Stuffed Capsicum Boats

Capsicum in a different form.It is quite common to see whole capsicum being stuffed with different fillings. But in this recipe, the capsicums have been sliced lengthwise into two which look like boats and have been stuffed with a rice filling like biriyani. The best part about this shape is that it is easy to bite the capsicum along with the filling especially for kids. The stuffing can be anything and can be prepared ahead also. Before serving the blanched capsicum with the filling it can be warmed up in the oven or just heat up the filling and serve it hot in the capsicum boats. The ingredients may seem to be more but it is fairly simple to prepare. Four capsicum boats have been made with this recipe.

Ingredients for Capsicum Boats	Quantity
Green Capsicum (Bell Peppers)	2 medium
Water	enough for blanching
Salt	a pinch

Ingredients for Filling	Quantity
Basmati Rice	½ cup
Chopped Carrots	2 tbsps
Chopped French Beans	1 tbsp
Fresh Peas	2 tbsps
Corn	2 tbsps
Chopped Onions	½ cup
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tbsp
Chopped Mint Leaves	2 tbsps
Cashew and Almond Paste	2 tbsps
Curds	½ cup
Tomato Puree	from 1 tomato
Fried Cashewnuts and Raisins	a few
Garam Masala Powder	1 tsp
Saffron Soaked in Milk	1 tbsp
Cardamom (Elaichi)	1
Cloves	2
Bay Leaf	2
Cinnamon Stick	1
Green Chilly	1 cup
Cumin Seeds (Jeera)	1 tsp
Salt	to taste
Refined Oil	1 tsp
Hydrogenated Fat (Ghee)	1 tbsp

Method

1. Slice each washed capsicum lengthwise into 2 pieces.


2. Remove the seeds etc.Now there will be four pieces of capsicum which look like boats.


3. Boil water in a saucepan and add a pinch of salt and put these capsicum boats in this boiling water and blanch for two minutes and keep them aside so that the water is drained.


4. Half boil the carrots,french beans and peas and keep them aside.


5. Boil the washed rice in water with little salt, cardamom, clove, cinnamon stick, green chilly and one bay leaf till the rice is cooked and seperate. Remove the cardamom,clove cinnamon,green chilly and bay leaf and keep it aside.


6. Take a pan and add the oil and ghee and heat it. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and ginger garlic paste and fry till brown.


7. Add the cashewnut almond paste and fry.Add the tomato puree,little salt and boiled vegetables and cook till the oil seperates.


8. Next add the garam masala powder, mint leaves and salt and mix well.


9. Lastly add the boiled rice and on low heat, mix all the ingredients thoroughly.


10. When they have all mixed well, add the soaked saffron and mix well. The biriyani is now ready.


11. To serve, place the capsicum boats in a plate and fill each boat with the biriyani and place fried cashewnuts and raisins on top to decorate.

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Protein Rich Fried Rice Garden

This vibrant rice dish owes its name from the different coloured capsicums, mint leaves, saffron and proteins from the black eyed peas (lobhia), cottage cheese/tofu used. Not many spices have been used but the flavour of all the ingredients appeals to the palate so much that you will make it very often!

Serves four people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Basmati Rice	1 cup
Saffron, soaked in warm milk	1 tbsp
Boiled Black Eyed Peas (Lobhia)	½ cup
Fried Cottage Cheese Cubes (Paneer or Tofu)	½ cup
Sliced Capsicum (Green,Red and Yellow Bell Peppers)	¾ cup
Sliced Onions	¼ cup
Ginger Garlic Paste	1 tsp
Slit Green Chillies (optional)	2 or 3
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Bay Leaf	1
Mint Leaves	½ cup
Cumin Seed Powder	1 tsp
Black Pepper Powder	1 tsp
Butter	1 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Water	to cook rice

Method

1. Wash the rice and drain the water and keep it aside for atleast half an hour. Cook it with enough water so that it is not very soft. Keep it aside.
   
2. Take a big pan and add the butter and heat it. When it melts add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and fry.


3. Add the onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till the onions are light brown.


4. Next, add the cashewnuts,capsicum, a few mint leaves and black pepper powder and fry them lightly. Remove a few different coloured capsicum and keep it aside for garnishing.


5. Then add the boiled black eyed peas, cumin powder, salt, cottage cheese/tofu cubes, saffron and cooked rice and mix well. Fry it till the mixed rice is really hot to serve.


6. Serve it in a serving bowl decorated with the coloured capsicum and few mint leaves and sliced green chillies.

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Sesame Rice

Rice can be made in a different way with the flavour of seasame seeds or gingelly seeds added to it.Sesame seed are rich in minerals,dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats. They help to reduce blood cholesterol,enhance the immune response and decrease the risk of cancer. The are used in Asian ,Meditterean and Middle East cooking and is one of the oldest oilseed discovered.In this recipe other than sesame seeds coconut gratings or peanut powder can be used. This recipe is gluten and casein free and serves four people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Cooked Rice	3 cups
Sesame seeds{Til Seeds}	¼ cup
Red Chilly	2
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	a few
Salt	to taste
Fried Cashewnuts	a few
Pappads (Fried or Microwaved)	2
Oil or Ghee	1 tsp

Method

1. Take a pan and roast the sesame seeds and red chillies till light brown. Cool and powder them coarsely and keep it aside.


2. Take a bowl and add the hot cooked rice.


3. Add the powdered sesame powder,salt and mix.


4. Take oil or ghee in a pan and fry cumin seeds and mustard seeds and curry leaves.


5. Add this to the mixed rice.Take the rice in a serving bowl and garnish with fried cashewnuts and broken pappads.The pappad pieces have to be added for garnishing just before serving otherwise they become soft.

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Saffron Sweet Rice

This sweet preparation is made with ingredients generally available in the house.This is quick and easy to prepare especially for bachelors,single people and ofcourse kids who have a sweet tooth and once in a while like to eat something sweet as a dessert. This is a gluten and casein free recipe and is for five people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Cooked Basmati Rice	1 ½ cups
Sugar	½ cups
Water	¼ cups
Ghee (Clarified Butter)	1 tbsps
Raisins	1 tbsps
Sliced Cashewnuts	1 tbsp
Sliced Almonds	½ tbsp
Cardamom Powder	½ tbsp
Saffron Strings	½ tbsp
Warm Water	1 tbsp

Method

1. Soak the saffron in the warm water and keep it aside.


2. Take water in a pan and add sugar and heat it till the sugar dissolves and forms a syrup.


3. Add the cooked rice and cook it for sometime in the sugar syrup.


4. Add the soaked saffron and cook till the water evaporates but still remains wet. Turn off the heat and add the cardamom powder and mix.


5. Take a small pan and add the ghee and heat it. Add the cashewnuts and almonds and fry them till light brown in colour. Add the raisins and fry them too.


6. Add these fried nuts and raisins to the saffron rice and mix lightly.


7. Serve hot or cold.


8. If basmati rice is not available, normal rice can be used.

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Mango Rice

Yet another recipe with mangoes which is used in a different way.Grated mango is mixed with rice like lime rice or tamarind rice.This is very easy to make and tasty too as it has the mango flavour. This dish is rich in Viamin C. This is for three to four people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Grated Raw Mango	½ cup
Cooked Rice	1 tbsp
Chopped Green Chillies	1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	½ tsp
Cashewnuts	6 or 7
Peanuts	1 tbsp
Bengal Gram Dhal (Channa Dhal)	1 tbsp
Black Gram Dhal (Urad Dhal)	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Asafoetida	a pinch
Red Chillies	2
Curry Leaves	1 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	2 tbsps
Pappads	6

Method

1. Take a pan, add the oil and heat it.


2. Add the channa dhal,urad dhal,mustard seeds,asfoetida,red chillies and peanuts and fry till light brown in colour. Add the cashewnuts and fry them too.


3. Add the green chillies and curry leaves.


4. Add the tuimeric powder and grated mango and saute it for a few minutes.


5. Add salt and the cooked rice and mix well so that it is hot and well blended. Remove from the heat.If the mango is ver sour ou may need more rice or less of the grated mango.


6. Serve the mango rice garnished with curry leaves and pappad.

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Curd Rice

Curd rice in summer is very welcoming because it cools you down.This is a traditional dish in South of India made during festivals and even on other days too.In Andhra it is called "dadhojanam" and in Tamil Nadu itis "tayir Sadam".It is a favourite prasadam served in most Balaji temples. There are many variations to the basic recipe. To make it more nutritious and colourful,vegetables like grated cucumber,ghrated carrots,boiled corn, sprouts, seedless grapes, pomegranate etc can be added.To make it more spicy,curd chillies and more green chillies can be added.This will be enough for three to four people.

Ingredients	Quantity
Rice	½ cup
Curds	2 cups
Milk	2 cups
Chopped Green Chillies	1 tbsp
Bengal Gram Dhal ( Channa Dal )	1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Red Chillies	1 or 2
Curry Leaves	a few
Chopped Coriander Leaves	2 tbsps
Grated Cucumber	&3189; cup
Grated Carrots	2 tbsps
Green Gram Sprouts	2 tbsps
Oil	1 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Curd Chillies (Perugu Mirapakayalu)	4 or 5

Method

1. Cook rice in a pressure cooker till it is soft.


2. Take the rice in a large bowl and cool it till it is luke warm.


3. Mash the rice a little with a potato masher so that you do use your hands.


4. Add salt,milk and curds and mix.If more milk is required it can be added.The consistency should be a litte running as the rice will absorb the liquid after some time.Also if you mix the rice when it is very hot it will absorb more liquid.


5. Add the cucumber,carrots,sprouts and a tablespoon of coriander leaves and mix.


6. Take a pan and heat the oil and add the seasonings like channa dhal,urad dhal,mustard seeds and red chillies.When the mustard leaves splutter, add the curry leaves and turn off the heat.


7. Add this seasoning to the mixed rice and mix again.


8. Fry the curd chillies seperately and keep it aside.


9. Since more milk has been added, the rice can be kept for ten to fifteen minutes outside and then kept in the refrigerator to cool.To eat it instantly only curds can be added. No need to add the milk then.


10. To serve, garnish the curd rice with chopped coriander leaves,curd chillies and grated carrots or pomegranate seeds.

NOTE
In case one does not have time to make it instantly and if you want to eat it the following day or in the evening, the same procedure can be followed but the rice will have to be mixed with only milk and only a teaspoon of curds so that it will set by the time you want it and will not get sour.Try it!

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