Soy Biriyani in 20 Minutes

This is a recipe which I came across in one of the magazines.I changed it, according to the way I normally prepare biriyani and it turned out to an excellent dinner for us on some day last week.

All you need for this biriyani is

Ingredients

1 cup Basmathi rice.

1 Medium sized onion finely chopped.

1 to 1 1/2 tbsp tomato puree.

1/2 cup soya chunks.

1 tsp ginger garlic paste.

few mint sprigs.

chilli powder.

a piece of cinammon

2 green cardamom.

2 cloves.

2 tsp Jeera.

1 1/4 tbsp yogurt.

Salt.

Oil.

Method

1.Wash the rice very well and cook in microwave at microwave high for 20 minutes,with some salt.After the 10th minute,take the rice out and add the jeera and cook for the remaining time.(no need to soak the rice before cooking.Wash properly).

2.Soak the soy chunks for two minutes in hot water and close the vessel/bowl.Remove after 2 minutes and squeeze the excess water and cut each soy chunk into two.

2.Heat a pan,add some oil and add the onions and fry unil it becomes translucent.

3.Add the ginger garlic paste and saute continuously until the raw smell goes away.

4.Add the soy chunks,mint sprigs,tomato puree,chilli powder and salt and stir for 2 minutes.

5.Now add the beaten yogurt and stir well.

6.Add the cooked rice and mix well.Add enough salt needed.Garnish with coriander leaves.

7.Serve it hot with onion raitha.

Recipe adapted from Aval Vikatan.

Read the entire recipe here

Tomato Chutney-A very fast and easy way!

I make this chutney whenever I have dosa or idly batter at home and wake up late in the mornings.Its really easy and its a watery chutney when compared with others.Check out the recipe here

Ingredients
2 to 3 medium sized tomatoes.
1 Big onion finely chopped.
8 to 10 garlic cloves thin sliced.
one fistful of curry leaves.
2 dry red chillies.
1 to 2 green chillies.
1/2 tsp red chilli powder.
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
1/ 4 tsp mustard seeds .
finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method
1.Grind the tomatoes to a pulp.
2.In a pan,heat the oil and once its hot,add the mustard seeds and red chillies.When they start spluttering,add the onions,curry leaves,g.chilliesturmeric powder and garlic and saute until the onions become translucent.
3.Now add the tomato pulp,red chilli powder and salt.Allow it to boil.Cook at less than medium heat,until the raw smell of the tomato goes away.It takes only very few minutes.
4.Garnish with coriander leaves.Have it with idlies and dosas.

Notes:
According to your taste buds increase/reduce the red chilli,g.chilli n red chilli powder amount,but try to use all the three..because adding the three gives a good taste.

Read the entire recipe here

Spicy Mushroom Gravy

This Mushroom Gravy,I personally feel that it goes well with idlies and dosas.But can be used as a curry for rice too...But a real good recipe with everything freshly ground.

Ingredients
1 pack button mushrooms.
1/2 big onion finely chopped.
a fistful of curry leaves.
4 mint sprigs.
Coriander leaves to garnish

To fry
List 1
1/2 big onion finely chopped
1 small tomato finely chopped
A small piece of ginger
2 garlic cloves (peeled)

List 2
3 tbsp shredded coconut (fresh/frozen)
4 dry red chillies
2 tbsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp channa dhal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp jeera
A small piece of cinnamon
2 green cardamom
1 clove

Method
1. Heat the pan. Add very little oil and fry the ingredients given in list 1 starting from the onions and end up with tomatoes. Saute all the ingredients very well.Remove the ingredients from the heat and allow it to cool.
2. Again in the same pan, add very little oil and fry the ingredients given under list 2 for 2 minutes.
3.Grind all the fried ingredients under list 1 & 2 into a very fine paste along with the mint sprigs (don't add more that 4 sprigs).
4.Again heat the pan, add oil, curry leaves,turmeric powder and fry the onions,until the onions translucent.
5.Add the ground mixture,mushrooms and salt without adding water (if adding water,add once the mushroom is 3/4th cooked )and cook at less than medium heat until the mushroom gets cooked.
6.This is  a very thick gravy and it is a very good accompaniment with idlies and dosas.

We enjoyed tasting this gravy.Did you?Let me know...

Read the entire recipe here

Falafel-Desi ishtyle by adding a little bit of this and that!

Ingredients
1 cup Chickpea/Garbanzo beans(Kabuli channa)
1 cup chopped beetroot leaves.
1 small onion finely chopped.
small piece of cinammon.
1 clove
1 1/2 tsp Saunf.
Redchilli powder.
Salt
Corn flour(optional)
Oil(for deep fat frying)

Method
1.Grind chickpea,cinammon,clove,saunf together to a fine paste.
2.In a mixing bowl,add the ground paste,onion ,beet leaves and salt.
3.In a kadai,heat oil at medium flame and when its really hot,make small balls out of the chickpea paste and deep fry it until it turns golden brown and cooked.
4.Serve it hot with ketchup or sauce of your choice.

TIPS:
If your batter is too thin,the batter will start spreading in the oil and you will be unable to get a ball shape.So,what you do in that case is make a ball.Drizzle avery small amount of corn flour over the balls and deep fry it.Do not add more corn flour as it will change the taste of the fritter.
This method can be used for dhal vada also,when you find difficult to make a shape.

Read the entire recipe here

Poppy seed Halwa(Kasa Kasa Halwa)

Poppy seed halwa is a special halwa which might not be known to everybody. Before a decade, it was available only invery few sweet stalls in Coimbatore and now its available in one of the famous chain store in Coimbatore through which this halwa is introduced to many people.
One of my friend named Visalakshi who is also a Coimbatorian and resides here in US has a cook book, where I found this recipe. Last week, she had sent me the softcopy of that book. A Very big THANKS to her. The original recipe had nutmeg and didn’t have milk and the whole halwa making process was entirely done in stove. Preparing the halwa totally in the stove consumes a lot of time and also the poppy seed splutters a lot. So, I tried 90% cooking in microwave and rest in stove.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups Indian White Poppy seed(Kasa Kasa)
3 cups Sugar(Add or reduce as per taste)
2 cups Milk
1 cup ghee(Clarified butter)
A pinch or two of cardamom powder

Method
1.Soak the poppy seed over night in hot water.
2.Grind the soaked poppy seeds into paste without adding water.
3.In a microwave bowl,mix the poppy seed paste and milk and bring it to boil for 30 minutes at microwave high.Stir the mixture 10 minutes once for two times and after that stir 3 or 4 minutes once.It might take more than 30 minutes also.When the milk leaves the sides and mixes together with the poppy seed paste like a lump,you can take it out.
4.Now heat a wider pan in the stove and add the poppy seed mixture,sugar and ghee and stir continuously for 5 minutes,until the halwa turns from white to light brown in color(Don’t burn the halwa in the process of making it brown).
5.Just before switching off the stove,add the cardamom powder.

Try this delicious halwa and let me know your comments!!!

Read the entire recipe here