RAG Demo

Tag: Lunchbox

  • Vegetable Pulao

    Vegetable pulao is cooked in homes across India, and every region tweaks it slightly. It descends from the Persian pilaf, introduced to Indian kitchens by the Mughal court, but the everyday version is far simpler: basmati rice and seasonal vegetables cooked together in a measured amount of water with whole spices, so the rice absorbs all the flavour.

    Unlike biryani, pulao is not layered or dum-cooked, and it relies on aroma rather than heat. Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and shahi jeera give fragrance, ghee gives richness, and carrots, beans, peas and cauliflower add colour. It goes into school tiffins, onto weekday lunch plates and alongside a rich curry at parties.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineNorth Indian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbasmati rice / carrot / green peas / french beans / ghee

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera or cumin seeds
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 4 cloves
    • 3 green cardamoms
    • 1 star anise (optional)
    • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 carrot, diced
    • 1/2 cup french beans, chopped
    • 1/2 cup green peas
    • 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 2 1/2 cups hot water
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    Method

    1. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot on medium heat. Add shahi jeera, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
    2. Add the onion and fry for 5-6 minutes until light golden.
    3. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
    4. Add carrot, beans, peas and cauliflower and stir-fry on medium heat for 3 minutes.
    5. Drain the rice and add it to the pot. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes so the grains are coated in ghee, taking care not to break them.
    6. Pour in the hot water, add salt, garam masala, mint and coriander, and bring to a boil on high heat.
    7. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12-14 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Do not open the lid in between.
    8. Turn off the heat, rest covered for 10 minutes, drizzle lemon juice and fluff gently with a fork.

    Tips

    • Soaked basmati needs about 1 3/4 cups water per cup of rice in a pot; in a pressure cooker use 1 1/2 cups and cook for 1 whistle.
    • Resting after cooking lets the steam finish the grains so they separate without breaking.
    • Top with fried onions and cashews for a festive version.

    Serve with

    Boondi raita, paneer butter masala or dal makhani.

  • Vangi Bath

    Vangi bath, brinjal rice, is one of the classic chitranna-style mixed rices of Karnataka, served in Bengaluru and Mysuru homes and in Udupi restaurants. It uses small purple or green brinjals cooked with a special masala of roasted chana dal, urad dal, coriander, red chillies, cinnamon, cloves and dry coconut, and then mixed with cooked rice.

    Each grain is coated in a reddish-brown masala, with soft brinjal pieces throughout. The flavour is warm and slightly tangy, with sweetness from jaggery and crunch from peanuts or cashews. It is popular as a lunchbox meal and as a light weekend lunch with raita. It also packs well for picnics and train journeys because it tastes good at room temperature.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegan
    CourseRice
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / brinjal / tamarind / dry coconut / peanuts

    Ingredients

    For the vangi bath powder

    • 1 tbsp chana dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 6 Byadgi chillies
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 3 cloves
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 2 tbsp dry coconut (kopra), grated

    For the bath

    • 3 cups cooked rice, cooled
    • 250 g small brinjals, cut into thin strips
    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 2 tbsp peanuts
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tbsp thick tamarind paste
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Dry roast the chana dal, urad dal, coriander, chillies, cinnamon, cloves and fenugreek on low heat for 4-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add the coconut and roast 1 minute more. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
    2. Keep the cut brinjals in salted water until needed so they do not discolour, then drain.
    3. Heat oil in a wide kadai. Fry the peanuts until crunchy, then add mustard seeds. When they splutter add chana dal and urad dal and fry until golden. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric.
    4. Add the brinjals and salt and toss. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the brinjals are soft but not mushy.
    5. Add the tamarind paste and jaggery and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
    6. Add 2.5 tbsp of the vangi bath powder and stir for 1 minute until the brinjals are coated.
    7. Add the rice and gently fold everything together on low heat for 2 minutes until evenly mixed. Taste and add more powder or salt if needed.
    8. Garnish with coriander and serve warm.

    Tips

    • Use small, tender brinjals with few seeds.
    • Cooked rice should be cool and separate, or the bath turns mushy.
    • A tablespoon of ghee mixed in at the end adds a lovely richness.

    Serve with

    Onion-cucumber raita and papad or potato chips.

  • Lemon Rice

    Elumichai sadam is one of the variety rices of Tamil Nadu, packed in tiffin boxes, carried on train journeys and offered at temples. It was designed to travel: the lemon and turmeric keep it fresh for hours at room temperature, and it tastes best when it has rested a while and the rice has soaked up the tempering.

    Each grain should be separate, bright yellow and glossy, with crunch from roasted peanuts and dals and a clean sourness from the lemon. It is never mushy. Families make it on busy mornings with leftover rice, and it is standard fare for festival days like Aadi Perukku, when several flavoured rices are cooked together.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / lemon / peanuts / green chillies / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups cooked rice (from 1 cup raw sona masoori or ponni), cooled
    • 3 tbsp gingelly or groundnut oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 3 tbsp raw peanuts
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 dry red chilli, broken
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tbsp)
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Spread the cooked rice on a plate so it cools completely and the grains separate. Freshly cooked hot rice breaks and turns pasty.
    2. Heat oil in a wide kadai on medium heat. Fry the peanuts for 2-3 minutes until they crackle and the skins darken in spots; lift them out and keep aside.
    3. In the same oil add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chana dal and urad dal and fry for about 1 minute until golden.
    4. Add green chillies, red chilli, ginger and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds until the leaves are crisp.
    5. Lower the heat, add asafoetida and turmeric, stir for 5 seconds and immediately switch off the heat so the turmeric does not burn.
    6. Add the salt and lemon juice to the tempering off the heat and stir. Cooking lemon juice makes it bitter.
    7. Add the rice and peanuts and gently fold with a flat spatula until every grain is evenly yellow. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.
    8. Mix in coriander and let the rice rest for 15-20 minutes before serving for the flavours to settle.

    Tips

    • Always add lemon juice off the heat.
    • Day-old refrigerated rice works very well; bring it to room temperature first.
    • For temple style, skip ginger and add a pinch of fenugreek powder to the tempering.

    Serve with

    Potato fry, appalam and a cup of curd, or coconut chutney for a lunchbox.

  • Curd Rice

    No Tamil meal is complete without thayir sadam at the end. After the heat of sambar and rasam, curd rice settles the stomach and cools the body, which matters in a state where summer temperatures stay high for months. It is also served at temples, packed for journeys, and given to children and anyone with an upset stomach.

    Good curd rice is creamy and loose, never stiff. The rice is cooked soft and mashed while warm, then mixed with fresh curd and a little milk so that it does not turn too sour as it sits. The tempering adds crunch and a gentle heat, and grated carrot, cucumber, grapes or pomegranate are common additions in homes and restaurants.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / curd / milk / ginger / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    For the rice

    • 1 cup raw ponni or sona masoori rice
    • 3.5 cups water
    • 1.5 cups fresh thick curd
    • 1/2 cup boiled and cooled milk
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1 small carrot, grated
    • 2 tbsp pomegranate arils (optional)

    For the tempering

    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • pinch of asafoetida
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Wash the rice and pressure cook with 3.5 cups water for 4-5 whistles on medium heat so it is very soft. Let the pressure drop naturally.
    2. While still warm, mash the rice well with a ladle until it is creamy, with only a few whole grains left. Spread it out to cool until just lukewarm.
    3. Add the milk first and mix; this stops the curd from turning sour quickly. Then add the curd and salt and stir until smooth and loose. Add a few spoons of water if it feels thick.
    4. Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add urad dal and fry until light golden.
    5. Add ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for 20-30 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the rice, add the grated carrot and coriander and mix well.
    7. Top with pomegranate if using. Serve at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes on a hot day.

    Tips

    • Never mix curd into hot rice; it splits and turns grainy.
    • Curd rice thickens as it rests, so keep it looser than you want to eat it, especially for lunchboxes.
    • For temple style, add a few chopped cashews to the tempering and a little cream instead of milk.

    Serve with

    Mango or lime pickle, mor milagai (sun-dried curd chillies) or a spoon of vatha kuzhambu.