Crispy bitter gourd (pavakkai fry)

Amma makes pavakkai poriyal frequently in those days by adding little jaggery to reduce the bitter taste. I like to make this kind of variety which taste yum & crispy.

Ingredients :

1. Bitter gourd - 1 no
2. Besan - 1 tbsp
3. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tbsp
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Turmeric paste - 1/4 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Thinly slice the bitter gourd.

2. Mix all the ingredients together without adding water.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the medium high and deep fry them till crispy.

Serve immediately.

Vegetable pulav in coconut milk

Absolute delicious vegetable pulav cooked in the coconut milk & spices. Green chillies add the heat to the dish & that can be adjusted to the individual taste. Rich & creamy pulav are best served with kuruma & onion raita.

Ingredients :

1. Basmati rice (or raw rice) - 1 cup
2. Water
3. Vegetables (carrot, beans, cauliflower, capsicum, peas) - 1/2 cup
4. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
5. Cloves - 3 nos
6. Cardamom - 2 nos
7. Bay leaf - 1 no
8. Onion - 1 no (chopped lengthwise)
9. Green chillies - 3 to 4 no
10. Garlic - 3 pods
11. Mint leaves - 1 tbsp
12. Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
13. Lime juice - 1 tsp
14. Oil - 1 tbsp
15. Ghee - 1 tsp
16. Salt to taste
17. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1. Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, cardamon & chopped onions. Saute for 5 mins.

2. Add garlic, mint leaves, green chillies & vegetables. Fry till vegetables are half cooked.

3. Meanwhile fry the rice in ghee & keep aside.

4. Add the fried rice & the remaining ingredients to the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook till done.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Passionfruit cake

My special days always starts with sweets. Today my brother's wife delivered a georgeous baby boy & I wish them all the happiness as a family of three. To make this day more special, I baked this delicious passionfruit cake with soo much of joy. And this is just for you Vidyanth :)

Ingredients :

1. 50 gms softened butter
2. 135 gms sugar
3. 2 eggs
4. Passionfruit juice - 1 tbsp
5. Water - 1 tbsp
6. Plain flour - 1/2 cup
7. Baking powder - 1 tsp
8. Cornflour - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Lightly grease and flour the baking pans.

2. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat eggs well, then add passionfruit juice and water.

3. Sift the dry ingredients and add alternately with egg mixture to creamed mixture.

4. Pour into prepared tins and bake for about 15 mins. Turn onto a rack to cool.

Passionfruit cream filling

Ingredients :

1. Gelatine powder - 1 tbsp
2. Water - 2 tbsp
3. Cream - 1 cup
4. Passion fruit - 5 to 6
5. Sugar to sweeten

Method :

Dissolve the gelatine powder in water over gentle heat. Whip cream stiffly, then add passionfruit and sugar. Stir in dissoved gelatine.

Join cake with passionfruit cream.

Lime Rice

I know my alarm started ringing, but somehow I feel either bored or tired & further extend my sleeping time. What next, hurry burry cooking. Lime rice is my comfort dish which helps me in those days. It taste yum with potato fry & I prefer to have it with pickle and chips. Attractive color, flavoured with nuts and spices makes this dish unique.

Ingredients :

1. Lime - 1 medium sized
2. Rice - 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Channa dal - 1 tsp
5. Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
8. Green chillies - 3 nos
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10. Minced ginger - 1/2 tsp
11. A pinch of hing
12. Peanuts - 1 tbsp
13. Cashewnuts - 1 tsp
14. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Salt to taste
16. Corriander leaves

Method :

1. Cook the rice & keep aside.

2. Squeeze the lemon juice & keep aside.

3. Heat oil in the pan, add channa dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, a pinch of hing, curry leaves & mustard seeds.

4. Add green chillies, minced ginger, turmeric powder, salt to taste, peanuts & cashewnuts.

5. Finally, add the lemon juice & immediately mix the rice to the mixture. Switch off the flame.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Paruppu kari kuzhambu

Like most of us, I cook non-vegetarian dishes during weekends. But sometimes during festival seasons, it becomes compulsory to cook vegetarian dishes on those days. Best substitute for our weekend menu would be this paruppu kari kuzhambu. Addition of dals makes the dish rich & taste yum :)

Ingredients :

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
2. Urad dal - 1 tbsp
3. Greenchilly - 3 nos
4. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
5. Cloves - 3 nos
6. Onion - 1 no
7. Tomato - 1 no
8. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Thick tamarind juice - 1 tsp
11. Coconut paste - 1 tbsp
12. Oil - 1 tsp plus for frying
13. Salt to taste
14. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Directions to cook :

1. Soak the toor dal & urad dal in the water for atleast 1 hr.

2. Grind toordal, urad dal, greenchillies & salt coarsely.

3. Steam the grounded toordal mixture in the pressure cooker.

4. Once steamed, cut them in the cube shape & deep fry them in the oil.

5. Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves and finely chopped onion.

6. Add tomato, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt & enough water. Cover & cook for 5 mins.

7. Add tamarind juice, coconut paste & fried paruppu kari. Cook for 4 more mins on medium flame.

Serve warm.

Vegetable kuruma

Best way of using all the leftover vegetables & yet another great dish which goes with rotis, dosa, idlies, ghee rice & rice is this spicy & colorful vegetable kuruma.

Ingredients :

1. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
2. Cloves - 4 nos
3. Cardamom - 2 nos
4. Bay leaf - 1 no
5. Saunf - 1 tsp
6. Onion - 1 no
7. Tomato - 1 no
8. Green chillies - 2 nos
9. Vegetables - 1/2 cup (carrot, green peas, potato, capsicum, cauliflower)
10. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
11. Coconut paste - 1 tbsp
12. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
13. Salt to taste
14. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, add saunf, onion & saute till golden brown.

2. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies & chopped tomotoes. Add salt to taste.

3. Once cooked, switch off the flame & allow it cool. Grind them to fine paste.

4. Heat balance oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves & bay leaf.

5. Add the vegetables, grounded paste & enough water. Cover & cook till vegetables are tender.

6. Add coconut paste & finally lemon juice.

Garnish with corriander leaves.

Semiya payasam

Today the climate is really cool & I suddenly wish to have some delicious dessert. And that should be simple & easy to make. Semiya payasam with nuts & clove is what I decided to make & it tasted yum :)

Ingredients :

1. Semiya - 1/4 cup
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Condensed milk - 1 tbsp (optional)
4. Sugar - 1/4 cup or more
5. Ghee (or oil) - 1 tbsp
6. Clove - 1 no
7. Nuts (Cashewnuts, almonds, pista, raisins) - 2 tbsp
8. Cardamon powder - 1/8 tsp
9. Nut meg powder (optional) - a pinch

Method :

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add clove & nuts.

2. Add semiya & roast them till light golden brown in color.

3. Add milk & bring it boil.

4. Once semiya is cooked add sugar.

5. Finally, add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder & condensed milk.

Serve either warm or cold.

Strawberry yoghurt icecream

Simple & easy to make. Taste great & kids will just love this :)

Ingredients :

1. Strawberries - 200 gms
2. Icing sugar - 60 gms
3. Plain yoghurt - 250 ml

Method :

1. Mix strawberries and press through a sieve to eliminate the kernels.

2. Add icing sugar and yoghurt, mix.

3. Fill mixture into the icecream maker & freeze as per the instructions given.

Hint :

Use raspberries instead of strawberries.

Dum chicken biryani

My special occasions will never complete without spicy & tasty dum chicken biryani. By marinating the chicken with little spices preferably overnight, makes it tender once cooked. This has to be cooked in low flame throughout. Hyderabadi dum chicken biryani will taste great with raita & kuruma.

Ingredients :

1. Chicken - 1 kg
2. Basmati rice - 2 cups
3. Oil - 3 tbsp
4. Butter - 1 tbsp
5. Cinnamon stick - 2 nos
6. Cloves - 6 nos
7. Bay leaf - 1 no
8. Star anise - 1 no
9. Fried onions - 1/4 cup
10. Onion - 2 nos
11. Tomatoes - 2 nos
12. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
13. Chilly powder - 3 tsp
14. Turmeri powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Corriander powder - 2 tsp
16. Garam masala - 1 tsp
17. Salt to taste
18. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
19. Corriander leaves - 1/2 cup
20. Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Clean and cut the chicken. Marinate the chicken in chilly powder, turmeric powder, fried onions, lime juice & salt to taste.

2. Soak the rice in water for atleast one hour. Keep aside.

3. Heat butter in the heavy bottomed pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, anise & finely chopped onions. Saute till golden brown & crispy.

4. Add ginger garlic paste, mint leaves, corriander leaves & finely chopped tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are soft.

5. Add the marinated chicken, corriander leaves, garam masala & salt to taste. Switch off the flame. Cook the chicken 1/4th done.

6. Meanwhile cook the rice 1/4th done.

7. Pour the oil in the heavy bottomed pan. Spread half the quantity of chicken masala (as the first layer )& half the quantity of rice as the second layer. Again spread the balance chicken masala & rice. Sprinkle the corriander leaves.

8. Seal the pan with aluminum foil & with the lid tightly ( making sure no pressure comes out). Cook the biryani for 30 min on low flame.

Serve with raita.