Mom's special Beef vindaloo

 

INGREDIENTS

 

• Beef, cut into cubes: 1 kg 
• Onion: 2 big ones thinly sliced 
• Ginger: 1 tsp thinly sliced 
• Garlic: 1 ½ tsp thinly sliced 
• Chilly powder: ½ - 1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp 
• Coriander leaves – ¾ cup chopped reserve a little for garnishing 
• Salt: to taste 
• Vinegar: 1 1/2 tbsp or depending on your taste 
• Water ¾ cup

To Grind:  

• Fennel seeds: 1 tsp 
• Peppercorns: 2 tsp (depending on your taste) 
• Cardamom: 4 
• Cloves 4 
• Cinnamon sticks 2 small pieces 
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp 

 Method:

• Grind the ingredients for under the grind list into fine powder and add vinegar and keep aside. 
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker; add the sliced ginger and garlic and sauté till its light brown in color. 
• Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté till they are soft and light brown. 
• Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, coriander leaves and masala paste and sauté for a minute. 
• Add the beef and fry for 5 minutes. 
• Add enough water to cover the beef and cook till the beef is done. 
• Open the cooker after all the pressure is gone .The gravy should be thick. If there is more water just simmer for few more minutes till you get thick gravy. 

 

 

 

 

 

Naadan chicken fry ~ Kerala style

 

It has been so long since I turned this way. Life has been busy with the new baby and moving and all things like that. Hopefully I am getting back to the normal routines and will be able to blog more often. Thank you for all your kind support.
This is a recipe that I found in a magazine that my mom sent me. It was a big hit in my family from the first time I made it. for a helathier version you can omit the last part of frying with coconut oil, but it tastes so wonderful when you fry it.





INGREDIENTS:
1. Chicken                 1 kg, cleaned and cut into small pieces

2. Coriander powder           3 tablespoon

   Turmeric powder                 1 teaspoon

   Garam masala powder         1 teaspoon

   Chilly powder                      1 teaspoon

   Pepper Powder                  1 ½ teaspoon

   Ginger-Garlic paste              1 teaspoon

   Curry leaves                         1 handful

3. Coconut oil                           3 tablespoon

    Green chilly                          2 , slit (optional)

METHOD

• Marinate the chicken pieces with at he ingredients under 2 for half an hour or more.

• Heat a saucepan, add chicken along with enough water; cover and cook until the meat is tender. Open the lid, and increase the flame and dry up the water to coat the chicken with masala.

• If you dont want to fry it in coconut oil just continue sautéing till it gets a brown color. 

• In another Pan, Heat the coconut oil, add the chicken pieces and sauté till you get the golden brown color.

  

Serve with rotti’s and biryani

Source: Pachakam magazine

Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is like the ultimate on the go meal and I have been craving for one for a long time. I tried many of the Middle Eastern restaurants nearby but in vain. So what do we do??? Yes, we make it ourselves. And, to my surprise it came out pretty good...Nothing compared to the traditional Shawarma of course!


Nevertheless, it did give me complete satisfaction when I bit into that juicy meaty and most delicious wrap. I added all my favorite toppings from pickled beets and carrots to French fries. Who is going to stop me right?

INGREDIENTS:


FOR THE MARINADE:

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into thin strips

• 1 cup plain yogurt

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp pepper

• Salt to taste

• 1/2tsp ground cardamom

• 1/2tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp dried parsley

• ½ tsp chilies powder more if u want it spicy

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• juice from 1 lemon



FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 cup tahini (available in any middle eastern super market)

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons yogurt

PITA FILLINGS:

• 8 loaves of pita bread

• thinly slice cucumbers

• thinly sliced onions

• thinly sliced tomatoes

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

• pickle slices l(green chilies thinly sliced, beets or carrots

• French fries

• Chopped lettuce

USE any of your favorite fillings



METHOD:

Preparing the chicken

• Combine all the ingredients under marinade with the chicken strips and keep it covered in the refrigerator at least for two hrs…the more the better.

• In a heated pan, add some olive oil and cook the chicken on medium heat until its cooked well .Do not let it dry out. It should be juicy! Remove and keep aside.


FOR THE SAUCE

Combine all the ingredients under sauce and keep aside

ASSEMBLING:

• Take a pita bread and spread the tahini sauce over it (can add hot sauce if u want it to be a little spicy)

• Add some chicken strips, some of your favorite filling and roll like you would roll burritos and you have your own Shawarma!!!

Chicken Kababs

                                 

INGREDIENTS: 

1. Chicken : 2 lb boneless chicken breast
2. Onion 1 medium chopped

     a. Green Chilly 2
b. Garlic 8 pods
c. Ginger 2 medium piece
d. Shallots 5
e. Tomato 1
f. Curry leaves- a few
g. Coriander leaves- chopped a small bunch
 3. Thick Curd- ½ cup

 a. Lemon- 1

 b. Salt to taste

4. Turmeric 1 tbsp

 5. Chilly powder- 1 tbsp or to taste

 6. Pepper powder- 1tsp

 7. Garam masala ½ tsp

 8. Chicken masala 2 tbsp

 

METHOD:

 1. Clean and cut the chicken cubes into cubes. Set aside till all the water is gone. 

2. Grind the ingredients under 2 into a paste.

3. Marinate the chicken cubes with all the paste and all the other ingredients for at least 2 hrs.

4. Thread the chicken cubes onto skewers – you can use peppers and onions in between them.

5. Grill or Barbecue until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with Naan, or pita bread and grilled veggies

Kerala Crab Roast

Let me confess...the only thing I know about crab is how to eat it..Have no idea about how to clean them nor cook them.The first time I experimented with Crabs (4 years back), I just cleaned the whole thing on the surface and put it in boiling water along with ginger,garlic and chilly..and just ate it..It was awful!! After that my hubby swore he wont by crabs at home. But then last week I asked him to get me some live blue crabs and since I am preg now he doesnt say no to anything ( he he, better take all  advantage). so I decided to try my luck once again! Last year on our trip to florida, a friend of mine had shown me how to clean and cut crab. So I set of on my adventure with some vague memory of how to torture the crab to death. It was my hubby who helped to kill the live crabs.My poor hubby whose seafood is limited to shrimps and fishes , kept telling me that the only reason I am doing this is coz I love you!Ha ha ha..but he said the end result was mouthwatering!

I didnt know if it was the right way to clean the crab but I did it and I should say none of us got sick and the crab roast did come out perfect. Here is a link that I found that shows how to cut and clean a crab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzUY7Z4t5Ps

I did detach all the claws and legs too... This is a little spicy u can reduce the spice according to ur taste..If u like the taste of pepper u can add that more else go with green chillies!

INGREDIENTS:

• 
  
  Blue Crab - 5( dont know how much they weighed)
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp
• 
  
  Coriander Powder - 1tbsp
• 
  
  Garlic pods(big) - 6  finely chopped
• Ginger - 11/2 inch long finely chopped
• Large Onion – 11/2   ( thinly sliced)
• Pepper powder - 4tsp ( or just use green chillies)
• Garam masala - 2 pinch
• Tomato - 2 finley chopped
• Curry leaves - a handful
• Green chillies - 3
• Salt to taste
• Oil as needed.

METHOD:
I did the cooking in 2 parts. Firstly I cooked the crab and then I added this to the masala roast. This recipe is the result of combining 2 recipes one from my mother and the other from my dear Primna chechi.

• Cut and clean the crab well and keep aside.You can crack the crabs shell with the back of the knife so that the flavor gets into the meat, just one or two stikes.
• Grind together the Garlic, Ginger,green chillie and a few curry leaves.
• In a non stick pot over a medium flame add the cleaned crab and the ginger garlic paste and a pinch of turmeric and mix well. cover with a lid and let the crab cook till it turns to a red color.
• Give a few stir in between so that everything gets coated well and are cooked uniformly.
• Remove from flame when done.
• In another pan, add some oil and add the sliced onions and suate till very soft.
• Add the chillie powder, corriander powder, pepper powder, salt and garam masala.Mix.
• Add the cooked crab to this.
• Add a little water(1/4 cup) to the pan in which the crab was cooked and por this water into the onion masala( make sure u get al the ginger and garlic from the other pan).
• Add the chopped tomato and the curry leaves and cover and cook on a low flame till the tomato becomes very soft.
• Check for salt.
•  Serve hot!!

Blue Crab

  

Kozhi Chuttath (Grilled/BBQ???? Chicken)

Ok. What is the correct English word for chutta Chicken??? I am not sure. Anyways this is the recipe for chutta kozhi which is marinated chicken wrapped up in banana leaf and then cooked in hot coal. But unfortunately I did not have banana leaf so I wrapped up mine in aluminum foil. I guess that makes the taste a lot different. But alt hose who are lucky enough to get a banana leaf please do make it in that. This recipe was obtained from the Pachakam magazine.

This recipe is a little time consuming but the result is very good. And even though the name says that it is chuttta (BBQ) chicken. It’s still cooked half way thru on the stove in a mann chatti (pot made of clay). My son and hubby loved it

INGREDIENTS:

 1. Chicken - 1 pound

2. Oil- 3 tbsp

3. Shallots (cut into medium pieces) – ¾ cup
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 11/2 tbsp
Curry leaves – 5 twigs

4. Garam masala Powder 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Salt as needed
Chilly powder – 1 tbsp (use according to ur taste)
Coriander Powder – ½ tbsp
Fennel Powder (Perumjeeragam) – ¾ tbsp

5. Water – 2 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp

6. Tomato  -2 finely chopped
7. Light coconut milk – little less than ¾ cup

8. Onion – 2 medium cut into rounds
Curry leaves 6 twigs


METHOD

• Clean the chicken pieces and make slits on them.

• In a clay pot, heat the oil and add all the ingredients under 3 and sauté them till very soft

• Meanwhile mix the ingredients under 4 with water and vinegar into a paste.

• Add this into the sautéed masala and mix well.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté well till oil starts to separates

• Add the coconut milk and the chicken pieces and mix well. On a medium flame cook till the chicken is ¾th done and the masala get s coated on the chicken.

• Remove from flame and keep aside.

• In a big banana leaf (Aluminum foil) apply some oil. Layer half the onion rings and the curry leaves. Place the chicken and all the masala from the pot on this. Place the remaining onion rings and curry leaves on top of the chicken. Wrap up the leaf/foil well and place it in the hot coal (use your BBQ grill, coal burning one) for 10- 15 minutes.

• Alternatively place it in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Kerala Beef fry

This is one of my favorite beef recipes. Erachi porichathum porattem..yum yumm..it tastes so good. During hostel days we used to have this from our canteen like everyday. There used to be four of us and just one plate of food. And we always ended up fighting for the last piece. Our pockets were always empty by the end of the week spending it mostly on food (hostel food was yuck!!), shoes, and gifts. So had to be stingy, till the next flow of cash came.


College days were a blast. Would love to relive those days again exactly the same way. No changes at all (OK maybe one or two changes).but most of the part It was just fun and exciting. Couldn’t wait to wake up and get to class. Not to hear the lecture of the teachers but just to be with my friends. My wonderful friends! Life would not be the same without them.

The worst classes I ever took I think was statistics used to wonder what the hell am I going to do with statistic in computer programming???? The teacher used to enter thru one door and we used to leave thru the back door. And it had to be done in the precise time. The moment she puts her one foot in we had to be out! Else we will be caught. Although I must say I have never been caught!! He he he…No No I wasn’t a bad student I always got good grades. It’s just that I hated that particular class!! But when the exams approached how I wish I had attended the class coz I couldn’t understand anything. But then again, I had my friends to help me out. Those late night discussions and early morning study classes did great for us! Such wonderful memories!!



Anyways coming back to the recipe,Even though i love beef my husbnd doesnt take it  much so dont make it often.  But my cus, Shehi ,send me the picture yesterday after she made the beef fry. So decided to take advantage of her beutiful pic and post it!

Here is the recipe

INGREDIENTS:


• Beef 1/2 kg

• Onion 1 big, sliced finely

To marinate:

o Chili powder 1/2 tbsp

o Coriander powder 1 tbsp

o Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

o Pepper 2 tsp

o Ginger & garlic paste 1 tbsp, crushed

o Garam Masala 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp for sprinkling

o Bite size coconut pieces (thengakothu) – 1/4 cup

o salt



• Coconut oil

• Green chilies -2-3

• Curry leaves

• Lemon juice 1 tsp.



METHOD:

• Marinate the beef with all the ingredients under “To marinate” for one hour.

• In a pressure cooker add the marinated beef and the onions and half a cup of water and cook till it is done

• In a frying pan, add some coconut oil and add the curry leaves, coconut slices andthe green chilies . Sauté for 1 minute.

• Add the cooked beef along with the water.

• Sauté till all the water is gone and all the masala gets coated onto the beef on a low medium flame. Sprinkle ½ tsp of garam masala.

• When the beef turns dark brown add 1 tsp of lemon juice, Mix well and remove from flame.

Serve with roti, poratta or rice

Fish stuffed Roti/Paratha and an award!!

My son is a big fan of chappati's since a few days( not sure how long it will last). He needs chappati for breakfast, Lunch an dinner. He will come up to me and say" Mommy, Givmme chapti pease". If I ask him what he wants with chapti his answer is always egg! But then one time he said "mommy no egg. Ayaan eat fish!!" Wow was I surpried that day! A big long sentence!! So I took out a Tilapia fillet and just marinated it with a little chilie powder and salt and stuffed it into his chapti.He really did enjoy it!! My husband on seeing this said he too wants fish stuffed chapti. So this is how I ended up making this dish!This is a big hit  now.Both pappa and son loves it! I sometimes try adding some veggies into it. but my son always fugures it out and will pick out the carrots and peas. So now I smash them so well that he cant find it!

This is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
For the masala.

• Tilapia-  5 big fillets ( Can use any fish u like )
• Onion- 1 medium finely chopped
• Tomato-1 small chopped
• Green Bell Pepper 1 small ( Remove the seeds and Chopped, OPTIONAL)
• Ginger Garlic paste 1 Tbsp
• Green chillie 3-4 grounded to a paste.
• Tuirmeric powder 1/4 tbsp
• Chilie powder 1/2 tbsp ( Depending on yor taste)
• Corrinader powder 1 tbsp
• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp, divided
• oil
• salt as needed

For the dough

• Atta -3 cups
• salt as neeed
• oil 1 tbsp
• Warm water to mix the dough (a little more than 1/2 cup)

METHOD:
Making the dough.

• Mix the Atta with salt and oil. Slowly add the warm water to the flour and knead well to forma a mass. The dough should be formed into a nonsticky elastic and smooth mass. Keep aside!

For the Fish masala.

• Marinate the fish with the chilie powder, 1/2 the garam masala and salt and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet, add the Fish and cook till its done. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the chopped onions and cook till it is soft and translucent.
• Add the ginger,garlic and chilie paste and saute for a few minutes.
• Add the coriander powder,Tumeric powder , salt and the remaining garam masala and mix well.
• Add the tomato and the Bell pepper and cook till the tomato is really soft and the bell pepper is cooked well.
• Add the fish fillets and break the fish into small piece with the spoon.Mix well.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
• Remove from flame and let it cool.

Making the roti.

• Take a small lemon sized ball and roll it out into thin circles abbout 5 inch in diameter. Move this on to a plate.
• Take 2 large spoons of the fish masala and spread it on the rolled out roti.Spread it evenly.
• Roll out another roti to a size as of the first.
• Place this roti on top of the first roti layerd with the masala. Using your finger press the edges of the roti and seal it well.(This will make the roti to puff up well and get cooked inside.)
• Slightly roll the roti using the pin again. 
• Repeat the proces with the remaining dough and masala.

Cooking the roti.

• Preheat a tava on medium heat and grease it with little oil.
• Gently lift the stuffed chapati and place it on the tava. Let it cook for 30- 45 seconds.
• Apply some oil on the uncooked side and turn the roti. Let it cook till u can see it slightly puff up then turn it again.
• Slightly press the edges so the edges are also cooked. The roti will puff up very nicely. Remove from flame. Repeat the process with the rest of the roti's. 

 

Award Time..

Kristy of My little space has passed this award to me.Thank you kristy for sharing this award with me. I would like to share this award with all my fellow bloggers. Thank you everybody!

Mutton Roast

This is a very simple recipe for mutton roast. I learnt this from my mother in law. My husband just loves it. He tells me this is the only dish that I have perfected in MIL's style.Everything else I have addons..he he

INGREDIENTS:

• Mutton-1/2kg

whole masalas:

•       Cloves 3
•       Cardamom 2
•       cinnamon stick. 1 small piece.
•        Bay leaf 1
• Onion-3 Big ones thinly sliced length wise
• Ginger-1 inch piece
• Garlic- 4-5 cloves
• Green chilly-3
• kashmiri chilli powder- 1 1/2 tbsp depending on your taste
• corriander powder-1 1/2tbsp
• Turmeric Powder-1/2 tbsp
• Garam Masala powder-1tbsp
• curry leaves a few
• Mustard seeds. 1/2 tbsp
• Cocunut Oil-3Tbsp

METHOD

• Cut the mutton in to small pieces clean an keep it aside.
• Grind the ginger,garlic and chillie together into a paste.
• In a pressure cooker add the mutton pieces,salt and the whole maslas, Add enough water to cook the mutton.Cook the mutton till it is soft. Keep aside.(Do not throw the water. will use it as a stock)
• In a kadai,heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds.
• Add sliced onion an cook till soft.
• Then add the ground paste curry leaves,salt and saute well
• Continue to saute till the onion become light brown in color.
• Then add the chilly powder,coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.Mix well.
• Reducae the flame and add cleaned mutton pieces and 1/2 cup of the mutton stock into the masala mix and saute till all the water has gone and the mutton turns to a brownish color. You can also see the oil seperating.
• Remove from flame and serve as a side to your rice,rottis, naan, poratta.

I served this with my couscous dish!!

Enjoy!!

One pot Vegetable Pasta~Indian style

Very simple pasta …Indian style!


INGREDIENTS:

• Pasta 1 ½ cups

• Onion 1 big finely chopped

• Tomato 2 finely chopped

• Mixed veggies 1 cup (carrots, peas, corn)

• Ginger garlic paste 1 ½ tbsp

• Chili powder 1 tbsp or depending on your taste

• Turmeric powder ¼ tbsp

• Garam masala 1/2 tsp

• Coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

• Salt

• Oil



METHOD:

• In a pressure cooker heat some oil. Add the onions and saute them till they turn pink.

• Add the ginger garlic paste and mix. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.

• Add the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and Garam masala. Mix.

• Add the pasta. Mix well.

• Add water just enough to cover the pasta. Close the cooker

• Cook on medium heat for two whistles.

• Once the pressure is gone remove the lid and mix well.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.



NOTES:

• The remaining water will be like a sauce for the pasta. If you think there is a lot of water (there shouldn’t be!) just heat till the water evaporates and becomes like a sauce like consistency.

• You can also cook the pasta separately and then add it into the gravy prepared.

.

Mutton Olathiyath (Dry roasted mutton)

This is my husbands favorite dish..one of I should say. Coz anything u make out of non-veg becomes his favorite. I never liked mutton very much but now I too am a big fan of this.

This is a very wonderful dish...a must try!


INGREDIENTS

Mutton – 1kg cut into cubes

For Marinating

• Ginger – 1 tablespoon

• Garlic – 11/2 tablespoon

• Green chili – 2-3

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ tbsp coriander powder

• Garam masala- ¼ tsp

• Curry leaves

• Salt – accordingly



For Masala

• Large onion – 2 thinly sliced

• Ginger – 1 tablespoon

• Chili powder – 1 tablespoon or according to your taste

• Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

• Tomato – 2 chopped

• Salt & Oil – accordingly

• Curry leaves



Whole Masala’s for grinding

• Clove – 5-6 pieces

• Cardamom – 3-4

• Cinnamon – 2-3 small piece

• Fennel seed – 1tbsp

• Bay leaf – 1



METHOD

• Marinate the mutton pieces with the ingredients under MARINTE & keep for half an hour.

• Heat a pressure cooker, add this marinated mutton along with 1 cup of water and cook till done. Keep aside

• Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced onion & sauté till very soft and translucent.

• Add ginger, curry leaves and stir. Cook for 3-4 minutes, add the powdered whole Masala’s, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder salt and stir.

• Add cooked mutton along with the water. Stir till the gravy thickens.

• Add tomato and cook till all the water is gone and the masala’s get coated on the mutton pieces, stirring frequently.

• Remove from flame.

Masala Prawns

This is my mom's special prawn curry! Its really fantastic! Finger licking good.She makes this in two forms.When she needs this as a gravy she will add a little more coconut milk and cook till the shrimps are done other timed she makes them into a dry form till all the coconut milk is gone. This recipe is for the dry version

INGREDIENTS

• Cleaned Prawns/shrimp/konchu/chameen – 250 gm
• Onion – 1 medium, Sliced very thinly 
• Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste– 1 tbsp
• Chile Powder – 1 tbsp (or depending on your taste)
• Corriander powder- 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon 
• Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon
• Cocum(kudampuli) – 2 small pieces cleaned and soaked in water
• coconut milk – 1/2 cup 
• Curry leaves
• oil
• Salt

METHOD:

• Marinate the shrimps with a little turmeric and chilie powder for about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the shrimps for 1- 11/2 minutes on both sides.Just to get the outer surface crispy.Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan saute onion,ginger & garlic.
• When onion becomes soft add all masala powders and mix well. When masala powders are roasted well & oil starts appearing add cocum and the water. Mix well.
• Add cooked prawns and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add salt & curry leaves. Add coconut milk and cover .
• Cook till the prawns are done & the coconut milk is completely dried.
• Add 1 teaspoon of oil & saute for 5 more minutes. Remove from flame.

 Can be served as a side dish for rice and roti's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tehari~ A Bangladeshi Biryani and An Award

Tehari or Tahri, in north India is commonly refeered to vegetable biryani. But in Bangladesh Tehari is referred to Biryani made from bothe meat and veggies together! Interesting isnt it!! Even the taste is wonderful. The first time I had this from my friends house,man..it was like a burst of flavor in my mouth. Oh yes!! I got the recipe direct from her...

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients:


To marinate

• 2 lb mutton
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp red chillie powder
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp shahi jeera
• 1 tsp javeri
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 4 cup rice
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 small onion, to fry chopped
• 1/2 tsp shahi jeera
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp red chillie powder (according to ur taste)
• lemon juice [2-3 lemons]
• 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• curry leaves, a few
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup mint leaves.
• 2 green chillie ( Take according to your taste)
• 1/2 cup mixed vegetables  ( I used diced carrots and peas)
• 1 medium potato cut into medium cubes and boiled.

METHOD:

• Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Marinate the mutton pieces with all the ingredients under to marinate, for one hour. cook the mutton in the pressure cooker. Once the mutton is cooked and the steam is all gone, open the cooker and mix the mutton gravy so that all the onion is turned into a paste. Put this aside.
• In a heavy bottomed vessel{If you dont use heavy bottomed vessel the rice will get burned},heat the oil and fry the onion till it turn brownish.
• Add the ginger- garlic pase and 1/2 tsp shahi jeera
• mix onion and ginger-garlic paste for 5 min.[be careful it can burn fast]
• now add the chopped tomatoes in it ; fry until toamtoes become soft
• put curry leaves, mint, green coriander,green chiilies fry 2-3 min.
• add 4 cups water .Bring it to boil now add the curry in pressure cooker mix.
• Once this starts to boil, add the drained rice ,lemon juice and garam masala, chilie powder. Mix well. Add the vegetables.Mix.
• Add 1 tbsp oil to prevent the rice from sticking to each other.
• Turn the heat to medium  high and keep stirring the rice until all the water gets absorbed and the rice is almost 3/4 th cooked. now cover the vessel with its lid turn the flame to very low and let the rice sit for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Serve  hot Tehari with raita.

Enjoy!

Award time!!

My friend Sarah Naveen has passed me an award. Thank you Sarah Naveen for the wonderful encouragment.

Hyderabadi chicken Biryani

It was my hubby's birthday yesterday and I wanted to make a different biryani this time. I have never tried making a hyderabadi biryani although we have had this several times. I got this recipe form my friend. She usually makes  the kacha biryani but i was not brave enough to try this yesterday. Didnt want to spoil hubby's birthday by giving him an experimental dish. But next time for sure I will try the kacha biryani.

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:

• 
  
  2 lbs chicken cut into medium size pieces
  
  
  
• 
  
  3/4 cup of yogurt
  
  
  
• 
  
  2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  
  
  
• 
  
  11/2- 2 tbsp chillie powder
  
  
  
• 
  
  2- tsp corriander powder
  
  
  
• 
  
  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  
  
  
• 
  
  1/2 tsp cumin powder
  
  
  
• 
  
  1 cup chopped mint leaves
  
  
  
• 
  
  1 cup chopped corriander leaves
  
  
  
• 
  
  4-5 green chillies {always add chillies according to ur taste}
  
  
  
• 
  
  1 tbsp lime juice
  
  
  

Garam masala powder

                Grind the following :-

• 
  
          6 Pepper Corns
  
  
  
•         6 Cloves 
•         2 black Cardamom
•        ½ tsp Sahajeera or Black Cumin 
•        1” Cinnamon Stick     
•        1 bay leaf
•        1 tbsp javeri [mace]
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp biryani mix  [I use eastern biryani masala,just to make up for any spices missing]

For making the gravy

•  6 medium onion thinly sliced.
• oil for frying. 

For cooking the rice

• 3 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 30 minutes 
• 5 Cardamoms
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Aniseed
• 1 tsp Sahajeera
• 1 green chillie slit
• 1 tbsp of Oil
• salt to taste [I add 2 -3tbsp]
• 4 cups water.

For garnish

• 1/2 tsp saffron soaked in milk or Red food color.
• 1/2 cup fried onion
• fried cashewnuts and raisins

METHOD

For gravy

• Mix all the ingredients of the marinade above and keep it aside for an hr.
• In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and cook the sliced onions until they are very soft.
• Add the chicken marinade into the cooked onion and mix well.
• Cook the chicken in a medium heat till the chicken is cooked.Dont add any water coz we will have the water from the yogurt and the chicken.
• Check for salt. Once chicken is cooked remove from flame and keep aside.

For rice.

• While the chicken is being cooked.Wash the rice and strain all of the excess water
• Add all the spices,chilie salt and oil into the water and bring it to boil in a big vessel.
• Once the water starts to boil,add the rice and cook it till it is 3/4 th done.Dont overcook the rice.What I usually do is after adding the rice I wait till it boils well. i.e rice should roll over in boiling water. Drain and keep the rice aside.

For layering:

• Divide the rice into 2 parts.
• Greese a large thick bottomed ovenproof vessel with oil. Layer one batch of rice.
• Add the chicken masala over this.
• Add the next layer of rice on top of the biriyani masala. Sprinkle the fried onions,saffron or red color, and abt 2 tbsp oil on top.
• Cover the vessel and place it in a preheated oven of 400 F for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven 
• while serving mix the layers. Garnish with nuts and raisins.

Palak gosht (Lamb in spinach)

This is a very yummy dish. I fell in love with it the first time I had it. This is recipie I got from recipezaar.com and I made it with some modifications.

 

INGREDIENTS

•  1kg of Mutton
• 6 bunches of Spinach chopped
• 1 medium Tomatoes
• 2 Onions finely chopped
• 2 Black Peppercorns
• 1tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. Coriander Powder 
• 1 tbsp. Red Chilli Powder or depending on your taste.
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp mutton masala Powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• cinnamon stick- small piece
• cloves- 3-4
• cardamom -2
• corriander chopped -1 tbsp
• 1 ½ tbsp. Ginger Paste
• 1 ½ tbsp. Garlic Paste
•  Oil as needed

METHOD

• Add 2-3 teaspoons of oil in a pressure pan and heat. Add the grated ginger, black pepper corns a small part of chopped onions to the oil fry the onions for a few seconds.
• Add the meat a little salt and enough water. Close the pressure pan and allow the meat to cook until soft.
• Once meat is cooked, strain out the water and keep aside as stock.
• In another Pan, Heat the remaining oil. Add cinnamon stick,cloves, and cardamom.
• Add the remaining chopped onions and fry till light brown.
• Add salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder,mutton masala, ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped coriander.Fry for 1 minute 
• Add tomatoes.Fry this mix thoroughly till oil leaves the sides of the pan.
• Add spinach and a little of the meat-stock that we kept aside. Cook until the tomatoes and Spinach is done and the water has dried up.
• Add the milk and let the gravy starts to boil.Add salt.
• Add the cooked meat to this mixture and stir fry till oil leaves the sides of the pan and the gravy starts to thicken.If you need more gravy add a little bit of the stock that we kept aside.
• Simmer for a while.Remove from flame and serve with rotti or naan.