Mushroom Biriyani

Mushroom biriyani will be mouth watering and tasty for the first time eaters especially because of the aroma and the pepper added mushroom..After a while, you will not turn to this recipe as it would be too spicy and masala flavor..So this holds good for 'once in a while' recipe or may be when friends are around.

Ingredients
No of persons - 4

1. Basmati rice - 4 cups(soaked in water for 30 mts)
2. Mushroom - 16 ounces
3. Onion - 2(chopped)
4. Tomato - 1-1/2(chopped)
5. Green Chillies - 4-5
6. Ginger - 1/2 tsp(chopped)
7. Garlic - 1/2 tsp(chopped)
8. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Turmeric powderr - 1/4 tsp
11. Soy sauce - 1 tsp(optional)
12. Oil - 5 tsp
13. Seasoning items
1. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
2. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Bay leaves - 2-3
4. Cloves, Cardomom - 2-3
14. Garnish -
1. Corianderr leaves,
2. Spring Onions,
3. Mint leaves(optional)
15. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Soak basmati rice in water for about 30 mts Cut mushrooms into large pieces and keep it aside(Or it can be soaked in water to keep it fresh)
2. Grind ginger, garlic, pepper powder, coriander powder, green chillies into a fine paste
3. Heat oil in a pan and add seasoning items
4. Add onions, turmeric powder and saute well with salt.
5. Add the grinded paste and stir it well.
6. When the onion turns golden brown, add tomatoes and fry till it is fully smashed.
7. Add cut mushrooms and cook it for around 15 mts.
8. Add the garnishing items and mix it well.
9. Mix it with rice and boil ricee with 6 cups of water(as the mixture has some water in it, it is better to add less water to rice. Otherwise, basmati rice will be smashed...)

Raita is a best companion for this biriyani...Enjoy...

Caulflower Curry

This is a simple and tasty recipe with simple ingredients and serves as a good side dish when we have only cauliflower at home and no other veggies.

Ingredients
No of persons : 3

1. Cauliflower - 1
2. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
3. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
4. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt - 1 tsp(Or to taste)
7. Asafoetida - pinch
8. Oil - 4 tsp
9. Seasonal items
1. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
2. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 4-6

Method

1. Mix cauliflower with pepper, chilli, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add seasonal items
3. When it splutters, add the cauliflower mixture
4. Fry it till the cauliflower is cooked completely.

Serve hot with rice..

Panini without Cheese

Today is the last day of Presidents day looooooong weekend and we have to get things ready for the next week and it is going to be really hectic with laundry, grocery shopping etc....It doesnt matter how many day of leave you have, all the weekend todo's will be checked as 'done' only at the last minute and its also fun to run and plan on the last day no matter how lazy and relaxed you were on the days before...Our day started with simple recipe for breakfast. This recipe without cheese is panini for us since we are not cheeeeeese(in food) loving people but love to say cheeeeeeeeese always.

Ingredients

1. White bread - 8
2. Potato - 1
3. Garlic - 1 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Lime juice - 1 tsp
8. Garnish - Coriander leaves
9. Salt - to taste

Method

1. Boil potatoes in a cooker and mash it completely
2. Mix mashed potatoes with chilli powder, pepper powder, masala powder, lime juice, garlic, salt and coriander leaves
3. Spread the potato mixture on the white bread and cut the bread into 2 halves
4. Grill it in sandwich maker for about 1 min and the tasty panini is ready.

It serves as a good breakfast dish when you are bored of normal Indian style dishes.

Chettinad kaara kuzhambu

This is the weekend after Valentines day and we are fed up with sweets and specials. Before our tooth get used to sweet taste, we want to switch over to some spicy dish. Kaara kuzhambu is a very popular dish in Karaikudi which is in our wishlist since long time. So here is our try and it came out really well...Special treat for this weekend.....

Ingredients

1. Tamarind water- lemon size tamarind soaked in water
2. Garlic - 5-6
3. Egg plant - 4
4. Onion(Medium) - 1
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. To dry roast grind
1. Tomatoes - 1
2. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
3. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
4. Coconut - 1/4 cup
5. Urad dal - 3/4 tsp
6. Channa dal - 3/4 tsp
7. Dry red chilli - 5
7. Salt - to taste
8. Water - 1 1/2 cup
9. Oil -5 tsp
10. Asafoetida - pinch(optional)
11. Seasoning items
1. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
2. Channa dal - 1/4 tsp
3. Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
4. Curry leaves - 6-8
5. Dry red chilli - 2

Method

1. Grind the items lised in dry roast section
2. Put + on egg plant lengthwise and stuff the egg plant with grinded pasted
3. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic, onions, turmeric powder
4. Add salt and saute the mixture till the onion glazes at you. 
5. Add the stuffed eggplants and wait for the egg plants to shrink and half cooked
6. Now add the remaining grinded paste and tamarind water
7. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and boil the mixture on medium flame until you see the oil floating on top(takes around 20-25 mts). Remove it from the flame when the mixture thickens and in your consistency. 
8. Heat oil in another pan and add seasoning items. When it flutters, remove it from the flame and add it to the tamarind mixture

Cant beat rice/kaarakuzhambu/pappadam combo....enjoy the hot spicy food.

Tip :Jaggery can be added to add taste

Dryfruit basandi

Its valentines day special recipe which we got it from funnfud blog and it really came out very well...we will definitely try this recipe again when our friends are around...

Ingredients
No of persons - 2

1. Whole milk - 4 cups(Or 1/4 gallon)
2. Condensed milk - 100 g(1 cup)
3. Sugar - 1 cup(Or to taste)
4. Dry fruit powder - 1/2 cup(Pista, almond, Cashews)
5. Saffron - 1/2 tsp
6. Milk to dissolve saffron - 1 tsp
7. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Garnish - Pista, Cashew (chopped)

Method

1. Pour milk in a large pan and bring it to boil
2. Stir the milk continously so that it would not stick to the sides of the pan
3. When the milk starts boiling, add the condensed milk slowly and stir it well.
4. Add sugar and dry fruits powder and stir the mixture well.
5. Heat it medium flame for about 30-40 mts with stirring now and then.
6. In the meantime, heat 1 tsp of milk in microwave and dissolve saffrons.
7. Add the saffron to the boiling milk and stir the mixture well to spread the saffron yellow color.
8. Now add some cardamom powder,boil it for 2-3 mts and remove it from the flame.
9. Add some chopped nuts for garnishing.
10. Keep it to cool for sometime and then refrigerate..

Yummy basandi is ready to serve

Hot and Sour Soup

Those who are looking for a new taste of soup other than tomato, Hot and sour remains top in the list. And many of us love having this soup for its flavor and aroma. When you take a road trip in a snowy winter, just dream of having this soup on your travel. Woww...how do you feel...Feeling itself is sooo good..Isnt it.?..Lets try it out

Ingredients
No of persons - 2

1. Water - 4 cups
2. Soy sauce - 1 1/2 tsp
3. Chilli sauce - 2 tsp
4. Vinegar - 2 tsp
5. Sugar - 1 tsp
6. Salt - To taste
7. Vegetables -
1. Beans - 1/2 cup(cut into small pieces)
2. Carrots - 1/2 cup(chopped/grated)
3. Corn - 1/2 cup
4. Capsicum - 1/2 cup(chopped)
8. Ginger - 1/4 cup
9. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Tomato sauce - 1/2 tsp
11. Corn flour - 1 1/2 tsp
12. Garnish - Spring onions

Method

1. Mix Soy sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, ginger, pepper powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and bring the mixture to boil
2. Add all the vegetables, tomato sauce and heat it in medium flame for 5-10 mts
3. Mix corn flour with 1 cup of water and add the corn flour to the heating mixture
4. When the soup thickens after few mts, remove it from the flame serve hot.

Tip : Be cautious while adding salt and soy sauce. Adding a pinch more could spoil the taste. Instead it can be added very less

Spinach and Corn Pulav

Though weekends are meant for new taste and flavor, this weekend is a bit different since the weather is freezing and windy. No more weekend outings till spring comes. With the available ingredients, we could only make spinach and corn Rice this weekend. Thought the dish doesnt suit for this weather, we prefer spinach always because of its nutritious value and it will be in our menu atleast once a week.

Ingredients
No of persons - 3

1. Basmati rice - 3 cups
2. Spinach - 1 bag
3. Corn - 2
4. Green chillies - 3
5. Onion - 1(finely chopped)
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Garam/Biriyani masala powder - 1 tsp
8. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
9. Oil - 3 tsp
10. Seasoning items
1. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
2. Bay leaf - 2-3
3. Curry leaves - 3-4
11. Garnish - Coriander leaves
12. Salt - to taste
    

Method

1. Boil basmati rice with salt in a rice cooker(1:2 rice:water ratio). We prefer to add salt along with the rice instead of the adding it in the frying mixture since salt mix evenly with the rice.
2. In the meantime, grind spinach in a blender and keep it aside
3. Boil corn in a microwave for 5 mts.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add the seasoning items
5. When it splutters, add green chillies and chopped onions
6. Add turmeric powder and masala powder when the onion is completely fried and turns golden brown
7. Add the spinach paste and stir the mixture well
8. Saute the mixture for few mts(till spinach is completely cooked, usually it takes around 10 mts)
9. Add the boiled corn and make sure it is mixed thoroughly with the spinach
10. Saute the mixture for few mts again, add it to the boiled rice and mix it thoroughly with the rice.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves