MINT PULAV

MINT PULAV

I went for my grocery shopping this weekend and saw a green fresh bundle of mint leaves waiting for me to pick it. I couldn’t resist. It’s scorching hot these days…global warming and all, so I thought I would make something exotic to drink with the Mint, as Mint is cooling and refreshing during summers.....

We come home pretty late sometimes after work and usually frequent this Pure vegetarian Bachelor’s joint @ Serangoon. This joint is open until late and when we reached there at about 10.45pm he told me to try the variety rice for the day, which turned out to be very tasty, when I asked him what rice was that bang came the answer, “Budinaah Rice”(Pudina Rice). Instead of making just Pudina rice I thought why not make Pudina Pulav (Mint Pulav). Since I had the perfectly fresh and beautiful Mint leaves waiting for me in my refrigerator I thought why not let my family taste this wonderful variety rice, so here is my refreshingly inviting Mint rice, sorry didn’t keep any mint leaves for the garnish in the enthusiasm to get that perfect balance in taste.

Ingredients

Mint leaves – 1 bunch

Long grained Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Onions – 2

Green peas – 1 cup

French Beans – 1/2 cup

Carrots – 1/2 cup

Corns – 1/2 cup

Green Chilly paste – 1-2 teaspoons (depending on how spicy the paste is or how much spice you like)

Ginger paste – 2 teaspoons

Bay leaves – 2

Star Anise – 1

Cinnamon sticks – 1

Big Elaichi (Badi Elaichi) – 1

Small Elaichi - 1

Clove – 1

Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Pulav Masala – 2 tsps

Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Oil – 2 tbsps

Salt as per taste

Method

Take the bunch of mint leaves and pluck out only the leaves and if you find the stem attachedto the leaf very tender you can use that also, but if the stems are thick please don’t use. Rinse it well under running water in a colander and keep aside for the water to drain. Meanwhile Rinse out 2 cups of long grained Basmati rice and then soak it for a while in water

Now take the mint leaves, green chilly paste, ginger paste, a pinch of salt and blend to fine consistency in a mixie / blender without adding water.

Now take a wok, put 2 tablespoons of oil, once the oil is heated add in the Bay leaves, Star Anise, Cinnamon stick, Big elaichi, small elaichi, clove and the cumin seeds, once you see the cumin getting fried, add in a pinch of Asafetida(I always like to asafetida in my dishes as it has property to remove gases and in this recipe we have legumes so it is good to add some), the Garam masala, the puav masala and fry for a minute. Now add in the finely chopped onions and sauté until transparent. The onion should look shrunk and well fried. Now, add in the mint-green chilly-ginger paste and sauté well. The color of the paste when fried well becomes slightly light. Ensure that you don’t burn the masala as then the pulav won’t taste so good. Once, the mint masala turns into a lighter color. Add in the vegetables(instead of the fresh vegetables mentioned above you can use 1 ½ cups of frozen mixed vegetables, but I can tell you fresh vegetables taste better thanthe frozen ones) and sauté until the green peas turn into a lighter green, then add in the rinsed and soaked Basmati rice without any water and sauté for 2-3 minutes adding salt as per the taste and mixing everything well. Once this is done you can put this in a rice cooker and add water according to finger level consistency for example when you put your finger in you will know how much rice is there, that much water has to be added or alternatively add water until the rice is completely immersed and there is another cup of water on top. The water level has to be perfect for a perfect pulav, now switch on the rice cooker and keep to cook position. I always use the electric rice cooker for pulav in Singapore but you can make it in a non stick wok by closing the lid and keeping the gas on a low flame. Either way it cooks well. Once the rice cooks, give it a light stir so that everything mixes well without breaking the grains of rice Put the lid back and let it stand for another five minutes. Then turn off the plug.Garnish with coriander / mint leaves.Serve hot. If you want to decorate it some more you can even garnish it with freshly grated paneer.Enjoy the refreshing Mint pulav with any gravy of your choice or just with Papad, pickle and raita, It’s a complete meal.

I would like to send my Mint pulav to

Sara’s Cooking with seeds : Cumin seeds event , since I am using Cumin seeds in this dish

And since it has green peas and beans, I am sending this to Susan’s My legume Love affair 23 Event

And since the main ingredient is Mint (green), this also goes to Preeti’s Green Gourmet Event

ALOO GOBI AND AWARDS

ALOO GOBI

I was tired of heavy and complicated recipes so decided to churn out this simple recipe with ingredients easily available in any Indian kitchen. Aloo Gobi is a comfort food and a sure hit in my house. It is Yo’s favorite. Here is a fast to cook and good to eat recipe.

Ingredients

Cauliflower – ½ kilo

Potatoes -1

Onion – 1
Grated Ginger/Gingerpaste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes – 1

Cumin seeds – 2 tsps

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt as per taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Freshly chopped coriander for garnish (optional)

Method

Peel the florets of the cauliflower and keep the florets in some warm water with some salt and turmeric for about half an hour. Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into cubes/wedges. Chop the onions and tomatoes as well. Keep aside. Now the drain the water off the cauliflower florets and rinse well. In a wok, Add one tbsp oil, add the cumin seeds, when the cumin seeds start to fry. Add the onions, when the onions become transparent, add in the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft, then add the potato wedges, Cook for 5-7 minutes. After which add the cauliflower florets and mix well, now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafetida and salt as per taste. Mix everything well, cover with a lid and cook on a low flame. After every 5 minutes give it a stir, you will see that the vegetables have become moist. Always allow it to cook in its own juices. If you see that there is no water, add a bit and cook covered on a low flame. After about 10 minutes you will notice that the potatoes are cooked, check if cooked with a spoon, if not wait until the potatoes are cooked. Cauliflower usually cooks fast. Once it is done, you can garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chappatis or u can have it with dal and rice. Tastes great.

Tips

• Do not add water to  the vegetables as the potatoes will get mashed and your vegetable will get soggy.
• Instead of red chilly powder, you can add ginger-green chilly paste
• You can add other spices like coriander powder, cumin powder, anardana powder, amchur powder, garam masala in any combinations of your choice. I didn't add in this because i wanted to share a simple and easy recipe with minimum ingredients.
• You can avoid onions in this recipe if you do not like the flavor of onions. 
• You can avoid ginger in this recipe 

AWARDS TIME

Purva and LG have passed me the Great Buddy Award

and 360 degree Foodie Award

I would love to thank both of them for these awards.

LG has also showered upon me a few awards,

A Perfect Blend Of Friendship Award

Iam a Chocoholic award

Kreativ Blogger Award

Hard Working Food Blogger Award

Inspiration Award

Thanks Lakshmi for these lovely awards. It really makes your day.

BISI BELA HULI ANNA / BISI BELE BHAT (BBB) / SAMBAR SADAM

BISI BELA HULI ANNA / BISI BELE BATH (BBB) / SAMBAR SADAM
One Pot meals are the need of the hour. What we must remember when we make one pot meals is not only the simplicity of the dish but how much nutrition it packs into the meal.
Bisi Bele Huli Anna as it is known in Karnataka or Bisi bele bath/ bhaath as it is known colloquially, is a Rice dish combined with lentils(for protein), vegetables, Tamarind and spices, making it a One pot meal fulfilling the nutritional needs of the body.
This dish is said to have originated in the Mysore Palace and from there spread across the other states. Every state has it's own recipe of BBB.
In Tamilnadu, we call it "Sambar Sadam". The Bisi Bele Bath/Bhaat (BBB) has many variations, Every state, every house has it's own variations to the dish and the masala blend as well. 

I will share with you my version of the recipe. Whenever I cooked this for my guests they relished it. 

My recipe is the marriage of 2 states. 

Nothing can beat the comfort of eating a hot and simmering plate of BBB drizzled with ghee with a batch of pappadams.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients
Raw Rice – 2 cups
Toor daal – 1 cup
Drumsticks – 1 stick
Onions – 2
Tomatoes - 1
Potatoes – 1 cup diced

Carrots - 1 cup diced

French Beans - 1 cup diced

Green Peas - 1/2 a cup
Raw Banana – 1
Brinjal – 1-2 slit vertical
Tamarind – lemon sized ball soaked in water
Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves to garnish
Ghee to drizzle on top of the servings
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil

For Masala
Freshly grated coconut -3-4tbsps
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies -3-4
Peppercorns – ½ tsp
Fenugreek – ½ tsp
Onion – ½ an onion chopped / you can alternatively use 2 small onions (shallots/chinna vengayam)

Method
Rinse and soak the Rice for about 5 -7 minutes.
Wash the toor daal and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. Cook it in a pressure cooker. up to 3 whistles.  Keep aside.

Now Prepare the wet Masala - Roast all the ingredients stated above in the Wet masala and grind into a thick paste using a little water at a time. Keep this masala aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, urad dal and Fenugreek seeds for the tempering. Once the mustard starts to crackle, add in the  curry leaves. 

Now Add the onions and fry till transparent.

Then add the tomatoes, cook until squashy, followed by adding the rest of the vegetables and the wet masala, add in 3-4 tablespoons of concentrated tamarind juice, Asafetida & Salt and Mix all well.

Fry for about 5-7 minutes till you hear a sizzling sound. 

Now add the soaked rice and mix well and sauté for about 5 minutes,  Check for salt and the Tamarind taste at this time, If you feel the need to adjust, kindly do so at this point. 

Pressure cook this until 3 whistles or you can also cook it in the pan, cook covered until the rice and vegetables are done. Add the cooked toor dal, mix well , cook the dish for another 5-7 minutes and then garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with papads, add a dollop of ghee on top while serving. 

VARIATIONS

• You can use Green Peas, Fresh Edmame, Capsicum or any vegetables of your choice. 
• BBB in Karnataka comes with additional spices like Cinammon, clove, nutmeg, poppy seeds etc. 
• You can fry Cashewnuts in ghee and add it to the BBB as a rich and exotic garnish 

TIPS

• If you don't have fresh Vegetables, You can add 1 cup Frozen vegetables too and follow the recipe as abpve  Here we get the combination of  (carrots, beans, & green peas) & Sometimes corn as well. 
• You can add the half cooked toor dal and cook it alongwith the rice, but here the toor dal doesn't get cooked well, hence I add the toor dal after it gets cooked. 

I would like to send this exotic Karnataka delight to Sheetal of Sweety-My Kitchen for the SWC-Karnataka Event that she is hosting in her blog.

Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe & Story | The Tangy Tamil Heritage Curry That Travelled Through Generations

Some dishes are more than food. They are memory, migration, thrift, resilience, and love simmered slowly in a pot. Vatha Kuzhambu is one such dish. Dark, glossy, tangy, spicy, and deeply comforting, this treasured South Indian curry has nourished generations across Tamil Nadu, especially in traditional Tamil Brahmin homes where flavour was created not through extravagance, but through wisdom and skill.

Known variously as Vatha Kuzhambu, Vatthal Kuzhambu, Vettal Kuzhambu, or Vettral Kuzhambu, the dish takes its name from vatthals; sun-dried vegetables, berries, roots, and preserved ingredients that were once pantry treasures in every household. 

Sundakkai, manathakkali, bitter gourd, lotus root, salted mango, dried ladies finger; these ingredients could be stored for long periods and transformed into something extraordinary when simmered in tamarind and spices.

Some even joke that the dish is called Vatha Kuzhambu because of the process itself: “vatti vatti pogaradhu”—to keep reducing, simmering, adding water, and cooking patiently until the raw smell of tamarind disappears and only rich flavour remains. And like many jokes rooted in tradition, there is truth in it. Good Vatha Kuzhambu cannot be rushed.

A Story of Economy, Intelligence & Heritage

In older times, when many families lived simply through temple service, rituals, and modest means, ingredients were used carefully. Dal could be expensive for an ordinary household. So instead of using lentils generously as in sambar, cooks created a brilliant alternative: a bold tamarind-based kuzhambu thickened with rice flour or spices, yet bursting with taste.

This was not “lesser food.” It was intelligent food. Resourceful food. Food created by women who knew how to feed families beautifully with what they had.

In parts of Thanjavur (Tanjore), Vatha Kuzhambu became an iconic preparation. It carried the signature of a cuisine that prized depth of flavour, preservation techniques, and culinary mastery.

A Story of Thanjavur Heritage, Identity & Resourceful Cooking

Vatha Kuzhambu is a celebrated Thanjavur (Tanjore) preparation, deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of old Tamil homes. More than just a curry, it carries stories of migration, identity, household wisdom, and the economics of another era.

The divide between the Thanjavur families and the Pattars of Kerala was perhaps nowhere more sharply noticed than in the making of the everyday staple sambar. 

Thanjavur families were often referred to as the “Easterners” by some Kerala Iyers. 

It was said, half in jest and half in caution, that they hesitated to give their daughters in marriage to Tanjore households for fear that life there would be too demanding. 

Yet, a Thanjavur daughter-in-law was always welcomed, admired for her efficiency, resilience, intelligence, and ability to run a household with remarkable smartness and acumen.

And in the kitchen, this spirit revealed itself beautifully.

Where dal could be expensive for modest families sustained by rituals, temple service, and limited means, cooks created flavourful alternatives that wasted nothing and lacked nothing in taste. 

Thus, Vettal Kuzhambu, a richly spiced tamarind kuzhambu without lentils became a frequent and beloved preparation.

A small spoonful of dal, served neatly at the corner of the banana leaf and considered auspicious, was often enough. The main rice was enjoyed mixed with the deeply satisfying kuzhambu made from tamarind pulp, spices, and rice flour for thickness. It was food born from practicality, yet elevated by skill.

This dish stands as a reminder that some of the finest culinary traditions emerge not from abundance, but from ingenuity.

This reflection is adapted from my article “Sambhar – Story of the South Indian Curry.” 

If you enjoy food history and cultural stories, do explore the Culinary Stories section on Sukanya’s Musings for the full piece.

The Curry That Travelled Well

Long before convenience foods and takeaway meals, Vatha Kuzhambu was also the traveller’s companion. Because it contained no cooked dal and used more oil and tamarind, it stayed fresh longer than many other curries.

It was packed into bottles and tiffin carriers for journeys from village to village, for business, trade, family visits, and train travel. It was dependable. It travelled well. It brought home wherever one went.

I still remember the aroma and taste of the Vatha Kuzhambu prepared by my Amma when we travelled from Mumbai to Madras on the old Madras Mail—a two-day journey filled with anticipation. She would carry a bottle of this precious kuzhambu, and when mixed with rice during the journey, it tasted heavenly. In that moment, a railway compartment became a dining room, and travel became comfort.

Why It Tastes Better the Next Day

Like many great dishes, Vatha Kuzhambu matures with time. By the next day, the spices deepen, the tang mellows, and the flavours settle into each other beautifully. If onions or shallots are added, their sweetness slowly melts into the curry, making Vengaya Vatha Kuzhambu especially irresistible.

This is a dish that rewards patience.

Ingredients

Vatthals / Dried Ingredients

Sundakkai vatthal – 1 tablespoon

Manathakkali vatthal – 1 tablespoon

Or any vatthal of choice

Optional Vegetables

Small onions / onions

Brinjal

Lady’s finger

Tomatoes

Lotus root

(Use about 1 cup chopped vegetables)

Main Ingredients

Tamarind – golf ball sized piece soaked in water

Sambar powder or Vatha Kuzhambu powder – 1½ to 2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Urad dal – 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds – ½ teaspoon

Dry red chillies – 2 to 4

Asafoetida – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Sesame oil – 4 to 6 tablespoons

Sugar or jaggery – 1 to 2 teaspoons

Salt – to taste

Rice flour – 1 tablespoon

Optional

Papadams – 2, broken and fried

For Tempering

Sesame oil (gingelly oil) – 3 tablespoons

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Urad dal – ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Dried red chilli – 2

Method

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and extract a thick pulp. Keep aside.

Heat sesame oil in a kadai or heavy-bottomed pan. Add the sundakkai vathal and manathakkali vathal. Fry gently until they puff slightly and darken lightly, releasing their beautiful aroma. Remove and keep aside.

In the same oil, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add fenugreek seeds, urad dal, red chillies, and curry leaves. Sauté until fragrant.

Pour in the tamarind extract carefully. Add salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder, and jaggery. Stir well and let it simmer.

Return the fried vathals to the pan and cook on low flame until the kuzhambu thickens beautifully and the oil begins to separate on top.

Simmer patiently until rich, glossy, and aromatic.

Serve hot with rice and ghee.

Tips

• Sesame oil gives the authentic traditional flavour—do not skip it.
• This kuzhambu tastes even better the next day.
• Keep the consistency slightly thick for best results.
• A little jaggery balances the bitterness beautifully.

Variations

• Add garlic cloves for a rustic village-style version.
• Add pearl onions for extra sweetness.
• Use only sundakkai or only manathakkali if preferred.
• Add freshly ground spice paste for a richer version.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with hot steamed rice, ghee, roasted papad, kootu, or curd rice on the side.

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