Kashmir Cuisine - "Phirni"

Regional Cuisines of India, Kashmir Cuisine - "Phirni", Creamy Rice Flour Pudding

This recipe had been posted for a cooking contest, for the community "Indian women in Singapore" - Regional Cuisines of India, Kashmir!!!

Ingredients:
Milk - 3 cups
Long Grain Rice (preferably Basmati) - 3 tablespoons
Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Almonds - few, cut into small pieces
Pistachios - few, cut into small pieces
Cashew nuts - few, cut into small pieces
Saffron - few, soaked in few drops of milk (optional)

Method:
Wash rice and soak it in half cup of hot water for about 30-45 minutes. Grind rice with little water, make a fine paste and keep aside.

Pour milk in heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer in a low flame. Meanwhile, take few spoons of this hot milk in a bowl, add rice paste and dilute it. Add this to the simmering milk and mix it, stirring continuously. Add sugar and stir well. Cook on low heat until milk is thickened.

Then remove from heat, add saffron and sprinkle cardamom powder on top and mix well. Garnish with sliced almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts and serve chilled.

Cooking time - 30-40 minutes
Serves - 3 persons

Snakegourd Fry (Pudalangai Poriyal)

Ingredients:
Snake gourd (Pudalangai) - 2
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Channa dal (Fried split peas - Pottukadalai, which we use for chutney) - 2 tablespoons
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal (Black gram) - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Red Chillies - 3-5
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 1-2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash snake gourd and cut lengthwise to remove seeds. Slice it thin and cut into small pieces. Dry grind channa dal coarsely and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let it split. Add urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chilles, onion and saute it, until onions turn golden brown. Add cut snake gourd and mix it well. Close the pan and allow it to cook on a low flame. Once they are half cooked, add salt and mix them well, and allow it cook completely. Keep stirring if needed.

Once they are cooked, put off the flame, garnish with powdered channa dal, coconut and coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or chappathi.

Bisi Bela Bath (Sambhar Rice)

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Lentils (Toor Dal) - 1 & 1/4 cup

Green gram (Moong Dal) - 1/4 cup

Vegetables (Carrot, Green peas, Potatoes, French beans) - Cubed or sliced - 2 cups

Drumstick - 1 or 2, cut 2 inch long

Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Small Onions (Sambhar onions) - 15

Tomatoes - 2

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Onions - 2 medium sized

Cashew - 10-15

Tamarind - medium lemon sized

Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Red Chillies - 2

Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Coriander powder - 2 tablespoons

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek - 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - few

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash rice, dals and vegetables well. Pressure cook them well with small onions, sliced tomatoes, cut drumsticks, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, cumin seeds. If pressure cooker is not available, cook in a heavy bottomed pan until rice and dal becomes soft.

Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water.

Heat Ghee in a pan, fry the cashews and keep aside. Add oil to the pan, add mustard seeds once it is hot. Once it starts spliting, add red chillies, fenu greek seeds, garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and fry until onions turn golden brown. Add this to the cooked rice. Also add tamarind extract, salt to the rice and mix well. Continue cooking on a low flame, stirring continuosly until all mixes well.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried cashews and serve hot with indian crackers.

Note: Those who like masala flavour, they can add 1-2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon when they cook rice.

Cooking time : 60 minutes

Serves - 4-5 persons