Spicy Rice - Phodnicha Bhaat

Last month when I hosted SWC- UP , I was very impressed with the participation of my fellow bloggers. I am not a very regular blogger ..my blog gets updated once in a month maybe....I have a number of reasons for the same ....but last month I decided to be more prompt in publishing my posts and also to actively participate in the events happening in the blogosphere.

Here is my first attempt to be more active ....this is my entry for SWC - Maharashtra being hosted by Neha of easyntastyrecipes

Mahrashtrian cuisine is something that we have never tried consciously..while searching for recipes for this event I realised that this cuisine is more a part of our lives than we realise ....the days start with poha ...then we snack on Mumbai - chiwda.... vada pav is a family favorite... it came as a surprise to me that we actually relish so many Maharashtrian dishes without realising this.

I wanted to make something new for the event ... I had the opportunity to introduce a new dish in the menu so why let it go. I did some search and came across this easy breezy recipe . I tried it and it became an instant hit with hubby dear... now it will be a regular dish on the menu ..mainly because it is so easy ....... something which I am always on the lookout for ..

Ingredients -

Cooked rice - 2 cups ( I used left over rice of the previous day, you can also use freshly cooked rice)

Mustard seeds/ rai - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds / Zeera - 1/2 t sp

Turmeric powder - 1 t sp

Curry leaves - 10-15 leaves

Green chilli - 2-3 as per taste ( you can use red chilli powder instead )

Asafoetida / heeng - 1 pinch

Onion - 1 medium - chopped finely

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1/2 tb sp

Coriander leaves - For garnishing

Method - Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the asafoetida powder followed by mustard seeds , once they start popping add the cumin seeds. Then add the curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and chopped onion. Once the onion is a little soft add the salt and turmeric powder.Fry for a couple of minutes then add the rice . Mix well and cover for 2 minutes till the rice is well heated.

Garish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

You can relish it with curd/ raita or just like that.

Crisp Plantain (raw banana) Fritters

When I saw that bananas have been chosen as the ingredient for JFI last month , as usual my mind started racing , thinking about all the things I knew could be made using bananas .

As I belong to the Northern part of India where Bananas are consumed mainly as a fruit , there were hardly any north Indian dishes I could thing of . But then thanks to my dad's transferable job we have had the opportunity to live in different parts of our amazing country. My mother being a firm believer of the health benefits of having fresh and in season fruits and vegetables , did not hesitate to include the locally available goodies into the menu. She would take the recipes from her friends and then modify them to suit our palettes.


This is one of such recipes . I don't know from where she picked it up ...but it used to be a big hit with us especially on a rainy day . We used to have a number of banana trees in out back yard and I remember my mother picking a fresh plantain and then making these fritters for us.Both me and my brother loved the crisp fritters , with the subtle taste of the plantain enhanced with just salt and chilli.


Nowadays I hardly make any thing which is deep fried , but much to the glee of my husband these blog events give me an incentive to pour oil in my wok and pick up my karchi to fry something....

The recipe goes as follows -


INGREDIENTS -

Plantain/ raw banana - 1

Rice - 1/3 cup ( soaked in water for 2-3 hours)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 t sp

Salt - as per taste

Red chili powder - 1/2 t sp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - for deep frying




METHOD -

Coarsely grind the rice into a paste ( it should be coarse to touch and not a fine paste)

Add the salt, turmeric and red chili powder to this rice paste

Wash the plantain and peel off the peel. Cut diagonally into pieces of medium thickness.

Mix the plantain pieces into the rice paste and cover them with the rice paste well.

Deep fry 4-5 pieces at a time till the plantain is cooked.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup ,coriander chutney , or any other chutney of your choice



These can also be served as a part of lunch or dinner.

Phirni - traditional Indian Rice Pudding

Somethings hold a special place in the heart because of the memories associated with them . This particular dish is one of those things for me .....a very simple but delicious dessert ..this used to be the favorite ..made on all those small celebrations ..... highest marks in a class quiz, getting selected on some team . We used to celebrate all those small victories and accomplishments and phirni used to be a part of it :-) . Though I don't get to make this dessert that often now ....not because of the lack of occasions for celebrations ...but more so because of the wish/need to watch the calorie intake :-(

Someday when I have kids and I will need to celebrate their achievements and successes ..then maybe I will again get a chance to relish this favorite of mine :-)

Since it is served when chilled , summer time is the ideal time to make and relish this dessert. The gulab jal /rose water added also has a cooling effect on the body.

I saw that Rice is the selected ingredient for this month's JFI hosted by Sharmi of Neivedyam a plethora of recipes involving rice ran through my mind. But finally I chose this simple , cooling and sweet dessert as my entry into the event , not to mention that I got to make and eat it with my dear friends not to forget all with the "legitimate reason" of needing an entry for the event ;-)



Phirni / Traditional Indian rice pudding - Serves 6

Ingredients :-

Rice ( any white rice would do ) - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1 litre

Sugar - 6-7 tb sp. ( as per taste)

Rose water/ Gulab jal - 1 tb sp.

Dry fruits of your choice - as per taste


For this dessert , we need to soak the rice in some water for 1 hour or so and then grind the rice . The rice should be ground a little coarsely and not into a paste .


In the meanwhile , take a thick bottomed pan and heat the milk in it .Once the milk starts to boil , lower the flame and let the milk simmer for 15 -20 mins . Once the quantity has reduced a little add the rice paste into the milk . Add the paste very very slowly and constantly stir the milk as you do so . This step is very important , because if not stirred properly and constantly lumps will form and we do not want that to happen .


Once all the rice has been added to the milk , keep stirring the milk constantly for the next 10 mins . Ensure that the rice does not settle down and stick to the bottom of the pan. While stirring the milk you will notice that the consistency changes and it will have a creamy consistency.


Now , take the pan off the flame and add the sugar . Stir a little so that the sugar dissolves .


Once the contents of the pan are a little cool , add the gulab jal /Rose water and the finely chopped dry fruits .


Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours .


Serve chilled !