Meal haven

Tamilnadu Chicken Biriyani

My comfort food. This aromatic blend of herbs, spices and rice blends in your mouth and tantalises your taste buds. There are 4 or 5 different types of biriyanis in Tamilnadu, Chennai style, Ambur style, Dindigul style, Kongunadu style etc , the Ambur biriyani being the most popular. I learnt this version of the Chennai style of biriyani from my mother in law. We also make another version of the Chennai biriyani at my mom’s house with only green chillies, which is equally awesome. Will update the re’cipe soon.

In this recipe, I have used the spice’ kalpasi’ or ‘dagad phool” , (pictured below). This spice enhances the flavour of the biriyani. But make sure that you use only 1 or 2 pieces/flowers of the same as it has a strong flavour. You may also chose to omit it from the recipe, if you do not have it n your pantry.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 3 cups

Water – 1 cup + 3 1/2 cup

Curds – 2 tbsp

Pudina/Mint leaves – 3/4 cup

Coriander leaves – 3/4 cup

Onions – 4 big + 1 onion

Tomato – 3 small or 2 medium

Chicken – 1 Kg

Garam masala powder – a pinch (optional)

Cloves -6

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Small Cardamom – 4

Big black cardamom – 2

Bay leaf – 3

Dagad phool /Kalpasi/black stone flower – 2 pieces

Sauf – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 8

Red chillie powder – 1tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Ginger and Garlic paste – 1 tbsp heaped

Coconut milk powder – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cashewnuts and raisins fried – 8 pieces each

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp turmeric and curds/yogurt for 1 or 2 hrs. Soak rice for only 20 minutes before you start cooking the rice. After 20 minutes, pass the rice through a colander and keep the rice aside.

Grind 5 green chillies with little water in a mixie coarsely. Keep aside. Slice the onions (5) thinly.

Heat a wide thick bottomed vessel. Add oil and ghee and heat it. When it becomes hot, add a pinch of the garam masala powder, the cloves, cinnamon, small cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, saunf and dagad phool. Then, add sliced onions and 3 green chillies slit lengthwise and saute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell goes away. Now add the green chillie paste, coriander leaf, pudina leaves and tomatoes and saute for 3- 4 minutes. Then in goes the 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, chillie powder 1/2 tsp and salt. Saute again and add in the marinated chicken. Add 1 cup water and close the lid and cook the chicken.

In a pan, heat 3 1/2 cups water. When it starts to boil, add the prepared chicken masala and the coconut milk powder to it and stir. Adjust the salt. When the water starts to boil, add the rice to it . Close and keep on high for 3 -4 minutes and when the water has been almost absorbed and the rice comes to the top, reduce the flame to the minimum on a small burner and keep the vessel covered and cook for 20 minutes. (or you could also place the vessel on an iron griddle/tawa, on very low flame for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai and deep fry 1 big sliced onion until brown in color. Also, fry the cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.

Serve the biriyani garnished with fried onions, raisins and cashewnuts.

Paruppu Rasam/Dal Rasam

Vegetarian

This version of rasam as the name implies is prepared using dal. It can be eaten with rice or can be had as a soup.

Ingredients:

Chana dal – 2 tbsp

Tomatoes – 2 big

Coriander leaves chopped – 1 tsp

Garlic – 2 cloves

Water -2 cups

Tamarind – 2 tsp concentrated pulp

Rasam powder

Jaggery powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – as required

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 3/4 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Rasam Powder :

Chana Dal – 2 tsps

Pepper – a little more than 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Mustard – 4 – 5 grains

Coriander leaves – 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

In a kadai, fry all the ingredients listed above for making ‘rasam powder’ to golden brown and take it off. Add coriander leaves, saute just once quickly and take off the pan. Pulse all the ingrredients in a blender.

Start by cooking the tur dal in cooker with 2 cups of water. Keep the flame on medium and after a whistle and keep it on flame for another 2 whistles. Once cooled, open the cooker and mash the dal and keep it aside.

In a kadai, add the water and dal from the cooker and add chopped tomatoes to it and cook it well. When it turns mushy, mash it and add tamarind paste and the jaggery powder. Boil it for 2 minutes and then add 2 tsps of rasam powder (home made or store bought) and stir and boil just once. Switch off the gas.

Heat kadai and add oil to it. When it turns hot, add the items listed under ‘seasonings’ to it. Pour over the seasonings on top of the rasam and mix well. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Cabbage Raita

Chutneys

A healthy food. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K and C and yogurt, a probiotic food enhances healthy gut bacteria.

Ingredients:

Curds beaten – 2 cups

Cabbage finely shredded – 3/4 cup

Jeera powder (roasted and powdered) – 3/4 tsp

Green chillie finely chopped – 1 no.

Ginger finely chopped – 1 inch piece

Sugar =- 1/2 tsp

Coriandr leaves chopped- a few

Chillie powder – 1 pinch

Salt

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and mix and serve chilled.

Easy Ambalapuzha Paal Payasam

Desserts

Ambalapuzha Krishna temple in Kerala is famous for its paal payasam. Rich and creamy, it is usually made with red chemba rice and served without garnishing of nuts or raisins.

I have a sweet tooth and love all types of payasams. But this one from the kitchens of Kerala is an absolute special. My version of this payasam is an easy recipe shared by a friend in Kuwait, Nandini and I would like to thank her for the same. I loved this recipe and have prepared it many times and every single time, it has turned out to be a winner.

Ingredients:

Milk – 4 cups

Basmati rice or broken red rice – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Raisins fried in ghee – 1 1/2 tsp

Cashewnuts fried in ghee – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Though this payasam is traditonally made from broken rice, I have used plain basmati rice for this recipe.

Boil 4 cups of milk in a pressure cooker. When it starts to boil, add 1/4 cup rice to it and stir well. Once the milk boils again , add 3/4 cup sugar and stir well. When it starts boiling again, close the lid of the pressurre cooker, put on the weight and keep it on the small gas burner on a very low flame. Let it cook for 40 – 45 minutes.

If the milk starts to come out, place a thick wet cloth (preferably a small turkey towel) over the cooker, close to the whistle. You will need to remove the cloth in between and wet it again and place it on the cooker, as it will turn dry.

Once the cooker cools down, remove and check the payasam. It would have turned pinkish cream in colour. Add the cashewnuts, cardamom powder and raisins and serve it hot or cold, as per your preference.

Palak Paneer

Vegetarian, Vgetarian

A spinach and cottage cheese curry which pairs well with naan, parathas, chappatis or rice. You can also substitute paneer with tofu, if one is allergic to diary products.

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak chopped- 2 bunches

Onion – 2 finely chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic -3 cloves

Tomato – 2 big

Green chillies chopped- 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie power – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder – less than 1/4 tsp

Cottage cheese or paneer (cubed) – 250 gms

Cream – 2 tbsp (optional)

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Clean the palak, drain it in a colander and chop it. In a big vessel, add the chopped palak with tender stems and green chillies, just about 2 tbsp of water and close the lid and cook it. Take it off the fire when it is almost 3/4 cooked. Do not let the greens change its bright green colour. Cool it and grind it in a blender coarsely. Make sure it is not a very fine paste.

In another pan, melt the butter and saute the paneer until it starts to turn golden brown. Keep it aside.

In the same pan, add little oil. When hot, add jeera, finely chopped ginger and the finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onions and saute well. In goes the tomatoes next, followed by the red chillie powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and the turmeric powder.

Saute well for 2 minutes and then add the paneer to it, followed by the ground palak mixture. Add salt and let it boil for 10 minutes. You may add cream and mix it or skip it, if you do not want it.

Roasted Onion Chutney

Chutneys

Ingredients:

Red chillies – 4

Big Onion – 1/2 or Shallots (small onions) – 5 or 6

Coconut grated – 1/4 cup

Tamarind – 1 small piece

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Oil – 1tsp

Curry leaves – 4 to 5

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Roast red chillies in direct flame. Next, roast the small onions also in direct flame. Grind the roasted red chillies and onions alongwith tamarind and salt to a fine paste, adding just about 1 tbsp of water.

Add the seasonings and serve.

Vaangi Bhaath

Rice

A speciality of Karnataka made of rice and brinjals. Vangi is a term used for brinjals and bhath is rice. U can also use the same spice powder for making Capsicum rice, if you do not like brinjals. For vaangi bhath, preferably the long green brinjals are used. Papads and raita or plain curds can be served alongwith this rice.

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small

Rice -2 cups

Water – 5 cups

Brinjals – 2 long

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped

Lemon juice

Green chillie – 1

Cashewnuts roasted for garnish

For the vangi bhath powder

Udad dal -1 tsp

Chana dal – 2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 5-6

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Clove – 1

Khus khus – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Copra – 1 tbsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Peppercorns – 3 or 4

Fry asafoetida and dals separately with very little oil. Keep aside. Fry red chillies separately and take it off. Then add cinnamon, cloves, pepper, jeera, coriander seeds and khus khus. Lightly fry copra separately and add it to the dal mixture and powder all together.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Chana dal – 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Boil rice with water and salt. When it is cooked, drain the rice in a colander and keep it aside. Chop brinjals lengthwise and put them in a bowl of water to prevent it from discolouration. In a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add the green chillie which is slit lengthwise and finely chopped onions and saute well. The add the green brinjals slit lengthwise and fry for some time. Add 1/2 tsp spice powder (home made or store bought vaangi bhath powder) and cook the brinjals, taking care not to make it too mushy. Sprinkle some water, if required to cook the brinjals.

Heat oil and add the items listed under “seasonings” and keep it aside.

Now add the cooked rice to the brinjals, 2 tsp of the vaangi baath powder, the seasonings, chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp of lime juice. Mix well and adjust the salt. If you prefer it more spicy, you may add more spice powder. Also, some of them prefer to add tamarind juice to the brinjals while cooking but I usually prefer lime juice.

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts.

Quick Tomato Rasam

Vegetarian

An ideal South Indian soup for cold, flu and weight loss. It is loaded with healthy ingredients like pepper, garlic , cumin seeds and turmeric. The mulligatawny soup originates from the south which means “milagu” – “pepper” and thanni – water.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes – 3 medium

Water – 2 cups

Garlic – 3 cloves

Tamarind – 2 tsp concentrated pulp

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds powder (jeera powder)- 1/4 tsp

Rasam powder – 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt – as required

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Asafoetida – a pinch

Whole red chillie – 1

Garlic chopped fine – 1/2 tsp optional

Rasam powder:

Chana dal – 2 tsps

Pepper – little more than 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Mustard – 4-5 grains

Note : This version of rasam powder does not have coriander seeds in it, which is usually added.

Saute all the ingredients in kadai without oil and powder it in a blender.

Preparation:

In a kadai, add chopped tomatoes and boil it with water. When the tomatoes turn mushy, mash it roughly with a masher. Add tamarind paste to it, pepper powder and jeera powder and boil it again for 2 minutes. Then add salt and the rasam powder (home made or store bought powders) and boil it just once.

Heat kadai and add oil to it. When it is hot, add the ingredients under seasoning to it. Put off the gas and pour over the seasonings on top of the rasam and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mathanga (Yellow Pumkin) Erissery

Uncategorized, Vegetarian

A traditional dish from the Kerala cuisine which is a part of the Onam feast. The roasted coconut and the coconut oil enhances the taste of this dish. You could also make this with Chena/Karnakizhangu (Elephant’s foot) or Kaya/Vazhakkai (raw banana).

Ingredients:

Yellow pumpkin – 600 gms

Small red cow peas (van payar) – 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

To grind:

Green chillies – 2

Grated coconut – 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Shallots – 1 or 2 optional

Seasoning:

Red chillies – 1

Mustard seeds – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (Roast it until it turns golden brown)

Preparation:

Soak the red beans overnight in water. Then, cook the soaked beans separately in a vessel with little water and salt.

In a separate vessel, add the diced red pumpkin, turmeric powder, salt, chillie powder and cook it well with very little water. After it is cooked well, mash it roughly and add it to the cooked beans.

Grind the ingredients in “to grind” coarsely and add it to the red beans and pumpkin mixture and heat well once and stir.

Heat coconut oil in a kadai and temper the seasonings. Pour the seasonings over, mix well and check the salt. You can drizzle a 1/4 tsp of coconut oil on top before serving.

Vazhakkai Varuval (Raw Banana Fry)

Vegetarian

Another recipe which can be made in a jiffy. It can be served as a starter or can be served a side dish for rasam or sambar rice.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana – 2

Salt – As needed

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Chillie powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1/2 tsp for colour

Rice powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1-2 tbsp

Preparation:

Cut the raw banana into thick slices as shown in picture. Put it in a shallow pan and add salt and turmeric and cook it, closing it with a lid. Cook it until it is 3/4th cooked.

Drain off excess water, if any. Meanwhile, in a cup, make a paste of chillie powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and rice powder. Apply the paste on either side of the cooked green bananas.

Take a tawa and add 1 tbsp oil to it. Gently put the raw banana with the paste applied on it and shallow fry it. When it turns golden brown, flip it to the other side and fry it. Add a bit more oil, if u need and fry. Remove from tawa and serve.