Chicken Briyani

Ingredients

• Basmathi Rice - 3 cups
• Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut to medium sized pieces)
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cardamom - 2 to 3
• Cloves - 5
• Cinnamon Stick - 2 to 3 (1 inches)
• Fennel seeds - few
• Star anise - 2 to 3
• Bay leaf - 1
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 3 (Cut lengthwise)
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Biryani Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Lemon juice -  1 tsp
• Water - 4.5 cups

Method

• Wash the chicken with salt and keep aside.
• Soak the rice for 15 to 20 min.
• In the pressure cooker, add the oil and when hot, add the cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and Bay leaf and fry for 1 min.
• Now add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies, onion and fry for another few min till the onion becomes translucent.
• Add the tomato pieces, mint and coriander leaves and saute well.
• Now add the chicken pieces and fry. 
• No need to add water, as the chicken leaves water.
• Add all the powders mentioned in the ingredients and salt.
• When the gravy becomes thick, add the water and rice.
• Check for the seasoning and add the lemon juice and close the lid.
• Keep the flame in low for 10 min and switch off.
• Open the lid, add the ghee and mix the briyani.
• Serve hot with any side dishes/gravy like Prawn gravy, Thayir pachadi etc...

Prawn Pepper Gravy

Ingredients

• Prawns - 1/2 kg
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Coarse Pepper powder - 1 tsp ( can be increased or decreased according to spiciness)
• Oil - 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Urud dal - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a handful
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Clean the prawns with salt nicely.
• In a kadai / pan, add the oil.
• When hot, add the mustard seeds, urud dhal, curry leaves.
• Add the Ginger garlic paste, Onion and tomato and cook till the onions become translucent.
• Now add in the prawns, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and cook.
• No need to add water as the prawns automatically leave some water.
• Now add in the pepper powder and let it cook well till the oil comes out of the gravy.
• Before switching off, add the lemon juice.
• Serve hot with rice or chappathi or Nan etc...

Mango Payasam / Mango Kheer

Ingredients

• Ripe Mango - 1
• Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin
• Warm Milk - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Raisins - few
• Cashew nuts - few
• Saffron - few strands
• Cardamom powder
• Water - 3 to 4 tsp

Method

• Cut the mango and make a paste in blender with little water.
• In a pan, add ghee and fry the raisins and cashews till golden brown and keep it aside.
• Now in the same pan add some more ghee and pour the mango paste and stir continuously until it thickens a little.
• Now add the condensed milk and warm milk and stir well.
• Add the cardamom powder, saffron and allow to boil for 5 min.
• Switch off the stove and add the raisins and cashews.
• Decorate with few strands of saffron and serve hot.

sending this to cooking with fruits  @ Taste buds

Fish Molee / Fish in Coconut Milk Gravy

Ingredients

For Marination

• Fish - 1/2 kg (I used Vangiram Fish)
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper powdr - 1/4 tsp

For Gravy

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chillies - 3 (cut lengthwise)
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut milk - 1st extract - 1 cups
• Coconut milk - 2nd extract - 2 cups
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Lemon juice/vinegar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as per taste

Recipe Source : Ranji's Kitchen Corner

Method

• Wash the fish pieces with 1/2 tsp of salt (so that the fish smell goes off).
• Mix the fish pieces with the turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper powder and marinate for 1 to 2 hr.
• In a Kadai, add oil and when it is hot, add mustard seeds.
• When they start spluttering, add the curry leaves, green chillies and ginger and saurte till the raw smell of ginger goes off.
• Now add the onion and saute till it becomes transculent.
• Add the tomato, salt and cook till becomes soft.
• Now add the 1st extract coconut milk and put the marinated fish into this and allow to boil untill the fish gets cooked.
• When the fish is fully cooked, add the 2nd extract coconut milk and switch off the gas.
• Now add the Lemon juice and just mix only once.
• Serve hot with rice.

 This goes to my event Dish Name Starts with F

Fruit Salad with Icecream

Ingredients

• Fruits - Any fruit of your taste ( i used - Apple, Banana, Strawberry, Grapes, Kiwi, Pineapple, Water Melon)
• Vanilla Icecream - 1 scoop
• Honey - 1 tsp

Method

• Cut the fruits into small pieces.
• Mix all fruits in a plate or bowl.
• Place vanilla icecream on top of fruits.
• Pour honey over the icecream and the fruits and serve immediately.

This goes to my Event Dish Name Starts with F

Sending some of my below entries 

Dry Fruits Strawberry icecream 

Strawberry Grape Halwa

to Cooking with fruits at Taste buds by Smitha

Marina Beach Milagai Bajji / Mirchi Bajji / Italian Peppers Bajji

Ingredients
For Stuffing

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 2 pinchs
• Salt - as needed
• Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Besan Flour / Kadalai Maavu - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 cup

For Bajji Batter

• Besan flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Chilli powder - 1 to 1.5 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/6th tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Milagai / Italian peppers - 5 to 6
• Water - 1 cup

Method
To make the Stuffing

• In a kadai, add oil, and when hot add the mustard seeds.
• When seeds splutter, add the Water and turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder.
• When the water is boiling, slightly keep the flame in medium and add in the besan flour.
• Stir well until there is no lumps formed.
• Keep on stirring, until the oil comes out of the mixture, switch off and keep aside.

For Bajji Batter

• Mix all the ingredients in the Bajji Batter and make a batter. It shoud be in a thick consistency like idli batter.
• In a hot water, soak the peppers / milagai for 5 minutes in order to reduce the spiciness.
• In another kadai / pan, add the oil and let it become hot.
• Now make a slit in the peppers lengthwise and stuff the besan mixture.
• Now immerse the stuffed peppers in to the batter and fry in the oil.
• Filter the oil in a kitchen tissue paper and serve the bajji.

The taste will be very similar to the famous Milagai Bajji in Marina Beach because of the besan flour stuffing.

This goes to the Kid's Delight - Street Food @ Spice your life by Srivalli

Eggless Chocolate Muffins

After i saw the Eggless chocolate cake from Rak's Kitchen, i bookmarked it to try definitely. I mostly prefer eggless cakes as my mom wont eat egg. That time, i dont have any cake pans, but got some muffin cups, which i bought long back to try any muffins. So i tried her cake version in muffins. Muffins also came very well and soft and we all loved it. I used her same measures except for the coco powder since i am trying it for first time.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour - 1.5 cups
• Coco powder - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Oil - 1/4 cup (Sunflower oil)
• Water - 1 cup
• Baking soda/Bicarbonate of soda - 1 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla Essence - 1/2tsp

Method

• Mix th APF, Coco powder, Baking soda thoroughly.
• Mix the Water, Oil, Sugar, Vinegar, Salt, Vanilla essence, Sugar well until the sugar dissolves fully.
• Now add the mixed powders to this and  mix wll.
• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Now pour this mixture to the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 25 min or untill the muffins are done. (check it by inserting a toothpick into the muffin and if it comes out clean, then the muffins are ready to take out).
• Allow to cool it for a 10 min and serve.

Puthina Thuvayal / Pudhina Thogayal / Mint Chutney

Ingredients

• Mint leaves/Pudhina - 1 bunch
• Red chillies/Green chillies - 2
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Urud dhall / Ulutham paruppu - 2 to 3 tsp
• Tamarind - a lemon size
• Salt - a needed
• Turmeric powder -  pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• In a kadai, add oil, urud dhall, chillies and saute well. 
• Now add in the mint leaves and tamarind and saute well, till the leaves shrunk well.
• Add in the salt and turmeric powder.
• Then replace all the contents to the mixie and grind to a semi-coarse paste.
• It can be saved in air tight container for 4 to 5 days.
• Can be mixed with rice and ghee, it tastes well.

This goes to the following beautiful events
Herbs and flowers in my  Platter - @ Seduce your tastebuds
Food Palatte Series - Green @ Torviewtoronto

Cauliflower Briyani (Cauliflower Biryani)

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 1
• Green Peas - 1 cup
• Briyani Rice - 2 cups
• Cloves - few (6 to 8)
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1 crushed
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Star anise - 2 to 3
• Bay leaf  - 2
• Mint leaves - a handful
• Corinader leaves - a handful
• Onion - 1 cut lengthwise
• Tomato - 1
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Corinader powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Everest Briyani Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Lemon/vinegar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Water - 3 cups

Method

• Soak the Briyani rice for 15-20 min.
• Cook the rice (half cooked) with 2 cups water separately and keep aside.
• Cut the flower to 2 to 3 inch size florets.
• Make a paste with coriander and mint by grinding it in mixie.
• In cooker, add oil, and when it is hot, add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, star anise, bay leaf and fry for a min.
• Now add in the onion, tomato, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute well till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes off.
• Add the coriander-mint paste.
• Now add the cauliflower florets and green peas and add in the powders and salt and 2 cup water.
• Allow to cook till the cauliflwer are half cooked and the gravy becomes little thick.
• Now add the half coooked rice and mix well with cauliflower gravy.
• Add the lemon juice at this stage.
• Close the cooker lid and cook in low heat for 10 min.
• Switch off and add ghee, mix well and serve hot.

This goes to the following event
Herbs and Flowers in my Platter by PJ

Eggless Oats Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

• All purpose flour - 2 cups
• Oats - 2 cups
• Coconut - 1 cup (grated)
• Salted butter - 1.5 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup (can increase or decrease according to taste)
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Milk - 2 tsp

Method

• In a vessel, mix the butter and sugar well untill the butter becomes fluffy.
• Fry the grated coconut till slight brown and keep it ready.
• Now add in the other ingredients along with coconut together and mix well.
• Make them in small balls and then press slightly in your palms.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 C.
• Arrage the cookies in the baking tray leaving 1 to 2 inch gap inbetween the cookies.
• Bake for 20 mins or untill the cookies becomes brown in colour.
• When the cookies are ready, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 min.
• Crispy, Healthy and Tasty cookies are ready and store in a air tight container for future use.

This goes to the event CWF - Oats by Priya

And sending my Apple Cherry Custard with Paneer 

to 

Smitha's - Best food i have eaten or blogged about

why i choosen this, is, it tastes really great and adding paneer to the custard really gives a different taste and the main thing is, my kids loved this dessert and after having in small bowl, my son asked for some more and that day i felt very happy because, my son wont eat desserts much.