Thursday, May 31, 2012

Vegetable Dum Biryani - Restuarant style

          Biryani, the moment we hear this word, Hyderabad Biryani will be the first thing that comes into anyones mind. Its that famous in Andhra, especially in Hyderabad. Biryani is served in numerous variations and an integral part of Indian cuisine. Its a mouthwatering and heavenly dish.   
           Biryani when cooked with right mixture of vegetables & masala using the dum technique results a delightful one pot meal.After a few trails , finally I got the perfect restaurant style dum biryani. Biryani with Baingan Bharta is my favourite combination and very confident that it becomes your favourite tooo... 
 

Ingredients:
  • Basmati rice : 1 1/2 cup
  • Carrots : 2
  • Cauliflower : 1/2
  • Beans : 15
  • Peas : 1/2 cup
  • Potato : 1
  • Tomato : 1
  • Green chillies : 3
  • Curd : 1 cup
  • Milk : 1/2 cup 
  • Oil : 5 tblspn 
  • Ghee : 2 tblspn
  • Cashew nuts : few
  • Saffron : 5-6  threads
  • orange color : a pinch
Spice list :
  • Cloves : 6
  • Black cardamom : 2
  • Green cardamom :3
  • Aniseed : 1
  • Cinnamon : 2 " stick
  • Bay leaves : 2 
  • Coriander powder : 1 tblspn
  • Garam masala : 1 tblspn
  • Biryani masala : 4 tblspn
  • Ginger -garlic paste : 1 tblspn
  • Chilli paste : 1/2 tblspn
  • Kasoori methi : 1/4 tblspn
  • Brown sugar/ white sugar : 1 tspn
  • Coriander leaves : 3 tblspn(chopped)
  • Mint leaves : 3 tblspn(chopped)
  • Fried onions : 1/2 cup
  • Salt : as required 

Procedure :

Making the masala:
  1. wash , peel and cut all the vegetables(carrot ,beans ,potato) into thin long strips , cauliflower  into big florets , tomato into big squares and peas as they are.
  2. First marinate the vegetables with the spices.
  3. For this take all the vegetables in a bowl , add ginger garlic paste , chilli paste , coriander powder , garam masala powder , kasoori methi , sugar ,1 tblspn coriander leaves ,1 tblspn mint leaves , little salt ,1/2 tblspn oil.
  4. Mix them well ,close with a lid and marinate for 10 -15 mins.
  5. Heat 4 tblspn oil in a big saucepan . Add 4 cloves , black cardamom, 2 green cardamoms , aniseed ,bay leaves ,cinnamon and fry for 1 min till a nice aroma starts coming from it.
  6. Now add the marinated vegetables , chillies  to the oil . Fry them a little and add the biryani masala to it and mix well till all the vegetables are nicely coated with the masala powder.
  7. Add 1/2 cup of curd and fry on a medium flame till the vegetables are 70% cooked .Be careful that vegetables are not fully cooked. They should remain little crunchy. 
  8. Once done, remove from the flame and keep it aside.
Cooking rice :
  1. Wash and soak rice in water for 30 mins.
  2. Add 2 cloves ,one green cardamom  ,1 tblspn oil to it and cook till 70% done.
  3. Drain the water and keep it aside.
 Dum process :
  1. In a wide bottomed vessel , spread half of the masala as a first layer. spread 1/4 cup of fried onions , 1 tblspn coriander leaves , mint leaves ,1/4 cup curd on the top of the first layer.
  2. As a second layer spread half of the cooked rice .
  3. As a third layer spread the remaining masala , 1/4 cup of fried onions , mint , coriander leaves ,remaining curd on the top of the rice.
  4. Once done with the third later , spread  the remaining rice on the top of the vegetables .
  5. Warm the milk and divide into two equal portions.
  6. Add saffron threads to one portion of milk and soak for 10 mins. Add the orange colour to the another portion of milk.
  7. Add these two portions of milk to the layers in a circular form.
  8. Spread fried cashew nuts and ghee on the top of the rice and cook on a very low flame or double boiling method(Take some water in a wide bottomed pan ,let the water bring to boil and insert the biryani vessel in it)  for 30 minutes closing the lid.
  9. Veg Biryani is now ready to serve .So , You now know that even veggies can have a finger licking biryani in dum style..:)
Photoreel:
Marinating and cooking vegetables

Arranging the curry and rice for Dum process


Monday, May 28, 2012

Koftas In Spinach Sauce

       
















Simple yet tasty & flavoured koftas  combined with spinach sauce makes a dish that you will never forget . Usually our weekend  starts with a special dinner on the friday evening followed by movie. This dish, that I made last friday came out very well and one of my favorites now. This gave me a bit long time to relax than usual as preparing any other gravy would take relatively more time. This goes well with chapati or naan.

Ingredients:

For Koftas:
  • Potato : 1 (boil , peel the layer and mash to a fine paste)
  • Sweet Corn : 1/4 cup (cooked and chopped)
  • Panner : 1/4 cup (crumbled)
  • Coriander leaves : 1tblspn (finely chopped)
  • Plain flour : 2 tblspn
  • Chat masala : 1 tspn
  • Chilli powder : 1 tspn
  • Salt : as required
  •  Oil : 5 tblspn
For Spinach sauce :
  • Spinach Paste : 1/2 cup (boil spinach using water ,drain water and make a fine paste)
  • Beaten curds : 1/2 cup
  • Cashews : 7
  • Poppy seeds : 1 tblspn
  • Grated fresh coconut : 1 1/2 tblspn (grated)
  • Green chillies : 6-7
  • Garam masala : 1tspn
  • Cumin powder : 1/2 tblspn
  • Sugar : 1/2 tspn
  • Salt : as required 
  • Oil : 2 tblspn
  • Ghee : 2 tblspn 















Method:

Making Koftas :
  1. Combine potato paste , chopped corn , crumbled paneer , coriander leaves , plain flour , chat masala , salt , chilli powder  and mix well .
  2. Pinch a small sized ball from it and slightly press in the middle to make koftas.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry koftas until they turn golden brown in colour.
Making Spinach Sauce :
  1. Fry poppy seeds without oil. Grind the cashews , roasted poppy seeds , green chillies ,coconut into a very fine paste using a little water.
  2. Heat Oil and ghee in a pan .Add the grinded paste and fry on a medium flame till the oil seperates.
  3. Now add the beaten curds , salt , cumin powder and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the spinach paste and cook until it starts bubbling. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the pan.
  5. Add Sugar , garam masala and mix well.
  6. Boil the spinach sauce and add the fried koftas before serving.
Sending this to :

Vardhini's Cooking with whole foods -Spinach event and
Kiran's  Spinach event
 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Rajma masala

Aromatic Indian spices add a delicious fragrance to this simple , yet tasty  , rajma masala. It is the most popular dish in Northern parts of India. It makes a stunning showpiece in their regular meal and it is served with steamed rice or roti along with some pickle and curd.  



Ingredients:
  • Rajma(Red kidney beans) : 1 cup
  • Onions : 2(finely chopped)
  • Tomatoes : 3(finely chopped)
  • Green chillies : 4 (finely chopped)
  • Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblspn
  • Cumin seeds : 1 tblspn
  • Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
  • Garam masala : 1 tblspn
  • Salt : as required
  • Curd : 3 tblspn
  • Oil : 3 tblspn
  • Coriander Leaves : a fistful(finely chopped)
Procedure:
  1. Soak rajma for 5-6 hrs and cook until soft by adding a big pinch of salt  .
  2. Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add cumin seeds , let them splutter.
  3. Add ginger garlic paste , chopped onions , chopped green chilli and fry  until they become soft .
  4. Now add garam masala and fry for 2 mins. Add 1/4 cup of rajma water (water drained from boiled rajma) or normal water and cook closing the lid for 2 mins later cook removing the lid until the water evaporates.
  5. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook closing the lid till they become soft.
  6. Next, Add boiled rajma , little more water , coriander powder . Adjust salt ,mix well and cook for 10 mins closing lid.
  7. Add curd ,coriander  and mix well and let it cook for 2 mins.Serve hot with roti , rice or chapati.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Khajoor Laddu(Re-Posted)

Do you want to make some sweet in 5 mins . Try out this..Very easy n quick . It is rich in iron , dietary fiber  ,copper, potassium and many more..very good for health ..no sugars ..no cholesterol..



Ingredients :
  • Khajoor (Dates) : 1 cup (seedless or remove the seeds)
  • Cashews : 1/4 cup ( cup into small pieces)
  • Ghee : 1 tspn 
Procedure :
  1. Grind the dates in a blender/mixer grinder.
  2. Heat ghee in a pan , fry the cashews till they turned to golden brown.
  3. Add the date mixture to it and give it a quick stir and turn off the stove.
  4. Make  balls with your hands...That's it.. :) 
Photoreel:
 






























Sending this to :
 Nithu's kitchen 
Cook EatDelicious

Monday, May 14, 2012

Carrot Paratha

Paratha is a yummy and mouth watering dish which has a scope for lot of variety. I like to prepare parathas a lot because you donot need to prepare an extra curry for that :) . One can serve any paratha with just curd, pickle or simple raitha. Paratha is even more yummy when its slightly brushed with butter. Parathas can be prepared in no time. Paratha to me was aloo paratha when I was kid. But in the recent year, have been trying a variety of these parathas with stuffings of carrot , palak , gobi etc. This is one of my favourite beside aloo paratha .Try it and relish its taste. 


Ingredients:

 For Paratha : 
  • Wheat flour : 2 cups
  • Salt : 1/4 tspn
  • Water : for kneading
  • Oil : 2 tblspn
For stuffing:
  • Carrot : 1 1/2 cup(shredded)
  • Potato : 1/2 (boiled)
  • Green chillies : 3-4(finely chopped)
  • Ginger : 1/2 tspn (grated)
  • Salt : as required
  • Coriander leaves : 1 tblspn (finely chopped)
  • Garam masala : 1 tspn 
  • Oil : 1tblspn

Procedure:
  1. Combine wheat flour with salt and oil . Knead well by slowly adding water to make a firm, yet soft dough. Cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 mins.
  2. Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger, green chillies and fry for 1 min.
  3. Combine carrot with it , add salt and saute for 2 mins .
  4. Add mashed potato , garam masala , coriander leaves and mix well. Cool it and make a small lemon sized circles from it.
  5. Remove the wet cloth from dough and knead the dough again . Pick a lemon sized ball from it. Dust the working surface with little flour and make a 3-4" round circle using a rolling pin.
  6. Place stuffing on the circled dough and bring all the edges of the dough to the center covering the stuffing.
  7. Again dust the surface with flour and  make a 6"circle using a rolling pin.
  8. Heat the tawa. once hot, add the paratha and cook for 10 secs and turn the paratha and cook for another 15 secs.
  9. Let it cook on both sides till small brown dots appear on the paratha.
  10. Add ghee or butter while cooking or before serving (according to your choice) . Serve  hot with curd and pickle.

    Wednesday, May 9, 2012

    Veg fried rice

     Veg fried rice ...wow .. love the flavor coming from it..Vegetables mixed with the flavor of basmati rice gives a pleasant n refreshing aroma . A vegetable fried rice is perfect when right set of vegetables are added in right quantities. This simple and quick dish makes any  meal delightful.



    Ingredients :
    • Basmati Rice : 3 cups (boiled ,each grain seperated)
    • Vegetables( Carrots ,Beans ,Cabbage) finely chopped : 1 cup
    • Capsicum : 3 tblspn (chopped)
    • Spring onions : 2 (whites & greens)
    • Black pepper powder : 1/2 tblspn
    • Salt : as required
    • Vinegar  : 1/2 tblspn
    • Oil : 2 tblspn
    Procedure :
    1. Boil vegetables for 2-3 mins in oven or on flame.
    2. Heat oil in a pan , add chopped spring onion whites,salt and fry for a minute
    3. Add capsicums and fry for another one minute , then combine it with cooked vegetables and saute them on a high flame for 3-4 mins. Be careful that vegetables do not stick to pan.
    4. Add cooked rice , mix well , adjust salt and add pepper powder and vinegar.
    5. Mix well then add chopped spring onion greens.
    6. Garnish with carrots and serve hot .


    Spicy Pudina Pachadi - Pure Andhra Style With Spices

     The refreshing , versatile leafy vegetable which adds punching flavor to the rice , biryani , beverages is mint. Its a special leafy vegetable which spreads its refreshing flavor . Most common recipes of the mint are mint rice , mint chutney , mint raita . There are many variations in doing all of these . But this is a special one i never tasted before. I learnt this  from my Mother -in-law who is an expert in making chutneys and pickles .This is one of best sides with idlis ,rice , vada , samosa .Try it n enjoyyyy :)


    Ingredients :
    • Pudina : 2 cups
    • Tomato : 1 big
    • Oil : 2 -3 tblspn
    • Salt : as required
    • Spice powder : 1 tblspn
    • Tamarind : small marble size
    • Mustard : 1 tspn
    • Cumin : 1 tspn
    • Urad dal : 1 tspn
    • Asefoetida : a pinch
    • Curry leaves : 2 strigs
    Ingredients for spice powder :
    • Red chillies : 6-7
    • Dhania seeds : 1 tblspn
    • Cumin(jeera) : 1 tblspn
    • Chana dal (senagapappu) : 1 tblspn
    • Fenugreek seeds : 5-6
    • Garlic : 6 pods
    Preparations:
    1.  Heat 1/2 tblspn of oil in a pan, fry all the ingredients of spice powder ( except garlic) in a low flame until they become golden brown color.
    2.  Cool them and grind along with garlic using a mixer grinder to form a fine powder .
    3. Soak tamarind in a little water seperately.

    Procedure:
    1. Heat 1 1/2 tblspn of oil in a pan. When the oil gets heated , add pudina leaves and saute them till they become soft
    2. Add chopped tomatoes ,salt and and saute till the tomatoes turn soft.Once they become soft ,turn off the stove ,let them cool down.
    3. Grind them along with the spice powder and tamarind using a mixer grinder to a fine paste like chutney .
    4. Prepare the seasoning ( popu) by heating one tblspn of oil. When the oil is popping hot, add mustard , cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add a pinch of asefoetida ,urad dal ,curry leaves and fry till they turn golden brown.
    5. Add the seasoning to the chutney and mix well.

    Points to Remember:

    Add tomatoes after the mint leaves are completely sauteed. Because once you add tomatoes they will not saute completely.

    Thursday, May 3, 2012

    Beans Masala Curry


    Beans are one of the most used veggies in the cooking. Everyone have their own way of cooking beans. These add flavor and crunchiness to the main coarse. Beans when cooked with less oil , combined with rice makes a meal filled with  nutrition . This is my style made with  South Indian Spices , tastes good with rice and roti .


     Ingredients:
    • Beans : 2 cups
    • Onions : 2
    • Tomatoes : 2
    • Mustard : 1 tspn
    • Cumin : 1 tspn
    • Urad dal : 1 tspn
    • Asefoetida : a pinch
    • Curry leaves : a few
    • Oil : 1 tblspn
    • Salt : as required
    For masala : 
    • Dry red chillies : 6-7
    • Dhania : 1 tblspn
    • Jeera : 1 tblspn
    • Chena dal : 1 1/2 tblspn
    • Fenugreek seeds : 6-7
    • Galric pods : 4-5
    • Oil : 1/2 tblspn 
    Making masala:

    Heat oil in a pan , fry all the spices except garlic until they turn light brown color.Let them cool ,add garlic and grind it using a mixer.



    Making curry:
    1.  Cut off the two ends of the beans and remove the threads along the sides .Cut into 1"pieces and boil them using water and a pinch of salt.
    2. Heat oil in a pan , add mustard , cumin and let them splutter . Sprinkle a pinch of asefoetida , combine with urad dal .Let them fry till the color changed to golden brown.
    3. Add onions , salt and saute them until they turn soft . Then add tomatoes , a little water and saute on a low flame until they turn soft.
    4. Add the boiled beans after slightly squeezing the excess water from it.
    5. Fry for a minute and add 1 1/2 -2 tblspn of grinded masala and mix well.
    6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame adding little water to it.
    7. Once the curry becomes thick, turn off the stove.
    8. Serve hot with Rice or rotis.