. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mustard seeds and when they pop, add chana dal. Cook on a low heat till dal turns light brown.

3. Add onion and curry leaves. Sauté till onion becomes light brown. Take care not to burn the dal.

4. Add tomato puree. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powders.

5. Cook on low heat till tomato turns dry and ghee begins to separate.

6. Gently mix tomato to rice stirring carefully because we don't want the rice to break. Mix till well mixed. Serve hot tomato rice with raita.

Rice Idli

rice idli

Idli is rice and lentil steamed cake. They taste best with sambhar and coconut chutney but you can also enjoy rice idli with chutney masala like that made by MTR.

Recipe of rice idli

2 cups parboiled rice (sela chawal)

1 cup dhuli urad dal (skinless split black gram)

2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)

1. Wash and soak rice and urad dal separately along with methi dana added to each. Soak them for 6 hours or overnight if possible.

2. Grind urad dal to a smooth paste and grind rice to a coarse granulated paste with granules to the size of semolina (sooji). Mix them together with hands. Batter should be of medium consistency that is neither too tight nor too watery.

3. Add salt and leave it for fermentation in a warm place for 8-10 hours. The batter should rise and smell sour.

4. Grease each mould of the idli stand. Take a pressure cooker or some wide, deep pan in which idli stand can fit properly.  Fill it with water so that level of water is below the idli stand.

5. Fill each mould of the idli stand with batter to the level. Remember not to overfill them since idlis need space to swell in size.

6. Place the idli stand in the cooker or a pan and cover with a steel plate and put some weight on it. Put it on stove. As soon as the water begins to boil and steam starts coming out, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes. Insert a clean knife in 1 idli. If it comes out clean, idli is done otherwise steam for 2-3 minutes more.

7. Take out the stand from the cooker or the pan and let it stand for 2-3 minutes before taking out idlis. Take out rice idli with the help of a clean knife. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the batter.

Note- If you live in cold climate, preheat oven to warm, turn it off. Leave the batter to ferment in this oven for 7-8 hours. If you live in a country like U.S., use kosher salt. Also, the water for soaking should be either spring water, filtered tap water or boiled water. Point is to avoid chlorine in the water.

Meethe Chawal (Sweet Rice)

meethe chawal

I have come across many recipes of meethe chawal but this is by far the simplest one (my mom's recipe). This recipe is so simple that even a beginner can try his or her hands at it. I simply love meethe chawal and make it in a jiffy whenever craving sets in.

Recipe of meethe chawal/ sweet rice

1 cup basmati rice (chawal)

1/2 cup sugar (vary according to taste)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups of water

1/4 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder

1 1/2 tbsp chopped nuts like cashew nuts, raisins

Few strands of saffron (kesar) or 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and roast cashews and raisins. Drain and keep aside.

3. If you don't have saffron to give yellow color to the chawal, roast turmeric powder in ghee for 2 seconds.

4. Add rice, sugar, 2 cups of water, cardamom powder and saffron (if you are using it) to the pressure cooker. Let 1 whistle come. Turn off the heat. Take out on a serving platter and garnish with toasted nuts. Serve meethe chawal warm.

Mangodi Pulao

mangodi pulao

Mangodi pulao or mangodi wale chawal is a real comforting food for me. Earlier I blogged about mangodi ki sabzi as I am a fan of mangodi. In the recipe below, I have used small granular mangodi. Even bigger mangodis can be used but you have to cook them for 4-5 whistles.

Recipe of mangodi pulao

1 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup small granular mangodi (moong dal wadis)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt or to taste

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf (tej patta)

4 cloves (laung)

2 black cardamoms (moti elaichi)

3 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and fry mangodis till reddish brown. Take out.

2. Heat rest of the ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves and black cardamoms. When they change color, add mangodi, salt, turmeric and water. Let 2 whistles come, and then turn off heat.

3. When pressure drops down, open the lid of the cooker and add rice. Pressure cook to 1 whistle. Let the pressure drop down, open the lid and take out on a serving platter. Fluff with the help of 2 forks and enjoy mangodi pulao hot.