Tondli Bhat

Preparation Time - 5 Min                             Coking Time - 20 Min                       Serves - 4 

Ingredients :

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Tondli (Ivy gourd) - 200 gm

Chana dal - 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts - 8

Green chili - 2 

Curry leaves - 5

Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Red chili powder - 1/2 Tsp 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 Tsp (Optional)

grated coconut - 1/2 Tbsp

Cilantro - a few to garnish

Spices :

Bay leaf - 1

Pepper seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - small piece

Clove - 1 

Cardamom powder - 1/4 Tsp

Cumin powder - 1/4 Tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2  Tsp

Method:

1) Wash and soak rice for 20 mins.

2) Cut off end and cut tondli (ivy gourd) vertically in four pieces and keep aside.

3) Heat ghee in pan and crackle mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds.

4) Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, green chili, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste, fry well.

5) Add soaked chana dal, tondli(ivy gourd), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup water. Keep the lid and let it cook for 10 mins.

6) Add all spices and red chili powder, cashew nuts and mix well. 

     Tip : You can use biryani masala instead of whole spices here.

7) Add soaked rice, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 cup water. Keep the lid and let it cook for 10-12  mins on  low-medium flame.

8) Garnish with fresh cilantro and coconut and serve hot.

Tondli Bhat

Vada Bhat

Preparation Time - 20 Min                      Cooking Time - 30 Min            Serves - 5

Ingredients :

For Vada :

Sprouted matki (moth) - 1/2 Cup

Chana dal (Gram lentil) - 2 Tbsp

Cover-less urad Dal (Black lentil)  - 1/4 Cup

Cover-less  moong dal - 1/4 Cup

Chopped cilantro (Kothimbir) - 1/4 Cup

Cumin seeds - 1 Tbsp

Red chili powder - 1 Tsp or to taste

Salt - 3 Tsp or to taste

Green chili paste - 1 Tsp or to taste

Garlic paste - 1 Tsp

Oil - to deep fry

For Bhat : 

Rice - 1 1/2  Cup

Oil - 3 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 2 Tsp

Curry leaves (optional) - 4-5 

Dry red chili - 3

For Tadka(Tempering):

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 Tsp

Dry red chili - 2

Curry leaves - 4 (optional)

Method :

1) Soak chana dal, urad dal and moong dal for 2 hrs in lukewarm water.

2) Wash rice till water runs clean, soak for 15 mins. and pressure cook for 20 min or up to 3 whistles.

3) Grind soaked dal and sprouted matki coarsely in grinder.

4) In a bowl mix grind dal mixture, cilantro, garlic paste, cumin seeds, red chili powder, green chili paste and salt and mix well.

5) Heat oil in wok and add a spoon of batter in hot oil and deep fry vada on medium flame.

6) Heat 2 tbsp of  oil in another pan for tempering and crackle mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and dry red chilies fry for a moment and switch off stove.

7) Serve a plate of rice with 6 vada. Crumble vada, add tadka and enjoy.

Vada Bhat

Curd Rice

Preparation Time - 2 Min                  Cooking Time - 30 Min                              Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 Cup

Curd(Yogurt) - 1 Cup

Dry red chili - 2-3

Cashew nuts - 4 (Optional) 

Urad dal - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Curry leaves - 5

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 Tsp

Cilantro - 2 Tbsp

Method:

1) Wash rice till water runs clean and cook with 2 1/2 cup of water for 15 mins.

2) In a bowl whisk curd and add sugar, 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of salt and whisk well.

3) Add curd in rice and mix well.

4) Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds.

5) Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, urad dal, cashew nuts and dry red chili and saute it for a moment.

6) Add this tadka(tempering) on rice. Add 1/2 Tsp of salt and mix well.

7) Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Curd Rice

Gola Bhat/ Besan Bhat

Preparation Time - 5 Min                     Cooking Time - 15 Min           Serves - 4

This is very famous and quick dish from Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 Cup

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 Cup

Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp

Carom seeds - 1 Tsp

Sesame seeds - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 2 Tsp

Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp

Salt - 2 Tsp/ To taste

Asafoetida - 1 Tsp

Green Chili - 1

Cilantro(Coriander leaves) - a few

Method :

1) In a bowl mix besan, carom seeds, sesame seeds, red chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt. Add water and make a dough. Add little oil if it is too sticky.

2) In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds, let it crackle.

3) Add asafoetida, turmeric powder and then add rice and 2 cup water.

4) Add salt and let the rice cook. Do not keep the lid.

5) Make medium size balls of besan dough and keep aside.

6) When rice is half cooked put these balls on rice and add little water if required.

7) Now put the lid and let it cook for 5-7 mins on low flame.

8) Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with butter milk and spicy curd chilies.

Gola Bhat