Chicken Biryani using coconut milk - Pressure cooker method !!

Chicken biryani is a highly favoured & well seasoned dish that has a perfect balance of chicken, rice & whole spices that's going to excite and linger on your taste buds.  I adopted this recipe from Home Cooking by Hema Bala Subramanian.  A simpler version using coconut milk & homemade biryani masala paste is way too good & easy to make. 

Ingredients :

1. Basmati / Seeraga samba rice - 1 kg
2. Ghee - 3 tbsp
3. Oil - 2 tbsp
4. Whole spices (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & bay leaf)
5. Onion, thinly sliced - 5 nos
6. Tomato, chopped - 2 medium sized
7. Mint leaves
8. Coriander leaves
9. Cashewnuts
10. Biryani Masala paste - 4 tbsp
11. Thin Coconut milk -1 lt
12. Salt to taste

Marinate chicken :

1. Chicken - 1 kg
2. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste

Method :

1.  Clean & soak the rice for 30 mins.  Drain the water from the rice & set aside for another 30 mins.

2.  Heat ghee & oil in the pressure cooker.  Add whole spices.

3.  Add finely sliced onions & saute. 

4.  Add chopped tomatoes & saute.

5.  Add homemade biryani masala paste.  Mix well.

6.  Add mint leaves, coriander leaves & cashew nuts.  Mix.

7.  Add marinated chicken & coconut milk.  Adjust the salt to taste.  Pressure cook the chicken for 2 whistles or until done.

8.  Open the pressure cooker lid & add the rice.  Check for the salt & spice at this point.  Pressure cook the biryani till done.

Enjoy!!

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Biryani Masala - Versatile for Veg & Non-veg biryani

A home made biryani masala takes minutes to make, and rewards you with amazing flavour.  Thanks to Home Cooking by Hema Subramanian for sharing this beautiful masala, which can be used for both veg and non-veg biryani dishes.

Ingredients :

1. Shallots - 10 nos (or onion - 1 large sized)
2. Coriander powder - 3 tsp
3. A piece of ginger
4. Garlic - 10 pods
5. Red chillies - 4 to 8 nos, depending on your spice level
6. Green chillies - 1 to 4 nos
7. Mint leaves - 1 cup
8. Coriander leaves - 1 cup
9. Water

Grind all the ingredients together to smooth paste.

Biryani masala is ready to use.

Carrot Halwa using Khova- Pressure Cooker method - Rich & Very delicious !!!

Carrot halwa is the most popular & frequently made sweet in India. This is made with carrot and milk as the main ingredients. This is more of manual oriented, so using pressure cooker will reduce the cooking time & adds the flavour.

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It can be served with vanilla ice-cream & Gulab Jamun. Adding khova & saffron brings richness & flavour to the sweet.  This can be stored in the fridge for couple of days & warm them before serving.

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Ingredients :

1. Grated Carrot - 4 cups
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Sugar - 1 cup, for mild sweetness
4. Khova - 1/2 cup
5. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Saffron strands - 4 nos
7. Cashew nuts / Almonds
8. Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.  Clean & peel the carrot skin.  Grate them finely.

2.  Pressure cook the grated carrots along with milk for 5 whistles.

3.  Transfer the carrots from pressure cooker to a non-stick pan.

4.  Over a medium heat, keep stirring the carrots until the moisture has absorbed.

5.  Add sugar & keep stirring.

6.  Add saffron strands & khova.  Keep stirring.

7.  In a separate pan, add ghee and finely chopped nuts. 

8.  Add the fried nuts to the carrot halwa & serve.

Enjoy the sweet either warm or cold.

Note :

Homemade Khova link :

YouTube link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7oBmphrImg
Website link :  https://www.cookingwithswapna.com/2019/11/khova-using-ricotta-cheese-homemade-mawa.html

KHOVA USING RICOTTA CHEESE (HOMEMADE MAWA)

Khova is reduced milk granules made up by thickening whole milk in open pan for 2 hours approx.  Preparing instant khova using ricotta cheese is a quick solution to make granular texture like traditional khova.   This is perfect for making halwa, gulab jamuns & burfi's.

Ingredients :

1. Ricotta cheese - 250 gms
2. Oil/ ghee - 1 tsp
3. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.  Heat a non-stick pan, add the ricotta cheese & cook for 10 mins.  Keep stirring.

2.  Add oil.

3.  Keep on stirring constantly, until it reaches thick consistency ("Khova consistency") about 15 mins on medium, heat.  Add cardamom powder for flavour. 

Ready to use for your favourite sweet recipes.

Zoodles with Avocado Sauce

Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, are packed with nutrients and is a great way to make healthy all-vegetable pasta. With only few ingredients, the recipe is easy to prepare, and the result is also gluten-free for those with specific dietary restrictions.

Ingredients  :

1. Avocado, ripped - 1 big sized
2. Dried parsley - 1 tsp
3. Garlic powder (Fresh garlic - 1 pod) - 1/2 tsp
4. Dried Basil - 1 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
8. Lemon juice - 1/2 no
9. Sliced onion - 1 no
10. Cucumber , chopped - 2 tbsp
11. Cherry tomatoes - 10 to 12 nos (or regular tomato)
12. Zucchini - 2 nos, medium sized
13. Walnut, chopped 
14. Grated parmesan cheese - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.  Slice the avocado and add them to blender.

2.  To the avocado, add dried parsley, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, pepper powder, olive oil & lemon juice.  Grind them to smooth paste.  Keep aside.

3.  Using the spiralizer, cut the zucchini into thin strips.

4.  Add avocado paste, sliced onion, tomato, cucumber, walnuts & grated cheese to the zucchini noodles.  Toss them well.

Serve immediately.

Egg Vegetable Toast

Egg vegetable toast is one of my favorite open faced sandwiches. Easy, Quick and tasty one & takes just 10 minutes to get ready and are super fresh and delicious. Bored with your toast? Spread this delicious homemade vegetables on your bread and enjoy!

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices - 6 nos (wheat or white bread)

1. Egg - 3 nos

1. Milk - 1 cup

1. Salt to taste

1. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

1. Onion, chopped - 1 small sized

1. Tomato, chopped - 1 small sized

1. Capsicum, chopped - 2 tbsp 

1. Green chillies - 2 nos, finely chopped

1. Coriander leaves

1. Oil 

Note :

Vegetable options - Carrot, beans, capsicum, cabbage, green peas

Method :

1.  Beat the egg well.

2.  Add salt to taste & beat well.

3.  Add milk, onion, tomato, green chillies & finely chopped vegetables to the egg mixture. Mix well.

4.  Add pepper powder and finely chopped coriander leaves.

5.  Cut the bread slices into half.  Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture & top them with vegetables.   Cook them over the medium flame.

6.  Drizzle some oil around the edges while cooking.

Serve warm.

Tamarind Paste from scratch (No Cooking involved) !!

Tamarind paste is really handy ingredients in my kitchen.  I prefer making it from scratch as it brings good flavours to the dish.  I prefer to store the paste in sterilised glass jar for longer use.

Ingredients :

1. Seedless Tamarind - 250 g
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Salt - 1/2 tsp
4. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.   Soak the tamarind in water, preferably overnight.

2.   Remove the seeds, if any.  Smash the tamarind along with oil & salt to smooth paste.

3.   Transfer the paste to a clean container.

4.   Store the tamarind paste in the refrigerator.

Note :

The paste can stay for two months in fridge.

Prawn Thokku

Prawn thokku is a simple but very delicious dish cooked in mild masala.  Adding curry leaves to this recipe is optional.  This can be served with rice, roti's, chapatti, biryani & naan.  Fresh or frozen prawns can be used for this dish.  Am so happy to have finally put this recipe up as its my go to prawn recipe, not to forget my husbands favourite!!  

Ingredients :

1. Shrimp / Prawns - 3/4 kg
2. Oil - 2 tbsp
3. Onions - 4 nos, chopped
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp, to taste
7. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1.  Clean the prawns & devein them.

2.  Heat oil in the pan, add chopped onions.  Sauté till tender.

3.  Add ginger garlic paster, turmeric powder & salt to taste.  Saute.

4.  Once onion is half cooked, add red chilly powder.  Sauté.

5.  Add garam masala powder.  Cook.

6.  Once onion is fully cooked, add prawns. 

7.  Cook till all the prawns curls up.  Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Ready to serve.