Just in time - Cumin Garlic Rice

Contrary to what we might believe, even on a busy night a simple homey meal, cheers and comforts like nothing else.

I tend to reach out for my favorite spices, my parent grains and work by simle instinct. Simple basic flavors in my world are - cumin, olive oil, clarified butter (just a drizzle), steaming white basmati. The meal pretty much cooks by itself while I shower.

A simple meal of rice and lentils never fails to cheer or revive, Dal- Bhaat (bengali) as I say it or Dal Chawal (Hindi) as my husband know it is the eternal simple basic food that we know and take for granted - just like water, home, love and safety.

The past week has brought us sad news with all the devastation in Haiti. Even when this little island nation was not part of one's consciousness, you cannot help realize that world is a sadder place this week. I met a new co-worker who had lost a lot of family and cannot reach anyone. The instant simple impact of loss was so sudden and real.

A calm meal like this is probably just perfect on any occasion.

Garlic Cumin Rice

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 cup white basmati rice, washed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup green peas (frozen)
1/2 cup frozen corn

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and the ghee and add the cumin seeds and the garlic.
2. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes until your senses are enveloped in the wonderful scent of toasted cumin and garlic.
3. Add the red chili powder and the rice and mix through.
4. Gently stir in the water and green peas and the corn.
5. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 16-17 minutes.
6. At this point the water should have evaporates, the rice should have absorbed all of the water and the peas and corn should be clinging around the surface.
7. Leave the rice on the heat for about 10 minutes.
8. Fluff the rice gently and to mix in the flavors and serve.

Red Lentils with Swiss Chard and Nigella seeds

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup red lentils (masuur dal)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1 tablespoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Method of Preparation

1. Place the lentils, water, turmeric, salt, ginger, swiss chard in a pot and cook for 15-20 minutes.
2. The lentils soften, turn yellow and then melt into a beautiful mush, yellow with soft flecks of green.
3. Heat the ghee and add the nigella seeds and cumin seeds and cook till the seeds sizzle.
4. Pour over the lentils and serve with the rice as desired.

Pulao with yogurt, peas and carrots

One of the problems we as parents have or maybe I should speak for myself and some others that I know, is that we like to take the simplicity out of kids lives particularly with food and then wonder why they do not eat what we cook for them.
When I first started cooking for my daughter, I used to go nuts, making elaborate stews, then blending them and going besides myself with disappointment when she did not like what I made for her. Over time, I learnt to relax, settle for a few essential stapples and building as the days passed. By and large, they like colors, they love yogurt, simple vegetables, dals and rice. Balanced, wholesome, sometimes a little boring but if they are happy and it is nutritious, why should I care?

This is a conversion of the essential matar pulao, into a complete meal by adding some more veggies, mung dal and buttermilk. It is absolutely comforting and actually rather good for lunch boxes on the go!

Garjar Matar Dahi Pulao - Rice with Carrots, Peas and Buttermilk

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
A few pieces bay leaves, cloves and cardamom
1 cup basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
1/2 cup split green mung dal
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup grated carrots
2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and ghee and add the cumin seeds.
2. Add the onion, bay leaves, cloves and cardamom and stir for a few seconds.
3. Add in the rice and dal and cook for 1 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients with 1.5 cups water or broth.
5. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat and cover and cook for 22 minutes.
6. Remove the cover and stir well once.
7. Leave covered for 5-10 minutes and serve with additional yogurt if desired.



On a hectic week such as the one that just went by, meals such as these tend to be major lifesavers.


I shall be sending this recipe to Preety's Kitchen, who is the host of this months cooking for kids, an event very close to my heart, started by Sharmi.

Pea and Mixed Vegetable Pulao - picking out the peas

My children love peas, and adding them to a rice dish makes the food

go much quicker. The deal, is that each spoonful should have at least one pea and it is a great source of excitement if they get more. Well, this is a very typical combination, I love the flavor that the bay leaves add to the rice.

Pea and Mixed vegetable Pulao

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons oil (I use a non-stick pot or you will need more oil)

1 onion chopped finely

A few cloves

2 - 3 dried bay leaves crumbled

1.5 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 cup fresh peas

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1/2 chopped potato

1 parsnip peeled and chopped

11/4 cup basmati rice soaked for at least half an hour (I do this while I am preparing the remaining items)

1 tomato quatered

2 cups of water

2 tsp butter (optional)

Method of preparation

1. Heat the oil and saute the onion till turning brown.

2. Add in the seasonings and the chopped vegetables and stir for 5 minutes.

3. Mix in the rice and stir till turning light brown

4. Mix in the water and add the tomato (I like to leave this in chunks).

5. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on low for 18 minutes.

5. Leave covered for 5 minutes.

6. Stir lightly and add in the butter if using.

Matarshutir Kachori - Puffed bread with pea filling

Kachori with green peas

Ingredients:

1/2 cup self raising flour
1 1/2 cup Indian whole wheat flour ( atta), if unavailable substitute with regular flour.
1 tsp nigella seeds.
4 small green chillies
Salt to taste
1 tbsps fennel seeds (powdered)
3 tbsps ghee,
¼ tsp asafetida
1 cup frozen peas
1-inch piece ginger
Oil for deep frying
Method of Preparation
1. Mix the flours with 2 tsp ghee salt and nigella seeds.
2.Add enough water a little at a time and knead to a soft dough.
3. Cover and set aside.
4. Grind the peas, ginger, chillies and fennel seeds to a fine paste.
5. Heat oil .Fry the asafetida till light brown.Add the peas paste and salt.
6.Fry well till the paste is cooked. Remove from the fire and let it cool.
7. Divide the dough into 8 balls.
8. Roll into thin discs, put 2 tsp pea filling in one disc. Cover with the other disc like round empanadas.
9. Roll out to flatten and seal.
10. Deep fry in hot oil on slow fire till golden brown.
11. Drain excess oil and remove from oil . Serve hot with Cholar Dal.