CHICKEN MANDI BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS :

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Onion – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Ghee as required

Salt to taste

Dry roast and grind : (Mandi masala)

Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Cloves – 4

Cardamom – 2

Pepper– 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 2

Cumin seeds –1/2 tsp

Heat a pan and dry roast all the ingredients in low flame until the aroma rules out. Allow it to cool and grind them along with ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

To marinate Chicken :

Chicken (Chopped as big pieces) – 1 kg (I used chicken thighs)

Mandi masala– 2 tbsp

Chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Spray little oil and marinate the chicken for 2 hours.

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1. Heat a heavy pan. Add 2 tbsp of ghee. Once hot, cinnamon, cloves, annasi, cardamom, bay leaf, thin-sliced onions and finely chopped garlic clove. Saute it until golden brown. 

2. Now add the blended masala, with chilli powder and salt.

3. Add in the chicken with 1/4 cup of water. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Let the flavour of chicken just blend with the masala. 

4. Then remove the chicken carefully and fry it in a separate pan. Get it roasted well. You can either shallow or deep fry the chicken.

5. Meanwhile, add 3/4 cup of water to the remaining masala. Add rice and cook till half cooked.

6. Once the chicken gets fried, add the chicken pieces in the cooking rice. Slowly mix it well so that the chicken is covered with a layer of rice. Cook till done and switch off the flame and leave it in dum.  Garnish it with fried onions. Serve hot with Raitha after 20 minutes.

 

CHICKEN FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS :

• Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup
• Chicken Breast - 750 gms
• Basmati Rice - 1 cup
• Spring onion - 1 bunch( finely Chopped)
• Sweet and Sour chilli sauce - 2 tsps
• Salsa sauce - 3 tbsps
• White Pepper powder - 2 tsps
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Olive Oil
• Salt to taste

Finely chop the chicken breast in small pieces and marinate it with Chilli sauce, turmeric powder, Salt and Ginger-garlic paste for an hour.

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Heat oil in a wide pan. Once hot, saute the vegetables till it softens. Meanwhile, cook rice with 1 cup of water with a spoon of oil and keep it aside.

2) In a separate pan, fry finely chopped potatoes tempered with little chilli powder till cooked.

3) Meanwhile, fry chicken separately till roasted.

4) Once the vegetables are half cooked, mix in fried potato and chicken to it and then add sweet and sour chilli sauce, Salsa sauce, white pepper powder and garlic powder and saute it well.

5) Then add the cooked rice and gently flip it out without breaking the rice. Keep in flame for 5 minutes and then remove it. 

Serve hot.

PUDINA IDLI

INGREDIENTS :

Mint Chutney- 1 cup

Idli batter - 2 cups

Salt to taste

Oil/Ghee

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

1. Mix the prepared mint chutney to the idli batter without adding water. Add little salt.

2. Greese the idli plates with oil or ghee and pour the batter to it. Steam cook till done. 

Serve Hot Idli with Tomato Chutney/Sambar.

 

POT MUTTON BIRIYANI

INGREDIENTS:

Mutton - 700 g

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups 

Garam masala powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Split green chillies - 6

Onion - 1

Cinnamon - 3

Cloves - 1

Rajapatri - few

Phool - few

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Tomato - 2 medium size

Handful of  pudina leaves. 

Salt to taste 

To Grind :

Ginger - small piece

Garlic cloves - 6

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1) Marinate Mutton with chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes, green chillies and curd for 30 minutes.

2) Heat oil or ghee in the pot . Once hot add whole spices for 2 minutes , followed by sliced onion and saute till half brown .

3. Add  blended masala and saute till the raw smell leaves.

4) Add in the marinated mutton, Chilli powder, Garam masala, Salt, Mint and Coriander leaves. Add sufficient water for the mutton to be cooked. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, till mutton is cooked. You can either pressure cook mutton and then add to it. Meanwhile, soak rice for 10 minutes.

5) Once the mutton is cooked well. Add in the rice with 1 cup of water and cover with the lid. Cook in slow flame till done.

Serve hot with Raitha.

 

MINI CARROT IDLI

INGREDIENTS :

Idli batter - 2 cups

Grated carrot - 2 cups

Jeera - 2 tsps

Salt to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

1. Mix grated carrot, jeera and salt to the batter well. Spray oil to the mini idli plates and pour the batter slowly. Steam cook in Idli pan till done.

 Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney.

KOTHAMALLI DOSAI

INGREDIENTS :

Dosa batter - 2 cups

Coriander leaves -  2 cups

Green chillies - 3

Jeera - 2 tsps

Salt to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1) Wash the coriander leaves and blend them finely with green chillies and mixed it to the batter with jeera and salt.

2. Heat dosa tawa. Once hot, spread the batter finely and then spray little ghee or oil. Flip to its side till done. 

Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney.

RAGI KARUPATTI ADAI

INGREDIENTS :

Ragi - 1 cup

Crushed cloves -2 and Elachi -2

Karupatti - 150 grams

Gingelly oil 

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1. Seive the flour well.

2. Dissolve karupatti in 3 cups of water and filter the impurities. 

3. Mix ragi flour with karupatti syrup and water without any lumps. It should not be too watery.

4. Add in the crushed elachi and cloves to it and mix it well.

5. Heat dosa tawa. Once hot, spread the batter like dosai and spray little oil. Flip to its sides till done.

Serve hot.

 

VENDAIKKAI THAKKALI KUZHAMBHU

INGREDIENTS :

Vendaikkai / Bhendi / Lady's Finger / Okra - 300 gms

Mustard - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Pearl Onions/ Sambar onions - 1 cup 

Garlic cloves - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Kuzhambu Milagai powder - 3 tsps

Curry leaves - few

To grind : 

Ripen tomatoes - 2 medium

Coconut pieces - 4

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add in mustard, jeera and methi seeds. When it splutters, add in onions, garlic cloves and saute till tender. Then, add in the chopped vendaikkai, curry leaves and fry for 5-8 minutes.

2. Remove from the pan and keep aside. Then, add a spoon of oil and add in the blended masala to the pan. Add in Turmeric powder, Kulambhu milagai powder, Salt with little water and bring it to boil.

3. Then, add in the fried vendaikkai to it. Mix it well, add a tsp of gingelly oil and cook till the oil separates out. Remove from the stove and serve hot.

 

BARLEY SWEET PIDI KOZHUKATTAI

INGREDIENTS :

Steamed Wheat flour - 1 cup (if plain wheat flour, just wrapped in damn plain cloth and leave in idli pan for 20 minutes)

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Gingelly oil - 2 tsps 

Jaggery - 200 gms

METHOD OF PREPARATION :

1. Sieve the flour well. 

2. Add in the grated coconut. Dissolve jaggery with 3 cups of water and filter the impurities. Add in the filtered jaggery syrup and cardamom powder to the flour. Knead a soft dough with 2 tsps of gingelly oil.

3) Roll a small ball of dough, flatten it with hands and steam cook in Idli pan for 5-8 minutes till done.

Remove from the pan and serve hot.

MUTTON RIB BONES SOUP (NENJU ELUMBU SOUP)

A warming bowl of Mutton Rib bones Soup (Nenju elmbu Soup in Tamil) gives a soothing relief for cold and chest congestion. This soup is prepared with freshly ground spices. It is commonly prepared at home mostly during Monsoon and Winter. We never missed it in Sunday meals during our childhood days. Today, I am sharing the preparation of this most comforting soup in my grandmother's cooking style.

INGREDIENTS :

Mutton Rib bones - 400 gms

Pearl Onions - 50 gms

Garlic cloves - 6

Tomato - 1 small size, well ripened.

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon sticks - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Sesame/ Gingelly oil as required.

Curry leaves and Coriander leaves - a handful

To powder : 

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp . 

Sukku/ Dried ginger - 1/2 tsp. Blend them finely. 

Wash the bones well in cool fresh water with turmeric powder and keep aside.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Once hot, add cloves and cinnamon. When it splutters, add in the well washed rib bones. Saute for few minutes.

2) Then, add crushed onion and garlic to it. 

3) Then add chopped tomato and curry leaves.

4) Add 4 cups of water, add turmeric powder and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles and leave it aside till the steam leaves out completely.

5) Remove the lid once the steam leaves, leave it again the flame. Add in the blended powder and salt. Mix it well and bring it to boil for few minutes and garnish it with coriander leaves before removing it from the stove.

Mutton Rib bone soup is ready to be served hot.