Diwali 2016

Pepper Rice

Source: Betty Crocker's  Book

Ingredients:
Bell pepper - 3
Rice - 1/2 cup
Onion -  Chopped onion 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
Raisin - 1/4 cup
Nuts - 2tbs
Curry Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil or Butter or Margarine - 2 tbs
Water as required

Preparation:

Cut the stem from each pepper, remove seeds and membranes and wash it.  Arrange peppers in microwavable tray. Mix all other ingredients. Fill each pepper with 2/3 cup mixture. Add 2 tbs water into each pepper. Cover the pepper loosely and microwave on high approximately  for 6 minutes. Then give a stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until pepper are crisp and tender.

               

           Onam 2016

Poori Payasam

Ingredients:

To make poori
Wheat flour - 1/2 cup ( I used measuring cup)
Salt a pinch
Water as required to make soft dough
Oil for frying poori

To make Payasam
Poori -  3 or 4
Milk - 2 cups (I used measuring cup)
Sugar - as required
Ghee -1tbs
Cardamom - 3 nos
Saffron - a pinch (optional)
Nuts  - few

Preparation:

Mix wheat flour, salt and water and knead nicely to make soft dough. Cover the dough for 15 to 20 minutes. Divide the dough into small portions, flatten it with  rolling pin and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame, when its hot enough start making poori. Allow it cool and cut them into small pieces and keep aside.

Take a heavy bottomed vessel add milk, cardamom and sugar and boil on medium  heat  until the milk reduces to half the quantity. If you want you can add saffron at this stage.  Meanwhile, fry the nuts in ghee and keep it ready.   Now, add the cut poori into the milk and mix well. Finally add the fried nuts  and remove from heat.

Allow it to cool and serve. If you want you can refrigerate and serve chilled, it tastes better.

Enjoy.........

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!!!!