DUM CHEMEEN BIRIYANI

Ingredients

For Rice :
Basmati rice : 2 cups
Water : 4 cups
Cloves : 4 nos
Cardamom pods : 2 nos
Cinnamon stick : 2 (1" pieces)
Bay leaves : 1 (optional)
Onion : 1 (big, finely sliced)
Lemon juice : 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For Marinating :
Prawns : 1.1 lb /1/2 kg (deshelled, devined and washed)
Red chilly powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Lime juice : 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee/Oil for frying

For Prawn Masala :
Onion : 2 (medium, thinly sliced)
Green chillies : 8-10 or to your spice level
Ginger : 1"pieces
Garlic : 5 cloves (big)
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Briyani masala : 2 tsp
Mint leaves : 1/4 cup (chopped)
Cilantro/Corainder leaves : 1/4 cup (chopped)
Ghee/oil : 2 tbsp

For Garnishing :
Fried Onion : 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves : Handful
Saffron : 1-2 strand
Warm milk : 2 tsp

Directions

Method of Preparation :

Cooking the Rice:
1. Soak the rice for 30mins and drain keep it aside.
2. Heat the ghee/oil in the pan,add sliced onions,all spices and saute for few mins; now add the drained rice and saute till rice combines well with all spices.
3. Boil the required water,add flavored rice,and cook the rice for 8-10mins.(uncovered)
4. When rice done drain the excess water immediately.
5. Sprinkle the lime juice.

Cooking the Prawns :
1. Clean the prawns and make a wet marinate with above mentioned marinate ingredients; apply it on prawns and keep it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
2. Make a paste of garlic,ginger and green chillies and set aside.
3. Heat a oil in the frying pan and shallow fry the prawns; drain the excess oil in the paper towel and keep it aside.
4. In same frying pan, add thinly sliced onion to left over oil and saute until it is translucent,add the ginger,garlic,green chilli paste, saute until brown color,now add chopped corainder,mint leaves and combine well.
5. Add briyani masala,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,coriander powder,salt to taste and combine well until the raw smell is gone.
6. Add fried prawns and mix well; if the gravy dry then add 3tbsp of water. (if needed).
7. Cover & Cook on low flame for about 5mins and wait till oil starts to separate and adjust salt.

Preparing for garnish :
1. Mix saffron strand in warm milk and keep it aside.

Final Cooking and Layering :
Dum Method :
1. Make a dough out of the wheat flour / maida with little water, the same way you would do it for chappathi and set it aside.
2. Place flat cast iron skillet or tawa on the lowest burner of your stove. The flame should be at the lowest setting.
3. Layer the prawn masala and rice; sprinkle biryani masala , fried cashews & raisins, fried onions and chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, sprinkle left over ghee and few drops of saffron milk and over the rice as the final layering. Repeat this process.
4. Close with tight fitting lid seal the edges of the lid with above prepared dough. \ biryani vessel on top of the iron skillet or tawa and cook on for 15 mins and turn off the flame.
5. Let it rest unopened on tawa for another 15 mts and break open the seal; now dum is also done.

IRACHI PUTTU

Ingredients

.Minced meat (Beef or Chicken) - 250 gms (Preferably beef)
2.Onions chopped - 3/4 cup
3.Ginger chopped - 1 inch
4.Garlic chopped - 3 or 4
5.Green chillys chopped -1 or 2
6.Tomato - 1 chopped
7.Kashmiri chilly pwdr - 1 tspn
8..Garam masala - 1 tspn
9.Pepper pwdr - 1/2 tspn
10.Turmeric pwdr -1/4 tspn
11.Coconut oil, salt, curry leaves.

For Puttu---all measurements as per requirement of the family
1.Rice powder
2.Scraped coconut
3.Salt & normal water

Directions

1.Pressure cook minced meat with some salt and keep aside.
2.Heat 3 tbsp coco: oil in a pan.
3.Saute chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies till onions turn light brown.
4.Now add kash:red chilly pwdr, turmeric pwdr, garam masala and pepper powder .Saute on low flame till the raw smell vanishes.
5.Add tomatos and saute until the are smoothly cooked .
6.Now add minced meat and combine everything together.Saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add chopped curry leaves and remove from fire.

7.Soak rice powder with enough water, adding salt and scraped coconut.( add coconut along with the puttupodi while soaking. You can add in between while filling in the Puttu Maker or mix it along with the soaked rice pwdr).

8.Fill minced meat on the bottom and top (or even in the middle ) of the soaked rice pwdr and steam it for a mouth watering Irachi Puttu...

Egg Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• Egg (മുട്ട) – 3 Nos
• Potato (ഉരുളക്കിഴങ്ങ്) – 3 Nos
• Onion (സവോള) – 1 Nos
• Ginger (ഇഞ്ചി) – 1½ inch piece
• Curry leaves (കറിവേപ്പില) – 2 Sprigs
• Green chilli (പച്ചമുളക്) – 3 Nos
• Pepper powder (കുരുമുളകുപൊടി) – ½ Tea Spoon
• Butter or Ghee or Cooking oil – 1 Table spoon
• Salt (ഉപ്പ്) – to taste

Method

1. Cook potatoes in a cooking vessel by adding water. Drain it, mash it and keep aside.
2. Chop onion, ginger, curry leaves and green chilli finely.
3. Break eggs and beat it lightly.
4. To this add mashed potatoes, chopped ingredients, pepper powder and salt. Combine it well.
5. Heat a non stick pan and spread ½ table spoon butter (ghee/cooking oil) on it.
6. Pour the mix (step 4) into the pan with minimum of 1 inch thickness. Cook it covered on a low flame by turning both sides till done. (Remember to spread ½ table spoon butter / ghee / cooking oil on the top before going to turn it first time)
7. Server it hot.

Tips

1) Instead of cooking this dish in a non stick pan, you can also bake it in a pre-heated oven.
2) Adding shallots (15 Nos) instead of onion (1 No) will taste better.
3) If required garnish it with cheese.

Cabbage Carrot & Green Peas Patties

Ingredients

1. Roughly Chopped/Shredded Cabbage – 4 cups
2. Diced Carrots – 1 large
3. Fresh or Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup
4. Garlic Powder – 1/4 tsp
5. Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Red Chilly Flakes – 1 tsp (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
7. Dried Parsley Flakes – 1/2 tsp (optional)
8. Bread Crumbs – 2 to 4 tbsp (Use Whole Wheat for a healthier option)
9. Salt – to taste
10. Mayonnaise – as needed

Preparation Method

1. If using frozen green peas, thaw it in water. Using a food processor, grind all the vegetables into a coarse mixture. Be careful not to grind it into a smooth paste.
2. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley flakes and red chilly flakes.
3. Add 2 tbsps of bread crumbs into the mixture and gently combine everything with your hands.
4. Take a small scoop of the mixture and try rolling it into a ball. If it doesn’t hold together, add 1-2 more tablespoons of bread crumbs.
5. Flatten each ball into patty of desire size and shape.
6. Heat 2 tbsp oil a non stick skillet. Lightly fry the patties for around 3 minutes on each side pressing down with a spatula to flatten it.
7. Since cabbage is the main ingredient used, these patties taste best with Mayonnaise.
8. Serve each patty on a bun along with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

 Note

1. I made these patties without precooking the vegetables. If you prefer, you may blanch, steam or saute the cabbage, carrot & green peas for a few minutes before grinding it.
2. For convenience, you can use a bag of Shredded Coleslaw Mix instead of whole cabbage.

STUFFED CHILLI FRIES/FRITTERS

STUFFED CHILLY FRIES/FRITTERS

Ingredients

Green Chillies : 4
Batter Mix:
Gram Flour : 3/4 cup
Rice flour : 1/4 cup
Baking powder : 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : required to taste
Red chili powder : 1 tsp
water : 1 1/2 cup
Stuffing Mix:
Potato : 2 (Medium) (boiled and mashed)
Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves : 6
Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds : 3tsp
Cumin seeds : 2 tsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

Directions

Slit the green chilies lengthwise and remove all the seeds from them . Soak the chilies in boiling water and salt for 5 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients for batter with water to make a thin paste.
For filling: Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds and when its sputter add the mashed potatoes, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt and mix it well. Remove from heat.
Now stuff the green chillies with the fillings and dip it in the batter and deep fry.
Serve Hot Chilly fries with your favorite sauce/chutney.

Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

1. Shredded Grilled Chicken – 1 cup
2. Tomato Ketchup – 2 tbsp
3. Red Chilly Sauce – 1 tbsp
4. Pepper – 1/2 tsp
5. Salt – to taste
6. Cooking Spray

Preparation Method

1. Heat a non stick pan and spray cooking oil.
2. Shred the grilled chicken into small pieces and add it to the pan.
3. Saute for a few minutes until it begins to brown.
4. Add tomato ketchup and red chilly sauce.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Saute the chicken until the sauces are absorbed by the chicken.
6. Apply Mayonnaise on a sandwich bun, bread or croissant.
7. Place the chicken pieces inside and top with lettuce, tomatoes and so on. Serve with chips or fries.

Baked Salmon

Baked Salmon

Ingredients :

1/2 lb. salmon fillet, cut into 2 & 1/2 inch strips lengthwise( leave the skin on one side) 
1 tsp Red chili powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp cumin powder  
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 
1 tsp lemon juice or tamarind paste 
Salt, to taste
Oil spray
 

Preparation :

Wash and cut the fish in 2 & 1/2" strips lengthwise .
In a flat bowl , mix all the ingredients except salmon and oil ; Slide in the fish pieces in the marination mix , coat them well ; Keep the fish marinated for 15 to 30 mins in refrigerator. 
Set the oven temp.to 350 degrees.
Cut several pieces of aluminium foil in 5"-5" squares  ; Spray oil on them. 
Place the marinated salmon strips , with skin down on the middle of each foil ; pick 2 opposite sides of the foil and fold them three times creating a nice little pocket ; Repeat the procedure with the other two sides. Make sure to leave enough space to allow the fish cook in its own steam.
Once the oven is preheated, place them evenly on a oven safe baking dish, cook for 15 minutes.
Switch off the oven and let it rest for another 2-3 minutes to blend in the flavors. Be careful of the hot steam while unwrapping the pockets.  
Serve hot with rice and any side dish of your choice.