Curd Rice

A Perfect way to end a heavy meal is surely a small helping of flavoured curd rice.

Ingrediants

Cooked rice - 1 cup (Mashed)

Curd

Salt

For Garnishing

Onion - 1 small (finely chopped)

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5

Red Chilli - 4

Oil

Method

In a mixing bowl, Add rice, curd and salt.

In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard, chana dal, red chilli and curry leaves. Finely add onions, Fry till soft.

Add to the curd rice.

Mix and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note : Change the garnishing as per your taste.

           Add cashewnuts n raisans to add richness to the dish.

           Add a hand full of promogranate seeds to make it look more colourfull.

           Add finely chopped cucumber for added taste.

           Substitute red chilli with green chilli for extra spice.

     

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serves : 1-2

Kadala Sundal

When the sun hides behind the clouds and refuses to shine. When the chill wind blows to mark the begining of winter. Our tongue craves for the right sundal.

 

Here's the recipe for a yummy sundal.

Ingrediants
Peanut - 1 cup (Cooked)
Onion - 1 (Finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 5
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (Finely chopped)
Coconut - 3 tsp (Shredded)
Salt

Method
Heat oil, add mustard, jeera, curryleaves, red chilli, oinions. Fry till onion turns translucent.
Add cooked peanut to the above, finely add coriander leaves, coconut and salt. Mix well.

Serve hot with a cup of tea.

Note : Change garnishing as per your taste.

Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2

Kothoranga Poriyal (Cluster beans poriyal)

This simple yummy poriyal goes very well with dal and rice.

Ingrediants
Cluster beans - 250gms (Cleaned and finely chopped)
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

For tadka
Onion - 1 (Finely Chopped)
Red chilli - 2
Curry Leaves - 5
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Cooking Method

In a kadai, Add cluster beans, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook till done and ensure the water evaporates completely.

Set this aside. In an other kadai, Heat oil, add mustard, chana dal, curry leaves and red chilli.
Once you get a nice aroma, Add onions and saute till light brown. Add required salt and the cooked cluster beans.

Mix well.

Note : You can garnish with shredded coconut.
          You can add an egg in the end and scramble it into the poriyal.

Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 3

Methi Chapathi

My mom makes this yummy methi chapathi. I used to love this as it has a nice taste of methi and a lovely aroma of jeera.

Ingrediants

Methi leaves : 1cup (Chopped)

Ashirwad Atta 2cup

Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Oil - To roast the chapathi

Cooking Method

Make a soft dough using all the ingrediants with water or with a combination of water and milk. Apply 1tsp of oil on the dough, knead well and set aside for half an hour.

Heat the tava, Take a small ball of dough and roll into a small puri, spread 1tsp oil and sprinkle atta on it. Fold this and roll it into any desired shape. Place the rolled dough on the tava, keep the flame on medium, Once you see small bubbles on the chapathi, turn the chapathi and cook till done. Finally spread some ghee or oil on the chapathi.

Note : You can replace methi leaves with grated carrot or cooked and pureed palak.

Pomfret Fry

Fish is our favourite... Coming from deep south, Fish is not a rareity in our homes. Here is a recipe for a fish fry which is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Ingrediants

Pomfret fish - 4 small (Cleaned and slit like the picture below)

For Marination

Rice Powder - 2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 11/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 11/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Vinegar or Lime juice - 3tsp
Salt

Make a paste of all of the above ingrediants with water. Apply it on the fish. Ensure you rub it into the fish.
Marinate the fish for a couple of hours.

Heat oil in a pan, When oil is heated add the fish. one at a time. Sprinkle some curry leaves. Fry the fish on low flame. As thats when the flavour sweeps in. Keep the pan covered.  Turn the fish and cook on the otherside till its golden brown.

Serve with onions and lime.

Vermicelli Upma

This is a very easy breakfast or can be eaten as a evening tiffin, When you have guest in large number, This recipe will help you.

Ingrediants

Vermicelli - 2 Cups

Onion - 1 (Finely Chopped)

Green Chilli - 2 (Slit)

Ginger - 1" (Finely minced)

Cashewnuts - 6-7 (Optional)

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 10

Turmeric - a pinch

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil

Cooking Method

Heat kadai, add ghee and roast vermicelli on slow flame till the colour changes. (This is an important step, be careful not to burn it, Preferably dont buy roasted vermicelli) Set this aside.

Heat oil, add mustard, chana dal, cashew and curryleaves.

Add ginger and green chilli followed by onions and turmeric.

Add salt.

Fry till onion turns translucent, Add Vermicelli and fry this mixture for some time.

In an other pan boil water.

Add 1 cup boiled water to vermicelli and mix well, Add an other 1/2 cup if you feel vermicelli is not cooked.

Mix well and close the kadai for a minute, Saute till all the water is absorbed by vermicelli.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chutney, pickle or sugar.

Note : If you add too much water, Vermicelli will become like a paste, Slowly add water, Even if its semi cooked, it will get cooked when you close the kadai and cook.

Cook on slow flame.

Cooking time : 20 Minutes

Serves : 2-3

Simple Dal

This preparation is truely a comfort food.

Ingrediants
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Tomato - 3 (Medium, chopped)
Onion - 1 (Medium. chopped)
Green Chilli - 3 (Slit)
Garlic - 4 pods
 Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - A pinch

Garnishing
Mustard - 1tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Red chilli - 4
Curry Leaves - 10
Salt
Oil

Cooking Method
Pressure cook dal with tomato,onion, garlic, green chilli, asafoetida,turmeric and 1tsp oil.
Mash the cooked dal with a masher.
Heat an other kadai, add oil, mustard,  jeera, red chilli and curry leaves, add this to the dal, Mix the required salt.

Garnish with coriander.

Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 3

Note : Change the seasoning as per your taste.

Stuffed Brinjal

For Stuffing

Chana Dal - 5tsp

Urad Dal - 5tsp

Pepper - 2tsp

Chutney Dal - 3tsp

Ground Nut - 3tsp

Jeera - 1tsp

Sesame Seeds - 1tsp

Cardomom - 1"

Clove - 4

Elachi - 2

Coriander Seeds - 2tsp

Chilli Powder - 10

Asafoetida - 1/2tsp

Tamarind (Size of gooseberry)

salt

Method

In a kadai dry roast each ingrediant on slow flame till aroma comes.

Cool down and grind it into a fine powder. This can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 months

Cut Brinjal into four keeping the stem intact. Deep fry the brinjal in oil till its half done.

Remove from fire. Mix the stuffing powder with water, make a smooth paste, apply it to the brinjals.

Keep it in a non-stick tava, Roast in slow flame, till its well cooked.

Serve with dal and rice.

Cooking time : 20 minutes (Excluding the stuffing preparation time)

Note : You can substitute brinjal with lady's finger.

           You can mix the powder with vinegar or lime juice also.

Cabbage Poriyal

My mom makes a variety of poriyals and Kutti's. When we were small we used to have atleast 2 veggies on any given day apart from the curry she makes. I wonder now how she had the time to do all that. We had to leave for school at 7:15AM !!!! She truely is a super woman. 
Here is a easy and yum porriyal.

Ingrediants
Cabbage - 1 Small (Shredded)
Onion - 1 small (Chopped)
Green chilli - 3 slit
Curry leaves - 10
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Coriander - 2 tsp (Chopped)
Oil
Salt

Cooking Method
Heat oil in a kadai, Add mustard, Jeera and curry leaves, Once they splutter, Add onions and green chillies.
Once onion turns translucent, add cabbage and salt, Cover and cook on low flame, mixing now and then.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2

Chapathi

If there was a contest for the world's worst chapathi's i would have won it !!!! I used to ask all most all the friends we met for tips to make soft chapathi's and their immediate answer would be "Oh thats so easy" and thats enough to annoy me!!!

After a lot of research i found some life saving tips on Aayi's Recipes and my periamma gave me some tips which has helped me make soft and yummy chapathi's. Here's my recipe to soft chapathi.

Ingrediants
Ashirwad Atta - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Salt
Oil - 1tsp

Method
Mix milk, water, salt. Add this mixture slowly to the atta and make a soft dough. If you feel the dough is too sticky, sprinkle some atta on it and knead well. You should knead the dough for a good 5-10 minutes. Smear oil on the dough. Knead and keep the dough covered for 30min to 1hour.

Heat the tava, Take a small ball of dough and roll into a small puri, spread 1tsp oil and sprinkle atta on it. Fold this and roll it into any desired shape. Place the rolled dough on the tava, keep the flame on medium, Once you see small bubbles on the chapathi's, turn the chapathi and cook till done. Finally spread some ghee or oil on the chapathi.

Keep in mind
Tava has to be hot.
The dough should not be hard.
Dont leave the chapathi on the tava for too long, It will make them hard.
You can make the dough even with just water, My mom makes chapathi's with water and they still come soft (I wonder how!!!) :)
While rolling the chapathi dont dust too much atta on it.

Egg Burji

Since most of my readers are the newbie's in the kitchen, I am ensureing that even the simplest of the recipe is posted :) Egg is my favourite and comes to my rescue when i am left with no time and energy to cook.

Ingredients
Eggs - 3
Onion - 1 (Finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Finely chopped)
Curry leaves
Mustard
Green Chilli - 2 (Chopped)
Jeera Power - 1/2tsp (Optional)
Oil
Salt

Cooking Method
Seperate the yolk from the egg. Beat it till fluffy and then add the yolk and beat for a minute. This method makes the egg preparation soft and perfect.
Heat oil, add mustard, curry leaves and green chilli. Fry for a minute.
Add onion, fry till its transparent, add tomatoes, salt and jeera powder, Fry till the mixture turns pulpy.
Finally add egg mixture, leave for 30 seconds and then scrabble it till done.
Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve with chapathi, Puri or Bread.

Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 2

Upma

When we were kids mom used to ask us, what do u want for breakfast and my immediate answer would be "UPMA" and everyone else would stare at me !!! I used to wonder why no one like this yummy smooth easy to digest breakfast. I like to eat my upma with banana and sugar.
Here is a recipe for simple upma.

Ingredients
Sooji - 1cup (Roasted)
Onion - 1 (Medium, chopped)
Ginger - 1" (Finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 2 (Chopped)
Curry leaves
Mustard
Jeera (Optional)
Urad dal (Optional)
Coconut - 2tsp(Optional)
Salt
Ghee
Oil

Cooking Method
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, jeera and urad dal roast till you get a nice aroma.
Add chilli, ginger once fried add curry leaves and onions.
Once onions turn translucent, add rava, and fry will all the seasonings and salt for 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water, cover and cook on slow flame till all water is absorbed and is soft and creamy.
Garnish with coconut and some ghee.
Mix well and serve with chutney.

Note: All the seasonings are optional you can add or delete as per your liking.
         Roast rava in a big batch and store for future use.

Cooking time : 20min
Serves : 2

Simple Tomato Pickle

I am happy today as i received a comment from Jane and this is the first comment i received from an outsider apart from family members. I started this blog on the 1st of October and kept wondering if someone even read my blog. Jane's comment is a great encouragement.

My grandmother was fondly known as Origa Patima (Pickle grandmom) for her famous pickle. We grew up with her pickle's, She makes the best brinjal pickle in the world. I remember finishing off an entire bottle of pickle with loaf of bread :) Our kitchen used to be filled with bottles of various mouth watering pickles. Give her any vegetable and she could make a pickle out of it. Although she is no more today the taste of pickles and the recipes she has left behind, keeps her alive in our homes n hearts.

This is a simple pickle for all the newbie's in the kitchen. Try it, Trust me there is no greater pleasure than eating a home made pickle with curd rice. Go ahead and surprise your loved ones with this simple recipe.

Ingredients

Tomato - 5

Tamaring paste / Vinegar - 2tsp

Mustard - 1tsp

Methi - 1/2tsp

Sesame-1tsp

Chilli Powder-1tsp

Turmeric-1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4tsp

Salt - 50gms

Cooking Method

Wash and wipe tomato. Chop it into small pieces.

Roast mustard,methi and sesame on low heat, once roasted add chilli powder and turmeric and switch off the stove. Once this is cooled, Grind it into a smooth powder.

In a kadai, add tomatoes, salt and cook on low flame till tomato is soft and nicely mashed. (Increase salt to increase the shelf life of the pickle as salt acts as a presevative.

Add vinegar and the spice powder, Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Cool and fill it in a clean and dry container.

Store in the fridge.

Cooking time 30 minutes.

Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal)

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan - sun's journey northwards. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal. This is a dish prepared with rice, dal, jaggery, dry fruits, sugar and milk. All these ingredients are cooked in a new clay pot in the open and allowed to boil over, signifying plenty and prosperity for the year ahead.
The tast of sakkarai pongal is soo heavenly that it does not require a festival to prepare it. I usually like to make both sweet and khara pongal together as we get to pamper our taste buds.

Ingredients
Rice (Preferably freshly harvested rice) - 11/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 11/2 cup
Milk -  6 cups
Cashew nuts
Raisins
Almonds
Cardomom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2-3tsp

Cooking Method
Chop cashew and almonds. Roast them in ghee and set it aside.
Heat a pan, and roast the moong dal on a low flame till u get a nice aroma. Add water and wash the dal well. This procedure is very important as it removes the slimyness of the dal.
Cook rice and dal with milk till soft and done.
In a thick bottom pan, Melt jaggery with a cup of water. Once the jaggery starts boiling add the rice and dal mixture, along with the dry fruits, cardomom powder and ghee.
Mix well, Bring the entire mixture to boil.

Note : Pongal tends to solidify as it cools down. You can add boiled milk to adjust the consistency.
          The given propotion of jaggery gives a mild sweetness, You can add sweet as per your taste.

Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 3-4

Venn Pongal (Khara Pongal)

I have hated pongal all my life, But my opinion of pongal changed when i tasted it in Saravana Bhavan in Dxb. They had the perfect blend of spices and the lightly flavoured ghee added an additional aroma to the dish. thus changed my opinion about this dish.

Here is this simple recipe.

Ingredients
Moong dal - 1cup
Rice - 1cup
Cashew nuts - 15
Pepper Corns - 10
Jeera - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 3 (Finely chopped)
Ginger - 1" (Finely chopped)
Salt
Curry leaves
Ghee

Cooking Method
Roast moong dal on a low flame till a nice aroma comes. Add water and wash the moog dal after roasting it.
Cook rice and dal in a pressure cooker. (Add 6 cups of water)
Heat ghee in a kadai, add pepper corns and jeera, Once roasted add ginger, chilli, cashewnuts and curry leaves.
Once its well fried add the cooked rice and dal mixture, Add required amount of salt.
Mix well.

Serve it hot with chutney or Raita.

Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 3-4

Ghee Rice

This recipe requires a lot of patience and time as this has to cook on a slow flame and you should not mix much or disturb the rice, When you cook in this method each grain is separate. This is a perfect flavoured rice with chicken stew or gravy or even a simple brinjal curry on a lazy weekend.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Onions - 2 (Finely sliced)

Green Chilli - 3 (Slit into two)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cardomom - 2"

Clove - 5

Cashewnut - 10

Raisins - 10

Ghee - 2tsp

Oil - 2tsp\

Salt

Cooking Method

Soak rice for one hour

Heat a thick bottom kadai with oil and ghee, add clove, cardomon, cashew and raisin. Mix for a minute, add onions and green chilli, fry well, add ginger garlic paste and salt. Fry till onion turns light brown.

Add soaked rice, fry for 2 minutes.

Add water in the propotion of 1:1.5 (For one cup of rice, add one and half cup of water).

Let the entire mixture come to boil. Cook covered on a slow flame till rice is done.

Serves : 2

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Parippu Payasam

Sorry i have not posted anything in the last 2-3 days as it was a long weekend.

Parippu payasam is a must in our home on most of the occassions and my periamma makes YUM payasam.... I love this payasam on a plantain leaf after a BIG MEAL. This payasam is traditionally eaten with ripe banana.

Ingredients

Moong dal 1cup

Coconut milk 2 cup (Thick)

Jaggery 1 cup

Raisin/Cashewnut

Coconut sliced

Ghee - 4 tsp

Cooking Method

Heat a pan, and roast the moong dal on a low flame till u get a nice aroma. Add water and wash the dal well.

This procedure is very important as it removes the slimyness of the dal.

Cook dal till it is just done and not mashy.

Heat a kadai, add jaggery along with a cup of water. Once jaggery is melted add cooked dal. mix well for a couple of minutes, Mix in coconut milk slowly. Ensure you cook this entire mixture on a low flame.

In an other kadai, heat ghee, fry coconut pieces, cashew nut and raisins till golden brown (Fry them seperately). Add this along with the ghee to the payasam.

Adjust the consistency of the payasam as per your taste.

Serve with banana.

Serves : 5

Cooking time : 30 min

Tips

• This payasam tend to solidify as it cools, to avoid this you can mix 2 tsp of custard powder in water or milk and add to the payasam. This way the payasam will remain in the consistency you desire for a long time.
• You can also use normal milk and coconut milk in 1:1 propotion.

Dry Fish Thokku

Coming from down south, fish in any form is a must in our household and dry fish is our all time favourite. I usually make this when i am in a hurry as this is a very simple and tasty dish.This thokku is more like a pickle as u can preserve this in the fridge for over a week.

Ingredients

Dry Fish - 200gms (Any fish will do, I have used nethali  (commerson's anchovy) here)

Onion - 2  (Medium, finely chopped)

Tomato - 3 (Medium, finely chopped)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Chilli Powder - 11/2 tsp

Coriander Powder 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Salt

Oil

Cooking Method

Clean and wash dry fish. Drain the water, spread on a kitchen towel. Once water is completely drained, Cut dry fish into small pieces.

Heat oil, Add dry fish and fry till the raw smell goes. Remove fish from oil and set aside.

In the same oil, Add curry leaves and onions, fry till onion turns light brown. Add fish, tomato and ginger garlic paste, fry for 2 minutes.

Add all the spice powders and salt.

Fry the entire mixture on slow flame till oil seperates from the mixture.

Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve with rice and plain dal.

Note: The Dry fish i used did not have salt in it, However most dry fish available in the market has loads of salt in them, So check before you add salt.

Cooking time : 30 Minutes

Serves 3

Bitter Gourd Fry

This is one vegetable, i hated as a child. Now that i have known the health benefits of BitterGourd i have started including it in my diet once a week. Though this is still not my favourite, I come up with some interesting recipes to ensure my taste buds are not disappointed.

Ingredients
Bitter Gourd 2 (Deseeded and cut into 3" Pieces)
Vinegar/Lemon juice - 3tsp
Chilli Powder - 1tsp
Coriander Powder - 1tsp
Jeera Powder - 1tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp (Optional)

Turmeric Powder - 1/2tsp

Salt

Cooking Method

Make a thick paste of all the spices with salt and vinegar.

Apply it on the bitter gourd pieces. Marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge.

Heat oil, Add the maarinated pieces and deep fry till crisp.

Serve hot with rice n dal.

Cooking time 15min (Excluding marination time)

Serves 2

Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 3 cups

Onion 2 (Medium, Sliced)

Tomato 2 (Medium, Finely chopped)

Carrot 1

Beans 15nos

Potato 1

Peas 100gms

Cinnamon 2 sticks

Clove 6

Salt

Masala (Grind)

Pudina 1/2 cup

Coriander Leaves 1/2 cup

Green Chilli 3-4

Ginger 3"

Garlic 6 Pods (Big)

Garam Masala 1 tsp

Cooking Method

Soak rice for half an hour

Heat oil, add clove and cinnamon.

Add onions, fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground masala and fry till the raw smell goes. Add salt.

Add tomato and fry till the oil seperates. Add all the chopped vegetables, fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the soaked rice and ghee, fry for a couple of minutes.

Add water in the propotion of 1:11/2 (For one cup of rice, add 1 and half cup of water).

Bring the entire mixture to boil, Reduce the flame, Keep the vessel on a tava. This ensures uniform cooking and gives a dum effect.

Ensure heat does not escape from the vessel. Cook for 15-20 min or till rice is cooked.

Cooking Time 1 hour

Serves 3-4

Cauliflower Fry

Ingredients

Cauliflower 1 (Medium)
Egg 2
Milk 4 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder 1 tsp
Jeera Powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Cooking Method
Cut Cauliflower, wash with salt and turmeric. 
Beat the egg with milk and all the spice powder along with salt.
Heat oil in a deep kadai.
Dip cauliflower in the egg mixture and deep fry in the oil.

Serve with sauce or chutney.

Cooking time 20 min
Serves 2

Rasam

As tamilians our lunch/dinner are never complete with Rasam and each home in the south has their own version of Rasam. This is my mom's version. As this has a tangy peppery flavour we prefer this.

Ingredients

Tamarind Water 1 cup

Tomato 3 (Medium)

Garlic 5 pods

Pepper 1 tsp

Jeera 1 tsp

Asafoetida A pinch

Rasam Powder 1 tsp (Optional)

Methi Seeds 1/2 tsp

Mustard 1tsp

Dry Chilli

Salt

Curry Leaves

Coriander Leaves

Cooking Method

Coarsely grind Garlic, Pepper, Jeera, Asafoetida, Rasam Powder.

Grind tomato seperately.

Heat oil, add mustard, methi seeds, curry leaves and dry chilli, once the aroma comes, add the coarsely ground garlic mixture.

Add tomato paste and fry till the raw smell is gone, add tamarind water n salt and bring the entire mixture to boil.

Garnish with coriander.

Serve with hot rice n ghee.

Cooking time 30 min

Serves 3

Mutton Biriyani

I love to make any form of one pot dishes and definetly Biriyani is our all time favourite and it makes its apperance in the kitchen more often than the others. Making Biriyani is surely an art and can be mastered with time. Each time I cook biriyani i learn something new. And the new prestige non-stick stockpot that i got has helped me make some good biriyani's.

Ingrediants
Mutton 1Kg
Basmati Rice 3/4Kg
Onion 6 (Medium, Sliced)
Tomato 5 (Medium, Sliced)
Coriander 1 Cup (Chopped)
Pudina 1 Cup (Chopped)
Green chilli 6-7(Slit)
Chilli Powder 3tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2tsp
Garam Masala 2 tsp
Curd 200gms
Ginger Garic Paste 3tsp
Cinnamon 3sticks
Clove 5nos
Oil 1 cup
Ghee 3 tsp
Salt

Cooking Method
Soak rice for half an hour.
In a large cooking bowl add water and the rice along with salt and 2tsp oil.
Cook the rice till its half done. Drain the water and spread rice on a large plate, Allow rice to cool.
This method ensures rice does not stick to each other.

Wash and cook meat with turmeric, 1tsp chilli powder and salt in a cooker till done.

Heat oil, add cinnamon, clove, bay leaf once they crackle add chilli's and pudina.
Once its fried, Add onions, fry on slow flame till brown.
Add tomatoes, ginger garlic paste fry for 3 minutes.
Add chilli powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala fry well till the oil seperates from the masala.
Add curd and fry till the curd blends with the masala.
Add cooked meat along with the soup and let it boil along with the masala for 15 minutes on slow flame.
Mix the cooked rice with the meat and masala. (Ensure that when u add the rice there is only a thin layer of oil / masala on the top layer)
Add ghee and coriander leaves.

Close the vessel, ensure the heat does not escape from the vessel. to acheive this u can keep a heavy object on the biriyani vessel.
Keep a pan on the stove and on the pan keep the biryani vessel and let it cook in dum for 15 - 20 min or until the rice is cooked.


Note

• This method of cooking does not require to add any additional water when u mix the rice and the masala as the rice gets cooked in the Dum.
• Use best quality of basmati rice as this enhances the taste.
• The quality of the vessel is also very important, Ensure you use a thick bottom vessel with a good lid.
• The cooking time of the rice largely depends on the quality of the rice. So the cooking time given is apporximate.
• If the meat has fat in it, u can reduce the amount of oil.
• Reduce or incease the amount of chilli/ chilli powder as per your taste.
• Colour of biriyani depends on the colour of ur chilli powder.
• Cook the biriyani only on slow flame.
• If you soak the rice for a long time , reduce the amount of water.

Cooking time 2 hours
Serves 4-5

Deep Fried Chicken Balls

I like chicken in any form, specially if its fried, The chicken we get here has a very tough meat unlike the ones in bangalore. I had some meat sitting in my fridge for couple of days , I was racking my brain to make something out of it as i don like to keep the meat for so long. I thought i would make cutlets but i had ran out of bread crumbs, hence came this simple recipe.

We throughly enjoyed this crispy, tasty chicken balls.

Ingredients
Boneless Chicken 1 kg (cooked)
Green Chilli 3-4nos
Coriander leaves 1/2 cup (cleaned and chopped)
Pudina leaves 1/2 cup (Cleaned and chopped)
Ginger garlic paste 11/2 tsp
Jeera 1tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1tsp
Curry leaves 10
Besan Flour 2tsp
salt
Oil to fry the chicken balls

Cooking Method

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth dough.

Make small balls of the dough and deep fry in hot oil.

Cooking time : 30min

Serves 5-6

Karamani Curry (Black eyed pea curry)

I love all varities of grams/lentils/pea's and this is a recipe from a good friend of mine. I have made my variations to it. This is a very filling dish.

Ingredients
Karamani (Black-eyed pea) 1cup
Potato 1 (Cubed into small pieces)
Brinjal 2 (Small, Cubed into small pieces)
Tomato 2 (Medium, Chopped finely)
Onion 1 (Big, chopped)
Ginger garlic paste 2tsp
Chilli Powder 1tsp
Coriander Powder 2tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Jeera 1tsp
Coriander leaves 1 small bunch
Coconut 1/2 cup (apporx 10tsp)
Salt
Oil
Mustard
Curry Leaves


Cooking Method

Masala
Grind the following ingredients into a smooth paste.
Coconut
1/2 of the coriander
2tsp of chopped tomato
2tsp of chopped onion
Ginger Garlic Paste
Chilli Powder
Coriander Powder
Turmeric

Pressure cook karamani for 4 whistles or till soft.
Heat oil, add mustard and curry leaves.
Add the remaining onion fry till onion turns light brown, add the remaining tomato, cook till tomato is soft.
Add masala and fry on slow flame till oil seperates from the masala.
Add brinjal and potato, close and cook till done. Add required amount of salt.
Finally add the cooked karamani with its water.
Let the curry boil for 2 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.

Cooking time 45 min
Serves 5-6 Adults

Peanut Chutney

I love this chutney with dosa and ghee :)

Ingredients

Peanut 1 cup (Roasted)

Onion 1 small

Garlic 3 pods

Green chilli 3

Coriander leaves 1 small bunch (Cleaned and chopped)

Jeera 1/2tsp

Tamarind juice 1/2tsp

Salt

Seasoning

Oil

Mustard

Urad Dal

Curry Leaves

Dry chilly

Cooking Method

In a mixie, grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste.

Heat oil, add mustard, urad dal, dry chilly and curry leaves. Once the aroma comes, add the tadka to the chutney.

Serve with Idli, Vada or Dosa.

Aloo Methi

Ingredients

Methi 1 Cup (Cleaned, chopped)
Potato 2 (Pealed, Cubed)
Onion 1 (Medium, sliced)
Tomato 1 (Small, finely chopped)
Chilli Powder 11/2tsp
Jeera Powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Curd 2 tsp (Beaten)
Mustard
Butter
Salt
Oil

Cooking Method
Heat oil, add mustard, Once mustard crackles, Add onion, fry for 1 minute on slow flame.
Add potato, chilli powder, Jeera powder, salt and garam masala, close the vessel and allow the potato to cook.
Once potato is cooked add methi and tomato's, Fry for 2 minutes.
Add curd to the aloo-methi mixture and fry well.
Garnish with scraped butter.

Serve with rotis or rice

Note If you want it in a gravy form, Add 1 cup water in the end and bring to boil.

Cooking time 30 minutes
Serves 2

Paneer Pakoda

Rainy days are always filled with vada's, bajji's, steaming hot tea and loads of pakodas.

I am posting this for Meeta's monthly mingle "High Tea Treats"

I had a strong craving for Pakoda today and hence this post ;)

Ingredients
Paneer 200gms
Besan flour 1/2 cup
Rice flour 1 tsp
Corn flour 1 tsp
Jeera powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Tumeric 1/4 tsp
Salt
Asofoetida A pinch
Baking soda A pinch
Oil

Cooking Method
Cut Paneer lenght wise. Make a thick batter with the rest of the ingredients other than oil.
Heat oil in the kadai.
Dip paneer in the batter and deep fry in the oil.

Serve with chutney or sauce and a hot cup of TEA.

Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 2 Adults

Keerai paripu Kadaisal (Dal with Spinach)

I tried to find out the english name of Pasalai Kerai. Some sites say that it is called as Indian Spinach. Looks like all kinds of greens are termed as Spinach :). This variety of greens can be easily grown in your kitchen garden. When i brought some couple of weeks ago i managed to find some healthy stems and i planted it in my pot to my surprise i could see a few fresh leaves.

Ingredients
                                                                              
Pasalai Keerai - 150 gms (Cleaned and chopped)

Toor Dal or Moog dal - 3/4 cup

Onion 1 (Medium. Coarsely chopped)
Tomato 2 (Medium Coarsely chopped)
Green Chilli (3, remove seeds)
Garlic 7 pods
Asafoetida a pinch
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Oil
Salt
Mustard
Jeera
Dry chilli
Curry Leaves

 Cooking Method

 In a Cooker, Add washed dal, Pasalai Keerai, Onion, Tomato, Chilli, Garlic, Asafoetida, Turmeric and one spoon oil.

Cook till dal is done. Mash with a masher till smooth. Add salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, Add mustard and Jeera once they crackle, Add dry chilli and curry leaves, Mix in the dal.

Serve hot with rice and ghee.

Cooking time 30 minutes
Serves 3-4