Tomato Rice

I had made this rice for Lets Feed Bangalore Initiative Independence day special.
LFB (Lets Feed Bangalore) is a very nice initiative where once a month folks can cook a nice meal and give it to slum kids and elderly.

Ingredients:
Rice – 3 Cups
Tomato – 700 gms
Peanuts – 1/2 cup
Red Chillies – 2 to 3 broken into small pieces
Curry leaves – a handful
Turmeric powder – 2 tsp
Udad Dal – 4 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 4 tsp
Hing – 1/4 tsp
Jaggery Powder – 1 Tbsp
Salt
Oil – as required

Powder for the Tomato Paste:
Coriander Seeds – 2 Tbsp
Channa Dal – 2 Tbsp
Udad Dal – 1 Tbsp
Red Chillies – 6 to 8
Pepper – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) – 1/2 tsp
White Sesame Seeds – 4 Tbsp
Copra/Grated Dry Coconut – 4 Tbsp

Method:
Finely chop half the tomatoes. Puree the remaining half and keep aside.

Finely roast all the ingredients under Powder section .Once cool, dry grind the mixture.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large pan.Once oil is hot, add 1 tsp of Udad dal,1 tsp of Mustard,few curry leaves ,little bit of hing and fry well.
Add chopped tomatoes,1 tsp of turmeric powder and salt.
Cook the tomatoes for few minutes.
Add the pureed tomatoes and jaggery .Cover the pan and let the tomato mixture cook till it becomes a very thick paste. Keep stirring the mixture in between.
The paste should not have much moisture.

Cook the rice and spread the rice on a large plate to cool.

In a large pan, Heat 2 to 3 tsp of oil. Once oil is hot, add the peanuts and fry them till they turn light brown. Add the Red Chillies, remaining Udad Dal,Mustard Seeds,Hing and Curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
Add turmeric powder and mix.
Add the tomato paste and mix well.
Take the pan from the heat.
Add the cooked rice and mix well. If required, add more salt to taste.

Serve the Tomato Rice with salad or yogurt.

I had served it with potato stir fry.

Hotel Style White Vegetable Kurma

 

Ingredients:
Carrot – 100 gms
French Beans – 100 gms
Chow Chow/Cauliflower/Knol Khol – 100 gms
Potato – 100 gms
Green Peas – 50 gms
Onions – 2
Grated Coconut – 1 Cup
Milk – 3/4 Cup
Yogurt – 1/2 Cup
Poppy Seeds – 1 Tbsp
Cashewnuts – 7 to 10
Fried Gram – 3 Tbsp
Green Chilli – 1 or 2
Garlic – 7 Cloves
Ginger – 1 inch
Fennel Seeds – 1 Tbsp
Cardamom – 2 pods
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon – 1 Inch stick
Stone Flower(Dagad Phool) – 2 to 3 pieces
Marathi Moggu – 1
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves – a handful
Mint leaves (Dry/Fresh) – a handful
Salt
Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Method:
Finely Chop all the vegetables except Onions and steam or pressure cook them with enough water.

Grind the following :Half an onion,Coconut,Ginger,Garlic,Green Chilli,Cashewnuts,Poppy Seeds,Cardamom,Fennel Seeds,Fried Gram with little water to a smooth paste.

Finely chop the remaining onions.

In a large pan, heat Coconut oil. Once oil is hot, add the spices: BayLeaf,Cinnamon,Stone Flower,Marathi Moggu,Cumin Seeds and fry for few seconds.
Once spices start releasing their aroma, add the chopped onion and mint.Fry till onions turn brown.
Add the ground paste and little water and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the paste is cooked well, add the steamed vegetables,milk and salt.
Cover the cook the gravy for 10 minutes stirring once in a while.
Beat the yogurt till smooth and add to the gravy and cook for few minutes.
Once Yogurt is added to the gravy, dont boil it. Keep stirring else gravy might curdle.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Pineapple Pulisery

Ingredients:
Pineapple pieces – 1 cup
Yogurt – 1 Cup
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Green Chilli – 1 or 2
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 Clove
Red Chilli – 1
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Udad Dal – 1 tsp
Hing – a pinch
Curry Leaves – a handful
Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt

Method:
Cut Pineapple into small pieces. In a large vessel, add pineapple pieces,sugar,turmeric powder,chilli powder,One cup water and salt.
Cook the pineapple pieces till tender.

Grind Cumin seeds,garlic,Green chilli and coconut to a smooth paste.

Once Pineapple pieces are tender, add the ground paste and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Beat the yogurt till smooth and add to the gravy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Keep stirring the gravy once yogurt is added else it has chances to curdle.
Dont boil the gravy once yogurt is added.

For tempering, In a small pan, heat Coconut oil.Once oil is hot,add Red Chilli,Udad Dal,Mustard Seeds,Hing and Curry leaves in the mentioned order and fry well.
Add the tempering to the gravy.

This Pulisery goes well with Red Rice.It can be had with dosa and appam also.

Banana Dates Cake

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour – 1 Cup
Quick cooking Oats – 1/2 Cup
Ragi Flour – 1/2 Cup
Cinnamon Powder – 1 to 2 tsp
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
Small Bananas – 4
Dry Fruits – Roasted Almonds,Walnuts,Raisins,Chopped Dates
Chopped Dates – 1 to 1.5 cups
Honey – 1 tsp
Eggs – 2
Butter – 50 gms
Milk – 1/2 cup
Salt

Oats for sprinkling on top

Method:

Preheat the Oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
Grease a Cake tin with butter or oil and dust some flour and keep it aside.

Boil Milk and add chopped dates and cook for few minutes.
Cool the mixture and grind it to a paste.

Peel,chop and mash the bananas.If using big bananas,use 2.

Sieve and Mix all the flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt.

Melt Butter and let it cool.
Add eggs one at a time to the butter and beat well.
Once egg and butter mixture is beaten well,add the mashed bananas and date paste.
Mix well.
Add little by little the flour mixture and cut and fold the mixture.
Once the flour is mixed well, add all the dry fruits and honey and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the Cake tin and sprinkle some oats on top.
Tap the cake tin so that there are no air bubbles.

Bake it for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
I baked the cake in OTG at 200 degrees for 20 minutes and at 180 for 10 minutes.

Take the Cake from the oven and run a toothpick in the center to check if there is any uncooked cake mixture. If there are any uncooked portion, bake for further 10 minutes.

Cool the cake on a rack and cut it into small pieces. It makes a great Tea time snack.