Quality Living Styles

Mouth-Watering Easy Recipes

[Photographer:Nirmala Pather]

Yes you do have the time to cook! Success with these easy to follow recipes will make your day a good one.

Rice

a cooked bowl of rice

Cooked Basmati Rice

Rice is a staple food of many nations.

It is eaten in a myriad different ways, beginning with just plain rice that is eaten with curries. Rice may be combined with spices, lentils, herbs, nuts, yogurt, vegetable & meat dishes to create unique, interesting dishes. Rice is also ground into flour and is used in many desserts as well.

Choose rice any brand of rice that you prefer. I have chosen Basmathi Rice because it is tasty and cooks very quickly. I also use Basmathi brown rice. A cup of rice cooks on med-high heat in about 12 minutes. Do not cover with a lid as the water will boil over. You may put on the lid on, partially on a lower temperature. A cup of rice, when cooked serves 3 adults.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice
  • 5 cups water
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Boil water
  • Wash rice and add to the boiling water
  • Add salt to taste
  • Use a long handled spoon to scoop a few grains, if soft, the rice is done
  • Carefully remove the pot from the stove and drain the water in a colander



Lemon Rice

Cook rice as described in the recipe above. Adding a cinnamon stick when boiling rice adds to the flavor. This is a tasty dish which can be eaten as a meal by itself or served with any accompaniment. Please note that you may use fresh or dessicated coconut. Just make sure it is not the sweet variety. Use fresh lemons if it is easily available.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons Canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons dry split channa (chick pea) lentils
  • 1 teaspoon ajmo seeds, also known as celery or tymol seeds
  • 1 tablespoon butter(optional)
  • 2 - 3 tablespoon desiccated coconut/sliced fresh coconut of/coconut flakes
  • 1 cup cashew nuts
  • 2 tablespoon peanuts
  • 1 - 2 finely sliced or crushed green chilies
  • 1-2 dry red chili (amount is to your taste)
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice/ fresh or bottled
  • about ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
a dish of delicious lemon rice

Delicious Lemon Rice

Method

  • Pick lentils & rinse. Add ½ cup water & microwave for 2 min.
  • Drain water and keep aside
  • Heat oil
  • Add mustard seeds. Put lid on & lower heat as seeds splutter
  • Add lentils & stir
  • Add chilies, ginger & turmeric: stir
  • Next add the nuts & stir for a few seconds
  • Add salt & coconut & lemon juice & stir
  • Add this mixture to the cooked rice and blend
  • Adjust salt if necessary. You may need extra because of the lemon juice. Garnish with Cilantro and serve



Savory Peas Rice

If you are familiar with using a pressure cooker, the cooking time for this Savory Peas Rice is just 10 minutes.

This dish can be eaten with dhal or by itself. The usual accompaniments are Raita, carrot salad or sliced cucumbers. Do not add all the water at once. The ideal amount is just enough to cover the contents of the ingredients in your pressure cooker. As pot sizes differ the amount of 4 cups is just a guide.

Jut give rice a quick rinse to prevent losing too much of vitamins from the rice. The amount of oil is more than normally recommended in other recipes. This will assist in preventing the contents from drying and sticking to the pot.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of rice
  • 8 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 cups of frozen peas
  • 1 medium potato peeled and cut into 6 pieces
  • 3 sticks of about 2" cinnamon sticks, 3 cardamom pods, 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup of sliced onion
  • ½ diced tomato or ½ cup crushed tomato
  • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
  • 2 tsps. masala
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1½ teaspoon fennel powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tblsp. butter (optional)
  • a few sprigs of cilantro leaves(also known as dhania and coriander)
delicious savory peas rice

Cooked savory Peas Rice

Method

  • Heat oil on medium-high temperature. Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom and bay leaves
  • A nice aroma pervades the air. Add onion and then the tomato
  • When nice and mushy add the spices
  • Wash rice just once, then add rice, potatoes and peas to the above mixture
  • After adding salt stir ingredients to mix spices evenly
  • About 4 cups water of water or just enough to cover the contents of the pot
  • Put on lid of pressure cooker
  • When the second ring of the valve is in view lower temperature and cook for 10 minutes
  • Remove the pot from the stove and place it under running water to end the pressure and stop further cooking
  • Open lid carefully and stir the contents. Taste for salt, add butter (optional, garnish with cilantro and serve.



Stir-Fry

This is a very quick and easy dish that can supplement the rice & the tofu starter. You also have the option to cut slices of tofu & stir fry it with the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients

  • small head broccoli
  • 1 carrot sliced lengthwise
  • ½ sliced cucumber or zucchini
  • 1 bunch Bokchoy
  • ½ cup sliced onion
  • 4 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 green chilies finely sliced or crushed
  • ½teaspoon Hoison sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • a handful cashew nuts (optional)
a pot of stir fried vegetables

Stir Fried Vegetables

Method

  • Wash all vegetables under running water
  • Heat oil in wok or pot (preferably non stick)
  • Add all ingredients except the nuts
  • Allow the vegetable to cook for a minute and stir
  • Add the sauces and blend well. Cook for another 2 minutes
  • The vegetables should still be al denté Carefully remove from the stove and serve
  • Add salt. Be sure to taste first as soya sauce is often salty

If you would like more information about these products or have any questions at all, email me, Nirmala at pather@qualitylivingstyles.com. I will be happy to help in any way I can. The site will be regularly updated with tasty recipes and hints and tips. I hope you have enjoy the information here as much as I have enjoyed putting this together. Keep in touch. You will find my contact information at Contact