Grain of the Week - 48 and 49 Par boiled Rice

While parboiled might sound like the rice has been precooked and sold in packets which is just heated to eat. It is not. It is a method of how rice is processed. Parboiled rice is made by a process by which the rice with the hull is soaked, steamed and dried after which the hull is removed.

Most parboiled rice is usually pale yellow or amber colored. This kind of rice is nutritionally superior to the completely polished white rice. Not all parboiled rice are made the same. The long grain par boiled rice bought in the US is different from the ponni parboiled rice. The cooked rice is single and separate but it certainly is no Basmati rice.

Though the rice is called parboiled it cannot be used for some of the recipes that call for par boiled rice like idlies. The rice when soaked and blended becomes a bit slimy. It can be salvaged with the addition of some cooked rice or soaked beaten rice which is what we did when we did not have the luxury of ponni parboiled rice or idli rice.

Soaking the rice for about 20-30 minutes before cooking the rice makes it cook faster and fluffier. In a pinch I have used parboiled along with idli rice to make idli batter but they won't work just by itself.

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Kale leaves paruppu - Kale leaves with lentils - split pigeon peas

Thanksgiving ushers in the season of gluttony. I don't know about you but I use that as an excuse to indulge in things I have been trying to avoid all year. With parties everywhere including the office it is almost impossible to avoid those sweets and fatty foods that seem to taste so good but are so very bad.

So among all the bad eating it is good to mix it up with simple but good foods like this Kale paruppu. Nothing fancy but taste good with its simple flavors. I read that kale leaves get sweeter as it gets colder and now I have proof. The plant is hardy enough to take the frost and even a light dusting of snow. The good news is the kale plants are still alive after the November cold wave. The leaves do not grow as long but the ones that are in the plant sure are sweeter.

Wash and drain the kale leaves. Cook the lentils and keep them ready.
Add oil in a pan and add the seasonings. Add the onions, green chilies saute till the onions are starting to brown. Add the powders - turmeric, cumin and pepper powder. Add the kale leaves and saute till the leaves wilt.
Once the leaves have wilted add the cooked lentils and salt and let it come to a boil.

If you prefer you could treat this kale paruppu as a soup and it is perfect in the biting cold.

Kale leaves paruppu - Kale leaves with lentils - split pigeon peas
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup of toor dal/ split pigeon peas -or any lentil of your preference - moong, masoor(split red lentil)
2. 2-3 cups of washed and chopped kale leaves
3. 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions / shallots
4. 5-6 green chilies + 1 red chili for color
5. 1 tsp of turmeric powder
6. a pinch of cumin powder + 1 pinch of pepper powder
7. seasonings: curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds
8. 1 tsp oil (or ghee)
9. salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook the lentils with 1 1/2 cups of water and a couple of drops of sesame oil till it is soft and can be mashed. (see note:)
2. In a pan heat oil, add the seasonings cumin seeds followed by the mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves followed by the onions and green chilies. Saute till the onions are starting to brown on the edges.
3. Add in the turmeric powder, cumin and pepper powders and give a good mix.
4. Add in the kale leaves and saute for 2-3 minutes. The leaves will shrivel.
5. Add in the mashed cooked dal/lentils along with salt. Let come to a boil.
6. Note:Turmeric powder can be added while cooking the lentils but due to splattering when cooking in a pressure cooker it can be added during seasoning.
7. You can run the kale leaves through a food processor to chop them into finer pieces if preferred.
Simple but extremely tasty dal is ready to serve with rice or as a soup.

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