Spicy Vegetable Biryani

 

Spicy Vegetable Biryani

INGREDIENTS : 

Basmati or Seeraga Samba rice - 2 cups

Water - 3 1/2 cups

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Cumin - 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon - 2 inches long stick

Cloves - 6

Bay leaf - 1

Medium sized red onion - 4

Medium sized ripe tomatoes - 6

Ginger - 2 inches size

Garlic - 5 cloves

Coriander leaves - a small bunch ( 2 handfuls)

Green chilies - 5

Carrot - 1

French Beans - 15

Frozen peas - 1/4 cup (optional)

Sweet corn - 1/4 cup (optional)

Red chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Homemade Uttar Pradesh Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon (Check my recipe on the blog)

Mint leaves - a handful for garnish

Salt - a per liking

METHOD:

1. First, let's make the green paste. Blend ginger, garlic and coriander leaves till become a smooth paste. Keep that aside.

2. Heat a wok or pan with some oil and ghee. Add, cumin, fennel seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Temper them lightly. 

3. Now, tip in sliced red onion. Sauté onion till slightly golden brown. Next, add diced tomatoes and green paste that we have prepared earlier. 

4. Give a quick mix. This is followed by turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. You can cook this for 5 minutes. That's enough because it will keep cooking in the rice cooker later. 

5. Wash 2 cups of basmati or Seeraga samba rice (smaller type of basmati rice) three times in  clean water.

6. Now, add the cooked items in the pan to a rice cooker, followed by the washed rice, diced length- wise carrot, beans and optional frozen vegetables like peas and sweet corn. To this you will need 3 1/2 cups of water. 

7. Cook the biryani in the rice cooker.

8. In the middle of cooking in the rice cooker, you can add the garam masala and lavish sprinkle of mint or pudina leaves.

9. Continue to cook the rice until done. Serve this vegetable biryani with your choice of curry or raita (yogurt and cucumber salad).

Thank you

Abby 

Red Rice Puttu / Sivapu Arisi Puttu

 

INGREDIENTS for making Homemade Puttu Flour : 

Red rice - 1 cup
Raw rice - 1 cup

Water

METHOD:

1. First, wash the two types of rice in a clean water three times and let it soak for an hour.

2. Then, drain the rice in a basket or colander until it has drip off the excess water.

3. Now, lay a cotton cloth or wide towel on a table and spread the drained rice on the cloth. Let it dry for 30 minutes.

4. Don't dry it under the sun, dry it on a table would be suffice. 

5. Grind the rice to fine powder.

6. After that, you need to dry roast the powder in a wok under low flame. The rice powder should release nice nutty aroma and it will be ready when it resembles like sand. Let this flour to cool completely. 

7. Last step is to sieve or sift the flour and can be stored in a air-tight container for use.

INGREDIENTS for making Puttu : (serving for 5 people)

Prepared rice flour - 2 cups

Water - as needed

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Organic brown sugar or jaggery - as needed

Cooked yellow mung bean - 4 tablespoons (optional)

METHOD:

1. Take the prepared rice in a wide bowl. Sprinkle some water that has been mixed with little salt. Mix the flour using your hand with sprinkle of water to resemble like breadcrumbs. This should not neither be wet nor dry. When you clump the flour in your hand, you should be able to press together without falling apart. That should be ready to go to the next process.

2. Heat idli pan, puttu maker by adding water to it. 

3. If using idli pan, you need to spread white cotton muslin cloth on the idli mould pan, then spread the prepared puttu flour on the cloth. Close the lid and steam it for a good 20 minutes.

4. If using puttu maker, alternate between puttu flour and freshly grated coconut forming layers of flour and coconut.

5. The steamed puttu is removed from the idli pan. You need to put this in a wide bowl. Next, mix freshly grated coconut, cooked yellow mung bean and brown sugar as per your liking and serve for breakfast. 

6. This is a healthy and nutritious South Indian Breakfast menu.

Thank you

Abby 

No- Frill Kala Chana or Black Chickpea curry

                  No- Frill Kala Chana or Black Chickpea curry 

INGREDIENTS: 

For soaking and cooking :

Black Chickpeas - 1 1/2 cups

Water - enough to submerge the chickpeas

Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

For Curry :

Medium sized onions - 3, finely chopped

Tomato puree - 2 cups (blanched 4 ripe tomatoes and blended to puree)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Amchur or mango powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Uttar Pradesh Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Chili powder - 1 tablespoon (adjust the heat accordingly)

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons

Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Chopped coriander leaves - handful 

Green chilly - 1

Kasuri Methi or dry fenugreek leaves - 1 teaspoon

TO TEMPER :

Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cloves - 6 

Star anise - 1

Bay leaf - 1

Cardamom - 1

Cumin - 1 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Soak black chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight in water. 

2. The next morning, rinse off the chickpeas in clean water and drain them. 

3. Boil the chickpeas with enough water submerged in a stewpot with some salt to flavor the chickpeas. 

4. After the chickpeas has boiled thoroughly, drain them in a colander. Reserve the chickpeas stock for making curry later.

5. Now, in a frying pan or wok, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, after it has heat up, now you may add all the ingredients under the 'TO TEMPER' section.

2. Then, followed by the finely chopped onion. Sauté the onion until translucent. Then add in all the powder (highlighted), keep the flame very low as you don't want the powder to burn. Sauté' for 1 minute and then add tomato puree and ginger garlic paste. Put a lid and keep the flame low. Allow the raw smell of the masala dissipates and you may see the oil separates. This takes about 10 minutes. 

3. Now, blend half cup of boiled black chickpeas in a blender without any water or you may mash it with a masher. 

4. Add the mashed chickpeas into the masala concoction and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on.

5. Next after 10 minutes, add the remaining boiled chickpeas and it's stock. Adjust the water to your preferred curry consistency. Add enough salt to season the curry. 

6. I simmered this under the low flame reducing into semi-thick curry and the oil has started separating beautifully. Sprinkle a lavish amount of coriander leaves, a slit of green chili and a teaspoon of dry fenugreek leaves.

7. The black chickpeas curry can be served as a side-dish for rice, pulao, biryanis, chapatis, rotis. 

Note : Please you the Uttar Pradesh Garam Masala for this recipe as it gives the curry a great robust flavor. Don't skip this suggestion.

Thank you Beautiful People

Abby 

Vegetarian Fried Rice/ Vegetarian Nasi Goreng

This is a delicious fried rice full of the goodness of vegetables. It is spicy, sweet and salty without the usage of any sauces. The sweetness comes from the onion, sweet corn and carrots. The vinegar is replaced by the ripe tomato. Spiciness comes from the dry red chilies and ginger. If you are a non-vegetarian, you may add two eggs beaten with some salt and turmeric powder. This egg mixture is scrambled in a wok with hot oil. The scrambled egg is later added to the fried rice. I have also tried this method and it was very tasty. I hope what I share with you will be useful.

Vegetarian Fried Rice/ Vegetarian Nasi Goreng

Ingredients:

Cooked Basmathi rice - 5 cups

Big onion - 1 

Garlic cloves- 4

Big ripe tomato - 1

Shredded  cabbage - 2 cups cups

Diced carrots - 1 1/2 cups

Diced beans - 1 cup

Frozen peas - 1/2 cup (optional)

Sweet corn - 1/2 cup (optional)

Chopped spring onion or scallions - a handful

Salt : as needed

Vegetable oil - 5 tablespoons

To Make Sambal Paste:

Dry red chilies - 8(soak in hot water for 15 minutes)

Small onion - 4

Ginger - 2 inches piece

Garlic cloves - 4

Method :

1. First, we will make a red sambal paste. Add soaked dry red chilies, small onions, garlic cloves and ginger into a blender. Grind into a smooth paste. 

2. Next, shred the cabbage, dice the carrots and dice or cut length wise the French beans. 

3. In a hot wok, add 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil, let the oil become smoking hot. Now, add chopped onion and finely chopped garlic cloves. Fry these items for 2 minutes and then add chopped tomato, followed by sambal paste about 4 to 5 tablespoons or as per your liking. Put a lid and allow the tomato become mushy and the oil starts floating on the sambal paste. This will dissipate the raw sambal smell. 

3.  After that, add all the vegetables. Stir the vegetables well until coated in the sambal paste. Vegetables should only cook for 5 minutes. Don't over cook the vegetables.

4. Add in the cooked Basmathi rice and season with enough salt, give a good mix. Ensure all the ingredients get good coating of the sambal paste. 

5. Now, I put a lid to the wok, and allow the fried rice and vegetables to cook for another 10 minutes. The water in the vegetable will help to soften the rice a bit. 

4. Lastly, after witching off the flame, add handful of chopped scallions or spring onions. 

5. If you are non-vegetarian, you can add scrambled egg to the fried rice and give a toss. 

Abby

Thank you

Sura Meen Puttu

This is my my mother's signature fish dish at home. Apart from making the best tasty fish curry, she prepares Sura Meen Puttu using shark or any flesh thick firm fish so that you get more of the puttu. It spicy, aromatic and rich from the coconut  and spice powder. I know it is time-consuming and the process described here are lengthy, but I guarantee you, it is worth all your effort in the kitchen. I am sharing what we cook in our kitchen at home. We cook it with love. 

Sura Meen Puttu 

Ingredients:

Sura Meen - 1 kg

Big onion - 3 

Whole garlic - 2

Green chilies - 2

Ginger - 3 inches piece

A few curry leaves

Grated coconut - 1/ 2 cup

Chopped coriander leaves - a handful

Salt : as needed

Vegetable oil or Indian gingerly oil - 4 tablespoons

To Temper:

Cinnamon -  1 inch piece (small piece is enough)

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Cloves - 3

To Make Special Spice Powder:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Dry red chilies (spicy one) - 8

Fennel seeds - 1 1/2 tablespoon

Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 2 teaspoons

Method :

1. First, we will make a special spice powder for making Sura Meen Puttu. You need to heat a pan over a medium flame, to that add raw rice. Fry the rice without any oil until it puffs and sputters. It has to become very crispy brown in colour and you know that when it breaks easily in your hand. Keep the puffed rice aside.

2. Next, add the cumin, fennel and broken pieces of dry chilies. Fry for 1 or two minutes until you get nice roasted aroma. Make sure you don't burn the chilies. Grind puffed rice, cumin, fennel, dry red chilies and turmeric powder until they become fine powder. You can store this spice powder in an air tight container or a bottle in a fridge. 

Special Spice Powder

3. You can use any  fleshy fish for making this puttu. The fish should have thick firm flesh. I have used small variety of shark which I asked the fishmonger to peel off the skin and debone it. I marinated the pieces of fish with some salt and steamed until it cooked thoroughly.

4. The, flake off the steamed fish with a fork and remove any bones that may have stuck there. Now, to this cooked fish, add the special spice powder of about 7 tablespoons. (I like it spicy)

3. In a pan, pour four tablespoons of vegetable oil and when it's hot, add all the ingredients under the 'TO TEMPER' section, and then chuck in finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies(all must be finely chopped) and a few curry leaves. You need to sauté lightly for 2 minutes.

Finely chopped onion, garlic, green chilies and ginger

4. Next, add the steamed fish coated in spicy powder. Season it with salt as per your taste. Give a good stir and cook for another 5 minutes. The fish is already been cooked so here we are trying to mix the spices and other ingredients to bring them together. 

Steamed fish pieces

5. Lastly, add freshly grated white part of the coconut and stir for another  5 minutes. You can sprinkle lavish amount of chopped coriander leaves in the end after switching off the flame. 

6. This dish is a best combo with sambar and piping hot rice. 

Abby

Thank you

Malaysian Style Vegetarian Fettucine Goreng/ Fried Vegetarian Fettucine

Malaysian Style Vegetarian Fettucine Goreng/ Fried Vegetarian Fettucine 

Ingredients:

Fettucine - 1/2 packet

Shredded cabbage : 4 handfuls

Carrot - 1 (cut length wise)

French beans - 15 ( cut in big pieces)

Fresh bean sprouts:  1 handful

Large ripe tomato : 1

Medium sized onion - 1 

Garlic : 4 cloves

Salt : as needed

Spring onion - some

Vegetable oil - 4 tablespoons

Sambal Paste :

Dry red chilies - 10

Garlic - 7 cloves

small onion - 1

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Method :

1. Finely shred the cabbage and soak in salted hot water for 5 min and discard the water. Rinse off the bean sprouts. Keep everything aside separately.

2. In a deep bottom pan, enough water is added along with salt and 1 tsp of oil. Bring the water to boil and start adding the fettucine. Cook until it is al dente or cooked to be firm to the bite. Drain off the excess water by using a colander and rinse the pasta under the running cold water. 

3. In a pan, pour four tablespoons of vegetable oil and when it's hot, add finely sliced shallots or onion and finely chopped garlic. Fry them till translucent. Now is the time to add diced tomato and 3 to 4 tablespoons of sambal paste. Fry till the raw smell of chili disappears and diced tomato turns mushy.

4. Next, add shredded cabbage, length wise cut carrot and beans. Sauté lightly for 10 minutes as you don't want to over cook the vegetables. Keep the vegetables crunchy. Season your mixture with salt. 

5. Next, add cooked fettucine. Stir the vegetables and fettucine until the sambal paste brings all together. Lastly, add beans sprouts and chopped spring onion. Mix for 5 minutes  and serve hot. 

Abby

Thank you

South Indian Lime Rice

 This is our simple lunch today. It is lime rice with potato roast. This rice has tangy, salty and spicy flavor which brings out our appetite. Do not skip the asafoetida because it gives nice aroma and it is also good for bloated stomach too. 

South Indian Lime Rice 

INGREDIENTS: 

Cooked raw rice or basmati rice - 2 1/2 cups

Gingerly oil - 2 tablespoons

Green Lime - 1

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chilies - 6 (broken into pieces)

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a sprig

Salt - to taste

METHOD:

1. First, cook rice by adding little salt to flavor it lightly.

2. Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of gingerly oil, add mustard and allow it to sputter. Then, add urad dal, allow it to become light brown colour. After that, add broken pieces of dry chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. 

3. Switch off the flame. To the pan, now add turmeric powder and squeeze out the juice of 1 lime.

4. This mixture is added to the cooked rice. Give a gentle stir by adding enough salt as per your taste. 

5. Lime rice is best served with potato roast or potato chips or French fries.

 

Thank you

Abby