Mushroom Biryani Recipe

Mushroom Biryani Recipe
Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 1 cup heaped
Water - 2 cups
Mushroom - 200 gm ( 1 packet of button mushrooms)
Onion  - 1 thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee  - 1 tbsp

To marinate mushrooms:
Curd  - 3 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chili pow  - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pow - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin pow    - 1/2 tsp

To grind:
Tomato - 1 chopped
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - small piece
Green chili  - 2 nos
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
To temper:
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1"inc
method.1. Clean the button mushrooms and marinate with all the spice powders and curd given under ' to marinate' and keep aside for 15 - 20 mins.
Cardamon - 2
Sahi jeera - 1 tsp

To garnish: (optional)
Onion - 1 thinly sliced
cashews and raisins - a hand full
Oil for frying onions.
 Mean while wash and  soak the basmati rice for 15 mins.
 Grind all the ingredients under' to grind' to smooth paste with little water and keep aside.
. Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker. Once the oil is hot enough throw in all the whole masala's (bayleaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon,sahijeera).  Add the thinly sliced onion and saute till it turns golden brown. (You can also add cashews and raisins at this stage itself.)
. Then add the grounded tomato mixture paste and saute till the raw smell leaves.
Now add the marinated mushrooms and saute 2-3 mins till  mushroom leaves water and becomes tender
 Once the masala is blended with the mushroom well add the rice and give a quick stir.  Add the required water ( 2 cups).
 Pressure cook for 1 whistle on low flame, simmer for 5 mins and switch off. Once the pressure is released completely, leave for 5-10 mins and then open it.
 Fluff the rice carefully with a fork without breaking the rice. Meanwhile, take a kadai and fry the sliced onion and cashews in oil until golden brown.
Garnish with fried onion and cashews.  Serve hot with raita.
SOURCE

Beetroot Halwa Recipe

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 2, medium sized, grate to make 2 cups
• Milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsps
• Cashew nuts - 5-6
• Raisins - 9-10 (kishmish)

• Method

• 1. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and add the ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add the cashew nuts and raisins and saute till the nuts turn golden brown. Remove the nuts and raisins and set aside.
  2. To the ghee, add the grated beetroots and saute on low to medium flame for 8 to 9 mts or till the rawness reduces. Do not skip this step.
  3. Add the milk and cook the beetroot on low medium flame. Stir once in a while so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Allow the milk to be absorbed.
  4. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. The mixture will be become liquid-y again. Continue to simmer on low medium flame and keep stirring as the sugar melts and the beetroot mixture begins to thicken and glisten (shine). The mixture will leave the sides of the pan. This could take approx 15-18 mts. Turn off flame.
  5. Add roasted cashew nuts and raisins and mix well. Remove to a serving bowl and offer as neivedhyam (prasadam).
  6. SOURCE

Akki Roti Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Akki Hittu (Rice flour) • 4 Green Chilies (Chopped) • 1/2 cup Onion (Chopped) • Asafoetida (hing) (pinch) • ½ cup Fresh Coconut (grated) • 1 tsp Chili Powder • 2 tbs Coriander Leaves (Chopped) • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder • 1tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds) • Oil (for roasting) • Salt (to taste)

How to make Akki Roti:

•	First mix all the ingredients adding little oil in mildly warm water.
•	Knead the ingredients well and make soft dough.
•	Apply little oil on the hand and make small lemon sized balls.
•	Pat the dough to thick roti (like pizza base).
•	Put the prepared roti on the preheated pan.
•	Put oil on the sides of roti and also on the roti.
•	Cook roti well on both sides till it turns golden brown in color.
•	Mouth watering hot akki roti is ready to be served.

SOURCE

Kerala Olan Recipe

Olan Recipe  - Ingredients:

Ingredients
Kumbalanga (Ash gourd) – 1 medium
Pumpkin pieces – 1 cup
Green chillies (split) – 6 no.
Coconut milk – 1 cup
Van Payar (Red oriental beans) – ¼ cup (cooked)
String beans
Curry leaves
Salt
Coconut oil – 3 tsp

Method of preparation
In a pan, boil red oriental beans with salt. Put kumbalanga (ash gourd) and pumpkin cut into cubes. To this, add string beans and green chillies. Stir a bit and pour some water. Cover the pan and cook for five minutes.
Remove the lid. Stir gently. Now add salt and curry leaves. Stir a bit. Add to this, coconut milk and mix well. Pour some oil. Stir again.
The Olan is ready to delight your taste buds.

Kerala Olan Recipe

Vaangi Bath (Brinjal Rice)

• Rice – 1 cup
• Brinjal – 4 Nos
• Onion – 1 No (Optional)
• Tamarind - A big gooseberry size
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Jaggery powdered - 1 teaspoon (optional)
• For making Vaangi Bath Powder:
• Red Chillies – 2 to 3 Nos
• Coriander Seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoon
• Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
• Black Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
• Jeeragam (Cumin) - 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek (Vendayam) - few seeds
• Til seeds (Ellu) - 1 teaspoon
• Asafotida - a small pea size
• Cinnamon stick – 1 small piece
• Cloves – 2 Nos
• Cardamon - 1
• Coconut gratings – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoons
• For seasoning:
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard – ½ teaspoon
• Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoon
• Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
• Cashew nuts - few (optional)
• Green Chillies - 2
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
•  Method:
  In a kadai put little oil and fry red chillies, coriander seeds, asafotida, bengal gram dhal, urad dhal, black pepper, Cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon stick, cardamon and cloves separately. Dry fry til seeds.Finally add the coconut gratings and fry well. Cool it. Add salt and grind it to a powder.
  Soak tamarind in little water and extract thick juice.
  Cook rice till soft. Chop the onion finely. Cut brinjal into lengthwise thin slices. Slightly slit the green chillies.
  In a kadai put one tablespoon oil. When it is hot add onions and fry for few seconds and then add brinjal pieces along with turmeric and pinch of salt and stir fry till it become soft. Now add tamarind extract, Vaangi Bath Powder and jaggery and mix well. Keep it on low flame till all the masala blends well with the brinjal.
  In a small kadai put the remaining oil and when it is hot, add mustard. When it pops up, add bengal gram dhal, urad dhal and cashew nuts and fry till it turns light brown. Add slit green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a second. Pour this seasoning over the brinjal masala and stir well. Then add cooked rice and mix well.
  Serve with fried papad or chips. Plain Curd or simple curd Pachadi will also go well with this rice.

Pinni Recipe 

Pinni Ingredients

• 2 cups Urad dal (split skinless black gram dal)
• ½ cup Pure deshi ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 tbsp Besan (gram flour)
• 1 tbsp Wheat flour
• 1 ½ cup Sugar
• 2 tbsp Mixed melon seed
• 2tbsp Chopped pistachio
• 1 cup grated Khoya (mawa)
• 1 tsp of cardamom powder
• 6 Roasted almond

How to make Pinni

Soak urad dal for about 2 hours and then drain and grind in to a smooth paste.
While you grind use very little water and if possible grind without water.
In a pan roast the almonds, mixed melon seeds and pistachio separately and keep aside.
In a pan add 1 cup water and sugar, start making sugar syrup of one thread consistency.
Simultaneously on a kadai or heavy bottomed pan heat desi ghee now add the gram flour and wheat flour and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes.
Now add the dal paste and go on continue to stir on a medium low flame for half an hour.
Add khoya to the urad dal and then go on stirring for another 5 to 6 minutes till the khoya mix well with the dal paste.
Add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Add sugar syrup and mix well and cook continuously stirring the mixture still it became bit dry.
Add the mixed melon seed and chopped pistachio mix well.
Now put off the flame, in greased tray spread the mixture evenly and let in cool.
Now you can give them the shape of square pinnis or divide in equal parts and give shape of a round or oval pinnis. Top them with ghee roasted almond.

 

Kalakand

Igredients:

• 8 cups or 2 quart milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice (for making paneer)
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds or pistachio for garnishing

Method:
for Making Paneer

1. Mix lemon juice in ¼ cup of hot water and put aside.
2. Boil the 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.
3. As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the milk gently. The curd will start separating from the whey, turn off the heat.
4. Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer line with cheesecloth, or muslin cloth.
5. Wrap the curds in a muslin cloth, rinse under cold water, and squeeze well. This process takes out the sourness from the lemon.
6. To take out the excess water, squeeze the wrapped paneer. Do not knead the paneer.

for Making Kalakand

1. Boil remaining 4 cup of the milk in a heavy bottom frying pan on medium high heat until the milk reduces to about two cups.
2. Make sure to frequently stir the milk as the milk burns easily in bottom of the pan.
3. Add the paneer in the milk and keep stirring till the mixture thickness and form a soft dough consistency.
4. Add the sugar and continue to cook and stirring until the mixture become soft lump and start leaving the pan from sides.
5. Pour it over greased plate keeping about half inch thick.
6. Let it cool for about one hour. Cut the kalakand in squares.

Tips:

1. Putting few spoons of water in pot before putting milk reduces burning the milk bottom of the pan.
2. If kalakand is too soft put the plate in microwave oven (plate should be microwave safe) for 2 to 3 minutes. Making sure kalakand don’t become dry.