Coconut rice

1. Fully cook 2 cups of rice.
2. Add a few peanuts or cashew in the oil - remove when light brown.
3. Add south indian tadka - mustard seeds, some asofetida, fenugreek seeds, 1/2 handful of channa dal, curry leaves
4. When they start sputtering add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut + salt
5. Keep stirring until brownish (coconut burns very quickly - so be careful here)
6. Add rice and mix everything together.
7. Finally add the cashews.

Lime rice

1. Fully cook 2 cups of rice.
2. Add a few peanuts or cashew in the oil - remove when light brown.
3. Add south indian tadka - mustard seeds, some asofetida, fenugreek seeds, 1/2 handful of channa dal, curry leaves
4. When they start sputtering add little bit of turmeric and immediately add the rice
5. Add salt and stir everything together
6. Squeeze a few limes to taste and mix all together.
7. Finally add the cashews or peanuts

Veggie fried rice

Handful of beans - french cut
1/2 - 3/4 an onion - thinly sliced (pink onion works best)
1/2 green pepper thinly sliced
1/2 red/yellow pepper - thinly sliced
handful of snowpeas
Peas
(all of these are optional).

1. Boil about 2 cups of rice
2. When about 90% cooked - put in peas for a few seconds
3. Strain out excess water.

In the meantime:
4. Add oil
5. Add cashews, raisins, almonds -- quickly fry till slightly brown -- take out and keep aside.
6. Then Add tej patha, 1 big elaichi, few cloves, 1 stick cinnamon
7. Add onion - fry till light brown. Then add remaining vegetables + salt.
8. Fry till almost fully cooked.
9. Add 1/2 spoon of garam masala + chilli powder
10. Fry quickly.
11. Then add the rice and mix it all together.

Variation 1:
With eggs
1. Boil 3 eggs.
2. In the oil, put jeera also (and no big elaichi) (step 6 above)
3. In the end mix 2 tsp yogurt with jeera powder, chilli powder and very little garam masala (step 9)
4. Add it and cook for few minutes
After adding the rice and mixing everything --
5. Now add the eggs - sliced in quarters (lengthwise)

Variation 2:
With Paneer & tomatoes
When using paneer - follow the Variation 1.
Except in step 7 - after all veggies are cooked - also add tomatoes.
Then when all is cooked -- add the paneer (before rice)

(It is better if the paneer is broiled or fried first - otherwise it may fall apart)