Cucumber Raita

1 cup of chopped cucumber
1/2 cup of fresh curd
pepper - 1 tsp
Chat Masala Optional - 2 Pinch
salt 1 tsp

Method.

Chop the cucumber into small pieces and now add curd, salt and peper to it and mix well.
Serve this with any biriyani or pulav. This can also be eaten just like that. It good for health during summer.

Poriyal Podi

Red chillies 7-8 numbers
Urud dhall - 1/4 cup
channa Dhall - 1/4 cup
Dhania - 1-2 Tbsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
cooking oil - 1 tsp.

Method

1. Roast all ingredients separately with oil and cool it.
2. Add salt and Hing and grind them coarsely into a powder.

This is to be added at the end with all poriyal we make and it gives a good taste. Add 1- 2 tsp when poriyal is done and mix it and stop the flame.

Idly Milagaipodi

Red chillies 1 cup (15-20 numbers)
Urud dhall - 1/2 cup
channa Dhall - 1/2 cup
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp (khus khus)
sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Hing - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
cooking oil - 1 tsp.

Method

1. Roast poppy seed and sesame seeds saparetly until the flavor comes out and keep aside.
2. In a pan add a little oil and fry urud dhall, channa dhall and red chillies until flavor comes out.
3. cool them add hing and salt and grind them coarsely. Serve with Idly and dosai.

Semiya Pulov

2 cups of Semiya
2 Onions finely chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
2 green chillies slit
Ginger garlic paste - 1-2 Tsp
2-3 cups of chopped vegetables (like potato,carrot,beans,cauliflower,peas)
Mint(pudhina) 1/4 cup
Chilli powder 1 Tsp
Dhania Powder 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 Tsp
Lemon Juice - 1/2 - Tsp
garam Masala Powder 1/2 tsp(optional)
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cashews-5-6 num
Biriyani leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 1/2 inch
sombu - 1 tsp
cloves - 2 nos
Oil as required
Water as required
salt to taste

Method.

1. In a pan add ghee and fry the cashews and keep aside. In the same pan add the semiya and fry them and keep aside.
2. In a vok, add oil and season it with whole garam masalas as above wait it it splutters. Add onion and green chilli and fry them until they are cooked. Add ginger garlic paste and mix them. Now add tomatoes and cook well.
3. Add Chopped vegetables and sprinkle some water and close the lid for the vegetables to boil.
4. Now check if they are cooked and add the chilly pdr, dhania pdr, turmeric powder, garam masala pdr, salt and mint to it and mix well.
5. Add water as required and wait until water boils. When it boils add semiya to it and simmer the stove and close the lid.
6. Wait until semiya is cooked and becomes non sticky.Note If you add more water it becomes sticky. when it is cooked add the fried cashews and mix it and serve hot with chutney.

Moong Dhal (Paasi parupu) Payasam.

Moong dhal - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup
Elachi Powder 1 tsp
Cashews - 7-8 nos
raisins few
Milk 1 cup or Coconut milk.
Ghee
Water 1 cup
coconut - 2-3 tbsp.

Method :

1. In a pan add little ghee and fry the moong dhall for few mins and pressure cook it to 3-4 whislte.
2. In same pan add jaggery and cup of water and disolve it and bring it to a boil and strain it.
3. Mean time with the coconut add 2-3 piece of cashews and grind them to a smooth paste.
4. Smash the moong dhall and mix it with jaggery syrup and bring it to a boil. Make sure to add elachi powder.
5. When it boils add the coconut paste to the pan. On the other hand fry the remaining cashews and raisins with ghee and add them too. Leave them to boil.
6. As we have added cashew paste the payasam will be thick. so switch of the stove and Add milk to it and Mix well.Coconut milk can be added in the place of milk. If you add coconut milk leave for a boil.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Rava Kesari

Rava - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup cup
Elachi Powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon yellow Powder 1 - 2 pinch
Pineapple Essence - 1 tsp
Cashews - 8-9 nos
Raisins - 10 - 12 nos or more
Water as required
Oil little
Ghee - 2 Tbsp.

Method.

1. In a pan add 1 tsp of ghee and roast the rava well and keep aside.
2. In the same pan add some water and lemon yellow color to it and bring it to a boil.
3. When it boils well Add rava and mix well until lumps are not there. Close the lid and simmer the stove.
4. Wait for few mins while the Rave gets cooked well. Now open the lid and Add sugar to this.
5. When sugar melts lumps will form again so keep stirring until the lumps are not formed.
6. Add the elachi powder and pine apple essence to this and mix well.
7. In a different pan add the remaining ghee and fry the cashews and raisins to golden brown.
8. Add this to the Kesari and Mix well until kesari leaves ghee and becomes non sticky to the pan.
9. Stop the flame and Serve hot.

Paneer Butter Masala.

This dish is considered to me most favorite dish for everyone who likes paneer.


Paneer - 200 Gms
Onion - 2 Blanched
Cashews - 5-6 nos
Tomato - 3 Blanched and Pureed.
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder- 1/2 Tsp
Kasturi Methi - 1 Tsp.
Butter - 1 Tsp
Fresh cream - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Tomato Sauce - 1-2 Tsp
Water - 1 cup
Salt and Oil as required.

Method.
1. Soak cashews for 30 mins and grind this with blanched onion into a fine paste.
2. In a Non stick Pan , add oil and heat it.
3. Then add onion cashew paste and saute them for few mins.
4. Add Ginger garlic paste and mix again. Add Tomato Puree and mix well and close the lid of the pan. Leave the flame Sim.
5. Wait until raw smell goes. Increase the flame,now add all the above powders and salt and Mix well. Add butter and again mix well.
6. Add a cup of water to this and close the lid until it boils well.
7. After it boils now add paneer and wait for it to cook.
7. Add Kasturi methi and tomato sauce to this and mix. wait for it to cook well.
8. Finally Add Fresh cream to this, Give it a mix and switch of after a min.
9. Serve hot with chapatti,Nan, fried rice etc.

Pav Bajji

This is one of My favorite recipe and I had a chance to learn this recipe when I went to a friends house.She is from Mumbai and so took her help to learn this recipe and I did this for the first time on a Saturday where everyone was at home watching ICC 2011 final cricket match. We enjoyed the Match and the same way the pav bajji too.

Requirements

8-10 Pavs Butter to shallow Fry them

For Bajji.

2 Onions finely chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 capsicum chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1-2 Tsp
2-3 cups of chopped vegetables (like potato,carrot,beans,cauliflower,peas)
Butter - 2 - 3Tbsp
Pav Bajji Masala - 2 Tsp
Chilli powder 1 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 Tsp
sugar 1/2 Tsp
1-2 cups of water to boil vegetables
Lemon Juice - 1 - Tsp
Garam Masala Powder 1/2 tsp(optional)
Oil as required
salt to taste

For garnishing
Coriander leaves
1 onion Finely chopped
small piece of lemon.

Method.

1. Pressure cook all the vegetables and drain the water (Keep this water aside to use for gravy). Smash the vegetables and keep aside.

2. In a Pan heat some oil and add onions, ginger garlic paste and saute them.

3. Add tomatoes and fry then until they are soft and smooth, Add capsicum and keep frying them on low flame.

4. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well smooth and soft.

5. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, pav bajji masala powder, salt, sugar and mix them well.

6. Add some butter and mix again. Now pour the water drained from vegetables to this.if you need you can add more water.

7. Bring it to a Boil until raw smell goes out.

8. Now add the smashed vegtables to this and simmer till the gravy thickens. Make sure to have all vegetables smashed and blends well with gravy. Add some more butter to this and mix well.Leave it till cooked.

9. Switch off the stove and add lemon juice to this and stir it.

10 Garnish with butter,onion and corriander and serve with pav

For Pav

Slit the pav buns and aplly some butter and shallow fry them for few seconds and server hot.

Chilly Chicken

This receipe is the most favorite receipe for my husband and son at home. They buy this from fast foods very frequently and so to avoid them going to there, I did this at home and came out the same way prepared in Fast food. The Father and Son enjoyed it.

Requirements :
Boneless Chicken - 200 gms

For Batter

Egg 1
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 Tsp (Insted of this you can also use Chilli powder)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
Maida - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 1Tbsp
Salt As required
Oil for Deep frying

For Gravy

Big onions 2 Sliced.
Capsicum 2 sliced
Green Chilli - 2 - 3 Slit ( Optional and depending on how much spice you need)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp
Soya sauce - 1 Tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp - 1 Tsp
Ajinamoto - 1 Tsp
Pepper - 1/2 Tsp
Corn Flour - 1 Tsp
Water - 1/2 Cup
Red Color - 1 or 2 pinch.
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt and oil as required

Method.

1. Mix the above ingredients for batter together with few drops of water and add the boneless chicken to it and Mix well and leave it for 30 mins.

2. Now in a Kadai add Oil and deep fry the chicken peices like we do bajji. Keep Aside.

3. In a Pan add 2-3 tbsp of Oil, add onions, green chilli and saute them until it is half cooked.

4. Add Ginger Garlic paste and mix well and add capsicum slice to it and saute them until cooked.

5. Now add Ajinamoto, red chilly powder, salt and Mix well and simmer the stove.

6. Mean while in half cup of water disolve the corn flour, red color and add 1 tsp of soya sause and mix them and keep aside.If you need more gravy more water can be added.

7. To the pan add the chicken and mix well.when its mixed Now add the cup of disolved cornflour mixture into the pan.

8. Keep stiring them well for the sauce to coat all chicken, Add little pepper and mix again and check salt.

9. The sauce thickens automatically and give you the gravy.

10.Garnish with corriander and serve hot with Rice, Chapati, Naan, Roti etc.

Cashew Paneer Pulov

Hi All,

This receipe i saw last week in Podhigai channel and I tried this at home.I have done few changes to the recipes from the original one made and it came out good and My family really enjoyed eating this. Hope you will all try and enjoy it.

Ingrdients.
2 Big Onions Sliced
2 tomatoes chopped (optional)
Green Peas 1/2 cup(optional)
Cashews - 1/2 cup or say 20 pieces
Basmati Rice Cooked - 2 cups
Paneer - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 - 2 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp
Salt and Oil as required
Lemon Jiuce with Half Lemon
Jeera - For seasoning
Biriyani Essence - 1 tsp (Optional - If you need the smell of Biriyani)

Method :

1. In a Pan add oil and season it with jeera after spluters add onions and fry it until golden brown.
2. Add Ginger Garlic paste and saute it, next add tomotoes and fry until they are cooked smooth.
3. Add boiled green peas to it and saute it.
4. Add cashews and all the masala powders to it and fry them until the raw smell goes.
5. Add paneer to it. Do not add water at any point of time. Ones Its mixed well add salt as required and cook.
6. If you are using biriyani essence add it now and switch off the stove.
7. Add rice and mix well and add the lemon juice Mix well again.
8. serve it with Raita and Papad.