Birthday Mania...Carrot Rice, Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake & Snowy Cheese Cake

After a gap of 2 months for summer holidays, we are continuing the tradition of celebrating birthdays again.  This time I decided to bake too for the celebration.  

I thought for a change have a cheezy month - Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake, Snowy Cheese Cake and Strawberry Cheese Cake.  Yes it is cheese mania month...The first 2 cake turn out very well but was not so successful of strawberry cheese cake.  Need to CSI further where I went wrong..

I also made Carrot Rice for my part of the pot luck.  My sister and her husband made this carrot rice when we visited them during our holidays.  It has this nice orangy yellowish colour to it - no additional colours required.  Sort of ghee rice.

Thank you Gowri and Guna for sharing the recipe

Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Gowri & Guna

Ingredients
4 cups of basmathi rice ( or any long grain rice) - washed and soaked for 10 mins, the drain
6 cups of water (inclusive of the carrot juice)
2 cups of grated carrot - squeezed the juice but don't discard
1 big onion - sliced
2tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaves
2  cinnamon stick - break into 2 or 3
2-3 cloves
2-3 star anise
2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
2 tbs heap of ghee (you can use oil or even butter)
salt to taste

How to prepare
1.  Wash and soak rice for about 10 mins, then drain
2.  Grate carrot, squeeze out the juice.  Keep the juice
3.  Heat ghee and when hot, sauté bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, start anise till aromatic.
4.  Next add in onions and sauté till soft and pink. Add in the chillies too and sauté for a few more minutes.
5.  Put in the grated carrot and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Add in the rice, stir well and fry for another 2 -3 minutes.
7.  Pour in the water and the juice of the carrot. stir well, and bring water/rice to slow boil
8.  As soon the water/rice starts to boil, cover the pot and cook on medium flame till all water has been absorbed.  Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5minutes.
9.  Use a fork to get fluffy rice and it is ready to serve.

Note
Basmati rice is a type of aromatic rice that originates from India, has an elongated grain and a unique flavor. It cooks in less time and with less effort than long grain white rice, and you won’t need a rice cooker to get it right. The finished product looks slightly different than long grain rice, but it is unlikely your guests will know the difference until they taste the flavor -- which is sure to delight their senses.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2159533_cook-basmati-rice.html#ixzz2hyzMSGsR

Basic rule of cooking basmathi is 1cup of rice to 1½cups of water.

Hope you enjoy just like we did...