Baingan Ka Salan

This is a famous hyderabadi recipe. This is a famous hyderabadi recipe and it s a best compliment with Biriyani. This is similar to Mirchi ka salan. Relish and Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS	Qty
Eggplant	6
Onions	3
Tomatoes/readymade puree	2
Tamarind Extract	As per taste
FOR MASALA
Cumin Seeds	½  tbsp
Coriander Seeds	1 tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds	½ tsp
Poppy Seeds	½ tbsp
Coconut	Handful
Peanuts	handful

METHOD:
• Dry roast all the masala ingredients. Roast peanuts separately; cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds separately; poppy seeds and sesame seeds separately. Coconut can either be roasted or used without roasted. Grind them and keep it aside.
• Wash the eggplants and slit them in 4 from the centre by without removing the stem.
• Heat oil in a pan and cook the eggplants in it and little salt to it. Cook them till they become tender and little brown on the surface. Keep them aside.
• Add some more oil and add the onion paste and sauté it till it becomes transparent brown colour. Then add the tomato puree and sauté till the raw flavour goes and then add the ground maslaa paste.
• Add red chilli powder and tamarind extract and salt. Allow it to boil for sometime. Check for the taste and adjust accordingly.
• Garnish it with coriander and serve it with rice/Pulav.

SWEET BANANA PAROTTA

INGREDIENTS:
• Banana
• All purpose flour
• Cashew powder
• Salt
• Ghee
• Cardamom powder
• Raisins
• Dates
METHOD:
• In a bowl, mix all purpose flour, cashew powder, cardamom powder, little salt, ghee and banana. Knead it well, without water. If required, sprinkle very little water and knead it. Even milk can be added instead of water.
• Then roll it with a rolling pin just like a roti. Then apply ghee on one side and dip this side in the flour. Fold this side in layers and again roll it to the required size.
• Toast this on a tawa on both sides. Once the color changes to brown, add ghee.
• This can be served with dates and raisins roasted in ghee.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS:
• Pumpkin Puree
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Whipped cream
• Cream cheese
• Ginger Biscuits

METHOD
CRUST
• In a bowl add melted butter, powdered sugar and powdered ginger biscuits. If ginger biscuits are not available you can add the regular biscuits/graham cracker crust and ginger separately.
• Mix all these ingredients well and put this on a microwave for 10-15 minutes. Keep this aside.

FILLING:
• Cook the pumpkin in water until they become soft and tender. Then smash it well to puree. You can also add the readymade pumpkin puree.
• Powder cloves and cinnamon.
• In a bowl, add pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, and cream cheese/ whip top, pinch of the powdered cloves & cinnamon and finally add the whipped cream. Blend all these well and pour this evenly on top of the crust.
• Keep this in the microwave until the filling becomes dry. A cake’s consistency. Cool it to room temperature and then refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

SUGGESTIONS:
• You can top it with nuts, whipped cream etc.
• If you do not have a microwave, you can directly refrigerate the mixture for 3-4 hours and then serve.

APPLE PIE (Alternative way)

This is not the exact recipe of an apple pie. It is an easy version and its done with ingredients readily available. :) :)


INGREDIENTS:
•Diet biscuits
•Apples
•Sugar
•Cinnamon powder
•Butter
•Sponge cake/plain cake

METHOD:
CRUST:
•In a bowl, mix butter and crushed biscuits.
•Knead it well and then stuff on the corners of a mould.
•Bake this in a microwave oven for 10-15 minutes at 150 deg C,

PIE FILLING:
•In a bowl add finely chopped apples, butter, crumbled sponge cake and powdered sugar and cinnamon and raisins.
•Fill this on the mould and cover the top again with the crust mix.
•Bake this in the oven for 20 minutes at 150 Deg C.
•Take this out of the mould and serve it hot with ice cream.

THANDAI SOUFFLE

Thandai Souffle is a Western-Indian Fusion.

INGREDIENTS:
•Almonds
•Cottage cheese
•Aniseed/fennel seeds
•Sugar
•Poppy seeds
•Saffron
•Cardamom
•Fresh cream
•Rose water

METHOD:
•Soak almonds in warm water for about 10 minute. Peel the skin.
•Soak poppy seeds & aniseed in warm water.
•Add the almonds, poppy seeds, aniseed, saffron, cardamom powder, cottage cheese, fresh cream, one drop of rose essence and grind it.
•Transfer this to a bowl and refrigerate it.
•Add saffron or finely chopped almonds and pistachio and serve cool.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

INGREDIENTS:
•Butter
•Condensed Milk
•Milk Powder (optional)
•Chocolate
•Chocolate Powder

METHOD:
•Heat the pan and melt butter.
•Once the butter is melted, add the condensed milk.
•Then add the chocolate powder and stir it well.
•Once it becomes thick, add chocolate chips and turn off the flame.
•Cool it and then make it into small balls.
•Refrigerate it for half an hour to one hour.

SUGGESTIONS:
•Sugar is not needed as the condensed milk will have some sugar in it.
•You can serve these balls in paper cups. Like the ones used in cup cake.
•You can also add roasted pista, almonds and other nuts on top of the balls and serve.

ROSE BURFI

INGREDIENTS:
•Low fat cottage cheese(paneer)
•Sweet less kova
•Sugar

METHOD:
•Grate the cottage cheese and keep it aside.
•Powder the sugar and keep it aside.
•In a bowl, add the sugar powder, cottage cheese, kova, rose essence and knead it well.
•Put this in a setting bowl. Add cardamom, pista or saffron for garnishing. Refrigerate it for 2 hours.
•Cut into different shapes of your choice and serve.

KESAR MILK CUSTARD

INGREDIENTS:
•Apple
•Sugar
•Milk
•Corn flour/Kova
•Cardamom powder
•Almonds
•Raisins
•Kumkum

METHOD:
•First stew the grated apple. Pour little water in a pan and cardamom powder. Allow it to boil. Then add the grated apple in it. Once it is cooked, add the sugar powder and cook until it comes to a thick consistency.
•Then pour milk in another pan and boil it. Add kumkum powder to it for taste. For getting a thick consistency either kova or corn flour can be added. Pour this mixture on top of the cooked apple.
•Garnish it with chopped almonds and raisins (roast it in ghee optional) and little kumkum. Refrigerate it for 2 hours and then serve.

DIFFERENT COOKING PROCESSES

It is always good to understand properly all different cooking methods. It usually make the recipe better. Here is a link where i found different cooking methods described in detail including its pro's & Con's. Hope it is useful for you!!

THE FOOD TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE

DATES WALNUT CUSTARD

INGREDIENTS:
•Dates
•Walnuts
•Ghee(Clarified butter)
•Skimmed milk/milk
•Custard powder
•Sugar

METHOD:
•Powder sugar and keep it aside. Finely chop the dates and walnuts.
•Heat ghee in a pan, saute dates and walnut until they become soft. Lay them on a plate.
•Then boil the milk and add custard powder. Mix the custard powder in milk and then add this mixture to the boiling milk in order to avoid lumps. Then add the sugar powder. Allow it to boil until they become thick.
•Pour this milk mixture on top of the dates and refrigerate it for two hours.

OTHER VARIATIONS:
** Chopped fruits or jam can be added as an additional layer before adding the custard.
** Dates and Walnuts can be substituted with other dry fruits or fresh fruits. If fresh fruits are added, stew them with water.

CASHEW ALMOND CASSATA

Cassata, derived from Italian language meaning "layers". So as the name hints, this dessert is a layer of cashews and almonds. It is a very quick and a easy to make dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
•Cashew Nuts
•Almonds
•Ghee (Clarified Butter)
•Powdered sugar

METHOD:
•Chop a very small amount of almonds and cashews into small pieces. Keep this aside.
•Take some more cashews and grind it into a paste. Then add powdered sugar, ghee and chopped cashew pieces to it and mix it well.
•In the similar way, do it for almonds.
•Take some cashew mix and make it round and flat.Fill it inside with almond mixture and close it.So the inner layer is of almond filling and the outer layer id of Cashew mix.
•Cover the outer layer with silver paper(optional) and refrigerate it for an hour and then serve.

Can any of you imagine a situation, where you are put up in a kitchen with only a “Microwave” to cook? No stove, No processor or mixer, No electric cooker, Only Microwave. A scenario no one would ever dream of. Well, I am currently in such a situation.

Okay, let me explain in detail. My hubby darling got an onsite assignment in Mexico City. His great company’s main concern is only about their employee’s security. On those reasons, we were given accommodation in a star hotel and we had no choice of renting an apartment or a condo and we were also not eligible for taking the “suite types” in the hotel in his current project rate. We moved into a room in the 9th floor. Our home for another 4-5 months!! My hubby actually came here a month before my arrival. So he had spoken to the guest service manager of the hotel and requested him to provide us with a microwave, which was a little relief. Something is always better than nothing.

Actually the room is very spacious and has a very good view. I like it very much. :) :). It gives me a homely feeling cuz of the arrangement. There s this big “giant” size couch and a 25” LCD in the front. There is a big study table to the side of it. Then comes the king size bed and the closet. So its juz like a condo or suite with a kitchen missing. :( :( . The first initial days were very dreadful. I had not used a microwave before. So I just browsed the net and collected some good tips from it. But for my utter astonishment, this microwave does not work properly. I was not able to temper mustard seeds or curry leaves. Actually it caught fire the first time we tried. :( :( . I was not even able to cook rice in it!! Then my hubby somehow found out that the power level is very high and so the water keeps spilling. We reduced it to 50% and it was working fine. I got relieved a little thinking that we can at least make curd rice with this. When we were thinking somehow things are getting sorted, there came a major issue. Since we were experimenting on it the whole Sunday, the current tripped in our room due to excess use of microwave. Then the service guy said, as it is a high end appliance we should use it only for a limited time. Oh shit, again another major hit!! How are we going to survive? Only on boiled vegetables and curd rice for 6 months? No!!

Then by day-by-day experiment I found out how to use this efficiently. First, I listed out what cannot be done in this microwave. I cannot sauté onions or other items; I cannot cook dahl as it takes much time to cook, almost an hour or so. Then I listed out the ingredients I had with me. From India, I got some packets of tamarind paste, chili powder, Garam masala, homemade curry and sambhar powder, ginger garlic paste and some MTR readymade mixes like upma, idli etc... Finally I decided that I can make one curry, rice and some gravy for it every day. This is my current phase of life, experimenting on different things, how to adjust with the things available especially for cooking etc… Even though it is very difficult, this is altogether a different experience.

So here is how you can make not so great but definitely a good food. “Survival of the fittest”. Go ahead and have a look. Who knows may be this too can be of use to you at times.

Survival of the fittest

CHANNA MASALA/MUSHROOM MASALA

Servings: 3 Cooking Time: 1hr

INGREDIENTS
• Chickpea 200gms
• Onions 2 Medium sized
• Tomatoes 1 ½ Medium sized
• Green chilies 3 no’s
• Chili powder ½ tsp
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Cumin powder ½ tsp
METHOD:
• Finely chop the onions and slit the green chilies length wise.
• If it’s a frozen pack, you can soak the chick peas in water for one hour. Otherwise soak it overnight.
• Put the chickpeas in a micro safe dish and add twice the amount of water and little salt. Keep it in the microwave for half an hour. Keep checking and stirring it in between once or twice.
• In another micro safe dish, add the tomatoes and keep it in microwave for 2-3 mins until the skin starts peeling.
• Remove the skin smash the tomatoes well and little water. Keep it again inside the microwave for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are cooked well.
• Then add the onions, green chili, chili powder, and Garam masala and cumin powder. Stir it well and keep it inside the microwave for another 10 minutes.
• Then add the cooked chick peas, little butter and keep it inside for another 5 mins.
• Garnish it with coriander and chopped onions.

** Lays chips can be crushed and added on top just before serving. You ll get a very nice crunchy taste. This is purely optional. We like this taste so we add it.
** The same procedure can be followed and chickpea can be substituted with other kind of dry beans like kidney beans, pink beans etc...
**For mushroom masala, folllow the same procedure and in the end you can add the mushrooms instead of cooked chickpea. Mushrooms will cook in less than 10 minutes.

CHOW CHOW KOOTU (CHAYOTE)

The most yummy & popular dish of South India!!! The main condiment for this is ground cumin, coriander and coconut along with other south Indian spices. But let me show you how to make this dish by using only some of these ingredients, some adjustments etc. I bet you will definitely be able to make the dish which looks & of course tastes exactly the same.

INGREDIENTS:
• Chayote 2 big sized
• Grated Coconut Handful
• Green chilies 3 No’s
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Sambhar powder 1 tsp

METHOD:
• Dice the chayote and keep it in microwave for 15 minutes. Add water such that the veggies are just immersed. Close the lid of the dish.
• Then add the grated coconut, green chilies, cumin powder and sambhar powder and keep it again for another 15 minutes or until it is cooked well. The veggies should be very soft. Actually if it gets smashed slightly, you will get a thicker consistency.
• Then add little yogurt or thick curd, the thickening agent and keep it for a minute or less than that. Allow it to stand for 5-10 minutes.


** This can also be called as “Chow Chow Mor Kootu”. Whatever it is called, we have a healthy food with only veggies in it, which is much much better than having the outside junk food.
** Actually if you get coriander powder it s very good. It enhances the taste very well. Not only for this dish, you can use it in almost all dishes.

PINEAPPLE BISCUIT DESSERT

Ever thought of a cookie with the "Diet Biscuit"? Here you go.. This 3 layered pineapple dessert is more or less like a cookie. A dessert made with the " readily home available" ingredients..

INGREDIENTS:
BOTTOM LAYER:
•Diet/Marie biscuits
•Butter

MIDDLE LAYER:
•Diced Pineapple
•Sugar

TOP LAYER,SAUCE:
•Cottage cheese
•Cream
•Curd
•Lemon juice

METHOD:
•Add the cut pine apples and sauté it in a pan. Add sugar and stir it till it becomes little soft.
•Meantime powder the biscuits and mix it with butter to prepare dough.
•Then take cottage cheese, cream and little curd, lemon juice (optional) and grind it in a mixer to prepare the sauce.
•Take a cookie mold or small cups of any shape and spread the biscuit dough as the base.
•Then fill the pineapple on top of the biscuit base.
•Finally fill it with the sauce.
•Sprinkle some biscuit powder on top of it and refrigerate it for 45 minutes and serve.

DONUTS

INGREDIENTS:
•All purpose flour
•Sugar powder
•Salt
•Butter
•Yeast
•Oil
•Chocolate/sugar crystals (for the dip)

METHOD
•Mix all purpose flour, little butter, pinch of salt, sugar powder, yeast and knead it into soft dough.
•Roll it and make a hole in between. The hole should be big enough giving room for the dough to rise up.
• Leave it aside for half an hour.(*) Do not leave it aside for a longer time.
•Pour oil in a pan and heat it. Once it is heated drop the donut dough and deep fry it. Keep the flame in low or medium so that it cooks even both inside and out.
•For Chocolate donuts, melt chocolate in a oven and dip one face of the donut in the hot chocolate.
* For sugar donuts dip it in sugar crystals and in similar way you can dip them either in maple syrup, dates syrup, honey etc..

(*)The dough is kept aside for half an hour so that the yeast ferment-ates and the dough rises up. This method is called prooving or proofing.

CHAPATTI MASALA NOODLE

INGREDIENTS:
•Wheat flour
•Onion
•Capsicum
•Tomatoes
•Garam masala
•Chili powder

METHOD:
•Make chapattis and keep it aside. Even you can use the left over chapattis.
•Roll the cooked chapattis and slit it into pieces like noodles. Do not slit it very fine.
•Heat oil and butter in a pan. Sauté onions till half cooked.
•Then add capsicums and tomatoes and saute it well
•Add turmeric powder, garam masala/pav bhaji masala.
•Add finely chopped garlic and sprinkle water for it to cook. Add salt.
•Then add the slit chapattis and toss it for few minutes.
•Garnish it with coriander and squeeze lemon while serving.

HUNG CURD DIP

INGREDIENTS:
• Curd
• Minced Garlic
• Minced Onion
• Salt
• Lime Juice
• Green chili

METHOD:
• Hang curd in a muslin cloth and drain the water. For 3 tbsp, it usually takes 40 minutes.
• Once it is drained, add minced garlic and onions, salt, chopped green chili and mix well. Squeeze drops of lime juice and serve.

** This dip goes best with any kind of breads, chips,or can be used as salad dressing.
** There are many variations to this recipe. You can also add bell peppers to the above mentioned ingredients.
** Another variation is, you can mix the curd only with fenugreek paste and mint leaves. The flavor of mint with curd will be awesome..

CHICK PEA ROUNDLES

INGREDIENTS:
• Chickpea
• Ginger garlic paste
• Chopped Green chilies
• Bread crumbs
• Curd
• Mint leaves
• Salt

METHOD
•Pressure-cook the chickpea.
•Heat the oil in a pan; add ginger garlic paste, finely chopped green chilies, salt and the cooked chick pea.
•Once it is cooled, smash it well. Then dip it in curd (with mint leaves added to it) and bread crumbs and make it into round shaped.
•Then you can either deep fry it or grill it in a pan or u can bake it in a convection mode oven for 6-7 mins at the temp of 150-180 deg C.

** This tastes best when served with HUNG CURD DIP. Click to check the recipe!!!

FINGER IDLY

INGREDIENTS:
• Idly (Preferably left over)
• Sesame oil
• Chutney powder
• Cilantro

METHOD:
• Cut the idly into pieces length wise.
• Add seasame oil in a pan and shallow fry the idly pieces. It has to become crispy.
• Finally add the chutney powder and stir it for a minute.
• Then season it with cilantro and serve.

** Refined oil can also be used. But with sesame oil it tastes better.
** Chutney powder is our very dear "Milagai podi". This can be substituted according to ones tastes.
** You can also temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chili and urad Dahl.

MUSHROOM GRAVY

INGREDIENTS:
•Baby corn
•Mushroom
•Wood ear mushroom
•Garlic
•White pepper powder
•Whole black pepper (roast it and coarsely powder)
•Butter
•Salt
•Corn flour paste
•Sugar
•Veg Oyster sauce

METHOD:
•Heat the pan, add chopped garlic and then add butter (oil can also be substituted) to it.
•Once garlic is roasted, add the mushrooms, vegetable oyster sauce and allow it to boil.
•Then add salt, little sugar, white pepper powder, black pepper powder and boil it.
•Add corn flour paste for consistency and turn off.

RED CHILI PASTE/CHINESE CHILI SAUCE

Red chili paste is one of the main condiment used in the Chinese cuisine.You can either get the ready made paste or you can make this at home.

INGREDIENTS:
• Red Chilies
• Oil
• Vinegar
• Salt

METHOD:
• Boil the water and soak the chilies (removing the stem) for 10 minutes.
• Then grind it into a fine paste in a mixer.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute the chili paste until the oil starts separating from the paste.
• Add little salt and vinegar. (Vinegar dilutes the paste. So add accordingly.)
• Cool it and store it in a refrigerator and it stays good for months.

** You can also add brown sugar and minced garlic for added flavor.

Source: http://www.asiarecipe.com/cuisine.html

GARDEN OF HUNAN

This recipe is from the place called Hunan in China. Hunan cuisine, one of the regional cuisines in China is known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color.

INGREDIENTS:
•Button mushroom
•Brown mushroom
•Baby corn
•Tofu
•Broccoli
•Finely chopped garlic
•Finely chopped ginger
•Red chilies
•Red chili paste (click here for its recipe)
•Soya sauce
•Corn flour paste
•Cooking wine

METHOD:
•Blanch all the vegetables and keep it aside.
•Heat the pan and add oil. Add finely chopped ginger and finely chopped onions and chopped red chili.
•Then add red chili paste.
•Then add soya sauce and all the vegetables.
•Then add the vegetable stock, salt and little sugar and white peeper powder.
•Once it boils well, add the corn flour paste.
•Finally add cooking wine and serve hot.

STIR FRY VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:
•Broccoli
•Baby corn
•Tofu
•Spinach
•Chinese cabbage
•Sliced Garlic
•Soya sauce
•Red chili paste (optional)

METHOD:
•Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced garlic pieces and sauté it till brown.
•Then add all the vegetables and toss it well.
•Then add white pepper, salt, and little sugar and soya sauce.
•Finally when the veggies are half done add little sesame oil.
•Garnish it with spring onions.

**The vegetables should not be over cooked. In Chinese cuisine, vegetables are not fully cooked..
** If you want it spicier, add chili paste.

MANCHURIAN

INGREDIENTS:

MANCHURIAN DUMPLINGS:
• Boiled rice ( for binding)
• Gobi/vegetables
• Chopped Garlic
• Chopped ginger
• Chopped green chili
• Red Chili paste
• Spring onions
• Soya sauce
• Vinegar
• White pepper powder
• Corn flour
• All purpose flour
• Ajinomoto
• Salt

MANCHURIAN SAUCE:
• Onion
• Celery
• Chopped Garlic
• Chopped ginger
• Chopped green chili
• Spring onions
• White pepper powder
• Salt
• ajinomoto
• little sugar/ sweet and sour sauce
• Soya sauce
• Vinegar
• Ginger garlic paste
• Coriander
• Mint leaves
• Vegetable stock
• Corn flour paste
METHOD:
MANCHURIAN:
• Finely chop all the vegetables and half cook them. I.e. steam them.
• Once they are half done, transfer them on a cloth and squeeze the excess water. Use this stalk for sauce preparation. (If excess water is not squeezed, it might become soggy.)
• Mix all the ingredients for dumplings with vegetables and make it into balls. If they are not binding properly, add more of boiled rice. Then deep fry it.
• For Cauliflower Manchurian, make a batter by adding salt, white pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, ajinomoto and beaten egg (optional). Add little corn flour to give a thick consistency. Dip the cauliflower and keep it aside for five to ten minutes.
• Then batter fry until golden brown.

SAUCE:
• Heat oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion and sauté it well. Then add chopped garlic, chopped ginger, green chili, chopped celery, red chili paste, ginger garlic paste and sauté it well until raw flavor goes. Then add little salt, white pepper powder, soy sauce and vinegar.
• Then add the fried Manchurians and toss it. Add spring onions, mint leaves, coriander and ajinomoto.
(If you want gravy, before adding the Manchurians, add little vegetable stock, and boil it. Add corn flour paste to make it into a proper consistency. Then add the Manchurians just before turning off the flame).
• Garnish it with spring onions and coriander leaves.

SUGGESTIONS:
** Add little salt to the sauce, as the soya sauce and vinegar have salt content in them. Taste it before adding.
** Add the dumplings/cauliflower in the sauce before serving so that the crunchiness is retained.

BAKED TOMATO CUP ( FRENCH INDIAN FUSION)

INGREDIENTS:
•Tomatoes (as per head count)
•Chopped Onions
•Chopped Capsicum
•Chopped Apple
•Amchur powder
•Salt
•Pepper powder
•Mustard seeds
•Curry leaves
•Coriander leaves
•Bread crumbs

METHOD:
•Cut the head and tail of tomatoes. Cut into half and scoop out the pulp. Then sprinkle salt all over and invert it and keep it aside. (Salt is added to take away the excess moisture. If it is added in the end, it will become soggy).
•Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add finely chopped onions and curry leaves and sauté it well.
•Then add the finely chopped capsicums and sauté it.
•Once it is sautéed well, add the cut apples.
•Then add salt, pepper powder and coriander leaves to it.
•Turn off the flame and add bread crumbs and amchur powder.
•Then stuff this into the tomatoes, sprinkle bread crumbs on top of it and keep it in microwave for about 5 mins at a temp of 150-200 deg C.

SCHEZWAN FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS:
•Basmati rice
•oil
•Minced garlic
•Minced onion
•vinegar
•soya sauce
•Spring onions

GRINDING
•Red chili
•Garlic
•Onion
•Ginger

METHOD:
•Grind garlic, onion, ginger and red chilies in a mixer and keep it aside.
•Add oil in a pan. Add very little garlic and onion. Sauté it well.
•Then add the ground paste and sauté well until the raw flavor of chilies goes off.
•Then add the cooked rice, vinegar and soya sauce to it.
•Finally garnish it with spring onions and serve.

3. VEG PULAV (2)

INGREDIENTS:
• Oil
• Ghee
• Cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf
• Ginger garlic paste
• Cumin seeds
• Onions
• Green chili
• Soya chunks
• Peas
• Milk
• Basmati rice

METHOD:
• Soak soya chunks in luke warm water for 20 minutes
• Cook peas and keep it aside.
• Heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves. Once it splutters add little cumin seeds. (cumin seeds tend to give yellow color. So add onions immediately after that.)
• Then add onions and sauté until brown. Then add green chili and ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw flavor goes off.
• Then add water and milk in 1:1 ratio. Once it starts boiling, add the soaked basmati rice.
• Then add the soya chunks, salt and then green peas (this can be added even in the last stage). Mint leaves can be added for flavor.
• Then close the pan and keep it for 15-20 minutes. This process is called Dum.
• Garnish it and serve.

4. FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS:
• Basmati rice
• Finely chopped Garlic
• Green chili
• Onion
• Carrot
• Beans
• Baby corn
• Capsicum
• Egg
• Soya sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

METHOD:
• Add oil and ghee in a pan. Sauté garlic, ginger and green chili. Then add onion and sauté it till golden brown.
• Then add carrot, beans and baby corn and sauté it well. Then add the capsicums and allow it to cook.
• Once all the veggies are cooked add pepper, salt and little ajinomoto and little vinegar and soya sauce to it.
• Finally add the cooked rice and mix it well.
• Check the seasonings and if required salt or soya sauce can be added. Red chili paste can also be added if more spice is required.
• Season it with spring onions at the end.

Suggestions:
** The traditionally this recipe is made with the left over rice. Cold rice is perfect for this one.
** For egg fried rice, add beaten eggs after the onions are cooked and scramble it. You can also scramble egg separately and then add it.
** Spring onion is the essential seasoning for fried rice.
** Cook the rice in Vegetable stock/broth instead of water.

Tit Bits on Pulav & Briyani

**The main difference between Pulav and Briyani is the method of preparation. First one is made by cooking the rice and veggies together, i.e. by absorption method. Whereas in the latter, rice and the masala are cooked 70% separately and the remaining is cooked by layering veggies and rice on top of each other in a slow flame. The flavor of spice and masala is very intense in biriyani and much less in a pulav.

**The first pulav method can be used if you are a spicy lover. The second one is very mild and soya can be substituted with veggies also.

**For any rice recipes, soak the basmati rice in water at least for 45 minutes. You can also roast the rice in ghee and then soak it.

**For pulav and briyani, slice the vegetables in bigger size. It should not get smashed in the rice.

**For Briyani, sauté the vegetables very well so that the spices gets coated on the vegetables well.

**For pulav, add the spices in lesser quantity. It should not be very spicy like the briyani.

**Always use a large heavy bottomed pan while preparing pulav or biriyani.

**Soak cottage cheese in warm water before adding it.

**Do not sauté onions golden brown for pulavs. If required, fried onions can be added at garnishing.

**Do not add salt before adding milk. It might curdle.

**Milk is added to retain the color of pulav.

2. Veg Pulav

INGREDIENTS:
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Bay leaf
• Cumin seeds
• Cardamom
• Sliced green chili
• Chili powder
• Coriander powder
• Cumin powder
• Ginger garlic paste
• Sliced vegetables
• Basmati Rice

METHOD:
• Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom and cumin seeds.
• Once it splutters, add chopped onions and sauté them till they become transparent.
• Then add ginger garlic paste, green chili, black pepper corns, cilantro leaves and mint leaves.
• Then add red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Curd can also be added.
• Then add the vegetables like potatoes, carrot, beans etc.
• Add required amount of water and allow it to boil. Then add the soaked rice and allow it to boil till the rice absorbs water 90%. Then close the pan and keep it for 15-20 minutes in a slow flame.
• Garnish it with fried onions, coriander leaves, cashews etc.

1. Veg Briyani

INGREDIENTS:
•Basmati rice
•Cinnamon
•Cloves
•Bay leaf
•Cardamom
•Sliced Onions
•Sliced(bigger ones) Vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes, carrot beans etc)
•Sliced green chilies
•Biriyani masala or coriander powder, chili powder and Garam masala.
•Saffron water
•Thick curd

Optional: Roasted bread crumbs/Rusk, Cottage cheese

METHOD:
•Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds.
•Then add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw flavor goes.
•Then add the sliced vegetables and salt and sauté well. Vegetables should be cooked 70%. Sauté your vegetables till they get a layer of brown color on them.
•Then add sliced green chilies, mint leaves and coriander.
•Then you can either add biriyani masala or coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and Garam masala.
•Then add thick curd to it and stir it well. Then add the cottage cheese cubes. Stir well so that the spices blend well with the vegetables and cook them 70%.

RICE:
•Soak the basmati rice in water for at least 30 minutes.
•Then boil water in a pan. Add oil and salt to it. You can also add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom etc for enhancing flavor.
•Cook the rice 70%.

FINAL MIXING:
•Fry chopped onions in oil or butter until golden brown and keep it aside.
•Take half the portion of vegetables in a pan. Now add some more thick curd, cashews almonds etc and heat it. Check for taste now. Then add the fried onions.
•On top of it add half of the cooked rice.
•Then again on top add the remaining vegetables and again some fried onions.
•Again add the remaining rice on top of it. Sprinkle cilantro and mint leaves and roasted breads. Sprinkle saffron mix on top of it.
•Cover it and cook it on a very low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
•Serve it hot with raita.

Power Poha

Poha aka "flattened rice" or Rice Flakes" is a very nutritious food. This can be used for snacks or breakfast and very easy to cook. This can be either made spicy or sweet or can be eaten with milk and sugar. However you prepare it, this is very tasty. :) :).

INGREDIENTS:
• Poha
• chickpea
• Onion
• Tomato
• Green Chilies

FOR SEASONING:
• Curry leaves and Coriander leaves.

METHOD:
• Soak the poha in water for 10-15 mins. This depends on the quality of poha. Some poha may become very soggy if kept for more than 5 mins. See to that it does not become a paste. It should be soft and non sticky
• Soak the chickpea for more than 6 hrs in water. Then cook it in a pressure cooker keeping it for 3-4 whistles.
• Take oil in a pan and saute Onions, tomato and green chillies.
• Add garam masala or any other masala acc to your taste. Turmeric powder can also be added for the color.
• Then add chick pea and keep sauting it for few minutes.
• Finally add poha, saute it and then coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Iru Puli Kuzhambu

An authentic thirunelveli dish. A tangy gravy with a mix of spice. We use both tamarind and Curd, hence the name.

Ingredients:

• Sour Curd
• Vegetables (your choice)

For grinding:

• Fenugreek seeds
• Coconut
• Red Chillies
• Red Grams
• Tamarind

For Tempering:

• Mustard Seeds
• Curry Leaves

Method:

• Saute red grams, fenugreek and grated coconut in oil. Seperately saute red chillies. Then grind these ingredients along with tamarind. Mix the ground paste in sour curd and keep it aside.
• Boil the vegetables in water. Once they are half cooked, add the sour curd and the paste.
• Add salt and let it boil for around 10-15 mins.
• Add oil in another pan and put mustard seeds and once it pops, add curry leaves. Add these seasonings to the prepared dish and serve.

Oats Milkshake

Ingredients:

• Oats
• Milk (not boiled)
• Sugar
• Vanilla essence

Method:

• Take the required amount of oats and powder it.
• Boil water in a pan and add the powdered oats. Keep stirring it to avoid forming lumps.
• Transfer the oats paste, sugar, milk and the essence to a mixer and grind it.
• Refrigerate it and serve!!