Tondli Bhat - Gherkins Rice

As a kid, I was fond of collecting recipes. As if collecting recipes from TV shows and aunts was not enough, I used to collect the free booklets/brochures that used to accompany the cookers, pressure pans, mixers etc. My aunts happily used to give me all that "junk" because probably they never tried any of those recipes. As a result, I got a collection of booklets from various pressure cookers. The other day, I was cleaning my kitchen, and found "Hawkins" recipe booklet. I feel such booklets are a great resource for the regional Indian cooking because they try to cover all the Indian states as well as tastes.

I must say, we loved this recipe of "Tondli Bhaat". I tweaked the recipe a little to suit our taste.


Tondli Bhaat
Gherkins Rice Adapted from Hawkins Recipe Booklet
Ingredients
21 gherkins/tondli/tendli/tindora/ivy gourds, cut into quarters
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp raw , unsalted cashews
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder


Roast & Grind
1/4 cup dry coconut
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves
2" cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds


Tempering
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter/toop
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
3 green chilies, slit


Garnish
1 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
1 tbsp fresh coconut, scraped


Accompaniments
Ghee/clarified butter/toop
Mattha


Method
1. Wash and drain Basmati rice and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.
2. Roast all the ingredients for masala together till coconut turn light brown.
3. Grind roasted ingredients together to make a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure pan/cooker or handi.
5. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder. As the seeds splutter, add green chilies.
6. Add tondli quarters & cashews and saute for 5 minutes.
7. Now, add drained basmati. Saute for 5 minutes.
8. Add 3 cups water. Add salt, sugar, chili powder. Bring to boil.
9. Close the lid of the cooker. Cook for 2 whistles.
10. Let the pressure drop of its own.
11. Pour in a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro and coconut.


Note -
1. You can use cauliflower, green peas, potatoes instead of tindora/tendli as well.
2. This rice can also be made in a heavy bottomed saucepan, if you do not have a pressure cooker.


Credits-
Hawkins Recipe Booklet

This post is my entry to the festival of Rice.

This post is also my entry to Sunshinemom's celebration of the color "Yellow".