Recipe- Spicy Tahari

Tahari 
(Potato and Cauliflower cooked with Rice in Indian Spices)


Ingredients
Basmati Long Grain Rice 1 cup (Washed and soaked in water for an hour)
Potato 1 medium (Washed and peeled then cut in to 1 inch cubes)
1 medium (Washed and separated in florets)
Water 2 cups 
Salt 1 tsp or as per taste

Roasted Jeera Powder 2 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Ghee 2 tbsp
Asafoetida/ Hing 2 pinch
Cumin Seeds /Jeera 1 tsp
Black Pepper whole 1 tsp
Bay Leaves /Tej Patta 4-5 nos
Cloves /Laung 4-5 nos
Big Cardamom /Badi Elaichi 2 nos
Onion 1 big (Sliced lengthwise)
Green Chili 3-4 nos (Roughly chopped)
Ginger 1 inch (Sliced lengthwise)
Turmeric Powder 1 tsp
Coriander Powder 4 tsp
Red Chili Powder 2 tsp
 
Method
  • Drain the soaked rice and keep aside.
  • Take ghee in a non stick pan and heat on medium flame.
  • When ghee is hot enough add hing and jeera and let it cracker.
  • Then add whole black pepper, bay leaves, cloves and cardamom, fry till golden brown.
  • Now add sliced onion and fry till pink in color.
  • Add chopped green chilis and ginger, fry till change in color.
  • Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder, fry.
  • Add cubed potatos and cauliflower florets, mix well and fry for 1-2 minute on high flame.
  • Now add salt and water and let it boil.
  • When boil comes add washed and already soaked rice, mix very gently.
  • Cover the pan and turn the flame to low.
  • Check in 7-8 minutes, when rice seems cooked and no water left, switch off the flame and cover the pan again for 5 minutes.
  • But if rice is not cooked, cook it for further 3-4 minutes on low flame.
  • Now when you serve garnish with roasted jeera powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. 
  • Serve hot with green chutney and curd.
Tips
Use only basmati long grain rice.
While washing rice be gentle as do not want to mash it.
Use only soaked rice for around half an hour.
Its important to drain the rice before proceeding as we do not want extra water in rice. 
You may also use variety of vegetables here.
Adjust salt and chili as per your taste.
For more aroma and taste top with 1 tbsp of ghee while serving.
 
Recipe- Phirni
Phirni



Ingredients
Uncooked Rice 0.75 cup
Cooked Rice 2-3 tbsp
Milk 1 litre
Sugar 4-5 tbsp 
Green Cardamom 2 nos
Saffron 1 pinch

Method

  • Wash and soak uncooked rice for 2-3 hours.
  • Drain and wipe rice with a clean cloth.
  • Grind in to a coarse powder and keep aside.
  • nd mix sufficient cold milk to make the consistency thin. Keep aside.
  • Heat a heavy bottom pan on high flame and bring milk to boil.
  • When milk starts boiling add the rice powder and reduce the flame to low.
  • Partially cover the pan and keep stirring at regular intervals.
  • Crush the green cardamom and add to the milk.
  • Soak saffron in a tbsp of cold milk and add to the boiling milk mix well.
  • Add sugar and mix well.
  • Keep stirring and add cooked rice paste.
  • Check if rice is cooked and when phirni appears sufficient thick (keeping in mind that it will thickens more when you cool it) switch off the flame. 
  • Pour in serving bowls, garnish with saffron and cardamom.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  • Serve Chill.


Tips
You can use ready made rice rava instead of soaking and grinding rice.
You can mix chopped or powdered dry fruits as well.
You can adjust sugar according to your taste.



Recipe- Pongal

Pongal

Ingredients
Rice 1 cup
Dhuli Moong yellow Daal 0.5 cup
Water 4 cups
Salt 1tsp (or according to taste)
Whole black pepper 10-15 pc
Ginger chopped 2 tsp

Green chilli chopper 2 pc 
Jeera 1 tsp
Ghee 2 tbsp
Cashew chopped 15-20 pc 

Method
  • Wash properly rice and daal together. 
  • Take a Pressure cook and heat on high flame.
  • Add Daal, Rice, Salt and Water in the pressure cooker with one tsp of ghee (Ghee is optional here).
  • Close the lid and pressure cook (1 whistle) on high flame and then until 2 whistle on low flame.
  • Switch off the gas and let pressure cooker cool down.
  • Meanwhile take a small pan, add ghee and heat on high flame.
  • When ghee is hot add Jeera to it.
  • When jeera starts cracking add whole black pepper and fry for few seconds. 
  • Add cashew to it and fry till golden brown.
  • Now add ginger and green chillis to it and fry.
  • Add this tempering to pongal and mix well.
  • Serve hot.
Tips
To enhance taste add more ghee.
You can use curry leaves also in tempering. 
Jains or others who don’t eat root vegetables, can cook this recipe without ginger.
Vegan should substitute ghee with vegetable oil or shortening. 

“Be Vegetarian be Happy”
“Live and Let Live”