Prawn briyani

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 1/2 lb, cleaned and de-veined (tail on or off)
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Green Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Bay Leaf - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 1″pc.
Ginger, Garlic & Green Chillies - 2 tbsp
Fried Onions - 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - 2 med, chopped
Salt - to taste
Red Chilli Powder - to taste
Mint Leaves - handful, chopped
Coconut Milk - 2 cups
Basmati Rice - 1 cup, washed and drained, but NOT soaked
Clarified Butter/Ghee - 1 Tbsp, for garnishing


Method:

1. Heat Oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Green Cardamom and Cloves and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add Ginger/Garlic/Green Chili paste and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Add Fried Onions and mix.
4. Add Tomatoes and Shrimp — mix.
5. Add Red Chili Powder, Salt and Mint Leaves — mix.
6. Add Coconut Milk and washed Rice — mix well.
7. Cover, pressure cook for 1 whistle and switch off stove. (Electric stove users — remove from the stove)
8. Allow pressure to go down by itself.
9. Open pressure cooker and fluff biryani with a fork.
10. Drizzle Clarified Butter (ghee) over the top, cover and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Indian Vegetable Rice

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 cup mixed vegetables(Green peas,potato,carrot,beans)


INSTRUCTIONS

1.In a large pan heat oil over medium heat and saute onions and cumin until onions are tender, but not browned. Rinse the rise several times and drain well. Add the rice to the pan with the onions and pour in the 2 cups of water. Stir in salt, garam masala and vegetables. Cover the pan and increase the heat to high.
2.Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, keeping the rice covered at all times. After cooking for about 10 minutes, gently stir the rice to distribute the spices evenly. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until all of the water has evaporated and the rice is tender.

GARAM MASALA

There are as many variations of garam masala (which may contain up to 12 spices) as there are Indian cooks. It can include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, ginger, mace and nutmeg. Garam masala may be purchased in Indian markets and in the gourmet section of some supermarkets.

Uses
Garam masala is usually either added to a curries, vegetable dishes, soups, or stews toward the end of cooking or sprinkled over the surface just before serving

Rice Puttu

Ingredients:
(Serves - 5)

Raw Rice 1/2 kg
Coconut 1/2 grated
Water to sprinkle
Salt to taste

Method:

1.Soak rice in water for 4 hrs, then drain it and grind it to make fine powder.
2.Heat the powder for 5 mts. While heating stir it. Keep it for cooling.
3.Mix salt with water sprinkle this to the powdered rice just to make the powder wet.
4.For making puttu special utensil is used named puttukutty or micro puttu. Put a handful of grated coconut in the puttukutty and then put rice powder till half then add another handful of grated coconut. This is done till the top. Close the lid steam it for 2 mts in cooker.

Serve it with potato curry or ghee

Lady's Finger Kichadi

Ingredients:

Lady's finger pieces 3 1/2cup
Thick Curd from 1/2 litre milk 2cups
Green chillies 2
Dry Red chillies 3
Mustard 1dsp
Grated coconut 1/2cup
Curry leaves 2 springs
Oil 2 tsp
Salt to taste


Method:

1.Slice the ladies finger in small round pieces.
2.Fry lady's finger in oil till crisp. Ground coarsely grated coconut, green chillies and mustard. Season mustard, red chilli and curry leaves in 2 tsp oil. Lower the flame add curd and the ground ingredients. Keep stirring. Add fried ladies finger and salt. Remove from fire when it boils.

Note: You can use Pavakkai(Bitter Gourd) instead of Ladies Finger as a variation.

Avial Recipe

This is a semi-dry preparation which is a mixture of all sorts of vegetables.

Ingredients:
(Serves 10)

Yam sliced thinly into 11/2" length pieces 1cup
Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" thick pieces 1cup
Snake gourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1cup
Carrot sliced into into 11/2" length pieces 1/4cup
Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1/2cup
Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces 2nos
Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1no
Mango pieces for sour
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Grated coconut 1/2quantity
Green chillies 5nos
Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
Curry leaves 2sprigs
Coconut oil 3tbs


Method:

1.Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep it aside.
2.Clean the vegetables.
3.Heat 2tbs coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel. Add the vegetables and cook in a low flame. Do not add water. When it is done, add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Remove the vegetables from the middle and put sliced bananas and mango pieces and cover it with the other vegetables. When steam comes out, add the coconut paste and stir well. Remove from fire. Mix the remaining coconut oil and curry leaves in the avial.