Keema Podimas

"Keema Podimas", no doubt is a mouth-watering dish from chettinad kitchen. This is a non-spicy dish and so I'm sure all kids will love to have it.

This is the first time that I prepared a dish with minced mutton and here comes the recipe for you friends..

Ingredients
Minced Mutton or Kothukari - 500 gms
Bengal Gram or Channa Dhal - 1 small cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - little
Water - 2 cups

To Grind 1
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 6
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp (Khas-khas)
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

To Grind 2
Roasted Channa Dhal - 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

To Season
Oil - 1 or 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 (thin, small stick)
Bay Leaf - 1 (small)
Garlic Pods - 10 to 15 (round, thin sliced)
Onion Shallots or Sambhar Onions - 150 gms (round, thin sliced)

Procedure
(1) Heat a pan in high flame and add the washed kheema and saute it.
(2) Add half the turmeric powder and little salt to it.
(3) Transfer the Kheema to a pressure cooker and add water.
(4) Pressure cook the Kheema for 10 minutes or more if required.
(5) Pressure cook Channa dhal with less water and remaining turmeric powder for 1 or 2 whistles and keep it aside.
(6) Make a powder of items given in To Grind 2 and keep it aside.
(7) Make a thick paste of the items given in To Grind 1 and keep it aside.
(8) Heat Oil in a pan, add Cinnamon & Bay Leaf then add garlic pieces.
(9) Saute it for few minutes and then add onion shallots and fry till light brown.
(10)Add the grinded paste 1, and cook it in low flame till it leaves out oil.
(11)Add the pressure cooked Kheema to the masala and cook till it gets dried.
(12)Add the pressure cooked dhal to it and saute it gently (see to it whole dhal doesn't gets smashed).
(13)At the last add grinded powder(To Grind 2) and saute it once.
(14)Cook it in high flame till the kheema gets real dry.
(15)Now your Kheema Podimas is ready to be served hot.

Kheema Curry

"Kheema Curry" is a traditional meat dish of Indian Kitchen. The Kheema Masala that I prepared is a traditional way of preparing Kheema with spices from a Chettinad Kitchen.

"Kheema" is a minced meat which can be used as a filling for samosas, cutlets, parathas, naans etc. Kebabs can also be made out of these Kheema.

Few months back, I had been to a hotel in ECR Road, Chennai and we ordered many dishes of which Hyderabadi Kheema Masala was one among those. Believe me it was too hot with spices and we didnt at all like it. That day I wished that I could try out this dish sometime at home.

Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients
Mutton Kheema or Mutton Kothukari - 500 gms
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 2 cups
Salt - little

To Grind
Dry Red Chillies - 6
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Whole Pepper - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp (Khas Khas)
Grated Coconut - 2 1/2 tbsp

For the Masala
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 (thin piece)
Bay Leaf - 1 (small)
Garlic pods - 10 to 15 (rouund, thin sliced)
Onion Shallots - 150 gms (round, thin sliced)
Salt - for the masala

Procedure
(1) Heat a pan in high flame and add the washed kheema and saute it.
(2) Add turmeric powder and little salt to it.
(3) Transfer the kheema to a pressure cooker and add water.
(4) Pressure cook the Kheema for 10 minutes or more if required.
(5) Make a thick paste of the items given in To Grind and keep it aside.
(6) Heat oil in a pan, add Cinnamon & Bay Leaf followed by garlic.
(7) Saute it for few minutes and then add onion shallots and fry till light brown.
(8) Add the grinded paste, salt and cook it in low flame till it leaves out oil.
(9) Add the pressure cooked Kheema to the masala and cook it in low flame.
(10)Saute the Kheema masala till enough oil separates out.

(11)Transfer the Kheema Masala to a serving dish and now its ready to be served hot.

Peas Pulao

Peas Pulao is a very popular dish in India that goes well with onion raitha and all other curries & gravies especially mushroom masala, egg curry. A simple and perfect dish to be prepared on your parties.

I modified this dish by adding few masalas that gave a real nice aroma and taste.

It came out real good and here is the recipe..


Ingredients
Peas - 150 gms
Basmathi Rice - 200 gms (washed, soaked in water for 20 min)
Onion - 2 (thinly sliced lengthwise)
Green Chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 3/4 tsp
Corriander powder - 2 tsp
Water - 400 ml
Salt - to taste

To Season
Butter - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 2 strips
Cloves - 3
Green Cardamom - 2
Bay Leaf - 1 (small)

To Garnish
Ghee fried Cashews - 6
Carrot - few pieces
Capsicum - few pieces

Procedure
(1) Heat Butter, Ghee & Oil in a pan.
(2) Add the items given in To Season one-by-one.
(3) Add thin-sliced onions, little salt and saute till it turns dark brown.
(4) Add green chillies, ginger garlic paste & saute till raw smell is off.
(5) Now add the Peas and saute for 2 minutes.
(6) Add all the dry powders and some more salt.
(7) Add the soaked Basmathi rice and saute it for a minute very gently.
(8) Add water to the rice, cover the pan with a lid & allow it to cook for 5 min
(9) Grease the rice cooker pan with ghee all over its sides and bottom.
(10)Transfer the rice to the greased pan and cook it.
(11)It would turn its mode to Keep Warm once cooking is done.
(12)Allow it for a standing time of 5 min.
(13)Garnish the Pulao with items given in To Garnish.
(14)Serve the Masala Peas Pulao with onion raitha.

Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom Biryani is a recipe from South Indian Kitchen. It goes good with onion raitha and onion cucumber salad.

Once I ordered for Mushroom Biryani at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, Chennai (hotel that is crowded always). I just loved the aroma and taste of it. From then whenever I go to Saravana Bhavan, I started ordering this Mushroom Biryani.

This was the first time that I tried this Mushroom Biryani at home and it was good along with raitha and salad.

Do try this and let me know how it came out?

Ingredients
Basmathi Rice - 200 gms (washed, soaked in water for 20 min)
Mushroom - 200 gms (cut into 4 quarters or 6 pieces)
Onions - 3 (thinly sliced lengthwise)
Tomatoes - 3 or 4 (cut lengthwise)
Carrots - 1 (cut into medium-sized pieces)
Capsicum - 1/2 (cut into thin pieces lengthwise)
Green Chillies - 2 (slit on one side)
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Mint Leaves - a small cup
Corriander Leaves - a small cup
Biryani Masala Powder - 4 tsp
Coconut Milk - 400 ml
Saffron food color - a pinch
Salt - to taste

To Season
Butter - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 5
Bay Leaf - 1
Anistar - 1
Maratti Mokku - 1
Green Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 2 or 3 small strips

To Garnish
Ghee fried Cashews - 5 or 6
Carrot - few pieces (thinly cut lengthwise)
Capsicum - few pieces (thinly cut lengthwise)
Sliced Lime pieces - 2

Procedure
(1) Heat a non-stick pan and add the items given in To Season one-by-one
(2) Add the sliced onions, little salt and saute it till turns brown
(3) Add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and saute till raw smell is off
(4) Add the tomatoes and cook till it turns soft
(5) Once it leaves out oil, add corriander and mint leaves
(6) Add all the chopped vegetables and saute for few minutes.
(7) Add the Biriyani masala powder, salt if required and saute for few minutes.
(8) Add the chopped Mushrooms & saute till masala gets well on with the vegetables and mushrooms
(9) Grease the rice cooker pan with ghee in bottom and sides
(10)Pour the coconut milk, gravy & soaked basmathi rice to the greased pan
(11)Add the food color, check for the salt and add if required
(12)Once cooking is done, the rice cooker switches its mode to keep warm
(13)After 5 minutes standing time, transfer Mushroom Biryani into a serving dish
(14)Garnish the Biryani with items given in tO Garnish
(15)Now its ready to be served with raitha and salad.

Pav Bhaji

"Pav Bhaji" is a fast food dish native to Maharashtrians and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, particularly in the Maharashtrian city of Mumbai & Pune.

"Pav" in marathi means bread or bun. "Bhaji" means dish of vegetables. Pav bhaji consists of the bhaji (a potato-based curry) garnished with freshly chopped onions, capsicum and grated carrot.

Traditional way of preparing this dish is with a Tawa. They take two tawa spatulas and make tak-tak sound and smash the potatoes. That gives the real texture of this dish and the taste as well.

Hotel "Bhats Paradise" in West Tambaram has one of the best Pav Bhaji's in Chennai. Right from my childhood, I used to have Pav Bhaji there. During my college days, we used to have our treat there with our seniors.

I prepared this on my breakfast today. Here goes the recipe which is very simple to prepare and tastes great.

Ingredients
Pav - 4
Butter - 2 tsp
Chopped Garlic - 1
Green chillies - 1 (finely chopped)
Potatoes - 4 (boiled, smashed)
Peas - a small cup
Capsicum - inside light green pulp
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)
Pav Bhaji masala - 1 1/2 or 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Water - as required
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - as required

To Garnish
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Capsicum - few pieces (thinly chopped lengthwise)
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Lime slices - 2

Procedure
1. Heat butter & oil in a wide pan
2. Add chopped garlic pieces and green chillies
3. Add the onions, little salt and saute till it turns transparent
4. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell is off
5. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and saute till it leaves out oil
6. Pav Bhaji masala and turmeric powder is to be added now
7. Sprinkle little water and add the remaining salt
8. Add smashed potatoes and make a tak-tak sound with your spatula that you use
9. Cook it covered in slow flame and do this tak-tak with your spatula again
9. Once it leaves out enough oil, add capsicum pulp and peas
10.Cook it covered for few minutes in low flame
11.Add little water in between for it to cook
12.Add the lime juice and little butter and switch off the stove
13.Heat butter in a tawa and roast the Pav
14.Garnish Bhaji with finely chopped onion, grated carrot, capsicum and sliced lime

15.Now the Pav is ready to be served with Bhaji

Chicken Biryani - I

"Chicken Biryani" - do we need a description for this dish??

Chicken Biryani an aromatic, rich dish made of basmathi rice, meat and whole spices usually served with Raita, Brinjal Kosthu, Kurma, Chicken curry & Boiled Eggs.

Chicken Biryani, the prime most dish in non-hindu marriages and is even served on feasts and all special occassions.

It carries fame all over the world that we can even find it as the first and prime most dish in the menu cards under the rice varieties section. Few rice varieties are even named as Biryani Rice.

You might think why I have posted it as Chicken Biriyani - I? The reason is I will be posting many versions of it in my blog. Why do we have many versions?? Its because it varies the way we prepare, the flavor, ingredients especially whole spices that we use..

Ingredients
Chicken - 500 gms
Oil - 3 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

Bay Leaves - 1
Cinnamon - 3 strips (small, thin)
Cloves - 5
Green Cardamom - 2
Anistar(annasipoo)- 1
Maratti mokku - 1
Onion - 3 (big, thinly sliced)
Tomatoes - 3 (sliced)
Green Chillies - 2 (big, slit in top)
Mint Leaves - 1 cup
Corriander Leaves - 1 cup

Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Basmathi Rice - 250 gms
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - to boil the rice
Salt - for the rice alone

For the Marination
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Yoghurt - 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Salt - for the Chicken gravy alone

Procedure
(1) Marinate the Chicken with the items given in "For the Marination".
(2) Soak the rice in water for half-an-hour.
(3) Heat oil in a pan and add all the whole spices.
(4) Add the sliced onions and fry till it turns golden brown.
(5) Add green chillies, all the dry powders, mint leaves, corriander leaves and saute it for few min.
(6) Now add the sliced tomatoes and cook till it leaves out oil.
(7) Add the marinated chicken and some more salt if required.
(8) Cook it in medium flame till its half done.
(9) Heat water in a wide opened vessel.
(10)Pour 2 tsp of Oil, salt and few whole garam masalas(1 clove, 1 cinnamon).
(11)When water starts boiling, add the soaked rice to the boiling water and cook till its 70% done.
(12)Heat an old,thick Dosa tawa in a high flame.
(13)Meanwhile, take a open, wide and thick bottomed vessel.
(14)Brush the vessel with ghee on its sides all over.
(15)Pour the Chicken Gravy and spread it evenly as it forms the bottom layer.
(16)Add the 3/4 th cooked rice on top of it.
(17)Add few mint leaves and a tsp of ghee.

(18)Cover the vessel with a white cloth and cover it tight with its lid.
(19)Place the vessel on the hot tawa and cook it for 5 min in a medium flame and then 15 min in a low flame.
(20)Open the lid and mix the rice and the meat gently.

I am just running out of words to desrcibe the aroma that I got while mixing the rice and the meat. Now the Chicken Biryani is ready to be served with raita, boiled egg.

Karela Masaledar

"Karela Masaledar" or Stuffed Bitter Gourd Masala is an authentic food from Punjabi Kitchen. It goes good with your Phulkas, Chappathis and Rotis.

I got the recipe from my Mamiji, who is a Punjabi and an awesome and fast cook that I have ever seen in my life. When I was doing my post graduation, myself and my mom made a trip to Adampur(Punjab) via Delhi. We stayed with them for a couple of days and those are unforgettable especially because of my Mamiji's cuisine. Know what I have no words to describe the taste and was lucky enough. I'm waiting when I would make such a trip..

Karela Masaledar was one of those dishes. Oh God! I had never tasted such a tasty dish in my life. Some more dishes that she prepared for us was Jeera Puri, Paneer Bhurji, Bhindi ki Sabzi, Cholae Paneer etc..It was like heaven on earth for a food lover like me..

We need to be very patient to prepare this dish. I tried this last week but I couldn't bring it to that taste of her's. Here goes the recipe for you friends..

Ingredients
Bitter Gourd - 5

For the Stuffings
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 2 (grated)
Green chillies - 1
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchoor Powder - 2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

For the Masala
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Green chillies - 1
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchoor Powder - 2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Procedure
(1) Cut the corners of the Bitter Gourd and make a full slit and remove the inner part of it and keep aside.
(2) Remove the seeds if any and don't throw the inner part of the Bitter Gourd.
(3) Scrap the outer skin of the Bitter Gourd with a scrapper and keep it saide.
(4) To the scrapped skin and inner part of the Bitter Gourd add some salt.
(5) To hot oil in a pan, add the grated onions, finely chopped green chillies, salt.
(6) Fry till the raw smell is off and then add all the dry powders.
(7) Sprinkle very little water if required and saute till it gets dry.
(8) Allow it to cool & now our stuffing is ready to be filled into our Karela's.
(9) Fill the stuffing into each of the Karelas and tie it with a thread and see to it that our stuffing doesn't come out while frying it in oil.
(10)Shallow fry the Karelas in medium flame and remove the thread off the Karelas after it cools down.
(11)Heat oil in a kadai and add the sliced onions and fry till it turns light brown.
(12)Add the chilka (scrapped skin and the inner parts of the bitter gourd), chopped green chillies, pepper powder and fry it.
(13)Saute it for 10 to 15 min and then add the remaining dry powders.
(14)Saute it for another 15 min and sprinkle little water in regular intervals if required.
(15)Add the fried Karelas to the masala.