Dhal Biriyani February 24, 2009

INGREDIENTS:

1. Rice – 1 cup (Basmati rice can also be substituted)

2. Toor dhal – 1/2 cup

3. Moon dhal – 1/2 cup

4. Onion – 1 big (slit lengthwise)

5. Carrot – 1 big (cut legthwise)

6. Beans – 10 to 15 pods

7. Tomato – 2

8. Chilli powder – 2 tsp

9. Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp

10. Spices – (Cardomon-2, Star aniseed-1, Cinnomon-1 inch stick, cloves- 2, bay leaves)

11. Oil – as needed

12. Ghee – as needed

13. Salt- as reqd

14. Lemon

15. Mint leaves – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

16. Corriander leaves – 1/2 cup(finely chopped)

17.Ginger garlic paste – 1 table spoon

18. Potato – 1 big (cut into 1inch cubes)

19. Shallots (small onions) – 10 to 15 nos.

METHOD:

1. Soak the rice and dhal together in water for 1/2 n hour.

2. Cut all the vegetables.

3. In a pressure cooker, pour oil and ghee in 1:1 ratio, and once heated, splutter spices.

4. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt and saute until it turns pink.

5. Then, add the ginger garlic paste together with chopped corriander and mint leaves.

6. Saute until the raw smell leaves the paste and brings out the oil from the mixture.

7. Add the vegetables, turmeric powder, chilli pwdr and mix well.

8. Close the lid and cook in low flame for 5 mins, stirring inbetween until a gud aroma comes out of the mixtue.

9. Now, add the rice  and dhal with 4 cups of water (1:2 ratio). (u can add 1/2 a cup of water more incase u need little soggy)

10. Squeeze the lemon and mix well.

11. Check for salt and close the lid.

12. Cook for 3 whistles.

13. Turn of the flame and remove from the stove.

14. While opening the pressure cooker, garnish with corriander leaves.

15. Serve hot with onion raita or chicken gravy or any side dishes as u like.

Note:

1.You can fry some cashewnuts in ghee and toss it over the biriyani before u serve..

2. Channa dhal or red gram can also be added to make variations.

Dhall keerai curry November 18, 2008

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dhall - 1/2 cup

2. Greens (keerai ) – 1 Bunch ( any keerai)

3. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

4. Dry red chilli – 5 or 6

5. Curry leaves – few

6. Garlic – 5 or 6 pods

7. Ghee – 1 tbsp

8. Oil – 1 tbsp

9. Salt – as reqd

10. Red chilli pwdr – 1/2 tsp

11. Onion – 1 med size

12. Turmeric pwdr – 1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook dhall with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr for 5 whistles or  20 mins and set aside.

2. In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Toss the crushed garlic, dry red chillies and curry leaves.

4. Add the finely chopped onions with 1/2 tsp salt and saute until it turns pink.

5. Clean the finely chopped greens with water, drain it and add to the onions.

6. Saute, until the greens get cooked.

7. Add the cooked dhall to it and add 1/2 tsp Chilli pwdr and allow it to boil.

8. When it boils, add the 1 tbsp ghee to it and keep stirring.

9. Remove from fire and serve with potato fry and Pappadam.

Pasta Alfredo ! November 18, 2008

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Macroni – 1/2 cup

2. Milk – 1.5 cups ( Full cream is optional)

3. Corn flour – 1 tbsp

4. Pepper – 1tsp

5. Garlic powder – 1/2 tsp

6. salt – to taste..

7. Corriander leaves – 3 twigs

8. Olive oil – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

1. Boil water in a vessel, add 1 tsp salt to it and toss the Macroni to it, until it is half cooked. ( 2 mins)

2. ln a pan, Pour the milk, salt, pepper powder, Garlic powder, chopped corriander leaves and bring to boil.

3. Mix the corn flour in 2 tbsps of water and pour it over the boiled milk.

4. Add the olive oil and the cooked macroni and allow it to boil.

5. Keep stirring until it reaches a thick consistency.

6. Set off the fire and serve it with Ketchup or Chilli sause.

Fish Curry August 21, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Fish – 3 big pieces. ( Batang, kingfish)

2. Shallots (small onions) - 10 nos( to grind), 10 nos (to season)

3. Grated coconut – 2tbsp

4. Ginger – 1″ piece

5. Garlic – 8 pods

6. Fennel seeds – 1tsp

7. Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

8. Corriander seeds – 1 tsp

9. Chilli pwdr – 1tbsp

10. Corriander pwdr – 3 tbsp

11. Tomato – 1 med size

12. Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp

13. Curry leaves – few

14. Corriander leaves – 5 figs

15. Salt – to taste

16. Oil – as reqd

METHOD:

1. Clean the fish and marinate it with 1/4tsp turmeric pwdr, 1/2tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chilli pwdr, and refrigirate it for half n hour.

2. Pour oil in a pan, season it with fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, corriander seeds. Follow it with crushed ginger and garlic.

3. Then add the onions and saute well. Finally add the grated coconut and fry for 2 mins and turn off the fire.

4. Allow it to cool and grind it and keep it aside.

5. In a deep bottomed vessel, pour oil and add 1tsp cumin seeds, curry leaves and shallots (small onions) and keep stirring.

6. Follow it with tomatos, chilli pwdr, turmeric pwdr, corriander pwdr, salt and cook in low flame with the lids on. (Need not stir, and smash the tomatoes)

7. Once the tomatoes are half cooked, add the ground mixture and little water to it.

8. Allow it to boil for 10 mins in medium flame with the lids on. Keep stirring in between.

9. Now add the fish pieces to the boiling gravy and cook for 2 mins in medium flame with the lids on.

10. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve it with rice, dosa, idly.

Chilli Chicken 65 August 16, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chicken – 1/4 kg cut into small pieces

2. Curd – 1 tbsp

3. Corn flour – 2tbsp

4. Salt – 1tsp

5. Turmeric pwdr – 1/4 tsp

6. Chilli pwdr – 1/4 tsp

7. Chilli chicken pwdr – 1 tsp

8. Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

9. Food color – 1 pinch

10. Oil as reqd

METHOD:

1. In a bowl add the corn flour and mix all the ingredients from 4 to 9.

2. Then, add the curd to it and mix to a thick batter( need not add water).

3. Mix the chicken to it and allow it to soak for half n hour in the freezer.

4. Heat oil in a pan, and fry the chicken until it is cooked.

5. Serve it as an appetizer.

Chicken Biriyani – II August 16, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chicken – 1/2 kg

2. Basmati rice – 3 cups

3. Onion – 2 med size

4. Tomato - 1 med

5. Ginger – 1 inch

6. Garlic – 6 to 8 pods

7. Mint leaves – 1/4 cup chopped

8. Corriander leaves – 1/4 cup chopped

9. Spices – 2 Cloves, 1 star aniseed, 1″cinnomon stick, 2 cardomon

10. salt to taste

11. Oil – 2 tbsp

12. Ghee – 2 tbsp

13. Turmeric pwdr – 1/4 tsp

14. Chilli pwdr – 1 tsp

15. Shallots (small onions) – 1/2 cup slit into half

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for half n hour.

2. Cut onions and tomatoes length vise.

3. Grind together ginger and garlic

4. Marinate chicken with 1/2tsp turmeric pwdr, 1tsp chilli pwdr, 1tsp salt and refrigirate for half n hour.

5. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and toss the spices into it.

6. When it splutters, add the onions and 1 tbsp salt and stir for 2 mins.

7. Then add the ginger garlic paste together with mint and corriander leaves.

8. Saute until the fresh smell of ginger garlic leaves the mixture.

9. Add the chicken and the tomatoes along with turmeric pwdr and chilli pwdr.

10. Keep stirring until the masala gets blended with the chicken.

11. Add the rice to it.

12. Then add 900ml of water (1cup rice:300ml water) and chk for salt. (It shd be little salty)

13. Add 1 tsp ghee and mix well so that the rice does not sticks together.

14. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

15. Serve it with onion raita, chicken fry, mutton fry or any gravies.

16. Serves 4 to 6 persons.

Dry red chilli chutney August 16, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dry red chilli – 3 nos ( if u need too spicy, else add 2)

2. Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

3. Garlic – 3 pods

4. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

5. Gram dhall – 2 tbsp

6. Salt – 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Grind together all the ingredients with little water to a smooth paste.

2. Season it with 1 tsp oil, mustard seeds and few curry leaves.

3. Serve it with Idly, Dosai.

Ragi porridge ( 6 to 12 months) August 16, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Ragi flour – 1 tbsp

2. Jaggery – 2 tsp or 1″ cube crushed

3. Milk – 50 ml

4. Water – 50 ml

METHOD:

1. Boil the 50 ml water and add jaggery to it.

2. When the jaggery is completely melted, filter it and add it to the ragi flour.

3. Also add the milk and mix well.

4. Heat a deep bottomed vessel and pour the mixture to it.

5. Keep stirring until it is cooked well and becomes a thick consistency.

6. Allow it to cool and serve ur baby.

Apple with Cereal (6 to 12 months) August 16, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1. Apple – 1

2. Plain rice or wheat cereal – 2 tsp

METHOD:

1. Peel of the skin and deesed the apple.

2. Cut into small pieces and steam cook for 10 mins.

3. Allow it to cool and grind it to a smooth paste.

4. Add the 2 tsp of cereal to it and mix well.

5. Serve it as breakfast or evening snack.

Fish Biriyani August 15, 2008

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

To make fish gravy:

1. Fish ( preferably kingfish, Batang) – 3 pieces ( I have used Tenggiri here)

2. Onion – 2 med size

3. Tomato – 1 big

4. Ginger – 2 inchs

5. Garlic – 7 pods

6. Spices – (Cinnamon stick – 1 inch, Cloves – 2, Cardomom-2, Star aniseed – 1, Bay leaf – 1)

7. Fennel seeds – 1tsp

8. Grated coconut – 1 tbsp

9. Corriander leaves – 1/2 cup

10. Chilli pwdr – 1 tsp

11. Turmeric pwdr – 1/2 tsp

12. Garam masala pwdr – 1/4 tsp

13. Curd – 2 tbsp

14. Ghee – 2 tbsp

15. Mint leaves – 1/4 cup

16. Green chilli – 2

To make Rice;

1. Basmati rice – 3 cups

2. Cinnomon stick – 1/2 “

3. Salt – 1 tsp

METHOD:

To prepare rice:

1. Grease the vessel with 1/2 tsp oil and pressure cook rice with 1 and half times water( 1cup rice: 1.5cup water,  ratio), salt, and cinnomon stick. (1 tsp ghee can also be added to remain nonsticky)

2. After it is cooked, spread it on a vessel and allow it to cool.

To prepare fish:

3. Marinate the fish with turmeric pwdr, chilli pwdr, and salt and refrigirate for half n hour.

4. In a plate, mix 1 tsp chilli pwdr, 1/4 tsp salt and mix with 2 tbsp water ( shd be of thick consistency).

5. Dip the fish pieces into this mixture and spread it on a tawa. Pour oil around it, cook by turning it on both sides.

6. When cooked, remove it from fire, cool it and then remove the skin and bones from it and make it into 1” cubed pieces. keep it aside.

To prepare fish gravy n Biriyani:

7. In a deep bottomed vessel or in a pressure cooker, heat the oil and ghee in equal ratios, and toss the spices, fennel seeds to it.

8. Add the slit onions and ginger garlic coconut paste(grind together ginger,garlic, coconut), chopped mint leaves and corriander leaves and saute it.

9. When the oil leaves the onion, add the tomatoes, chilli pwdr, turmeric pwdr, garam masala pwdr and the green chillies to it. Keep stirring.

10. Once the tomatoes are smashed well add the beaten curd to it and stir for 5 mins.

11. Then add the cooked rice and fish pieces together..and mix well.

12. Check for salt and garnish with corriander leaves.

13. Fried cashews can also be added to give a rich flavor.

14. Serve it with Onion raita.