Nutrela ki tehri

September 19, 2019 Leave a comment

Basanti has been my house help for the last fifteen years and has gradually become my soul sister. With my children all grown up, she not only helps with my household chores but also gives me company in loneliness. Basanti cooks amazing tehri and so i thought of sharing her recipe with all.

Tehri is a very popular north indian rice preparation which is enjoyed especially during winters with seasonal vegetables like peas, carrots and cauliflower. I have also added Soya chunks along with vegetables to make the dish even more flavourful and wholesome. Enjoy this healthy and nutritious one pot meal along with raita and pickle.

Ingredients

Rice: ½ kg

Onion : 1

Tomato : 2

Garlic : 6 to 8 pods

Soya chunk : 30 to 35 pieces

Potato : 1

Peas : ½ cup

Carrot : 1

Cumin seed : 1 tsp

Clove : 4

Black cardamom : 2

Green cardamom : 2

Cinnamon stick : 1

Bay leaf : 2 to 3

Coriander powder : 2 tsp

Red chilli powder : 2 tsp

Turmeric powder : 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Step 1

Clean, wash and soak the rice for at least half an hour.

Step 2

Soak Soya chunks in salted warm water. After ten minutes, squeeze the water and keep it aside.

Step 3

Cut the vegetables into small pieces.

Step 4

Heat 4 tsp oil in a pan. Add the sliced garlic and saute it unless it becomes fragrant.

Step 5

Next add the whole garam masala along with Cumin seed and let all the spices crackle .

Step 6

Put the onion and saute till golden brown.

Step 7

Then add the tomatoes and cook it till becomes tender. Add the vegetables along with Soya chunks and all the dry masala. Saute it until the oil leaves the side of the pan.

Step 8

Add the soaked and washed rice and mix them all together for a couple of minutes.

Step 9

Add 4 cups of water.

Step 10

Cover the pan and let it come to a boil and then lower the flame for about fifteen minutes or until the rice gets cooked and the grains are soft and fluffy.

Step 11

Once done let it remain in the vessel for at least five minutes and then serve it with raita or plain curd.

Tip

The ratio of basmati rice and water is normally 1:2.

You can add any other vegetables of your choice.

Rice flour dumpling ( पिट्ठा )

May 24, 2019November 8, 2025 1 Comment

Pitha (पिट्ठा) is a traditional Bihari delicacy and an integral menu of its cuisine. These steamed dumplings are high in protein and a flavourful guilt free snack. My mom used to serve it as evening snacks and was thoroughly relished by my dearest father. And now I do the same for my husband who equally enjoys it. It is a very humble and rustic dish that would never disappoint you. Bihari dal pita is prepared with rice flour and is stuffed with spicy lentil filling. One just requires to have an artful attention to the details for the perfect outcome.

Ingredients:

Rice flour : 300 gms

Chana dal : 250 gms ( soaked overnight )

Green chilli : 6 to 7

Garlic : 10 to 14

Cummin seed : 1 tsp

Aesfotida : ½ tsp

Turmeric powder : ½ tsp

Salt : as per taste

Step 1:

Knead the dough by adding the rice flour in about half cup of hot water along with ½ tsp of salt.

Step 2:

Mix it with the help of spatula. Cover the lid and keep it aside for few minutes.

Step 3:

Knead the dough and cover it.

Step 4:

In a mixing jar put together chana dal, green chilli, garlic, cummin, handi and aesfotida and salt.

Step 5:

Grind them together and make a smooth paste.

Step 6:

Flatten each of the balls carefully and fill the dal mixture.

Step 7:

Fold it into semicircle shape and place them in a grease steamer and steam it for about ten to fifteen minutes or until the dal filling gets cooked.

Step 8:

Once done take the Pitha out and let it cool down.

Step 9:

Slice them evenly and serve with green or red chutney

Tip:
Add extra dry rice flour if there is excess water in the dough.

The secret of good Pittha is the unique combination of spices Along with the chana dal.

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf)

February 3, 2019March 17, 2019 Leave a comment

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf) is a classic one pot meal where Pearl shaped mutton balls are placed over the spiced and aromatic rice. I owe this timeless recipe to my dearest aunt who herself is a living culinary legend. She is a treasure of lost recipes and hence I thought of celebrating few of her splendid recipes by travelling back in time for gastronomical experience so that it may be preserved for the next generation. My Chachi (Aunt) is a perfectionist and I hope to keep the मोती ( Pearl ) of her cuisine shining high. It might appear to be a complicated dish but believe me , it is worth all the hard work. Happy cooking !!!

Ingredients:

For the pulao

Basmati rice :750 gms ( Soaked for about half an hour)

Saffron :12 string soaked in 4 tsp of lukewarm milk

Kewra (केवड़ा) essence :½ tsp

Rose water: 1 tsp

Ghee :2 tsp

Onion : 2 thinly sliced

Onion : 2 roughly sliced

Shah jeera :2 tsp

Cinnamon stick :2

Bay leaf : 5 to 6

Salt : as per taste

For mutton balls

Mutton mince 300 gms

Onion : 2 diced

Bay leaf 3 to 4

Black cardamom 2

Green cardamom 2

Ghee :4 tsp ghee

Salt as per taste

Silver vark : as required

For grinding

Green chilli : 8

Garlic pod :12

Ginger : 2 inch

Black cardamom :1

Green cardamom :2

Cinnamon stick:2

Coriander seed :1 tsp

Step 1

Deep Fry sliced onion . Take it out in an absorbent paper and keep it aside.

Step 2

Grind together garlic ,green chilli,, ginger and whole garam masala into a smooth paste.

Step 3

Mix the paste along with keema and salt. Here I have also grinded the mutton mince so that the it may be easy to make a ball out of it.

Step 4

Make small balls out of the keema.

Step 5

Take water in a cooking vessel and add bay leaf, onion, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, ghee and salt. Water level should be such that the balls soaks into it. First let the water come to a boil. Once hot gradually place the koftas one by one into the water. At this stage do not stir the koftas and let it poach in the water until it completely dries up.

Step 6

Once the ball becomes dry and firm, add a tsp of ghee and stir it until it gets a nice colour and coating over it.

Step 7

Take the balls out and coat the balls with silver vark. keep it aside.

Step 8

Wash and soak rice for at least half an hour. Later strain out the water and spread it out.

Step 9

Take a cooking vessel and add 2 tsp of ghee into it. Once hot add the shah jeera along with bay leaf , garam masala and onion.

Step 10

Add the rice and Fry them all properly.

Step 11

Now add the water accordingly and cover it. Let it Cook on low flame.

Step 12

When ¾ done, open the lid and add the kewra, rose water and saffron milk. Place the Pearl over the top and sprinkle the fried onion over it.

Step 13

Cover the pan and place it on the top of a tawa. Lower the flame and let it Cook for another 10 minutes or until all the aroma infuses in the rice.

Step 14

Serve it hot along with raita.

Tip:

One needs to be a little careful while using the vark as it may stick on the hands while applying it.

Use dropper to infuse the kewra and rose water into the rice. This technique enables the fragrance to infuse uniformly in the pulao.

Nandini's Blog : Spice & Secret

Welcome to the fabulous world of diverse, delicious and easy to cook food which is traditional yet modern.

Tag: #indian Rice

Nutrela ki tehri

Rice flour dumpling ( पिट्ठा )

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf)