Chaaler Payesh (Rice Kheer)

Chaaler Payesh (Rice Kheer) is one of the most typical authentic Bengali sweets / dessert preparation, loved and cherished by all Bengalis, specially prepared in auspicious occasions like birthdays, pujas and festive times. It always a treat for our birthdays, specially prepared by my mother.

The traditional way to prepare this kheer / payesh is to boil the milk on low heat for and then the rice is added. Boiling is continued till rice is tender. Sugar, raisins and cashew nuts are added to the milk & rice and cooked for some more time till the milk becomes slightly dense or as per your desired consistency. Cardamom powder is sprinkled. This can be served warm or chilled.

A special type of rice called "gobindo bhog rice" is used in this recipe. I prepared this dish with basmati rice in microwave.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice: 1/4 cup (50 gms)
• Milk: 500 ml
• Sugar: 100-125 gms
• Black Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Dry Fruits: Raisins, Cashew Nuts, Almonds and Pistachios

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice for 15-20 mins. Drain the water and keep aside.
2. In a deep microwave safe bowl, mix milk, rice and boil at 100% for 6-7 mins. (Stir after 3 mins).
3. Add sugar & cardamom powder and microwave at 60% power for 10-12 mins and again at 40% for 5 more mins. Allow to stand for 5 mins.
4. Garnish with chopped dry fruits of your choice. Serve warm or chilled.

Sending this delicious rice kheer to EC's WYF - Speciality Food event and MEC-Sweets N Savouries guest hosted by Paru of Brindavan, event started by Srivalli and Radhika's & Sudeshna's Food for 7 stages of life: Kid's Special event.

Jeera Rice

Jeera Rice (Cumin flavored rice), is a simple and tasty variation on plain boiled rice made with cumin seeds. Jeera rice can be prepared in 2 ways, one by total absorption of water by the rice and other by draining the water from the rice, where the starch is discarded.

Generally cumin seeds are lightly sauted in ghee / white oil and then the soaked basmati rice is cooked with sufficient water till soft or the parboiled rice is tossed with the sauted cumin seeds to bring out the flavour. Jeera rice is generally served with any veg or non-veg gravy / curry side dishes. This is recipe for Jeera Rice, made in a microwave.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice: 1 cup (200 gms)
• Water: 1& 1/2 cups
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Cloves: 4
• Cinnamon sticks: 2
• Bay leaves: 2
• Green cardamom: 2-3
• Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves, chopped: 2 bunch (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, add the ghee, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks & green cardamom and microwave for 1 min.
3. Add the soaked rice, water and salt, mix well and boil covered at 100% power for 9-10mins and then at 60% power for 6-8 mins. (Stir in between every 5 mins). Allow to stand, covered for 5 mins.
4. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves are serve hot with any side dish of your choice along with raita and green salad.

I am sending this rice dish to Srilekha's EFM-Variety Rice event...

I am also sending some rice recipes from my archives, Paneer Peas Pulao, Jeera Peas Rice, Kiribath and Mishti Bhaat

Paneer Peas Pulao

Paneer Peas Pulao is a delicious North Indian dish. Though pulao is generally cooked by boiling rice in a handi / big bowl, I prepared this pulao in a pressure cooker. The raisins and cashew nuts added to the pulao, bring out the authentic taste in this Paneer (cottage cheese) Peas Pulao.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice: 2 cups (200 gms)
• Paneer (cottage cheese), cubed: 150 gms
• Peas, shelled: 1 cup (100 gms)
• Cashew nuts, halved: 50 gms
• Raisins: 50 gms
• Bay leaf: 2
• Cinnamon stick: 1"
• Cloves: 4-5
• Green Cardamoms: 2-3
• Vegetable oil: 3-4 tbsp
• Sugar: 2 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Water: 3&1/2 cups

Procedure:

1. Wash rice thoroughly, let it soak in a bowl for 30 mins, drain and keep aside.
2. Boil water in a bowl, put the paneer cubes, simmer and soak for 2-3 mins. Drain and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan, release the cashew nuts and saute till light golden. Remove and set aside. Similarly lightly saute the raisins, drain oil and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add whole spices. Stir and saute for 1-2 mins. Add rice, peas, paneer cubes and half the portion of fried cashew nuts & raisins. Lightly saute until all the ingredients are well coated with oil.
5. Add water, sugar and salt. Stir a little, cover the cooker with the lid and bring the water to a boil. When the water starts boiling (steam comes out of the nozzle), put the whistle cap on the lid and cook till 2-3 whistles.
6. Let the cooker cool down, gently transfer the pulao to a serving dish. Garnish with rest of the fried cashew nuts & raisins. Serve hot.

Sending this pulao recipe to Sara's Say Cheese event...

I am also sending the following recipes to the event....

Paneer Parantha

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

and some of my favourites from the archives

Classic Cheese Pizza

Navratan Korma

Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Paneer Parantha

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) is the most common type of cheese available, popular in India and a rich source of protein. Generally paneer parantha is prepared by putting a stuffing of paneer & spices inside a dough, sometimes stuffing is placed in between two rolled out doughs, pressed together, again rolled out and cooked in oil. Here is the recipe for Paneer Parantha, prepared in a slighty different way...

Ingredients:

• Paneer, grated: 1-1/2 cup
• Wheat Flour (Atta): 2 cups
• White Flour (Maida): 1 cup
• Roasted Cumin (Jeera) seed powder: 2-3 tsp (to taste)
• Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• White oil, frying

Method:

1. Sieve Atta & Maida together, add salt and mix well. Take a little amount of the mixed flours, add the grated paneer and combine well. Add a little white oil.
2. Knead slowly, gradually add the rest of the flour to form a smooth dough (Add water if required, but do not add too much water, it may appear sticky at first, coat your hand in flour so that it's easy to knead). Make 10-12 equal balls.
3. Take a ball, carefully roll out to form a circle (Apply flour to your hand to prevent sticking).
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan, place the rolled dough and toast on both sides. Apply a little oil around the edges and turn on the other sise.
5. Flip again and cook on both sides till golden brown. Serve hot with raita / chutney.

Sending this delicious Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Paranthas to CFK - Wheat, hosted by Sireesha, event started by Sharmi and to Sara's Say Cheese event...

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

My kid started having pasta after 1 and half years. I used to prepare my own pasta sauce, the kid loved penne pasta with white sauce. Here is the recipe for creamy cheesy pasta.

Ingredients:

• Pasta: 200 gms / 2 cups (penne, fusille, spaghetti, fettucine)
• Cheese (Mozzarella / Parmesan), grated: 1 cup
• Milk: 1 cup (as required)
• Garlic, finely chopped: 2-3 flakes
• Butter: 1 tbsp
• Olive oil / white oil: 1 tbsp
• Oregano: 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. To prepare White Sauce, blend � the cheese & milk together in a blender to form a creamy cheesy mixture. Keep aside.
2. Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Add chopped garlic and saut� for a minute.
3. Gradually add a flour (a little at a time), mix with the butter, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.
4. Slowly add milk & chesse mixture to the butter & flour mixture, while stirring continuously. Add a little pinch of oregano and mix well.
5. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Cook al dente (soft but not not too soggy) following the timing instructions on the package.
6. Drain the pasta, toss immediately with the cottage cheese mixture, and serve hot.

Sending this delightful and light pasta dish to Foods For Stages Of Life-Cooking For Infants & Toddlers event by Radhika & Sudeshna, EC's WYF-Light Meal and Sara's Say Cheese event...

Gulab Jamun - ICC (October Challenge)

Gulab Jamun is a delectable sweet famous among Indian people, specially prepared during festive seasons like Deepawali and happy occasions. I have already posted a recipe on Gulab Jamun, you can catch it here.

Srivalli proposed 3 different ways of preparing gulab jamuns, she choosed from the yum blog, Indo and Alka's blog. I followed the recipe as stated in the Yum Blog, sending this tempting & delicious Indian sweet to Indian Cooking Challenge for the month of October.

Ingredients:

• Khoya � 1&1/2 cups
• Maida � 1 cup
• Sugar � 3 cups (if you want excess syrup, increase by a cup)
• Water � 1 cup (increase if you�re increasing sugar)
• Cooking Soda � 3 pinches
• Cardamom � 4 pods
• Saffron leaves � a few
• Oil � 1 cup (for deep frying)

Method

1. Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves and remove from fire.
2. Knead khoya, maida and soda and quickly shape into balls. (Apply a little ghee to have a smooth texture).
3. Heat oil on a medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform.
4. Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup. Serve the jamuns after half an hour

Akuri (Parsi Scrambled Eggs)

I have prepared scrambled eggs before with various chopped vegetables (tomatoes, capsicums, boiled beans & carrots) and spices. While searching for more Parsi dishes, I came across Akuri, a spicy scrambled eggs recipe, a popular Parsi breakfast dish prepared with spices including cumin seeds, black pepper and chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. It is served with pav / double roti.

Ingredients:

• Eggs: 6
• Milk: 1/4 cup
• Onions, finely chopped: 4 medium
• Tomatoes, finely chopped: 2 medium
• Capsicum, finely chopped: 1 medium
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped: 2
• Ginger, finely chopped: 1/2"
• Green chillies, finely chopped: 2
• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped: 1-2 bunch
• White oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Beat eggs in a bowl, add salt and milk and whisk well.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add chopped onions, saute a little till onions becomes tender and light golden brown.
3. Add cumin seeds, chopped ginger & garlic, saute a little, add chopped tomatoes & coriander leaves and fry for 2-3 more mins.
4. Add the beaten eggs, mix well and stir continuously over medium heat till eggs are well cooked and resembles scrambled eggs.
5. Garnish with sliced capsicum rings, serve hot with buttered bread / rotis.

The dish is somewhat liquid in texture, I dried a bit and it tasted superb with roti. Altough the recipe didn't mention capsicum, I prepared with chopped capsicum. Sending this scrambled eggs to RCI-Parsi Cuisine, guest hosted by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food, event started by Lakshmi.