So I switched loyalties to the Ooty chow chow, as my observant regulars would have noticed in the post on chayote dal.

While cutting raw veggies and fruits, I sometimes pop a few chopped pieces into my mouth. A reflex action if you will, this usually leads me to grimace and move on – but when I did this with the Ooty chow chow I stopped in my tracks. This vegetable didn’t just look like a pear, it tasted startlingly like one. Do I even need to cook this, I wondered.

I googled for raw chayote recipes and found a few really interesting ones: this chayote apple salad is inspired by Hot Thai Kitchen‘s.

You Need:

• Chayote* – 1 large or 2 medium
• Apple** – 1 large or 2 medium
• Powdered dark jaggery or brown sugar – 1 teaspoon here
• Sea salt – 1/4 teaspoon or to taste [buy here]
• Tajin*** – 1/4 teaspoon or to taste [buy here]
• Paprika powder – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here]
• Fresh lime juice – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cashew nuts – 5

The links above are amazon.com affiliate links. The Steaming Pot will earn a small commission if you buy via the links, at no additional cost to you.

*Use the juicy, ridgeless variety of chayote. If in India, pick the Ooty chow chow.

**Go for firm, crunchy apples that are the same size as the chayote – this’ll give you equal-sized apple and chayote sticks in the salad.

***Wondering what tajin is?

Let me introduce you to this absolutely wonderful Mexican chili-lime seasoning. Raw/boiled food (think potatoes, cucumber, radish, guava, mango) + a dash of tajin = magic! See what the NYT and The Spruce Eats have to say about this spice.

Can’t get hold of tajin? No problem – add extra lime juice and paprika powder to make up for it.

How To Make Chayote Apple Salad:

Peel the chayote. I do not peel the apple, but go ahead and peel if you prefer it that way.

Make thick sticks out of the chayote: quarter the chayote, de-seed carefully without cutting out too much of the flesh. Slice in half and then into equal vertical pieces.

Cut apples in a similar style as the chayote. Toss the apple pieces with fresh lime juice as soon as they are cut – this will prevent discoloration due to oxidation.

Place the apple and chayote sticks together in a wide bowl.

Crush the cashew nuts coarsely and transfer them to the bowl.

Add the seasonings: jaggery powder, sea salt, paprika powder, tajin.

Toss well.

Chayote apple salad is ready. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Mix the seasonings right before you plan to serve the salad. If you add salt early and let the salad stand, the raw ingredients will give off water and become limp. To carry this salad for lunch, box the chayote and lime-coated apple sticks separately from the seasonings and mix them together directly at lunchtime.

Try other raw salad recipes from the blog too: cucumber pomegranate salad, chana dal kosambari, papaya peanut salad.

The post Chayote Apple Salad with Chili Lime appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

This recipe is similar to cashew mint pulao in its key ingredients, but it distinguishes itself in the technique. Cashew mint pulao is a richer, more elaborate recipe: you cook the rice together with the mint and cashew nuts. Pudina rice, on the other hand, is quick and easy: you start off with pre-cooked rice and do a final stir-fry with mint masala.

This one’s also vegan-friendly and uses no onion or garlic.

You Need:

[Serves 1-2: depends on your appetite!]

• Boiled basmati rice – 2 cups, cooked
• Mint leaves – small bunch (~1 packed cup of plucked leaves)
• Salt – to taste
• Green chilies – 2
• Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
• Lime juice – 1 teaspoon
• Cashew nuts – 1/4 cup
• Urad dal – 2/3 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Peanut oil – 1/2 tablespoon

In the picture above: urad dal, mustard seeds, cashew nuts.

How To Make Pudina Rice:

1. Chop and grind

Pluck and wash the mint leaves. Chop them roughly.

Peel and chop ginger. Slit green chilies.

Place the chopped mint leaves, ginger and green chilies in a grinder.

Grind to paste.

2. Cook

Keep the boiled basmati rice cool and ready to use.

Heat peanut oil in a wide non-stick pan.

To the hot oil, add urad dal, mustard seeds and cashew nuts. Set heat to low and stir around till the urad dal has darkened and the cashew nuts are flecked golden.

Transfer the ground mint paste to the pan.

Mix well. Continue to cook on low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle some water if the ground mint paste looks too dry.

Add salt to taste, and then transfer the cool boiled rice to the pan. Combine rice with the cooking mint paste – very carefully, don’t let the delicate rice grains turn to mush.

Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring once in between.

Switch off the heat and stir in freshly squeezed lime juice.

Pudina rice (mint rice) is ready.

Serving Suggestions:

The mint aroma is best enjoyed fresh off the stove. Serve pudina rice hot or warm for lunch or dinner, either on its own as a one-pot meal or with light sides if you like [suggestions: a crunchy raita such as moong and onion raita, a vegetable stir-fry such as sookhi arbi or aloo bell pepper, a salad such as this cucumber anar salad.]

Here it is with horsegram sprouts salad on the side:

Tip: Pudina rice works especially well in lunchboxes as a nutritious no-spill meal. While we’re on the topic, take a look at our range of no-spill lunchbox recipes.

Notes:

Try out other variety rice recipes from The Steaming Pot archives: 12 Vegetarian Rice Dishes.

Do more with fresh mint! Check out these recipes:

The post Pudina Rice: Mint Rice (No Onion Or Garlic) appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

In many recipes , it’s quite done to substitute fresh coconut with dry without much loss (capsicum sesame curry is a case in point). Make an exception here – for coconut rice, try to procure fresh coconut. The primary flavor in this dish comes from coconut, and switching to dry doesn’t do full justice to it.

This recipe is adapted from Veg Recipes Of India – the key difference in the sequence of adding the ingredients and the optional kick of ginger. I prefer the rice to get a little fried and the coconut to taste fresh.

You Need:

[For 1 large / 2 small servings]

• • Boiled rice* – 3 cups
  • Salt – to taste
  • Fresh coconut – 1 cup of chunks
  • Ginger – 1/2 inch stick, finely chopped (optional)
  • Green chili – 1, sliced
  • Dry red chili – 1
  • Chana dal – 1 tablespoon
  • Urad dal – 1 teaspoon
  • Cashews – 6 to 8
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Oil/ghee – 1 tablespoon
  • Fresh coriander leaves – for garnishing

  

  *I have used basmati rice here – other long-grain rice varieties would also work well.

  

  How To Make Coconut Rice:

  1. Prepare the coconut dressing

  Place the coconut chunks in a grinder, and grind.

  

  2. Temper and dress the rice

  Heat oil or ghee in a thick-bottomed pan.

  When the oil is hot, set the heat to low and add to it mustard seeds.

  As soon as the seeds splutter, add chana dal and urad dal.

  Note: For bringing out extra flavor in the dals, wash and soak them together in water for an hour before cooking. Then drain, pat dry and use for the tempering.

  After the dals have turned just a shade deeper, add cashew nuts to the pan.

  Sauté till the cashew nuts get a golden hue, make sure the dals don’t burn. Add the sliced green chili and ginger (if using).

  

  Throw in a dry red chili. Stir around for a few seconds.

  Tip in the boiled rice next along with salt. Blend with the tempering very gently, taking care not to break the delicate grains of rice. Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes, or longer if the rice was cold when you added it to the pan.

  Now transfer the ground coconut dressing to the pan. Combine. Take the pan off the heat.

  Coconut rice is ready.

  

  Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve warm or pack it in the lunchbox with a spicy side such as tomato pickle or jhatpat aloo dry sabzi.

  Notes:

  Traditionally, curry leaves are also added to coconut rice during tempering. You could add a few curry leaves along with the chilies, if you wish.

  Also check out 12 Vegetarian Rice Recipes for other interesting one-pot rice meal ideas.

  For more recipes that use fresh coconut, see cabbage coconut stir fry, green beans and shredded coconut, coconut curry leaves chutney.

The post Coconut Rice: Lunchbox Recipe appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

There’s got to be a catch, you think? You are right.

What many *don’t* like about dalia is its – so to speak – lack of taste. Redemption isn’t out of reach though. Follow this fruit and nut dalia recipe to make the lustreless dalia shine.

You Need:

[for 2-3 servings]

• Dalia (broken wheat) – 100 grams (1 cup)
• Apple – 1 (use a sweet variety)
• Water – 2 + 1/2 cups for boiling dalia/apple
• Milk – 2 cups
• Dried dates – 4 (optional)
• Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon
• Raisins – 1 teaspoon
• Walnuts – 1 tablespoon
• Jaggery – 1 tablespoon (adjust to taste)
• Bananas – 2
• Pomegranate arils – 1/3 cup

In the picture above: Dried dates, cashew nuts, raisins, walnuts.

How To Make Fruit and Nut Dalia:

1. Boil the dalia:

In a thick-bottomed pan, place the dalia along along with two cups of water on high heat. Set the heat to low when the water reaches boiling point, then simmer.

If using dried dates, chop the dates into small pieces. Add to the boiling dalia.

Cook on low heat till the dalia has softened and the water has mostly evaporated. Stir every few minutes to prevent the dalia from clumping or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

This takes about 30 minutes for coarse-grained dalia.

You may need to adjust the water as the dalia cooks. Add more water if the dalia gets too dry before it is cooked through.

2. Boil the apple:

In the picture above: Kashmiri apple.

Core and chop an apple into 1-cm pieces. Boil the apple in half a cup of water on low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Cook it all together:

Add two cups of hot milk to the cooked dalia. Simmer the dalia together with milk for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked apple, jaggery, cashew nuts, walnuts, raisins to the simmering dalia.

Remember: Dried dates have a sweetening effect. Adjust the quantity of jaggery if you have used dried dates when boiling dalia.

Switch off the heat. Let the cooked dalia rest for 5 minutes.

Fruit and nut dalia is ready to eat. Serve warm or chilled.

To Serve:

Into each serving bowl, place banana slices. Top with cooked dalia.

Sprinkle pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy the wholesome bowl of goodness.

Notes:

Quick tip: You can do steps 1 and 2 (boil the dalia, boil the apple) in one go, then refrigerate the boiled ingredients for use over a few days. When you want to eat, take some boiled dalia-apple out and proceed with step 3.

Up for more fruit and nut recipes? Try coconut date bonbons, green beans with roasted nuts and cranberries, rice kheer with dried figs and saffron.

The post Fruit and Nut Dalia: Wheat Porridge Redux appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

An online search brought me to a recipe on realsimple.com, which was just the sort of thing I was looking for. I had a sachet of dried cranberries lying around and was also stocked up on almonds and cashews.

I was very pleased with how the dish turned out.

You Need:

• Green beans (French beans/haricot verts) – 250 grams
• Peppercorns – 20 (adjust to taste)
• Salt – 2 teaspoons (when boiling) + to taste
• Cashew nuts and almonds – 1/4 cup (unsalted)
• Cranberries – 1/4 cup
• Extra-virgin olive oil – 2 tablespoons

In the picture above: Green beans, peppercorns, olive oil, dried cranberries, unsalted raw nuts.

How To Make Green Beans with Roasted Nuts and Cranberries:

1. Cook the beans

Wash and trim the green beans. Cut into 2-3 pieces (about 2 inch each).

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt, followed by the green beans. Cook till the beans are tender but firm (about 6-8 minutes).

When done, drain the beans using a colander or strainer.

2. Make the dressing

Dry-roast almonds and cashew nuts on low heat, till they turn a shade darker and fragrant. Remove from heat and chop the nuts.

In a large bowl, combine two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil with dried cranberries and chopped roasted nuts.

3. Put it all together

Transfer the cooked and drained green beans to the bowl with the dressing. Sprinkle salt and pepper and mix everything together.

Serve green beans with roasted nuts and cranberries warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

Green beans with roasted nuts and cranberries works well as a side with a larger meal, and also as a one-pot meal.

Check out more green bean recipes:

The post Green Beans with Roasted Nuts and Cranberries appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Here’s my curry leaf pulao recipe – for those who share taste buds similar to mine! How many of you?

You Need:

• Basmati rice – 1 cup
• Curry leaves (fresh) – 2 packed cups when plucked
• Cashew nuts – 1 cup
• Milk – 0.5 cup
• Onions – 2
• Cloves – 3 (buy here)
• Cardamom – 2 pods (buy here)
• Black peppercorns – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Jaggery – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Ghee – 1.5 tablespoons

How To Make Curry Leaf Pulao:

1. Before cooking

Wash rice in several changes of water till the water runs clear. Soak in water for 30 mins. Drain.

Slice onions lengthwise into thin strips. Crush peppercorns, cloves and cardamom together using a mortar and pestle.

Grind curry leaves to paste.

2. On the fire

In a non-stick pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee. Add cashew nuts, stir around till they begin to turn golden. Then add sliced onions. Fry on medium heat, stirring regularly, till the onions turn brown. This could take about 10 mins.

When done, take the fried onions and cashew nuts out of the pan and keep aside. Pour a little more ghee to the same pan. Set heat to low, add cumin seeds and when they splutter, follow with crushed peppercorns, cardamoms, cloves.

In a few seconds the ghee will become fragrant with the freshly crushed garam masala. At this stage, add soaked and drained rice and fry on medium heat for 3 minutes. Follow with freshly ground curry leaf paste. Mix it in and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring once very minute.

Add a teaspoon of jaggery and salt to taste. Top with 1.5 cups of water, half a cup of milk, and bring to a boil. Add half of the fried onions and cashew nuts back into the pulao being cooked.

Set heat to low, close the lid of the pan and let the curry leaf pulao simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or till the rice grains are cooked.

Use a non-stick pan with a close-fitting lid for cooking curry leaf pulao.

After the rice grains are cooked and have absorbed the excess water, close the lid of the pan tightly and switch off the heat. Let the curry leaf pulao stand and soak in its own flavors, for the next 5-10 minutes.

Stir gently to separately out the grains of basmati rice, and mix in the fried onions and cashew nuts that had been separately out earlier. Serve curry leaf pulao with raita on the side.

Notes:

The quantity of water and time required for cooking can vary by the type of rice, the vessel being used, and source of heat, etc. Keep a watch on the pan and adapt the guidelines accordingly.

If, after cooking for a few minutes, you see the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan, this means the water wasn’t enough. To remedy the situation: Slide in a tablespoon or more of water as needed, from the side of the pan, and gently turn the pan around.

The post Curry Leaf Pulao appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Every time I watch a rerun of Sooryavansham on TV (laugh if you will, I enjoy that film) I am struck by the scene in which Radha covers up for the lack of supplies in her kitchen by preparing meethe chawal. Celluloid can inspire us in unexpected ways, as this post is proof. My story may not be as dramatic as that of families reuniting tearfully after watching Sansar (a real effect of the film in the year of its release, I’m told), but it’s still worth telling for those in a culinary quandary similar to mine.

I had to set off that evening for weeks of travel; the plan was to switch off the fridge leaving nothing behind. I had a bowl of boiled white rice remaining from the last meal. In a sans-Sooryavansham world I might have polished it off with chutney podi. Instead I made meethe chawal.

Here is the recipe I used, feel free to modify based on the status of your larder.

You Need:

• Boiled white rice – 2 cups
• Jaggery – 1 tablespoon, powdered
• Salt – a tiny pinch
• Nuts (almonds/cashew) – 2 tablespoons
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cloves – 2
• Cinnamon – 1 small stick
• Ghee – 2 teaspoons

How To Make Meethe Chawal:

Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir for a few seconds, then add nuts chopped or whole as you like them.

When the cashew turns golden, add rice. Stir gently to fry, taking care not to mush the rice grains. Cook till the rice turns crisper and darker (about 5-6 mins).

Add salt, stir once and then sprinkle powdered jaggery. Cook till the jaggery melts and coats rice grains evenly (about 3 mins).

Discard the whole spices. Serve hot garnished with almonds.

Notes:

Looking for more recipes that rely on very few/accessible ingredients? Try green gram sundal, plain lauki sabzi, gur ka paratha.

Also try these rice-based dessert recipes: mango phirni, rice kheer with figs and saffron.

The post Meethe Chawal: Jaggery-Sweetened Rice appeared first on The Steaming Pot.