Lemon rice with capsicum/peas/carrot

Ingredients

Rice	2 cups
Lemon	1 big or 2 small
Frozen peas	A handful
Capsicum (Red & Green)	1 each
Carrot (grated)	1 big
Green chillies	2-3
Cashews	10-12
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Channa dhal	1 tsp
Urid dhal	1 tsp
Turmeric	½ tsp
Hing/Asafoetida	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Coriander leaves chopped	3 tbsp
Fresh  coconut grated	½ cup
Oil	2 tbspn
Salt	According to taste

Method

1. Cook rice and separate it in a bowl, allowing it to cool.
2. Wash and cut capsicum into long, thin slices.
3. Heat 1 tbspn of oil and add capsicum and fry for 3-4 minutes. When it is nearly cooked, add the grated carrot and frozen peas and fry until the peas are cooked. If using fresh peas, make sure you boil the peas first before adding.
4. Cut the lemons and squeeze the juice. Keep it aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, turmeric, channa dhal, urid dhal and cashews. When it is brown, add green chillies, curry leaves, hing, salt and the vegetables and mix well.
6. Once the rice is separated and cooled, add fresh coconut, lemon juice and the cashew mixture. Mix it thoroughly and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top.
7. Serve with pappadams or chips.

Capsicum Rice/ pulao

Ingredients

Basmati Rice	2 cups
Capsicum (Red, Green & Yellow)	2 cups
Tomatoes	2 big ones
Corn kernels	½ cup
Carrot (grated)	1 cup
Onions	1 large
Bay leaves	A few
Ginger/garlic paste	3 tsp
Green chillies	1-2
Garam masala(Kitchen king)	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	2 tspn
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Cashews (broken)	A handful
Cinnamon sticks	2-3 pieces
Cloves	2 nos
Cardamom	2 nos
Coriander leaves chopped	2 tbspn
Oil/ghee	2 tbspn each
Salt	As per taste

Method

1. Cook basmati rice, spread it in a bowl and allow it to cool.
2. Slice onions and tomatoes and keep aside.
3. Wash and cut capsicum (all colours) into long, thin pieces.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add capsicum and fry for 2-3 mins.  Add corn and grated carrot and fry until they are cooked and keep it aside.
5. Heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaves, followed by cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. When it turns light brown, add onions, ginger garlic paste and fry until they are translucent.
6. Add tomatoes and salt and fry for few more minutes until the tomatoes are cooked. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and sauté for 1 minute.
7. Add the fried capsicums and mix everything and cook for 1 minute.
8. When it is cool, add the rice to the mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add fried cashews and chopped coriander leaves and serve with raita.

Peas Pulao/Peas Rice

Ingredients

Basmati rice	2 cups
Fresh/Frozen peas	¾ cup
Green chillies (optional)	2-3
Jeera/cumin seeds	1 ½ tsp
Cinnamon sticks	3-4   ¼ inch pieces
Cloves	2-3
Cardamom	2-3
Bay leaves	3-4
Coriander leaves chopped	2-3 tbsp
Salt	According to the taste
Saffron for color and flavor	2 strands
Oil & Ghee	2 tbsp each

Method

1. Wash rice and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds followed by cinnamon sticks, clove, cardamom and bay leaves and fry for few seconds and then add peas. If using fresh peas make sure to boil before this. If using frozen peas you can add this straight away and fry for a minute.
3. You can cook this rice in 2 ways: by using the electric rice cooker or cooking on the stove in a heavy bottomed pan. For 1 cup of rice use 1 ½ cups water, add the fried mixture and salt mix everything and cook.
4. Serve this rice with any kurma / gobi manchurians or any curry of your choice.

Red Capsicum Rice

Ingredients

Red Capsicum	250 gms
Frozen /fresh  Peas	1/4 cup
Urid dhal	1 tsp
Channa dhal	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tspn
Vangibath powder	2 tbspn
Curry Leaves	1-2 sprigs
Cashews (broken)	A few
Salt	As per taste
Oil	2 tbpsn
Asafoetida/Hing	¼ tspn

Method

1. Wash and cut capsicum into long, thin pieces and keep aside.
2. Cook rice and spread it on a plate and let it cool.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, channa dhal, urid dhal, turmeric and cashews. Fry until they are golden brown and add curry leaves and hing. Next, add capsicum and peas. If you’re using frozen peas you don’t need to boil them. If you’re using raw peas, make sure you boil them before adding them.
4. Fry until the capsicum becomes soft. Now add salt and mix well and finally add vangibath powder. Fry for a further 2 minutes. 
• If you don’t have vangibath powder, you can make it before hand and keep it in an air tight container.
• All you need is 2 tbspn channa dhal, 2 tbspn urid dhal, 1 tbspn coriander seeds, 2 one-inch cinnamon sticks, 2 cloves, 5-6 red chillies and 3 tbspn dry coconut.
• Dry roast all the above except coconut using ½ tspn of oil. When it is cool, powder them along with coconut and store it.
5. Add rice to the capsicum and mix it well. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve with raita of your choice. 

Please feel free to leave your comments below. 

Ghee Rice

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans and cauliflower)	150 gms
Basmati rice	2 cups
Bay leaves	A few
Ghee	3 tbsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Black pepper	1 tsp
Green chillies	1 or 2
Salt	As per taste

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add bay leaves, cumin seeds and pepper and fry for 30 seconds. Then add green chillies and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add mixed vegetables and fry. If using frozen mixed vegetables, fry only for 2-3 minutes. If using fresh vegetables, fry for 5 minutes.
3. Wash the basmati rice and add the vegetables, salt and water. For 1 cup of rice, add 1 ¼ cups of water. Mix everything properly and put it in the rice cooker and cook.
4. Add 1 spoon of ghee once the rice is cooked and mix it. You can serve this rice with kurma or gobi manchurians.

Channa Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati Rice	2 cups
Channa or chick peas	1 can or 150 grams.
Tomatoes	3-4
Onions	2 big ones
Bay leaves	A few
Ginger/garlic paste	1 tsp each
Fresh coconut	½ cup
Garam masala (Kitchen king)	1 tsp
Green chilliies	1 or 2
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks	2-3 pieces
Cloves	2
Canrdamom	2
Salt	As per taste
Cashews	A few pieces
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp

Method

1.  Soak chick peas for at least 2 hours, if you don't have readily available can chick peas.Then boil and keep it aside  Slice onions and tomatoes and keep aside.
2. Grind 1 onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coconut, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom,  garam  masala and chilli powder into a fine paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaves. When it turns light brown, add onions and fry until they are golden in colour. Then add ground masala and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, chick peas and salt and fry for another 5 mins.
5. Cook basmati rice and allow it to cool by spreading it on a plate.
6. When it is cool, add the rice to the mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve it with raita.

Tomato Rice/ Bath

Ingredients

Basmati Rice	2 cups
Tomatoes	5-6 large
Onions	2 large
Bay leaves	A few
Fresh coconut	½ cup
Ginger	1 inch piece
Garlic	5-6 cloves
Green chillies	3-4
Chilli powder	½  tsp
Cinnamon sticks	2-3 pieces
Cloves	2
Cardamom	2
Salt	As per taste
Cashews  broken	A few pieces
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp

Method

1. Slice onions and tomatoes and keep aside.
2. Grind onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coconut, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and chilli powder into a fine paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cashews and bay leaves. When it turns light brown, add onions and fry until they are golden in colour. Add ground masala and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Now add tomatoes and salt and fry for another 5 minutes.
5. Cook basmati rice and spread it in a bowl and allow it to cool.
6. When it is cool, add the rice to the mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve it with raita.