Saffron Pulao

An aromatic rice variety suitable for any spicy-hot curry.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
onion - 1/2 cup (thinly sliced in lengthwise)
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Kali jeera - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 2
clove - 2
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Milk - 3/4 cup
Saffron - 2 pinches
cilantro and mint leaves - a handful

Wash the rice twice in water. Soak it in water (just enough to immerse) for half an hour.

Add salt + enough water to just immerse the rice and microwave or cook the rice to 50% (Let the rice be very firm now). Drain and discard the excess water, using a colander.

Heat ghee in a wok / vessel and fry the onions to golden brown. Take it out.

In the same wok add the bay leaves, kali jeera, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and saute for a few seconds. (We can add cashews, raisins and slivered almond too).

Now add the half cooked rice. In the same time bring milk to a boil along with the saffron strands.

Pour the colored milk over the rice , add the fried onion and a few more strands of saffron. The ratio of milk and rice should be such that each and every grain of rice should get a milk coating , but not any milk other than that. This lesser moisture helps in getting a stiff pilaf.Close the lid and let the rice gets completely cooked (grains should be separate). The pifaf will get more yellow color in some grains that gets direct contact with the saffron . Garnish with finely chopped mint, cilantro leaves while serving.

Saffron pulao is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve along with any spicy-hot curry.
The above said quantity can be enough for 3 adults.

Egg Biryani

Whenever I wish to make a special lunch box for hubby, egg biryani comes handy with its simple ingredients and lesser time consumption.

I cook the rice along with raw scrambled egg and add hard boiled eggs to it. I am not sure if it is the common method, but the rice getting cooked along with raw egg gives a better taste for me. Try my method and let me know.

Ingredients: (for 2 adults)
Basmathi rice / Jeeraga samba raw rice - 1 1/4 cup
Egg - 4 (2 raw , 2 hard boiled)
Tomato - 2
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Red onion - 1 (medium size)
green chillis - 3 (slit).
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
garam masal powder / biryani masal powder - 1 tsp
(I used Shakthi biryani masala powder)
cilantro- 10 stems
mint leaf -1 handful.
ghee - 3 tbsp

To temper:
Fennel - 1 tsp
bay leaves - 2
star aniseed - 1,
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
cardamom - 2
cloves - 2
cashew nuts -10
salt - to taste

Rice preparation:
Wash the rice and soak it for 1/2 an hour. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Add excess water and half cook the rice . Strain and remove the excess water using a colander. Keep open and let it cool.

Preparation:
wash and clean the tomatoes. Puree them. Keep aside.
Hard boil 2 eggs, remove the shell and make 3 slits on each egg. Keep aside.

Method:
Heat 3 tbsp ghee / oil in a broad flat bottom vessel.
Add fennel ,star aniseed , cinnamon stick,cardamom ,cloves, bay leaf , cashew and saute for a few seconds.

Put the chopped onion . Fry till it gets golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell goes. Then add the chopped chillies, chopped cilantro + mint and stir well.

Now add the tomato paste along with red chilly powder and biryani masala powders.

Add salt to taste. Cook till oil oozes out.

Put the cooked eggs and saute to get them coated with the masala. Take them out.

Reduce flame. Now break and pour the remaining eggs and stir well. Don't wait to cook the mashed eggs. Just add the half cooked rice and mix carefully .Add very little water to cook the rice. Place the boiled eggs over the biryani.

Close tightly and reduce the flame to minimum.

After 15-20 minutes the egg biryani will be ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with any raitha.

Broccoli poriyal

Hope you all had a great 'Mother's day'. Mine was wonderful. we celebrated the Mother's day in the Church and crowned the Mother Mary's statue in our home by a home made flower wreath. The Father's message was very encouraging. He asked all the people to stand to get Mother's day blessings, as he wanted to bless each and every one for the motherly feelings at heart. Even the men were also honored, as they also play the role of a mommy sometimes:) Hubby presented me a beautiful pair of rose bud earrings and a brooch made of coral. That was my long cherished wish and somehow he presented me the same thing without knowing. That's romantic. Isn't it friends!

For today's post here is 'An Indianised version of broccoli stir fry'.

Whenever I see a vegetable, I always look for a way to add my native touch to it. Even the broccoli couldn't escape my tawa:) So here is a simple poriyal with the nutritious broccoli.



Ingredients:
Broccoli (chopped) - 2 cup
red onion - 1 (small)
any oil - 1 tbsp
fennel seed - 1 tsp
cilantro, curry leaf, mint leaf - few
red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and clean the broccoli.
Chop it into medium size pieces.

Heat oil in a wok. Add fennel seeds and let them get red.
Then add the chopped onion, the leaves mentioned above and fry till the onion turns golden brown.

Then put the chopped broccoli and fry for a minute.
Add salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder , garam masal powder, a handful of water and cook covered till the vegetable is cooked.

Take off lid and saute till all the moisture is gone.

Broccoli fry is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with sambar rice or roti or any rice.

Thakkali Biryani

'A kind of tomato rice prepared in biryani flavor'

This is the most favorite version of Tomato rice for many. Biryani masala in the tomato rice makes it more delectable. My mom used to prepare it without much spices. Click to see that too.

Actually I call it as tomato rice but many tells it as tomato biryani. Biryani associated with anything fascinates me. I started liking it after tasting the one made by my sister in law (my Amutha Anni), who is a physician and a lovable lady. She served it with chicken drumsticks fried in Indian style along with raitha when we visited her. That tasted heavenly when I knew that it was her first attempt and I admire the way she took care in cooking all these for us even in the midst of her tight schedule. We ladies always sing in praise of our family and I am no exception. hi..hi..hi:).

Thakkali briyani served with onion raitha and potato fry.

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice / Jeeraga samba raw rice - 2 cups
Tomato - 4 (200 gm)
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Red onion - 1 (medium size)
green chillis - 3 (slit).
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
garam masal powder / biryani masal powder - 1 tsp
(I used Shakthi biryani masala powder)
cilantro- 10 stems
mint leaf -1 handful.
ghee - 2 tbsp (to add at the end)

To temper:
Fennel - 1 tsp
bay leaves - 2
star aniseed - 1,
cinnamom stick - 2 inch
cardamom - 2
cloves - 4
Any cooking oil - 3 tbsp
cashew nuts -10
salt - to taste

Rice preparation:
Wash the rice and soak it for 1/2 an hour. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Add excess water and cook the rice to firm stage (100% cooked , but not mushy). Strain and remove the excess water using a colander. Keep open and let it cool.

Preparation:
wash and clean the tomatoes. Puree them. Keep aside.

Method:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a broad flat bottom vessel.
Add fennel ,star aniseed , cinnamon stick,cardamom ,cloves, bay leaf , cashew and saute for a few seconds.

Put the chopped onion . Fry it till golden brown and add the ginger garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell goes. Then add the chopped chillies, chopped cilantro + mint and stir well.

Now add the tomato paste along with red chilly powder and biryani masala powders.

Add salt to taste. Cook till oil oozes out.

Mix with the cooked rice without breaking the grains.

Tomato biryani is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Garnish with 2 tbsp ghee , chopped cilantro , mint leaves.
Serve with onion raitha, potato chips etc.
Serves 3 adults.

Bread omelet

Omelet sandwiched between two slices of bread and flavored with sauces and chutneys.

This is my hubby's most favorite breakfast to pack for office. I am sure many know to make it, but posting it for his friend who wanted to know the recipe for this unique 'Indian egg sandwich'.

The procedure is of two fold. First toasting the bread and then preparing the omelet. Arrange it according to taste.

To toast the bread:
Bread - 4 slices
(Any bread works fine, but I prefer the fluffy 'old fashioned white bread' always).

Toast them in a bread toaster. Otherwise heat a griddle with a 1/4 tsp butter. Pan roast the bread both sides till we a get a beautiful red color.
Repeat for the remaining slices too. Keep aside.

The red chutney:
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp

The green chutney:
Mint leaf - 1 cup
cilantro leaves - 3 cups
vinegar - 1/4 cup
salt - 1/4 tsp
green chilly - 4

Wash and clean the leaves.
Grind all the above to a fine paste and keep refrigerated. We can make a lot of chutney and store for at least 2-3 weeks.

To make omelet:

Ingredients:
Egg - 3
Red onion (finely chopped) - 1
green chilly (finely chopped)- 3
coconut oil - 1 tbsp (any oil)
salt- 1/8 tsp for each egg added.
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cheese - 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:
Break and pour the egg in to a mixing bowl.
Chop the onion and green chilly very finely.
Add salt and cumin seeds to the egg and beat well.
Now add the chopped onion and chilly. Using a fork , beat till the egg doubles its volume.
Heat a tbsp of coconut oil in a dosa griddle .
Pour the well beaten egg, reduce heat. Flip the omelet. Cook both sides completely and keep aside.

Arranging:
Take two toasted bread slices. Spread a little unsalted butter if we have used a bread toaster.
Coat the top of one bread with 1 tbsp tomato ketchup and the next slice with 1 tbsp green chutney.
Cut the omelet into two and place a 1/2 inside and close the breads.
Make a diagonal cut and serve.

Like wise do for the next pair of bread slices.

Bread omelet is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as a breakfast or evening snack.

Beetroot greens poriyal

Some years back, when I saw these fresh bunches of beets for the first time in a farmers' market, it became my center of attraction. Personally I think this beetroot is a gorgeous vegetable and I like all those who say 'YES' to this cutie. Mostly no one in my dad's house likes it , except for my Annapazham paatti, who was a great story teller in our native village. Rarely she visits our home and I would be eagerly waiting for her timeless tales. Whenever we start having this fry, she would say the same like me 'Most gorgeous vegetable in the world' and no wonder all the kids would start finishing that fry in no time.

Ok, we all know to cook a beetroot in our own way. But I have never used its greens till I landed in this country. My hometown which was known for its hot weather even in the winters could not supply me the beetroot with its leaves . But except for these fancy vegetables (English vegetables we say), that region is blessed with a lot of vegetation like brinjal, tiny tomatoes, chillies, turmeric,dhal, paddy fields and all the native Indian vegetables can be got fresh there.
(Yeah, I can never call it heat and dust. Such is the power of your home..right!)

So coming back to the fry. Without knowing the recipe , I had many doubts on that taste. Even I sent queries to my favorite cookery show hostess , Mrs. Revathy Shanmugam , if it is edible:) May be she was busy, so couldn't get the reply till my greens were fresh. So I just prepared a stir fry of its leaves (leaves alone, not the stem) along with a small beetroot. (Look at that cute bunch!).

It was amazing and I served it to my hubby saying the same words of that granny. No wonder he too started liking the beetroot. Touch of an Angel..huh:)

Fresh bunch of beetroot with greens.

Beetroot greens stir fried with a beetroot.

Ingredients: (for two people)
Beetroot greens - 1 bunch (15 leaves)
Beetroot - 1 (150 gm)
Shallot / red onion (chopped) - 1/2 cup
garlic - 5 cloves
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup
mustard - 1/2 tsp
oil (sesame / coconut oil) - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
dry red chilly - 2

Method:
Pluck the leaves and young stem alone. Discard the tougher stalk. Remove the skin of beetroot.

Wash and clean the greens, beetroot. Chop them separately.
(Beets should be chopped into small cubes of 1/2 inch).

Heat oil / ghee in a wok. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Chop the onion, garlic, chillies, curry leaf (optional) finely and add to the wok.
Stir till onion turns soft.

Add the finely chopped beetroot and cook closed with a handful of water for 5 minutes.
Open the lid. Let all the moisture dries up.

Now add the finely chopped greens and stir fry till the greens get cooked.

Add salt, cumin and fry a bit. After the poriyal looks very loose without any moisture, switch off.
Then put the freshly shredded coconut.

Beetroot keerai poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestions:
The perfect combination can be with sambar rice ,vatral kuzhambu rice etc.

Thengai bun ( Coconut bun)

Thengai means Coconut. A popular stuffed bread available in the bakeries of Tirunelveli , Tuticorin (TN, India) and other places South to it. Usually they stuff the bread with sweetened coconut, raisins, cashews, cherries and left over fruit cake some times.

This is one of the snacks we usually buy in my father's house for evening tea. I love the way my mother used to keep a snack every evening while we return home from school. She was so dedicated and caring in such a way that at least she would buy some goodies from the nearby bakery for us:) When I told my hubby of those fond memories after marriage, he started bringing me my sweet breads when he comes to pick me up from the University, so that I won't starve till I reach home...hi..hi. Those were the touching moments , he waiting to pick me up after work and myself feeling embarrassed to do so. That was the most sweet bread any one can get..right!

So whenever we talk of our home town's specialties , this bun will make a great topic for us. We both are crazy for this but I never know a recipe to try it. So I tried a version myself with the pizza base and it came out fantastic. May be a bread dough can also work here. I don't know the exact recipe for that bread, but this gives me the exact taste and no wonder we enjoyed it to the core:)

Here is that special thengai bun for you all!

Thengai bun before slicing.


Sliced thengai bun , ready to eat:)

Ingredients:
Pizza base (or) bread dough - enough to make a medium size pizza.
butter - 1 tsp
egg white - 1 tbsp
water - 1 tsp

For stuffing:
Sweetened coconut - 1 1/2 cup
(I used store bought one. But we can make it at home by stirring 1 1/4 cup coconut with 1/4 cup sugar till it becomes dry).
raisins - 10
cashew - 10
cherry - 5 (halved)
cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.

Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Grease it with butter (1/2 tsp).

Mix all the stuffing items. Let them cool, if we prepared the sweetened coconut at home.

Take one ball of the dough. Flatten it a circle of 1 inch thickness and almost 1/2 feet dia.
Place it on the sheet. Spread the stuffing uniformly.

Make a similar circle with the other half and cover the stuffing.
Gently fold the edges without any opening there.
Coat a 1/2 tsp butter over the top.

Make a few slits at the top to make vent.

Mix the egg with water and coat the top (Egg wash).
Egg wash makes the bread shiny and more brown and it is purely optional.

Place it in oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or till the top starts turning red.

Take out and slice it (into 4 or 5 pieces) after cooling a little.

Thengai bun is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as dessert or snack.
I like it instead of regular pizza for dinner:)

Variations:

I won't use egg wash (don't wanna waste that yellow portion...hi..hi). A coat of butter / ghee will give a shiny brown top. Broiling will make it more gorgeous.
Some bakeries add scrambled fruit cake (that goes as waste or less priced snack), to this stuffing and make it like a less coconuty bun. That will also be tasty.