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Showing posts with label tawa pulao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tawa pulao. Show all posts

Friday, September 8, 2017

Cauliflower Tawa Pulao

Sometime back when the term 'paleo diet' was still new and restricted to the jargon of a 'chosen few', I stumbled upon something called the 'cauliflower rice' . It was the proposed substitute of the regular rice. But I was a bit skeptical about it as cauliflower lacks the sweetness and the aroma of the latter. A single disastrous trial proved my worst fears and ensured that it stayed off the menu .

I had completely forgotten about the recipe till now. But a small mistake in the grocery list ended up with a glut of cauliflowers in my fridge and I was forced to resort to some really creative culinary techniques. From making a pasta sauce to a wholesome soup, I went overboard with my experiments and managed to finish off mot of the stock. Yet there was this small head of cauliflower that begged for attention before I logged out of the kitchen for a long weekend. That is when I pulled out the cauliflower rice recipe from the archives of my memory and gave it a Mumbaiya style twist !!

The spice of the pav bhaji masala and the tang from the tomatoes and lime juice surely turns this recipe into a winner. A dash of cheese is sure to add another level of yumminess to this dish. Most kids will love this version of the 'tawa pulao' so make sure you add it to the menu of your kiddo's potluck party.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients -

  • 2 1/2 cups grated cauliflower (tightly packed)
  • 1 small carrot ( finely chopped)
  • 1 small capsicum ( finely chopped)
  • a handful of green peas
  • 1 large ripe tomato (finely chopped)
  • 1 small onion ( finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp GG paste
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • 2 pinch garam masala
  • 2-3 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 tsp cooking oil
  • salt to taste
  • grated cheese for garnishing 


Preparation - 

To make the grated cauliflower, cut the cauliflower into large florets. Use either a grated with large holes or pulse it for a few seconds in a mixer. Dry it on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.

Cooking - Steam the grated cauliflower for about 5 mins in a steamer.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large wok. ( use one that is usually used in Chinese style cooking as it has a large surface area )

Add onions and fry till translucent.

Add the GG paste next and fry for 2-3 mins.

Add all the powdered masalas along with 2-3 tsp water to prevent burning. Fry for 2 mins with sprinkling of water at regular intervals.

Add the tomato and cook it till mushy.

Add chopped carrots, capsicum and green peas. Add a little salt. Saute on medium high for 3-4 mins.

Finally add the cauliflower rice, sprinkle some more salt and turn up the heat.

Stir fry for 2-3 mins till everything is nicely mixed .

Add the lime juice and toss it once again.

Transfer to the serving bowls.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and grated cheese.

Serve immediately.




Saturday, July 30, 2016

Paneer Tawa Pulao ( Lunchbox special )

I love making various kinds of rice dishes for my kid. They are super easy to make and very much filling. Adding veggies, eggs, paneer, beans or even chicken boosts the overall nutritional profile of the dish. Plus there is the taste factor which is the ultimate clincher !

Tawa rice is a just another kind of pulao which is cooked on a shallow vessel which allows each grain/vegetable to get coated with the oil/ghee/butter and gives it a slightly burnt/smokey (depends on how long you prefer to cook) flavor .

This time I made Tawa pulao with some leftover paneer cubes and veggies. Used very less spices as per my kid's request so you will need to add more as per your taste. Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked Jeera rice 
  • 100 gm paneer (cut into small cubes )
  • 1/3 cup green peas
  • 1/4 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/2 of an onion (chopped into small pieces)
  • 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 inch long cinnamon
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 1 green cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 red chilli whole ( less spicy )
  • a pinch of garam masala
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • 1 tsp butter
  • salt to taste
  • cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Put the paneer cubes into a bowl of warm water to which you have added sufficient salt. Let it soak for 5-6 mins.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a skillet. Add the paneer cubes (drained on a kitchen towel) and fry on low heat to a golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the whole spices and fry till fragrant. Now add the garlic and fry to a light brown. 

The onions go in next. They need to be fried till translucent .

Put in the veggies, sprinkle a bit of salt and turn up the flame a bit. Sprinkle water at regular intervals and let the veggie cook in the steam and brown up a bit at the same time.

The rice goes in at last along with the paneer cubes. Season with salt and garam masala. Turn up the flame as you toss the ingredients to distribute the flavour evenly. Garnish with chopped cilantro and remove from the flame.

Serve warm/hot with some kachumbar or even pickle.

















Note - Have used a steel tiffinbox for the presentation to create an awareness about the need to ditch plastic. It is not only harmful for the environment but the chemicals leached when we put hot food in plastic containers are carcinogenic in nature. Let us join hands and make a pledge to reduce the use of plastic with this post !

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