Malai Peda

This is from my aunt's recipe collection. I had always wanted to make this, but never got down to it. So when we were invited to a cook-out party our neighbors were hosting, I decided to make this to take along.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 40- 45 min
Makes: 26 pedas

Ingredients:


Milk: 1 1/2 cups
Cornflour/ cornstarch: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Powdered cardamom (elaichi): 1 tsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Condensed milk: 400 gms

Heat ghee, condensed milk, milk and lime juice until it comes to a boil. Mix the cornstarch well without lumps, with 2 tbsp water. Add this to the boiling mixture and stir well. Continue cooking on medium heat, till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan stirring continuously. Allow to cool slightly. Shape into pedas and serve decorated with a dash of the powdered cardamom.

Caprese salad

We have had this at many restaurants and so decided to make it at home. It is easy to prepare, yet elegant and crowd-pleasing.

I did not have fresh basil in hand , and so used the dry leaves.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:


Tomatoes: 2 medium
Fresh Mozzarella cheese: 8 oz.(about 225 gms)
Fresh basil leaves: 8-10 leaves
Olive oil: to drizzle
Salt, pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes and cheese to 1/4" slices. Arrange on a platter and keep a basil leaf on each. Drizzle olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding

I once invited a friend over for dinner. I knew her mother(who was visiting from India) was a strict vegetarian and so wanted to make something completely devoid of eggs or gelatine. I got this recipe from a magazine.

It is a time-consuming process(it took me almost a day to make the whole thing) as the layers have to be made one-by-one, waiting for a layer to set completely before you add the next one.

I had made this a while ago, but had forgotten to take a picture.  So I do not have a picture.

Difficulty level: Medium, but time consuming
Preparation time: about a day
Makes: 10 - 12 servings

Ingredients:


Arrowroot biscuit: 150 gms, powdered
Butter: 2 tbsp, softened
Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread): 1 cup
Whipping cream/ fresh cream: 1 cup + 2 cups
Agar-agar (china grass): 10 gms(about 2 tbsp, crushed), soaked in 1 cup of water
Milk: 2 cups
Custard powder: 3 tbsp
Condensed milk: 400 gms
Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Sugar: 6 tbsp
Chocolate shavings/ chips: to garnish(optional)

Layer 1: Mix the powdered arrowroot biscuit and the softened butter with the tips of your fingers, like you would to make a pie crust(it would look like bread crumbs, when done). Evenly lay this in a pudding dish 9x7x2.5 inches( 11 cups or 2.6 L) and press down firmly. Allow to set in the refrigerator until firm (about 4-5 hrs).

Layer 2: Beat 1 cup whipping cream with the Nutella spread until well blended. Pour this on top of the set layer 1 and allow to set again ( about 5-6 hrs).

Layer 3: Heat the china grass soaked in water over a low flame, until completely melted. Keep aside. Dissolve the custard powder (without lumps) in a couple of tablespoons of milk. Mix this with the milk and condensed milk. Heat this until it starts to thicken. Add the melted china grass, mix well and remove from fire. In a separate bowl, whip 2 cups of whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the custard mix prepared above until fully incorporated. Pour this final layer on top of the set layers and allow to set until done (about 10-12 hrs).

Garnish with chocolate swirls / shavings / chips after fully set.

Green chilly rasam(പച്ചമുളക് രസം)

This is a recipe I saw on TV and was eager to try.

The green chilly I used for this was a spicy one. So, if you have chillies that are not spicy, you might have to use a couple of them, instead of one.

Difficulty level: Easy

Preparation time: 10min

Cooking time: 10 min

Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

Green chilly: 1,cut into round pieces

Ginger: 1" cube, cut into long thin strips

Garlic: 5 cloves, cut into long thin strips

Tamarind: 1 small lime size(or 3/4 tbsp concentrate), dissolved in 3/4 cup water

Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp

Asafoetida(കായം): 1/2 tsp

Ground pepper: 1/2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Water

Curry leaves: leaves of 1 sprig

Heat the oil and green chillies, ginger and garlic pieces. Saute well until the green chillies turn translucent. Add the curry leaves and and saute. Add the tamarind water and and allow to boil. Add salt and more water, so as to get it to your desired consistency. Add asafoetida and pepper powder. Allow to boil for about 2-3 min, and serve warm.

You can drink it as such, or eaten with rice.

Spicy chicken (dry) curry

I'm always on the look out for newer ways to cook chicken, as I am sure many of you are. Here is the result of one of my experiments. Judging by how quickly the dish was consumed, it turned out really well.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 45-50 min
Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:


Chicken: 750 gms, cut into very small pieces (about 1- 1 1/2" in size)
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, thinly sliced
Oil: 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Meat masala: 6 heaped tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Sri Racha chilli paste: 5 tsp

Heat 2 tbsp oil and saute the ginger-garlic paste and onion, along with a dash of salt. Once the onion is light brown, add the turmeric powder and meat masala. Saute for a min and add the leaves of a sprig of curry leaves. Add salt and mix well, cover and cook until done. Remove the cover and allow excess water to evaporate. Make a small 'well' in the middle. Add 2 tsp oil and add the chilli paste and saute. Now mix it with the rest of the chicken so as get the chilli paste coated uniformly on all the pieces. Cook on a low flame until brown and crispy, stiriing occassionally. Serve garnished with curry leaves.

Goes well with chapathi, rice or any other bread.

Egg roast

Though I am a vegetarian, I do eat eggs and a spicy egg roast is a favorite dish of mine.  It is easy to make but may be a bit spicy for kids. Also the dish is not for you if you prefer gravy with your dishes

Dfficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:


Eggs: 2, boiled
Onion: 2 big, thinly sliced
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Hard boil eggs, remove the shell and score them. Heat the oil in a pan and add the hard boiled eggs. Saute until the eggs turn light brown all around, stirring continuously so as to make sure it doesn't burn. Keep aside.

Saute the onions along with a pinch of salt (so that it will brown on you faster) until it turns dark brown (caramelises). Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and the curry leaves. Mix well and saute until the raw taste is gone. Add the sauteed eggs and mix well until the masala gets coated on the eggs. Form a small hill of the onion on the eggs and cook on the lowest setting for 2 min.
Garnish and dig in. It can be served with rice or chapathi.

Paneer & sprouts katti roll

On returning from a trip to NYC, my husband told me about a katti roll place he had been to. I thought I should see if I can make a vegetarian katti roll at home. I added some sprouts to make it healthier. I used moong dal sprouts (home-made), but you could use any other type you have in hand.

You can add some onion slices too if you like on top of the paneer pieces too, before you roll it. Also try to make the chappathis and omlettes to pretty much the same size so that it will look more beautiful.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Makes: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

Chapathi: 5, half-cooked
Paneer: 200 gms, cut into 1/2" cubes
Moong dal sprouts: 1/4 cup
Onion: half of 1 medium, cut into 1/2" pieces
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce: 1 tsp
Coriander/ cilantro chutney: 5 tsp
Yoghurt: 2 tbsp
Eggs: 5
Turmeric paste: 1 tsp  (divide among the eggs equally)
Chilli powder: 1 1/2tsp (divide among the eggs equally)
Oil: 2 tbsp + 5 tsp for eggs
Cilantro: 1/4 cup, chopped
Salt to taste

Mix the cilantro chutney and yoghurt well and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil and add the paneer pieces. Fry until it turns light brown. Keep aside. In the same oil, saute the onions until light pink. Add the sprouts, salt to taste, soy sauce and chilli sauce. Mix well, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, remove from fire.

Crack one egg at a time, add turmeric powder and chilli powder (divided equally) and make an omlette. Put the half-cooked chapati on top and flip the double-decker  and allow to cook.

Put the egg side up, on a sheet of wax paper. Put some of the paneer filling and drizzle 1 1/2  tsp of cilantro chutney & yoghurt mix on top. Now roll everything tightly. Roll again in wax paper. Serve warm with cilantro chutney.

     

Grilled paneer skewers

As a vegetarian, my options when it came to grilling and BBQ are very limited. I would therefore volunteer to marinate any time we and our friends were planning to BBQ so that I could ensure that there was enough vegetarian fare.

One of the things that I got really good at was grilled paneer (cottage cheese). I would marinate the paneer a couple of days in advance so that the spices had an opportunity to really seep into the paneer.

I used Patak's Tandoori paste (Mild, spicy ginger and garlic flavor) this time. When we were in Chicago, I used to have a few options in Tandoori pastes and I think there was another brand I liked better. It was a Deep brand but I forget the full details.

Also remember to soak the wooden skewers in water for atleast 30 min before you start putting stuff on it, or it will burn when you put it on the grill. Even with 30 minutes, it will be all charred but without it it will actually burn.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 20min + 1 day min. to marinate
Cooking time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:


Paneer: 400 gms
Onion: 2 medium
Bell peppers: 2
Yoghurt: 3/4 cup
Tandoori paste: 7 tbsp
Hot chilli paste: 3 tsp
Water: 1/4 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Cooking oil spray

Cut the paneer into 1" cubes. Cut the onions & bell peppers to the same size. Make sure the pieces are not too small, because they'll just fall apart when you string them on a skewer. Put all the spices and water into a ziploc bag along with veggies and paneer pieces. Close the bag and mix it really well. Leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 1 day.

Arrange the veggies and paneer pieces in the order you like.

Heat the grill to high heat. Spray the cooking oil generously over the part of the grill where you plan to cook on. Put the skewers on the grill so that the skewers get uniform along the whole skewer. This will depend on your grill and will have to be learnt with practice. Turn down the heat to low. Leave the skewers there until they are cooked before turning them over. Be patient. If you try turning them over early, they will just break apart. Grill the other side to sear the other side.

Remove when done and serve hot with cilantro chutney.

Prawns dry fry(ചെമ്മീന്‍ പൊരിച്ചത് )

I had never cooked shrimp or prawns before. So wanted to make it for my kids. Initially I thought I would make it the same way my mother-in-law makes it. But then I decided to make a few changes to it, keeping my husband's likes and dislikes in mind. And it came out nice and both my kids and husband loved it.

If you can keep the prawns marinated for 6-8 hrs, it would be ideal. The longer it sits, the better the masalas will penetrate into the fish and the more tastier it is. So keep it for at least 1 hr before you cook it.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min + 1 hr. minimum
Cooking time: 20 min
Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients


Medium sized Shrimp: cleaned and de-veined, 16
Shredded coconut: 3 tbsp
Fish masala: 1 tbsp
Cumin: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: a dash
Chopped cilantro: 2 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Make a fine paste with all the ingredients except oil (and shrimp, of course), using the minimum water. Mix the shrimp with ground masala paste and keep aside in the refrigerator for atleast  1 hr (as I said earlier, I kept it for 6-8 hrs).

Heat oil in a skillet and transfer the whole thing into it (including whatever marinade is at the bottom). On a medium-low flame, cook it until it turns pink and starts to curl, flipping them every now and then. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for another 4-5 minutes, flipping them once in between (so as to get them lightly browned).

It can be served warm, with rice.

Edamame upperi

Edamame or soy beans is a good source of protein, heart healthy and high in fiber. While it is not common in Indian cooking, we use it in our house regularly. Usually, I just boil it and add salt. Our whole family, including the kids, likes it this way. I wanted to see if I can do something else.

If you don't get the shelled soy-beans, you can buy the ones in the shell. Just cook it according to the directions on the package and then shell it.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Makes: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:


Edamame: 3 cups(about 12 oz or 400 gms)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Boil water and add some salt.  Add the soy beans and cook for about 5-6 min.

In the meantime, thinly slice onion. Heat oil in a skillet and saute the onion until light brown. Add the spices and saute until the raw taste has gone. Add the cooked edamame and mix well. Simmer on a very low flame for 2 min.

Serve warm with rice or chapathi.

Guacamole

Avacado is a fruit, which botanically is a fruit but tastes like a vegetable, and is used as both a fruit and a vegetable in many cuisines. I used to hate this because of its bland taste and as Indians, we are really not very fond of bland things. When I got pregnant, I decided to try it keeping its nutritional value in mind. As I ate it a few times, I started liking it. Nowadays, I make it at home often.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
Avacado:  1
Tomato: chopped into 1/8" cubes, 1 tbsp
Onion: chopped to the same size as tomatoes, 1 tbsp
Garlic: 1/2 tsp, grated
Green chillies: 2, finely chopped
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro: 1 tbsp, chopped

Cut the avacadoes in half, working around the big pit in the middle. Separate the halves. In the half with the pit, smack the blade of the knife into the pit and twist it out. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Mash it well with a fork, along with the lime juice (or it will brown on you fast) and grated garlic. Add all the other ingredients except for cilantro and mix well. Add cilantro, mix well and serve.

It goes well with tortilla chips (or any other chips) or pita bread.

Masala egg

This is just a different take on the ordinary scrambled eggs. This tastier version is so easy to make, that you will not want to make the ordinary scrambled eggs any more.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients:

Eggs: 2
Onion: 1/2 of 1 medium
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Curry leaves: leaves of 1 sprig

Heat oil in a skillet and saute thinly sliced onion. In the meantime, crack the eggs and beat slightly. When the onion starts to get light brown, add the spices and salt. Saute well and add the curry leaves. Mix in the slightly beaten egg after a minute. Scramble the mix until you get to your desired consistency. Garnish and serve warm. This goes well with rice, chapathi or even with bread.

Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is one of those vegetables many of us don't even bother to experiment with. It has a very subtle taste and my mom just happened to love them, when she came here. So I decided to try this recipe when I saw this on the Food Network.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5min
Cooking time: 10-12 min

Ingredients

Asparagus: 1 bunch
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste

Clean and trim the hard part. This is easy. Take one stalk of asparagus and try to break it. Wherever the stalk  breaks is the mark. Cut the rest of the stalks, using this as the indicator.
Drizzle olive oil after transferring to a baking tray. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, to taste. "Toast" it in the oven for 10-12 min (or until the tip of the stalks are roasted ).The stalks will be nice and soft.
Serve warm.

Dahi puri

This used to be my favourite dish when I was pregnant. Every week I used to go, religiously, to Milan chats & sweets in Chicago, to eat this. I had thought it is tough to prepare. When I realised it's not, took the recipe from Tarala Dalal, and got started.

The yoghurt has to be fresh, chilled and of the right consistency- not too thick nor too thin. If yours is not fresh, add a few tablespoons of milk to cut down the sharp acidic taste.
Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the tamarind paste, if it is too thick. This will ensure the uniform spreading of the chutney inside the puris, and obviously this tastes better.

I tried variations to the original and here are my favourites. I liked cooked (with some salt and turmeric powder) black chana (കടല) instead of the sprouts. Also, I liked chat masala (as garnish), instead of cumin powder.

So you can try for yourself to find out your favourite.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 25 min
Makes: 2- 3 servings

Ingredients:


Puris: 40
Sprouts: 2/3 cup
Potatoes: cooked and cubed, 2/3 cup
Tamarind chutney: 1 cup
Yoghurt: 3 cups
Salt to taste

For garnishing:
Sev: 1/2 cup
Chilli powder:2 tsp
Cumin powder: 2 tsp
Cilantro: chopped, 2 tbsp

Add the salt to the yoghurt and mix well. Add a couple of tbsps of water to the tamarind chutney, if it is too thick.

Crack holes on top of the puris and arrange on a serving platter. Fill it with sprouts, potatoes, tamarind chutney and top with yoghurt. Sprinkle sev, chilli powder and cumin powder.
Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately. The longer it stays the more soggy it gets, and less appealing.

Lychee Pudding

I love Lychees, but have not seen many dishes that use it. So when I saw this recipe on television, I was eager to try it.

I have always gotten great reviews for this dish. In fact I get a lot of requests for this from regular visitors to our humble abode. I hope you will find that this works for you as well.


Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Chilling time: 15 min + 2-3 hrs
Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:


Lychee: 1 cup + 1/3 cup for garnish
Milk: 2 cups
Gelatine: 4 tsp
Condensed milk: 200 gms
Whipping cream: 1 1/2 cup
Vanilla ice-cream: 1 cup
Ice-cubes

Crush 1 cup lychee and keep aside. Melt the gelatine in 1/3 cup of the crushed lychee over a bowl of hot water (double-boil) and keep aside. In another bowl, double-boil the condensed milk and milk until slightly thick. Now add the dissolved gelatine, while still double-boiling. Transfer this bowl to a bowl of ice-cubes, and keep stirring until completely cool. Add the rest of the lychee crush and the vanilla ice-cream. Allow to set slightly (about 15min).

Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. (You can also use whipped cream like reddi-whip to save some time. Note you will need to use about 2 cups)  Add this to the slightly set pudding and fold in. Now transfer this to a pudding dish. Garnish with lychees and chill until set.

Baby corn pakoda

I have never used baby corn in any thing I have made in the past. I bought a packet of baby corn from the store not knowing what really to do with it. Finally decided to make an appetizer. This was indeed a new experience as I usually have a good idea of what I am making before I buy something.

Usually pakodas are made in a batter made of Besan (Chick pea Flour). This particular recipe uses a mixture of all purpose flour and corn flour

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:


Baby corn: 32 (about 200 gms)
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Cornflour/ cornstarch: 4 tbsp
All-purpose flour: 4 tbsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Cilantro, chopped: 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil: for deep frying

Cut the baby corn in half, widthwise. Make a thick batter, like you would for pakodas with cornflour, all-purpose flour, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Add the baby corn and mix well. Drop each piece in hot oil until golden brown.

Sprout Chat Salad

The sprouts that I was making for another recipe reminded my husband of a sprout chat that he used to have in college. Apparently, there was a vendor inside the IIT Delhi campus that made a great chat using sprouts. This is my attempt to recreate the same.

This is a light and colorful salad that is really easy to make.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 20 min
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:


Moong dal (green gram) sprouts: 1 cup
Onion: 1/2 of a medium
Tomato: 1/4 of a medium
Lime juice: 1 1/2 tsp
Chat masala: 3/4 tsp
Salt, pepper: to taste

Slice the onion and tomato to small pieces (about the same size as the sprouts). I like to mix the onion with 1 tsp lime juice and a pinch of salt about 10min before I start preparing the rest of the salad. Mix it with the rest of the ingredients. No special garnish is needed as the salad itself is colourful.

Instant sprouts pulao

My kids, I suspect like many other kids, like variety. A dish they can't have enough of one day, they don't want anything to do the next. Here is the result of one of my experiments that the kids liked and is healthy.

A note of caution. Broccoli sprouts are fine and 'hairy'. You will need to separate them. Otherwise it will all be one large clump and easy for your kids to keep aside. Also you can use any sprouts(one type or a couple mixed). I happened to have broccoli sprouts and moong dal sprouts in hand and so used them.

Difficulty level: Easy
Cooking time: 5min
Makes: 1 toddler serving

Ingredients:


Cooked rice: 5 heaped tbsp
Ghee: 2 tsp
Broccoli sprouts: 1 tbsp
Moond dal sprouts: 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Heat the ghee and add the sprouts. Mix well, add the turmeric powder and salt. Switch off the flame and add the rice. Mix really well and serve warm.

Traditional Shallots, Chillies and Tamarind dish (ഉള്ളിയും മുളകും ചാലിച്ചത്‌)

This is a very traditional Kerala dish that I am sure you will not find in a restaurant. In fact, I suspect that many people of my generation and younger in Kerala would never have heard of or seen this dish. While it is very easy and simple, it is full of flavor and those of us who have had this dish growing up will have nostalgic memories about it.

One word of caution. Keeping the windows open or the exhaust running when roasting the chillies is recommended. I have made the mistake of doing this in a closed room in winter and my family was coughing even a few hours later


Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5-10 mi
Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:


Shallots: 5-6 small (crushed, using a mortar and pestle)

Dry red chillies: 2, dry roasted (ചുട്ടത്)

Pappad: 1, dry roasted (ചുട്ടത്)

Tamarind: size of a small lime

Salt: to taste

Coconut oil: 1 1/2 tsp

Roast the pappad in the microwave until done. Roast the chillies until black or until you start coughing (It may sound odd but the couching trigger is the traditional way to ensure proper roasting) I have skewered a couple of chillies and held them on the fire in a gas stove in the past. Currently as I have an electric stove, I used a screen/mesh above the electric burner and placed the chillies on top till done.

Crack the pappad into small pieces. Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with your fingers and you are done. Goes well with plain rice (Kerala Matta Rice).

Corn Pulao

Looking through my collection of recipes, I came across this one that was published in one of the weekend editions of The Hindu newspaper in 1991. You may ask, what am I doing with a 20 year old newspaper? I used to collect recipes from newspapers, especially the weekend editions ever since I was a child. A bit nerdy perhaps but then there is a nerd in every one of us.

This is a variation of the Pulao. It could be a bit spicy for the kids, so you may want to go a bit light on that. This can be a filling, healthy meal to go with them to school.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:


For grinding masala paste:
Coconut: 1/4 cup, grated
Onion: 1 small
Garlic: 2-3 cloves
Ginger: 1" cube
Green chillies: 2-3
Poppy seeds(khas khas): 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

For rice:
Basmati rice: 1 1/2 cup
Yoghurt: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Corn: 1/2 cup, cooked
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Heat ghee and saute the ground masala paste for few minutes. I waited until the ghee separated. Add the washed rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add two cups of hot water, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Cook till done. Mix in  beaten yoghurt and corn just before removing from the fire.

Serve hot with plain yoghurt and/or pickle.