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.

 

Jeera Pulao-Jeera Rice Recipe

Jeera Pulao-Jeera Rice Recipe 

Ingredients needed
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped (optional)
Butter - 2 tsp + 1 tsp oil (you can substitute butter with ghee also)
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Whole Garam masala

Cloves -2
Cinnamon -1 inch piece
Bay leaf-1
Star anise - 1 (optional)

Preparation

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.

Method

Heat butter + oil or ghee in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf, saute for a few seconds and then add jeera seeds.

When jeera splutters, add onion and saute till onions become golden brown, then add the drained rice and fry for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, needed salt and cook rice till done.

Fluff it with a fork and serve it with any gravy side dish of your choice.

You can cook rice in a rice cooker or pressure cooker or in a pan with a lid.

Meet you all again with another interesting recipe, till then it is bye from Padhu of Padhuskitchen.com

Okra Tomato Curry

Ingredients

FRor Gravy

• 4 medium tomatoes puree will make approx. 1-1/2 cup
• 1/4 inch piece of ginger
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch/arrow root powder
• Fried Okra
  
• Approx. ½ pond okra sliced from center and cut in half make about 1-3/4 cup cut okra (bhindi)
• 1/4 cup besan gram flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds coarsely ground (sonff)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds coarsely ground (dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• Approx. 3 tablespoons water
• Oil to fry

 Method
Gravy

1. Mix cornstarch with three tablespoons of water and keep aside.
2. Blend the tomatoes and ginger to make tomato puree.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium high. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil. If the cumin seed cracks right away, the oil is ready.
4. Add cumin seeds, asafetida and stir for few seconds now add coriander; turmeric, red chili, salt and sugar stir fry for few seconds and add tomato puree. .
5. Cook the tomatoes for about 4-5 minutes, add corn starch and cook for about 3 minutes. Gravy should be pourable consistency. Gravy is ready keep aside.

Fried Okra

1. In a bowl put the okra and add all the dry ingredients, salt, cumin, mango powder, fennel, coriander, red chili powder and besan (gram flour) mix it well. Add the water slowly okra should be nicely coated with spices but the mix should not be runny.
2. Heat the oil in frying pan over medium high heat, frying pan should have about 1 inch of oil. Oil should be moderately hot when you put okra in oil it should float right of way but not change the color.
3. Put one okra at a time to the oil and fry till they are golden brown both sides this should take about four minutes.
4. Take them out over paper towel.
5. Serve the Okra over gravy; don’t mix it as you should pick up the okra with gravy.

•  

 

Beef Masala Recipe

Beef Masala Recipe

Ingredients:

• Beef – 500g (cut into small pieces)
• Onion – 2
• Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
• Tomato – 2
• Green Chilli  – 2
• Ginger  garlic paste – 3 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½  tsp
• Coriander powder – 4 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Oil – 5 tbsp
• Salt

 To Marinate

• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Salt
• Method:
• Mix all ingredients to marinate. Add little water and make it into a good paste.
• Add cut beef pieces and mix well.
• Pressure cook marinated beef till beef is cooked well. (Don’t add any water. I usually go for 4-5 whistle and wait for the steam to go completely)
• Heat oil in a pan and fennel seeds, sliced onion and curry leaves.
• Cook with pan covered, stirring in between till onion becomes brown in color (It takes approx 15-20 min for this)
• Add tomato and saute till it becomes soft
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chilli and saute for a min or two.
• Add all the masala, salt and saute for a min.
• Add cooked beef and mix well ( Along with the stock)
• Cook with the pan covered in medium flame till beef becomes brown and oil starts appearing on the top. Serve hot.

Kuzhi Paniyaram-Masala Paniyaram RecipeI

Ingredients needed

   Idli Batter - 2 cups

   For the seasoning 

   Oil -3 tsp
   Mustard seeds -1 tsp
   Urad dal -1/2 tsp
   Onion - 1
   Green chilli -1 finely chopped
   Ginger -1 inch piece - finely chopped
   Curry leaves - few tender ones
   Coriander leaves - few finely chopped
   Salt to taste

   Paniyaram pan
Method 

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal. When dal turns golden brown, add finely chopped onions, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves.

Saute till onions turn pink, add needed salt and coriander leaves. Let it cool a little.

Now mix the above with the idly batter. Our paniyaram batter is ready now.

Heat a paniyaram pan, add 2-3 drops of oil in each hole and pour a tbsp of batter in each hole.(see picture above)

Keep the heat on medium low and close the pan. Once the edges turn golden brown, flip over the paniyaram to the other side using a stainless steel rod or spoon.

Cook the other side also until golden brown. Remove from pan using a rod or spoon and serve hot with tomato chutney or kara chutney or sambar.

Best Side dish for paniyaram 

Parotta Recipe

Ingredients

• Maida - 4 cups (plain flour or all purpose flour)
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup, approx
• Water as required

• Method

• 1. In a bowl, add maida, salt and sugar and mix well. Slowly add water and make a soft dough. Add a tbsp of oil and mix into the dough. Cover the dough with a lid and allow to rest for at least 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Grease your work surface and your hands with oil and pinch dough to make smooth round tennis sized balls. Place the balls on the greased work surface and grease the balls with oil.
  3. Take each ball and roll it like a thick roti (approx 4"-5") in diameter using a rolling pin and place the rolled out rotis on the greased work surface. Place them each next to each other. Grease the thick rotis well. Allow to rest for 10 mts.
  4. Take a rolled out thick roti and spread it out thin using a rolling pin or using your palms and fingers to stretch out into a thin sheet. The key is to spread it out super thin and as large as you can. Keep smearing oil as your spread the sheet. The shape is really not important. Even if there are a couple of tears, it is completely fine.
  5. Now using the fingers, slowly lift up one end of the sheet and make pleats moving towards the other end.
  6. Once its pleated hold one end of the long strip and roll it towards the other end to create a rosette and tuck the end under the rosette. Prepare with the rest of other thick rotis and keep the rosettes greased at all times. Allow to rest for 10 mts.
  7. On the greased work surface, place each rosette and roll into a thick parotta, smearing oil as your roll out. Ensure the parottas are well greased.
  8. Heat a tawa on high flame. Once the tawa heats up, place the thick parotta on the tawa and cook on both sides till golden brown on medium high flame. Drizzle oil as your roast them on the hot tawa.
  9. Prepare parottas with rest of the rosettes in a similar fashion. Now take each parotta, place on the work surface and using both your hands, crush them together similar to clapping action. This helps to open up the layers of the parotta.
  10. Repeat this action with all the roasted parottas. Serve parotta with vegetable salna or chicken salna.

Kothimeera Atukulu ~ Coriander Poha

Ingredients

• Poha - 2 cups, (beaten rice/atukulu/aval)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• To grind to a paste:
• Coconut - 1/3 cup, fresh and grated
• Green chilis - 2
• Coriander leaves - 3/4 cup, fresh and chopped
• Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tsps
• Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp (homemade or store bought)
• Jaggery - 1 tsp, grated or sugar
• For poppu/tadka/tempering:
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2"
• Asafoetida - pinch (optional)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 1 1/2 tbsps

• Method

• 1. wash the beaten rice and drain. Sprinkle 4 to 5 tbsps of water over the beaten rice/poha and keep aside.
  2. Grind grated fresh coconut, fresh coriander leaves, green chilis, lemon juice, jaggery, rasam powder and salt to a paste by adding three tbsps of water.
  3. Mix the ground coconut mixture well with washed beaten rice and keep it aside.
  4. Heat oil in a vessel, add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the urad dal and cinnamon stick and fry until the dal turns red. Add the curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds.
  5. Add the beaten rice mixture and give a good toss so that the contents are combined well. Allow to cook for a mt, adjust salt, turn off flame and serve warm.

Almond Cashew Burfi

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds to garnish
• Method
  1. Dry grind the walnuts, cashews and almonds in a food processor.
  2. Dry roast the groundnuts in a frying pan on low medium heat.
  3. Roast them just enough so that the nuts start to give off an aroma. It will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Put the sugar and water together in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil to make the 1 thread syrup or on the candy thermometer it should reach 230 degrees F.
  5. Turn off the heat and stir in the cardamom powder.
  6. Add the nuts to the syrup and mix, and then spread over a greased 8-inch plate. Note: don’t let the syrup cool off. It must be spread while still hot.
  7. Wait a few minutes until burfi is set but still soft.
  8. Then cut the burfi into any shape you like (such as square, diamond, triangle).
  9. Garnish each piece of burfi with sliced almonds while the burfi is still soft.
  10. Allow the burfi to cool for about an hour to dry and hold its shape. Now you can remove the burfi from the plate.
  11. Burfi can be stored for a month.
  1/2 cup almonds