MUTTON BIRIYANI (My Way)

Mutton Biriyani (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:


Marination:
Mutton - 1/2 kg
Curd - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt


For Pressure cook:
Marinated mutton
Water - 1/4 cup


For Masala:
Onion - 1 large grinded to paste
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
Tomato - 1 medium grinded to paste
Cashew nuts - 4 nos soaked in milk for atleast 30 mins. (optional)
Green chilli - 3 nos
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
Salt

For frying

Onion - 1 large sliced thinly

For Rice:
Basmati Rice - 1 bowl (measure of a normal 4.5" rice bowl)
Cardamom - 2 nos
Bayleaf - 1 no
Clove - 3 nos
Star anise - 1 no
Cinnamon Stick - 1 no
Salt

Pudina leaves - 1 cup
Rose water
Ghee

Preparation:

Marinate the mutton pieces once cleaned well with all the ingredients mentioned under marination, for atleast an hour. (I kept for 2 hours)

Then in a pressure cooker, add water and rest of ingredients mentioned under pressure cook and cook for 3-4 whistles.

Meanwhile cut all the ingredients for masala and grind then one by one. Grind greenchilli and coriander together and set aside. Gind tomato and cashew and keep aside. Likewise, onion paste too.

In a pan, add about 4 tbsp oil and add onion paste. Saute till it turns light brown in color and then add ginger garlic paste Saute till brown in color and then add green chilli - coriander paste and saute for 2-3 mins. Then add cashew-tomato paste and saute till oil starts leaving the sides. Then add the masala powders one by one and saute till oil starts leaving the sides again. Then pick only the pressure cooked mutton pieces (leaving the stock behind) and add to the masala mix. Then add coconut milk and cook covered till all the water is evaporated and you get a thick dry gravy. Now you have the mutton pieces ready.

Soak rice for 20 mins and in a deep pan add the soaked rice, the spices and little salt and then instead of water add the mutton stock that we got in the pressure cooker. Measure of rice to water will be 1 cup of rice to 2 full cups of water (take water in the same cup you measured rice). Measure the stock first and rest add water to it. Boil till water is evaporated and rice if half boiled. Now rice is ready.

While rice is being done you can slice the 1 large onion and fry in batches till golden brown in color and drain in tissue. Cut pudina leaves and keep aside.

Now for the arrangement:
Rub ghee on the base of the dish and layer first with rice. Then on top layer with mutton pieces and on top pudina and fried onions. The again on top layer with rice again and finally pudina and fried onions again. Since quantity was less I got only 2 layer of rice with mutton in middle. Drizzle drops od rose water on top of the rice and add few drop of ghee too here and there. Cover with a aluminium foil and bake at preheated oven 190C for about 30 mins.

BIRIYANI JUST OUT OF OVEN

For non-oven users, you can arrange the dish as said above and cover with a tight lid and then coverig the edges with a dough or masking tape. Then on very low flame, dum for about 1 hour.

Serve warm with Onion raita, achar and pappad :)..

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

NAADAN MUTTON ROAST (Weekend Special)

Mutton Roast Kerala Style

Ingredients:

Mutton - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2 medium sliced
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Green chilli - 3 sliced
Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Fennel Powder - a large pinch
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt
Small Onions - 8 nos sliced
Curry Leaves - 2 springs
Coconut pieces sliced - 1/2 cup
Coconut Oil

Preparation:

Clean, wash and drain the mutton pieces.

Make a paste of all the powders and keep aside.

In a pan add around 3 tbsp oil and once hot add sliced onions and saute till light pink color. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes. Add in the green chilli and saute further for a min or two. Now add the powder paste and saute on low flame till oil starts leaving the sides. Add in the washed mutton pieces and pour in 1/2 cup water, salt and cook covered till done. It took for me almost an hour over medium flame. You will get cooked pieces with minimum water. Optionally to cook faster you can add 1/4 cup water, salt and pressure cook for almost 5 whistles till done. I feel cooking covered gives even more tastier dish :).

Once done, inn a pan add 2 tbsp oil. To this add onions, and coconut pieces. Saute till onions turn light brown color. Then add curry leaves and add the cooked mutton pieces. Roast till almost all the water is evaporated and dry and the end product will be in a roasted form.

Serve with Rice, chappati, or any traditional kerala breakfast dishes :)

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

KERALA ROAST CHICKEN

Kerala Roast Chicken

Ingredients :

Chicken - 750 gms (cut into small pieces)
Onion - 2 medium chopped finely
Ginger - garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
Tomato - 1 medium (sliced)
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 3/4 - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 handful
Salt

For marination:
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust according to the spice)
Vinegar - 1/5 tsp
Salt
Oil for frying (Coconut oil preferred for the authentic taste)

Preparation:

Take the ingredients mentioned under the marination part and make a paste with vinegar without adding water. Marinate the chicken nicely adn kepp for a minimum of half an hour atleast. I had kept for 1 hour.

Then in a pan, add sufficient oil and fry the chicken pieces lightly.(Dont literally fry them!). Remove and keep then on tissue to drain excess oil. 
In the same oil, add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onions become light brown in color and add in the sliced tomato and curry leaves. Saute till tomato gets smashed nicely. Then add in the powders and saute till raw smell goes. Add in the drained chicken pieces and then sufficient water, cover and cook till chicken pieces are soft and tender. If water remains still open the lid and cook further till water evaporates and the gravy thicken to a roasted form. Serve warm with rotis, chappati, rice with onion rings and fresh chopped green chilli.

I am sending this dish for the entry of Kerala Kitchen

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

FISH BIRIYANI

Fish Biriyani

This is always a big hit and favourite of all people in my house :).. One of another famous chef Sanjeev Kapoors recipe and sure gonna be liked by all if you cook this :)....This was one of another easter special lunch for us. Do try and you will know the difference in cooking the Sanjeev Kapoors way :)

Ingredients:
King Fish - 700gm

For Marination :
Chilli Powder - 1tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Lime - 1/2 no
Salt

For the Gravy :

Onions : 4-5 nos big sliced
green chilli - 2-3 nos chopped
ginger galric paste - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 1 big cut into four
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Salt

Rice - 3 cups
Bay leaf - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cardamom - 2 nos
Water

For final Garnishing:
Garam Masala - 2 tsp
Nuts - 6-7 pieces roasted in ghee
Raisins - 9-10 nos roasted in ghee
Safrron a pinch (soaked in warm water)
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup

Wash and Soak the rice in water for 1 hour.

Meanwhile marinate the fish and keepa side for 30 mins and fry in 1/2 cup oil. In the same oil add in the onions and green chilli and saute for 2 mins. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and saute till onions turn slight brown in color. Then add in the sliced tomato, coriander and mint leaves, garam masala and salt.Saute for 3-5 mins. Add in the fish pieces and cook for a minute and then add in 1/2 cup water and cook till gravy thickens and keep aside.

Once the rice is soaked for desired time, drain and roast for 5 mins in ghee in a pan. then add in water, salt, bayleaf, cinnamon and cardamom and cook till rice is done. Then in a big round vessel, rub ghee on the bottom of vessel and sides and add one layer of rice and then in another layer fish and masala. In bettwen add in safrron water here and there. Then add another layer of rice, then fish, then again rice.Again sprinkle saffron water. On top, sprinkle roasted nuts and raisins, and coriander leaves and mint leaves. Finally sprinkle the garam masala and cover tightly and cook over low flame for 15-20 mins.

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

KOZHI NIRACHATHU w/o OVEN (Stuffed Chicken) Easter Special-2

Stuffed Chicken

  

Quite a long time!!! ya ya i know :(... everyday i think i need to blog but keep pending for each other day due to busy schedule. Easter has been over and the special dishes i have nbot uploaded other than Vattayappam. So here goes another special dish which i made for dinner :)...

i would like to say special thanks to shabs from shabs cuisine... seeing her pics i couldnt help trying it and it was super hit at my home :)

Ingredients :

Chicken : 1.2 kg


For marination:


Chilli Powder - 3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Lime Juice - 1 lime
Salt and water


Using sufficient water make a paste of all the ingredients under marination.


For Stuffing:
Egg - 1no
Onion - 2 large nos sliced
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 twig leaves
Green Chilli - 3 nos chopped
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts - 6 nos
Raisins - 7 nos
Salt to taste
Oil

Marinate the chicken and keep it overnight.

Preparation for the stuffing:

Boil the egg and keep aside. In a pan, add oil and saute cashew till light brown and remove. Then add in raisins in the same pan and roast and keep aside with cashew. Now add in the onion and saute for about a min and then add in the ginger garlic and green chilli, salt and saute till onion becomes brown in color. Then add in all the powders under stuffing listed and saute till the raw smell goes. Add in the egg and nuts and raisin and saute for a min. nce cooled down add this stuffing inside the marinated chicken and then witha neddle and thread stich the flesh in between the legs as we need to fry the chicken and dont eed oil to go inside. Then tie the legs with thread or twine and also the wings (hands).

Now for the Gray Part :

Ingedients :

Onions - 2 large nos sliced

Tomatoes - 2 large nos chopped

Curry Leaves - 3 twig leaves

Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp powdered (perinjeerakam)

Green Chilli - 4 nos chopped

Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp

Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Paprika Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Preparation :


Heat oil in a pan and add in the oiions for a min and then add in the curry leaves, green chilli and ginger and gralic paste and saute till oions are almot borwn in color and then addin the tomatoes and saute till tomatoes turn mushy. Add in the powders and spices and saute till raw smell goes. Add in the water to make a thick gravy and leep aside.


Add in about 1/2 cup oil and put in the marinated chicken and on medium flame and cook till all side of chicken is light brown color. Then on low flame cook. Keep turning sides till the chicken gets properly fried. keep turning the chicken in between in rotation. It make take about aprrox of half an hour.
Remove to a plate and add in the gravy and granish. Serve Hot :)...

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

VATTAYAPPAM (Easter Special -1) - Steamed Rice cake

Vattayapam - Steamed Rice Cake

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS :)

Finally Easter!!! yahoooooo... this is my little princesses first easter and I wanted to make it as special as it could be :).... i made 3 special dishes on this day and this is one of them :).. We took pics where she was cutting the appam (of course we were there to help ;) )... Every Easter we do somethign special..but all days this easter was most special to me with my child :).....

This is one special appam where you can make it easily within no time (except for the fermentation part though). Can be a savoury for the children and I bet they will be asking for u more :)


Ingredients :


Raw Rice - 1 cup
Coconut - 3/4 cup
Cooked Rice - 2 Tbsp
Yeast - 1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp + 1/2cup
Water - 1/3 cup
Nuts - 6 nos roasted in ghee
Raisins - few nos roasted in ghee


Preparation
Soak the rice overnight or for 6-8 hours. Grind the rice to paste in a mixie with minimum amount of water just to make the mixie run. Then remove about 2 tbsp of the coarsely grounded rice mix and keep aside.
Keep the yeast soaked with sugar (2 tbsp) in 1/3 cup of warm water for about 10-15 mins till a dome like foam is formed.
Add in the coconut grated and cooked rice to the mixie and grind to a smooth paste. In a pan add in the 2 tbsp coarsely grounded rice mix and 1/3 cup water. Cook till soft and the mix is like a smooth dough (water will be evaporated). Add this to the grounded mix of rice and coconut and grind again. Add in the yeast mix and again vroom vrrom :). The batter will be like sort of idli batter and remove and keep in a big container as the batter will rise. Keep it in a warm place about for 6 hours. Then add in the 1/ cup sugar mix and keep for about 2 hours more aside.


In a pressure cooker add water to steam cook in a round pan (pan that comes with pressure cooker). Rub ghee to the pan and keep aside. Add the nuts and raisins that has been roasted in ghee into the batter, mix and pour the batter into the pan. Cover with a aluminium foil. Make sure the pan is not kept low enough as water might get in. Steam cook for about 20-25min. To check if its done put a knife through and if the knife comes out neatly then its done :).

P.S : in case you want the nuts and raisns over the top decorate after 10 mins of steam cook over the batter and then resume with the steam cook :).

Cheers,
Neetz ;)