Ever since i got this recipe ,I had been making this Spinach and Carrots Pulav for a long time.I make it more often and my family just loves this Pullao.The best part…I don’t have to hover around the stove and after we have relished it, I have only 1 dish to clean. wow!

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Oil – 2 tbsp

Onion – 1/2 med, finely sliced

Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp

Black Cardamom – 1

Cinnamon Stick – 1″ pc.

Cloves – 1

Green Cardamom – 1

Bay Leaf – 1

Spinach – 1 bunch, chopped (2 cups packed)

Carrots – 2, grated

Water – 2 cups

Red Chili Powder – to taste

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.Wash and soak the Basmati Rice for at least 1/2 hour.

2.In a pressure cooker add Oil, Fennel Seeds, Onions, Big Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick, Green Cardamom, Bay Leaf and Cloves. Mix well.

3.Add in the Chopped Spinach and the Grated Carrots. Mix well and cook for 3 min.

4.Drain the water from the soaked Rice and add it in the cooker

5.Add Salt, Red Chili Powder and 2 cups Water. Mix well put the lid back and close.

6. pressure cook for 2 -3 whistles ( Know your cooker and adjust the cooking time based on it)

7.Let the Rice stand for a few minutes before you fluff it up with a fork. (Note: wait for the pressure to go down by itself before you open the lid)

8.Serve hot with Raita, Yogurt and/or pickle.

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.

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.

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.

Mixed Dhall Rice:

 This is one of the most common recipes from Coimbatore.

The actual name is “ARISI PARUPPU SADAM” in my mother tongue

More a simplified version of Bisibellabath I shd say!!!

Required:

 Rice                             : 1 cup

Toor Dhal                    : ¾ cup

Small onion                 : 10 -12 shallots (thinly sliced)

Tomato                        : 1 small (thinly sliced)

Grated coconut           : 1 tbsp – sauté with lil oil n keep aside

Red Chilli                    : 2 – 3

Curry leaves                : a few

Garlic                          : 1 crushed

Zeera Seeds                 : ½ tbsp

Coriander leaves         : a few cut

Chilli powder              : ½ tbsp

Sambar powder           : 1 tbsp

Tumeric Powder          : lil

Salt                              : to taste

 Method:

 1. Add oil in the pressure cooker, splutter Zeera seeds, add

      sliced onion ,tomato, coriander leaves, curry leaves and sauté well.

2. Add chilli powder,turmeric powder and sambar powder and sauté well

3. Add the required water ,rice and dhall and check for salt

4. add the sauted grated coconut and close the lid

5. Afte three whistles switch off the cooker and serve hot!!

6. It tastes well with Potato stir fry! Find the recipe in my next post!

Chicken Biriyani:

This is one of the recipes I learned from my mom and I jus love it..though I make other

 Kinds of chicken biriyani too..

 I just freak on this when I go to India…with my Mom’s love sprinkled all over her

Biriyani!

Required:

 Zeera rice or Basmati rice                   : 2 cups

Onion (Big)                                         : 2

Coriander leaves                                 : 1 bunch (cut)

Mint leaves                                          : ¼ bunch 9 (cut)

Tomato                                                : 1 small (sliced)

Oil                                                       : as reqd

Ghee                                                    : as Reqd

Lemon Juice                                        : of one full lemon

Bay Leaves                                         : 2

Green Chilli                                         : 2 split

 To make the paste:

 Ginger                                                 : 3 inches ( cut)

Garlic                                                  : 12 shallots

Red Dry Chillies                                 : 12 – 13

Small Onion                                        : 10 shallots

Cloves                                                 : 3

Cinnamon                                            : 1 inch

 Make a paste of small onions separately and keep aside

Then make a paste of the rest of the ingredients and keep aside

 Marinate the chicken with 1tbsp of chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder and

Refrigerate it for abt 30 minutes

 Method:

 Add Half the reqd amount of oil as ghee and rest as oil

1. Add the green chillies,bay leaves
2. Add the Ground paste of small onions and saute well for abt 5 mins
3. Add onion, tomato and saute for abt 10 mins
4. Add the Coriander and Mint leaves and sauté for abt 2 mins
5. Add the Ground paste of the masala now saute fro abt 10 mins on low flame until

The oil separates well.

1. Add the marinated chicken and sauté well for abt 10 mins.
2. Now add required water, the washed and drained rice and check for salt.
3. Once the bubbles start coming, add some more coriander leaves,lil ghee and lemon juice (don’t stir after adding the lemon juice)
4. Cook on low flame until two whistles,wait fro abt 5 -6  minutes,release the pressure by slowly holding the whisltle up!!!
5. Serve with Egg Masala or chicken masala!

INGREDIENTS:

1. Basmati rice – 3 cups

2. Carrot – 1 big

3. Potato – 1 big

4. Beans – 10 pods

5. Onion – 1 big

6. Tomato – 1 small

7. Oil – 4 tbsp

8. Ghee – 2 tbsp

9. Spices ( cinanomon, cardomon, cloves, aniseed, bayleaf) – few

10. Chilli pwdr – 1/2 tsp

11. Salt – 2 tsp or as reqd.

TO GRIND:

1. Grated coconut – 2 table spoons

2. Ginger – 1 inch

3. Garlic – 7 or 8 big pods

4. Cinnamon stick – 1 inch

5. Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

6. Mint leaves – 1/2 cup

7. Corriander leaves – 1/2 cup

8. Green chilli – 8 or 9

METHOD:

1. Soak rice in water for half n hour.

2. De-skin the carrot n potato.  Cut all the vegetables into small pieces.

3. Grind the ‘to grind’ ingredients together.

4. Heat the oil n ghee in a cooker n add the spices.

5. After it splutters add the onions along with salt and saute it until it turns pink.

6. Add rest of all the vegetables, chilli pwdr n stir well.

7. Now add the ground mixture n stir well until the raw smell of ginger garlic n coconut leaves the mixture.

8. Add 1 cup rice : 1.5 cup water or for 3 cups rice add 900 ml of water n stir well.

9. Chk for salt ( it shd be little salty) before closing the lid.

10. Switch off in 3 whistles.

11. Serve it with onion raita, chicken fry, mutton gravy or fish fry.

 Note:

Serves 5 or 6 people.

Add fried cashews and bread pieces to make it rich.

Its my momz recipe…one of my favourite too..

Ingredients:

1. Basmati rice – 2 cups

2. Onion – 2 big

3. Tomatoes – 2 big

4. Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

5. Salt as reqd

6. Oil as reqd

7. Ghee 1 tbsp

8. Mint leaves – 1/4 cup

9. corriander leaves _ 1/4 cup

10. Prawn ( tiger prawn or red prawn ) – 1/2 kg

11. Spices – (cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, bayleaves) – 1 sp

12. Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

13. Chilli powder – 2 tsp

14. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

15. Carrot – 1 big

Method:

1. Pressure cook rice with 1 spoon oil n 1 tsp salt.  Set it aside n allow it to cool.

2. Marinate the prawn with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder n 1/4 tsp salt n refrigirate it for 15 min.

To make prawn gravy:

3. Finely chop onions n tomatoes.

4. Pour oil in a pan, n splutter fennel seeds n then add the onions n 1 tsp salt n saute until it turns transparent.

5. Add the tomatoes with turmeric powder n chilli powder with closed lid in lower flame..until the tomatoes get smashed.

6. Add the prawns to it n stirr well. Again close lid n simmer it until the prawns are done.

7. It wud have left out some water after a while..now increase the flame n keep stirring until it gets semi dry.

8. Check for salt n keep it aside.

To make Prawn Biriyani:

9. In a deep bottomed vessel add 1:1 ratio oil n ghee, n add the spices to it.

10. Add the ginger garlic paste n chopped corriander n mint leaves together to it. (adding leaves along with ginger garlic will lessen the chances to stick to the bottom).

11. When the raw smell leaves the paste, add the prawn gravy to it..n stir until the oil comes out.

12. Now add the rice n grated carrot together, n mix well until the mixture gets thoroughly blended to the rice.. (use very low flame while stirring)

13. Keep stirring until the carrot is done. (make sure you do not break the rice).

14. Remove from fire n close the lid n keep it aside for 5 min..

15. Serve with onion raita.