Yogurt Rice with Pomegranate

Not enough can be said about the goodness of yogurt and its healthy bacteria. Soothing to the stomach, it is a comfort food in South India. Here mixed pomegranates, another health food it is delicious and is a feast to the eyes!

 For 2 servings:

1 cup cooked Rice
2 cups yogurt
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal
1 piece red chilli, deseeded
1 slit green chilli
a sprig of Curry leaves
1/2" piece ginger, grated or diced
salt
pinch of sugar (optional)
Pomegranate berries
Cilantro for garnish.

Take the cooked rice in a wide bowl.
Add the yogurt and salt and mix thoroughly
Heat the oil.
Add the mustard seeds, urad dal and red chilli.
Soon as the urad dal turns reddish brown, add the curry leaves, green chilli and ginger and take off heat.
Add this to the yogurt and rice mix.
add the pomegranate berries to the rice mix and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and enjoy!

Cucumber Yogurt Raitha

This is a Summer special. Nothing can equal the cooling effect of cucumbers in yogurt, when the weather is hot.

1 Cucumber
2 cups of yogurt
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
salt
a big pinch sugar
Cilantro

Peel and grate the cucumber.
Beat the yogurt with the salt, sugar, cumin and chilli.
Add the grated cucumber. Mix well. Garnish with cilantro

Grated Carrot Salad / Carrot Koshimbir

This is a very tasty and healthy carrot salad ...low low fat, full of vitamin A and C from the lemon juice. If had with the Lemon Rice, it is a feast for the eyes as you fill your plate with the yellow lemon rice and orange carrot salad!

4-5 Carrots, grated
1 medium spice green chilli, slit
1 tsp oil (any, olive or corn)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1tsp Urad dal ( white colored lentils, available in Indian stores)
1 piece of red chilli, deseeded
Juice of 1/2 a green lime
Salt
Sugar 1/2tsp
Cilantro leaves for garnish
Raisins for garnish

Heat oil.
Add the mustard seeds, Urad dal, and red chilli
Soon as the dal turns reddish and mustard seeds splutter, add the green chilli and grated carrots. Mix and turn in pan till the seasoning is mixed with carrots well.
Take off fire. add the salt, sugar, lime juice and mix.
Garnish with cilantro and raisins.
Enjoy!

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a very refreshing vegetarian staple and finds a mention in this blog due to ease of cooking and nutritious brown bag lunch to take to work. It is low in fat, full of vitamin C from the lemon, goodness of Turmeric and green chillies besides being yummy!

For two servings
11/2 cups Basmathi Rice
1 Green Lime
salt
2 1/2 cups water
Corn oil or Olive oil 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts a few
Red Chill 1
Slit Green chilli 1
ginger 1/2" piece
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Cilantro or coriander leaves fro garnishing

Wash the Rice and cook it with 21/2 cups water in a rice cooker.
( If using a microwave, please use 3 cups of water for 15 mins on high)
For Stovetop:
Add 21/4cups of water to a pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil.Make sure you cook it in a heavy pot and do not disturb the rice or take a peek while its in the middle of cooking.When it boils, lower the heat, simmer for 12 - 14 minutes before turning off the heat.Remove from heat and stand covered, for another 5-10 minutes.

Cool the rice and fluff with a fork.
While rice is cooling,
Heat the oil. when it is hot, add the mustard seed, urad dal, cashewnuts and red chilli.
When the mustard seeds pop and the urad dal and cashew turn reddish , add the slit green chili and ginger.
Next add the turmeric in the oil and immediately add the rice, salt curry leaves and switch off the heat source.
Squeeze the juice of the green lime  all over the rice and mix very well.
A lovely pale yellow Lemon rice is now ready for you.
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
This is great brown bag lunch and picnic food as it can be had cold, too.

Methi Roti with Kala Chana Atta ( Fenugreek Roti with Black chick pea flour)

Kala Chana is  dark brown chick peas with a hard brown skin . It is full of nutrition as it can be
sprouted and when soaked has enough nutrition to grow into a plant! The hard skin is full of fibre, too.
This chana, that looks like a dark brown version of chick pea is made into flour and this is sold as
Kala chana atta in the Indian grocery stores. This flour has high amount of fibre and more protein than whole wheat

Methi is Fenugreek leaves has all the goodness of any greens besides being therapeutic in many ways. It is known to be a blood purifier , besides many other benefits.

Recipe:
1 bunch Fenugreek leaves.
2 tsps olive oil
Salt as required
Whole wheat flour ( Chapathi Atta) 2 cups
Black chick pea flour ( kala chana atta) 1/2 cup
Olive oil for the Roti

For the paste:
Yogurt 1/2 cup
1 green chilli
 1" piece of ginger
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
1 clove garlic(optional)

1.  Fenugreek leaves need to be cleaned thoroughly as they are picked from the roots and are muddy. Clean in plenty of running water until clear.
2. Chop the leaves finely.
3. Heat oil.
4. Add the chopped leaves and saute for a few minutes and keep aside.
5. In the blender, make a paste of the yogurt. green chilli, turmeric ginger and garlic.
6.  In a large bowl, combine the fenugreek leaves, paste, flours and salt.  Make a soft dough.
7. Heat a griddle.
8. Take out a portion of the dough and roll it into a disc.
9. Pat it on the griddle. Soon as bubbles appear on the surface, turn over
10. and apply a spoon of olive on it. Turn over and apply olive oil on the other side too. Cook on both sides till brown spots appear on the roti on both sides.
11. Enjoy with Cucumber Raitha or Pumpkin Raitha