Green Masala Prawn Biriyani – ( Spicy Green Masala Base )

 

Hello My dear wonderful readers!

How are you all doing today? I am back with a simple prawn biriyani that is very different in flavour compared to my other biriyani recipes. I do have two other biriyani recipes such as the

Prawn Biriyani and Thalassery Biriyani

Compared to those two this recipe is super easy. Unlike many other kinds of biriyani, this recipe does not use the layering technique. Its mostly a one pot dish and since prawn cooks faster compared to other kinds of meat, this one is a keeper.

The green colour this dish has is from the rich green paste that is made from grinding coriander and mint leaves. The dish can be as spicy as you like. All you have to do is adjust the heat by adding as many green chilies as you may want.

For health reasons, I have used coconut oil in my recipe but you could use ghee / clarified butter for a richer more fragrant dish. Along with a cooling raita and some cut cucumbers, this biriyani is your perfect weekend lunch. If there are left overs, maybe dinner too 🙂 . I usually make a big batch cause then two or some times three meals are sorted!! and no my boys love biriyani and they do not get tired of it. LOL .

Speaking of the boys, the little one is doing much better and every day he picks up a new word and yesterdays word was “Actually”. So he goes “Amma Actually car stuckada ” – Its only after he says these words do I go back and recollect why and when I used those words. It is so funny. Some times the words are in the wrong places and those instances are so so funny. In fact there was this advertisement in the newspaper that had a family, father, mother, sister and brother, sitting together and smiling. So I asked him what he was doing and he replied, “That’s a famileeee ” . I was quiet impressed. So I asked him where is his family and he turned and pointed at the door 😦 That’s when I realized his family i.e., his grandpa and grandma and cousins who were here for the holidays. Well he continued reading the newspaper and he did not say a word about it again.

So now lets get back to the food!!

Ingredients :-

1. Rice – 3 cup ( i used basmati rice )
2. Bay Leaf – 2
3. Cloves – 4
4. Cinnamon – 2 inch stick
5. Cardamom – 5 ( bruised with the back of a spoon)
6. Pepper Corns – 1 tbsp
7. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
8. Mint Leaves – 1 cups (packed tightly)
9. Green Chillies – 6 large (adjust to taste)
10. Coriander Leaves – 2 cups (packed tighlty)
11. Ginger – 1 large knob (size of a lime)
12. Garlic – 10 medium size cloves
13. Coconut oil / Ghee – 2 tbsp
14. Prawns – 500 gms ( deveined and cleaned)
15.  Salt to taste
16. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
17. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
18. Garam Masala Powder – 2 heap tsp
19. Water – 5 cups
20. Onions – 2 cups (sliced)
21. Tomato – 1 cup

Instructions :-

1. Wash and soak rice in water for 15 mins
2. During that time in the bowl of your blender add mint leaves + coriander leaves + green chillies + ginger + garlic + cumin seeds and a little water. Blend to form a nice green paste. Make sure that the ginger grinds well and forms a nice thick paste
3. Now in a large heavy bottom pot, heat the oil. Keep the flame on a medium
4. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom.
5. Once they begin to release a nice aroma, add the onions and saute till light golden brown
6. Then add the tomatoes. Next add the spice powders, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and give it a good mix
7. Let the mixture cook for 3 mins
8. Then add the green mixture to the pot and cook till you see oil separating from the sides of the masala
9. Now its time to add the prawns. Turn the heat up and cook for 1 min
10. Then add the rice and water. Mix the rice well with the green masala and add salt ( 2 tsp)
11. Cover and cook till the rice is cooked well
12. You can serve this just as is

For garnish – OPTIONAL

1. Heat one 1 tbsp ghee/ coconut oil and deep fry some cashew nut and thinly slices onions
2. You could sprinkle them on the top just before serving

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Coconut Rice with a Red chilli, Curry Leaf and Gram Tempering

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!!

How are you all doing today? So this is what I made for our dinner last night. It is so simple and hardly takes any time. If you have any left over rice, you can use that too. I make a new batch of rice everyday so I can add that to my sons diet. Rice is a staple at my place. It could be fermented like in Dosas and Idilis, or plain rice and Pulav/ Pilaf or just various kinds of flavoured rice. Its not really the best thing to have a lot of rice in your diet and trust me I know that, but its just the easiest thing to cook when you can’t spend too much time in the kitchen. One question I get very often is how do I cook my rice? Now heres the thing, cooking rice purely depends on the type of rice!

If you are using a good quality Basmati rice, then one cup of rice with 2 cups of water is perfect! But if is red rice, or any kind of wild rice, its a whole different story. We make a lot of red rice at home, but that involves soaking the rice for one whole night and then using tons of water and then draining out the excess water! Its a long procedure, but personally I love the flavour of red rice. Back in my village we always have red rice. Ah the taste of red rice and avial!

My son loves it too!! We make Kanji – ( rice cooked in lots of water) and have it with Payar (green gram curry) with Papapdam and pickle. It is just the simplest dish on this planet and yet the most healthy and power packed meal ever!

Ok so back to this recipe. This recipe is super simple!! All you have to do is make the tempering and mix them both! Finished!

Ingredients :-

1. Basmati Rice – 1 cup  ( soaked for 15 – 20 mins)
2. Water – 2 cups
3. Salt – 1 tsp
4. Coconut Oil – 4 tbsp
5. Dry Red Chillies – 6
6. Mustards Seeds – 2 tbsp
7. Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
8. Channa Dal – 1 tbsp
9. Cashew Nuts – 10
10. Curry Leaves – 15 ( cleaned and dried)
11. Asafoetida – a pinch
12. Salt – to taste ( for the final dish)
13. Fresh desiccated coconut – 1 cup

 

Instructions :-

1. Pour 2 cups of water into a large dish with a lid. Once the water comes to a boil, add the soaked rice and salt. Stir gently and cover and cook for 10 mins
2. Then using a spoon, take one grain of rice and check if the rice is cooked. If so, turn the flame off and set aside
3. In a large wok / Khadai, heat coconut oil
4. When the oil is nice and hot, add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the dry red chillies, asafoetida, urad dal, channa dal and cashew nuts . Fry till the urad dal turns a light golden yellow
5. Then add the curry leaves and stir
6. Then add the coconut and the cooked rice
7. Stir well to combine all the ingredients
8. Add salt according to taste and your dish is done!
9. Serve right away with your choice of curry or just with yogurt and popopdams

 

Thalassery Biriyani – Mutton Biriyani (North Kerala Style)

 

 

 

 

 

My Dear Wonderful Readers

Hope you are well.  Today’s post is about “Biriyani” –  a  word synonymous to “A feast”. In my mum’s place, she has a special biryani recipe that she makes for all major occations. Like on birthdays, special dinner events, parties etc. But it wasn’t until I was in college that I learnt that there are so many different kinds of biriyanis out there. One such recipe is the ‘Thalassery Biriyani’.

Ingredients :-

1. Ghee – 4 – 5 tbsp ( for frying the onions and the mutton)
2. Mutton – 1 kg
3. Onions – 5 cups (julienned)
4. Ginger Garlic Paste – 80 gms ( 4- 5 tbsp)
5. Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
7. Garam Masala – 3 tsp
8. Pepper Powder – 1 tbsp
9. Curd – 3 tbsp
10. Lime Juice – juice from 2
11. Green Chilli – 4 (crushed)
12. Mint Leaves – 1/2 cup ( chopped)
13. Corriander Leaves – 1/2 cup (chopped)
14. Salt – according to taste

For the rice: 

1. Basmati Rice – 2 cups
2. Water – 4 cups
3. Onions – 1/ 2 cup
4. Bay leaf – 1
5. Cinnamon – 1 piece ( around 3 – 4 inches)
6. Cardamom – 3
7. Cloves – 4
8. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
9. Salt- as required
10. Ghee – 2 tbsp

For the final assembling :-

1. Milk –1/4 cup (luke warm)
2. Saffron – one good pinch
3. Cashew Nuts – 1/4 cup
4. Raisina – 1/4 cup
5. Ghee – to fry the nuts
6. Mint Leaves – 1/4 cup
7. Ghee – as required

Instructions :- For the Mutton Masala 

1. Firstly add ghee to a heavy bottom pan and fry 4 cups of onions to golden brown
2. Once the onions are nice and brown, divide into two equal portions
3. Now in the same ghee, fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Set aside
4. In the remaining ghee, add ginger garlic paste. Once the raw smell has gone, add the mutton pieces. Then add the crushed green chilli and a tsp of salt. Cover and let it cool till the mutton begins to release its water
5. Once you see water coming from the sides, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder and mix well to coat the meat with the spices
6. Cover and cook for 5 mins
7. Then add the yogurt, lime juice, mint leaves, coriander leaves and cook for another 10 mins
8. You want the meat to have cooked 90 % . Make sure you have enough gravy / water in the meat mixture. Set aside the pan.

Instructions for the Rice:-

1. Soak rice in water for 10 – 15 mins. (Drain completely before adding in the next step)
2. Heat ghee in a pot and once the ghee is nice and hot add the spices, – bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cumin. Then add the onions and fry till translucent
3. Finally add the drained rice and add 4 cups of boiling hot water. Cover and cook till all the water is drained and rice is cooked 90 %

Assembling the biryani

1. Soak saffron strands in warm milk and set aside
2. In a large pot, first add one layer of the mutton masala. Then add a layer of the cooked rice. Sprinkle half of fried onions over the rice. Then spinkle mint leaves, fried cashews and raisins. Finally pour half the saffron milk all over the rice
3. Repeat the step with the rest of the mutton and rice. Sprinkle the remaining onions, mint, nuts, raisins and saffron milk
4.  Lastly pour another spoon of ghee over the rice
5.  Cover and cook for 5 mins or till the rice is cooked well
6. Your biriyani is ready!
7.  Serve with cucumber raita and hot poppadams

Chicken Meri Pasanda – Chicken Curry the way I like it!

 

 

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!

How has the new year been so far? We have been trying to make changes to our normal life like not slacking around on household work and making sure we do not eat take out food as much as last year. So this means more cooking and more vessels to clean. But at least we will be eating healthy right? I have been brainstorming what to make everyday and I end up making one chicken or fish dish every day! Most of my time goes in just cleaning the meat (arrggghh.!!). Once the cleaning is done, its really easy to make the dish specially if the marination time isn’t too long. “Pasanda”means “like””So this recipe is ‘how I like’ and therefore Chicken Meri Pasanda! :p

Usually we leave the meat to marinate overnight but I really do not have the time to think ahead now days. So this will basically result in a few no “mandatory – marinating – meat – recipes ” This one is one such easy recipe that takes not more than 20 – 30 mins to cook and goes really well with any flavoured rice. Curries that are made with cream, nut paste, milk or yogurt are lighter on the heat radar ( less chilli) but high on flavour and spice ( some times sweet too) but that being said we love this combination. Serve with some toasted Papads, pickle and cut onions, this makes the perfect balanced dinner.

Ingredients :-

1. Boneless Chicken – 1 kg
2. Pepper powder – 1 tsp
3. Vinegar – 1 tbsp
4. Salt – 1 tsp
5. Onions – 1 + 1/2 cup ( chopped)
6. Ginger + Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
7. Lemon Juice – juice of 1 lime
8. Tomato – 1 cup
9. Cinnamon Stick – 2
10. Cardamom – 3  ( crushed roughly)
11. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
12. Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
13. Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
14. Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
15. Keora Water – 5 drops
16. Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
17. Oil – 3 tbsp
18. Cashew Nuts – 1 cup ( soak the nuts in warm water for 10 mins)
19. Yogurt – 1/2 cup
20. Salt – according to taste

 

Instructions :- 

1. In a large bowl, add pepper + salt + vinegar and mix well
2. Then add the chicken and coat well with the pepper mixture. Set aside
3. In a flat bottom pan, add oil. Once the oil is nice and hot add the chicken and fry till slightly fried. Then fetch the pieces of chicken out from the pan and set aside
4. In the same pan add cinnamon and cardamom. While the cinnamon begins to sizzle, in the bowl of your food processor, add onions + lemons juice +ginger garlic paste and blend to form a nice smooth puree
5. Once the cardamom begins to sizzle, add the onion puree into the pan and fry for 3 – 5 mins
6. While the onion begins to fry, puree tomatoes in the food processor
7. After the moisture from the onions has reduced, add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder
8. Give it a nice mix and then add the tomato puree. It will boil and begin to bubble but just keep stirring
9. Finally add the semi fried chicken and mix to coat the chicken pieces well and cook for 5 mins
10. During this time, drain the cashew nuts into the bowl of your food processor. Add the yogurt to the cashew nuts and beat to form a nice paste
11. Now add this cashew-yogurt paste to the chicken in the pan
12. Stir well to ensure all the chicken pieces are coated well with the yogurt cashew paste.
13. Add salt according to taste and sprinkle Keora Water over the top
14. Cover and cook for another 5 mins and then serve right away with flavoured rice
15. I served mine with a simple mixed dry fruit pilaf

 

 

Prawn Biriyani (Quick Version)

 

 

Ingredients:-

Marinating Prawns:-

1. Prawns – 1 kg
2. Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
3. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
5. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
6. Curry Leaves – 5 -6
7. Vinegar – 2 Tbsp
8. Salt – 1tsp

Instructions :-

1. Firstly clean and devein the prawns well. (I take off the head and legs)
2. In a bowl combine all the ingredients apart from the prawns and make a smooth paste. Add a little more vinegar if required
3. Now add prawns and coat the prawns well with the spice mixture. Let it marinate for an hour or more ( I usually do it overnight)

Masala for the Biriyani:-

Ingredients:-

1. Oil – 2tbsp
2. Sha Jeera – 1tsp
3. Onions – 4 (big size) sliced to juliennes
4. Tomato – 3 ( big size) chopped finely
5. Green Chillies – 4 cleaned and chopped
6. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
7. Garam Masala Powder – 1tsp
8. Curry Leaves – 4-5 cleaned and dry
9. Coriander Leaves – one hand full ( stem removed and finely chopped)
10. Mint Leaves – one hand full ( stem removed and finely chopped)
11. Salt – 1 tsp
12. Lime – 1

Instructions:-

1. In a pan, heat oil till hot and then add jeera
2. Once they have roasted well, add onions. As they turn pink add ginger garlic paste and green chillies
3. After 3 mins add chopped tomatoes to the fried onions. Let it cook till onion leaves from the sides of the paste
4. Then add garam masala powder and mint leaves and coriander leaves
5. After a few mins take the masala off the flame and add curry leaves and lime juice from one lime to the masala while hot ( make sure you take the pan off the flame). Reserve for later

Rice for the Biriyani :-

Ingredients :-

1. Rice – 1 cup ( soaked for 30 mins and drained well)
2. Water – 2 cups
3. Salt – 1 tbsp
4. Cinnamon – 1 stick ( 2inch)
5. Cloves – 4
6. Bay Leaf – 1 big
7. Cardamom- 3
8. Black Cardamom – 1
9. Oil – 1 tbsp

Instructions:-

1. In a pot, heat 2 cup of water. Add salt and bring water to a boil.
2. Mean while in a pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and black cardamom.
3. Once the spices have fried well ( the aroma is just amazing at this time) add the soaked and drained rice
4. Fry the rice for 2 – 3 mins
5. Then add these fried spices to the boiling salt water
6. Cover and cook till the rice is cooked 90%. Then transfer the cooked rice to two plates and spread the rice apart on the plate

 

Assembling the Biriyani

Ingredients:-

1. Cashewnuts – one hand full
2. Raisins –  one hand full
3. Onions – 1 big onion ( juliennes)
4. Ghee / Oil – 2 tbsp
5. Fried Prawns
6. Prepared Masala
7. Prepared Rice

Instructions :-

1. In a same pan, heat oil/ ghee and cashew nuts and raisins. Reserve in a plate
2. Then in the same oil fry the onions till nice and caramelized
3. Finally in a big pot, first add one layer or prawns, then add the masala
4. Next add one layer of rice and top it off with the fried cashew nuts and raisins
5. Repeat the step till all the masala, prawn and fried cashew nuts, raisins and onions have been used
6. Now cover this big pot and slow cook the pot for 10 to 20 min ( till the rice is cooked well)

Serve hot with raitha and hot poppadoms 🙂

Enjoy

 

 

 

Tomato Rice

Ok so this  is a quick post and I wanted to do this one cause for the past few weeks this has been my staple for lunch. I just don have the time to cook some thing elaborate so I love a pot meat that has every thing in it!

 If you like flavored rice then this one is a big yes yes!!

Ingredients :-

• Tomatoes – 3 large (shopped into small cubes)
• Rice – 1 cup
• Water – 1 cup
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Cinnamon stick – 1 small ( 1inch )
• Dry Chilly – 2
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Onions – 1 large ( chopped)
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp ( optional)
• Salt – 1/3 tsp
• Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/3 tsp

 Instructions

• Heat oil in a cooker and add cinnamon stick. Once it begins ti sizzle, add mustard seeds. As soon as they crackle add the dry chilly.
• Then add onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till nice and golden brown
• Then add the tomatoes + chilly powder and turmeric power to the onion fry and let it cook for 5 mins.
• Once the tomatoes are done add the rice, water and salt.
• Cover the cooker with its lid and wait for three whistles
• Once done let it cook off in the cooker.
• Serve hot along with a curry or pappad or a simple raita