Seeraga samba vegetable pulao

Seeraga samba rice 2 cups
Carrots 2 chop small
Peas,fresh 1/2 cup
Fresh green chillies 3-4, minced
Tomato, 1 small chopped
Onion, 1 small chopped
Ginger, 1 tsp, minced
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
Cloves 4
Cardamom 4
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Jeera 1 tsp
Curry leaves 6
Salt
Oil/ghee 4 tbsp

Take 4 tsp oil in a wok, add mustard till it sizzles, add jeera,cinnamon, cloves,cardamom,curry leaves,chillies,ginger and onions.sauté till onions are transcluscent. Add tomatoes and sauté well.
Add garam masala powder, add carrots. Sauté till carrot is half cooked.
Add peas and drained rice. Add water and salt to taste. Cover and cook till rice is just done.
Serve with tomato and cucumber raita.

Tip: this variety of rice cooks faster especially when soaked so be careful and leave flame on medium or low and check 10 mins after water comes to a boil. If if need a few more mins, have an eye on it.

Zucchini rice

Rice 1 cup(I used seeraga samba rice)
Water 2 cups
Shredded/chopped zucchini 1 cup (with or w/o skin)
Oil 2 tsp
Ghee 2 tsp (optional)
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
mustard seed 1/2 tsp
Red chilli 4 whole
Bay leaves 2
salt to taste
Cinnamon stick about 1/2 inch
Lemon juice 1 tsp


Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the oil. After seeds crackle, add dry red chilli, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Add water, zucchini, salt and lemon juice. Stir and bring to boil.
After rice comes to a boil turn the heat down to low and cover till rice is cooked.
Serve with yogurt and pickle.

Quick spinach pesto

Serves 2

Spinach 1 bunch
Pasta spirals 250 gms(boiled till al aldente)
Sun dried tomatoes
Fresh green chillies 2 minced
Nutritional yeast flakes 3 tbsp or
Grated Parmesan cheese 4 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Puree washed and chopped spinach coarsely with sundries tomatoes.

Olive oil in a wok, add green chillies.when it sizzles, add the spinach puree, cook well till the raw smell goes away.season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta,mix.
Add Parmesan or nutritional yeast(add whilst still hot so it melts into pasta) and mix well.

Best chicken Biryani

Chicken thigh fillets 750 gms
Rice 3 cups
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Tomato 3-4 chopped
Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Garam masala 1 tbsp
Cloves 6
Cinnamon stick 2
Bay leaf 2
star anise 1
Cardamom 5 full pods
Cashews broken 6
Green chillis 5 minced
Coriander 1/2 cup
Mint 1/2 cup(optional)
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Oil
Salt
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice 1/2 a lemons worth
Saffron strands 1/2 tsp (dissolved in warm water)

Marinate chicken in yogurt,garlic and Garamond masala and keep aside for 2 hours. You can even marinate and keep aside till the masala is ready,longer marination makes the Biryani more flavorful.

Soak rice in water and keep aside.

In a kadai,take oil about 4 tbsps, when hot, add cinnamon,cloves,bay leaf,cardamom,star anise
and cashew nuts.when sizzles add minced green chillies and tomatoes. Mix well and allow tomatoes to thicken and oil to separate. Around 10 mins. Add marinated chicken,mint and coriander and mix well.add chilli powder,pepper powder and coriander powder and sauté till chicken is sealed and starts oozing oil.


Cover and let chicken cook till almost done and tender. Then add 5 cups water (not 6 as the yogurt and juices from the chicken itself contributes to about 1 cup) and let water boil.add salt to flavour.
Add rice and saffron now,stir once and cover and leave on low flame till rice is cooked.
Once done,squeeze 1/2 lemon on top.
Serve with raita.

Capsicum rice

Green Capsicum 2, sliced
Onion, 1 small sliced
Garlic 2 cloves, minced
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts 8 (grind cashew and g.chillies to a paste)
Green chillies 2-3
Salt and pepper
Cooked rice 3 cups
Sesame oil or canola oil 3-4 tbsp (I used sesame oil)

Oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,let splutter, add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 min. Add the capsicum and sauté.
Add the cashew-chilli paste and sauté well.add salt and pepper and cooked rice. Check for taste. This dish needs to have more oil for the taste.

Karunai kizangi fry (Yam fry)

Yam 400 gms chopped (I used a frozen variety)
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fresh Coriander ,4 tbsps chopped
Chili pwdr 1/2 tsp
Coriander pwdr 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Put oil in a pan, add mustard,urad dal and cumin, allow it to sizzle. Add yam pieces.sauté.then add chilli-coriander pwdr. Add 1/4 cup water and cover till yam is cooked well.Season with salt. Sprinkle coriander leaves and turn off flame.

Methi potato fry

Potato 3, cubed
Fresh fenugreek(methi) leaves 1 bunch, chopped
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powdr 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil,as needed

Put oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add potato pieces,chilli and coriander pwdr and sauté well. Close the lid after sprinkling water till potato is cooked. Add fenugreek leaves and salt. Sauté till done.

Poosinikai Mor kozumbu (Pumpkin in buttermilk curry)

Yellow butternut squash 500 gms, cut into cubes
Dry red chillis , 2 broken
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves 10
Turmeric pwdr 1/4 tsp
Fresh curds 2 cups
Water 1 cup
Oil
Salt

Oil in a wok, add mustard seeds.
Once it splutters, add urad dal seeds, dry chillies,broken in half and curry leaves.
Put pumpkin in and cover till it cooks. Takes about 10 mins on medium heat.
Mash so the pumpkin is half soft and half chunky.

In a blender add fresh curds,water,salt and turmeric. Blend for a few seconds.
Uncover the pumpkin and add the curd mixture.
Simmer on low for 30 seconds and switch off flame.
Serve hot with rice and crispy papaddums.

Poosinikai kootu (Pumpkin dry fry)

Yellow butternut squash 500 gms, cut into cubes
Dry red chillis , 2 broken
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves 10
Turmeric pwdr 1/4 tsp
Oil
Salt

Oil in a wok, add mustard seeds.
Once it splutters, add urad dal seeds, dry chillies,broken, turmeric pwdr and curry leaves.
Put pumpkin and mix well.season with salt and cover till it cooks. Takes about 10 mins on medium heat.
Serve hot with roti or a side to rice.

Pulka

Whole wheat atta flour 2 cupsSalt
Water
Oil 1-2 tsp
Ghee, as needed

Take WW flour in a deep pan, add salt and oil. Mix with finger tips. Add water and mix lightly, till all the flour comes together into a ball. Do not knead with too much pressure as dough gets too hard and tough.
Leave aside for 10 mins.
Roll out into small rotis is with some dry flour.

Take a hot tava and fry one at a time. Place on tava, once partially cooked on one side,flip over til partially cooked. Then using tongs,place the roti on direct flame and watch carefully.it should fluff up, then flip over and let it cook with the steam inside the puffed roti. Immediately transfer to palate and add a dollop of ghee on the phulka.keep covered till time to serve.