IndiaNow 2013 Master Chef Contest took place on 23rd June 2013 in Santa Clara Fairgrounds . It was open to all cooking enthusiasts and was a huge success.

The event received immense response and was a big hit. Contestants were asked to bring home cooked vegetarian entrée, appetizer or dessert with RICE as the main ingredient. Participants came up with innovative, delicious and creative variety of rice dishes.

This post is the archive of all the recipes of the dishes which took part in the contest.

 

You can read the event coverage
https://cravecookclick.com/indianow-2013-master-chef-contest/

RECIPES

Baked Avocado and Rice cutlet by Smita Dubal

Calories : 70 per cutlet

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup cooked rice           

1 avocado

1 onion

1/2 tea spoon ginger chilly paste

Black Pepper powder

1 cup roasted Samolina

Bread crumbs

Mozzarella shredded cheese 1/2 cup

Olive oil for saute fry

Salt to taste

Method

Mix avocado and onion paste with salt to taste in cooked rice and mash till mixture has even texture.

Add semolina and ginger chilly paste and mix well.

Take spoon full of this mix and make rolls. Flatten to form a circular flat roll and place cheese in center and cover all corner to make roll again.

Roll this over bread crumbs and let it settle for 30 mins

Saute fry upside down till u get golden brown shade.

Bake all cutlets @ 400F temp for 7 mins and on broil for 7mins before serving.

Garnish : shredded cheese, stir fry onion and avocado slice

Serve with tomato sauce or any dip you like

 

 

Brown Rice Kulfi by Pradipmaya Maharana

Ingredients

1/2 cup  brown rice   

3 cups low fat milk

1/2 cup fat-free condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mango pulp (optional)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios  (optional)

Method

Bring milk, rice and salt to simmer in heavy medium saucepan.

Reduce heat to low, cover and gently simmer until rice is very tender and liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Add the condensed milk and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add ground cardamom, mix well, cover and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Transfer to bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

Once cold, run it in a blender until smooth consistency.

Optional step: Add mango pulp for mango flavor to the blender

Freeze for at least 8 hours before serving.

Optional step: Garnish with pistachios before serving.

Cinnamon & Raisin Rice Pudding by Arathy Sulekha

(eggless low fat version)

Makes 8 cups. Serving size 1/3 cup

Nutritional info (Calories 108.5, Fat 1.3 g, Carb 20.65g, Protein 4.77g)

Ingredients       

Sona Masoori Rice    1 ¼ cups

1% Milk 4 cups

Sugar     ¼ cup

Splenda 6 packets (equivalent of ¼ cup of sugar)

Fat free evaporated Milk 1 can (12 oz can)

Low fat sweetened condensed Milk       ½ can

Cinnamon stick 1 large piece

Vanilla   ½ tsp

Golden Raisins ½ cup

Butter   1 tbsp

Method

Wash the rice properly till the water runs clear.

In a thick bottom vessel boil 7-8 cups of water. Add 1 tsp salt and cinnamon stick. Cook the washed rice in this water till it is almost tender.

Strain the water, discard the cinnamon stick and return the rice to the pan. Add the 4 cups milk and let the rice cook in this. When it starts getting thick add the evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk and sugar.

Cook for another 15 minutes till it gets thick. Finally add the raisins and splenda sweetner. Stir properly. Remove from fire and add the vanilla. Mix properly and transfer to a serving dish.

The dish can be served warm or cold.

Garnish with cinnamon sugar or berries.

Note:  For a tropical twist substitute Coconut milk for the evaporated milk and mangoes for the raisins and garnish with some mango puree.

Sugar can be substituted entirely with splenda to reduce the calories further.

Also whole milk and full fat evaporated milk and condensed milk can be used for a richer creamy pudding.

 

Idiyappam by Arathy Sulekha

Serving size: 6 pieces

Nutritional Info:

Calories –             ~175,  Fat             – 0g         , Carb – 38g         , Protein – 3.5 g

Ingredients

Rice flour         3 cups

Boiling water      6 cups (or less depending on the rice flour)

Salt to taste

Ghee      ½ tsp (optional)

Method

Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the ghee.

Keep aside 1 cup of water from that. To be used if needed while kneading the dough.

Add the rice flour to the boiling water and mix thoroughly without forming lumps. Remove from fire. Cover with a lid and leave it aside while you grease the idiyappam mold and idli plates.

Knead the dough well. If it is too thick add a little bit of the reserved liquid and knead again.

Place the dough in the idiyappam maker and press the dough into swirls onto the idli plates.

Steam for 10 minutes. Serve with the curry of your choice.

Note: In the traditional preparation grated coconut is put in the middle while making the swirls.

Sweet idiyappams can also be made. While making the swirls fill the middle with a mixture of jaggery and coconut.

 

Mini Tart Platters by Geetanjali Goyal

Ingredients  

For tart dough

1 ½ cups of rice flour

¾  cup all purpose flour or multi-grain flour

¼ cup+ 3 tbsp low fat butter/ cooking oil/ olive oil / ghee

Chilled water

½ tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

For 1st stuffing:

(rice pudding with paan flavor)betel leaf

3-4 sweet betel leaves

1 tbsp gulkand (sweet preserved rose petal)

½ cup rice (white or brown)

½ tsp fennel powder

Sugar according to taste

Around 3 cups low fat milk

Fruits for decoration

For 2^nd stuffing:

(rice pudding with tea flavor)

2-3 Green cardamom

2 black cardamom seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp cinnamon powder   

3-4 cloves

½ tsp ginger grated

¼ tsp nutmeg powder (jaiphal)

1 piece mulathie (liquorice root)

3-4 peppercorns

4 tsp tea (I used red label)

½ cup brown rice

4-5 cups low fat milk

1 cup water

sweetener (sugar / jaggery/ honey anything of your choice I used jaggery)

Fresh fruits for garnishing

For 3rd stuffing:

(fennel seed and coconut flavored rice with fresh fruits)

1cup brown rice boiled

½ cup coconut cream

Around 8-10 marie gold biscuits

1 tbsp Low fat butter

2 tsp fennel seed powder (saunf)

2 tsp flax seed powder

Honey according to taste

Fresh fruits for garnishing like mangoes etc

Grated lemon zest to sprinkle

Method

First of all you have to prepare dough.

Mix rice flour and multi-grain wheat flour with salt, sugar and oil. Mix it nicely with hands .you will get bread crumb kind of dough.Now add chilled water to make a dough. Dough will not be very smooth . Keep the dough in fridge for 15 minutes.

Now take small balls and start rolling the dough with rolling pin. The size should be around 1 ½ times bigger than your tart mold size.

Place it in your mold and press it gently with finger.

Make sure you press it nicely at the corners so that you get the better shape. Remove the excess dough from the top. Prick it with the fork.

In same way prepare all the molds.

Bake it in pre-heated oven at 350 f for 12-15 minutes.

For stuffing

1st stuffing

Wash betel leaves nicely with warm water and chop them nicely.

Now in a pan take 2 cups of milk. Let it come to a boil.

Than add betel leaves, rice, and gulkand. Keep stirring it continuously till milk is absorbed and add another 1 cup of milk . Don’t leave it dry else it will start sticking at bottom and pudding will get spoiled. Keep adding milk and keep stirring till you get the desired consistency and rice is mushy and cooked.

Now add fennel powder and sugar. Mix it nicely and let it cool down.

Assembling

Take a tart and stuff the mixture in your tart. Garnish it with fresh fruits or fresh fruit juice glaze. Chill and serve.

2nd stuffing

Take a mortar and pestle. Add all the dry ingredients (first nine ingredients) in mortar and ground them till roughly broken into tiny pieces. Take them out in bowl. Now add mortar mixture in a pan with 1 cup of water. Give it nice three to four boils. Now add tea leaves. When the water reduces to half. Seive it. Now add this water back to pan with 2 cups of milk and rice. When rice starts absorbing milk keep on adding more milk slowly and slowly. Keep stirring continuously. When rice is cooked and thick in consistency then add your sweetener (powdered jaggery). Keep it to cool down for some time before assembling. (you can also rap all the ingredients in muslin cloth and drop it in pan till end of cooking)

Assembling

Take a tart and stuff the mixture in your tart. Garnish it with fresh fruits or fresh fruit juice glaze. Chill and serve.

3rd stuffing

Grind marie gold biscuits with butter and fennel seeds to fine powder. (I use magic bullet 🙂 )

Now take boiled brown rice, coconut cream (don’t add all cream at a shot and slowly slowly depending on consistency) honey and flax seeds. Grind them to thick paste.

Assembling of tart:

Take tarts. At the bottom spread marie gold mixture. Press it nicely and tightly. Than stuff rest of the tart with pudding mixture. Add some chopped fruits of your choice and serve it.

 

Rice Trifle by Shoba Rao

Ingredients

1 cup Sticky Black Rice – Black rice is a whole grain and more fiber, loaded with Vitamis B&E, abundant in iron, magnesium

1 cup Sweet Brown rice

Oranges, Strawberries, Raspberries, Mangoes (other fruits optional)

Few Mint Leaves

½ cup Pistachio nuts

¼  cup Brown Sugar

¼ cup Jaggery – Jaggery is more nutritious than Sugar and is very rich in minerals

¼ cup Lite Coconut milk

¼ cup 1% milk

½ tsp Rose Water

Rice noodles for garnish

Method

Trifle consists of 6 layers. The layers have tartness from berries, crunch texture from Pistachios and the comfort of rice pudding

Layer 1 – Black rice pudding – Soak the sticky black rice overnight. Cook it with 2 cups of water. Mix it

with brown sugar and milk on stovetop. Bring it to pudding consistency

Layer 2 – Oranges or Mangoes – Chop oranges/mangoes into small pieces and slightly salt them

Layer 3 – Pistachios – Chop the pistachios coarsely

Layer 4 – Sweet brown rice pudding – Soak the rice overnight. Cook it with 2 cups of water. Mix it with

jaggery and coconut milk with 1 tsp of rose water and cook it on stove top, till you get pudding consistency

Layer 5 – Strawberry/Raspberry – Chop strawberry/raspberry coarsely and mix it with chopped mint (as

per taste). Can be substituted with cherry or some other tart fruit

Layer 6 (Garnish) – Fried Noodles with rose water caramel – Caramelize 4 tsp sugar with 2 tsp water on

stovetop, with ½ tsp of rose water. Deep fry some rice noodles in oil and drizzle it with rose water caramel

Rice Quiche filled with Ratatouille by Vaishali Ukirde

Served with plum-orange chutney

Ingredients   

For Quiche:

1 cup Organic wild rice:

2 cups Organic brown rice

Organic Chia seeds: Roasted

1 cup cooked Organic red Quinoa

1 medium size Tomato: Pureed

Organic Kale leaves: 2 stalks blanched and pureed.

Oranic Spinach leaves: 1cup blanched and pureed

Salt to taste

3 cloves of Garlic minced

1 small shallot minced

Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Olive oil

1tbsp turmeric powder

1tsp cumin powder

For Stuffing: Broiled Ratatouille

Vegetables (Organic)

1 large eggplant, unpeeled

2 zucchini

1 yellow squash (zucchini)

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

3 ripe plum roma tomatoes

Optional (3 jalapenos or other hot peppers cut in halves)

Herbs & spices

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp “Herb de Provence”

3 cloves of garlic minced

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp red pepper flakes (if you like it hot)

For Plum-Orange chutney

10 small plums (Straight from the backyard..:)

2 oranges medium

Red chili flakes

1 tsp dried ginger powder

1 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Method

Directions for ratatouille:

Cut all vegetables into small pieces and put in a container with a lid.

Mix well all Herbs and spices in a bowl and pour them over the prepared vegetables. Close the lid and shake very well to coat evenly all vegetable pieces.

Pour all vegetables in a pre-broiled non stick baking pan in one layer. Broil it on hi till the vegetables are ready when most of the liquid evaporates.

Directions for assembling Quiche:

Cook 1 cup in a pot with 1:4 parts of vegetable broth..(Black Rice)

Cook  1 cup with kale & spinach puree in a pot with 1:2 parts of vegetable broth.(Green Rice)

Cook other 1 cup brown rice with turmeric in vegetable broth. (Yellow Rice)

Take ½ tbsp Olive oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic and shallot, sauté until transparent and mix green rice in it.

Add  tomato puree and sauté cooked re quinoa, mash it and keep aside

In a baking muffin pan or any other pan that has small shape, layer yellow, green rice then stuff with Ratatouille, goat cheese and finish layering by red quinoa and wild rice.

If you wish you can skip making different layers and just prepare one kind of brown rice and stuff with ratatouille.

Bake at 380C for 20 mins and enjoy with the plum-orange chutney.

Directions for Plum-Orange chutney:

In a pot heat all the ingredients together and simmer it till a thick base is formed.

Ric-Lava by Trupti Kankaria 

Ingredients  

For the outer layer –

Rice – 1 cup

Organic Sugar – ¼ cup

Organic Low Fat Milk – 6 cups

Pectin – 3 tsp

For the grape syrup filling  (as lava)–

Organic black grape juice – 1 cup

Organic Sugar – ½ tsp

A pinch of salt

Roasted sweet and salty black sesame seeds for garnish

Yields – 48 servings

Calories per serving – 35

Method

Grape syrup –

Use fresh grape juice for best taste.

Put grape juice, ½ tsp sugar and a pinch of salt in a small sauce pan. Let it boil and then simmer till it thickens (around 45 minutes to an hour)

While this is being done, work on the rice.

Wash rice 3 – 4 time with water. Soak in water for at least 30 minutes

After 30 minutes drain the rice and grind it to coarse powder

In a saucepan, mix ground rice in milk. Keep it for boiling, keep stirring while on stove. Let it simmer till the milk thickens (around 45 minutes). Keep stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Add sugar, keep simmering for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove from heat.

When it is still hot, take 2 cups of the mixture, add 1 teaspoon of pectin and blend it well with a hand blender. The pectin will mix well, and the mixture will turn smooth.

Pour a spoonful mixture into 16 molds (mini muffin size).

Now start working from mold 1 – make a small well and add the grape syrup – around ¼ tsp. Repeat for all 16.

Again start with mold 1 – cover it with remaining rice – pectin mixture. Repeat for all 16

Cover with plastic film, and refrigerate till it sets.

Repeat steps 6 – 10 for the remaining mixture. Remember to keep the working mixture very warm. If it has cooled down, heat it before mixing the pectin.

To unmold – remove the molds from refrigerator. Put it in warm water, and run a knife around the sides of the mold. Cover it with serving plate, and turn it upside down.

Garnish with sesame seeds

Multi layered steamed rice cake by Yashodhan Deshpande

Ingredients

Rice (Non basmati preferred) I used “ambe more” (1-1/4th Cup)

Coconut milk (10-15 tbl sp)

Organic Coconut water (1 ½ cup )

Sugar

Cardamom powder

Mango pulp

Gulkand (rose petal pulp)

Beet (for natural red color)

Fresh fruits and cream for decoration

Method

Wash and soak the rice for 5 min

Drain water and spread rice on cotton towel

Let the rice dry at least 8 hrs or till rice is completely dry

Coarsely grind 1 cup of rice

Finely grind remaining 1/4th cup of rice

Dry roast the coarsely ground rice for 5 min (do not let it turn brown)

Take 1 ½ cup of coconut water add 3-4 tbls sp of coconut milk

Add the coarsely ground rice in it and bring it to boil.

Cover and let it steam for 3-4 min (all the water should be soaked and nicely steamed)

Use a thick bottomed vessel to avoid sticking at the bottom

Uncover and mix well, let it cool down a bit

Add finely ground rice, 8-10 tbl tsp of coconut milk and depending on the flavor add other ingredients

Cardamom flavor

Add cardamom, sugar

Mango flavor

Add mango pulp (very less sugar if at all, since mango pulp is already sweet)

Rose flavor

Add gulkand, 5 tsp beet juice for color

Mix all ingredients well with hand; make sure the consistency is more like idly batter and there are no lumps. If needed add more coconut water or plain water

Use “Dhokla maker” thalis , or idly stand. Fill the batter in the thalis (lightly grease to avoid sticking)

Steam it for 12-15 min

Let it cool, remove the circles of different flavors and stack them one above the other

Decorate them with your choice of fruits and cream

Enjoy it warm or cold

White and Wild Rice Cream with Fruits and Rice Cake by Rhman Khan

Ingredients

White and Wild Rice  

2 cup of Milk

2 cup White Rice

1 cup Black rice

1 cup Whipping Cream

1 cup Sugar

¼ Cup Hazel nut, chopped

¼ Cup Almond, chopped

2 cardamom

¼ Cup Fresh Mango

¼ Cup Fresh Strawberry

¼ Cup Fresh Kiwi

¼ Cup Fresh Blue Berries

2 tsp corn syrup

Rice Cake

¼ Cup Walnuts, Chopped

¼ Cup Pecans, Chopped

¼ Cup Hazel nut, chopped

¼ Cup Dried Cranberries

¼ Cup Dried Blueberries

¼ Cup Dried Pomegranate

2 Cup Sweet Rice Flour

1¼ Cup Milk

1 Cup  Whipping Cream

⅓ Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp Salt

White and Wild Rice Cream   

Method

Combine the milk, sugar, coconut milk, white rice and black rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer on very low heat until the rice is tender, about 2 hours. If necessary add a small amount of milk to keep the mixture properly hydrated.

Remove from heat and allow cooling.

Whip the whipping cream to very soft peaks. Before folding the cream into the rice ensure that the rice mixture is creamy and will allow for easy folding in of the cream. If necessary add a small amount of milk. Add almond in the mixer and blend well.

Pour into glasses and place in a refrigerator. Once cold decorate as desired.  This dessert is served with Mango, Strawberry, kiwi and Blue Berries fruit coulis.

Rice Fruits and Nut Cake

Method

Combine and mix together all the ingredients for the batter in a large mixing bowl: 1 cup sweet rice flour, 1 cup sweet brown rice flour, 1¼ cups milk, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. I used 2 different kinds of sweet rice flour for this recipe, but you can just use 2 cups of sweet rice flour

The consistency will be similar to pancake batter. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Obtain ¼ cup chopped walnuts, ¼ cup chopped pecans, and ¼ cup sliced almonds. If needed, crush the nuts in a zipper bag.

Combine the chopped nuts with ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup dried blueberries, and ¼ cup raisins. Feel free to use different kinds of nuts and dried fruits. Just make sure you get 1 cup worth of nuts and 1 cup worth of dried fruits.

Mix together the batter, nuts, and dried fruits.

Spray cooking oil on the surface of the baking pan evenly. I used an 11 x 8 inch jelly roll pan for this recipe. If you do not have a pan that big, you can use 2 or 3 smaller pans instead.

Sprinkle some flour on top of the greased pan. This will make it easier to remove the rice cake later.

Pour the batter into the pan. If you are using 2 or 3 smaller sized pans, divide the batter between the pans.

Spread the batter into the pan evenly with a spatula. To get a crispy outside, and chewy inside, it is important not to make the batter too thick

Put it into the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

When the surface of the rice cake becomes golden brown, it is done.

Cool the rice cake on a baking rack.

Macaroon Spice Cookie by Hema Raja

Ingredients

1 cup Organic Sweet brown rice 

1 ½ cups coconut water

1 cup divided coconut milk

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tbsp chopped pandan leaves

¼ cup wheat flour

2 tbsp chopped dates

¼ chopped jack fruit

One organic vanilla pod

3 tbsp organic maple syrup

¼ cup organic maple syrup

¼ cup organic walnuts

½ tsp organic lemon juice

½ tsp organic lemon rind

½ cup organic coco nibs

½ tsp baking powder

3 pinches nutmeg grated

1 tsp candied ginger chopped

1 tsp  salt

2 tbsp of organic dark chocolate for drizzling

Method

Cook the one cup of sweet rice with 1.5 cups of coconut water and coconut milk adding pandan leaves.

Add vanilla pod to infuse in it.

Heat the oven to 350 F

Cool the rice completely and remove the vanilla pod and the pandan leaves.

Add the rest of the ingredients to it and mix it well.

Drop by heaping tbl spoonful onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 min or until it is golden brown.

Melt the dark chocolate in a zip lock bag in microwave for a minute. Snip the end and drizzled on the cooled cookies.

Cool the cookies and enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• IndiaNow 2013 Master Chef Contest
• Star Chef Contest- WomenNow Utsav 2012