Mixed Rice | Coconut Rice

This recipe for Coconut rice serves for a maximum of 3-4 people.

Things required 

• Desiccated Coconut - 2 handful
• Boiled rice - 4 cups
• Red chillies - 3 Or 4 max.
• Roasted Peanuts  (optional)
• Chana dal - Table spoon full
• Mustard - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 6-8 leaves
• Oil - 1 Table spoon
• Salt - To taste
• Green chillies - 1-2 Chopped
• Ginger - Finely chopped. 

Steps: 

1. In a wide based pan, add oil and wait for it to get heated. 
2. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and wait for splatter. 
3. Add the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, red chillies (do not let it burn), within few seconds of adding the spices add chana dal. 
4. Give it a mix up, once the chana dal is a bit brown, add the desiccated coconut. 
5. Once it is added, you need to make sure that the coconut is not sticking to the pan, keep frying. 
6. Add the green chillies now. 
7. Once the coconut is a bit golden, you will be able to smell the aroma of the frying coconuts. That's your cue, to add rice. 
8. Add the rice to the mixture bit by bit, do not add too much rice else you risk the chance of loosing flavor. Check for salt, add if required. 
9. Food is ready to be served !

Recommendation:

Coconut rice goes really well with some mild/hot curry. As the food is not spicy by itself, you can compliment its flavor if you have a good curry !

Mixed Rice | Lemon Rice

This recipe for Lemon rice serves for a maximum of 3-4 people.

Things required 

• Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed
• Boiled rice - 4 cups
• Red chillies - 4-5 Whole
• Chana dal - 1 Table Spoon
• Mustard - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 7-8 Leaves
• Oil - 1 Table Spoon
• Salt - To taste 
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves. 

Steps: 

1. In a wide based pan, add oil (considerable amount to fry all the ingredients) and wait for it to get heated. 
2. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and wait for splatter. 
3. Add curry leaves, followed by chana dal and garlic. NOTE: Add Chillies at the end i.e. the last of the seasoning materials, as they give out a very strong smell which causes cough and breathing difficulties.
4. Give it a mix up, once the chana dal is a bit brown. 
5. Now you need to add Salt and Turmeric. Do not place it on heat for long period of time. 
6. Now add the Lemon juice. TAKE CAUTION when adding the juice, as it will splatter, produce much steam that it might cause injury. 
7. Once it is added, take it away from the heat and to the mixture add rice. 
8. This might be tricky, add bit by bit, do not add too much rice else you risk the chance of loosing flavor.C heck for salt. 
9. Add if required. If you feel you cannot taste the tang of lemon, to this mixture add lemon juice.
10. Food is ready to be served !

 

Recommendation:

Lemon rice goes really well with Indian style spicy potatoes ! Or mild/hot Chicken Curry !

Mixed Rice | Tamarind Rice

This recipe for Tamarind rice serves for a maximum of 3-4 people.

Things required 

• Tamarind juice 
• Boiled rice (4 cups) 
• Red chillies 
• Peanuts 
• Chana dal 
• Mustard 
• Curry leaves 
• Oil 
• Salt to taste 
• Coriander seeds and fenugreek or Methi (मेरा). 

 

Before cooking

Preparing tamarind juice 

Take a medium lemon sized portion of tamarind in a bowl, add salt and boiling water to it, let it soak for approximately 15 minutes, once the water is lukewarm; use your hand to squeeze the tamarind to extract the juice. Once it disintegrates (not completely), take a droplet and taste it. It should be tangy not salty, right from the point it touches your tongue. If not add more tamarind. Once completed keep aside. 

Preparing base masala 

Dry roast some methi, red chillies and coriander seeds in somewhat medium flame. Do not burn it, slightly roast them, until you can get the smell. Then let them cool down a bit and then powder them using a mixer. Keep aside! Note: if you do not have coriander seeds, use coriander powder, but make sure you roast them too. 

Roasted peanuts

More the merrier. Add a handful of peanuts, roast in medium flame until golden brown. Again do not burn them. Keep aside ! 

Steps: 

1. In a wide based pan, add oil and wait for it to get heated. 
2. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and wait for splatter. 
3. Add curry leaves, red chillies and do not let it burn, with few seconds of adding, add chana dal. 
4. Give it a mix up, once the chana dal is a bit brown. 
5. Now you need to add the tamarind juice to the garnished mixture. TAKE CAUTION when adding the tamarind juice, as it will splatter, produce much steam that it might cause injury. 
6. Once it is added, it's a waiting game for a few minutes. Constant stirring is required, as you should not allow the smokiness into the juice. 
7. The water will start condensing, making it a bit thicker. 
8. Before it completely becomes thick, add the base masala, and the roasted peanuts. 
9. Keep stirring, now you will be able to see the oil coming out of the paste. That's your cue, to add rice. 
10. This might be tricky, add bit by bit, do not add too much rice else you risk the chance of loosing flavor of the tamarind. If you have walked through the recipe religiously, you light have noticed that we did not add any salt, as we have added salt in the tamarind, we do not want to over salt the food, so check for salt. 
11. Add if required. 
12. Food is ready to be served !

Welcome !

Hello everyone ! 

I am Paul. I came to UK in 2009 for my studies and got a job so decided to stay in UK for a little longer. My main hobby is cooking ! Cooking helps me to lessen my stress, makes me happy. I have thrown so many Indian Dinner parties for my friends, helping them understand the absolute and true Taste Of India.

Many of my friends now curse me for introducing them to my cooking, as now they find the take away and supermarket "Indian" dishes blend and uninteresting. This is not to brag how good I am with this, but to show you the reality. All that you have been eating is been altered in such a way, that it has lost all its true flavor and taste. Once you get the hang of Indian cooking you will never go back to that place again !

My latest Dinner party food display !

Cooking for non-Indian friends have made me realize that there are several myths and some disturbing stories floating around the typical Indian food, so I would like to clear some before getting into it. 

• Curry is the main dish - No. Curry is not the main dish, we have curry like gravy on top of the roast turkey. Rice is our main dish !
• Curries are made really hot to hide the taste and scent of spoilt meat - Disturbing, but No. The cooking process, no matter how many spices you put the stench cannot be hidden. Maybe when you cook, the spices might overtake the smell, but once cooled down it will bring out the smell. So rest assured, you will be able to identify at once, when its served.
• Dishes are fatty and have excess oil - Some dishes are, so they do not constitute your everyday diet. They only are cooked on very specific occasion. 
• Too salty - Technically not. Salt adds flavor to the dishes, you can add it as required. Too much salt will kill the flavor, but very little will have no flavor. Getting it to that right scale will take practice. 

Throughout this blog; I am dedicated to help you cook the dish in its absolute purity ! Please feel free to share it around ! 

Vanakkam !