My 50 th Post -Mutton Biriyani

I am happy to present you my 50 th posting.I wud remember all my friends in this auspicious occasion. Because, without them this blog wud not be possible. And ofcourse, the biggest critic  my husband - who makes me think, for different  varieties.This Mutton Biriyani is dedicated to my husband Ramesh.This biriyani recipe is from one of my friends.I was inspired by her biriyani.Give it a try u will love it.Lets get into the recipe.


Mutton Biriyani with Egg dressing


Ingredients:
1.Mutton                                  -    1 pound
1 (a).Basmati rice                   -     21/2 cups
2.Onion                                   -     1( big)
3.Tomatoes                             -      2 (medium)
4.Green chillies                      -      5
5.Ginger garlic paste              -     1 tbsp
6.Chilli pwdr                          -     1 tbsp
7.Whole garam masalas
8.Mint leaves                          -     1 cup
9.Orange color                        -   1 tsp ( optional)
10.Ghee & oil                         -   1/4 cup each
Method:
* Chop the onion,tomatoes and slit the green chillies.
* In a pressure cooker, cook the mutton with chilli pwdr , turmeric pwdr and 4 cups of water for two whistles.
* separate the mutton from its stock and keep it aside as shown in the figure.
* Wash the basmat rice and soak it for 15 mins. In a pan fry it with a spoon of ghee ( shown in pic).



Chopped onions,tomatoes,green chillies,fried rice,mutton and mutton stock.

 *  In a pressure cooker , add ghee, oil and splutter with whole garam masalas.( Cloves,Cinnamon sticks,Bay leaves and Fennel seeds)
* Saute the onion and green chillies until it oozes out oil.
* Add Tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.
* When the tomato gets disintergrated, add the mutton pieces and giv it a stir.



Adding mutton to the gravy.

 * Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute it.
* Make sure that there is no water content in the mixture.
* Now measure the mutton stock, it wud be 5 cups.( 1 cup extra-Bcoz mutton wud ooze out water)
* Add the mutton stock to the mixture and giv it a stir.Adjust salt to taste.
* Add the orange color by dissolving it in a tsp of water.Add mint leaves.



Time to add the rice......

  * bring the water to a boil and slowly add the fried basmati rice.Cook for 1 whistle and put it in Dhum for 15 mins in low flame and transfer immediately to another container. So  the rice will not be sticking together.
* Serve hot with baghara baingan and raitha.




 Mutton biriyani,Baghara baingan ,raitha and mutton soup!!!!!!!


Note:
For 1 cup of rice, we can add 2 green chillies and same for the mutton stock.Check out my next post for baghara baingan.


Briyani

Mushroom Pepper Fry

Mushroom pepper fry is a substitute for mutton fry.My son eats it well , telling it is mutton .The count down has started for our vegetarian fasting....Today the sacred purattasi month ends, and from tomorrow, we are pure non-vegetarians....ha ha ha.Ok lets get into the dish.



Mushroon fry


Ingredients:
1.Mushroom               -   1 pound
2.Onions                     -   1 (medium sized)
3.Green chilies           -   1
4.Ginger  (minced)     -    1 tbsp
5.Garlic   (crushed)    -    3 to 4
6.Pepper pwdr            -    1 tbsp
7.Mustard seeds          -    1 tsp
8.Urad dal                   -    1 tsp
9.Curry leaves
10.Cilantro       

Method:
* chop the onions and slice the mushroom.
* Boil water in a bowl in microwave for 5 mins.
* Put the mushroom slices in the hot water and let it get half cooked as shown.



Mushrooms sitting in hot water

 * In pan or kadai, pour some oil and splutter with mustard seeds urad dal and curry leaves.
* Saute the onions and green chillies.Sprinkle salt to the onions.
* when the onions oozes out oil, add the minced ginger and crushed garlic.
* We can also add ginger garlic paste but crushed garlic and minced ginger gives wonderful aroma to the dish.
* Add the mushroom slices  into the pan.



One by one getting into pan


* The mushroom will give out water. Let it loose all the water. Add pepper pwdr and required salt.
* Let the dish be dry.Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice.



Ready to be served

Pepper Mushroom

Mango Chutney ( Mango thokku)

Mango thokku or chutney can be done in n number of ways.I had this dish when I was studying 8 th std in St Mary's Chengalpet.We used to go to a village near chengalpet , to our friend's house. They are from Andhra and has a lot of mango trees around their house.Their Grandma wud go and pluck the mature mango , from the tree and do this dish in stone grinder. Right from their farm to our plates......Wow , I become a  fan to this dish from then.I forgot the recipe, So I asked my mom, she gave me this wonderful recipe. U can just add sesame oil to the steamed rice with this thokku or just have it with chapathis, wonderful.. it will be.

Ingredients:
1.Mango                     -  1
2.Red chillies             -  10
3.Fenugreek seeds      -   1/4 tbsp
4.Mustard seeds         -    1/4 tbsp
5.Oil                           -    3 tbsp
6.Curry leaves

Method:
* Wash and peel the mango. Cut them into cubes.
* Take a blender and add mangoes with red chillies and grind it with a tsp of salt and little water.

* In a pan dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind them into pwdr after cooling.
* In the same pan, add  oil and temper with mustard seeds ,curry leaves and the fenugreek seed pwdr.
* Now add the grinded mango into the pan.

* Saute it till, it oozes out oil.
* Adjust salt to taste and serve with hot rice.

* My husband doesnt like mangoes, but when i serve tis dish with steamed rice, he wud never say no.
No one can say no to this dish. Give it a try u wud also love this as I do.
Green Mango & Mint Chutney

Aviyal

Aviyal is an indian salad , which has all vegetables mixed and has yogurt dressing.This is an authentic Kerala dish . We can add any vegetable to this dish. There is no formal rules for the vegetables to be added in aviyal.

Ingredients:
1.Carrot                 -    1
2.Chow chow        -     1
3.Brinjal                -     3
4.Ladies Fingure    -    5
5.Green chillies     -    4
6.Coconut              -    3 pieces
7.Cumin seeds       -    1/2 tbsp
8.Coconut oil         -    3 tbsp
9.Curry leaves

Method:
* Wash the vegetables and cut them into lengthwise.
* Boil the vegetables in a pan with little water,a pinch of turmeric pwdr and some salt.
* Grind the coconut,cumin seeds and green chillies into a fine paste.

* Add curd to the grinded mixture, as shown.

* In a pan, add coconut oil and saute the boiled vegetables slightly.
* Now add the curd mixture to the slightly sauted vegetables.

* Turn off the stove when the water content is reduced and garnish with cilantro.
* Serve it with hot rice or adai.

Beans Usili

Beans Usili, is side dish, in which lentils are crumbled and  cooked  with beans.Its a healthy dish as lentils are steamed and cooked with any vegetables like, vazhappu,beans and cluster beans.Its made easy now a days.I have got a easy recipe.Give it a try.



Beautiful Beans Usili !!!

 Ingredients:
1.Beans                  -  1 pound
2.Chana dal            -  1 cup
3.Red chillies         -  4
4.Onion                   -  1/2
5.Garlic                   -  3 pods
5 (a).Chilli pwdr     - 1 tsp ( optional)
6.Mustard seeds
7.Oil
8.curry leaves
9.Cilantro

Method:
* Chop the onion and crush the garlic.
* Chop finely the beans.
* Soak the chana dal and red chillies  for 1/2 hr.
* Throw it in a blender and grind it coarsely without adding water.



Coasrsely grinded dal


* Steam the grinded mixture in a idli cooker.



Steaming the dal mixture

 * Half cook the beans in microwave for 3 minutes. Crumble the steamed dal in a cup.



Ready to be cooked !!!

 * In a pan, add oil and saute the onion and garlic .Add the semi cooked beans and mix it with the onion.
* Add the dal crumbles and toss it.
* Add the chilli pwdr , if  its not spicy enough.



slowly adding the dal

 * Add salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.
* Serve with sambar, rasam or curd rice.




Beans Usili ready to serve !

 

Bean Spices

Pudina Pulao (Mint Rice)

Pudina - even the name has its mesmerizing aroma. U put it in any dish, it changes the dish totally and takes full control.Its my favourite . Blame it on my mom, who introduced me to this wonderful greens.
She used to make chutneys for chapathis and idlis.Wow the number of chapathis and idlis goes in becomes countless...With a open heart and empty stomach ,I proudly  present u, this mint rice ...



Mint Rice

 Ingredients:
1. Basmati rice            -  2 cups
2.Mint leaves              -   1 cup
3.Onion                       -  1
4.Green chillies          -  6
5.whole garam  masalas
6.Cashews   ( for garnishing)
7. Cilantro

Method:
* Its a one pot dish.
* Chop the onion lenghthwise and slit the green chillies.
* Wash and grind the mint leaves with 4 green chillies.
* Make into a fine paste as shown.



Mint and chilli paste

 * Wash the basmati rice and soak it in water for 15 mins.
* Take a pressure cooker pour 1 tsp of ghee and fry the basmati rice for few minutes and keep it aside.
* In the same cooker add oil and splutter with shown whole garam masalas.



Cinnamon,cloves,bay leaves and fennel seeds

 * Saute onion and remaining 2 green chillies till they ooze out oil.
* Pour the grinded mint & chilli mixture into the cooker and saute it with onions.



Sauting mint with onion

 * When mint looses its raw smell, add 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
* Slowly add the fried basmati rice into the cooker and mix it well.sprinkle salt to taste.
* Let cooker whitles once and keep in dhum for 15 mins in low flame.
* Transfer the rice immediately to another container, this will make the rice non-sticky.
* Garnish with cilantro and fried cashews.
Coconut and Mint Pulao

Aloo Capsicum fry

Aloo in any form ,is everyone's favourite.When capsicum is added to it , then its a delight.Capsicum or green pepper gives , a heavenly aroma to any dish.If u add it to chicken, u can't just eat one and soon u will empty ur plate.So I will add capsicum to any possible dish .Give it a try u can never say no.




Aloo capsicun fry

 Aloo capsicum can be made dry or gravy.Since I did Mint rice for Lunch, cooked it as  dry.If u want to have it for chapathis. just add tomato to make it  a gravy.
Ingredients:
1.Onion                    -   1/2

2.Green pepper        -    1

3.Potato                    -    3 ( Medium)
4.Chilli pwdr            -    1 tbsp

5.Turmeric pwdr       -   1 tsp
6.Curry leaves
7.Cilantro

Method:
* Chop the onion and dice the capsicum as shown.




Diced capsicum

 * Cut the potato into cubes and half cook in microwave ,so it cooks faster in the gravy.

* Take a pan, pour oil and splutter with mustard seeds and saute the onion till it turns golden brown.
* Add the diced capsicum and potatoes.
* When they are half cooked, add turmeric pwdr and chilli pwdr.
* Let the raw smell goes off.
* Close the pan with a lid and let it cook.

* Sprinkle salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Potato Curry
Potato Curry Recipe