Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients

To marinate chicken:

250 - 350 gms chicken (For four people)

1/2 cup curd

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt

For Biriyani:
2 cups basmati rice
1-2 Bay leaves, 2 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom ( or use 1/2 tsp garam masala) 
2 Sliced onions
1 big tomato
1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup coariander leaves

Ginger garlic chilli paste ( 12 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger and 4 green chillies)

3 1/2 tumblers of water

1 1/2  tsp salt

Directions - How to make

Clean the chicken well with warm water. Cut into small pieces. Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and curd and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Now, heat 2 tbsp oil/ ghee in the cooker. Meanwhile grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic and chillies to a fine paste. Now add fennel seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom. Add onions and fry well. Next add the ground paste and tomato. Fry well to form a thick paste. Add the pressure cooked chicken pieces. Add 3 cups of water along with the chicken water. Once the water comes to a boil.  Add the soaked rice and salt. Taste the water if you still think its not spicy enough add little bit chilli powder to the water. Mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Serve hot with cucumber raita.

Spicy Mushroom Curry

Ingredients

10-12 Mushrooms                                                                 

1 big Onion

1 Tomato

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste (8 garlic and 1 inch ginger)

1 tsp saunf

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

Directions - How to make

Heat 2 spoon oil in a kadhai. Add saunf, onions, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes. Fry well. Add salt, garam masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Now, add the sliced mushrooms. Fry them well. Finally add a tumbler of water. Cook over sim flame till it forms a thick gravy. Take off. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with chapattis.

Vegetable Biriyani

I usually make it when I want to put less effort and eat something very tasty. But I usually end up spending lot of time as I end up making a side dish apart from raita.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

Chopped Onions 2 (medium sized)
Chopped Tomatoes 2 (small sized)
Beans 10-12
Green peas 1/2 cup

Mushrooms 2-3 sliced thinly

Chopped green chillies 5

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Coconut milk 1/2 cup

Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste
Coriander leaves

Directions - How to make

Soak the rice in water for some time. Heat the oil and little ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the green chillies, chopped onion, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry them well one by one. Add the cut vegetables to it. Blend them well. Fry for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and half cup coconut milk to it. When it comes to a boil, add the rice and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Taste the water and if you feel it's less spicy add chilli powder and finally put the coriander leaves and close the lid. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Serve hot with raita.

Eral Thokku / Prawn Curry

Ingredients

Prawns 150 gms

Oil 2 tbsp

1 big Onion (finely chopped)

1 Tomato (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Green chillies – 3 (slit in between)

Pure Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1//2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Salt according to taste

Pepper 1 tsp

Directions - How to make

Wash and clean the prawns well. Marinate it with little salt and turmeric powder and keep aside.

Heat the oil in wok. Add green chillies and onion. Fry them well. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Put very little tomato at this stage. When it’s fried well, add the marinated prawns, chilli powder,coriander powder, garam masala and half cup water. Taste the water and add salt accordingly as salt was already added while marinating. Cover with lid for 10 minutes till its cooked well. Keep a check as the prawn gets overcooked sometimes. It may become hard. Add the remaining finely chopped tomatoes and fry them for a couple of minutes. Once the oil separates and the prawn is cooked, add pepper if you want to make it spicy and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it with rice or chapati.

Karaikudi Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken- 1/2 kg
Onion-1 Chopped
Tomato-1 Chopped
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tspn
Chill powder- 1/2 tspn
Coriander powder- 1/2 tspn
Mustard -1/2 tspn
Cumin – 1/2 tspn
Fennel seeds- 1/2 tspn
Oil –2 tbsp
Salt-  To taste
Roast and grind:
Red Chillies- 5
Coriander seeds-2 spoon
Ginger- 1 inch
Garlic- 6 flakes
Cinnamon- 2 inch
Cardamom- 1Black Pepper- 1 tspn
Cloves- 2
Coconut- 2 tsp grated
Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Directions - How to make

Heat Oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds (saunf). Add Onion, once it splutters and fry till it becomes golden brown in color.Add tomatoes and fry till it becomes soft.Add coriander powder and fry for 5 minutes.Add the finely ground paste and fry for 3 minutes. Then add the marinated chicken and water.Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes or till the chicken pieces are cooked. Garnish with  curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves, curry leaves and grated coconut in a pan with a little Oil. Wet grind to a fine paste.Clean the chicken and add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and marinate for thirty minutes.

Note: Instead of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves u can use garam masala as well.

Karuvattu Thokku

I have heard many people complain about the smell of karuvadu. This one I learnt from my mother-in-law’s sister. Karuvadu only smells when it’s raw. Once it is put in warm water, the smell goes off. Adding lot of curry leaves gives a very good flavor. Spiciness can be altered keeping in mind the proportion of chilli powder and tomatoes. I usually like to make it spicy.

    

    

Ingredients

Karuvadu/ Dry fish/Anchovies 250 gms

Onion 1

Tomato 2

Saunf 1 tsp

Pure chilli powder 2 tsp

Salt according to taste

(be careful while adding salt as the dry fish is already salted)

Curry leaves (2 sprigs)

Directions - How to make

Soak the dry fish in warm water for 15 minutes. Wash and clean it well in tap water 2-3 times. Heat the oil in a wok. Add saunf, onion and then tomatoes. Fry them well. Now add the dry fish, chilli powder. Fry them and add half a tumbler of water. Once the gravy thickens check for salt and put little according to taste. You can either turn off  once it thickens or add some oil once all the water evaporates. Fry them well and add the curry leaves. Serve them hot with sambar rice or dosa.

Somaas / Gujiya

It has got many names in different states in India. This can be made with different types of filling. I had some jaggery left at home, so I used that to make this sweet. This sweet is from Bihar and is popularly known as gujiya and especially made during a festival called holi. There used to be special orders for this sweet in my hostel during holi time. Okay lets see how to make this now. I will write down two types of fillings you can use.

Somaas made with Pottu kadalai and grated coconut       

Ingredients

All purpose flour 1 cup  (makes 12)

Pottu Kadalai/ Roasted Bengal gram   3/4 cup powdered

Sugar 1 cup powdered

Grated coconut - fried till the moisture leaves 1 cup

Cardamom - 1-2 powdered

Cashewnuts and Raisins - 3-5 cut into pieces

Recipe

Knead the flour well. Make smooth dough, adding little oil, salt and water. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Mix powdered sugar, pottu kadalai powder, grated coconut, cardamom powder and nuts together.

Make small balls out of the dough. Flatten it to a 4 inch in diameter. Put the filling in the center and close it in the shape of half moon. Press the edges with little water. Once all the dough has been used, heat oil in a wok. Deep fry them in the oil. Cool and put them in an airtight container. Consume within 2-3 days as it may get spoilt soon due to the coconut.

Somaas made with Jaggery and Coconut

Ingredients

All-purpose flour  1 cup

Jaggery 100 gms

Grated coconut 1 cup
Ghee 100 gms

Cardamom powder

Nuts – cashews, raisins, almonds

Directions - How to make
Knead the flour well. Make smooth dough, adding little oil, salt and water. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the ghee until its warm. Add jaggery as it starts melting add the coconut and stir well. The proportion of coconut to jaggery should be such that the coconut blends well with jaggery. Now add the cardamom powder and nuts to it. Mix them well.

Make small balls out of the dough. Flatten it to a 4 inch in diameter. Put the filling in the center and close it in the shape of half moon. Press the edges with little water. Once all the dough has been used, heat oil in a wok. Deep fry them in the oil. Cool and put them in an airtight container. Consume within 2-3 days as it may get spoilt soon due to the coconut.