Mushroom Pulav | Easy Mushroom pulav Recipe

Easy pulao recipes such as this Mushroom and Peas Pulao will make a fantastic lunch box recipe both for kids and office goers alike. Pack this pulao for your kids lunch box, I assure you that the lunch box will come back empty and they will be asking you to make it often as well.
Ingredients

Mushroom - 200 gms
Basmati Rice - 1 cup 
Onion - 3 thinly sliced
Green Chilli - 2
Coconut Milk - 2 cups (Diluted with water)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 4 
Cardamom - 2 
Bay leaves - 2
Salt to taste
Ginger & garlic paste - 1/2 tsp 

Method:

First of all, soak the Basmati Rice in water for an hour.

1. In a pressure cooker, add Ghee, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom & Bay leaves. 
2. Then Add Onions, Green chilli & sauté till it turns transparent.
3. Now add Ginger & garlic paste, Mushrooms, Salt & sauté it for about 5 to 10 minutes. 
4. Its time to add the soaked Basmati Rice & mix well.
5. Finally add two cups of Coconut Milk diluted with water. Ratio for 1 cup of Rice add 2 cups of Coconut Milk diluted with water. Check for seasoning if required add Salt.
6. Pressure cook it in medium low & turn off the stove after one whistle.
7. Your Mushroom Pulav is ready.

Peri Peri Chicken Crepes | Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken

A savoury crepe stuffed with Peri Peri Chicken stuffing which can be an excellent snack food for High Teas or a healthy and filling Iftar delicacy.

Ingredients:

500 gms Boneless Chicken

1 medium size onion finely chopped

1/2 cup spring onion finely chopped

5 tbsp Cooking oil

Grind to a fine paste:

4 cloves of garlic

4 to 5 dry red chilies (as per taste)

1 tsp dried oregano powder

1 tsp paprika / red chili powder

3 tsp balsamic vinegar / white vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Preparation:

Finely chop boneless chicken (can also use chicken mince).

Prepare the peri peri paste and marinate chicken in it for 1 hour.

Chop onion and spring onion and keep ready.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and fry chopped onion till light golden.

Add marinated chicken, stir well, cover and cook till chicken is fully done and all the water has dried up. To that add chopped spring onion. 

Check the salt and other seasoning, if required adjust accordingly.

Remove from heat and cool it completely before using it as a stuffing.

For Crepes

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp melted butter

Salt

Method:

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients for crepe in a large bowl till you get a smooth mixture.

Heat a non stick pan and grease it with few drops of oil.

Pour a ladle full (2 or 3 tbsp) of batter on the pan and slowly rotate the pan in such a way that batter spreads evenly over the pan making thin crepes.

Cook for 1 minute and flip over the crepe and again cook for 30 seconds on the other side.

Remove in a plate and cool before adding the stuffing.

This batter will make 6 to 7 medium size crepes.

For Peri Peri Chicken Crepes

Make a flour mixture to stick the edges. (1 tbsp plain flour + 2 tbsp water)

Take a crepe and place a tbsp of chicken stuffing in the middle of the crepe.

Fold the crepe from all four sides to make a square shaped pocket.

Stick the edges with a mixture of 1 tbsp of flour and 2 tbsp of water. 

Heat 2 or 3 tbsp oil in a pan and shallow fry the folded crepes on both sides till golden.

Serve hot with chili sauce.

Potato Pulav | Aloo Pulav | veg Potato Rice

Aloo pulao is a very simple dish which has a lovely aroma on pureed onions through out the rice..I make pulao differently each time and this is one of my favourite recipe. It is pretty mild and taste great with any spicy curries or raita..

Ingredients

Rice-2 cups(160 ml electric rice cooker cup)
Onion-1 1/2
Potato (red potato look good) - 5 nos(small size chopped in small pieces)
Ginger-1.5" piece (grated)
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala -2 tsp
Green chilies - 3 (you could also use Jalapeno peppers too)
Lemon juice - juice from 1 & 1/2 lemons
Cilantro - handful
Curry leaves - 2-3 strands
Method 

Cook the rice separately and  keep it aside.
Heat oil in a wide vessel and splutter some cumin seeds.
Saute the onions, green chilies & ginger.
Add finely chopped cilantro & curry leaves.
Add chopped potato and cumin powder. Mix it, cover and cook.
After the potato is well cooked, mix the cooked rice and garam masala.
Add salt and lemon juice.
At last add finely chopped cilantro and switch off.
Tips
Instead of cooked rice, you could add thick poha (aval) and make aval upma (batata powa) and serve with mint chutney for a quick breakfast, brunch or dinner.
You could also add some peanuts for some added crunch.

Achari Baingan (Spicy Eggplant) Recipe | Vegetrarian Indian Dinner and Lunch Recipes

Achari baingan is easy Indian food recipe for home cooking. Achari baingan (pickled eggplant) are also part of my Indian veg lunch recipes. I love them as they are spicy, tangy and super delicious. Enjoy them with roti, paratha or rice.
Here is the quick ingredient list of Achaari baingan:

• For Roasting and Grinding Masala:
•
• Cumin seeds/ jeera: 1tsp,
• Nigella/ kalongi seeds: ½ tsp,
• Fennel seeds/ sauf: ½ tsp and Mustard seeds/ rai: ½ tsp
•
• For Achari Gravy:
•
• Small baby Eggplants/ Baingan washed: 8-10,
• Large Tomato washed: 2,
• Dry red chilly: 2-3,
• Fennel seeds: ½ tsp,
• Nigella/ kalongi seeds: ½ tsp,
• Mustard seeds: ½ tsp,
• Ginger garlic paste: 1tbsp,
• Turmeric powder/ haldi: ½ tsp,
• Red chilly powder/ lal mirch: 1tsp,
• Coriander/ dhania powder: 2 tsp,
• Oil: 5 tbsp,
• Salt and Water

Instructions

>>>>>>> Blanching Tomatoes:
Boil water in a pan. Take tomatoes and slit the skin from two sides.
Put them in boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
After 3 minutes switch of the heat and add few ice cubes to the boiling water.
Let the tomatoes cool down for some time.
Take them out of the water when they are easy to handle.
Peel tomatoes and chop them in fine pieces and keep them aside.
>>>>>>> Roasting dry masala for achari baingan:
Heat pan at medium low heat.
Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds and mustard seeds.
Roast them for few minutes till you get nice roasted aroma.
Transfer them in a bowl and let them cool town.
Make coarse power and keep it aside.
>>>>>>> Preparing baingan or eggplant for achari baingan:
In a pan heat 1-2 tsp of oil.
Cross slit brinjal or baingan so that their stems remain intact.
Put them in the pan and pour little oil on top of them.
Cover and cook till they are half done.
Stir couple of times in between.
Once they are half done switch off the heat and keep them aside.
>>>>>>> Preparing Achari gravy:
Heat wok/ karahi on medium flame. Add dry red chilly and sauté till chillies are nicely roasted.
Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and kalongi.
Now add ginger garlic paste, sauté it and cook for a minute.
Now add the grounded powder and mix it nicely.
Add turmeric powder and mix it again.
Add chopped blanched and salt. Mix everything, cover it and cook till tomatoes are soft and starts loosing oil.
It might take 7-8 minutes. Saute them couple of times in between.
When tomato mixture starts loosing oil add red chiily powder and coriander powder, mix well.
Now add eggplants/ brinjal mix everything, cover and cook eggplants in achari masala for 5 minutes.
Stir them couple of times so that masala do not get stick to the bottom.
After almost 5 minutes stir them once again add ½ cup of water, mix everything, cover and let them cook for 8-10 minutes.
Stir after every 2-3 minutes. After 10 minutes switch of the heat.
Achari baingan is ready to serve.

Notes

1. While roasting masala for achari baingan make sure your stove is at low flame otherwise masala may get burnt.
2. First cook eggplants/ baingan only till they are half done as they will be cooked again with the gravy later.
3. Tomatoes I used in making achari baingan were pretty sour so I did not added extra dry mango powder/ amchur powder. If tomatoes you are using are not sour enough you can add one tomato or add some dry mango powder at the end.

Texan Palak Rice | Healthy Lunch Recipe

Ingredients 
Serves: 8 

• 125 g frozen spinach, defrosted
• 7-8 green onions
• 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 400 g long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper

Directions
Prep:15min  ›  Cook:30min  ›  Ready in:45min 

1. Squeeze the spinach dry and chop it finely. Chop the spring onions, including most of the green parts.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir-fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the spring onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and dill and cook for a further 1 minute.
3. Add the rice to the pan and cook for a further 1 minute, then pour in 650 ml (1 pint 2 fl oz) of water, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Serve warm.