Thavil vadai

Thavil vadai is an unique kind of vadai in Tamilnadu.  Some people call it as thaval vadai or thavala vadai ,aiming to describe the shape of that vadai (thavil - a musical instrument). This is how we explain in our house, if any one know the proper meaning of the title please let me know:) Moreover this vadai should be made with many lentils and rice, which makes the recipe more interesting.

Recipe source: amma.
Also inspired by :  Subbu's kitchen and Kitchen queen. Thank you friends!

Ingredients:

Channa dhal (Bengal gram)- 1/2 cup
black gram (ulunthu / urid dhal) - 1/2 cup
Red gram / thuvaram paruppu / thoor dhal - 1/4 cup
Rice - 1/4 cup
dry red chillies - 3
ginger - 1 inch
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
asafoetida / hing - a pinch
salt - to taste
oil - to deep fry

tempering / tadka:

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
cilantro - a handful

Method:

wash and clean the dhal and rice, Soak the urad dhal separately and others together for 2 hours or till soft.
Grind the urad dhal to fluffy stage, without  water.If needed add a tbsp of water. Then take  it out. Grind the other dhals and rice without water to a thick and coarse batter along with other ingredients except oil and coconut. Mix with urad dhal batter.
Heat a tsp of oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. As they crackle add the chopped cilantro, curry leaves and pour over the batter. Add the shredded coconut .
Take a lemon size ball of the batter and flatten it slightly. Deep fry it in oil by flipping both sides in medium heat. Don't  fry it in high heat. Give ample time to let it cook completely. As soon as the vadai turns mild red , drain oil and take out.

Thavil vadai is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with coconut or cilantro(malli) chutney.

Amla Jamun

Amla - Indian gooseberry - Periya nellikkai (Tamil).
Here is a quick and  healthy dessert  using the Indian gooseberry.  This is my mom's recipe and she used to prepare some jam varieties also using amla. I used frozen amla, which we get in Indian grocery stores. Keep them handy to satisfy that sugar cravings:)

Ingredients:

Amla - 15
crushed jaggery - 1 cup
water - 1cup
honey - few tbsp

Method:

Bring one cup water to boil. Add the amla and cook well.
In the same time bring 1/4 cup water to boil in a separate vessel and dissolve the jaggery. Filter and remove the impurities.
Add the jaggery solution to the cooked amla and start heating till it becomes very thick syrup. Put off fire and let it cool.
Then add a few tbsp of honey and preserve in a clean dry container.
This can be kept for 6 months if refrigerated.

Serving:

Amla jamun makes a healthy dessert.
This sweet tastes great the next day only, as it may take a few hours for the bitterness to change.

Tips:

*There is another variety of gooseberry also, which will be smaller in size and tastes very sour. My mom used to make a jam out of it. For that jam, Mom would add sugar instead of jaggery and that 'nellikkai jam' would taste incredibly great.
*We can totally avoid the jaggery and add honey to the cooked amla to get a healthy amla jamun. But I have not tried it yet.

Mushroom biriyani

I have an endless love with biryanis and this is a vegetarian version, which I tried recently.  I prepared this one day for hubby's lunch when I wanted to pack something nice for him. Hope you all like this mushroom biryani.

Vegetables:

Mushroom - 10 numbers
(Use button mushrooms only)
fresh green peas - 1/2 cup .

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice - 1 1/2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red onion - 1 (chopped 1/2 cup)
Lemon - 1
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Biryani masala powder - 1 tsp
(I used sakthi biryani masala)
ghee - 1 tbsp (to add at the end)

To temper:

Bay leaves - 1
cinnamom stick - 1 inch
cardamom (crushed) - 2
cloves - 2
Any cooking oil - 3 tbsp
cashew nuts -5
raisins- 10.
salt - to taste

Masala 1:

Tomato puree - from 1 tomato

Masala 2:

cilantro- 10 stems
mint leaf -1 handful.

Masala 3:

Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 2 cloves

Preparation:

Wash and clean the mushrooms. Cut each mushroom into thin oval slices.
Wash the green peas / sweet peas and keep aside.
(Defreeze the green peas by putting it in water, if frozen).

Wash the rice. Add more water than required and bring it to boil. Reduce flame, add salt and cook it to stiff grainy consistency. Then drain all the water using a colander. Keep the rice aside.

Grind all the pastes separately.

Chop onion and keep aside.

Method:

Heat oil in a flat bottom vessel.
Add cinnamon stick,cardamom ,cloves, bay leaf , cashew, raisin.

Then goes the chopped onion .

Fry it till golden brown and add the ginger garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell goes.

Now add the tomato paste and cook till the oil oozes out of it. Add all the powders given.

Then add the cilantro , mint paste, red chilly powder,biryani masala powder, salt and cook till the oil start oozing out. Now put the vegetables and cook till the mushrooms are done.This will take 5 minutes only.

Now add the cooked rice and squeeze some lime juice over.

Sprinkle the ghee and close the vessel.
Heat the vessel in very mild flame for 10 minutes. Switch off!

Mix well now and serve.

Mushroom biryani is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Garnish with chopped cilantro , mint leaves.
Serve mushroom peas biryani hot with onion raitha .

Note:

We can make this biryani without green peas also.
I used canned mushroom here. But the fresh one tastes great.
cooking time : 30 minutes.

Home made Popcorn

Popcorn, coke and an English movie are a must for most of us to start a nice weekend. In US, we can see a long queue standing near that 'red-box'es lending dvds. We are no exception to that golden rule and winters add more charm to the above combo:) We would bring home a pack of microwave popcorn also and I have never tried preparing the popcorn at home, as it is much easier to get it done in a microwave. But I really missed that turmeric flavored popcorns we get in Madras. So recently I started to make it at home to control the butter and taste according to our wish.It is a very old method only. My mom used to make this popcorn in an old unusable pressure cooker. But I have used a normal vessel with a glass-lid we generally use in cooking.

Ingredients:

corn - 1/4 cup
butter or oil - 2 tbsp (or) lesser
salt - 1 tsp (according to need)
(control the salt if using salted butter)
Turmeric - 1 tsp (optional)
A heavy bottom vessel with a tight lid.
A mitten to hold.

Method:

Melt the butter in the vessel. Mix turmeric, salt and corn with the butter.
Place the lid and start heating. Wait till we hear A SINGLE popping sound.
Immediately switch off and let it rest for a minute.
Again start heating (with lid closed). Hold the pot and start shaking as it starts popping. Do this in medium heat and shaking gently till the sound stops.

Homemade Popcorn is ready!

Tips:

*Adding some sugar (2 tbsp) instead of turmeric will yield a kettle corn taste.
*I have not tried with red chilly pepper powder, but have heard it also tastes great. But beware of the hot fumes, while using peppers.
*Always use an unwanted vessel, as it may be hard to clean, if got burned.
* We can make it with very less butter also.
*Don't open the vessel while popping.

Enjoy this homemade popcorn with your loved ones. 

Pongal greetings and reposts

Hope all are getting ready to celebrate Pongal. Pongal is called as Sankaranthi festival too. Pongal is a well known festival in India, where most of the families have some agricultural roots. In Tamilnadu, people from various religions invariably celebrate it without any hesitation. Every house will get a fresh coat of paint and cows are treated with dignity. Sugarcane, Turmeric and mango leaves decorate every door and people prepare the following recipes.

I am reposting my Sarkarai pongal recipe, aviyal and ven pongal recipes for Kurinji's Pongal event. Happy hosting dear!

1.Sarkarai Pongal

2.Venn Pongal

3.Pongal Aviyal:





World4art.com - Orkut Scraps, Graphics, & Comments

May this Pongal festival brings peace, good health, cheer, prosperity and every thing you wish for.
Happy Pongal!

Thengai paal murukku

 Thengai paal - coconut milk; murukku- an Indian snack.

This is a very common snack in my home town. Unlike the regular murukku, the thengai paal murukku requires very less butter. The flavor comes from freshly squeezed coconut milk. They shape it essentially like this. Whole green gram flour or urad dhal flour or puffed channa dhal flour are used along with rice flour.  I made this for Christmas. Actually getting this shape is a time taking process, so I prepared a few using this star murukku pattern and the rest in tri holed thenkulal pattern.

Thengai paal murukku

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 4 cups
(If you have a flour mill in your vicinity (just like Indian flour mills), then wash 4 cups of unboiled rice (pacharisi), drain the water, let the rice dry for a while and prepare flour. Otherwise we can use store bought flour also. But the ratio should be 4 : 1)
split urid dhal (Black gram) - 1 cup
coconut milk - from 1 coconut
coconut oil (or) butter - 2 tbsp
Cumin - 1 tbsp
sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
Hing (Asafoetida) - 1/8 tsp
Salt per taste
Water for mixing - (nearly 3 cups of water)
Oil - to deep fry (500 ml)

Coconut milk
1.Scrap the coconut and grind well. Add 1/2 cup luke warm water and extract the milk by filtering. Again add 1/2 cup warm water and extract milk. Do another time also. Use this milk to make murukku dough.
2. If using a coconut milk powder (I used Palmer brand), the prepare 1 cup thick milk and 1 cup thin milk.
3. If using canned coconut milk, go by the directions to get 1 cup thick milk and 1 cup thin milk.

Method:

Heat a wok and dry roast the urid dhal till it we get a nice flavor and starts to smell nice (do not make it turn red). (Always use split and white dhal. Roast the black gram dhal in small portions only).  Keep aside and let it cool. Then dry grind it to a fine powder using an Indian mixer.

In the same wok , dry roast the rice flour for about 10 minutes . When we touch it , we should feel it like river sand. Then let it cool.

Put both the flours in a large mixing bowl . Add cumin, sesame, asafoetida and butter. Mix well.

Dissolve the salt in some water. Mix this salt water along with coconut milk powder (or) just use fresh coconut milk + salt and add to the flour.Knead it to a soft chapathi dough consistency.

Now check salt and add more mixing with water,if necessary.

Fit a star pattern murukku mold and fill it with dough.

In the mean time heat the oil in a wide pan till smoking point. Then reduce flame.

Grease a few flat plates with oil and squeeze murukku in the above shape. Carefully slide them one by one into the hot oil. Do not crowd the oil, flip once after one side is done.

After the hissing sound and bubbles subdue, drain and remove the murukku. Place them on paper towel and store them in air tight containers after they get cool.

Coconut milk Murukku is ready!

Note:
Makes 15 big size murukku or 30 murukku of our palm diameter.
Can be served with tea or as a snack.
Adding some oil,/ butter will result in lesser oil absorption of murukku.
Pack the murukku in zip lock or plastic covers to prevent it getting less crispy (in humid areas).
If we are preparing more murukku, it is common to divide the flour into few parts and knead the dough just before squeezing.
Never allow the dough to sit in counter for a long time, as it will yield dark colored murukku.The dough can't be refrigerated too. So keep yourself free before starting to prepare murukku and don't stop the process in between.

I am tagged (in Tamil and English)

சமையல் தொடர்பதிவு

maragatham  புவனேஸ்வரி ராமநாதன் அவர்கள் எட்டு கேள்விகளுடனான இந்த தொடர்பதிவுக்கு அழைத்திருந்தார். அந்த எட்டு கேள்விகளும் அவற்றிற்கான விடைகள் இதோ:
ஆங்கிலம் மற்றும் தமிழில் தந்துள்ளேன்.

இயற்கை உணவுகளை சாப்பாட்டில் சேர்த்துக் கொள்வதுண்டா? இயற்கை உணவுப் பழக்கம் எந்த விதத்தில் உங்களுக்கு பயன் தருகிறது?
இல்லை.  அமெரிக்காவில்  இயற்கை உணவு (organic  food ) என்பது ஒரு ஆடம்பர பொருளாக, status  symbol  ஆக உள்ளது. நடுத்தர மக்கள் குழந்தைகளுக்காகவோ  அல்லது மருத்துவரின் பரிந்துரையாலோ மட்டுமே  இதை வாங்குகின்றனர். இயற்கை உணவு மட்டுமே உண்பதால் திடீரென வேறு உணவு உண்ணும் நிலை வந்தால் அதை நம் உடலால் தாங்க முடியாது.   உலகில் பல பேர் ஒரு வேளை  உணவு கூட  இல்லாமல்  தவிக்கும் பொழுது  ,  எனக்கு  இது போன்ற ஆடம்பர உணவில் ஆர்வம் இல்லை. இந்த பணத்தை  வேறு நல்ல செயல்களுக்கு உபயோகிப்பேன்.. 
  (இயற்கை உணவு என்பது இந்தியாவை பொறுத்த வரை சில ஆண்டுகள் முன்பு வரை சுலபமாக அனைவருக்கும் கிடைத்தது.  ஏன் என்றால் நாம் ரசாயன உரங்களை பசுமை புரட்சிக்கு  பின்பே உபயோகிக்க துவங்கினோம் .  இன்னமும் கிராமங்களில் இயற்கை முறையில் விளைந்த காய்கனிகள் ஒவ்வொரு வீட்டிலும் விளைகின்றன. ஆனால் அமெரிக்காவில் பல விதைகள் / செடிகள் ரசாயன மற்றும் மரபியல் வேறுபாடு செய்யப்பட்டே விளைகின்றன . வரி, patent ரைட், விளம்பரம்  என பல காரணங்களால் இயற்கை முறையில் விளைந்த பொருட்கள் மிகவும் விலை அதிகமாக உள்ளன. நாம் தரும் கொள்ளை விலை விவசாயிக்கு போவதில்லை, இடை தரகர்களே பயனடைகிறார்கள் ). 

ஆனால் இயற்கை முறை விவசாயம் மட்டுமே அனைவரும் செய்து, அந்த organic உணவும் அனைவரும் வாங்கும் விலையில் இருந்தால் , நானும் மகிழ்ச்சியாக அதை உண்பேன். ஏன் எனில் இயற்கை விவசாயம் பூமிக்கு நன்மை தரும்:)

அன்றாடம் சரியான நேரத்தில் சாப்பிடுவீர்களா? அல்லது பசிக்கும் நேரத்தில் உண்பீர்களா?
பகலில்  சரியாக நேரத்தில் சாப்பிடுவேன். ஆனால் இரவில் என் கணவர் வந்த பின் அவருடன் சேர்ந்து சாப்பிட ஆசைபடுவேன். கணிபொறியாளர்களின் வித்தியாசமான வேலை பழக்கத்தால் என் இரவு உணவும் ஒரே நேரத்தில் அமையாது.

வலைப் பதிவில் சமையல் சம்பந்தமாக எழுதுவதற்கு யார் உங்களுக்கு தூண்டுகோலாக இருந்தார்கள்?
(அல்லது )
உங்களின் சமையலுக்கு வழிகாட்டி யார்?
என் அம்மாவே என் சமையல் குரு. அம்மா சமையல் கலை மட்டுமின்றி , மிகவும் குடும்பபாங்கான பாசமான பெண்மணி.  அவர்கள் ஒரு புது உணவை சாப்பிட நேர்ந்தால் , அதன் செய்முறையை அதன் சுவையை கொண்டே சொல்லி விடுவார்கள். எனக்கு அவ்வளவு திறமை கிடையாது. ஆனாலும் அம்மாவின் திறமைகளை காப்பி அடிப்பேன் சில நேரம :) ஆனால் தன பாரமபரியமான சமையல் குறிப்புகளை எப்போதும் மாற்றாமல் செய்வார்கள். அது எனக்கு ரொம்ப பிடிக்கும். இது இந்த கால கட்டத்துக்கு சிரமம் என்றாலும் அம்மாவை போல்  சமைக்கவே எனக்கு ஆசை.


புதியதாக ஏதாவது உணவுவகை முயற்சி செய்து பார்த்திருக்கிறீர்களா? அது சரியாக வரவில்லை என்றால் என்ன செய்வீர்கள்?
சரியாக வரவில்லை எனில் மிகவும் அமைதியாகி விடுவேன். கொஞ்சம் நேரம் ஓய்வு எடுத்து பின் வந்து அதை சரி செய்ய பார்ப்பேன். அப்போதும் சரி வரா விட்டால்,  பின் அதை உருமாற்றி  சாப்பிடும் பொருளாக மாற்றி விடுவேன்:) ஒரு பொழுதும் சாப்பிடும் பொருளை வீணாக்க மாட்டேன்.

உங்களது அன்றாட சமையலில் நீங்கள் கட்டாயம் தவிர்க்கும் சமையல் சம்பந்தமான பொருட்கள் ஏதாவது மூன்று?
*மது வகைகள்.
*பன்றி, மாடு மற்றும் எனக்கு பழக்கம் இல்லாத அசைவங்கள்.
*அஜினோமோட்டோ , .

தினப்படி சமையலில் நீங்கள் அடிக்கடி சேர்த்துக்கொள்ளும் சமையல் பொருட்கள் சில?
இந்திய உணவு தயாரிக்க 'சில' பொருட்கள் போதாது. 'பல '  தேவை. அவற்றுள் 'சில' இங்கே:)

*அரிசி,  உப்பு, கோதுமை, பருப்பு வகைகள், முட்டை  . 
*மஞ்சள், பூண்டு, தேங்காய் எண்ணெய், இஞ்சி, மிளகு, மிளகாய் , நல்லெண்ணை , பெருங்காயம், புளி, சர்க்கரை , பால் .
*கறிவேப்பிலை, புதினா, மல்லி இலை, வெங்காயம், தக்காளி.
*விடுமுறை நாட்களில் : மீன், கோழி.
இவை எப்போதும் வீட்டில் இருக்குமாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்வேன்:)

குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்கள் ஒன்றாக சேர்ந்து அமர்ந்து சாப்பிடுவதால் என்ன நன்மைகள் உண்டாகிறது?
எங்கள் வீட்டில் நானும் என் கணவரும் மட்டுமே.  அதனால் நான்  இரவு உணவையாவது என் கணவருடன் சேர்ந்து உண்ண ஆசை படுவேன். விடுமுறை நாட்களிலும்  இதை நாங்கள் ரொம்ப ஆர்வமாய் செய்வோம்.  சேர்ந்து உண்பது மிகவும் மன மகிழ்ச்சி தரும்.  அப்படி செய்வதால் ஒருவர் மற்றவரின் விருப்பங்கள், உணர்வுகளை புரிந்து கொள்ளலாம். 

உங்களுக்குப் பிடித்த உணவகத்தில் நீங்கள் விரும்பாத உணவு பரிமாறப்பட்டால் என்ன செய்வீர்கள்?
எனக்கு பிடித்த உணவை கேட்டு வாங்கி சாப்பிடுவேன், பிடிக்காததை நாசுக்காய் தவிர்ப்பேன். 
ஒரு வேளை உணவு கெட்டு போய் இருந்தால், என்னுடன் இருப்பவர்க்கு , செய்கை மூலம் அதை தொட வேண்டாம் என்று தெரிவிப்பேன்.
----------------------
Now in English:

1. What is your take on organic food , is it a big deal for you ?

No. Organic food is not a big deal for me. Generally organic foods are tasty but much expensive in USA and only the people with need go near that aisle in the departmental stores. My personal opinion on organic food is of two fold. I won't recommend expensive organic food unless otherwise stated by a physician. If used to it, we may end up allergic to the normal food in course of time. Moreover I can't appreciate pampering myself with such luxuries, when many out there really struggle for one meal a day. So I would rather donate that excess money to the needy, if I am that rich.
But as a woman hailing from a typical agricultural hometown, I know the benefits of organic farming. Organic farming is the only way to keep the soil fertile and it is not expensive to grow the vegetables with natural manure, (though the yield will be less in the beginning), but the price is more because of the middlemen. So if everyone practices organic farming , a fair trading and if that kind of food is affordable for every person, then I will also buy it.

2. Do you time your breakfast,lunch & dinner or eat when you are hungry ?

My breakfast and lunch will be regular. But I wait for my hubby to come home , so that we can have dinner together. (So the dinner time will depend on his work schedule).

3.Who inspired you to cook or bake?

My mom is my inspiration. She was not only an expert cook but also a very graceful lady. One of her secrets in cooking is finding out the recipe while tasting a new food and make it at home. Though I am not talented like her I would like to follow her ideas:) But she would not alter the authentic recipes she got through generations. It is very difficult nowadays but I too wish to do the same:)

4. You try a new recipe and it does not turn out good,what will you do ?

The first reaction will be a BIG silence, then I put off the stove and take rest for some time. Then I will transform it to something edible but will never waste food.

5. Name three ingredients you consciously avoid or eliminate even when the recipe calls for it ?

Alcoholic beverages
pork, beef, any non veg that is not appetizing for me.
ajinomotto.

6. Name few things you have to use in most recipes ?

Well, Indian gourmet food needs a big list. I prefer to stock up my pantry / fridge with the following always:)
Rice, salt, wheat flour, lentils, egg.
Turmeric, garlic, coconut oil, ginger, black pepper,chillies, sesame oil, asafoetida, sugar, milk, tamarind.
curry leaf, cilantro, mint, onion, tomato, potato.
During weekends: Fish, chicken.

7. How important is eating meals together as a family to you?

Very  important . We are just two people in my house, hubby and myself. I love to have food with my husband. We eagerly wait for dinner and weekend meals to sit together and eat while sharing our whole day experience.
In general, by dining together we get to know each other well. We can understand the taste and preferences of our family. So it is a must for every house.

8.You do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant,what will you do ?

If it is not spoiled, I will silently order a different dish and finish off. If it is spoiled, I will signal those who are with me:). Mostly I will appreciate the dishes I like and never comment on those I don't.
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Here are some other questions. You can have a choice too.

The second set of questions:

1)Are you a vegetarian, or have you thought about being one?

2) who inspired you to blog?

3) How do you celebrate Christmas?...or a favorite holiday of your choice?

4)Do you prefer to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and/or family, or prefer to ring in the New Year quietly, and privately, at home?

5)If someone were to ask you to bring dessert to a party, what would you bring? Store bought, or homemade, and if you were to make homemade, what would you make?

6) How will you celebrate your next birthday?

7)Do you have a New Year's resolution-and will you be sticking to it?

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I am passing the questions to some of my friends. Please keep the game going:)
Cham
Jaleela
Asha
shama

Thanks! 

Kara sevu

Karam - spicy hot; sevu - fried noodle like crispies.

Chevu or sev is a very common spicy snack in the rural areas of Tamilnadu. We can get two versions of it. One belonging to the villages of Southern Tamilnadu, the very spicy HOT 'kovilpatti kara sevu' and the next one is called 'lala mittai shop's butter sevu'.
I prefer the  'spicy kara sev' better. It is a very simple recipe and won't demand much skills as we need for a murukku. My mom used to make them for us in a very spicy manner, which my elder brother exclaims as smoky HOT and I am sharing her recipe here. It is a ritual nowadays in our house to make some snacks before weekend, that too a must during winter:) I have to stock up a small batch for hubby's snack needs before he buys home whatever he sees.

Kara sev stacked.

Ingredients:

Besan flour (bengal gram flour) - 2 cup
rice flour - 1/4 cup
salt - as per need
oil - to deep fry

To grind:

dry red chillies - 6
ajwain (bishop's weed / omam) - 1 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tsp
cumin - 1 tsp
garlic - 4 cloves

Utensils:

A murukku press.
A wide wok to deep fry.
slotted spatula

Method:

Grind the items in a blender to a medium coarse texture.
Mix that masala with the flours, add salt and 2 tbsp of hot oil.
(Adding hot oil reduces oil absorption while frying).
Add required water and knead into a soft chapathi dough consistency.
Fill the 'murukku press' with the prepared dough.
Heat the oil in a wok.
Press the dough in circular form as shown below.

Kara sev after frying.

Flip once and take out after the bubbles disappear.
Drain excess oil and place over paper towels.
Kara chev is ready!

Tips:

Perfectly prepared kara sev should not be oily.
Always keep the gram flour in refrigerator,this will result less oil absorption.
Add some hot oil while kneading the dough to get a crispier sev without much oil.

Serving suggestions:

Break it into long pieces.
Allow it to cool completely and store in air tight container.
Serve as snack with tea.

Event:
Though this kara sev contains very little ajwain (omam), it will have much flavor from ajwain.
So I am sending this kara sev to 'Cooking with seeds event - Ajwain' hosted by Kavita of 'seasoned and dressed' . The event is the brain child of 'Priya.' of  'Priya's easy and tasty recipes'. Happy hosting dear!

Rasmalai

Happy New year to all!
Here is a famous and delicious Indian dessert to welcome the New year.  Usually rasmalai is prepared from scratch.  But  I have used Gits ready made rasmalai mix here and explained the authentic method too.

The pack contains two sachets. One is for the chenna and the other contains nuts / thickeners to add to milk. Prepare chenna as per directions and make flat balls. Cook them in hot water (in LOW HEAT and kept open). In the same time prepare sugar syrup and immerse the cheese balls in it for 10 minutes.

Now start boiling the required quantity of milk in a broad vessel and add the contents of next sachet. Add the soaked rasgullas to the milk mixture and let it cool.Yields 16 rasmalai. Keep refrigerated overnight and serve chilled.

                    Authentic method:

Below is the traditional procedure I follow. The readymade version will not call for much effort, whereas this authentic procedure will yield more stiff and delicious rasmalais:)

                         Step 1

Ingredients:

Milk (full fat) - 1 litre (5 cups)
AP flour (maida) - 2 tsp
Lemon - 1
(or)vinegar - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Rose essence - 3 drops
(or)cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Boil milk in a vessel.
Squeeze the lemon and mix 1/2 cup water to the juice.
Add the lemon juice / vinegar to the boiling milk and stir slowly.
Put off heat.
Now the milk gets curdled to form paneer (a cheese variety).

Place a cheese cloth / new white cloth over the strainer and pour the curdled milk.
Pour some cold water to remove the lemon's sourness.
Squeeze out all the water and make a bundle using the cloth. Place it on the strainer or hang over a kitchen sink to loose all the water content.
Let it remain in this position for 45 mins to 2 hours , depending upon the quantity.

The hard cheese we get is called chenna. We can buy it in Indian grocery stores also.

Now knead the chenna to make a smooth dough. Add flour and knead again.

Make small balls of equal size of 1.5 cm diameter approximately, flatten it slightly and keep aside.

In another vessel mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling add the chenna balls and cook covered for 30 minutes (with lid partially open and in LOW HEAT).

The rasagulla will become double the size.

Drop one ball in cold water and if it sinks to the bottom , then it is cooked well.
If not so , then cook for another 5 minutes.

Switch off flame.

                    Step 2
Whole Milk - 1/2 liter
condensed milk - 4 tbsp
sugar - 6 tbsp
cardamom (powdered)- 5
pistachio - 5
Almond - 10
saffron - few strands

Soak the almond overnight and remove the skin. Grind it to a fine paste.
Bring the milk to a boil, add the almond paste. Switch off and add the cardamom powder, sugar, chopped pistachio and saffron.

Take the rasgulla from sugar syrup and immerse them in this milk sauce. Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled.

Serving suggestions:

Makes 20 rasmalai (approximately).
Place one rasmalai in a bowl along with a generous helping of milk sauce.
Serve as dessert.



*** world4art.com - Orkut New Year scraps, graphic and comments ! ***

Happy New year,

Lets welcome the New year with joy,
with lots of prayers and well wishes,
May every day be filled
with happiness and peace,
May every face on earth live happily forever,
with all our needs satisfied,
May every life lives peacefully
with all our dreams come true,
May every child gets love and care,along
with all the toys they want:)
May God shower His abundant love on all of us,






Wishing you all a
beautiful, Prosperous and Blessed
Happy New Year and Happy blogging!
Love,
Viki.

Christmas celebration : Event entry

Here are some snaps from our Christmas celebration.

I am Sending the below entries for Shamas's Christmas and New year event , 2010.

Happy hosting Shama!

A Birthday cake for Child Jesus:

Its a tradition in our house to bake a cake for the 'Baby Jesus'. This year I made a fruit cake and did icing with home made 'butter cream frosting'. I like the way the roses and color combo came out. After attending the mass we cut this cake and shared with friends and family.

The Christmas tree:

This is how we decorated the Christmas tree, this year.

Snacks for Santa:

Putting out cookies and chocolate drink for Santa is an American tradition. I added all the items I prepared for Christmas. The platter has thengai paal murukku, athirasam, butter biscuit, fruit cakes and Ovaltine milk. Also I left a bunch of cilantro for His Reindeers. We leave this platter near the Christmas tree and expect the Santa to give us all our favorite gifts. Yes, Santa came to our house really and we got a lot of gifts:) On the Christmas day, I got up very early and found a beautiful pair of earrings in my stockings:) Also, Xav got his favorite movie dvds and a shirt under the tree:) Thank you Santa! We all love you so much!

Reposts and event entry

Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and waiting to celebrate the New year along with your yummy creations.
I have not participated in many of your events for almost an year, because of my laziness:) One of my New year resolutions is to send at least a few entries once in a month. So as a beginning here are my reposts for Sameena's Cookies and cakes for Christmas event.

Cakes:

1.Christmas plum cake (fruit cake)

2.Easter Carrot cake.

Cookies:

1.Butter biscuit

2.Sugar cookies


Happy hosting dear!

Merry Christmas,

Wishing all my friends and readers a  blessed happy Christmas,
May all our dreams come true.

Banana halwa (vazhaipazha halwa)

A chewy sweet resembling fudge prepared using ripe plantain (long banana/ yetham pazham/ Ethampazham / ethan pazham / nenthram pazham).

I tasted it for the first time (as a child) , when Sr. Janet Mary (whom we consider as a great guidance in our family) presented us a pack of Banana halwa from Kerala, then she told us that this is a famous sweet in Tuticorin also. Then it became our favorite next to macaroons of Tuticorin. One can buy this  in  bakeries of Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), Tamilnadu, India. It will be sold as a circular shape piece of nearly 5 inch dia and 1 cm thickness. The proper color should be more darker than what I got. If you want to get that color add more ghee while making this halwa. I used 1/4 cup butter only, but 1 cup will be good for the authentic taste.
After that mom tried to make it  once or twice at home but I am not sure of the recipe. So I referred Mahanandi's Nenthram pazham halwa. It came out well. Thank you dear!  (I have made some variations for my convenience, so click the above link to see her beautiful snap and the original recipe).

Ingredients:
Ripe plantain (long version) - 4
(pureed to 2.5 cups)
sugar - 1 cup
butter - 1/4 cup (1/2 of a bar)
lemon juice - 1 tsp
All purpose flour / maida - 1 tbsp
water - 2 tbsp
chopped almond or cucumber seeds or cashew - a handful

Method:

Steam cook the banana. Peel the skin and remove the seeds. Puree it.
Take a thick bottomed wok, large enough to stir the halwa.
Pour the puree to the wok. Add the sugar, butter, lemon juice and mix well.
Start heating. After sometime the banana will start bubbling, then reduce the heat and stir in medium fire.
After the halwa starts leaving the sides, say in 10 minutes, mix the maida with water and pour over the halwa. This step is optional only. we can do the halwa without maida also.
Then stir continuously for another 10 minutes or till halwa starts becoming thick and tend to form a ball. Now add the nuts and stir well. Put off fire.
Grease a container (lesser height but wide) with a drop of ghee and pour the mixture.
Spread a little ghee on top to prevent drying.
Using a spoon or knife flatten it to get a glossy surface.
Allow it to cool. After cooling the halwa will become more thick and easy to slice.
Slice and serve as dessert.

Banana halwa is ready!

Serving suggestion:

If prepared with more ghee (enough to ooze out), this sweet will remain good in room temperature for more than a week.
Serve hot/cold as dessert or snack.

Fish platter (Meen Saappadu)

This post is not on any recipe but to show you all a kind of platter available in restaurants of TamilNadu (and some parts of  Kerala). They call it as meen(fish) saappadu (meals). I am sure it is an unique name for many out there, but people in my native place love this platter than many non veg dishes:) You can get this kind of meal in any non veg restaurant in Tamilnadu. This  plate will include a big cup of fine rice or red rice, a thin slice of  king fish fry,a bowl of thick fish curry, some vegetables, boiled egg or an omelet ,sambar,  rasam, buttermilk etc  and everything will be neatly served in a tender banana leaf. Can you imagine that!

My father-in-law is an ardent fan of fish and he will order this  whenever we go to a restaurant. While in Madras,  I too tried my best to make this platter on his visits . At that time, as a newly married I would put a lot of effort in getting him all the sea foods he may like. And one day he told me that he likes crab very much but had no opportunity to taste them because of my mother-in-law's preference:) So I prepared nandu kulambu (crab curry) immediately the next day and waited to hear his comments. Then only he told me that he has tasted crab made by his mother as a 6 year old and after loosing her, he had not had it at home and appreciated my effort a lot.I hold his words in my heart and cherish them forever. So whenever he comes to our home I would try to prepare a few things he likes the best:) I am dedicating this post to him:)

Meen saappadu .

The above plate shows rice, fish curry, fried fish, shark puttu (scrambled), mashed greens (keerai masiyal)and mangoes.I couldn't cut that king fish piece into a fine slice, so made it a big chunks:)  Yes, It is a tradition in my home town to have ripe mango with fish curry and rice:) The options are endless and I am sure you all enjoyed this Tirunelveli style fish platter:)

Enjoy!

Vazhaikkai puttu

Vazhaikkai - unripe banana; puttu - anything steam cooked and loose as sand .Vazhaikkai puttu is a spicy scrambled plantain fry served as side dish with rice.

Brinjal, drumstick, mango, unripe banana, small juicy tomato, pumpkin, yam etc are called native vegetables (naattu kaai) in Tamilnadu , while green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, carrot etc are called English kaai:)  I love those naattu kaai very much and will spend a lot of time in that vegetable section in the Indian store till hubby's turn comes in the billing counter:)
Coming to the unripe banana, the Indian variety holds good for side dishes like this. The other variety normally available here is the ethankkai (long banana), which is great for making chips.   If you have not tasted this puttu so far, then make it for dinner and serve with piping hot rice and vatral kulambu / sambar and appalam, I am sure you will fall in love with this like me.  This puttu comes in my menu at least once a month  and here is the recipe for you all.

Nattu vazhaikkai (Indian plantain).  Aren't they cute!

Ingredients:

unripe Indian banana - 2
onion (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
dry red chilly - 2
curry leaf - 1 sprig
coconut oil - 1 tbsp
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup
cumin - 1/4 tsp
turmeric - a pinch (optional)
salt - to taste

Method:

Wash the green plantains / bananas. Steam cook them using an Idly cooker or in a normal cooker without adding the pressure valve for 10 minutes. Check it by piercing a fork and it should pass through without difficulty but firm in shape.

Take out and let them cool. Remove the skin and grate the unripe banana in a carrot shredder. Mix salt and cumin to it. Keep aside.

In a wok, heat the coconut oil and add mustard seeds followed by the black gram lentil. As soon as the mustard crackles add the dry red chillies, curry leaves , onion and stir till the onion wilts. Immediately add the shredded plantain and mix well. Check for salt.  Fry till it becomes loose. Then mix the freshly shredded coconut and switch off.

Vazhaikkai puttu is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with rice and sambar or vatral kulambu or kara kulambu or rasam.

Note:

Some people ad d turmeric to the puttu , while others make it white. Both tastes good.

Sundal

Here is a well known healthy snack, the sundal. In India sundals are very regular during festivals,  temple offerings etc. It occupies a major role in Navarathiri pooja, a prominent Hindu festival in India. The Navarathiri or Dhasara is celebrated 10 days continuously. It is a celebration of Goddess Ambal's victory .The ladies arrange Golu (scene depicting culture using idols)  and offer these sundals to the God and distribute to the guests as prasatham.

Memories: It varies from region to region and  depends on which God they consider as their main deity . In my native place (dad's home town), the major Goddess is Bagavathy Amman and so Navarathiri is celebrated to honor the ladies of a family. The unmarried girls are considered as Goddesses and offered many gifts while participating in the function. In my dad's family the aim of the  function is to welcome the daughters who are given in marriage and to pamper the homesick girls , of course with her husband too:) Some do the fasting the whole day (9 days and the 10 th day is full of feasts) , powder the rice manually (using ural + ulakkai), make rice flour lamps (mavillakku) , sweet dumplings (kolukkattai) and in the evening there will be singing and poojas and a lot of yummy goodies to all:) .

Konda kadalai sundal.

Ingredients:

White or red chick peas - 100 gm (1 coffee mug full)
coconut oil - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
dry red chillies - 3
curry leaf - 2 sprig
mustard seed - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
water (to cook) - to immerse and 1 cup standing over.

Method:

Soak the chick peas over night.Fast Soaking can be done in hot water for 6 to 8 hours along with some baking soda. The peas will double in size after soaking.

The easiest way is to buy a canned one, but I prefer the home cooked ones better .

Remove the soaked water (must). Wash again and add some more water. Pressure cook the peas with more water to stand above the peas. Let it whistle once, then reduce the flame and cook in low flame for 15 minutes. Release pressure and take out. Add salt, drain the water.

Heat oil in a wok. Splutter the mustard seeds. Reduce flame and add the red chillies, curry leaves and wait till the chillies turn dark red. Add the cooked channa and stir fry till it looses all the water. Check the salt and put lot of freshly grated coconut. Switch off immediately.

Serving suggestion:

Serve as snack with tea / coffee.
It is my habit to make some chundal with variety rice like puli saatham (Yummy!).
This is a very healthy protein rich snack with nearly 100 calories per cup.
We can make many chundals like this from various lentils like whole green gram (pachai payaru), channa dhal (kadalai paruppu), moon dhal (paasi paruppu), cow peas (thattam payaru), field beans (mochai /val) etc.

Thayir vadai

In most of the Indian households or restaurants, the left over ulunthu vadai after serving with the ven pongal in the morning gets a makeover and becomes thayir vadai in the afternoon. Thayir (curd)  vadai (spicy black gram donut), is similar to the North-Indian dahi vada, except for the shape and few ingredients.

Some years ago, I read in Varamalar (a complimentary book for Dinamalar, a popular Tamil daily magazine), how to do thayir vadai. Before that also I knew this simple recipe from my mom, but the way the author, Andhumani described is still ringing in my head:) According to Andhumani, 'Grind the well soaked urid dhal in hand mortar till it gets fluffy as cotton and deep fry in ghee (?), dip in cold water, squeeze the water out, Soak it in the thickest possible curd and garnish with tempering'. Though that ghee fried vada recipe seems so idealistic and impossible for a woman of this era, I admire the way the author describing his thirst for a perfect thayir vadai:). Yes, home made thayir vadais are more delicious and healthy.

Ulunthu vadai is hubby's favorite and he can finish them off in one sitting:) So that varamalar 'thayir vadai' was a distant dream for me till I bought a pack of boondhi.  The next day I prepared some extra vadais for breakfast and soaked them in curd the whole day to serve along with dinner:)

Thayir vadai.

Hot crispy urid dal vadai served with chutney. Save some for thayir vadai:)

Ingredients:

Ulunthu vadai - 10
thick yogurt - 500 ml
mustard - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
curry leaf - 2 sprig
cilantro - 2 tbsp (chopped)
ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
oil / ghee - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
kara boondhi - 1/4 cup

Method:

Choose a fresh curd, so that it is not too sour.

Put the vadai in some cold water for 2 minutes and take out. Squeeze the water thoroughly. Place it in a serving bowl.

Beat the curd with required salt. keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard and let it crackle. Immediately add the urad dhal and let it get red, in the same time add the curry leaf, cilantro, ginger and switch off. Add it to the curd.

Run the tempered curd over the vadai and let it soak for an hour (4 hours is better. Soaking can also be done inside fridge overnight).

Serving suggestions:

Serve as starter during lunch / dinner and also as snack.
Serve thayir vadai garnished with fresh cilantro (malli thazhai), grated carrot and kara boondhi.

Note:

During hot weather  the curd gets sour quickly. So add some milk with curd before soaking the vadai or keep the dish inside fridge.
In my home, mom won't soak / squeeze vadai in water before adding curd. I don't know the reason  but I do the squeezing part too.

old fashioned egg pudding

This post is dedicated to my Sakunthala athai (my dad's sister), who makes every one around cheerful by her kindness and high spirit  . Our summer vacations get sweeter upon her arrival.  Even from February we would start waiting for her letter and plans.On her arrival we would go and wait in that train station to take her and kids home with lots of joy. In those days there were no in-law fights or ego problems and the whole family would cheer-up for each others' victory. Still I remember how my mom and Athai compliment each other in everything they did.  Her incredibly long thick black hair is her specialty. Athai is a very thin and beautiful lady (now also) and so energetic in such a way that she would play hide and seek, make kootan choru (camping food), long healthy gossips till midnight  etc. We would sit around her and listen as if it is a live show :) We all sleep together and the bed time stories were endless. I love the way she listens the Ceylon Radio, watching the cricket matches . She and her husband (mama) never fail to help others whenever there is a need. She is a great mom and good friend to all of us. Her tips on house management, grocery purchase always works for me and I held her as my guru while mingling with my family.

Athai makes this pudding for fuzzy egg eaters, when they need some protein. Many days she gives us this with breakfast (may be we are the odd family who craves for a dessert in breakfast time also) and I get satisfied with the dessert alone:) Recently I got this old fashioned pudding recipe from her  and   here goes the recipe.

Egg pudding served with apple....A complete breakfast!

Egg pudding cooked in a vessel.

Ingredients:

Egg - 1 or 2
milk - 1/2 cup
sugar (brown or white) - 3  tsp
salt - a very small pinch
cinnamon - a pinch (optional)
vanilla essence - a tiny drop

Method:

Start heating a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water.
Beat egg well. Add other ingredients and beat again.
Pour into an ever-silver bowl and steam cook in an idly cooker or pressure cooker (without putting the pressure valve weight) for 10 minutes.
If touched it should be like a jelly (spring back) at the edges and slightly loose at the center. It should retain the shape while transferring it.
Take out, empty it to a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh fruit.
Serve chill as dessert or a simple breakfast.

Note:

*This recipe seems to have some historical background. While googling I found out that,  this is a British recipe and hope the British settlers could have passed on this delicious pudding to my home town (which was known for its British settlement at that time).
*An egg pudding should be essentially cooked in high humidity to get that real taste. I have narrated an Indian pressure cooker method here. My aunt won't add salt or cinnamon. But I did so to enhance the sweetness of the recipe.
*cooks.com says, we can bake this pudding in oven at 300 deg F for 40 minutes. They suggest to keep the pudding vessel inside a pan of water.
*We can use this pudding as a custard base for ice creams and cakes.

Vanilla Ice cream

I got this recipe from my younger brother.When hubby presented me this beautiful ice-cream scoop(one of the gifts for my birthday), I couldn't control my eager to try Venkatesh's recipe:)  He is our favorite ice-cream maker and I like that homely version very much:). He is good at making jellies too:) Though he is much younger than me, he pampers me with this ice cream once in a while.  At that time he would hurry to the near by shop on Fridays to buy a small pack of this ice cream mix (which we later found out as custard powder) and prepare the ice cream in a jiffy. Hubby and myself think that this resembles an ice cream sold in Kalimark shop in Palayamkottai. At that time, they  used to make their ice cream and beverages on their own. The good thing about this ice-cream is the less calorie count (when compared to my other versions). But we have to beat the mix in a blender multiple times to get that fluffy ice cream.

Home made vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

Milk (full fat) - 2.5 cups / 1/2 liter
custard powder - 2 tbsp (vanilla flavor)
sugar - 1/2 cup (or) 3/4 cup
condensed milk - 2 tbsp (optional)
butter - 1 tbsp
vanilla extract - 2 drops

Method:

Bring to boil 2 cups of milk.
In the remaining 1/2 cup milk  add sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, custard powder and mix well.
Add this mixture into the boiled milk.
Start heating in low fire. It will become somewhat thick. Take care not to burn it at bottom.
Switch off , add butter, essence and let it cool.
Place it in freezer. Then after 30 minutes take out and beat it in the mixie for a minute or more.
Freeze it again for 30 minutes and beat for a minute in mixer.
Then freeze it for 4 hours or till it sets completely..

Tips:
For more creamy ice cream, add 4 oz whipped topping before freezing.
By this we can reduce the usage of blender. I just blend it for 1 minute and only once before freezing.
But if we can't get the topping, then do the blending twice or thrice or more till its hard to churn.

Vithai kothamalli thovaiyal

Vithai - seed; kothamalli - coriander ; thovaiyal - thick chutney (Tamil - English)

This is chutney recipe is from my mom's maid Mary Vadivu ammal. She assisted mom for a very long time and I can't predict her age. Hope she was a old lady but very strong as a little girl. I love her hints on simple foods and home remedies. One of her recommendations for a sluggish winter day after a grand food is the kollu rasam and the vithai malli thovaiyal. Here goes the recipe.

Coriander seed chutney.

Ingredients:

coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
channa dhal - 2 tbsp
shredded coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
dry red chillies - 4 or 5
garlic - a piece
cumin - 1/4 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
salt - to taste
tamarind - 2 inch
oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a wok. Roast the channa dhal to a mild red color. Take out.
Then roast the coriander seeds, red chillies and coconut one by one.
Let them cool.
Then grind the roasted ingredients with all the above with very little water to get a thick chutney (thogaiyal).
Vithai malli chutney is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve with piping hot rice and kollu rasam.
Pairs well with curd rice, dhal rice , idly etc.

Health benefits:

Coriander seed helps subduing pitham and hence a good remedy for giddiness.
It increases digestion.
Its fiber is great for weight loss.

Vazhaikkai bajji

Other names: Banana fritters, raw plantain bajji, valaikkai bajji.

'Vazhaikkai bajji prepared in bulk and placed in that glass covered shelves' is a regular scene in any tea shop in Tamilnadu and Kerala. There was/is a shop near my dad's house which sells these flavorful bajjis and mom would send someone to get them for any unexpected guests. But this is a very simple snack and she would prefer to make it at home most of the time. Mom used to prepare these bajjis with great care, so that the plantain pieces are sliced with some green-skin on. She used to add some dosa batter to the bajji batter as per her sister's suggestion:)This is my most favorite fried item and She was so caring enough to prepare this for me on the eve of my holidays. Bajjis bring me those loving memories always. I like it with chilly-garlic ketchup at that time. But nowadays I make it with coconut chutney for hubby. See, how our taste changes after marriage:)

Traditionally they dry-grind 1 kg of besan flour with 1/4 kg raw rice, 200 gms of dry red chilly, asafoetida,  in the mill and store as bajji mavu. Whenever needed this flour can be used to make bajji and pakoda.

Nattu vazhaikkai (Indian plantain).

Ingredients:

Indian green banana (small variety)- 2
Besan flour (kadalai mavu) - 3/4 cup
dosa batter - 1/4 cup
(or) rice flour - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
hing (asafoetida)- 1/8 tsp
baking soda - 1/10 tsp
garlic - 2 pieces (finely ground)
red food color - a pinch (optional)
oil - to deep fry

Method:

Always use nattu vazhaikkai for making this bajji. Nattu vazhakkai are available in Indian grocery shops and they are sold in bunches.
Wash the banana, remove the stem and tip. Scratch and peel the skin mildly by keeping some thick green skin on. That will give a good flavor to bajji.
Slice it into thin (long) pieces.

Mix all the above with 1/4 cup water to a thick batter. Add more water if needed, but keep the batter like idly batter ,otherwise the bajjis will drink lot of oil:)
Heat oil in a wok.

Dip the banana slices in the batter and put it on the hot oil. Flip and fry both sides. Drain oil and take out.

Vazhakkai bajji is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot as snack along with piping hot coffee or tea. Coconut chutney or tomato sauce is a best side dish for this vazhaikkai bajji.

Hyderabadi Chicken biryani

I prepared this Hyderabadi chicken biryani during a weekend. I love the way it brightens up a winter day:) The main challenge lies in getting all the things ready. But once we setup the dhum process, then we can sit and relax  with our loved ones. So keep everything handy before starting.

Hyderabadi biryanis are admired for their beautiful coloration and flavor. So once in a while I use organic food colors to get that real touch. In this method there will not be any separate gravy preparation like the Tamilnadu version. The meat gets cooked with rice and hence we will get juicy moist chicken pieces. This briyani  is  prepared in  a slow cooking process called dhum cooking which involves placing hot charcoal over the dhum vessel. But I am narrating that process to do at home, with the equipments we normally have:)

 Hyderabadi Chicken biryani in vibrant coloration.

Main Ingredients for Hyderabadi chicken biryani.

Arranging the layers for Hyderabadi chicken biryani before dhum process.

A homely  dhum process. Biryani vessel tightly sealed with wheat dough and placed over hot tawa.

To cook rice:

Basmati rice - 2.5 cups (500 gm)
salt - 1 tsp
water - 6 cup
bay leaf - 3
star aniseed - 1
black cumin - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 4
clove - 4
lemon juice- 1/4 of a fruit

Wash and clean the rice. Soak it for 30 minutes. Bring to boil some 6 cups of water.
Add the bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, lemon juice salt, kali jeera (black cumin) and let the rice gets semi cooked. It should be very firm and almost raw. Drain the water using a colander and keep aside.

For garnishing:

cashews - 10
raisins - 20
ghee - 2 tbsp
mint leaf , cilantro (chopped)- 2 tbsp
yellow or orange food color - 1 drop ea.
(we can use saffron instead)
cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Red onion - 1 cup (chopped lengthwise)

Heat oil in a flat bottom vessel and fry the chopped onions to golden brown. Take it out and save for garnishing.
In the remaining ghee , fry the cashews and raisins. Keep aside.

For the masala:

Chicken (with bones) - 500 gm
raisins - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tbsp
ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
mint - 1/4 bunch
cilantro - 1/4 bunch
green chilly - 5
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
ghee - 2 tbsp
plain yogurt (from whole milk)- 1 cup

Grind the mint, cilantro and green chillies to a fine paste.
Now ,wash and clean the chicken. Cut it into big chunks. Mix all the items mentioned above with chicken and place it in the bottom of the dhum vessel. Spread them uniformly.

For flavored water:

salt - 1/2 tsp
lemon - 1/2
sugar - 1 tsp
kewra water - 2 tbsp
(or, rose essence 2 drops + 2 tbsp water)
ghee - 2 tbsp
black pepper corn - 10
cinnamon - 1/2 inch
cardamom - 2
clove - 2
black cumin (kali jeera) - 1/2 tsp
green chilly - 2
Mace (javithri / jathipathiri) - 1 strand
nutmeg (jathikkai) - a small scraping

Run everything above in a mixer and make a fine liquid. If you don't have enough time then , leave the whole garam masalas and mix 2 tbsp of Hyderabadi biryani masala powder with the other things mentioned above. (I like shan brand biryani masala powder).

For dhum process:

wide vessel with tight lid
A dosa tawa
chapathi dough using 1 cup wheat flour

Mix the wheat flour with water to get a bread dough consistency and keep aside.
We can use an aluminum foil also, if we do not want to waste the dough. But sealing with dough is the best method and it is called dum / dhum process, which means 'slow cooking with hot steam sealed inside'. I would suggest sealing with the dough for a tasty dhum biryani.
If you are using a flat lid, then boil 2 liters of water in a vessel and place over the vessel (after sealing) for more heat generation.

Arranging the layers:

Now spread the semi cooked rice uniformly over the raw chicken masala layer.
Mix saffron with 1/4 cup warm milk (or) mix the food color with 2 tbsp water and sprinkle it over the rice. I used food color here.(Food color gives a beautiful look.so choose according to the occasion. Natuaral colors can be obtained from saffron, beetroot, carrot etc).
Place a thick dosa tawa over stove, heat it. Now place the dhum vessel over the tawa.
Over the rice, spread the fried cashews, finely chopped cilantro , mint, fried onion and sprinkle the flavored water.
Close the vessel with a tight lid.
Seal the edges with the prepared chapathi dough.
Start heating the arrangement. Keep the flame at high till the tawa gets heated and then reduce it to a minimum. Leave the whole set up for 2 hours. (Cook it in very low heat to avoid burnt smell). If you are making for a large scale, baking is the best method. Place the entire setup inside the oven and bake at 350 deg C and 90 minutes.
After that discard the dough, open the lid carefully.

Hyderabadi chicken biryani is ready!

 Hyderabadi Chicken biryani.

Serving suggestions:

Serve the biryani like a layered rice, so that every plate gets a portion of rice, chicken and colorful topping.The guest has to mix and devour:)
Serve with boiled eggs and raitha of your choice.
Serves 5 to 6 people.