North Indian Rices

Mint Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Cooked rice – 2 cups (You can use Basmati rice too)

Fresh mint leaves – 2 cups

Onion – 1, chopped fine

Green chillies – 2-3

Grated coconut fresh / frozen – ¼ cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp (if using fresh ginger and garlic, grind with mint leaves)

Cloves – 3-4

Green cardamom pods – 3-4

Cinnamon – 1" piece

Star anise – 1

Bay leaf – 1

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Roasted cashews for garnishing (optional)

Salt to taste

Method

Cook rice and keep aside. Grind mint leaves with coconut, green chillies and ginger / garlic (if using fresh). Heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashews until golden brown and keep aside. To the same pan, add the spices and sauté for about a minute. Make sure you keep stirring them, else they will burn. Add the chopped onions and sauté till they turn transparent.

Add the ground mint paste to the pan and fry for about 2 - 3 minutes until it turns fragrant. Add salt and mix well. Mix in the rice, garnish with the roasted cashews and serve, preferably with raita and pickle.

Pulav Varieties

Jeera Rice (Cumin)

Ingredients

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Cumin seeds – 2 tbsps

Bay leaf – 1- 2

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cloves – 2-3

Ghee – 1-2 tbsps

Water – 1 ½ cups

Salt to taste

Method

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add spices and sauté until fragrant. Add rice and sauté for a few minutes. Add water and salt and mix well. Cook in a pressure cooker or electric cooker.

Serve this fragrant rice with raita and papad. To make it richer, garnish with roasted cashews.

Peas Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Peas – ½ cup (you can definitely add more if you please)

Cumin seeds – 2 tsps

Bay leaf – 1-2

Cloves – 2-3

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cardamom pods – 2-3

Ghee – 1-2 tbsps

Ginger-garlic paste (optional) – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1 medium (cut into thin long slices)

Water – 1 ½ cups

Salt to taste

Method

Wash peas and keep aside. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or electric rice cooker and add the cumin seeds. As they start spluttering add the spices. Sauté until fragrant and add the sliced onion. Sauté for a minute and add ginger-garlic paste (if using). Once the raw smell goes, add peas and sauté for a couple minutes. Add rice, salt and water (taste to check salt).

Let the cooker do its job and once the pressure is settled (for pressure cooker), open and serve with raita and papad. You can also garnish the rice with toasted cashews for a rich taste.

Paneer Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Paneer cubes – ½ cup (you can definitely add more if you please)

Cumin seeds – 2 tsps

Bay leaf – 1-2

Cloves – 2-3

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cardamom pods – 2-3

Ghee – 1-2 tbsps

Ginger-garlic paste (optional) – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1 medium (cut into thin long slices)

Water – 1 ½ cups + 2 cups (for soaking paneer)

Salt to taste

Method

Take 2 cups of water in a vessel and bring to a boil. Switch off and add paneer cubes to it and keep aside. This makes the paneer softer. Let the paneer soak for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pressure cooker or electric rice cooker and add the cumin seeds. As they start spluttering add the spices. Saute until fragrant and add the sliced onion. Sauté for a minute and add ginger-garlic paste (if using). Once the raw smell goes, add paneer cubes and sauté for a couple minutes. Add rice, salt and water (taste to check salt).

Let the cooker do its job and once the pressure is settled (for pressure cooker), open and serve with raita and papad. Garnish with toasted cashews for a richer and crunchier finish. 

Note – Here is an interesting fact. Once you have tried making the above three recipes separately (jeera rice, peas pulav and paneer pulav), try putting it all together. You will have a wholesome pulav with paneer and peas, seasoned with cumin and other spices. Sounds good? Try it and let us know.

Soya Chunks Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Soya chunks – ½ cup

Cumin seeds – 2 tsps

Bay leaf – 1-2

Cloves – 2-3

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cardamom pods – 2-3

Ghee – 1-2 tbsps

Ginger-garlic paste (optional) – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1 medium (cut into thin long slices)

Water – 1 ½ cups

Salt to taste

Method

Take 2 cups of water in a vessel and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add soya chunks. Let the chunks cook for 15 minutes. The chunks will puff up and become soft. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pressure cooker or electric rice cooker and add the cumin seeds. As they start spluttering add the spices. Sauté until fragrant and add the sliced onion. Sauté for a minute and add ginger-garlic paste (if using). Once the raw smell goes, add cooked soya chunks and sauté for a couple minutes. Add rice, salt and water (taste to check salt).

Let the cooker do its job and once the pressure is settled (for pressure cooker), open and serve with raita and papad. Garnish with toasted cashews for added taste.

Vegetable Biriyani (Serves 2)

Over the years, I have seen many recipes for vegetable biriyani, some from friends and some from various websites. Given below is the recipe I follow now. It is from a fellow blogger. The recipe is so simple that my husband, a novice in the kitchen was able to follow it to make delicious tasting biriyani.

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Coconut milk (optional)

Vegetables – 1 cup ( carrot, beans, cauliflower, potato)

Paneer cubes – ½ cup

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Bay leaf – 1

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Ghee – 1 tsp

Masala

Onion – 1

Grated coconut – 3tbsps

Green chillies– 2-3

Garlic – 3 cloves

Method

Wash and cut the vegetables and keep aside. Wash and soak the rice for 15 - 20 minutes. Grind the onions, coconut, garlic and chilies into a fine paste. Heat ghee in the pressure cooker or electric rice cooker, fry the paneer cubes and keep aside. Add oil to the cooker and add the whole spices. Sauté for minute and add the ground masala. Continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes.

Add the chopped vegetables and salt and mix well. Add the rice and sauté for couple of minutes. Then add 2 cups of water or coconut milk. The coconut milk will give the rice a more creamy texture. Alternatively, you can also use a combination of water and coconut milk. Add the garam masala and cook.

Garnish with the fried paneer and serve with raita.

Vegetable Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Vegetables – potato, beans, capsicum, green peas, cauliflower, corn, and carrot (2 cups)

Onion – 1 (finely chopped)

Bay leaves – 1 or 2

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Masala

Tomato – 2 or 3

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Green chillies – 2 - 3

Cloves – 1 - 2

Cinnamon powder – 1 pinch

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Salt

Method

Blend the masala ingredients in a blender to make a smooth paste. In a pan, heat ghee. Add the bay leaves and onions and sauté well. Add basmati rice and sauté for two minutes. Add the cut vegetables and sauté for about five minutes. Pour the masala on the rice and mix well. Add a cup of water and bring it to boil. Remove from the stove and cook the rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker.

Serve hot pulav with raita.

Vegatable pulav can also be made plain without the masala. The plain pulav can be served with spicy curry or mint raita.

Kashmiri Pulav (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Dry fruits – raisins, cashews, almonds, walnuts, figs and apricots (1 cup)

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Bay leaves – 1 or 2

Salt

Saffron – a pinch

Milk – 1 tbsp

Method

Mix the saffron into the milk and set aside. Heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaves. Add basmati rice and salt and mix well. Add the dry fruits and sauté for a minute or two. Remove from the stove and add two cups of water. Pour the saffron milk on the rice. Mix well. Cook the rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker.

Serve hot Kashmiri pulav with Lijjat papad.

Kushka Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Onion – 1 (finely chopped)

Bay leaves – 1 or 2

Masala

Mint leaves – ½ cup

Green chillies – 2 or 3

Ginger – 1 tsp

Garlic – 2 cloves

Cloves – 1 or 2

Cinnamon powder – a pinch

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Salt

Method

Blend the masala ingredients in a blender to make a smooth paste. Heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaves. Add the chopped onions and sauté well. Add the rice and mix well. Pour the ground paste and mix well. Cook the rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker.

Serve hot kushka rice with raita and papad.


Cabbage Rice (Serves 3)

Here is another dish from my mother-in-law's recipe collection.

Ingredients

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Cabbage (finely chopped) – 1 ½ cups

Onion (finely chopped) – 1 medium

Bell pepper (finely chopped) – 1 cup

Salt to taste

Pepper powder to taste

Method

Cook rice and keep aside. In a wide pan, add oil and sauté the onions till they turn translucent. Add the chopped bell pepper, cabbage and salt and cover and let it cook well (approx 8-10 minutes). Add freshly ground pepper powder and mix with the cooked rice. Serve hot with your favourite raita.