Aval Upma, Poha Upma

          It's been a week since I checked on my blog, had been on a trip to Coorg and came back only on Saturday. It was a different kind of a vacation, very relaxed and peaceful, saw for the first time, a coffee estate, learnt a little more about what goes into that morning cup of coffee. We also visited Talakaveri, the place of origin of the river Kaveri, a holy pilgrimage for the Hindus. We also got to taste a little bit of the local Kodava cuisine, Coorg food, I would be trying out some of the dishes and posting them here later. Now coming to today's post, it's the simple aval upma or poha, this is one upma that my daughter likes and I have been trying out different versions of this simple and humble upma. I have already posted one, Pepper And Jeera Aval, and today it's going to be another one, here we are flavoring the rice flakes/ aval/ poha with lemon, ginger and green chillies. It's such a simple dish, can be put together in under 20 minutes and makes a good breakfast or an after school snack..

Need To Have

• Aval/ Poha - 2 cups
• Raw Peanuts - 3 tablespoons
• Onions - 2 medium, chopped
• Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
• Green Chillies - 2, chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Chopped Coriander Leaves - 2 tablespoons
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
• Sev - to garnish
• Salt to taste

Method

          Wash the poha a couple of times, drain and keep for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat some oil, add the peanuts and roast for 2 minutes, then add the urad dal and mustard seeds.

          When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the asafoetida, followed by the onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turn pink, then add the turmeric powder and salt and mix for a few seconds.

          Now reduce the heat, add the drained aval and mix it well till it's slightly warmed up. Finally add the lemon juice and the coriander leaves, mix once and remove. Serve it garnished with some sev.

Note
I have used aval that's neither too thin nor too thick, if you use a very thick one, then you have to soak it for some time, then drain and use, don't use the very thin variety, it'll become very mushy.
Sev is deep fried chickpea flour noodles that can be made at home or it's readily available in Indian stores. You can also use aloo bhujia (potato noodles), I have used that only, instead of plain sev and if it's spiced up and has chat masala in it, then leave out the lemon juice.
We like the upma texture to be a little soft, so I just leave a tablespoon or more of water with the aval when draining it, this water is absorbed by the aval and makes it softer.
You can also add some cooked potato pieces or green peas and also some grated fresh coconut for extra taste and flavor.

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Zucchini Rice

          Every single day ( at least the weekdays), the first question that pops in my mind, ' what do I pack for lunch today ', invariably it's either rice or rotis. If it's rotis, then the next question, ' what should I make to go with it ', or if it's rice, ' what rice '. I know, many of us go through this, I also think, that I should plan for it, the night before, but that seldom happens and most of the time I make something that occurs to me at that moment. This zucchini rice is also one such dish, simple and delicious one pot meal that can be put together in a very short time..

Need To Have

• Raw Rice/ Pachai Arisi - 1 cup
• Diced Zucchini - 3 cups
• Tomatoes - 1 cup, chopped
• Garlic - 5 small cloves, chopped
• Chilly Flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method

          Wash and keep the rice soaked till you use it. Heat some oil in a pressure pan, add the fennel and fenugreek seeds, when it starts sizzling, add the garlic and saute till golden. Then add the zucchini and tomato pieces and mix for a minute.

          Now add the chilly flakes, coriander and turmeric powders and mix it, then add the drained rice and mix it for a minute. Now add about 21/2 cups of water and salt, cover and cook, after the first whistle, reduce the heat to the lowest and cook for 7 to 10 minutes and switch off. Open the pressure pan, once all the pressure has been released and serve it warm.

Note
If you are not comfortable with the pressure cooker, you can do the entire cooking in a regular pan, or after sauteing the rice, transfer it to a electric rice cooker, then add the water and salt and cook.
You can also use basmati rice in place of the raw rice.
Can also add a tablespoon of grated coconut and some curry leaves along with chilly flakes, will give a nice flavor.

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Mushroom, Baby Corn And Basil Risotto

          I had bought this box of Arborio rice some time back, wanted to make risotto with it, but kept putting it off, I thought I'll taste risotto first at a restaurant and then do it. But I never got a chance to taste it and luckily this arborio rice has a good shelf life, and that particular day I had all the ingredients needed, mushroom, baby corn and basil, so finally I just browsed, went through many recipes and decided to make it. I didn't have any idea about how long the rice was going to take to cook or whether the family would like it or not, but at the end, it was a big hit at home. If you like cheese and Italian food, then try this at least once, you'll love it..

Need To Have

• Arborio Rice - 1 cup
• Baby Bella Or Button Mushrooms - 16 oz, diced into big pieces
• Baby Corn - 8, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped, big pieces
• Onion - 2 small, chopped
• Basil Leaves - 1/2 cup chopped
• Cream Cheese - 2 tablespoons
• Parmesan Cheese - 2 tablespoon
• Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cooking Butter - 1/2 tablespoon

Method

          Heat the butter, add the chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent, then add the baby corn and mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.

          Now add the tomato and saute for a minute, then add the rice and mix. Add 2 cups of water, salt, cover and cook on low heat, checking at intervals. When the water is almost absorbed, add 1 cup more water, cover and cook. Again, when the water is almost absorbed, add one more cup of water and keep cooking, till the rice is done and there is very little water.

          At this stage, add the chopped basil and cream cheese and mix it nicely. Finally add the parmesan cheese and black pepper, mix it and remove. Leave it for 2 minutes and serve.

Note
Chop the basil leaves just before adding, it'll not turn dark green in color.
I have used Parmesan Powder, you can use fresh grated Parmesan.
Also you can use wild mushrooms instead of baby bella.
Add the salt sparingly, as the cheese would also be salty.
If you don't have cream cheese,use a little fresh cream in place, also remove the final dish, while it still has some liquid in it, as it'll become thicker as it cools a little.
If you can't find Arborio rice, use regular short grain rice or even basmati.

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Bahian Style Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

A few years ago, I visited Rio de Janeiro with my friend Ellen, a fellow foodie.  Our second night there, we had planned to walk from our hotel in Copacabana to Azul Arinho, a restaurant on Ipanema known for their moqueca.  Along the way, we found a cute gelato shop, Beijo Carioca, and, upon realizing that they would be closed by the time we would be done with dinner, we had to stop and get a pre-dinner treat.  The gelato was so good that on our last day in Rio, with only an hour left before we had to head to the airport, we made a mad dash back for a last taste of paradise.

Continuing on to dinner, we passed by a Koni Store, and since I had read about this trendy new restaurant, we just had to stop and try a salmon hand roll.  Then there was the churro cart around the corner...but we decided that we absolutely could not eat anything else before we got to dinner (and hoped that the churro cart would still be there on the way home).

Despite not being the last bit hungry due to all the pre-dinner snacking, I found myself absolutely loving the moqueca.  We got ours Bahian style, which means it's cooked with coconut milk, palm oil, and cilantro and served with white rice, pirão (a gravy made from fish broth and cassava flour), and dendê farofa (cassava flour cooked in palm oil).

I haven't been able to find palm oil, but this recipe from The Perfect Pantry uses annatto seeds simmered in canola oil to make a similarly bright orange oil.  If you can't find annatto seeds, you can just use sweet paprika instead.  When a recipe calls for adding salt at the end to taste, I've started using adobo seasoning instead of just plain salt, especially for Latin-inspired dishes, for even more flavor.  Other than that I pretty much followed this recipe from Simply Recipes to make the rice and stew.  I've made the stew with haddock and cod and had a slight preference for the haddock version.  I can only imagine how good it would taste with sea bass instead.

Bahian Style Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)
serves 4

For the annatto oil:
1/2 teaspoon annatto seeds
1/4 cup canola oil

For the rice:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the stew:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. of fillets of firm white fish such as haddock, cod, or sea bass, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons lime juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, and chopped (or sliced)
2 cups sliced plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika (optional)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
14-ounce can coconut milk
Adobo seasoning, to taste (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the annatto seeds and canola oil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the oil turns orange. Remove from heat, strain out the seeds (and discard), and set the oil aside to cool. This can be done far in advance.

To make the rice, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the chopped 1/2 onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the raw white rice and salt and stir to coat completely with the oil, onions, and garlic.  Transfer to a rice cooker and add the recommended amount of water (mine uses 1 1/4 cups water per cup of rice).  Cook the rice in the rice cooker while you make the stew.

Place the fish in a bowl and add the minced garlic and lime juice so that the pieces are well coated. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Keep chilled while preparing the rest of the soup.

In a large covered pan (such as a Dutch oven), coat the bottom with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Add the bell pepper, paprika (if using), and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Cook for a few minutes longer, until the bell pepper begins to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and green onion. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir in the chopped cilantro.

Use a large spoon to remove about half of the vegetables (you'll put them right back in). Spread the remaining vegetables over the bottom of the pan to create a bed for the fish. Arrange the fish pieces on the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add back the previously removed vegetables, covering the fish. Pour the coconut milk and annatto oil over the fish and vegetables.

Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add more salt or adobo seasoning, lime juice, paprika, pepper, or chili flakes to get the soup to the desired seasoning for your taste.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with the rice.

I was actually pretty surprised at how close to the real thing this tasted considering how exotic the flavors are to me.  As with most stews, this tastes even better the next day and the day after that, when the flavors have had a chance to meld together more.

Next:  Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Previously:  Pluot Lambic Sorbet
Last year:  Crispy Kale Pizza

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Capsicum Pilaf

          Today's post is yet another rice dish, Capsicum Pilaf. I had noted down this recipe, long time back from a newspaper. It's different from the other pilafs, especially the flavor, might be from the ground paste, or from the capsicum and cabbage added to this pilaf. Just serve it with some raitha, I would recommend boondi raitha for this, perfect combination..

Need To Have

• Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup
• Capsicum - diced, 1 cup 
• Cabbage - shredded, 1 cup
• Potato - diced, 1/2 cup
• Green Peas - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1 small, chopped
• Garlic - 1 clove, chopped
• Cashews - 1 tablespoon
• Clove - 1
• Cinnamon - 1" piece
• Cardamom - 1

To Grind

• Coriander Seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
• Chopped Ginger - 1 teaspoon
• Green Chilli - 1

Method

          Roast the cashews in a little oil or ghee. Grind together all the ingredients given under ' to grind '. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 1/2 an hour.

          Heat some oil, add the clove, cinnamon and cardamom, when it sizzles, add the chopped onion and garlic and saute till the onion turns pink.

          Now add the capsicum, cabbage, potato, peas and the ground paste, mix for a minute. Drain the rice, add to the vegetables and mix for one more minute. Add 11/2 cup water and salt, cover, when it starts boiling, reduce and cook till the rice is done. Switch off and don't disturb the rice for 1/2 an hour, garnish with the roasted cashews and serve it warm.

Note
Chop the vegetables into big chunks, especially the cabbage and capsicum, since it's being cooked along with the rice.
Can do the cooking with only oil, or a mixture of oil and ghee.
Once the rice is almost cooked, switch off and leave the rice covered, without disturbing for 1/2 an hour, this way the rice will not become mushy.

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Mozzarella Stuffed Arancini (Risotto Balls)

While I love making risotto, I love eating arancini even more!  So every time I make risotto, I make sure I have enough leftover to make some of these fried risotto balls.  The traditional breading would be breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings, but I make mine with panko flakes for some added crunch.  And if you cut up a stick of mozzarella string cheese and stick them inside the arancini, it gets all warm and gooey after you fry it up and makes for even more of a texture contrast.

Mozzarella Stuffed Arancini
makes 6-7 balls

About 1 1/2 cups leftover risotto
1 stick mozzarella string cheese, cut into 6 pieces
Flour for coating
1 egg, beaten
Panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Scoop up about 1/4 cup of risotto into your hand and place a piece of the cheese in the middle.  Mold the risotto up and around the cheese to enclose it.  Pat the risotto into a ball (it will be too sticky to properly roll).  Repeat 5 more times.  Place the risotto balls on a plate a refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Prepare your breading station:  place some flour into a wide bowl, the beaten egg in another wide bowl, and some panko bread crumbs in another wide bowl.  Pour enough oil into a saucepan to reach a depth of 2 inches and start heating on high to 350°F.

Remove the balls from the fridge and one at a time, roll them in the flour to coat, the beaten egg to coat the flour, and the panko bread crumbs to coat the egg.

When the oil has reached 350°F, fry the risotto balls a few minutes on each side until golden brown.  Drain on a rack set over paper towels.  Serve warm.

These are also good at room temperature and great to pack and eat on the run.  You can also add other leftovers to the risotto balls:  cooked peas, chopped up chicken, ham, or sausages, etc. I would refrain from adding anything too wet like tomatoes for fear of making the arancini a soggy mess, though.

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Crimini Mushroom Risotto

If I had to pinpoint the one dish that made me love cooking, it'd be risotto. It's not one of those quick, easy recipes that you can throw together in 15 minutes or less. It takes time and almost-constant attention, which you can only give something you love.

You start with arborio rice, a short grain rice, which is chewier and starchier than long grain rice. The rice is sauteed first before any liquids are added, until the edges start to get translucent and the center is still opaque. Then some white wine is added to deglaze the pan and add some depth of flavor. Once the wine has been fully absorbed, hot stock is added a ladleful at a time. In between each addition of stock, you need to stir the risotto and make sure that all the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next ladleful. This is what gives the risotto the velvety, creamy texture.  That, and love.

I love mushroom risotto because it's a great way to showcase the sometimes subtle flavor of mushrooms.  I finally got a shipment of crimini mushrooms in my Boston Organics delivery last week so I was excited to make this dish with them.  It's even better if you have wild mushrooms, though, like morels if you can get your hands on them.

Crimini Mushroom Risotto
makes 4 servings

1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Kosher salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 2/3 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1 quart mushroom, vegetable, or chicken stock, hot
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1/3-1/2 cup Parmesan reggiano cheese, grated
Truffle salt (optional)

Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute until softened.  Season to taste with salt, transfer to a bowl (along with the juices), and set aside.

In the same pan, melt 2 more tablespoons of butter and add the chopped onions.  Once the onions start to sweat, add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until softened.

Add the arborio rice and stir so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  After about 5 minutes, once the rice has started to turn translucent on the edges but is still opaque in the center, add the white wine and stir to deglaze the pan.

Once the wine has been absorbed, add a ladleful of hot stock and keep stirring.  Continue to add the stock a ladleful at a time once the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

When all the stock has been used up, add the mushrooms along with their juices back into the rice and stir.  Cover the rice for 2 minutes to finish cooking.

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and cheese.  Finish with truffle salt, if using.  Serve immediately.

Even though the dish gets all creamy, the rice should still have some bite to it and not be all mushy.  If you do happen to have leftovers, make sure you refrigerate them so that you can make arancini (risotto balls) out of them (recipe coming up next)!

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Carrot Rice

          When you are bored of the regular sambar, rasam and curry routine, mixed rice or variety rice makes for a quick and tasty option. Other than the traditional, lemon, tamarind or tomato rice, I also make these vegetable rices. We can use almost any vegetable to make this and adding some freshly ground masala gives it a nice flavor. Serve it with some raitha for a complete meal..

Need To Have

• Cooked Rice - 3 cups, cooled
• Grated Carrot - 11/2 cups
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/ Husked, Split Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Salt - to taste

To Roast And Powder

• Peanuts - 1 tablespoon
• Dried Red Chillies - 4
• Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Coriander Seeds - 2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Clove - 1
• Cinnamon Stick - 1" piece
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon

Method

          Dry roast the peanuts, cool, remove the skin and keep. Heat a little oil, add all the ingredients given under ' to roast and powder', except for the peanuts and the grated coconut. Roast till the chana dal and coriander seeds turn golden, switch off and add the grated coconut and toast. Powder this, finally add the peanuts and pulse it into a coarse mixture.

          Now heat some oil, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, when it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida and curry leaves and chopped onions. Saute it till the onions turn pink, then add the grated carrot and salt and saute for about 5 minutes, till the raw smell of carrot goes away and it becomes soft to the bite.

          At this stage add the powdered mixture and mix for 2 more minutes. Lastly add the cooked rice and mix on reduced heat, for 2 to 3 minutes till the rice is warmed through. Remove and serve with some raitha  and potato chips.

Note
You can add some cooked chickpeas or green peas along with the carrots.
Can make this with leftover rice. 

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Mango Coconut Rice Pudding Pops and Ice Cream

I've had this recipe bookmarked for a while now, but it wasn't until I found some cute, cheap popsicle molds at Ikea that I was able to make them.   The original recipe made 12 large popsicles, so I adapted the recipe for 6, but even that was way too much for my tiny popsicle molds.  So I decided to add some cream and throw it into my ice cream maker to see how that would turn out.

Considering how much water there is in the mixture, the ice cream came out surprisingly well.  It freezes a little harder than I'm used to, but I was more than satisfied with the taste.  If I were to make this as an ice cream again, I'd try switching out the water for whole milk or half and half.  And I'd probably add a little sugar to the coconut milk so that the rice absorbs some sweetness, and it'd probably also help the rice stay a little softer once frozen, too.

As a popsicle, it's perfect. The creamy coconut milk and bright mango bits complement each other, and the rice gives it a nice chewiness.  My favorite part, though, is the sweetened condensed milk that kind of floats to the top of the mold (and therefore ends up at the bottom of the popsicle) giving it the perfect ending. 

Mango Coconut Rice Pudding Pops and Ice Cream (adapted from The Kitchn)
makes six 2 oz. popsicles and about a quart of ice cream

One 15-ounce can coconut milk, shaken
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup short-grain or arborio rice
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh or frozen mango, diced
1/4 cup heavy cream (for the ice cream)

Add the contents of the can of coconut milk into a large saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and stir in. Stir in the rice, and bring the whole mixture to a simmer over medium heat.

Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.  Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, water, vanilla extract, coconut extract (if using), and salt. 

Fold the mango into the rice mixture.

Transfer the rice and mango mixture to six 2-ounce popsicle molds. Insert sticks and freeze until solid — 3 to 4 hours.  To release the pops from the molds, run the molds briefly under warm water.

Add the rest of the mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's directions.  Transfer the ice cream to an air-tight container and freeze for at least 4 hours to harden.

Three years ago:  World Peace Cookies

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