Flavored Rice

A simple flavored rice, really smells very good and good to eat with any nice gravy, curry or korma. It went along very well with the shrimp curry.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 4 cups
Ghee 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 3-4 sticks
Star anise 2-3
Clove 4-5
Bay leaf 2
Cardamom 2
Mint leaves from 2-3 strands
Coriander leaves 
Green chilly 4
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice few drops

Preparation:

1) Wash and sock the rice in water for 30 mins.
2) Drain water and fry the rice in 1 tbsp ghee for a few mins and set aside. 
3) Add 8 cups water to the pressure cooker or rice cooker and add all the items leaving rice and Garam masala. 
4) Once water starts boiling add the rice, Garam masala powder and lime juice and let it cook for three whistles on pressure cooker or until done in a rice cooker.

This rice is simple & flavored and can be served with any spicy curry dishes.

Lemon Rice

A very simple dish, yet tasty. Tried of cooking and want to eat some simple yet homemade food. This is one of the quickest south Indian dish that can be made. There can be variations to this, but all of us liked this recipe.


Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (Cooked)
Lemon 2 nos
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Fried Cashews (Optional, can use peanuts)

Tempering:
Green chilly 3
Dry Red Chilly 2
Mustard 1 tsp
Black gram dal 2 tsp
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Ginger 2-3 small pieces
Curry leaves
Sesame Oil 2 tsp
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

Chopped Coriander for garnishing

Preparation:
1) Spread the cooked rice while it is hot. Add 1 tsp sesame oil, Turmeric, salt and the lemon juice.
2) Meanwhile fry all the ingredients in the remaining oil and add to the rice.
3) Add the fried cashews and mix well. Garnish it with the chopped coriander

Good to be served with fried potatoes and mango pickle. Even plain potato chips would be good.

Simple Carrot Soup

A very simple dish, but due to it's creamy texture kids would definitely love it. Samyu a very fussy eater herself finishes it.

Ingredients:

Carrots 2 nos (if baby carrorts 10 to 15)
Unsalted butter 2 tbsp
Milk 1/4 cup
Heavy cream 2 tbsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste


Preparation:

1) Cook and purée the carrots.
2) In a micro proof dish add milk and butter and microwave on high for 2 mins stirring in-between. (can add 1 tbsp maida to this mixture to make it more thick. Needs few extra mins for the raw smell of the maida to disappear).
3) Add the pureed carrots, salt & pepper and the cream and microwave on high for another 2 mins. Cool and serve.

We can puree fried onion, bean, peas together and add it to the soup and make it a complete vegetable soup.

Cup Cake

Ingredients:
Self raising flour 1 1/4 cups
Powdered Sugar 1 cup
Eggs 2 nos
Milk 1/2 cup
Butter 125gms (Room temperature)
Vanilla Essence few drops
Pink Food color - 2-3 drops (optional)
Pinch of salt

Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 180 o C or 350 o F. Place the cupcake papers in a 12 cup capacity cupcake tin.
2) Beat the eggs and vanilla essence.
3) Beat in the butter and sugar and food color.
4) Mix the above two mixture and add the seived Flour and a pinch of salt.
5) Add the milk and beat until the mixture is smooth. There shouldn't be any lumps of flour.
6) Pour the mixture into the cupcake paper and place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 mins or until done.

Spinach Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 4 cups
Spinach 1lb
Big onion 1 nos
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
Green Chillis 8 nos ground into a paste
Whole garam masala (4 cloves, 1″ cinnamom, 1 elachi, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf)
Pudina leaves from 3-4 strands
Ghee 2 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp
salt to taste
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped


Preparation:

1) Soak basmati rice in water for min 30 mins. Drain and fry the rice in 1 tbsp ghee for a few mins and set aside.
2) Add oil in the pan and fry the onion, ginger garlic paste, ground chillies and then add the spinach and fry until the raw smell is gone.
3) In a pressure cooker or rice cooker, add 8 cups water and add all the whole garam masala and let it boil for few mins and then add rice and the spinach and mix well.
4) Top it up with the remaining ghee and sprinkle the chopped corriander and garam masala powder and let it cook.
5) It can be served with raita. A cucumbar raitha tastes good with this.

Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

Plain chocolate 90 gms
Unsalted butter 150 g + extra for greasing
Plain Flour 125 gms (1 cup)
Cocoa powder 15 gms (1 tbsp)
Soft light Brown sugar 300 gms (1 1/4 cup)
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Salt a pinch
Eggs 2
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Chopped pecan/walnut 100 gms (optional)

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 180• C / 350• F. Grease a non-stick baking tin with butter
2) Break the chocolates into a bowl placed above another bowl of simmering water.
3) Once the chocolate starts melting add in the butter and stir occasionally. Once they are melted let it to cool.
The chocolate and butter can be melted in the microwave.
4) Sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt.
5) Beat the eggs and add the vanilla extract and the sugar and stir well.
6) Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture and stir.
7) Add the flour mixture and the nuts if it is used.
8) Pour the mixture into the baking pan and place it in the pre heated oven for 35-40 mins.

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

Maida 1 1/2 cups
Powdered Sugar 1 1/2 cups
Butter 125 gms
Eggs 3 nos
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence - few drops
Nuts or Tutty Fruity (Optional)



Preparation

1) Sift maida and baking powder
2) Beat the eggs and vanilla and keep aside
3) Beat butter and sugar well. Add the egg and vanilla mixture
4) Add the maida to the mixture little at a time and beat the mixture in clockwise direction. Ensure that no lumps are formed.
5) Add the nuts to the mixture.
6) Preheat the oven to 200 o C and grease the baking tin with butter
7) Pour the mix into the baking tin and bake for 35 minutes at 200 o C

Biscuit

Ingredients

Maida - 1 1/2 cups
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee & Vanaspathi - 3/4 Cup (both of them in equal propotion) or ghee - 3/4 cup
Milk Powder - 1 Tbsp
Custard Powder - 1 Tbsp
Cooking Soda - 1 pinch
Vannila essence - 2-3 drops
Cashew and Badam Powder - 1 tbsp (Optional)



Preparation
1) Mix all the above ingrediants without any lumps in it.
2) Make them into small round balls and spread it in a oven proof plate (Aluminium plate)
3) Preheat the oven to 200 o C
4) Bake it in the pre-heated oven for 15 mins at 200 o C
5) Take it out and let it cool.

Mutton Fry

Tried a mutton fry kind of semi gravy and came out well and the taste was good.

Ingrediants:

Mutton 750 grams
Onions 2 big
Curd 1/4 cup
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Green chilly - 1 (Optional)
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
coriander leaves
salt to taste
Oil/ghee

whole garam masala:
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
cinnamon - 2

For masala:
Dry red chilly 6-7 nos
Garlic - 8
ginger - 2" stick
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

1) Fry the whole garam masala in oil.
2) Crush 3 cloves garlic and a little ginger and add it to the whole garam masala fry for a few seconds and then add the chopped onions.
3) Once the onions are fried well, add the cleaned mutton and add the turmeric and salt. Pressure cook until the mutton is cooked 3/4th.
4) Meanwhile fry the dry red chilly in ghee and set side. Fry the remaining ginger and garlic and the corriander powder and blend it into a fine paste.
5) Fry curry leaves and green chilly in a wide bottomed pan and add the cooked mutton to it and add the curd.
6) Stir it for few minutes and then add the ground masala, pepper powder and cumin powder to it and let it cook well until the water evaporates.
7) Sprinkle lemon juice and corriander leaves once the mutton fry is almost done.

Mushroom Black Pepper Fry

Had seen this recpie on MC India programme.... Tried it with available ingrediants. It came out well.

Ingrediants
1 packet Mushroom
Soy Sauce
Roasted and crushed Black Pepper
1 big Onion finely chopped
Dry red chilly - 2-3 nos
Capsicum - 1
Garlic pods - 3-4 chopped
Vegetable Stock
Cornflour
sugar a pinch
salt to taste
Red chilli sauce

Wonton Sheets - to fry and decorate (I didnt use this)

Preparation
Fry the mushroom adding cornflour, soy sauce, salt and pepper powder and keep aside

For sauce
1) Fry the red chilly
2) Add the chopped onions and garlic and stir for few mins
3) Add the chopped capsicum and add the roaster and crushed black pepper.
4) Add the vegetable stock and cornflour slurry then add the red chilli sauce, salt and pinch of sugar to it and fry for few seconds and then add the fried mushroom
5) Finally fry the wonton sheets ad decorate the mushroom fry.

Rasam

This is a very quick rasam...i hardly takes 10 mins to prepare this rasam. I am not a great fan of rasam and Selvam likes to have it, so i have just tried to cook this for him. This is one of my own recipe.

Ingredients:
1 big Tomato,
crushed garlic 2-3,
Rasam powder(i use the readymade Shakti masala) - 1 tsp,
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp,
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp,
Pepper powder/crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp,
tamarind paste(i use a little of it),
Little cooked toor dhal or just the water used to cook the toor dhar(optional),
salt to taste,
oil,
corriander.

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp,
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp,
Dry red chilly - 1,
curry leaves

Preparation:
1) First fry all the ingrediants for seasoning and then add the garlic and fry for a minute.
2) Add the tomato (cut into very fine piceses or crush them) to it and fry them and then add all the spices to it and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomato softens.
3) Add the tamarind pulp to it and let it cook for another 5 mins.
4) Add the cooked dhal/thick dhal water to it and let it come to a boil and stop it.
5) Add some corriander leaves to it and server it with rice.

Golden Fried Baby Corn

Golden Fried Baby Corn would make a nice evening snack. I have tried it a few times and has come out well. Selvam liked the snack very much.

Ingredients:
One small packet of babycorns (approx 8-10),
oil for frying,
Vinegar - 1tsp.

For batter:

Maida 4 tbsp,
Cornflour 3 tbsp,
Chilli powder - 1 tsp,
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp,
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tbsp,
a pinch of Baking powder,
a pinch of ajinomoto (Optional, i never use ajinomoto),
Salt to taste,
Water.

Preparation:
1) Mix all the ingrediants for batter of medium consistency.
2) Cut and clean the baby corn into 2/3 pieces each.
3) Marinate the babycorn in the vinegar, half portion of the ginger-garlic paste and little salt for about 10-15 mins.
4) Add the marinated baby corn into the batter and mix them well.
5) Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the baby corn few at a time.

This makes a nice saturday evening snack when served with hot and spicy tomato sauce. You can enjoy this with a cup of hot Tea.

Tomato Pappu

It is an easy recipe which can be made very quickly. It also tastes good. We can have this with rice or pulka. I learnt this from mu aunt who is an excellant cook.

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
2 big onion(if you prefer small onion and have got the patience to peel the skin for atleast 15 numbers you can go ahead)
6 big juicy tomatos(mostly use the country tomatos to get the tangy taste)
Haldi - 1 tsp
a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
5 pods of garlic
3-5 green chillies(depends on your taste bud)
salt to taste
lime (Optional)

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1 tsp
bengal gram dal - 1 tsp,
curry leaves,
jeera - 1 tsp,
Corriander leaves,
oil/ghee to fry,

Preparation:
1) Fry the onions (Optional, generally people dont fry the onions, use them directly, but i like the onions to be fried well)
2) Add all the other ingredients after you fry the onions - garlic, chilly, turmeric, hing, tomato and mix them and add the toor dal to it.
3) Add required amount of water and pressure cook them.
4) Once done take them and smash them well with a smasher until the tomatoes are well blended and simmer it on low heat in the stove. Add salt to the dal.
5) Meanwhile fry all the ingredients for seasoning and add this to the dal mixture let it cook for 2 mins and switch it of. (If you like it more tangy, then you can add a pinch of lime juice to it).

Now the Dal is ready to eat.

Sura(Shark) Puttu

Selvam got Shark one day and I have never cooked it before. He had eaten it in my cousin's house and he liked that, so I called her up and asked her how to cook.

I tried it out and it came really well.

Ingredients:

Shark 500gms,
Large onions/Small Onions (almost 400 gms),
Garlic flakes 5-6,
Ginger/Garlic paste 1 tbsp,
Green Chilly 2-3,
Turmeric powder 2 tsp,
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard 1 tsp,
Few Curry leaves ,
Few Coriander leaves
Oil 1 tsp

Preparation:

1) Clean the shark pieces well.
2) In a vessal add the shark pieces, turmeric powder and little salt and let it cook well, (Approximately 10-15) until the shark is cooked well.
3) Once the shark is cooked well, you can peel the outer black & white hard skin easily.
4) Squeeze the water out of it and grate it well and make a mixture by adding turmeric powder, chilly powder.
5) In a tawa add oil and add the ingredients for seasoning and add the garlic flakes, green chillies, ginger/garlic paste and saute well.
6) Once the onion is fried well, add the shark mixture to it.
7) Let them blend well for sometime and get cooked together. (approx 10 mins).
8) Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Curd Rice

Few of my friends have been asking for more of vegetarian recipes, I thought i will add more of vegii ones. So thought of adding my favourite curd rice.

This is a special delicious one, but don't add the optional items given, to your everyday curd rice, it would add on to your calories.



Ingredients:

Well cooked rice 1 cup,
Curd 1/2 cup,
Milk as required,
Salt as required,
Butter(Optional) 1 tbsp,
Fresh Cream(Optional) 1 tbsp

For Seasoning

Mustard 1 tsp,
Black gram Dal 1 tsp,
Green chilly 1,
Dry Red Chilly 2,
Few Curry leaves ,
Few Coriander leaves
Oil 1 tsp

Preparation:

1) Cook the rice well and add milk to it and smash the rice.
2) Add oil to a small tawa and fry the ingredients for seasoning.
3) Add it to the rice.
4) If you like add the butter and cream to the rice and refrigerate it.
5) Then add the curd and salt 1 hour before you are ready to eat.

My cousin has been asking me to add the quantity for each of the ingredients, so I started adding them approximately from this post and will update the older ones soon. But the quantity are indicative and it can be modified based on individuals taste buds :-).

Mushroom Soup

I read this on one of the health magazines and tried it out and it tasted so good.


Ingredients:

Mushroom,
Onion,
Cornflour powder,
Butter,
Milk,
Pepper,
Salt


Preparation:

1) Cut the mushroom and take a few pieces of mushroom fry and keep aside.
2) Cut the onions and fry them in little oil and add the remanining mushroom to it. Fry them for sometime and then add the cornflour powder to it.
3) Once the onion and the mushroom are fried well, grind to a smooth paste.
4) Add the butter in a pan and add the ground paste to it and add the milk to it and let it boil for few mins.
5) Then add little salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

I have tried the same recipe for tomato soup and it came out very well too.

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer in Makhani Gravy

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Paneer Butter Masala one of my favorite dishes. Paneer cooked in silky Makhani gravy. It tastes divinely with Naan bread or Pulao.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Paneer Cubed	500 gms
Onion Chopped	2 nos
Tomatoes Peeled and Chopped	4-5 nos
Ginger Garlic Paste	2 tbsp
Cashew Paste	4-5 tbsp
Butter	4-5 tbsp
Chili Powder	1/2 tbsp
Coriander Powder	2 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Salt	To taste
Garam Masala	1 tsp
Green Chili (Optional)	1-2 nos
Kasuri Methi crushed	1 tbsp
Fresh Cream	2-3 tbsp + 1 tbsp for garnish
Chopped Coriander Leaves	To Garnish

Preparation:
1) Heat one tbsp butter in a pan and fry the onions and ginger garlic paste until the onions caramelize.
2) Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes and green chilies. Then add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
3) Then add the cashew paste, half of kasuri methi and sauté for a min or two and then blend it using a blender adding very little water.
4) Add the remaining butter to the pan and add the blended tomato mixture. Let it boil for a couple of min's.
5) Add the Paneer cubes and then sprinkle the garam masala and add the remaining kasuri methi and fresh cream.
6) Sauté them and let it cook for a couple of min's, until the flavors blend well.
7) Garnish with the remaining fresh cream and chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Pulao or Naan bread.

Chicken Biryani

Simple and Easy Chicken Biryani

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This is one of the first dishes I have blogged long time ago. Updated it to my current standard of cooking. The biryani is easy and for beginners, where the rice and chicken are cooked together in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Basmati Rice	2 cups
Chicken cut into large pieces	1 lb.
Onion Sliced	2 nos
Tomato	2 nos
Ginger Garlic Paste	2 tbsp
Green Chilies	2-3 nos
Chili Powder	2 tsp
Coriander Powder	1 tsp
Black Pepper	1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder	1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tsp
Garam Masala	1 tsp
Cardamom	2-3 nos
Cinnamon	1 stick
Cloves	2-3 nos
Bay Leaves	1 nos
Ghee	1-2 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Milk	1/4 cup
Saffron	3-4 strands
Yogurt	1/2 cup
Lime juice	1-2 tbsp
Fried Onions	1/2 cup

Preparation:
1) Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, finely chopped green chilies, one tbsp ginger garlic paste, half of the whole garam masala, half of finely chopped tomato, half of fried onion, ghee, lime juice and mint & coriander leaves. Let it marinate for at least for an hour or two.
2) Soak the basmati rice for 30 min's and fry in ghee for few min's (frying is optional) and set aside. Soak the saffron in the warm milk.
3) Heat oil in a pan and add the remaining whole garam masala, ginger garlic paste and the chopped onions and sauté for few Min's and add the tomatoes and slit green chilies.
4) Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade and the saffron soaked milk. Sauté for a few min's and then remove from heat. Measure the liquid in the gravy and add remaining water enough to cook rice. (Rice:Liquid is 1:1.5 ratio)
5) Pressure cook the rice and gravy mix on medium high until pressure is released. Add the whistle and simmer it for 10-12 min's. (No whistles).
6) Once the pressure reduces remove the lid and garnish with the remaining fried onion and chopped coriander and serve with raita or any curry dish.

Prawn Masala

I have got this recipe from my perima. I used to like the prawn masala that she does, so thought of giving it a try. It is a simple and easy to prepare. It is yummy with any pulao.

Ingredients:

Cleaned prawns,
Onion,
tomato,
garlic,
turmeric powder,
chilly powder,
coriander powder,
pepper powder,
salt,
curry leaves,
oil.

Preparation:

1) Fry the chopped onions and garlic in a pan.
2) Once it is fried a bit, add tomato and let it fry.
3) Add the turmeric, chilly, coriander, pepper and salt to it and fry for a mintue.
4) Finally add the prawns and curry leaves and fry until the prawns are well cooked. (To test if the prawns are cooked, try to cut the prawn, if you are able to cut it, then it is well cooked)

Meen Kuzhambu

Traditional South Indian Fish Curry

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First time I had tried this dish being inspired by my cousin and another friend's Tamil Nadu style traditional Meen Kuzhambu a few years ago. I have improvised this to my current style of cooking.

Ingredients:	Quantity
Fish	750 gms
Onion	1 nos
Garlic Chopped	8-10 nos
Green Chili	1 nos
Tamarind Paste	2 tbsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	2 tbsp
Spice Paste:
Small Onions/Shallots	8-10 nos
Large Tomatoes	2 nos
Red Chili Powder	1 tbsp
Coriander Powder	1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Fennel Seeds	1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds	1 tsp
Grated Coconut (Optional)*	1 tbsp
Curry Leaves	5-6 leaves
Tempering:
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds	1/2 tsp
Urad Dal	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	One Strand
Coriander Leaves	To Garnish

Preparation:
1) Clean fish and add little salt and half a tsp turmeric powder and set aside.
2) Heat oil in a pan and fry cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and add the small onion and fry for 3-4 mins and grind it with the remaining ingredients for spice paste.
3) Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the ingredients for tempering and once the mustard splutters add the finely chopped onions and garlic.
4) Add the ground spice paste and sauté well for 3-4 mins and then add the tamarind paste and add water to get it into medium consistency. Let it boil for 10 mins.
5) Add the fish into the curry and let it cook for 10 - 12 mins or until the fish is well cooked.
6) Garnish with chopped coriander and serve it with steamed rice.

Note: * Kuzhambu tastes as good without the coconut. It gives slightly a different taste.