This wholesome rice dish from South India can be eaten all by itself. Add a tangy pickle for extra flavour.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup long-grained rice
- 1 cup toor daal
- 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (carrots, beans, potatoes, peas)
- 1 cup tamarind juice (soak golf ball-sized lump of tamarind in 1 cup water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out juice.)
- 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp aniseed/fennel seeds
- 1" stick cinnamon
- 4 cardamom
- 6 cloves
- 8 peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
- 6 curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 onions sliced thin
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Preparation:
- Wash the toor daal and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. Half cook it in a pressure cooker. Keep aside.
- Roast all spices, mix with coconut, turmeric powder, ginger and garlic and grind into a thick paste using a little water at a time. Keep this masala aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When they stop spluttering add the onions and fry till soft.
- Add the tamarind juice and 1 cup of water to this and bring to a boil. Add the rice, vegetables, toor daal, masala and salt to taste and cook till all ingredients are done.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

