Phirni

Phirni is a popular dessert eaten among the Muslim community of North India and also in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Today, restaurants offer phirni in a wide range of flavours including apricot, mango, fig, walnut,apple and custard apple. This is simple rice pudding made by boiling rice paste with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or also consumed alone as a dessert.

Prep time: 20-25 mins
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2cup Basmati rice
• 1 litre Full fat milk
• 10-12 saffron strands
• 1/2-3/4 cup Sugar or to taste
• 10 to 12 Pistachios(pista) - (finely chopped)
• 3 to 4 Elaichi(cardamon) - (peel and crush finely)
• 10 to 12 Cashew nuts - (cut into small pieces)

Cooking Directions

1. Clean rice, wash and soak in water for 30 minutes. strain rice and grind it to a li thick,coarse paste using little milk.
2. Heat milk remaining milk in a heavy based pan. Once the milk comes to boil put the rice paste in it and cook till this mixture comes to boil again(stir continuously)on a low flame t till Phirni becomes thick and rice gets cooked well.Keep stirring all the time to avoid burning.
3. Add sugar, cashew nut pieces and mix.
4. Cook Phirni till sugar dissolves completely.
5. Phirni is ready,now add saffron strands and turn off the gas.
6. Put Elaichi powder and mix well.
7. Take out Phirni in a bowl and garnish with chopped pistachios or pour Phirni in individual bowls and garnish with chopped pistachios and keep it in the fridge to cool.
8. Serve chilled.

Goan chorizo pulao

Goan Sausages are an essential ingredient of Goan cuisine .These sausages are spicy compared to other sausages, as it is prepared with spicy chillies ,ginger garlic and some local goan spices. It is quick to prepare, inexpensive and without the need of a cupboard full of spices or the skills of a chef.They have a unique aroma and are full of flavour.When cooked, the whole house smells divine and my kids love the aroma. I got this lovely sausages from one of my goan friend Michelle from whom I've learnt so many goan dishes...thank you so much.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Basmati rice
• 4 -5 Tomatoes,chopped
• 3-4 Onions,sliced
• 10 Cloves
• 3-4 ( 1 inch) Cinnamon sticks
• 2 Star anise
• 10-12 Peppercorns
• 4-5 Cardamom
• 2-3 Bay leaves
• 2-3tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 2tbsp Ginger -garlic paste
• 1tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 3 Maggi cubes ( chicken)
• 1tbsp Oil
• 3-4 Slit green chillies

Cooking Directions

Add caption

1. Wash and cut the strings from the sausages . Now cut into 2-3 inch long pieces.Some prefer it without casing as its a bit hard to chew. If you don't like to keep the outer casing then just open up the sausage outer covers and empty the sausage meat into a bowl.But i prefer it with the casing.So I've only removed the string.
2. Now heat oil in a pan.Add the whole spices ( cloves, pepper,cinnamon, bay leaves ,cardamom and star anise )and let it splutter.
3. Add in sliced onions and fry till soft.
4. Then add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
5. Put in the chopped sausages and stir fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes.
6. Now add chilly powder,garam masala powder and turmeric powder,stir it well.
7. Add the washed rice, salt and crumbled maggi cube and stir till rice is well coated with the masala.
8. Pour in 6 cups of boiling hot water and bring to boil.Then simmer on low flame till the rice is cooked well.
9. Keep it covered for 30 minutes before serving.

Palak Chawal /spinach rice

Prep & Cooking: 40 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
.
Ingredients:

1. 3 cups long grained rice
2. 1 cup Peas (blanch for 5 minutes and strain)
3. 2 large onion, finely sliced
4. 1tbsp oil + 2 tbsp ghee or butter
5. 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
6. whole garam masala (4 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 1 star anise)
7. 1/2 cup curd/yoghurt 
8. salt to taste

For green Masala (do not make a smooth paste should be coarse)

1. 1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2. 1 tbsp  chopped mint/pudina leaves
3. 6-8 green chillies
4. 2 large bunches of spinach, wash thoroughly, blanch for 3 minutes and strain 

Method:

• Coarsely grind the green masala paste ingredients and keep aside.
•  Heat oil+ghee in a cooking vessel, add whole spices and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions saute till light brown.Now add blanched peas and saute for 5 minutes
•  Add the ginger garlic paste and saute further for 5 mts. Add the green masala- spinach paste and cook further for another 8-10 minutes. Add yoghurt and combine and allow to cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the washed rice and saute for 2 minutes  Add 51/2 cups of hot water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook till rice is done.

Serve hot with Green Peas salad or any other salad of your choice.

Green peas salad

Kadambuttu ( coorgi style rice dumplings)

Kadambuttu is a signature dish of kodavas/coorgis.This dish is normally prepared along with coorgi chicken curry or pandi (pork ) curry .You can have it with any other curries as it is prepared with simple rice-rava or idli rava/Rice semolina.Usually kodava's prepare this right from the scratch.But in this recipe i have used readily available rice rava which is as good as home made rava.

Ingredients:
Idli rava / rice rava - 2cups
Water-6 cups
Salt to taste
Sugar-1/2tsp
Cardamom -1 crushed

Method:

• Wash and soak rava with 6 cups of water for 30 mins.
• Now take a deep kadai or heavy bottom pan and cook the rava along with water on low flame.
• Add salt,sugar and crushed cardamom and keep stirring all the time to avoid any lumps.
•  Continue to stir till the mixture is fully dry and resembles soft dough, immediately  turn off the gas and cover it for few mins with a lid.
• Now take a bowl of water and mix in a tsp of oil.
• Dip the fingers into the water and rub onto both the palms.
• Now take about a heaped table spoon of this rice dough and roll into nice round balls.
• Now heat idli cooker or steamer and place all the balls inside the steamer and steam like idli for about 30 mins.
• Serve hot with coorgi pandi curry or any other curries of your choice.

Chakkuli/chakli/muruku

Chakkuli/muruku is a deep fried indian snack enjoyed in every household specially during festive season,especially during deepavali,ganesh chaturthi and nagapachami.So i make sure to prepare these crispy snack at least on these festivals.This is very easy and simple recipe which i got from my neighbour.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Yield: 20 medium sized chakklis
Ingredients

• 2 cups Rice flour
• 1/4 cup Besan/ gram flour
• 1tbsp Melted butter
• 1/2tsp Ajwain
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1tsp Black sesame seeds/thil

Cooking Directions

1. Mix rice flour,red chilly powder,ajwain,black sesame seeds,besan/gram flour and salt to taste
2. Now pour melted butter and mix it well.
3. Add water little by little as required,form a stiff dough.
4. Let it rest for 10 - 15 mins.
5. Now take a chakkuli maker and use one star attachment and start preparing chakkuli.Use plastic sheet or Banana leaf and grease it well with oil.
6. Now press the dough on the plastic sheet,Slightly rotate the chakkuli maker round and round until you make a circle.
7. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and gently remove the chakkuli from the moist hands and slowly slide into hot oil.
8. Fry till golden brown and drain them on kitchen towel or paper .
9. Let it cool and store in airtight container.

Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani!

 

Hyderabad is famous for its Dum biryani.One of them is kacche ghost ka biryani which i have tried several times and it really come out well.It is very simple and easy to make.I got this recipe from one of the TV shows in which they clearly mentioned the step by step recipe.So i too started following that exact recipe and we all loved the  end result.
              Normally in other types of biryani precooked meat is used but in hydrabad they cook meat along with rice.That means the mutton cooks  in its own juice  which is also known as kacchey Ghost ka biryani. Mutton is cooked on slow fire in the steam which know as Dum( steam).The procedure of making this  biryani is very interesting.To make it  more simple  i have  clearly mentioned the steps with the pics.So lets start with the ingredients.

1st step

2nd step

                

3rd step

4th step

5th step

6th step

7th step

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice-1/2kg

Mutton-700gm

Onion-4(sliced)

Mint leaves-2 cups

Ginger-2 pieces

Garlic-1 big pod

Cloves-10

Cinnamon-4 big pieces

Cardamom-6-7

Coriander seeds-1tsp

Jeera(cumin)1tsp

Bay leaf-3

Green chillies-10

Chilly powder-1tsp

Curd-1cup

Oil or ghee-1cup

Kesar/saffron -a pinch mixed with a tbsp of milk

                  or 

saffron color-1/4 spoon mixed with a tbsp of milk

Method of marination:-

• First make masala for marination with 1 cup of mint,ginger,garlic,5 cloves,2 cinnamon,3 cardamon, jeera,coriander seeds,6 green chillies and curd.Grind all the ingredients to smooth paste. 
• Now marinate the mutton with this paste along with salt and chilly powder for about 1 hour.

1st step:-Fry onions  in 1/2 cup ghee till golden brown .Just before taking it out.add the chillies and fry along with onions for a few seconds or till raw smell goes.

2nd step:-Boil about 2 litre  water in a  wide  big hundi or sauce pan along with Bay leaf, remaining cloves,cinnamon, cardamom.and salt to taste .when water comes to boil add the washed rice and cook exactly for about 10 mins(if you are using kohinoor charminar basmati) on high flame or till 3/4 done.Now strain the water.

3rd step:-Transfer the cooked rice to a tray or wide plate.Let it cool for a while.


4th step:-Now start making layers for which you need 4 litre thick bottom vessel or the Pressure cooker( i have used pressure cooker) and  a thick lid which exactly fits to that handi/cooker.First put the layer of marinated mutton and then spread some fried onion on top and some chopped mint leaves.The same way finish the layers with the remaining rice.At last sprinkle some safron mixed in milk.


5th step:- Make soft dough using 1 cup of wheat flour.Now seal the handi with this dough as shown in the picture.


6th step:-Now seal the handi with a lid properly make sure it is tightly closed.


7th step:-Now cook it over the low flame for about 45 mins.After 45 mins swithch off the gas and  let it stand for about an hour so that let the rice absorb all the flavours .

                                                                                                                                                                   

Serve hot with salad or special biryani chutney or with mirch ka salan as traditionally served in Hyderabad.

Instant Puliyogrey!!

Normally we buy instant puliyogrey mix or we have to prepare our own powder which is a very long process .But  this puliyogrey is  simple easy and quick prepare.All you need is Sambar powder. I think everybody has got Sambar powderso if you feel like having puliyogrey here is the quick way to make it..

              I got this recipe from my co-sister in law.Her mum used to prepare this for her tiffin when she was a kid.So i have also started preparing this  for my kids and now it  is their favourite dish .you can use left over rice too and it takes approximately 10mins. 

Ingredients:-
Cooked rice-2 cups
sambar powder-2tsp
Tamarind pulp-2tsp
Jaggery -2tsp
Mustard-1tsp
Grated dry copra-1tbsp
Ground nuts-1tbsp
Black sesame seed-1tsp
Curry leaves-8-10
Salt to taste


Method:-

• Mix jaggery in tamarind pulp till it dissolves .
• Now heat a kadai or pan put some coconut or ground nut oil or any other veg-oil and then add some ground nuts and fry till they turns to light brown.
• Now add some mustard and let it crackle.Now add sesame seed followed by curry leaves.
• Now its time to add  Sambar powder, saute  till its changes to dark red colour, immediately mix in tamarind pulp and  salt to taste.bring to boil.
• Now add the cooked rice and mix it well.
• Garnish with grated copra and serve hot .

Note: you can use basmathi or any  other local rice for this preparation.

Dil Bhara Methi Khichidi

Only 4 days left for valentine so i want to dedicate my dishes to all the couples who are in love...So cook hearty dishes and enjoy with your beloved.... so lets start with my  Dilbhara Methi Khichidi..

Ingredients:-
Broken basmathi rice-2cups
Fenugreek leaves(methi)-2 bunch(chopped)
Cumin-1tsp
Green chilly-5-7
Ginger-Garlic paste- 2tsp


Method:

• Separate the methi leaves and cut them into small pieces.Wash the rice and drain  and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and the green chillies.
• Mix in the methi leaves and stir for few mins.
• Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry for few more mins.
• Mix in the rice and continue to cook for another 3-4 mins.
• Add salt and enough water for the rice to get cooked.Cover with a lid and cook over a low flame till the rice is tender.
• Serve with curd and cucumber salad.

curd rice(south indian yogurt rice with fruit and nut)

Curd rice or mosaranna in kannada is most popular rice dish in  south india and Maharashtra.In many temples this dish is served as pasadam(blessed food)after offering to god.Therefore this dish is very divine for me.Many people prefer it with lime or mango pickle, which is a great combination hence this is bit sour.Normally we serve this at the end of our lunch or dinner.If you are travelling and you prefer home cooked food then this is the best choice.I also prefer this dish for picnics and for the my kidslunch box.Because of curd and fruits this dish is very cooling effect which makes a perfect summer dish too.

Ingredients:-

rice-1 cup(basmathi rice or sona masoori)

curd-1/2ltr

for seasoning:-

green chilly-2-3 chopped

mustard-1tsp

curry leaves-5-6

ginger-1inch piece

oil -1tsp

for garnishing:-

pomegranate seeds-1 cup

cashew nut-8-10 roasted

raisins-1tbsp

grapes-1/4 cup chopped or cut into half

Method:-

• prepare rice by adding 21/2cups of water in a pressure cooker and cook till 30 mins or boil 1ltr water in a sauce pan and then add washed rice and cook till its sticky and soft.Then strain the water. Allow it to cool completely.
• In a bowl add cooled rice in that put  thick curd and salt to taste( you can add little sugar if you want).
• Now prepare seasoning .heat the small seasoning pan put some oil then add mustard let it sizzle then add green chilly and ginger .At last add curry leaves and switch off the gas.Pour this over the rice-curd mixture.Mix it well.
• At last garnish with pomegranate seeds,cashew nut ,raisins and with grapes.

Stuffed curd rice balls(north karnataka special)

Curd rice balls are North Karnataka specialty.People here make this for special occasion like festivals, marriages or they pack this for picnics too.After lunch they like to have these balls.In summer its good to have curd balls for cooling effect.

I like to have it with dry garlic chutney or with dal.

Ingredients:-

rice-1cup

curd-1cup

garlic-3-4 cloves crushed

green chillies-2 chopped

coriander leaves-2-3tsp (chopped finely)

salt to taste.

For the stuffing:-

pomegranate seeds-1/2 cup

Raisins-2tsp

fried cashew nuts-3tsp(fried and crushed) 

Method: 

• Cook the rice till soft and mushy so its easy while making balls.
•  Spread the rice on a wide plate to cool down.
• Now add all the ingredients and mix it nicely by pressing with fork or spoon.
• mix nuts and pomegranate seeds for the stuffing.
• Now apply some water to your palm and start making the balls.
• Stuff with the pomegranate mixture.

Serve with spicy curry or have it plain. 

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chicken fried rice

Chinese fried rice

This Chinese dish is easy, tasty and healthy too.Awhole some meal by itself. Whenever i am tired or in a hurry i just prepare this dish.My kids love this dish.YOU can have it without any side dish too.

Ingredients:-

chicken mince:-1 cup

carrot-1 finely chopped

spring onion-3-4 springs chopped

capsicum-1chopped

soya sauce-1tsp

basmathi rice-2 cups(short grain )

Pepper powder-1tsp

Egg-2nos

ajjinomotto(mono sodium- glutamate)  -a pinch(optional)

oil-2tbsp

salt to taste.

Method:-

chopped veg for fried rice

• Boil 2lts of water in a sauce pan to prepare rice.
• when it come to boil drop rice and salt ,cook till done.Rice should not be over cooked.So keep on checking the rice.
• Now drain the water and allow the rice to cool.
• Now keep ready all the  vegetables chopped. 
• Make  the scrambled eggs ready for the rice.
• Heat the oil in a wok or take a big sized pan.Now drop white part of the onions chopped and fry for few seconds.
• Add chicken mince and  salt to taste.stir until its cooked.
• Now add carrots and capsicum along with ajjinomotto if you are using.Now give it a quick stir.
• Add soy sauce, and pepper powder.Do not add too much salt as we have already added some salt to the rice and soy sauce too contains salt.so just a pinch of salt is more than enough.
• Now add cooked rice and again give it a quick stir.
• At last add scrambled eggs and chopped green part of the spring onion.Mix it well and serve hot with soy sauce,chilly vinegar.

chicken fried rice

Note:- The rice grains will not  be sticky if you use little lime juice while cooking the rice.