Sunday, January 3, 2010

Bisi Bele Bath

Having busy schedules tends to put 'Balanced Diet' in the back burner many a time, if we loose track. However to our rescue we have dishes like bisi-bele bath which can free us from guilt. It has a balance of protein from dal, carbohydrate from rice, vitamins and fiber from vegetables and calcium from the side raitha!! and not to mention the great taste :) Though i have mentioned a list of vegetables, feel free to add any of the vegetables you have in ur refridgerator. This is an other one item like the 5 a Day the Color Way...
Ingredients
SERVES 3
Red gram dal (tur) - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Brinjals - 2 small
Onion - 1
Carrot - 1
Drumsticks - 2 nos
Tamarind - size of a small lime
Green chillies - 4 nos
Mustard - 2 tsp
Cashewnuts - 20 gms
Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves, Curry leaves - Few
Dry red chillies - 6 ; Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp ; Coriander seeds - 1 ; Poppy seeds(khus khus) - 1 tsp ; Cardamoms, Cloves - 4 nos; Cinnamon - Small piece
Method
- Fry all masalas in little oil and make powder it in a mixie
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pot, and mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder; let it splutter
- Add chopped vegetables and toor dal
- When vegetables and toor dal is half cooked, add rice, tamarind pulp, salt, powdered masala and stir well
- Close the lid and cook until done on a low flame

Thai Coconut Rice

Thai Coconut Rice goes well along with the Thai Yellow Curry I posted some time ago. I either use jasmine rice or basmati, both come out quite well.

Ingredients
SERVES 3
2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
Oil spray
Method
- Spray cooking oil to a non-stick pot
- Place rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in the pot over medium to high heat
- Continue to stir occasionally until the coconut milk & water come to a gentle boil (stirring will avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning)
- Once the coconut-water has begun to bubble, stop stirring. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Place lid on the pot, so that it is covered.
- Allow rice to cook in this way for 15-20 minutes, or until rice has absorbed most of the coconut-water
- Now turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and allow to sit 5-10 minutes(This wud help remove the cooked rice easily without being stuck to the bottom of the pan)