Mutton Biriyani

It's always a good feeling to eat or cook Biriyani. One dish can go wrong even if a garlic pod is more :D. Had a privilege of having my hubby's Periyappa (80+) and Periamma (70+) for 2 weeks at our home. Her biriyani was always Best with the same taste, every time we visited them. Made her cook for us and got the inputs from her, to fine tune the taste of biriyani. Thanks to her and so far, for the past 2 years, its error-free biriyani with the same taste every time 👍👍.

A little bit of variation will always be there initially, because of the spices we use, after series of trials, you can get it corrected in course of time;-)

Here you go for the recipe......

Ingredients:
Mutton - 1/2 kg (we get sheep meat only)
Seeragasamba rice - 4 cups (Used double deer brand)
Garlic - 1 1/2 whole (used China garlic. If using Indian garlic, use 2 whole garlic
Ginger - 1/2 inch size
Onions - 3-4 depending on large/medium sized
Green chilies - 8-10, depending on the size n spice
Tomatoes - 1 big sized
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - few
Bay leaf - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch sticks - 2 nos
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cloves - 5-6 nos
Fennel seeds (Sombhu/Saunf) - 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 tablespoon (depending on required spice level)
Ghee/butter - 2 tablespoons
Cooking oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

For cooking mutton:
We get sheep meat here, so need to cook it separately as it is little hard. Normally I will pressure cook it for 8 - 10 whistles, with the below ingredients. Do not cook it fully, as it would be cooked again with rice, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Bay leaf  -1
Cinnamon stick - 1/4 inch stick
Cardamom -1
Cloves - 2
Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Curd - 1/2 cup
Water -1 cup

Method:
Wash mutton, cut into small pieces and pressure cook as above.

Once it is cooked, separate the mutton pieces and cooked water. We would be adding this too with the biriyani later.

Cut onions into thin slices. Slit green chilies. Slice tomatoes.

Wash mint leaves thoroughly and keep the leaves separately.

Make a coarse paste of ginger and garlic without water.

Wash and soak water in 2 cups of water for 15 mins. Water used for soaking is also counted, so measure it for soaking.

Note : Rice and water is always 1:2 ratio. If you are soaking for more than 15 mins, then the ratio is 1:1.5.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Once it is hot add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and fennel seeds. Saute for a minute.

Add green chilies and onions. Saute it until onions turn golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and tomatoes and saute it until the raw smell goes off.

Once it is done, add the cooked mutton, chili powder, salt to taste and saute well for 2 minutes.

Then add mint leaves, mix it and cook for 5 minutes. Then add soaked rice without water and ghee and mix well.

Add 8 cups (soaked water + cooked mutton water + plain water) of water, coriander leaves and mix well.

Check salt and spice levels before closing the lid. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and switch off stove.

Wait until the pressure releases completely. Once opened, mix it well with the ladle stick, so the rice won't break.

Enjoy it hot with raitha.


Cooking time 45 minutes.
Serves 6 persons.

Kadalai paruppu chutney/Thogaiyal

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One of the quick and easy recipe, which goes well with any rice variety. Its a must with sambar rice(bisi bela bath) or any kozhambhu(tamarind gravy) rice at my grandma's place. Checkout the recipe here.

Ingredients:

Split chickpeas (Kadalai paruppu/Channa dal) - 3 tablespoons
Grated coconut - 4-5 tablespoons
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cry red chilies - 4-5 (add accordingly to your spice level)
Tamarind - a small piece
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon

For tempering:
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Black gram (Urad Dal / Uzhunthu) - 1/2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - a pinch


Method:
Heat pan, add oil, fry chana dal, dry chillies, cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and keep aside. 

Once it is cool,  add these to a mixer, with grated coconut, tamarind, salt and grind to a paste(sprinkle little water if required). 


Tempering:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds once it is hot. Once it splitters, add urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves.

Fry them until dal turns golden brown. Add it to the chutney and mix well.

Delicious chutney is ready. Can be served with any rice variety.

Goes well with sambhar rice. A picture to drool ;-)

Beans Rice

I usually try this simple rice for lunch box, whenever I feel lazy to cook 2-3 dishes. Its wholesome to have it with vegetables. Can try the same recipe with carrot, beetroot, cabbage, potato, etc.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 6 cups

Beans - 3 cups, finely chopped

Onions - 1, medium sized, chopped

Curry leaves - few

Green chillies - 3-4, cut into small pieces

Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Ginger paste - 1/2 teaspoon

Garlic paste - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add ghee, fennel seeds, onions and fry for 3 minutes.

Then add ginger and garlic paste, curry leaves, green chillies and fry until onions turn golden brown.

Once it is done, add chopped beans and cook until beans are soft. Add cooked rice, salt and mix well.

Serve it hot with papad.

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves 2-3 persons

Capsicum Fried rice

Very easy to make and tasty to eat. Try it out.

Ingredients:
Capsicum (Bell peppers) - 1-2 cups, chopped into pieces
(Combine red / green / yellow, so that rice looks colourful)
Cooked long grain rice or fragnant rice - 3-4 cups
Garlic - 2-3 cloves, finely chopped
Green chillies - 2-3, cut into small pieces
Onions - 2, medium sized, finely chopped
Dried basil leaves (powdered) - 1 teaspoon
Light soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - few for garnishing
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add chopped garlic and green chillies.

Fry for 2 minutes and add chopped onions. Saute until onions turn golden brown.

Add capsicum, basil leaves, salt to taste and fry until they are cooked.

Then add soya sauce and mix well. Add cooked rice and mix well. Add little salt if required.

Fry for 5-10 minutes and serve hot with vinegar chillies.


Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Serves 2 persons.

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

This is different type of biryani. Gravy and rice are cooked seperately and mixed together. I had it a lot, when I stayed in Hyderabad, missing it now ;)

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Onions - 2-3 big size, chopped
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Cardamom - 4
Cloves - 4
Cinnamom stick - 2
Bay leaf - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1-2 tablespoons (as spicy required)
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
Cumin seed powder - 1 teaspoon
Mint leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt to taste

Cashews - few
Oil / Ghee - 2 tablespoons


Method:
Wash and cut chicken into small pieces.

Marinate chicken pieces in yoghurt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, 1/2 of ginger garlic paste, chopped mint leaves for 30-60 minutes.

Boil 4-5 cups of water with 1 cinnamom stick, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom, 2 cloves and salt to taste. Wash rice and cook until they are half cooked. Drain excess water if any.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add remaining cardamom, cloves, cinnamom stick bay leaf in it.

Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add onions and saute until they are golden brown.

Add chopped tomatoes and add marinated chicken. Mix well and cook it covered until chicken is tender.

Then add salt to it(only for chicken, since rice has already salt in it) and mix well.

Once chicken is cooked and gravy is thick, switch off the flame and spread rice on top of it, cover it and allow it get cooked in the pressure.

After 20 minutes, mix it well and garnish with coriander leaves and fried cashews.

Serve hot with onion raita.


Cooking time : 30-45 minutes
Serves 4 persons


I am sending this to SWC - Andhra Pradesh Cuisine hosted by Priya.

Brown Parade

Brown Parade .....................

.............. for Sunshinemom's this month FOOD IN COLOURS event.




This month its "BROWN", so displaying all my 'brown' recipes;)


Click on the names for the recipes.......

Vermicelli(Semia) Upma

Karunai Kizhanghu Podimas (Yam Stir Fry)

Gulab Jamuns

Simple Tomato Rasam(Pepper Water)

Vangi bath (Brinjal / Eggplant rice)



Murukku


Pala Kottai (Jackfruit seeds) fry




Kachori

Vazhaipoo(Plaintain Flower) Vadai

Onion Samosa

Fried Idlies

Luffa(Peerkankai) Skin & Vadagam Chutney(Thuvayal)

I had this chutney with rice at my friend, Rev's house. It was so yummy and I had to buy the "Curry Vadam" from shop to make this.

Very good for lunch boxes and can be refrigerated for a week and used.


Ingredients:
Luffa (Peerkankai or Ridge Gourd) Skin - 2 cups
Vadagam (see below for more details) - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - a small lemon sized
Red chillies - 6-8 (or as spicy required)
Salt to taste
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tablespoon

For tempering:
Oil - 1/2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few
Red chillies - 2, split into halves

Method:
Wash luffa skin and saute them with red chillies in oil, until its turns pale brown. Fry vadagam seperately in few drops of oil and keep aside.

Grind luffa skin, chillies, vadagam, coconut, tamarind, salt to a fine paste. Sprinkle little water if required.

Temper(Add mustard seeds to hot oil, allow it splitter. Then add curry leaves, red chillies, fry for 2 mintues) it with the ingredients mentioned above.

Serve hot with rice. This can be refrigerated for a week and used.


Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves 5-6 persons


About Vadagam

Picture of vadagam I bought .......

Vadagam is a must in most of the South Indian homes. It is usually used for curries(Kozhambhu). It will have very good flavour and taste, if used. I have never prepared it but might try in future.

Presenting the recipe of it from Harushi.com.

Ingredients:
Small onions - 3kg
Garlic - 1/2 kg
Mustard seeds - 200gms
Fenugreek seeds - 100gms
Split black gram - 250gms
Cumin seeds - 250grams
Salt especially crystalsalt - 2 handfull
Turmeric powder - 2tbls
Castor oil - 200ml


Method:
Onion and garlic are peeled and chopped finely. Add all the other ingredients (except castor oil) with it. These combined ingredients are smashed or grinded coarsely in ural lightly. But it's hard to go for ural these days. So try to crush them with a hammer (or something of that sort) lightly so that they can be molded into balls.

Take care not to crush them heavily then the juice will ooze out. Make the balls and place them all in a plate. Dry them in hot sun. In the evening, break all of them, add half of the castor oil, mix well and make balls again. In the morning, place them on the plate and again let it dry on the heat of the sun. Again in the evening do the same process using the other half portion of the castor oil.

These balls must be dried in the hot sun for 6 or 7 days until they are well dried. You can keep them for a couple of years.

Tomato Rice

Every south indian cook knew about this I guess ;)

Very simple, quick and tasty recipe.

Best for lunch boxes and travel.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice - 3-4 cups
Ripe Tomatoes - 2, medium sized, finely chopped
Onions - 1, medium sized, finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon or as spicy required
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons

Method:
Heat oil/ghee in a big pan. Once it is hot, allow mustard seeds to splitter in it.

Add curry leaves, onions and fry until they are golden brown. Then add garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.

Then add chopped tomatoes and saute well. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well.

Keep stirring in intervals until tomatoes become soft. Add salt to taste and cook until it become thick.

Add cooked rice, salt(if required) and stir carefully, so that all gets mixed well.

Cook it covered in a low flame for 5-10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with coconut chutney or pappad.

Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves 2 persons.



Srilekha, Vidhya, Priti have passed me "GOOD JOB" award.

Thank you friends!
I would like to share it with all my blogger friends who are doing a great job :)

Awards, Poem, Meme and GREEN PARADE

Bhawana and Vidhya, have given me this beautiful "A PERFECT BLEND OF FRIENDSHIP AWARD" .......



Thank you so much Bhawana and Vidhya, you both have made my day, Hug you friends!!!

Purpose of the Friendship Award
To send love and acknowledgment to men and women, who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. It's been a blessing and an inspiration to meet all of you through your wonderful blogs.

I would love to pass this to all my blogger friends. Since it has to be linked, I have mentioned few. Hope they would pass this to others who have not received it :)

Priti
Priyanka
Medhaa
Lakshmi
Valarmathi,
Sowmi,
Suhanya,
Vidya
Ramya
Rekha
Srilekha
Tom Aarons

Enjoy friends!!!


Bhawana also passed me "Wlyde Woman Award" and the beautiful FRIENDSHIP poem.....


Why Do We Need Friends?

We need friends for many reasons, all throughout the season.
We need friends to comfort uswhen we are sad,
and to have fun with us when we are glad.

We need friends to give us good advice,
We need someone we can count on,
and treat us nice.

We need friends to remember us
one we have passed sharing memories that will always last.

Spread the poem of friendship......

I would like to spread it to all my FRIENDS who visit me everyday!!!!

-----------------------------------------

I have been tagged by few of my friends. Since, I was busy with my brother and co., wasn't able to post it earlier. So here is my MEME:

Tom Aarons, Bhawana and Vidhya, have tagged me, for the MEME: "Facts about me".

The rules of the meme are:

(a) List these rules on your blog.
(b) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
(c) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

7 Facts about me...
1. From : Native of Chennai, India, presently staying in Singapore for the past 3 years.
2. Studies : Physics graduate and Masters in Public Administration & Computer Applications.
3. Career : Have 9+ years of IT experience and currently a full time home maker.
4. Hobbies : Like to do creative things, Surfing, Blogging, Music, Reading.
5. Friends : Have so many.... Love them all..... Life is EMPTY without them.
6. Favourites : Lavender colour, Jasmine smell, Raw mangoes with salt and chilli powder ;), Ice Lemon tea, Crunchy bites from KFC ;), Love to explore new places, and many more.... whatever came to my mind, I have mentioned.
7. Nature : Trustworthy, Friendly, Get tensed up soon;).

Love to bug .... he he ;)

Valarmathi,
Easycrafts,
Sowmi,
Priya,
Sagari,
Suhanya,
Vidya

Enjoy Gals :)

----------------------------

Reposting my previous GREEN entries for the Food in Colours : GREEN - A Colourful Event hosted by Sunshinemom.

1. Bottlegourd (Peeled Skin) Chutney

2. Baby Kailan Stir Fry (Indian Style)

3. Drumstick leaves(Moringa leaves/Murungai Keerai) poriyal

4. French Beans Poriyal

5. Tindora(Kovakkai) fry

6. Snakegourd Fry (Pudalangai Poriyal)

7. Gongura(Sorrel) Chutney/Pachadi

8. Pudhina(Mint leaves) Chutney

9. Mentha (Mint/Puthina) Rice (Microwave cooking)

10. Bottlegourd/Calabash (Sorakkai) curry (Dudhi Bhaaji)

Broccoli Rice (Microwave Cooking)

Best way to eat Broccoli for me ;) somehow I dont like it as florets. I follow the same way as I cooked Coconut milk rice previously. I have given below the recipe of it, with Broccoli.


Ingredients:
Long Grain Rice (Basmathi Rice) - 1 cup
Onions - 2, cut into thin slices
Broccoli - 1 cup (cut into florets, soak in hot water for 10 minutes and drain water)
Garlic - 8 cloves
Green Chillies - 5, cut into 2
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1, small piece
Cinnamom Stick - 1 inch stick
Coconut Milk - 3 cups (Extract from 1 cup of grated coconut)
Coriander leaves - few
Saffron - little, soaked in 1-2 tablespoons of warm milk
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee - 1 tablespoon


Method:
Take a microwave vessel, add oil/ghee, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamom and heat for 20 seconds.

Remove pan, add onions, greenchillies, garlic, mix well and cook for 1 minute.

Then add broccoli, mix well and sprinkle little water and cook for 1 minute.

Wash rice and drain water. Add to the microwave pan with coconut milk and salt to taste.

Cook for 20 minutes. Once it is completely cooked, mix well, add saffron milk to one portion of rice and cook for 1 minute.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Note:
1) Cooking time differs from microwave to microwave, so follow timings and temperature accordingly for cooking rice.
2) Extract 3 cups of coconut milk from 1 cup of grated coconut. For best extract, use warm water, while blending.


Cooking time - 30 minutes
Serves 2-3 persons

Vangi bath (Brinjal / Eggplant rice) - Karnataka Cuisine

Cuisine of Karnataka is quite varied based on its taste and flavour. Karnataka cuisine comprises of Mangalorean, Malnad, Kodagu, Udupi, Coorgi, etc.

We will see the recipe of Vangi bath today.


Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Brinjal/Egg plant - 8-10, small sized
Onions - 2, medium sized, sliced
Tomatoes - 1, chopped
Curry leaves - few
Cardamom - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Coriander leaves - few, chopped
Cinnamom - 1 stick
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee - 2 tablespoons

For Grinding:
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Chana dal - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 6-7 (or as spicy required)
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Garlic - 2-3 cloves

Method:
Fry all the grinding ingredients and grind it to a smooth paste.

Wash and cut brinjals lenghtwise and put them in water so that they wont turn black/brown.

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil/ghee. Once it is hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bayleaf and fry for a minute.

Add curry leaves, onions and fry until they are golden brown. Then add chopped tomatoes, and fry for 5 minutes.

Drain water from brinjal and add to it. Add the grinded paste, to it and mix well.

Wash rice and add to the cooker with 4-5 cups of water. Add salt to taste and close the cooker and allow it to cook until 3 whistles.

Wait until the pressure gets released and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Onion Raitha.

Cooking time - 35 minutes
Serves - 3-4 persons


I am sending this entry to SWC - Karnataka Cuisine hosted by Sheetal.

Pongal and Brinjal Gojju & Awards

Usually, for few Hindu marriage celebrations, they serve pongal with brinjal Gojju for breakfast. Its a very healthy and unique combination.

For Pongal:

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch long, cut into pieces
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1/2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Cashews - few
Oil /Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons

Method:
Wash and pressure cook rice & dal upto 4 whistles.

Add more water than usual, since pongal would be tasty if it is a bit sticky.

Heat oil/Ghee in a small pan. Fry cashews to golden brown and keep aside.

Then add black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves and ginger pieces and fry for 5 minutes

Add it to the cooked rice with salt to taste.

Mix them well and cook it for 5-10 mintues.

Hot pongal is ready to serve.

Cooking time - 30-40 minutes
Serves 3-4 persons.

For Brinjal Gojju:


Ingredients:
Green Brinjal (Eggplant) - 5-6, medium sized
Lentils (Toor dal/Tuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - few
Small sambhar onions - 7-8, finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind - little, small berry sized
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:
Wash and cook lentils in 3-4 cups of water, with asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, green chillies and 1 tomato.

Meanwhile, cut brinjal into small pieces and put them in water, so that it wont turn black/brown.
Once lentils are 3/4th cooked, add brinjal and cook it covered until they are completely cooked and becomes soft.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splitter.

Then add green chillies, urad dal, curry leaves, chopped onions and fry until onions turn golden brown.

Chop 1 tomato and add to it. Then add chilli powder, coriander powder and fry for a minute.

Add this to the cooked dal and mix well. Add little water if it is more thick. Allow it to boil.

Extract 1/4 cup of juice from tamarind. Add it to the boiling dal with salt to taste.

Cook for 5 minutes and it is ready to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Cooking time : 45 minutes
serves 3-4 persons.


I am sending this Pongal and Brinjal Gojju to WBB Combi Breakfasts hosted by Latha of Masalamagic

and

Brinjal Gojju to Curry Mela hosted by Srivalli.
----------------------------------------
Now to awards.....

Sowmi and Srilekha have passed me "Just Nice Photos - Beautiful Site" & "2008 Best Blog Darts Thinker" awards.

Thanks a lot Sowmi and Sri:) Hug you both;)

With the same happiness, I am passing it to.......

Jayasree
FoodyGuru (Srimathi)
Madhavi
Kamala
Maheswari
Bhawana
Sujatha
Tom Aarons

Congrats Friends!!!

and

Easycrafts and Sanhita have passed me Brilliant Weblog award.

Thank you EC and Sanhita:)

Soya Nuggets Biryani and Foodies Meet......

Today we had one more meet.... Check out the pictures and information here .

It was tiring day for me as I had unexpected guests and then rushed to the meet.... I was 20 minutes late ;)

I got Dry Apricots from Sowmya. That was my SECRET Ingredient ;) so keep watching for the recipes.... ;)

Now to the recipe.............

Soya Nuggets Biryani (Arcot style)

Biryani is a recipe which is loved by everyone. I always try different styles so that I can get the best taste. While I was searching for one, I got this. But it was cooked with meat, I used Soya nuggets. It was very tasty and guess it would have been more tasty with meat.

Thanks to Malar for her recipe. Do visit her blog.... she has huge collection of recipes.

So now to my recipe with few minor changes.

Ingredients:
Cinnamon sticks - 2, small sticks
Cloves - 5
Cardamom pods - 4
Bay leaves - 2
Aniseed - 1
Green chillies - 6-8, cut lengthwise (adjust according to spicy required)
Onion - 1, big, chopped
Tomatoes - 1, big, chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - few
Rice - 2 cups
Soya nuggets - 1 cup
Red chilli powder - 1-2 teaspoons
Cashew nuts - few
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 2 tablespoons


Method:
Boil 2 cups of water with little salt. Add soya nuggets to it and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes.

Allow it to cool, wash them in cool water twice, drain water and keep aside.

Heat ghee in the pressure cooker and fry cashews in it until they are golden brown, remove them and keep aside.

Add oil to it and once it is hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, aniseed and fry for 2 minutes.

Then add green chillies, chopped onions and fry them until they golden brown.

Add ginger-garlic paste, fry them until raw smell goes off. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes.

Then add soya nuggets, chilli powder, washed rice and fry for 5 minutes. Add salt it to it, 4 cups of water and mix well.

Close the pressure cooker and cook until 3 whistles. Do not open the lid immediately, wait until the cooker releases all pressure.

Once it is ready, garnish with roasted cashew nuts and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Onion raita.


Cooking time - 45 minutes
Serves 3-4 persons

Elumichai Saadam (Lemon Rice)

Like Priti has mentioned earlier in her blog, I too wanted to submit my entry for the event, MBP - Less is More!, because of its lovely picture:)

I got inspired by this picture:) Cheers to Nupur or whoever has designed it !!!! :)

This MBP event was started by Coffee, and for this month, it is hosted by Nupur.

I decided to try a simple one from other fellow bloggers. I came across Niya's Lemon Rice.

So presenting mine below, with minor additions:


Ingredients :

Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons, with added salt to taste (salt will reduce sourness of lemon)

Cooked rice - 3-4 cups

Chopped Onions (optional) - 1, medium sized

Tempering ingredients - (Oil, mustard seeds, Urad dal, Channa dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, Curry leaves, Green / Red chillies - as required)

Garnishing ingredients (optional) - Fried Cashews / Fried groundnuts / Fried ginger pieces / Chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, and allow mustard seeds to splitter.

Add urad dal, channa dal, asafoetida powder, curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder and fry for a minute.

Then add chopped onions and fry until they are golden brown.

Add cooked rice, lemon juice with salt and mix well for few minutes.

Garnish with cashews and coriander leaves and serve hot.



A quick and tasty lemon rice is ready!!!

Cooking time - 15 minutes
Serves 2-3 persons.