TWO EASY RICE DISHES WITH EASIER JALEBIS !!

Green bell peppers,also called 'Capsicums' in India is a versatile vegetable. Red, yellow, green peppers make a colorful addition to salads. Bhath means anything cooked with rice,they're quick and easy,perfect for a Sunday lunch without slogging too much over the stove which is always makes me happy!Today,I am giving you my versions of Green Pepper Bhath and cooling Yogurt bhath with easy Jalebis for dessert!!

How popular Jalebis are for Indians around the World??! There is song I think by 'Apache Indian' of UK , who sings "I want a wife who is sweet like jalebi!!" :D:D:D That says it all!! Need I say more?! Enjoy!!

Usually, I do plan an elaborate lunch for Sundays, but last Sunday I didn't feel like cooking somehow, so I just decided on these quick dishes. Btw,I don't usually cook any dishes just to post in my blog unless I am sending an entry to an event!! I cook for my family as usual and if I feel that some dishes are good enough to blog ,then I take some pictures as I cook and post them later. That's why most of my posts have a full meal instead of any one dish because that's what we had for lunch or dinner!!:))

Our Sunday Lunch With Jalebis!!(scroll all the way down:D)

This recipe is from 'Indo Link', which I had noted down long time ago because of it's wonderful flavor and taste.I did change some ingredients to personalize.Capsicum bhath recipe is the only dish I would use green peppers with rice,it adds a soft and sweet taste to the spicy masala in contrast.I know lot of you have posted capsicum rice recipes, add mine too your collection!!:) So, Spicy Pepper Bhath with equally delicious but cooling yoghurt rice and sweet Jalebis for dessert, here we come !!:)
Where is the protein here,do you ask?! We will get some good sandwiches for dinner!!It's all about the yummy spicy tasty food right now!!:))

YOU NEED:
2 cups rice , cooked and cooled
3 Green Bell Peppers or any other colors,sliced
Salt,Cilantro
Juice of 1 Lime if required

Saute All These in 1 tsp of Oil: 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds, 2 tsp Cumin Seeds,2-4 Dry red chillies,1 tbsp each Chana dal and Urad dal, 5-6 pepper corns,1" cinnamon (dalchini), seperately until reddish.
Grind all the above with: turmeric , 2 tsp tamarind juice, 2 tsp poppy seeds and 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut to a smooth paste.


Season With: 2 tbsp Oil and ghee,1 tsp of each mustard seeds,cumin seeds,chana dal , Urad dal,1-2 red chillies,few curry leaves,1 tbsp each cashew nuts and peanuts.

HOW TO: Season till cashews are reddish, add green peppers and fry until almost cooked.Add ground masala and mix well ,simmer for 5 mins on low heat. Take out of the heat and add enough masala to rice & mix well,add salt,cilantro and lime juice if needed. That's it,tasty Green Bell Pepper Bhath is ready!!


Serve With: Spiced Yoghurt rice for delicious combination of spicy Bhath and cooling yoghurt along with some tasty, crispy banana chips,slices of lime and don't forget the deesert!! Doesn't that sound good ??!! I think that's a perfect, relatively easy sunday meal!! :))

NOTE: You don't have to use all the masala with rice, use only as much as needed.Save the rest of the masala to use in veg. combo with chapatis for your next meal!! I will post that combo sometime later! Adjust the spices according to your taste!!

COOL SPICED YOGHURT RICE/MOSARANNA:

YOU NEED:
2 cups Rice cooked soft, cooled
1/4 Cup Sweet Red Onion finely chopped (optional)
2-3 Cups Low-fat or fat-free Plain yoghurt,
1/2 cup milk if needed to thin out rice

Take The Juice of: 1" Ginger ,2 Garlic Cloves,Salt,2 tsp Water.

Season:
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Chana Dal
2 Green chillies
1 Red Chilly for color
Curry Leaves
Cilantro minced

METHOD:
1.Crush ginger and garlic with salt and 2 tsp water in a cup or blender,squeeze the juice out and add to cooled rice. Discard the dry solid parts.
2. Season with all the above,when reddish, add cilantro and quickly add to rice so you donot burn the cilantro but just saute gently.
3. Add yoghurt to rice, only as much as needed to make it soft but not runny.Adjust the salt.Then put in chopped raw onion and mix well.

NOTE:Rice will absorb a lot of yoghurt and gets thick as it rests.You can add some milk to thin it out if you like.

A Quick Jalebi For Dessert Anyone!!:
Last sunday, my daughter wanted Orange Chicken but I wasn't in the mood to cook that. May be I will do it next weekend or so!! Instead , I decided to make this quick and easy Indian dessert called Jalebis!! Hey!! it's orange too!! My daughter was happy!!

For Non-Indians, it's a fried spiral dessert made of flour and little yoghurt which is briefly soaked in saffron sugar syrup!! Popular all over India, I have found a quick version of making them using what we can find in US kitchen shelves.Hope you will try!! May not be the authentic way, but something you can make it for a quick dessert!!:)

Here is My Easy Saffrony Jalebi!!:))

YOU NEED:

1 Cup Plain all purpose flour, 2 tsps Besan/gramflour (makes it tasty and colorful but optional),1 tbsp plain Yoghurt, Pinch of salt,1/8 tsp baking pd, pinch of Saffron or orange food color mixed with water, pinch of cardamom pd,1 tbsp sugar pd.




Add enough water mixed with 1tbsp powdered sugar and pinch of saffron or orange food color, to make a thickish batter , good enough to squeeze out of a piping bag. Leave it to rest for 10 mins.




Meanwhile to make syrup, boil 2 cups of water with 1 cup sugar,pinch of saffron or orange food color,1/8 tsp cardamom pd, stir until it gets little thicker for 15 mins,take out of the heat,cool. Easier way?? Use heated Karo light corn syrup with any essence you like:))




Pour the batter into a piping bag.I used a plastic mustard bottle with top cut off for a wider hole to squeeze out batter!!:D Heat enough oil to(350F),squeeze the batter into the oil in a circular motion to create a shape, doesn't need to be perfect! We are not pros anyway!!Fry gently both sides until golden, but not dark.



Take out with fork,drain the oil,and immediately put it into the syrup for 5 mins,flip to soak the other side,soak for 5 more mins.Take it out ,arrange on a plate, sprinkle powdered sugar, and serve.




NOTE: Best served right out of the syrup, crispy and sweet!! It tends to get soggy when it's cold but still tasty to eat!!

ENJOY AND HOPE YOU WILL TRY THESE!!