Cabbage Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 and 1/2 cup
Cabbage - 2 cups ( finely chopped)
Onion - 1 (sliced)
Green chillies - 2 (chopped finely)
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Green Cardamon - 3
Coriander powder, Garam Masala, Cumin powder - 1 tsp each
Salt - as per taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp ( or as per taste)
Curry leaves - 10 no.

Procedure:

1. Cook the rice with enough quantity of water or in rice cooker. Make sure it won't become sticky.
2. Mean while in a wok take oil. Once it is hot add Cumin seeds, Bay leaves and Cardamons. Fry for a min or so.
3. Now add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Fry for 2 min. Now add Onions and fry till they become translucent.
4. Now add chopped cabbage. And on a medium to high flame continue to cook till cabbage is cooked. It may take around 8 to 10 min. Don't forget to stir in-between.
5. Now add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Mix well and continue to cook for another 5 min. Make sure not much water is formed in the mix.
6. Finally add cooked rice along with curry leaves. Mix well and serve hot with Raitha.

Hint: You can also garnish with cilantro. And you can also use left over rice to make this dish.

Kandi Pachadi ( Toor Dal chutney)

Ingredients:

Toor dal ( kandi pappu) - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 4 ( or as per taste)
Tamarind - 1/2 small lemon size
Salt - as per taste
Garlic - 3 cloves (optional)
Water - as required

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 8 no.

Procedure:

1. In a pan take oil (1 tsp) and fry toor dal until color of the dal turn to brown.
2. Add cumin seeds and dry chillies. Fry till chillies are puffed.
3. Turn off the stove and let it cool down.
4. In a grinder jar take the mixture (step 3) add salt, tamarind, garlic (optional) and enough quantity of water and make it into a fine paste. Take into a bowl.
5. In a small pan take oil for tempering. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds, once they start to splutter add urad dal. Fry till dal turns brown. Add the curry leaves in the end.
6. Add the tempering to the chutney prepared in step 4. Serve hot with Rice and Ghee.

Pomodori Ripieni di Riso Verde ( Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice)

Ingredients:

Rice - 3/4 cup
Salt - as per taste
Tomatoes (big ones ) - 4
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Basil leaves - 10 to 12 (finely chopped)
Parmesan cheese (shredded ) - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 3 cloves (finely chopped)
Ground pepper - as per taste

Procedure:

1. In 1 litre of water add salt and rice. Cook till rice is 80% cooked.
2. Preheat the oven to 175 C.
3. Cut the top of the tomato and save it. Remove the seeds and pulp of the rest of the tomatoes so that they form a cup.
4. Combine this tomato pulp with olive oil, basil, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper along with rice.
5. Fill the tomatoes with above mixture and close it with top of the tomato (that we have saved in step 3).
6. In a oven proof dish put the stuffed tomatoes and cook till the rice and tomatoes are cooked. This may take about 20 min. Don't forget to check in-between.
7. Take out from the oven and serve.