Mushroom Biriyani

Hey Biriyani lovers!!! Here is a tempting Mushroom Biriyani in a restaurant style. Definitely you all wanted to taste it.. Have it dears..!!!

Ingredients and method are explained below pictorially

1. Soak top branded Basmati rice for 30 mins.

1.

2. ON the stove and keep in low flame for the entire process. In a pressure cooker, add equal cups of water. 1:1 proportion and add hand full of Mint leaves and coriander leaves, 3-cardamom/elakkai; 2 cloves/kraambu or lavangam; 1 piece pattai/cinnamon; 1/2 crushed bay leaf, a spoon of ghee.

2.

3. Drain the water and add the soaked basmati rice.

3.

 4. [i] Cook them in very low flame. Dont cook it till the entire water dries up, 1/4 portion of water should remain in the cooker. [ii] Using a fork mix and fluff at intervals.

4[i]

4[ii]

5. Meanwhile in another stove, place a kadai, add 2 tbspn of ghee and add

1. Cloves, Cardamom[kraambu, yelakkai]: 4 pcs each
2. Cinnamon[pattai or lavangapattai]: 1 stick; break into pieces
3. Star Anise[annaasi poo / annasi mokku]: 1 piece
4. Fennel seeds [sombu]: 1/2 tspn
5. Cumin seeds [jeeragam]: 1/2 tspn
6. Bay leaf: 1 or 2
7. Jaadhi pathri: 2 or 3 petals

5.

5.

6. Add 2 sliced big Onions and saute till transparent and add diced tomatoes and saute well for 3 mins.

6

6

7.  Special Masala Paste: Add 1/2 onion, 1/2 tomato, 5-7 garlic cloves, 1.5 inch ginger, 3-4 red chillies and grind it smoothly in a mixie to a paste.

7.

8. Add the special masala paste to the onion tomato curry, add the following special masala powders

1. Coriander powder: 1/2 tspn
2. Jeera Powder: 1/2 tspn
3. Chilly Powder: No need as we've added it in masala paste
4. Garam Masala: 1 tspn
5. Biriyanai Masala: 2-2.5 tspn
6. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn [these measures are for 1/2 kg basmati rice, if its 1 kg, double the measurements]

Add 3 tspns of curd.

8. Add the masala paste and powders

8.  Saute well

8. Add 3 tspn thick curd

9. Add some water to the mixie jar in which you made the paste and wash the left over paste with that water and add it to the rice which is getting cooked in a very low flame on the other side.

9.

10. [i] Keep the mushrooms ready by slicing it. 

[ii]Add mushrooms to the onion-tomato masala curry and saute well. Mushroom will start leaving its moisture content. 

[iii] Close the kadai with a lid and cook them for 3 mins in medium flame. It will get cooked with mushroom's water itself.

 [iv] After 3 mins, open the lid, and transfer the entire contents to the rice in cooker.

10 [i]

10[ii]

10[iii]

10 [iv]

11. Add SALT AND A PINCH OF SUGAR at this stage for the entire dish. Mix the mushroom curry and rice carefully, REMEMBER THAT COOKER MUST BE ONLY IN LOW FLAME THROUGH OUT THIS PROCESS. And close the cooker and place the weight on it. Pressure cook it for 12-15 mins on a complete low flame, it wont whistle at all. So dont worry about the whistle count.

11.

12. Keep a cup full of freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves ready. Open the cooker after pressure releases. Garnish the biriyani with freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves. Serve Hot with Onion raitha.!!

Yummiest Mushroom Biriyani is ready!!!

Sundaikkai Vathakkuzhambu

Vathal kuzhambu - Who ever dislikes it??!! Yummiest dish: All time favourite of most of the people!!!

INGREDIENTS: 

1. Sundaikkai vatral: half - hand full

2. Red Chillies: 3 nos; break into halves

3. Tamarind: 1 big gooseberry size, soak in 2 tumbler warm water and squeeze its extract.

4. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn

5. Powder asafoetida/ thool perungayam: 1 tspn

6. Gingelly Oil/ Nalennai: 1.5 - 2 kuzhi karandi [if small size karandi, add 3 kuzhi karandi of oil]

7. Kadugu/ Mustard seeds: to temper

8. Curry leaves: to garnish

9. Sambar powder: 2 tspn [I have home made one, you can use Eastern/MTR/aashirvaad sambar podi]

10. Salt: as req
11. Jaggery/ Vellam: a small bit

Method:

1. Heat a pan, add gingelly oil, let it heat; add mustard seeds, curry leaves, once spluttered, add red chillies sundakkai vatral. Fry them until they turn brownish-black.

2. Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, perungayam, salt, sambar powder, mix well and cook on high flame for 5 mins.

3. Add jaggery and cook for 7-10 mins in medium flame. You'll get wonderful aroma by the time it boils.

4. If its too watery, mix a tspn of rice flour/ arisi maavu in 5 tspn of water and add this diluted rice flour mix to the vathakkuzhambu and cook for 3-5 mins. The oil will leave the sides of the pan.
Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice!

Sundaikkai Vathakkuzhambu is ready!!!

Suggestions:

1. Instead of sundaikkai vatthal,manathakkali vatthal, appalam,and veggies like brinjal, small onion[alone], small onions-garlic combo, lady's finger, pumpkin, drumstick. If adding, veggies, after sauting in oil, add 1/2 tumbler of water and cook for 2 mins, then add tamarind puree.

There is another variety to do vathakkuzhambu, which I will post ASAP

2. You can also use Raw mango instead of above veggies and vathals-- when you use raw mango, reduce the amount of tamarind to small goose berry size.

Bachelor's Special: Easy Tomato Kuzhambu/ Thakkali Kuzhambu

"A - Few Minutes Recipe": This is an easy side dish for your idlys, dosas, upmas and etc. Since it is easy to prepare, I've dedicated it to my bachelor friends which they can find it useful and easy.. But it is a common dish for all. Easy to prepare and tasty to have it..!!  

I learnt the base of this from one of my relative [a very sweet granny/paati--my cousin's paati]! I then added few more ingredients to make it exotic!

Ingredients:

1. Tomato: 2 or 3 medium sized; finely chopped.

2. Oil: to temper

3. Kadugu/ Mustard seeds: few to temper

4. Curry leaves: few to temper

5. Salt: to taste

6. Hing/ perungayam: 1/4 tspn

7. Sambar Powder: 1/2 tspn - 1 tspn

8. Red chilly powder: 1/4 tspn

9. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn

10. Dhaniya podi/ Coriander powder: 1/4 tspn [optional]

Method:

1. Heat a kadai, add oil, once heated, add mustard seeds/ kadugu and wait until it splutters. Add curry leaves.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute well, add turmeric powder, sambar powder, perungayam/hing, red chilly powder, dhaniya powder[optional], and saute well to a semi-thokku consistency, oil will start to leave the kadai. 

3. At this stage, add 3-4 tumblers of water, totally 500 ml of water. Add required salt. Let it boil in a medium flame. Close the kadai with a lid for 3-5 mins while it is boiling. Totally let it cook for 6-8 minutes. By this time it should reach the kuzhambu consistency.

4. If u prepare it too watery, add a 1/2 tspn of rice flour/ arisi maavu or corn flour to 5 tspns of water, mix well and add it to the dish and cook for few mins to get the consistency.

Thakkali Kuzhambu is ready!!

Hot Pepper Rasam/ Milagu Rasam

This Milagu/ Pepper Rasam, is not only a treat, but also a treatment for cold, cough and fever. You can enjoy it anytime especially during chill climate! A very easy and tasty recipe!

Ingredients: [for 3-4 members]

1. Tamarind: a medium gooseberry/nellikkai size
2. Perungayam/ Hing: 1 tspn
3. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tspn
4. Salt: As req

To Temper:

1. Ghee: 2 tspn
2. Mustard: 1/4 tspn

Milagu rasam powder: To Dry roast and grind:

1. Pepper/Milagu: 2 tspns
2. Jeeragam/Cumin seeds: 1/2 tspn
3. Red chilly: 1

Method:

1. First soak a gooseberry size tamarind in hot water and squeeze its extract and keep aside.

2. Heat a pan, dry roast the items mentioned in "To Dry roast and grind".  See the pictures above, I used classic mortar-pestle to grind manually. If you have it and have experience in grinding, you can use the same. Otherwise you can use a regular mixie to grind them. This is the Milagu rasam powder.

3. Take the required size vessel for rasam and add the extracted tamarind puree, add perungayam/hing, turmeric powder, and milagu rasam powder and required salt--mix well.

4. Place the vessel on stove in a medium flame.

5. Boil it, add curry leaves and add water to the required rasam consistency [in tamil: vilaavuthal].

                               

6. Keep it in low flame until froth comes fully on its top layer and then turn off the flame.

7. Heat a kadai, add ghee and once heated, add the mustard seeds/kadugu, as soon as it splutters, add it to the rasam and garnish it with 2-3 coriander leaves [dont use more coriander leaves, DONT USE TOMATO for this rasam, this requires only tamarind]

Hot Pepper / Milagu Rasam is ready!!!

Dessert: Custard Vanilla Delight

Facing a sudden guest or feeling tempted to have a sweet dish?? That too quickly?? Here comes a 'fatafat' custard delight that you can prepare in 5-10 mins...can't believe it?? Here U gooo!!

Ingredients:

1. Water: 4 - 5 tumblers of water
2. Sugar: 1/2 tumbler
3. Condensed Milk [milkmaid]: 1/4 tumbler
4. Custard powder[vanilla flavor]: 2 tspns
5. Semiya[vermicilli]  [or] Long grain cooked basmati rice: a hand-full
6. Vanilla essecnce: 1 tspn
7. Boiled Milk: 5 tspns
8. Ghee: 2 tspns
9. Elaichi powder: 1 tspn
10. Dates, cashews, raisins, dates, choco chips, rock candy [kalkandu], almonds, pistachios: anything you wish, you can garnish

If custard powder, milkmaid, vanilla essence are with you, then you are 75% done with the dish!

Method:

1. Take pan or a medium sized vessel, pour 2 tumbler of water and bring it to boil. Once starting to boil, take 1/2 tumbler of hot water from it.
2. Add "Semiya[vermicilli]  [or] Long grain cooked basmati rice: a hand-full" and cook in a low flame until it gets cooked.
3. Take 5 tspns of BOILED MILK and mix it with custard powder to a thick paste without forming any lumps.
4. With the rest of hot water, dilute the 1/2 tumbler of milkmaid and keep it ready to pour in the cooking dish.
5. After diluting the milkmaid along with hot water, pour it to the cooking semiya and mix well. Now add sugar and mix well. Add 1 tumbler of water from the remaining quantity. Let it cook for few minutes until they blend with each other.
6. Now, completely simmer the stove and slowly add the custard paste to it with continuous stirring.
7. If you stop stirring, lumps will be formed and will spoil the dish. So carefully stir the contents when you add the custard powder paste. The dish will become very thick as soon as u add this paste.
8. Once mixed well, Add some water to dilute the contents to a kheer/payasam consistency and add 1 tspn of vanilla essence and elaichi powder and 2 tspns of ghee and now keep the flame into medium, and start stirring continously.
9. CONSISTENCY: Curd rice/ sakkarai pongal  consistency is the correct one for this sweet dish
10. Garnish with your favourite nuts or any other suitable toppings as i've mentioned above..
11. Can consume it as hot/cold... but tastes better when CHILLED!! :)

Custard Vanilla Delight is all urzz!!

Adai: Protein Rich Dish

A perfect blend of pulses, rice and other classic spices will yield you a tasty ADAI...!!!

INGREDIENTS:

I used to avoid bengal gram/kadalai paruppu completely since it causes flatulence [gastritis] .Though its optional as per your taste, if you're adding, add 1/4 cup for this proportion.

1. Toor Dhaal/ Thuvaram Paruppu: 3/4 cup
2. Urad Dhaal/ Ulutham Paruppu: 1/4 cup
3. Boiled rice/ Puzhungal Arisi: 1 cup
4. Raw rice/ Pacchai arisi: 1/2 cup
5. Red Chilles: 4-7 nos according to ur taste
6. Hing/ Perungayam: 2-3 tspn
7. Ginger: 2 size inch
8. Salt: as req

Method:

1. Wash and soak ingredients number:1,2,3,4 and bengal gram/kadalai paruppu (which is optional, as mentioned above) all together for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water and add the soaked ingredients to a big jar of a mixie or to a grinder[optional]. After adding the soaked ingredients, add red chillies, hing/perungayam, ginger and salt and grind by adding some water to a batter form. grind coarsely to a rava consistency.
3. Ferment the batter for 4-5 hours.
4. Heat a tawa, grease with oil/ghee and start preparing the tasty ADAI..!
5. Suggestion: You can fine slice the onions and fine chop the coriander leaves and add it to the batter and prepare the ADAI.
6. Also you can add grated coconut or chopped cabbage or drumstick leaves [murungai keerai] or vaazhai poo [banana flower] to this batter and prepare ADAI.
7. Adai goes well with, jaggery, avial. butter and ghee.. If nothing of these are available, plain adai itself tastes very very good.

I've garnished the batter with finely sliced onions and chopped coriander leaves.
This really tastes very good!

Protein rich Adai is all set to flavour your taste buds!!

Aaloo Gobi Paratha -- Alongside -- Paneer Mushroom Stir Fry

 Bored with either aalu or gobi parathas? Just do a mix and match enjoy the recipe along with Paneer Mushroom Stir Fry!!

Aaloo gobi paratha: Ingredients and Method:

1. Chapathi dough: as needed
2. Potato and Cauliflower: 1/2 cups each, washed, boiled.
3. Green chilly 1 or 2, finely chopped
4. Garam masala: 1/2 tspn
5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn
6. Garlic: very finely chopped [optional]
7. Salt : As required
8. Oil/butter/ghee: to grease parathas

• Take a bowl, add the boiled aaloo and gobi mash them well; add finely chopped green chilly, garam masala, turmeric powder, garlic and salt. Mix all together like a dough and roll small balls lesser in size than the paratha/chapathi dough balls.
• Take a chapathi ball [take some portions more than you use for chapathi for making parathas] and flat it, keep the aaloo gobi stuffing ball and cover it with the flattened dough like a ball again and start rolling the parathas.
• Make sure the paratha should be thick, covering the stuffing part. Otherwise the stuffing may peep out. [if stuffing comes out here and there, no worries continue rolling to its correct consistency].
• Heat the tawa and place the rolled aaloo gobi stuffed parathas; grease it on either sides and cook until it gives out dark brown spots as u look in picture.
• Paratha is ready now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paneer Mushroom Stir Fry: Ingredients and Method:

1. Paneer and Mushroom: each 1/2 cup diced [not too small in size, let it be 1 inch atleast]
2. Onion: 1 medium diced
3. Tomato: 1 medium, finely chopped
4. Ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tspn
5. Special Subzi Masala Powder: 1/2 tspn
6. Kasoori methi: 1/2 tspn [apart from spl subzi masala powder]
7. Oil: to saute
8. Salt: to taste

• Heat a pan/kadai; add oil and onions, ginger garlic paste- saute well.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute well; add the spl sabzi masala powder and saute well until the raw smell goes off.
• Add the paneer and mushroom and cook well by mixing the previous contents, add salt and kasoori methi and mix well. Close the pan with a lid and cook in low flame for 3-5 mins and open the lid. 
• Keep the flame high, continuously fry the contents until the water released from mushroom dries up by leaving some moisture alone. Garnish with ur favourites if needed. Serve hot with any parathas!! Enjoy it as a dinner dear buddies!!

Side Dish: Pavakkai fry / Bitter gourd fry

Bitter gourd- Yes.. It is bitter, but very very healthy and TASTY too..

Ingredients:

1. Pavakkai/ Bitter Gourd: 500 gms [or quantity as required for your family; adjust the proportions of rest of the items accordingly]
2. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn
3. Red Chilly powder: 1/2 tspn
4. Dhaniya podi/ coriander powder: 1.5 tspn
5. Sambar powder: 1 tspn
6. Hing/ perungayam/ asafoetida: 1 tspn
7. Salt: as req
8. Oil: to fry and a little during marination
9. Water: as req

Method:

1. Wash and Cut the bitter gourd/ pavakkai into round shape. Dont slice it too thin, let it be little thick so that it'll be fleshy- otherwise it will become like chips! Take them into a bowl.
2. Add 1/2 tspn of salt and mix well; keep it aside for 10- 15 mins.
3. Then add 1/4 tumbler of water to the salt marinated pavakkai and wash them thoroughly using ur hands, drain the water completely.::::: this will extract the bitterness; not completely but as maximum it can. But we need some bitterness to enjoy its natural taste which is not that intolerable. Try out and enjoy!!
4. Now add turmeric powder, red chilly, dhaniya, sambar powders, hing, salt.
5. As you have already washed with water [after salt marination], it will be moisture only [if not, sprinkle very little water]. Add 3-4 tspn of oil and mix all together and marinade it for 15-20 mins. Then fry it in oil. 
6. Make sure you dont burn it or deeeeeep fry it. It should be crispy and at the same time must be fleshy.



Pavakkai is getting marinated! :P



Frying part.

7. Yeah!! Pavakkai Fry is all yours! Taste it and enjoy it!!

   
   

   
   

Snack: Cheese Rolled Paneer Fingers

"Delicious and mouth-watering easy snack: Cheese Rolled Paneer Fingers"

Ingredients:

1. Paneer: 200 gms
2. Cheese Slices: As required [approx 8 slices]
3. Bread Crumbs: As req to roll
4. Oil: to deep fry

For batter:

1. All purpose flour/ Maida: 1/2 cup
2. Corn starch: 1/2 cup
3. Tomato sauce, soya sauce, redchilly/green chilly sauce: each 1.5 tspn
4. Chilly Flakes: 1 tspn
5. Mixed Herbs: 1 tspn [that contains oregano, black and white pepper powder, jalapeno]
6. Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tspn
7. Salt: as required
8. Water: to mix the batter

Method:

1. Cut paneer into your forefinger sized fingers.
2. Cut the cheese slices into 1/2 inch [in breadth] stripes and roll on the paneer fingers as shown in the below pic.

 

3. Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients mentioned in "for batter" and keep the batter aside for 5 mins. Spread the bread crumbs in a plate.

4. Dip the cheese rolled paneer fingers in the batter and dust it in the bread crumbs and deep fry it in oil until they turn golden brown colour.

"Enjoy the quick, easy yet tasty snack along with your loved ones"

Snack: Crispy Cabbage Balls

"Hot and Crispy Cabbage Balls"

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage: 1 cup; finely chopped
2. Onion: 1 medium; finely chopped
3. Fresh Coriander Leaves: Handful; finely chopped
4. Hing/Perungayam: 1 tspn
5. Kashmiri Mirch powder/ regular red chilly powder: as per taste
6. Besan flour/kadalai mavu: 3-4 heaped tspns
7. All purpose flour/Maida: 2 tspns
8. Corn Flour; 2 tspns
9. Thick Curd: 1 tspn
10. Butter: 1 tspn
11. Shredded cheese: 1 tspn
12. Salt: as req
13. Water: to sprinkle

Method:

1. Take a bowl and add the chopped cabbage, onion and coriander leaves.

2. Add the besan flour, salt, mirch/chilly powder, corn starch, maida, butter, hing, curd, shredded cheese, butter, curd, and sprinkle very little water and mix to form a semi-dough like mixture.

3. Take a little portion from it and make balls, if its sticky, grease ur hand with water/oil and then try rolling the balls and keep it aside.

4. Take a small bowl, add a tspn of besan flour, corn flour, maida, red chilly powder, little salt, food color [if needed], hing and water to make it as a semi loosened batter [not as thick for bajji, simply as diluted bajji batter].

5. Dip the rolled balls into this batter and deep fry it in oil until it turns golden-brown and serve hot!