Roasted Kiwi Raita: Summer Dip: Side for Rice Dishes

Long sunny days are what I am seeing in London these days, not that I am complaining. Infact we both are enjoying every bit of it. Evening walk by the river, flowers in the house and then did this barbeque in the balcony on Sunday. Isn't it a great idea of use and throw disposable barbecue kits? Once the paneer tikka was done on bbq the coals were still warm and burning and thus I decided to roast fruits on it. I only had kiwi in the fridge and with no further thoughts I smoked it on leftover heat of charcoal.

Roasting is a simple that gives you elegant results. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness from fruits which just intensifies the taste to another level. Once the kiwis were roasted I had no idea what to do with. I wanted to something nice with it but had very little time in hand. While Mr. Husband was preparing simple pulav that day for dinner, it was then it struck me to put together burnt kiwis and yogurt and craft riata.

Looking for more roasting recipes? Check these out:
Fennel Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted Orange Lemonade

Roasted Winter Soups

Roasted Okra

Riata is condiment made with yogurt (dahi) used either as a side or dip. It can be made with or without fruits and vegetables and is then seasoned with simple spices. Roasted Kiwi Riata is no exceptional, it is just a mix of roasted kiwis, mint leaves, salt and sugar. There is no thumb rule that you have to follow in this recipe, you can use black salt, chaat massala, red chilli powder, chopped green chillies or roasted cumin powder as well. Make it as per your taste but if you roasted kiwis the riata will taste just amazing.

Another great thing about this riata is that it super healthy and can be paired with anything. Serve as dip for nachos, chips or crackers. Serve in pita pockets with kebabs or potato patties. Great side for rice dishes such as  methi mutter pulav, basic biryani, corn rice or mixed capsicum rice.

Author: Shweta Agrwal

Cusine: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt

3 kiwis

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoon mint leaves chopped

Method: Roast kiwis on fire directly. Else line a baking sheet with foil. Grill in the oven at 200C for 10 minutes. The skin of kiwis should turn dark and pulp should be soft. Let it cool down. Peel the skin.

In the blender put yogurt, kiwi pulp, salt and sugar. Blend into smooth paste.

Garnish with mint leaves. Serve.

Notes:

I used low fat yogurt, but feel free to you use any.

If you like spicy dips, feel free to add black pepper powder or chopped green chillies.

Serving suggestions:

This is a dip, so goes well with nachos, crackers, chips or biscuits.

I like to sometimes have it as a side with mixed vegetable paratha, bombay tava pulav or baked potato wedges.

To complete the meal you can use this with salad and vegetable kebabs in pita pockets.

Malabar Vegetable Biriyani: Guest Post By The Big Sweet Tooth

One of the charms of blogging is to make a new friend every day. How we live in different countires, come from different backgrounds but our passion for cooking and food brings us together. Todays guest is one such passionate food blogger. Rafeeda or Rafi as I call her is one the most supportive blogger you would come across-ever. She is a busy working mom and yet never forgets to comment on your blog and all social networking sites-if you know her, I am sure you must agree with me 100%.

When I asked her to be my guest she happily agreed. Rafi, you are one of THE most sweet person, there is something every postivite about you that I truly respect. Keep up the good work. Some recipes that I would love to try from her blog are Fluffy Biscuit Pudding, Elyanchi, Carrot Rice Kheer and ofcourse many more. Today, as a guest blogger she bring before us Malabar Vegetable Biriyani and I am so happy to announce Merry Tummy loves The Big Sweet Tooth.

Over to Rafi....

My interaction with Shweta started with my participation in the Saturday Snapshots. From then on, it has been a very cordial and warm relationship. I have always liked her frank comments for my photographs, whether positive or negative. She always would give ideas to improve on the overall blogging experience. I was very happy when she asked me for a guest post – especially when I love her pictures and I feel inferior as far as mine is concerned! I always feel that my pictures are very normal, especially knowing how lazy I am to improve on them. I know that if I put my heart in, I would be able to improve quite a bit but somehow my laziness and lack of time creeps in. So when she asked me for a guest post, I was determined to try to do the best I would be able to do!

A little introduction to myself – my name is Rafeeda and I blog at “The Big Sweet Tooth”. My blog name is synonymous to what I am actually – a big sweet tooth! I love sweet stuff in any form and love to whip them up, from smoothies to desserts! I am based in the multicultural UAE, very well known for the city of Dubai, and have been a part of this colorful city almost all my life. My foodie instincts have been boosted by the innumerable chai shops and shawarma outlets that are available in every nook and corner of this country! I love to cook and bake as it releases a lot of stress, thanks to my busy life as a working mother, to two beautiful girls. 

The first thing Shweta reminded me of while working on the guest post, was that it must be vegetarian! Actually, that was the first thing that had popped in my thought as well! At the moment, I had nothing in my mind apart from making some biriyani with loads of vegetables! In our household, like a typical non-vegetarian family, biriyani is never associated with vegetables or even eggs! It is quite disappointing that I have never cooked a biriyani with vegetables, apart from this Nawabi style biriyani and I was hell bent at making one for Shweta, for her post. 

Yes, I did have to make a non-vegetarian side, thereby increasing my work in the kitchen, but the satisfaction from having made this biriyani was amazing. I referred to the recipe from “Classic  Malabar Recipes” by Faiza Moosa and adapted it to our taste and my previous experience with other biriyanis. I must say that this was a really flavorful biriyani, which received a very good feedback from the folks at home and was wiped off, much more than my expectation! The list of ingredients may look scarily long, however it is a breeze to make, once all the chopping is done! Off to the way I made it…Malabar Vegetable Biriyani

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cups chopped french beans

1 cup frozen green peas 

1 tbsp ghee

2 cardamom

1 bay leaf

1 pc cinnamon

6-10 peppercorns

1 star anise

2 cloves

1 large onion, sliced

4 green chillies, slit

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 meduim tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp fennel powder

3 tbsp yogurt

Salt to taste

2 cups basmati rice

A pinch of turmeric

For dum:

3 tbsp ghee

2 small onions, sliced

8-10 cashew nuts

10-15 raisins

3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

3 tbsp chopped mint leaves

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp pineapple essence (optional)

1 tbsp rosewater

Method:

1. In a saucepan, boil lot of water. Add the potatoes, carrots and bean and boil till the vegetables
2. are 50% done. Add the frozen green peas and cook further till they are cooked up to 80%, ie. When you bite in, there would be a slight rawness. Drain the vegetables and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, heat ghee. Fry the whole masalas for a couple of minutes. Add in the onion and green chillies and sauté till it becomes soft. 
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone. Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes get totally mashed up. 
5. Add in the masala powders and sauté till it gets a nice dark color. Add in the cooked vegetables and yogurt and mix well till incorporated. 
6. Add in the salt and cook for a couple of minutes. Switch off. 
7. Meanwhile, wash the basmati rice several times till clean. Boil water in a large pan with a pinch of turmeric and salt. 
8. Add the rice and cook for around 10 minutes or till the rice is 80% cooked –when you bite a grain, there would be a little grainy taste. Immediately drain the rice and wash in cold water. Set aside. Let us do the dum ingredients. 
9. Heat ghee in a fry pan and fry the onions till crisp. Drain and set aside. Fry the cashew nuts and puff up the raisins. Drain and keep along with the fried onion. Heat a tawa for doing the dum. For a detailed step-by-step of how to do your dum, you can refer to this post of mine! 
10. On top of the prepared vegetable masala, sprinkle in half of the fried items, along with half the coriander and mint leaves, as well as the garam masala. Put the rice on top of the masala. Sprinkle in the rest of the remaining dum ingredients. 
11. Drizzle the ghee used to fry the onion, along with the rose water and pineapple essence, if using. Cover the saucepan tightly and close the lid. 
12. Keep on dum for 15-20 minutes on medium-low flame. Switch off and leave undisturbed for another 15 minutes. Take off the foil cover and give in a nice mix with a spatula, ensuring that the rice doesn’t break and the vegetables are intact.
13. Serve hot with some pickle, chammanthi and raita.

Thank you from Merry Tummy :)

If you wish to be my guest please send me an email at agrawal.shweta.n@gmail.com

Corn Peas Rice/ Makkai Matar Ke Pulav- In Microwave

Okay!..One more dish that you can cook in microwave. Well I have started enjoying Microwave cooking now. Just add in everything together ,mix and here it is ready. Corn and peas needs very little time to cook in microwave and so i always prefer to cook Peas Corn Rice in microwave.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (soaked for 1 hour)
2 cups water
1 tbsp ghee/butter
1/3 cup corn
1/3 cup peas
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 chopped green chillies

Method:
Take a microwave safe bowl and add everything together. Mix all well.
Cook covered for 12 minutes
Cook another 5 minutes uncovered.
Serve hot with raita chutneys or dips.

Notes: I used frozen peas and corn, you can use fresh also but then pre-boil them.
Any kind of rice can be used- I used basmati rice.
Click for Recipes of rice. 

Mumbai Tava Pulav/ Mumbai Rice

Street food in Mumbai is very famous. Not just vada pav and pav bhaji... there is one more dish that has gained lot of popularity in Mumbai- TAVA PULAO This is one dish that I still cherish & recreate at home. What makes this dish unique from other is the taste of Pav Bhaji. Now for all those who wants to have authentic taste of Mumbai Tava Pulav then have it on streets of Mumbai and not at any fancy retuarent. Those vendors are very good in fusion food.

Anyways! This is how I made it at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked
• 1 big onion
• 2 big tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato ketchup 
• 1 Medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled 
• 1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala 
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup boiled peas
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Salt

Method:
Heat a tsp of oil. Add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onions and cook till the onions become translucent. 
Add the tomatoes and peas. Stir for a minute and cook until tomatoes become soft. 
Add the potato and stir for a minute or so. 
Add the ketchup, Pav bhaji masala, turmeric, and chilli powder. 
Add the rice and salt and combine it such that there are no lumps. The tomato mixture/gravy should be evenly distributed. 
Garnish with coriander leaves .
Serve hot with raita chutneys or dips.

Bombay Pulav, Pav Bhaji Style

One of the things I like about Mumbai is the mouth watering street food that you get, especially the chaats available in every street corner. I like Tava Pulav a lot and I like it because of the crunchiness of the vegetables and the taste of pav bhaji -which add a distinct flavor to the rice. When I was in Mumbai I relished this dish.If you are bored with same old pulav do make this, they are absolute delight for summer picnics. Here comes the recipe .

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked
• 1 big onion
• 2 big tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato ketchup 
• 1 Medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled 
• 1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala 
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup boiled peas
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Salt

Method:
Heat a tsp of oil. Add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onions and cook till the onions become translucent. 
Add the tomatoes and peas. Stir for a minute and cook until tomatoes become soft. 
Add the potato and stir for a minute or so. 
Add the ketchup, Pav bhaji masala, turmeric, and chilli powder. 
Add the rice and salt and combine it such that there are no lumps. The tomato mixture/gravy should be evenly distributed. 
Garnish with coriander leaves .
Serve hot with raita chutneys or dips.

South Indian Flavoured Rice

South Indian Flavoured Rice is a light rice delicacy, enriched with nutrients of curd and south Indian spices. This dish is simple with the infusion of spices like curry leaves and mustard seeds. The flavour intensifies with the use of curd and the thus the taste is great.

Ingredients:

• Rice: 1 cup(cooked/leftover)
• Curd/Dahi- ½ cup
• Dry Red Chilli- 4
• Oil : 2 tblsp
• Turmeric powder/Haldi : ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves : 5-6
• Asafoetida/ Hing- a pinch
• Grated Coconut: - 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds/Rai/Sarso: - 1 tsp.

Method :

1. Clean, wash and soak rice in three cups of water for twenty minutes. Drain and cook in three cups of salted boiling water till done, taking care that the rice grains remain separate.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilli.
3. Add turmeric and red chilli powder into curd and mix well.
4. When seeds start to splutter add the curd mixture in it and mix for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked rice. Mix well.
5. Garnish with coconut.

Serve with curry or chutney.        

Methi Mutter Pulav / Fenugreek Peas Rice

This is recipe is just my experiment. The idea came from my husband who loves methi and matter, but not very fond of rice; So he challenged me to make rice with methi and matter such that he could love and relish it. And guess what?- He did love it!... Its simple, quick and healthy.

Ingredients:

Rice -2 cups cooked

Onion-1 sliced in rings

Tomato - 3 chopped finely

Boiled sweet corn- ¼ cup

Capsicum – ½ chopped in small cubes

Green Chilli-2 slited

Dry Fenugreek Leaves / Kasuri Methi Leaves – 3 tblspn

Boiled Peas - 1 cup

Fennel Seeds / Saunf- 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds / Rai- 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder/Lal Mirch - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder / Dhaniya -1 tsp

Turmeric powder / Haldi-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil-2 tblspn

Lemon Juice-to taste

Method:

Soak kasuri methi leaves in water for 2 minutes. Drain it and squeeze well. Set this aside.

Heat oil and add in mustard and fennel seeds and allow it to crackle.

Add in onions, boiled sweet corn, green chilli and cook till translucent.

Add in chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and mix well.

Then add in tomatoes, capsicum and salt mix well. Cook till it turns mushy.

Add in the drained kasuri methi leaves, peas and toss well.

Lastly add in rice and toss well. Cook till rice is well heated and had soaked the flavours

Squeeze some lemon juice and mix once for the last time.

Serve hot with chutney , side dish, curry.

"PULAO OR BIRYANI"

Having a party at home and not sure what to cook? And you are also tired of making chapatti and parathas? If answer to both the question is Yes....Then try making rice with a twist. Pulao and Biryani is easy and exotic dish that everyone will love. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Basmati rice
• 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 2 tsp ginger garlic  paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder (see link below for recipe to make your own)
• 2 tomatoes chopped fine
• 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables of your choice - I use beans, peas, carrots, corn (even frozen mixed veg works well))
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups warm water
• 3 tbsps coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp oregano

Preparation:

• Take rice and add water to wash. Pour out water. Add more water and wash again and again till water is clear. Drain off all water and keep the aside.
• Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Add the onions and fry till soft.
• Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 1 minute.
• Now add all the spice powders and mix well. Cook the masala (onion-ginger-garlic-spice mix) till the oil begins to separate from it. You may need to sprinkle a little water over the masala as it cooks, to keep it away from burning. Stir frequently while browning masala.
• When the masala is cooked, add the tomato to it and cook till pulpy.
• Add the rice and the mixed veggies to the masala, add salt to taste and pour in the warm water. Stir well. Cook till the water comes to a boil. Stir and monitor the cooking till most of the water dries up and the rice begins to develop on its surface. Turn the heat down to low/ simmer and cover the pan. Cook till done. You will know the rice is done when you press a grain between your thumb and index finger and it squishes completely.
• Turn the heat off now as some cooking will continue to take place even after you do that. Let the dish rest on the stove (turned off) for 5 minutes.
• Add chopped fresh coriander leaves and oregano.

Have this hot with raiata or chutney.!