Spinach Rice

2012 seems to be a bad start for me.. an accident.. thn dealing with a crazy doc and now a skin allergy.. hope my quota of falling sick in 2012 gets over in this month itself .. fingers crossed.. Now with this state I just don feel like cooking.. and thus, try making a singular dish that would suffice a meal :) ... not that I aint lazy but this is truely out of compulsion (believe me ;)) ..

I had had this dish at a frendz sometime ago and so wanted to replicate it.. SPINACH RICE .. and I think I did a good job.. Arunesh & I ate it up all... and loved it !!

Ingredients 

Rice - 2 cups

Spinach - 1 bunch (blanched)

Onions - 2 (finely chopped)

Green Chili - 3 (you could reduce the chili as per taste)

Bay Leaf - 1

Black Peppercorn - 2

Cloves - 2-3

Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt

Water

Oil - 2 Tablespoons

Lemon Juice - 2 teaspoons

Cooking

Wash rice, drain water & keep aside.

Grind blanched Spinach & Chili together into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a cooker. Add Bay Leaf, Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Cloves & Peppercorns.

As Mustard Seeds start to crackle, add Onions & fry for about 5 mins. Next, add the Spinach-Chili paste & cook for 2 mins.

Finally add the Rice, Salt & 4 cups of water.

Cover the cooker & cook till 2 wistles.

Spinach Rice are ready.. Incase you find the rice still watery, cook uncovered for about 2-3 mins to dry the excess water.

Squeeze some Lemon Juice and serve hot.

Sending this entry to Nupur's New Year, New Dish event.

Egg & Veggie Biryani

Biryani.. surely a hot fav of many of us.. this recipe might read as if it WOULD require SO MUCH work.. but as you will get on to cooking it, trust me you will just sail through.. and in no time the Yummy EGG & VEGGIE BIRYANI would be ready..

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Boiled eggs – 4

Mixed vegetable (carrot, capsicum, peas, mushroom, broccoli) – 2 cups

Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon (heaped)

Onions - 4

Green Chilies - 5

Mint leaves - handful

Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch

Red Chili powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee/ Unsalted butter – 1 teaspoon

Cardamom - 2

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – small stick

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon

Salt according to taste

Oil for frying


Cooking

1. Wash the rice and half boil in a pan full of water with cardamom, clove, cinnamon and 1 green chilies (slit vertically). Add salt. Drain the excess water by running the rice through a sieve.

2. Whisk the yogurt along with ginger-garlic paste, 1 green chili, red chili powder, turmeric powder, powered garam masala and salt. Marinate the eggs (slit across) for about 40-45 mins.

3. Thinly slice the onions and deep fry them in the oil until golden brown. Strain.  Add 2 green chilies (slit vertically), mint leaves and coriander leaves and keep it aside.

4. For the final layering, heat ghee/ unsalted butter in a skillet (pref one with a lid). Saute the diced vegetables for about 5 mins and pour the egg mixture over them, next layer the onion mixture over it, sprinkle lime juice and finally layer it with half boiled rice. Sprinkle little oil (used for frying onion) and ghee on the top.

5. Cover the biryani tightly with a lid and let it cook on a slow flame for about 30- 40 minutes.

6. Mix well and serve with Raita.