How to Cook Rice

rice

This is an easy and quick recipe of cooking basmati rice. Here I have used Indian style pressure cooker used in Indian homes. The rice turns out 'khila khila' that is with open texture.
Recipe of cooking rice
1 cup basmati rice (long grain)
2 cups of water
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)- optional
How to cook rice
1. Wash rice thoroughly in several changes of water till water runs clear. Drain.
2. Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add rice along with soaking water.
4. Pressure cook to 1 whistle. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop down naturally before opening the lid of the cooker.
5. Your rice is ready to be eaten with dal, kadhi, rajma or any vegetable of your choice.

cooked rice in pressure cooker

Nimboo ka Achar (Lemon Pickle)

lemon pickle

Nimboo ka achar or lemon pickle is a healthy as well as tasty pickle as no oil or chemical preservative is used in this recipe. If you follow the recipe well, your pickle will last for a long time. I have taken about 300 gms of lemons in this recipe but you can take 1/2 kg to 1 kg lemons if you have more consumption. Adjust ingredients accordingly.

Recipe of nimboo ka achar/lemon pickle

7-8 medium sized nimboo (lemon)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black salt (kala namak)

2 tsp garam masala

How to prepare nimboo ka achar/lemon pickle

1. Wash lemons thoroughly under running water. Wipe with a clean cloth.

2. Keep them aside so that they dry completely. There should not be any moisture left on them.

3. Cut lemons into 6-8 pieces.

4. Mix both salts and garam masala in them.

5. Take a clean, dry jar or a bottle and fill lemons in it. Close the lid of the bottle.

6. Keep aside for about 2 months. That much time it takes for lemon peel to soften.

7. After about 2 months, your lemon pickle is ready to be eaten.

Note: 1. there should not be any impurity or moisture in the jar or bottle you are using to fill the lemons.

2. Take yellow lemons with thin peel so that it takes less time for pickle to be ready. Avoid green, unripe ones.

nimboo ka achar

Dal Pulao

dal pulao

I love this chana dal and rice dish and enjoy every spoonful. Dal pulao is very easy to put together and
a good option after a tiring day. There is no cutting or chopping involved which makes it easy to make
this pulao.
Recipe of dal pulao
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
3 & 1/4 cups of water
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 bay leaves (tej patta)
3-4 cloves (laung)
4-5 black pepper (kali mirch)
1 big cardamom (moti elaichi)
How to cook dal pulao
1. Wash chana dal thoroughly and soak in 3 & 1/4 cups of water for 1/2 an hour.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper and cardamom.
3. When cumin seeds change colour and turn darker, add chana dal along with soaking water. add salt and
red chilli powder. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook to 3 whistles. Turn off the heat.
4. While chana dal is cooking, wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Drain the water.
5. When (from step 3) pressure drops down naturally, open the lid of the cooker and add rice.
6. Pressure cook to 1 whistle and turn off the heat. When the pressure drops down naturally, open the
lid of the cooker and your dal pulao is ready to be savored.