Nei Choru / Ghee Rice

Nei Choru or Ghee rice is popular in kerala, in northern part. The taste of ghee and spices in this rice is equally enjoyed by kids and adults.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Sliced Onions - 1 small 
• Cloves -4
• Cardamom -4 
• Cinnamon -2 inch long 
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Cashewnut - 12 nos
• Raisins - 2 tbsp
• Thinly sliced Onion - 1 small(for garnishing)
• Salt to taste
• Water- 4 cups

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Wash the rice and drain it.
• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan 
• Fry cashews and raisins and keep it aside.
• Add 1 tbsp Ghee and fry the thinly sliced onions(for garnishing) until golden brown and remove it.
• Add the remaining Ghee in the same pan and saute all the spices for 2 minutes.
• Add sliced onions and saute the onion until translucent.
• Add the drained rice to the pan .
• Stir continuously and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add water and salt to the pan.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook.
• Remove from the fire when the rice is cooked and all water has been absorbed .
• Garnish the rice with fried Onion, Cashewnut and raisins.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Chicken Curry / pickle.

Aval Upma / Rice Flakes Upma

Aval / Rice Flakes can be used to prepare variety of snack items.
One amoungst them is Upma.

INGREDIENTS:

• Aval / Rice Flakes - 3 cups
• Grated Cocount - 3/4 cup
• Green Chillies - 3-4 nos
• Sliced Pearl Onion -5 nos
• Channa Daal - 2 tbsp
• Urad Daal - 2 tbsp
• Cashew nut -20 nos
• Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
• Red Chillies- 2 nos
• Curry leaves - A few
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Peanut / Groundnut -20 nos
• Salt - to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in the pan .
• Add mustard seeds, red chillies and wait for them to sputter. 
• Fry channa daal, urad daal, peanut and cashew nut, curry leaves and keep aside.
• Add green chilies and pearl onion and saute till translucent. 
• Wash the aval / rice flakes and drain the water from it.
• Add aval / rice flakes, salt, water and mix well. 
• Add grated coconut and mix well.
• Stir for 2 minutes and cook the aval.
• Turn off the stove and fried seasoning into it and mix well.

Recommended Combination: Aval Upma can be served hot with Tea or Coffee.

Egg Fried Rice

Fried rice is a popular food which comes in a variety of flavours.
One of them is Egg Fried Rice, which is prepared by mixing scrambled egg and Vegetables in rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati rice - 2 cup
• Eggs - 3 nos
• Thinly sliced carrot, string beans, cabbage  - 1 cup
• Thinly sliced onion – 1 small
• Thinly sliced capsicum - ¼ cup
• Green peas- ¼ cup
• Thinly sliced garlic – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1½ tsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Olive oil / vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Chopped green onion

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook the rice and let it cool.
• Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
• Heat oil in a pan, add 1 tsp onion and saute well.
• When the onion turns pink colour add beaten egg stir well.
• Sprinkle ½ tsp pepper powder into the scrambled egg, mix well and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add onion, garlic  and saute well.
• Add all the vegetables and sauté it for 2 minutes.
• When the vegetables are cooked add salt and 1 tsp pepper powder.
• Finally add cooked rice, soy sauce, scrambled eggs and mix well.
• Remove from fire and garnish with chopped green onion.

Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried rice is a popular food.
Chicken Fried Rice is prepared by mixing scrambled egg, Vegetables and chicken in rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati rice - 2 cup
• Small Chicken pieces -½ cup
• Eggs - 2 nos
• Thinly sliced carrot, string beans  - 1 cup
• Thinly sliced onion – 1 small
• Green peas- ¼ cup
• Thinly sliced garlic – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• Olive oil / oil
• Salt to taste
• Chopped green onion

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook the rice and let it cool.
• Mix the chicken pieces with salt and pepper powder .
• Heat oil in a pan .
• When chicken is fried, remove it from oil
• Heat 2 tbsp oil.
• Add onion, garlic and saute till it turns trasparent.
• Then add eggs into it and stir it.
• Add pepper powder, salt and vegetables into it and stir well for few minutes.
• Add fried chicken, soy sauce and salt into it and mix well.
• Add cooked rice and mix well.
• Garnish with Spring Onion.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with raita.

Chicken Biriyani

Chicken Biriyani is a spicy delighthful dish very popular in India. There are different varieties of Biriyani based on the spices added and the main ingredient.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Chicken pieces - 500g or 1lb
• Sliced Onion - 2½ cups
•  Tomato ( Chopped ) - 1 nos
• Green chillies - 5 nos.
• Chopped Garlic- 1 tbsp
• Chopped Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon-4 pieces
• Cardamom-2 nos
• Cloves-4 nos
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala - 2 tsp
• Boiled Eggs - 2 nos.
• Ghee - 5 tbsp
• Oil -2 tbsp
• Salt as needed
• Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tbsp
• Chopped mint leaves - 2 tbsp

For garnishing

• Thinly sliced onion - ½ cups
• Raisins - 2 tbsp
• Cashewnut - 15 nos
• Chopped coriander leaves

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Wash Rice and drain it.
• Roast the drained rice in ghee for 2 minutes.
• Add 4 cups of water with salt, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
• Cook rice(half cook).
• Crush garlic, ginger and green chillies.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add 2 cup sliced onion, crushed green chilly,  garlic, ginger, and saute well. 
• When onion turns transparent, add chilli powder, corriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala and saute well.
• When the raw smell goes, add tomato and saute .
• Add chopped corriander leaves and chopped mint leaves.
• Add chicken pieces, salt, turmeric powder, water and allow to cook .
• Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from fire (make sure the gravy is thick).
• Fry Raisins, cashewnuts and 1/2 cup sliced onions in ghee, till brown and keep aside.
• In an tray, spread a layer of chicken, rice, sprinkle corriander leaves, sprinkle garam masala then ghee. 
• Keep repeating the above step and finally spread the remaining rice and corriander leaves on it.
• Sprinkle fried cashews, raisins and fried onion.
• Cover the tray and bake for 20 min at 350 deg celsius in Oven or tightly cover the pan and put it on a heated heavy pan and cook on low fire for 20 mins. 
• Add the boiled Egg in rice and serve it.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Pappadam/Chips and Raita.