Mango Custard

Ingredients :

1. Milk - 500 ml ( 2 Cups )
2. Corn Flour- 2  tbsp
3. Ripe Mango puree- 1 Cup
4. Mango chopped to small square pieces- 1 Cup
5. Sugar- 6 tbsp
6. Nuts of your choice / cherries 

How To Cook

1. Mix the corn flour with 1/4 cup milk and pour it to a pan.
2. Add milk , sugar  to another pan and bring to boil.
3. When it start to boil , transfer to the cornflour milk mixture , little by little  stirring continuosly.
4. Stir for 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the mango puree and chopped mangoes, stir for 10 to 15 minutes .
6. It will start to thicken after a while.
7. Now switch off the flame and transfer to the pudding vessel .
8. Keep aside to cool.
9. After it cools, refrigerate it for 2 hours.
10. Garnish with cuts/ cherries of your choice.
11. You can alternatively add fruit cuts before you serve.

Note :   IF you want you can add eggs. When you add eggs, you need to beat the egg and mix the cornflour to it and then when the milk come to boil , add the milk to the egg cornflour mixture.

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani

This is a really easy to make recipe for  yummy delicious aunthentic hyderabadi dum biriyani .

A MUST TRY RECIPE. You should choose the best quality basmati rice for this recipe.

Adding ghee is the speciality of this recipe.The flavour and the aroma of the biriyani is irresistable .

Ingredients

For chicken marinade 

1. Chicken washed and cleaned -1 kg
2. Fried Onions - 1 Cup
3. Garam masala- 1 tbsp
4. Chilly powder- 1 tsp
5. Green Chilly slitted- 3 no
6. Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
8. Curd- 1 cup thick
9. Ginger garlic paste- 3 tbsp
10. Ghee - 2  tbsp
11. Salt as required
12. Lemon Juice 2 tbsp
13. Pudina and coriander leaves- 1 cup
14. Ghee -1 tbsp for spreading on the bottom of the pan 

How to Prepare :

1. Take the pan in which you are planning to prepare the dum biriyani .
2. Spread the ghee on the bottom of the pan evenly.
3. Marinate the chicken pieces with the above ingreidents for marinade and marinate it for 1 hour .( atleast  30 minutes ) in the  same pan.
4. Keep this aside.

NOTE :   Always make sure after you cook the rice you should instantly transfer the cooked rice to the chicken pieces and start to bake which will be mentioned in detail later.

For the Rice 

1. Best Quality Basmati Rice ( Preferably long grain rice ) - 3 Cups
2. Cloves- 4 no
3. Bayleaves- 4 nos
4. Star Anise- 4 nos
5. Shahi jeera- 1 tsp
6. Pepper Balls - 5 Nos
7. Cardamon sticks- 2 nos
8. Black cardamon powdered- 1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste

How to Prepare :

1. Wash the rice and soak the rice in water for half an hour. 
2. Add the ingredients from 2 to 9 into the water and when the water starts to boil , add the rice.
3. Cook for 10 minutes .Stir the rice once in a while and make sure enough water is there.
4. Make sure the rice should not be fully cooked but only 3/4 th cooked.
5. When the rice is 3/4 cooked , you would be able to break the rice with your hand but still not fully cooked.When you bite the rice , you will still feel the raw taste. 

Ingredients  for biriyani

1. 3/4 th cooked rice 
2. Saffron - 1 tsp
3. Milk - 1/2 Cup
4. Marinated chicken
5. Onions - 5 Big
6. Ghee- 5 tbsp
7. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
8. Chopped coriander  leaves - 1 Cup
9. Chopped pudina leaves - 1 Cup
10. Maida Flour - 2 Cups turned to a smooth dough 

Final Stage-Baking the Biriyani 

1. Add the saffron to the milk and keep this aside for half n hour.
2. Deep fry the onions till it turn brown and crispy .Keep this aside.
3. Take the pan where you marinated the chicken pieces . 

4. As soon as the rice is 3/4th cooked transfer a layer of rice over the marinated chicken.

5. Make sure when you add the rice to the marinated chicken , allow some water to come along with it to make sure the biriyani is moist.( donot drain the rice completely )

6. Add few pudina , coriander leaves over the rice.

7. Sprinkle garam masala , fried onions over the rice.

8. Add another layer of rice still allowing some water to come along with the rice.The rice would be over this time.9. Add the saffron milk over the rice .

10. Add coriander and pudina leaves , fried onions over this .

11. Atlast add the ghee over the rice.

12. Now take the maida dough , roll it and spread it around the edges of the pan as shown

13. Close the pan and make sure you press the lid to the pan so that it gets closed airtight .

14. Now cook on high  flame for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes , steam will start coming out through the maida dough  and you can get the tempting aroma which is going to surely water a few mouths .
15. At this stage, cook on low flame for 20 minutes.( You can alternatively use a dosa tawa and place the biriyani vessel over it and cook on low flame )
16. Now your chicken dum biriyani will be ready.Serve hot with pickles, pappad  and salads.

Gobi Manchurian in Rich Sauce Gravy

I got an idea for this recipe from a tv show recipe for chilly chicken.I replaced the chilly chicken with cauliflower florets .This is a modified version of it.Hope you  enjoy this !!

Ingredients :

1. Cauliflower florets- 3 Cups
2. Onions - 2 Nos Cut into square shaped
3. Capsicum - 2 Nos cut into square shaped
4. Green Chilly slitted- 3 Nos
5. Ginger chopped- 1 tbsp
6. Garlic chopped- 1 tbsp
7. Pepper Powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
9. Soya Sauce 2 tbsp
10. Tomato Sauce- 6 tbsp
11. Hot ad Sweet Sauce- 1 tbsp
12. Chilly Sauce- 1/2 tsp
13. Corn Flour- 2 tbsp
14. Coriander leaves chopped
15. Celery Chopped
16. Salt as required
17. Oil as required.

For the Marinade

1. Kashmiri Chilly Powder- 1 and 1/2 tbsp
2. Chilly Powder- 1/2 tsp
3. Soya Sauce- 1 tbsp
4. Ginger garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
5. Maida - 1 Cup
6. Water- 1/2 to 3/4Cup
7. Corn Flour- 4 tbsp
8. Salt

How To Cook:

1. Clean the cauliflower florets well and keep it in luke warm water for 1 hour.
2. Wash it once again .
3. Make a thick paste with the ingredients for marinade .
4. Mix well the cauliflower florets with the thick paste and keep aside for 1 hour.
5. Fry each florets and keep this aside.
6. Mix the corn flour with 1 cup water and keep this aside.
7. Add oil to the pan and add the ginger garlic chopped , green chillies , saute till the raw smell goes .
8. Add onion , and saute for 4 minutes till it trun translucent. Make sure it doesnt turn brown .
9. Add the capsicum pieces , garam masala, pepper powder , salt and saute for 2 minutes.Close the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Now lower the flame , add the sauces ( 9 , 10 11 , 12 ) 
11. Mix well the sauces and saute on high flame for 2 minutes for the flavours to blend in.
12. Now add the cornflour solution , 1 Cup water and mix well .
13. It will take few minute before the sauce start to thicken .
14. Now add the fried cauliflower pieces, celery  and close the pan and cook for 3 minutes on low flame for the flavours to blend in to the cauliflower pieces.
15. Now add the chopped coriander .
16. Serve hot with Fried Rice  or Butter Naan .

Egg Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients :

1. Basmati Rice  - 2 Cups
2. Carrots  chopped -  3 Nos
3. Beans chopped- 2 Cups
4. Green Peas Chopped Frozen - 1 Cup
5. Onions -  1  No cut lengthwise
6. Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
7. Garam Masala- 2 tbsp
8. Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Tomato Sauce- 1 tbsp
10. Soya Sauce- 1 tsp
11. Egg - 3 Nos
12. Bayleaves- 2 Nos
13. Star Anise- 2 No
14. Cloves- 10 Nos
15. Cardamon - 3 Nos
16. Cashewnuts - 10 Nos
17. Raisins  - 10 Nos
18. Chopped coriander.
19. Lemon  Drops
20. Salt as required.
21. Ghee- 3 tbsp
22. Oil - 3 tbsp

How to Cook .

1. Clean the basmati rice and soak in water for 15 minutes.
2. Drain out the water and keep the rice aside.
3. Scramble the egg with pepper powder and salt , keep this aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashewnuts and raisins , keep this aside.
5. Add 1 tbsp oil and fry the onions , keep this aside.
6. Add 1 tbsp ghee to the pan and  fry the cloves , cardamon , star anise and the bayleaves.
7. Add the chopped vegetables , garam masala , ginger garlic paste and close the pan , cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the cleaned rice , 1 tbsp ghee and stir fry the rice for 15 minutes.
9. Add tomato sauce , soya sauce , chopped coriander and mix well with the rice.Saute for 2 minutes.
10. Add  4 cups of water , salt and bring to boil .
11. When it come to boil add the lemon drops, close the pan and cook in low flame for minimum 30  minutes.
12. After rice is cooked , mix the scrambled egg with the cooked rice .
13. Garnish with fried cashewnuts, raisins , onions , scrambled egg and coriander leaves.

Chicken 65

Ingredients :

1. Chicken boneless cut into cubes - 1/2 kg
2. Onion Fried- 3tbsp
3. Ginger -Garlic Chopped- 1 tbsp
4. Green Chilly slitted- 2 No
5. Pepper powder- 1 tsp
6. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Curry Leaves - 10 Nos
9. Coriander Leaves Chopped
10. Salt as required
11. Butter- 2 tbsp
12. Oil - as required`

For the Marinade:

1. Pepper Powder- 1 tbsp
2. Kashmiri Chilly Powder- 1 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
4. Lemon Drops
5. Corn Flour - 2 tsp
6. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
7. Salt as required
8. Egg - 1 No

How to Cook :

1. Clean and wash the chicken pieces well.
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with lemon drops, salt , turmeric powder and keep it overnight.
3. Next day keep the chicken out of the refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Prepare the batter with rest of the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the chicken pieces and keep it aside for 1 hour.
5. Add oil to the pan and fry the chicken pieces well.
6. Add 2 tbsp butter to the pan and add the chopped ginger garlic , green chilly and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the fried onions , cumin powder , pepper powder , curry leaves ,chilly powder , salt if required and saute for 2 minutes.
8. Now add the chicken pieces and mix it well and on high flame , saute for 2 minutes.
9. Serve Hot .

Kashmiri Chicken Fry

Ingredients 

1. Chicken pieces cleaned - 1/2 kg
2. Whole redchilly - 8 Nos
3. Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
4. Kashmiri Chilly- 1/2 tsp
5. Curry Leaves - 15 Nos
6. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
9. Curd - 1 tbsp
10. Salt as required
11. Lemon drops
12. Oil as required
13. Curry Leaves for garnishing

How to Cook.

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt , turmeric powder and lemon drops overnight.
2. Before cooking , keep the chicken at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Add the curry leaves , ginger garlic  paste , red chillies , kashmiri chilly powder, garam masala,pepper powder salt ( if required ) to a mixie and grind .
4. Now marinate the chicken pieces with the freshly prepared paste .
5. Add 2 tbsp curd and mix well with the chicken pieces and again refrigerate it for half an hour.
6. After half an hour keep the marinated chicken at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add oil to the pan and when it is hot , shallow fry the chicken pieces.
8. Serve hot.

Watermelon Shake

Ingredients :

1. Watermelon deseeded  cut into cubes - 2 Cups
2. Sugar - 1 tbsp
3. Cold Refrigerated iced milk- 1 Cup
4. Vanilla icecream - 1 big scoop

How To Cook 

1. Blend the ingredients to a blender and blend to form a smooth paste.

Chicken Curry ( in Pudina Coriander Curd gravy )

Ingredients :

1. Chicken pieces washed and cleaned - 3/4 kg
2. Onions - 2 No
3. Tomato - 1 No
4. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Garam Masala- 3 tbsp
6. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
7. Chilly Powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Whole Pepper- 1 tsp
9. Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
10. Fresh Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
11. Coriander Leaves chopped- 2 tbsp
12. Pudina Leaves Chopped- 2 tbsp
13. Curd- 3 tbsp
14. Green Chillies cut lengthwise- 3 No
15. Coriander Leaves for garnishing.
16. Oil -3 tbsp / as required

How to Cook :

1. Grind the curd , pudina leaves and coriander leaves to a thick paste.Keep this aside.
2. Add oil to the pan and when it is hot, add the ginger garlic paste , saute till the raw smell goes .
3. Add onions , green chilles and saute well till it turn light brown in color.
4. Add the garam masala , coriander powder,pepper , turmeric powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, salt   and saute for 3 minutes .
5. Add the tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes.
6. Add the curd paste , and mix well .Saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the chicken pieces and mix well .Saute for 5 to 10 minutes so that the masalas get mixed with the chicken well.
8. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup water and bring to boil.
9. Now close the pan and cook in low flame for half an hour. Make sure you turn the chicken pieces in between or else it might get sticked to the bottom of the pan.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves .
11. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Mango Shake

Ingredients :

1. Mangoes ripe big - 2 Nos cut into cubes
2. Sugar - 3 tbsp
3. Cold Refrigerated iced milk- 1 Cup
4. Cinnabon powder- a pinch

How To Cook 

1. Mix 3 tbsp sugar with the mango cubes and refrigerate it for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours, add the mangoes ,cinnabon , iced milk to the blender and blend it to form a thick paste.

Dal Tomato Curry

Ingredients :

1. Moong Dal  - 1 /2 Cup
2. Onion - 1 No
3. Tomato - 1 No
4. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Green Chilly Cut lengthwise- 3 Nos
6. Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp
7. Ginger chopped- 1 tsp
8. Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
9. Whole Pepper- 1/2 tsp
10. Salt as required
11. Coriander Leaves
12. Oil as required

How To Cook :

1. Add oil to the pressure pan and when it is hot , add the cumin seeds and pepper, ginger pieces .
2. When the cumin seeds splutter, add the green chillies and onions. Saute the onions till it turn translucent.
3. Now add the tomatoes and garam masala and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Now transfer the gravy to another bowl.
5. To the pressure pan  add the dal , turmeric powder with water and cook till it is done.
6. After the dal is cooked , mix the onion gravy to the cooked dal .
7. Add little water if required. 
8. Add coriander leaves chopped .( As i did not have coriander leaves, i added curry leaves ).
9. Serve hot with rotis.

Chakkakkuru Aviyal / Jackfruit Seed Aviyal

Ingredients :

1. Jack Fruit Seeds - Skin removed and cut into four halves - 1.5   Cup
2. Snake Gourd  cut lengthwise - 2 Cups
3. Ash Gourd cut into legthwise pieces - 1 Cup
4. Drumsticks peeled and cut into 2 " long pieces- 1 Cup
5. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
7. Green Chilly - 2 Nos
8. Tamarind - small  goose berry sized.
9. Curry leaves as required
10. Onion Shallots- 4 nos
11. Coconut grated- 1 cup
12. Jeera- a pinch
13. Salt as required
14. Oil- 1 tbsp

How To Cook

1. Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup water  . Keep this aside.
2. Add little water, Jackfruit seed pieces , turmeric powder and salt into a pan , close the pan , cook till  it gets cooked.( Cook for 15 minutes minimum)
3. After it gets cooked , add the ingredients  2,3 4, and 6 , very less water if required, close the pan and cook for sometime.(Make sure the vegetables should get cooked very well)
4. Squeeze the tamarind and add the tamarind water to the cooked curry .
5. In a mixie grind the coconut , green chillies , onion shallots and jeera with 1/4 cup water to a very fine paste form.
6. Add the grinded paste to the curry, add water if required.
7. When the gravy come to boil , pour oil , more curryleaves.
8. Serve hot with rice.!!

Mango Curd Curry / Mambhazha Pulissery

Ingredients :

1. Mangoes Ripe- 2 Nos 
2. Jaggery - 3 tbsp grated 
3. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Curd thick -2 Cups
6. Coconut Grated- 1 Cup
7. Green Chilly - 2 Nos
8. Cumins Seeds- 1/2 tsp
9. Mustard Seeds-  1/4 tsp
10. Red Chilly - 2 Nos
11. Oil -as required.
12. Salt as required.
13. Curry Leaves - as required

How To Cook :

1. Add jaggery with 2 tbsp water to a pan and cook on low flame until the jaggery is completely dissolved.Pass the syrup through a strainer and keep this aside.
2. Cut the mangoes to cubes.
3. Add the mango cubes , turmeric powder, chilly powder , salt , 1/4 Cup water to a pan and cook on low flame .Cook for around 10 to 15 minutes till the mangoes are tender.
4. Now add the jaggery syrup and open the pan and cook for sometime till the excess water is dried off.
5. Now add the grated coconut , 1 cup curd , jeera and green chilly to a mixie and grind to form a smooth paste.
6. Blend in the other 1 cup curd to the paste and stir continuously to form a thick paste.
7. Add the paste to the cooked mangoes.
8. Cook for 2 minutes.
9. Add oil to the pan , when it is hot , add mustard seeds , red chilly and curry leaves .Let the mustard seeds splutter.
10. Now add this to the cooked mangoes gravy.
11. Serve hot with rice.

Beetroot Mezhukkuvarati

Ingredients

1. Beetroot- 1 No
2. Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
3. Red Chilly - 2 Nos
4. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
5. Pepper powder- 1 tsp
6. Salt - as required
7. Oil - as required
8. Curry Leaves - as required

How To Cook :

1. Cut the beetroot into thin cubes.
2. Add oil to the pan , splutter mustard seeds and red chilly.
3. Add the beetroot cubes, turmeric powder, salt , pepper powder .
4. Close the pan and cook for sometime ( around 10 minutes ).
5. Open the pan, add curry leaves  and stir fry for 2 minutes.
6. Serve with hot rice.

Kootu Curry

There are variety of ways for cooking this koote curry .Well this is how i made it.Well i prepared this for this year 2013 Vishu .

Happy  Vishu to All of You !!

Ingredients :

1. Raw Plaintain - 1 No cut into cubes.
2. Yam - 3 Cups Cut to cubes.
3. Black Chana  - 1/2 Cup
4. Chilly Powder- 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Salt as required
7. Oil as required
8. Coconut grated- 2 CUps
9. Mustard Seeds- 1 /2 tsp
10. Jaggery syrup -2 tbsp
11. Coconut grted- 4 tbsp
12. Green chilly - 2 no
13. Jeera- 1/4 tsp
14. Curry Leaves - as required

How To Cook :

1. Soak the chana overnight  .
2. Pressure cook the chana  to minimum 8 whistles or more if required until it gets cooked.
3. Grind the coconut , green chilly and jeera   for one round in a mixie and keep this aside.
4. After that add the plantain and yam cubes to the cooked chana .
5. Add chilly powder ,turmeric powder , salt and cook to 2 whisltes .
6. Add the grinded coconut , green chilly jeera  maste and mix well.
7. Add oil to the pan and when it is hot , add mustard seeds . Let it splutter.
8. Add the grated coconut and on low flame fry it till it become golden brown in colour.
9. Add this to the cooked vegetables . 
10. Add the jaggery syrup and mix well.
11.  Garnish with  Curry Leaves

Gobi Fry

Ingredients :

1. All Purpose Flour ( Maida) - 1 Cup
2. Corn flour- 3 tbsp
3. Rice Flour- 1/2 Cup
4. Cauliflower - medium sized
5. Ginger- Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/2  tsp
7. Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 1tbsp
8. Jeera powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Salt - ( TIP  :  Make sure you add  a little more than required in the dough so that it sticks well on the cauliflower florets )
10. Oil as required
11. Curry leaves
12. Onion rings for garnishing.
13. Lemon drops

How to Cook

1. Wash the florets  well .Put the cauliflower florets  in luke warm water mixed with turmeric water and salt for 1 hour so that it gets cleaned properly.
2. Prepare the dough by kneading the mixture with little water .Make sure not to form lumps .
3. Mix the cauliflower florets in the prepared dough and keep aside for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Deep fry  each cauliflower floret  .It will be reddish in colour.
5. Transfer to the serving bowl .
6. Decorate with curry leaves , onion rings.
7. Sprinkle lemon drops.