Meethe Chawal | Saffron Rice | Kesar Pulao

Sweet and fragrant, simple saffron rice or meethe chawal
09/27/2024 12:50:07 PM vindhyadesai

A comeback to blogging after a long hiatus (really long) is difficult. As I sit here at my table and type I am trying to find inspiration from the innumerable food photos I have clicked and the efforts that went into it. Trying to find words and ideas to write a good introduction to this post after a long time makes me think about those initial days of blogging 2016. Now that little ‘S’ is at school full time I will be able to give time to food blogging. It’s been so long and here we are going to learn a very simple dish, sweet saffron rice or meethe chawal. ... “Meethe Chawal | Saffron Rice | Kesar Pulao”

Bahala Bhaat | Mosaru Shavige | Curd Vermicelli

Creamy and cooling, curd based shavige or Karnataka special bahala bhaat
08/03/2019 3:21:59 PM vindhyadesai

On some mornings when you are short on time and do not have idli or dosa batter on hand, simple breakfasts come in handy. But upma/uppittu or avalakki can be boring sometimes and their turn for the week is up then we need some more ideas up our sleeve. One such recipe is my favourite Karnataka special bahala bhaat or mosaru shavige.
Bahala bhaat or mosaru shavige is a cooling shavige/vermicelli dish. It is loaded with fun things like cashews and raisins and of course the main ingredient is cooling mosaru/yogurt/curd. In my experience most vermicelli varieties take about 3-4 minutes to cook or 5 minutes tops! This can be then quickly cooled and mixed with cool mosaru/yogurt/curd. ... “Bahala Bhaat | Mosaru Shavige | Curd Vermicelli”

Coconut Milk Cauliflower Pulao | Cauliflower Pulao | Pulao Recipes

Filling and delicious coconut milk cauliflower pulao, perfect for a light lunch
07/02/2019 9:57:24 PM vindhyadesai

Mid-week is here and we are half way to the weekend, well almost! Wednesdays at my home is rice day every week, different bhaats and pulaos are made for the lunch box. Yesterday, I found a nice, fresh, firm cauliflower and I have a can of organic store-bought coconut milk. So coconut milk cauliflower pulao it is for tomorrow.
Coconut milk cauliflower pulao is a very simple pulao and uses very few ingredients, you can get it ready in a jiffy. Wash the rice and keep aside. Clean the cauliflower florets and get them ready. A few spices on hand and you are ready to roll with the coconut milk cauliflower pulao. And oh yes, make it with ghee and it tastes amazing. ... “Coconut Milk Cauliflower Pulao | Cauliflower Pulao | Pulao Recipes”

Veeledele Chitranna | Veeledele Bhaat | Betel Leaves Bhaat

Delicious, festival special- a different spin to chitranna, veeledele chitranna
06/11/2019 9:58:31 PM vindhyadesai

After many months I finally could buy some veeledele/betel leaves here. They were fresh and tender and recently I had seen a bhaat recipe, probably in some magazine or on a TV show. So for a festival when I was thinking of making something different yet simple, I remembered veeledele chitranna.
Veeledele chitranna puts a different spin on traditional lemon rice or nimbehannina chitranna. Veeledele or betel leaves have a natural refreshing flavour which is why they are eaten after a lunch to cleanse the mouth and aid digestion. This veeledele chitranna turns out to be very refreshing too owing to its nice peppery flavour. ... “Veeledele Chitranna | Veeledele Bhaat | Betel Leaves Bhaat”

Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani | Veg Dum Biryani

Delicious weekend lunch, fresh vegetables in a gravy, Hyderabadi vegetable dum biryani
05/11/2019 9:34:10 PM vindhyadesai

So after the recipes for biryani chawal and biryani masala, here is the grand entrant on the blog. Like a royal with royality flowing in its every grain, Hyderabadi vegetable dum biryani. We do not make biryanis at home very frequently, it is rich and royal, so once in a while it makes it worth it!
First let’s see what a dum biryani is, dum means cooking in its own steam. All the biryani layers are made and then ‘dum’ is given to it. Getting the biryani chawal consistency is very important to make a delicious Hyderabadi vegetable dum biryani. Flavours are so layered and so deep, you need to savour this dish in a royal way – the shahi/nawabi andaz as they say! ... “Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani | Veg Dum Biryani”

Biryani Chawal | Biryani Rice | How to cook biryani rice?

Super fragrant, with each grain of rice blooming like a jasmine flower, biryani chawal
05/06/2019 8:34:51 PM vindhyadesai

Any rice based dish is always defined by the way one cooks the rice. The texture of rice is very important to make any biryani or pulao. Imagine eating a paste like textured pulao or biryani where the rice grains are sticking to each other with no bite. Sounds unappetizing isn’t it. But let’s not ruin the actual dish and we’ll learn to make some good biryani chawal today.
Biryani chawal or rice for biryani is made with basmati rice. Basmati rice is long grained and filled with a fragrant aroma. It defines your biryani with all the masalas making it a signature dish. Biryanis have layers of flavours and each layer should ooze with aroma. This is the reason why biryani chawal or rice for biryani is flavoured with some spices to make it extra special. ... “Biryani Chawal | Biryani Rice | How to cook biryani rice?”

Paneer Pulao | Matar Paneer Pulao | Pulao Recipes

Golden and soft paneer cubes in a fragrant and flavourful paneer pulao
03/07/2019 8:24:11 PM vindhyadesai

To make a filling dish takes not much effort. You can also make it fancy-looking by actually not spending a lot of time and effort. How about a flavourful paneer pulao to be the main dish. So it can be served with raitha and that is lunch taken care of. Soft golden paneer in a rice pulao sounds mouth-watering, so here it is!
For this paneer pulao, I have roasted off some whole garam masala to make a fresh and fragrant masala. Paneer pulao makes a for a great lunch box dish or a main dish for a party. Typically I use basmati rice to make any pulao but you can use any long grained rice to make pulao, turns out really tasty. ... “Paneer Pulao | Matar Paneer Pulao | Pulao Recipes”

Coriander Rice | Coriander Bhaat | Bhaat Recipes

Quick and easy rice dish for your lunch box, delicious and tasty coriander rice
08/19/2018 7:07:02 PM vindhyadesai

Coriander leaves or dhania patta or kottambri soppu is the main ingredient for garnishing. How about we just make it the main ingredient! So here we are back with another simple lunch box recipe, coriander rice or coriander bhaat. All this needs is just few simple whole garam masala and some fresh coriander.
Some cashews adorn this flavourful coriander rice along with some pop-in-the-mouth green peas. Coriander rice gets ready in quick time and you do not even have to prepare the rice beforehand. Although sometimes that method is also quite fast. ... “Coriander Rice | Coriander Bhaat | Bhaat Recipes”

Carrot Pulao | Carrot Raisin Pulao | Pulao Recipes

A simple and easy pulao to prepare, carrot pulao with cashews & raisins
07/03/2018 9:56:47 PM vindhyadesai

Pulao is my go to one-pot dish for lunch or sometimes for dinner. Usually gets ready in a jiffy and some raitha on the side, you are set. Making an elaborate pulao will not be possible always. But making use of the same masalas and may be just 1 or 2 vegetables we can still make a delicious pulao. Carrot pulao is one of those simple pulaos you can make.
Carrot pulao is loaded with raisins and cashews making it extra special. You can obviously skip them but why not add a festive touch. The natural sweet taste of carrots makes this carrot pulao very tasty. It infact does not need a lot of masala or spices. Moreover carrot pulao gets ready in no time at all! ... “Carrot Pulao | Carrot Raisin Pulao | Pulao Recipes”

Peas Pulao | Matar Pulao | Pulao Recipes

Easy peasy, peas pulao, a staple with pop-in-the-mouth peas
05/15/2018 12:22:55 PM vindhyadesai

A simple dal-chawal can sometimes be very boring. But if you can bring some life into your chawal by adding some fresh/frozen green peas and cooked till the peas/matar turn soft and bright green. The peas just pop-in-the-mouth and they make a boring dish spring back into life. So here it is a simple dish from FOI, peas pulao or matar ke chawal.
Peas pulao can be made literally at the last minute. Quickly make some dal in your pressure cooker, wash basmati rice set it aside. Mix cool cucumber into beaten yogurt/curd. Lastly cook basmati rice and throw in some fresh/frozen green peas when the rice is half done. ... “Peas Pulao | Matar Pulao | Pulao Recipes”