Mushroom biryani

My love for biryani has no bounds!! I just love this dish. Biryani is a must have for both me and my DH at least once a week.I make biryani in a 5 quart pan. You can also do it in a cooker, without using the whistle.

Ingredients:

Mushroom - 1 cup [cleaned and sliced]
Basmathi rice - 1 cup [washed and soaked for 30 mins]
water - 1.25 cups
cinnamon - 1 inch
cloves - 3
bay leaf - 1 leaf
cardamom - 2 [optional]
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
GG paste - 2 tblsp
sliced Onions - 1
mint leaves - 2 hands full or one bunch
red chilly powder - 1/2 tblsp & coriander powder - 1 tblsp [this can be repalced with store brought biryani masala - 2 tblsp]
curd - 3 tblsp
Ghee - 2 tblsp
Oil - 3 tblsp
Salt - as needed.

Method:

1. Oil and ghee into the heavy bottomed pan.
2. cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, cumin seeds, fennel seeds in.
3. Onions in. fry them well.
4. GG paste in.
5. Mushrooms in. fry until water comes out of it.
6. curd in
7. red chilly powder & coriander powder in.
8. add the mint leaves.
9. Rice,water and salt in.
10. mix every thing together. Close the pan with the lid.
11. flame high for 7 minutes and then simmer until the rice is done.

Mix the biryani gently with a fork to get non sticky rice.
Serve it hot with onion raitha.

 

Simple and easy peas pulav

Try peas pulav with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:

Peas - 1/2 cup

Basmathi rice - 1 cup [ soaked for 15-30 mins]

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Sliced onions - 1 Large

jeera - 1/2 spoon

green chilies - 2 slit lengthwise. this is the spice quotient. 

bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves - 1 or 2 based on the size.

salt - as needed

Ghee - 1 spoon

oil - 1 spoon

Method:

1. Ghee and oil in wok.
2. Jeera in.
3. Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves in
4. Green chilies in.
5. onion in. fry till translucent.
6. Ginger garlic paste in. 
7. Peas in. Fry all together for 2 minutes.
8. Basmathi rice in with 1.25 cups of water.
9. Close the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
10. use a fork to mix the cooked rice. This makes sure that the rice remain as long grains.

Serve hot with onion raitha or dal or some spicy non veg gravy.

 

Pepper Chicken varuval

Husband wanted a chicken dish. Tried this recipe with cornish hen. It is a young chicken that weighs around 1 to 1.5 pounds. Aroung 500 to 700 gms. You get it as a whole chicken. You can buy it if you like to eat chicken with bones. You can als try this recipe with full grown chicken. Recipe is below.

Ingredients

cleaned and cut cornish hen - 1/2 a kilo
Chopped Onions - 2
Chopped Tomato -1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 3/4 spoon
chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
coriander powder - 1 spoon heaped.
Pepper powder - 1 to 1.5 spoon
Salt - as needed
Oil - 3 full spoons

Method:

1. Oil in heavy bottomed and a wide kadaai.
2. Onions and Ginger garlic paste in.
3. Turmeric powder in.
4. Add the chicken. Keep stirring until the chicken turns white. It take around 5 mins.
5. Chilli powder, coriander powder and pepper powder in. Stir evertyhing.
6. Add the tomatoes. stir everything.
7. Add salt.
8. Close the kadaai with the lid. Water from the steam in the closed kadaai is all the water we give the chicken. Do not add any extra water.
9. Cook until the oil seperates out.
10. Give a final stir.

You pepper chicken varuval is ready to be savored with rice and rasam.

vegetable semiya upma

When I have to make semiya upma, I try to add in lots of veggies. Mixed veggies bag comes handy and I love them as it makes cooking a pleasure.

Vegetable semiya ingredients:

Roasted vermicilli: 1 cup
Mixed vegetables: 1 cup
Onion sliced - 1
channa dal - 1 tsp
urad dal - 2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
asafoetida - a pinch
oil - 2 tsp
curry leaves - few [optional]
green chillies - 2 [May be replaced by Red chillies]
water - 2 cups.
Salt - as needed.

Method:

1. Oil in wok.
2. channa dal in. wait till its a little brown.
3. urad dal in.
4. asofoetida in.
5. cumin seeds in.
6. mustard seeds in. wait for it to splutter.
7. slit green chillies in.
8.curry leaves, if using.
9. Chopped onion in.

10. Salt in the above mixture.

11. 2 cups of warm water in.

12. roasted vermicilli in.

13. mix all of it and wait for it to cook.

                         

Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Miracle salad

This salad was inspired from the famous "miracle drink" that is made of beet root,carrots and apples.
I came across this famous drink in the net and was bowled over by the benefits of this drink.
http://lachicaorganica.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/miracle-drink-carrot-beetroot-and-apple/

So I thought I will just try making a "Miracle salad". This is a veggie and fruit salad. The ingredients are beet root,carrot and apples.

The salad is very simple and easy to make. I hope the benefits are also the same as of the miracle drink.

HOW TO DO:
Mix grated beet, carrots and apples.
This is a sweet salad. So you will not need any sauce in your salad.
That's a grape on top! Its purely optional.

Who will serve a salad in a wine glass?!!
I Will!! :D


Enjoy the salad.

Sending this "miracle salad" for Kirthi's and Denny's " Serve it raw " blogging contest.

Mango Lassi - Divine!!

Mango Lassi... The name is divine.. the taste diviner.
God was kind enough to give the world mangoes. Well ripen mangoes.
The person who created Mango lassi, My BIG BIG BIG thanks!!!

I usually get it from hotels. Last week got ripen mangoes from Wholefoods.
So thought I would try making it at home.

Recipe:
Ripen mangoes - 1 [peeled and deseeded, cut into cubes]
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sour curd - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 5 tbsp

1. Blend all the items together in the mixie.
2. Transfer contents into container and refrigerate.

Serve chilled.

I'm putting a picture of the lassi right from my mixie jar!!

Easy Paneer Bhurji

Tried Paneer bhurji for the first time, to go with Chapathi. It was simply great. Husband loved it. The wife too :). Here goes the recipe for a very easy paneer bhurji.

PANEER BHURJI:
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Chopped onion -1
Chopped tomato - 1
mixed veggies - 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbps
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - aas needed
Oil - 1 tsp

1. Oil in wok.
2. Onions in.
3. Ginger garlic paste in.
4. tomatoes in.
5. Mixed veggies in.
6. Garam masala, chilly powder, coriander powder in.
7. Crumbled paneer in. [Crumble the paneer in  the mixie. run the mixer just once or twice. Not more. Paneer might end up as a paste.]
8. Salt as needed. Mix it all. Stir it up in low flame for around 15-20 mins, until the paneer is cooked.

Enjoy it with hot chapathi's.

Dal tadka and Vegetable Jalfrezi

Husband wanted Dal Tadka for dinner and dint know what goes well with it. And my friend
Yanka of http://ss-allthingsnice.blogspot.com/ suggested that I try, Vegetable Jalfrezi. So here goes the recipe of what i made for dinner, Dal Tadka and Vegetable Jalfrezi, the easy way, My way :).

Dal Tadka:

DAL:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Tomato - 1/2
Red chillies - 1
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

1. All the above ingredients should be pressure cooked [5 whistles] with enough water.
2. Add needed salt.

    You may add water if the dal is too thick.

TADKA:

chopped Onion - 1
channa dal - 1 tsp
urad dal - 2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
asafoetida - a pinch
oil - 2 tsp
curry leaves - few [optional]
red chillies - 2 [May be replaced by green chillies]

1. Oil in wok.
2. channa dal in. wait til it a little brown.
3. urad dal in.
4. asofoetida in.
5. cumin seeds in.
6. mustard seeds in. wait for it to splutter.
7. Red chillies in.
8.curry leaves, if using.
9. Chopped onion in.

                            

Pour the hot tadka on the dal, when ready to serve.


VEGETABLE JALFREZI:

Boiled mixed vegetables - 2 cups
Sliced onions - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato sauce - 4 tbps
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - 2 tbps

1. Oil in wok.
2. sliced onions in.
3. Ginger garlic paste in.
4. Tomato sauce in.
5. garam masala, chilly powder, coriander powder in.
6. boiled veggies in. [ boil the vegetables, cut bite size, in super hot water for 2-4 mins to get the crunchy veggies].
7. add salt. Mix it all.
         
Crunchy vegetable Jalfrezi ready to go with Dal Tadka and rice :)  

Eral curry [Shrimp curry]

Cleaned and deveined shrimp : 20 - 25 no.
Chopped Onions - 1
Chopped Tomatoes - 1
green chillies, slit - 2
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tblsp
Whole garam masala [ 2 cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf,2 cloves] [or]
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tblsp
Coriander powder - 1 and a half tblsp


1. In wok, 1 tblsp of oil, add garam masala powder/Whole garam masala.
2. Mustard seeds in, wait to splutter.
2. Ginger garlic paste in.
3. slit green chillies, stir for sometime.
4. chopped Onions, fry for sometime.
5. Chopped tomatoes, fry for sometime.
6. Mix everything well, and wait until oil starts oozing out.
7. Add chilly powder and coriander powder and turmeric powder.
8. Shrimp's turn to be inside the wok.
9. Salt as needed.
9. Add some water, cover wok and let it cook.

                                      
After done, shrimp curry is ready to be served with hot rice.

'LIKE' in Facebook

When do u normally hit a "LIKE" in FB?

1. When u do not have anything to say.
2. When u do not want to say anything.
3. A simple courtesy sake.
4. Yeah I have seen/read this.
5. When u think ur comments might hurt others.
6. When u r plain jealous.
7. When u wanna follow the crowd.
8. When u wanna get updated on wat ur other friends think on this status/foto.

And finally when u think, "God why can't there be a "DISLIKE" button?", u end up pressing the "LIKE" button :)

Easy Egg Fried Rice

Basmathi rice cooked with jeera,bay leaf and cinammon.

Frozen/fresh veggies cleaned and cut [carrot , beans, corn, peas,capsicum, cabbage] - 2 cups

Sliced onion - 1

Scrambled eggs - 3

soy sauce - 1 tbs

chilly sauce - 1 tbs

tomato sauce - 1 tbs

chopped ginger - 1 tbs

chopped garlic - 1 tbs

1. oil in wok

2. chopped ginger and garlic in oil

3. when done, add sliced onion.

4. veggies in. stir until half cooked.

5. add some salt.

6. soy, tomato and chilly sauce in.

7. cooked rice in.

8. scrambled eggs now.

9. mix all of it.

                                                

                                        

You are ready to serve Fried rice with tomato sauce. I like it with onion raitha.

First Bake-d Cake

Cake for hubby's birthday.
Thanks Raks kitchen for the recipe. Followed her recipe to the T.
And I used Sugar and grated choco and Ferrero rocher chocolates for decorating my cake.

Link is here: http://www.rakskitchen.net/2011/01/eggless-chocolate-cake-moist-and-soft.html

My Cake:

WELCOME

Fine!! Finally... off to share things that I know through a blog. Though you have a lot of ideas and lots and lots of talent :) , u know u need that one moment to whip you up to really do something about what were earlier only thinking about.  That whipping came from http://www.rakskitchen.net/ and http://stuffedandsmiling.posterous.com/



And now I'm on Paper writing!!