Vegetable Briyani

I always thought Briyani would taste yummy only in restaurants and never dared to try it at home..My MIL makes briyani once in a week but I never entered into the briyani area until we had a get together at home :)I chopped all the veggies,added masalas as instructed by my MIL and the result was yummilicious…Now I am very much confident of making briyani :)I helped my mom making this today and the result is the recipe here :)The vegetable briyani tasted very much like the one we eat in the restaurants and i am very much contended with the result :)

Ingredients:

 

Rice	1 cup
Mixed vegetables(carrot,beans,potato,onion)	1 cup
Big onion	2
garam masala	1 tsp
salt	as required
oil	as required
curd	2 tsp
bread(cut it into pieces)	2 slices
ghee	1 tsp

 

To grind:

ginger(2 inch piece)	1
garlic pods	6
green chilies	as per you savoury level
coriander leaves	1 tsp

 

For seasoning:

cinnamon sticks	2
bay leaf	1
cloves	4
saunf/sombu	1 tsp

 

Method:

1.Soak rice for 15 minutes and drain water and keep the rice ready.

2.Chop onions and keep it ready.Also chop the veggies into fine pieces.

3.Grind the items given in “to grind” (ginger,garlic,chilies and coriander leaves)to a fine paste.

4.Take a wok and add oil and wait till it gets heated.Add saunf,bay leaves,cinnamon sticks and cloves and give it a quick stir.Wait till nice aroma wafts and the color of saunf turns golden yellow.

5.Add onions and fry till the color changes to golden yellow.Add the ground paste(ginger garlic chilly paste) and stir well till the raw smell goes off.

6.Add mixed veggies followed by curd and garam masala.Stir well and make sure the veggies get coated with the masala.

7.Add the drained rice and mix it well so that it gets coated well with veggies and masalas.

8.Transfer the rice mixture to a pressure cooker and add required water and salt.

9.Cook for 3 whistles and cool down to release the pressure.

10.Take another wok add ghee and once it is slightly hot add the bread pieces and fry it till it attains crispy texture.Do not burn it.

11.Top the briyani with fried breads and serve it with onion raitha or veg kurma.

 

Notes:

1.You can add veggies of your choice like peas,cauliflower etc.

2.you can use add mint leaves in the “to grind” list also you can top the briyani with mint leaves.

3.You can also grind saunf with ginger garlic instead of adding it in seasoning.

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Moong dal Kosambari/Vada Paruppu

 

When it is Ramanavami my mom prepares vadaparuppu and if it is Tulsi pooja my mom prepare this…Only later I came to know Kosambari is aka Vadaparuppu.When we went to family treat I saw kosambari being displayed and my hubby had it as starter.Though I am not very fond of it I can make this for my entire family.A simple and very easy starter.

 

Ingredients:

 

Moong dal	2 tbsp
oil	1 tsp
mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
green chilies	2
lemon(small)	1
Salt	as required

 

Method:

1.Cut green chilies into fine pieces.

2.Squeeze juice from lemon sans seeds.

3.Soak moong dal in water for 20 mins and completely drain water from it.

4.Take a bowl and add moong dal + salt and stir it well.

5.In a wok add oil and wait till it gets heated.Once it gets heated add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter.Finally add green chilies and give a quick stir.Add this seasoning to the moong dal and mix well.

6.Finally add lemon juice to the moong dal and mix well.The moong dal kosambari/vadaparuppu would be ready.

 

Notes:

1.You can finely chopped raw mango,grated carrot,grated cabbage and grated coconut to the kosambari and make it just an yummy starter.

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Yam smash curry/Karnakizhangu masiyal

Yam is one veggie which itches your hand when you touch it or cut it but the medicinal value it has got is just astounding.This is the first time I prepared this  dish and I loved it.Mom makes this often and I learnt the recipe from her.I so much hesitated to cook because of its itchy nature but after knowing medicinal value there is no turn back.




Ingredients:

Yam(medium size)	6 to 8
Salt	as required
lemon(small size)	1
oil	as required for seasoning
turmeric	a pinch
mustard seeds	1 tsp
urad dal	1 tsp
Green chilies(finely chopped)	as per your savoury level
Curry leaves	a sprig
Water	1/4 cup + required water for boiling yam
asafetida	a pinch

Method:


1.Wash the yam well.cut it into medium sized pieces.Add water to the yam and pressure cook it for 5 whistles.


2.Cool the yam.peel the skin and smash it well to avoid any lumps and add 1/4 cup water and make a semi solid paste.


3.In an another wok add oil and wait till it gets heated.Add mustard seeds allow it to splutter and then add urad dal and allow it to  fry for golden color.Then add finely chopped green chilies,curry leaves,turmeric powder,salt and asafetida and let it fry for 2 minutes.


4.Add the smashed yam paste to the seasoning and allow it to cook for 1 or 2 minutes till all the water in the yam gets observed.remove the yam smash from stove.


5.Squeeze juice from lemon and add this juice to the yam smash and mix well.yummy delicious yam smash curry will be ready.



Notes:

1.I have heard from my relatives preparing yam with tamarind and samabhar powder.I will try that method as well and post that recipe sometime :)

2.Please add chopped ginger while temperng which gives a very nice taste.

Technorati Tags: yam smash curry,karunaikizhangu masiyal,yam recipes,kaunaikizhangu recipes,side dish

Mullumurukku-Stepwise recipe

Mullumuruku is also one of the many savouries we prepared for diwali.Mom is extremely good at making dishes in a jiffy and I always try hard to learn things from her.I thought making mullumurukku is a tedious process but when I started to make it with her,I felt it is an easy recipe.I also gained confidence of making it own all by myself.The yummy crunchy mullumurukku is one of my favourites and I many a times I use it as a side dish for rasam rice :)

 

Ingredients:

Raw Rice	2 cups
split chenna dal	1 cup
moong dal	1/2 cup
Roasted bengal gram	1/2 cup
Butter	2 tbsp
Asafetida	1 tsp
Salt	as required
Oil	as required for frying
Water	as required for kneading

 

Method:

 

1.Mix raw rice,split chenna dal,moong dal and roasted bengal gram.Give it in mill to get a fine powder out of it.The outcome is mullumurukku flour.

2.In another vessel take mullumurukku flour and add asafetida ,salt and butter.Mix it well to avoid any lumps.Add water little by little  and form a dough.The consistency of dough should be little loose than the chapathi dough.The consistency of the dough is shown below.

3.Take the mullumurukku press and add a portion of dough.Meanwhile heat oil in a wide vessel and wait till it gets heated.

 

4.Once the oil is hot enough using mullumurukku press make swirls and form a circular mullumurukku in the oil.Wait for sometime till it cooks and turns it gently.Wait till both the sides cooks well and becomes crispy golden color sometimes crispy reddish golden color.Drain excess oil and carefully take the mullumurukku out.

 

5.Let it cool and store it in a container.

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Kara Sev

This is also one of the many recipes that mom and I prepared for diwali.My mom always used kara sev spatula for making kara sev.This requires rubbing kara sev dough in the spatula which needs to be kept above the hot oil.I do not want to risk and told by mom to use murukku press and then to break it into rough pieces.The kara sev turned out well though it is not thick in size as we get in stores the reason being the very small hole in murukku press.The next time  I wish I should make thick Kara sev.

 

Ingredients:

Besan flour	1 cup
Rice flour	3/4 cup
Turmeric powder	a pinch
Asafetida	a generous pinch
Pepper	as per your savoury level
water	as per the need
oil	for frying

 

 

Method:

 

1.Powder the pepper into a coarse way.

 

2.Take a wide wok add besan flour,rice flour,asafetida,turmeric powder and coarse pepper powder and add water to form it as rough dough with no cracks.Make sure that the dough is completely bound well with all the ingredients.The dough is little rough that the chapathi dough.

3.Take the murukku press and add an amount of the dough.Meanwhile heat oil in another wok.

4.When the oil is heat using murukku press make swirls and allow it to cook till the color turns to golden color.

5.Take it out from the oil allow it to cool and break roughly into pieces and hurray kara sev will be ready.you can store it and use it for a week.

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