Coconut rice

If you saw my Yogurt Vadai post from a couple of weeks ago, you will know about the my cool new possession, my new cookbook 'Dakshin'. From the different recipes that I had bookmarked and in keeping with my promise, here's another one of my favorite ones from the book.
I'd heard about this rice a lot. At first it didn't seem like a big deal, after all it was rice mixed with shredded coconut. However, I wanted to make it the authentic way so I followed the recipe and let me tell you, when done right, it is far more than just coconut mixed with rice. Also, it is a perfect way to use the leftover rice with a very quick yet elegant makeover.

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Methi - Paneer Biryani

Apparently fresh green Methi (fenugreek) leaves and I have a special relationship. Whenever I see a good fresh bunch at any grocery store, I always always buy. I buy as much as I can cook over the next several days without any of it going to waste. A couple of days ago I got two big 'ol bunches from our local Indian grocery store and have made a few things with it since. Here's the first and my favorite. 
The Biryani probably needs little introduction. What especially charms me is its versatility in the different variations you can make it in. This version with methi leaves gives the already exotic dish that extra flavor that combined with the slight sweetness of paneer and the texture of each individual grain of rice just gives a burst of flavors in your mouth.

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Kesar Phirni/Saffron Rice Pudding

Phirni is an Indian sweet dish. It has a texture that is a cross between custard and pudding and is made with ground rice and milk. The popular flavor variations are Badam (using almond paste), aam (with mango pulp) and rose phirni (obviously with rose syrup). Here however I am sharing with you the variation that is one of my most favorite flavoring for sweet dishes - kesar (saffron) phirni. The saffron gives the phirni a level of sophestication which is just perfect for oncoming festive occasion of Deepawali. During the festival of Deepawali, or the festival of light, no Indian family can do without sweet dishes.  Many families use the store bought sweets and even more families are busy making sweets at home. The list of those universally liked Indian sweet dishes is really long. Some dishes can be tricky and time consuming to make but phirni is quick and easy. The smooth creamy cool taste of this dessert just puts you in a good mood. Its so good that my princess, who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and is a very fussy eater, ate a whole bowlful. She just started to learn Spanish at her pre-school and lovingly gave it the name "blanco ice-cream" :)
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Tawa Pulao

umbai is world famous for its array of mouth watering street foods especially the chaats available at every street corner. Juhu beach, especially is the most famous hub... a very crowded place where you often find yourself wading through a sea of people with the sound of the waves crashing in the background often looking for the next yummy food stall that gets your attention among the numerous street food vendors lined up. No trip to this beach is complete without having those delectable chaats that they serve there and possibly a healthy dose of pani poories, vada pav, batata, bhel.

Tawa pulao is another such road-side delicacy. It is a very easy and different kind of a pulao recipe. You wouldn't think of rice with veggies as ingredients for your typical street food but this pulao might just give your idea of street food a complete makeover. Kudos to those vendors that come up with ideas like these.
I like the crunchiness of the vegetables and the pav bhaji masala adds a distinct flavor to the rice. It is made on a tawa or griddle hence the name. These chaat wallas are so good with fusion cooking and so innovative. This rice is now also served at fancy restuarants and even top chefs boast of having this in their repertoire.

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Shahi Paneer with Cumin rice

Shahi Paneer literally means ‘Royal Paneer’, a dish fit for kings. It is of Mughlai origin. It is very widely popular and served in almost every Indian restaurant. The exotic cashew based sweet and spicy white gravy is a nice variation from the usual red and cream based gravies that are usually associated with paneer. Typical dishes require paneer to be fried in advance, but for this recipe there is no need to do that. Adding milk and cashew paste enhances the taste. This dish is indeed one of those easy ones that is exotic yet can be prepared in virtually no time. Some like to add tomato in the gravy but I don't to make it a little different from paneer butter masala otherwise they will look and taste almost the same. When served in restaurants, it is loaded with ghee and cream as well. I do not like to use cream in my version. 

It is often classically paired with cumin rice and optionally some tadka daal. Jeera rice is one of the simplest yet the most flavorful rice preparations. It is basically basmati rice seasoned with cumin, ghee and onions and goes very well with quite a few Indian curries.

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Chilli paneer

I love paneer and I love indo-chinese so as you can imagine, since this dish combines both, it tops my charts... spicy, yummy and quick to fix at the same time. I remember this was one of the few dishes we would expect to eat only in restaurants. Then one day mom made it at home and it was a instant hit among family and friends. My brother and I could not wait for the next time she would make it (at times we would force her :) ... so good! It is one of the very few dishes I knew how to make before getting married. It is also one of the first few dishes that got my hubby believing soon after we got married that 'the wife can cook'!

It is essentially paneer cubes cooked with bell peppers, onions and green chillies and simmered in chilli and soy sauce.
It can be made either dry or with gravy. In its dry form, it is typically served as an appetizer. In its gravied form it gets easily converted into main course paired with some chinese style fried rice. The recipe below talks about both versions.

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