DUM MUSHROOM BRIYANI

Ingredients

1 heaped cup basmati rice, about 100 gms
2 cups water, add little more if required
50 gms thick curd
200 to 250 gms button mushrooms
2 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 green chilies sliced/split
2 tsp ginger garlic paste, about 5 to 6 garlic and 1 inch ginger crushed in a mortar-pestle
¼ cup tightly packed chopped mint leaves
¼ cup tightly packed chopped coriander leaves
8 to 10 medium sized curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1.5 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder
2 to 3 tbsp oil
salt as required

Optional

100 gms mixed chopped vegetables (carrot, beans, cauliflower and potato)
25 gms peas

Whole Spices

¾ tsp cumin/cumin
¾ tsp fennel seeds
1 inch cinnamon
2 to 3 cloves/lavang
2 to 3 green cardamoms/choti elachi
2 to 3 strands of mace
1 small to medium indian bay leaf/tej patta
1 star anise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak rice in enough water for 30 mins. After 30 mins drain the rice and keep aside.
2. When the rice is soaking, prepare up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies etc.
3. Heat oil & ghee mixture in a deep pan or pot. Make sure that the bottom of the pan is thick, otherwise the rice can get browned or burned.
4. When oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices - fennel, cumin, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise and mace.
5. Fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds then add chopped onions and saute till translucent.
6. Next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint+coriander leaves, optional veggies & curry leaves.
7. Stir well. saute this mixture till the veggies are soften.
8. Then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.
9. Stir again very well so that the masalas or dry spice powders gets mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.
10. Add sliced mushrooms. stir again.
11. Saute on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. keep on stirring at intervals.
12. Then add water,bring the mixture to a simmer.
13. Add the rice and rest of the mint, coriander leaves. Stir it once.
14. Season with salt. Check the taste of the stock and it should taste a bit salty.
15. Cover the pan with a lid and add curd and stir well once steam comes out. Now put whistle and keep the pan on a low flame for 20 mins on tawa.
16. Now serve hot briyani with onion raita.

Yummy yummy Mushroom Briyani is ready to eat.

MEDHU PAKODA/ PAKORA

MEDHU PAKODA/ PAKORA


Excellent evening snack which has crunchy out layer and soft layer in. Good to have with evening tea/ coffee.

Ingredients:

Bengal gram flour/ Kadalai maavu - 100 gms
Rice flour - 50 gms
Chopped Onion - 1
Finely chopped green chilli - 2nos
Chopped curry leaves - few
Cashewnuts - 10 nos
Vanaspathi - 50 gm
Cooking soda/ Aapa soda - a pinch
Water
Salt to taste
Oil - Deep fry

Method:

1. In a wide vessel, mix vanaspathi and aapa soda, agitate with finger to make milky frothy paste and then add gram flour, rice flour and salt to it.
2. Mix it in a way, such that flour and frothy mixture evenly spread.
3. Now add onion, chilli, curry leaf and cashewnut.
4. Sprinkle water and make small balls.
5. Deep fry the balls in low flame such that it turn golden brown.

Now here you go with a fantastic Medhu pakoda :)

Imp Tip: Flame should be low while frying, otherwise outer layer alone will get boiled.

Yam Fry / Senai Kizhangu Varuval

Yam Fry is usual/common south Indian recipe. Elephant Foot Yams can be used to prepare a variety of dishes like yam roast, masiyal, kootu, chutney, kababs, cutlets etc. It goes well with sambar rice or rasam rice.

Ingredients:

Senai/elephant foot yam -1/4 kg

Chilli powder -1 tsp or as needed

Coriander powder -1/2 tsp

Cumin powder -1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Kadalai mavu/besan/bengal gram flour -2 tsp

Rice flour - 2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp

Salt

Oil for deep fry

Steps to make Yam Fry:

1. Peel the skin, wash and cut the yam into slices as shown below. It should not be too thin nor too thick.

2. Boil the Yam in cooker for 1 whistle and wash the boiled yam in cool running water. Drain all the water.

3. In a large bowl mix Chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander, cumin, besan flour, rice flour, salt and ginger garlic paste. To the mix add the par boiled yam and keep it aside for 15 mins.

4. Now deep fry the yam one by one in hot oil and serve it with Sambar rice/ Rasam .

Indianised Cheese ball

Potato Cheese Balls Recipe is the yummy treat for the Kids, made with Boiled Potatoes and Indian Spices and stuffed with the filling of Grated Processed Cheese.

Yummy yummy cheese finger/ball here you go. :)

 

Ingredients:

3 boiled potatoes
1 cup grated processed cheese
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped or minced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon fresh curry leaves, finely chopped
5 tablespoon bread crumbs
2 teaspoon of maida
Water 
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste



Steps to make Cheese ball:

1. Boil and smash the potatoes with no lumps.
2. Grate the processed cheese and keep aside.
3. Mix chopped green chilli, curry leaf, corriander leaf, ginger, garlic, salt, chilli powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder with mashed potato.
4. Add one spoon of maida to mashed potato as binding agent and mix well.
5. Mix one spoon of maida and water to make a thin maida paste.
6. Now heat good amount of oil in a frying pan. Divide the potato mixture in small balls or portions.
7. Take some oil in your palms, get one ball and smoothly round it, make a small hole in center and stuff good amount of grated cheese in it.

8. Now close the ball carefully from all the sides and in such way keep making all the balls and keep aside. Make as a small ball or as cheese fingers as you wish.
9. Dip the cheese ball/ finger in thin maida paste and roll it in bread crumbs.
10. Deep fry the balls in hot oil and it is very important to cook these balls on medium flame, so that you can enjoy the melted cheese and properly cooked potato mixture while eating. Keep frying and flipping for 2-4 minutes, till the balls turns out golden brown in color.
11. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup.