Aava pettina Pulihora/ Tamarind Rice

Ingrediants:

Rice - 3 rice cups (preferably ponni rice or any white rice but not basmati)
*Water - 6 and 1/2 rice cups
*Turmeric - 3/4 th - 1 tsp

Cook these in electric cooker before hand.

*Tamarind - 2 big lemon size

Soak tamarind in water (just to the level of tamarind) overnight. In the morning take out pulp
as much as u can from the tamarind. Add this tamarind juice in a small skillet and cook it until water evaporates on very low heat. Keep stirring and keep the lid ajar. Cool this mixture and keep aside.

For seasoning:

Oil - 6 - 7 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Peanuts - 2 handful
Chana Dal - 4 tsp
Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Red Chillies - 10 no. (split)
Green Chillies - 10 no. (cut length ways)
Curryleaves - 3 sprigs
Ginger - 1 inch (cut finely)
Asaefoetida (hing)- a pinch


Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, powder this in pestle and add 1 no.lemon juice to it and keep a side.

Method:

1) Add Rice in a big wide bowl, remove any lumps which may form by separating it with your fingers.

2) Add cooked Tamarind paste to the rice and mix (be careful while adding this u can still add a bit later too)

3) Do seasoning in the order given under seasoning ingredients and once finished, add this seasoning to point 1, along with secret mix which I mentioned and salt to taste and mix everything well. Check for salt and tartness.

Kodi Vepudu

Ingredients:

Chicken - 750 g (use chicken thigh pieces with bones, cut into bite size pieces)
Red onion - 1 no. (grind into paste)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Chilli powder - 2 - 3 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Mix these together, cook in a daaka/ utensil with 1/4 th cup water, until pieces are cooked.

Onion - 2 no. (sliced finely, brown ones)
Green chillies - 6 no. (sliced round)
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tbsp

Masala Powder:

Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Whole cloves - 5 no.
Cardamom - 5 no.
Cinnamon stick - 5 in
Black peppers - 1 tsp

Fry these in tsp of ghee, until roasts well and powder.

Garnish:

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Mint leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Method:

1) Heat a flat deep non-stick pan with oil on medium heat, when it is hot add green chillies first, fry.

2) Add sliced onion and fry until golden color. keep mixing (otherwise onions become darker).

3) Add cooked chicken along with gravy it may have. Now mix these and fry until all the water is evaporated and sticks to the chicken. Check for seasoning.

4) Add masala powder and garnishing stuff, mix well and switch off.

Hyderabad Kheema Biryani

Ingredients:


1) For Curry:

Diced Lamb - 1/2 kg (read tips)

Cut these into small pieces, but bigger than minced (in other words moti keema). Wash well, keep these in cooker bowl add 1/2 tsp salt and required water. Pressure cook for 20 mins. When the pressure is down, drain the liquid out while adding to the curry.

Onions - 2 large (slice thinly)

Oil - 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Whole Tomato - 3 large (chopped)

Water - 1/2 cup

For Garnish:

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (cut them with scissors or finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Mint leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Proceed for Curry:

1) Now heat a flat deep nonstick pan, add oil once heated fry the onions in batches until golden color (reserve the first batch for layer).

2) Add gg paste, fry for few mins.

3) Add strained keema to it, fry for 3 mins.

4) Add all powders and fry.

5) Add tomato pieces, cook until mushy.

6) Add water and cook until all the water has evaporated by keeping the lid on. Switch off and keep it covered for 5 mins.

7) To this, garnish with above ingredients.


2) For Rice:

Basmati Rice - 1/2 kg or 2 cups

Water - 4 cups
Whole Garam Masala - { 1 tsp Shahjeera, Whole Cloves - 8 no., Cardamom - 8 no., Black Pepper - 10 no., Bay leaf - 5 no., Cinnamon stick - 1 inch}
Salt - 3 tsp
Green Chillies - 4 no. (remove the stem and slit lengthways, with out tearing apart)

Proceed for Par-boiled Rice:

Bring water to boil in a deep dish, along with all other ingredients, except rice. Once it comes to boiling point add washed basmati rice to it, cover and reduce it to simmer until rice is cooked 3/4 th (we do dum, so cook only 75 %). Once finished, drain the water out in stainer completely (me does in Jalleda, once the rice drained out, I keep the stainer in an angle, this way the water comes out very easily) spread out in flat dish or pallem. Remove the chilli bit and add it to garnish curry.


3) For layering:

Colored Yoghurt - 125 g Yoghurt + Yellow Food Color - 1/2 tsp (mix this well)
Mace Nutmeg Powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp extra
Colored Milk - 1/4 tsp yellow color + little milk (mix these both)
Lemon - 1 no. (take juice)

Proceed for final touch:

1) Grease the deep flat dish with butter all around.

2) Add half the cooked rice.

3) Add another layer of entire curry.

4) Add reserved fried onion on top.

5) Add all the colored Yoghurt.

6) Add 1/2 tsp of mace nutmeg powder.

7) Add all the lemon juice.

8) Add the remaining rice on top.

9) Add remaining 1/2 tsp mace nutmeg powder on top.

10) Top it up colored milk on top.

11) Keep the lid on tightly, and do dum on simmer heat for atleast 30 - 35 mins.

12) Once finished mix it lightly all through and serve.

Serve with cucumber or Raita.

kerala style fish fry

Ingredients

Fish (Sliced on the bone) 1
Crushed pepper corn 5 g
Ginger 3 g
Garlic 3 g
Green Chilli 3 g
Chilli powder 2 g
Turmeric powder 2 g
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Lime 1
Coconut oil 50 ml
Egg to dip and deep fry
Salt To taste
Onion 1
Salad cucumber 50 g
Carrot 50 g
Tomato 1

Method:

1. After cutting the fish, immerse into water with salt and vinegar for half an hour.
2. Prepare a thick masala with crushed peppercorn, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, chilli powder, limejuice, beaten egg, salt and a little coconut oil.
3. Smear the batter all over the fish and keep it for half an hour and shallow fry in coconut oil.
4. Serve hot in a bed of banana leaf decorated with carved vegetables and lemon wedge.

Crispy fish fry

Ingredients:
4-5 fish pieces
1″ ginger piece
3-4 garlic cloves
3-4 green chilies
3-4 strands coriander leaves
1/2 cup sooji(rava)
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract (or 1 tea spn thick juice of tamarind)
Oil
Salt
use few Pudina(Mint) leaves along with coriander leaves.

Method:
Make a paste of coriander leaves, green chilies, tamarind, ginger, garlic and salt without adding much water. Apply this paste to fish pieces and leave it for around 30mins.
Roll the fish in sooji and shallow fry on tava.

Fish Fry

Ingredients:

• 800 gms Fleshed Fish
• 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Mustard Oil
• 1 tbsp Grounded Coriander Seeds
• 1 tsp Grounded Cumin Seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp Ginger (finely grated)
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Kalonji
• 4 Dried Whole Red Chillies
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 large Onion (peeled and chopped)
• 3 Whole Green Chillies

Method:

• Cut the fillets in about 4cm size.
• Rub the fish with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium flame.
• Put in the fish pieces and brown lightly on all sides.
• Gently lift the fish out of the oil and put it on a plate. Turn off the heat.
• Combine the ground coriander seeds, the cumin, ginger, 1 tsp turmeric,chilli powder (cayenne pepper) and 1/2 tsp of salt in a small bowl.
• Add 3 tbsp of water and mix.
• Left only 5/6 tbsp of oil in the frying pan and heat it over a medium flame.
• Now add kalonji and after a few seconds later, put in the red chillies.
• As soon as they darken a bit, put in the bay leaves.
• When the bay leaves start to darken, put in the onion, stir and fry the onion at low heat.
• Add the spice paste. Stir and fry it for about 1 minute.
• Now put in the fish in a single layer in a pan with 1 cup of water.
• Lay the green chillies over the fish.
• Simmer over a medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Spoon the sauce over the fish pieces, cover it and cook the fish for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve.

Roasted Fish

Ingredients
500 gram(s) thick slices of fish cleaned
1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
salt to taste
lemon wedges, finely sliced onion rings, tomatoe slices to garnish.
Grind to a fine paste:
1 tablespoon(s) red chilli powder
½ teaspoon(s) black pepper powder
½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
½ teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
½ teaspoon(s) coriander seeds
1 small onion chopped
2 teaspoon(s) garlic chopped
2 teaspoon(s) ginger chopped
4 curry leaves
salt to taste
cucumber and tomato slices to garnish.

Method:

Apply a little salt and lemon juice to the washed fish slices. Keep for 5-10 minutes. Wash and drain well. Marinate the fish slices in the ground paste and keep preferably refrigerated for about an hour.
Heat a griddle on medium flame and smear a little oil on it. Place the slices in batches of 2 or 3 depending upon the size of the griddle. Do not overcrowd the griddle. Pour a little oil around each fish slice with a teaspoon and let it roast on a medium flame till aromatic and crisp. Flip and repeat the procedure for the other side.

palak curry(Spinach curry)

ingredients:
2 cup Spinach, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chili powder
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts Powder
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1 tsp grated Dry coconut
2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Jaggery(optional)
2 tsp Ghee
3 to 4 curry leaves
1 tbsp Cashew nuts
2 to 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed
Salt to taste
Cilantro and fresh grated coconut for Garnishing

Method:
1) Soak Chana Dal and peanuts into warm water for 4 hours and Drain.
2) Heat 1 tbsp Oil in medium pan. add cumin seeds,Turmeric Powder and red chili powder. saute for 5 seconds, add soaked chana dal and peanuts and saute for a minute. Now add spinach and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach cooked nicely.
3) Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup water and bring it to boil. Add tamarind, jaggery and garam masala. Also add peanuts powder. Add salt if needed. Boil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer it to serving bowl.
4) heat a small saucepan, add ghee and allow to heat. add curry leaves and garlic cloves. Let the garlic become golden in color. Add cashew nuts and wait until little brown in color. lastly add dry coconut, stir for 5 seconds. Pour this hot seasoning over Palak Amti.
Serve hot with Rice and Bhakari (Millet Roti)

Ragda Chaat

Ingrediants:

Patis:
2 large cooked potatoes (peeled and mashing)
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp chaat powder

Method:
Mix all ingredients and Make small balls of it, flatten on the palm of your hand and grill the patiss or just fry them with little oil in the pan

channa:
1 cup grabanzo beans (I choose canned one)
little chillie Powder
1/2 tsp Channa masala
A pinch turmeric
Salt

Method:
Cook the Grabanzo beans with turmeric and salt till they are soft and mushy(not too much little is ok).

Sweet chutney:
2 tbs jaggery
1 small lemon size ball of normal tamarind (Extract the paste out of it)
6-7 dates soaked in warm water

Method:
Take jaggery and 1/4 cup water in a pan and cook till jaggery is completely dissolved. Grind dates and tamarind together. Add this mixture to boiling jaggery and allow it to cook for 5 mins till the Sweet chutney becomes thick. Cool and strain the chutney. Store the chutney in air tight container for future use.

Green chutney:
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
6-8 green chilies
1 tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind all together with little water to a smooth paste.

Garnishing:
8-10 puris used for pani puri
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4-5 strands of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
Thin Sev
Yoghurt

Serving instructions:

In a serving bowl, take hot Patis, Add Channa and then add sweet and spicy chutneys depending on taste. Mix well. Now add chopped onions,chopped coriander leaves, crushed puris, tomatoes and if you like you can add thin layer of yoghurt and also add some thin sev. That’s it….Serve immediately.