Happy Diwali

 

Channa Biriyani

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Channa - 1.5 cups
Onions - 4 medium, sliced 
Tomato - 5 medium, grind to a paste 
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp 
Green chilli - 2 chopped 
Garam masala  - 1 tsp 
Coriander powder - 1 tsp 
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp 
Mint leaves - one handful 
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup  (optional)
Lemon juice - 1 tsp 
Yogurt - 1 tbsp 
Cilantro - few chopped
Ghee - 3 tbs
Bay leaf - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2
Star Anise - 1
Clove - 3
Salt - to taste
Water - 3.5 cups

Preparation:

Soak the channa over night and pressure cook the channa, with a little water, for 3-4 whistles and keep aside.   Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. 

In a pressure cooker, add ghee when it  heats up, add the sliced onions and green chillies and saute until the onions become translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes away. Add the ground tomato paste and cook and cook for 3-4 minutes.   Now add coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala  and mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the mint leaves and the cooked channa.  Add coconut milk and drain the rice and add it. Add water,lemon juice, salt, yogurt and mix well.  Add the chopped coriander leaves and close the lid. 

Pressure cook for 3 whistles, simmer after the first whistle. Once done, open the cooker and fluff up with a fork.

Serve with raita.......... Enjoy!!

Mutton Stew - Kerala Style (Version 1)

Ingredients:
Mutton - 1 kg
Onion - 3 large
Ginger - a small piece - finely chopped
Garlic - 6 flakes chopped nicely
Green Chili - 4 slit lengthwise
Potato - 2
Carrot -1
Curry leaves - few
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Cardamom - 4 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Bay leaves - 2
Fennel - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbs
Pepper - 2 tsp (i used whole pepper)
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation:

Wash the mutton pieces thoroughly and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles and leave aside. Wash potatoes and carrot, peel off the skin and cut into cubes.  

Heat oil in a pan and when its  hot add cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and fennel and fry till nice aroma comes, then add the  chopped ginger and garlic and saute until the raw smell disappears. Now add the sliced onions along  and green chillies, saute until the onion turns translucent. At this stage add coriander powder and crushed pepper and mix well, add in the pressure cooked mutton pieces, cover with the lid and cook on medium heat. After 5 to 10 minutes add cubed potato and carrot and cook. When its done add coconut milk, give a nice stir and switch off the heat.

Heat a small kadai, add 1tsp of ghee, when its hot add curry leaves to it and transfer it to the mutton gravy.

Serve with appam, idiappam, parotta................. Enjoy!!!! 

 

                 Happy Pongal

 

Banana & nuts cookie

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 1½ cup
Butter - 1 stick 
Egg - 1
Sugar - ½ cup

Vanilla essence -½ tsp

Baking powder - ¼ tsp

Banana - 1 large
Nuts - ½ cup ( I used walnut and cashew)

Preparation:

Take a bowl, beat butter and sugar nicely then add egg and mix well. Mash the banana  nicely and mix with it. Now add all purpose flour, baking powder, and mix  until combined. Add vanilla essence and knead gentle to smooth. Finally take the chopped nuts and fold them gently . Take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Take a cookie scoop and drop them onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Preheat the oven at 350 degree.  Bake it for about  20 minutes, until its light brown color. Allow it to cool and store them in a container.

Kids will love this....

                                              Look at my lil one grabbing from the plate

Rice flour Jam Biscut

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 ½  cup

Butter - 1 stick bring it to room temperature

Sugar - ½  cup

Egg - 1

Baking powder  -¼ tsp

Vanilla essence- 1tsp
Salt a pinch
Jam of your choice - I used Raspberry jam

Preparation:

Take a bowl, beat butter and sugar nicely then add egg and mix well. Now add rice flour, baking powder, salt and mix  until combined. Add vanilla essence and knead gentle to smooth. Take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Mean while preheat the oven at 180 degree F. Take small portion of the dough, make small balls  and make a impression in the center with your finger on each cookie. Fill it with little jam.  Bake it for about 15 to 20 minutes, until its slight brown color. Allow it to cool and store them in a container.

Idli batter vada

Ingredients:
Idli batter - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small
Chilli powder -  ¼ tsp
Green chili - 2 or 3
Fennel - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt as required
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Take a bowl, pour idli batter into it. Finely chop onion and green chili and add to to batter, followed by all other ingredients and mix well. Heat oil in a pan, take a spoonful of batter and pour in the oil or use your hand- take batter in you hand and drop them in oil. Fry them nicely on both side until its brown, when done remove and serve with chutney or sambar.