This is usually made for Adiperukku (also called Pathinettam peru in Tamil). But, can't wait until adiperukku for making it again, just because it has been our favourite since childhood. I usually make either of the variety as a quick fix for the lunch box. I made this Chitrannam (Variety Rice or Kalavai Sadam) for a special occasion at home few days back. The menu that day was Rava Ladoo, Medhu vada, Lemon Rice, Puliyogare, Coconut Rice and Curd Rice (Bagalabath) with Cabbage-Peas-gobi fry and fried Vadagams. We simply Loved it! Also with minimal ingredients and in less time, here is a wonderful spread !!
FOR RICE:
Cook rice with the required water, usually 1:2 or 1:2.5 depending on the rice used. I always prefer raw rice or long grain rice for making this chitrannam. Basmati rice??- NO!. The smell of basmati rice dominates the other flavours, i feel. For best result, try cooking rice in an open pan. Spread cooked rice on a plate, apply some oil and mix well. This prevents the grains from sticking together. Let it cool. Divide into equal portions.
LEMON RICE:
Ingredients:
- Lemon juice - from 1 lemon
- Green chillies - 3 or 4 chopped
- Curry leaves - few
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Channa dal - 1 tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Cashews - few
- Salt - as required
How to make it:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add channa dal, urad dal and cashews and fry until light brown. Add green chillies and curry leaves. Switch off the flame. Add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add this to the cooked rice with salt and lemon juice. Mix well.
COCONUT RICE:
Ingredients:
- Coconut - 3/4 cup shredded
- Moong dal - 2 tbsp
- Green chillies - 3 or 4 chopped
- Curry leaves - few
- Ginger - small piece shredded
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Cashews - few
- Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
How to make it:
Cook moong dal with enough water until just done. Do not over cook. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add urad dal and cashews and fry until light brown. Add the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Add the cooked moong dal and coconut. Switch off the flame. Add this to the cooked rice along with salt. Mix well.
PULIYOGARE:
The paste prepared for making puliyogare can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator. Its always a good idea to make the paste a day before making this chitrannam varieties to save cooking time.
For paste:
- Tamarind (dark) - 1 big lemon size
- Dried long red chillies - 4 or 5
- Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Sambar powder - 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Oil - 1/3 cup (gingelly/sesame oil is preferred)
- Jaggery (brown sugar) - 2 tsp powdered
- Curry leaves - few
- Peanuts - 1/3 cup roasted
- Salt - as per taste
For powder:
- Dried red chillies - 2
- Corriander seeds - 2 tbsp
- Sesame seeds - 1 tsp (if preferred)
- Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
How to make it:
Take pulp out of tamarind. Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies and mustard seeds and when it splutters add ural dal and fry until light brown. Add the tamarind pulp. Once it starts boiling, add the sambar powder, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook until the raw smell leaves. Add the jaggery, curry leaves and peanuts. Cook until it thickens.
To make the powder, dry roast the above ingredients until light brown. Cool and grind into a powder. Add this powder to the cooked rice and mix well. Let it stand for sometime. Add the paste and mix it thoroughly.
CURD RICE:
Ingredients:
- Thick curd - 1 cup
- Milk - 1/4 cup (Luke warm)
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Carrot - 1/4 cup shredded
- Cucumber - 1/4 cup shredded
- Ginger - 1 tsp shredded
- Corrainder leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
- Mor milagai - 5 or 6 (chillies soaked in spiced up curd and sun-dried)
- Salt - as required
- Asafoetida powder - a pinch
How to make it:
Heat oil in a pan, fry mor milagai and keep aside. Mix all the above ingredients (except mustard seeds) with the rice and mix well. Heat little oil, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add it to the prepared curd rice. Mix well.
CABBAGE-PEAS-GOBI FRY:
This is an easy to make curry with a different flavour . This recipe uses sambar powder instead of chilli powder.
Ingredients:
- Cabbage - 1 cup chopped
- Peas - 1/2 cup
- Cauliflower florets - 1 1/2 cup
- Sambar powder - 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Curry leaves - few
- Salt - as required
How to make it:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add urad dal and fry until light brown. Add the vegetables and fry for a while. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and salt and cook covered until vegetables are just done. Sprinkle some water if required to cook the vegetables. Add curry leaves. Mix well.
MEDHU VADA - i have already posted my recipe
here. The variation this time is, i added chopped onions in the batter and dropped spoonful of batter into the hot oil instead of making them as regular vadas.
RAVA LADOO -
Click here for the recipe i posted earlier.
Dear Shama passed me these beautiful awards....
Everybody blogs with a purpose! so I'm dedicating this to all bloggers.. Do feel free to grab this award from me if you own a blog!
The award states that-
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement (? big word, lol). Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
So here is my list of 8:
1. Sripriya
2. Asha
3. Varunavi
4. Meeso
5. Mahimaa's kitchen
6. Vidhas
7. Vibaas
8. Ramya bala
