Kitchen Tantra

Vellore Mutton Biriyani:

Vellore Jodhi Hotel Style Biriyani.

As I told you earlier....tho' the regional speciality Biriyani is booming these days. Few are never forgotten for their taste and uniqueness. Sure there are many places which follow the same thumb rule for years(for centuries actually). Like the one Vellore Jodhi...which is in swing for more than 100 years. These places do not maintain a name board, nor they advertise their hotel. The only publicity comes from word of mouth. Since they were out there for centuries....they maintain it in the same country style....without any modern equipments. The name survives for their trade mark!

Well...as I had already shared with you 'Arcot Star Biriyani', Vellore Vella Biriyani, 'Amboor Kushka ' Ahmadhiya Biriyani' and even 'Vaniyambai Biriyani'. This goes in the same collection. I am using my speciality 'Seeraga Samba rice' again. Since I don't get any Meat(Goat's Meat)here at Oxford, I did this when I visited my India home. So....go crazy dear you'all!

Ingredients:

For Meat Marination:

Goat's Meat (Bone-in, Fat-on) 1/4 kilo
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon(freshly prepared)
Green chili 2 minced
Scallion 1 grated
Country Tomato 1 grated
Mint 6-8 leaves bruised
Cilantro leaves bruised few
Lemon 1 fruit freshly squeezed
Rock Salt
Chili Powder 1/4 spoon
Yogurts 1/4 cup.

For Biriyani:

Short Grained Rice 2 cups
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onions 2 sliced
Tomatoes 6 chopped
Salt
Chili powder (optional...its not used generally)
Mint 10 leaves
Cilantro few leaves
Ghee 1 cup.

Spices:

Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cardamom 6 crushed
Bay leaves 3 crumbled
Star anise 2
Marati Mokku 3
Rose petal few(dried)
Birinji flower 1
Saffron few strands - tapped

Method:

In a wide crock pot, heat ghee. Throw in all the spices. Let them crackle up.

Then add chilies, wait till it splutters and turns white.

Followed by onions...fry real good till golden. Maybe add salt o hasten your process.

Now tomatoes....cover and cook. When tomatoes turn pulpy, add chili powder.

Stir-in marinated meat. Cover and cook till meat is tender. It takes really...........long time!

When the meat is tender and oil shows up on top, make sure there is no extra moisture. Then stir-in rice.

Let the rice get well fried for brief period. Then measure your water and add the same.

Cover and cook in a least possible heat. I always slow cook under sim, the no-1 knob here. Again it takes 1- 11/2 on stove top. Well one could set these in oven over 350 degrees for 3 whole hours. Choice is yours!

Enjoy with accompany of Vellore Serva, Spanish Onion raita and Hard boiled egg!

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Karumbu Chaaru Pongal:

Kanne Ki Chaawal. Karumbu Saaru Pongal. Sugar Cane Pongal.

This is once again my friend Kranthi's Mother's recipe. She made this on a Pongal(Sankranthi)day. Sure...it got into my mind, as it tasted much like fresh cane. I liked the idea about fresh cane juice in cooking rather then using crude jaggery or anything. It brings up all the flavour and earthy-ness. Wow....its a harvest festival and let us use all the fresh produce(raw rice, fresh cane.....)what not!

Ingredients:

Raw-Half broken rice 1/2 cup
Split moong dal 1/4 cup (pasi paruppu/pesaru pappu)
Sugar Cane juice (freshly squeezed 2 cups)
Cardamon seeds powder 1-2 spoons
Pachai Karpooram/raw camphor 1-2 pinches(optional)
Ghee/clarified butter 1+1 cup
Cashewnuts 1/2 cup (halved)
Dry grapes/raisins/kismiss - 1/2 cup
.
Method:

Wash rice and dal seperately....for several times. Maybe till the water runs clear. Then soak them togather for 20 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add few spoons of ghee. Add 2 cups of cane sugar juice and bring this to boil.

Now add soaked rice and dal to this boiling cane sugar water.(discard the soaked water) Pressure cook them over medium heat till they are soft or for 3 whistles.

Then using a wooden laddle mix the well-cooked rice and dal.It should come to 'Pongal' consistency. Add raw camphor to this now and remove from stove.

In a seperate pan, heat ghee. Fry halved cashewnuts till they are golden-reddish color. Set them aside.

In the same ghee, fry dry grapes...till they pop and bulge.

To the above pongal...add fried cashewnuts, fried grapes and 1 cup of ghee. Stir them well.

Serve warm as a main-sweet dish or dessert. Or serve chilled as dessert.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Sweets

Murungaikkai Pulp Pongal:

Drumsticks Pulp Pongal/Rice.

The Botanical name of this tree is 'Moringa oleifera'! Both Leaves and pods are edible here. Well...talking about its pod, we call it 'murungai' in Tamil. Which literally means 'twisted'. Yeah...the pod is so slender and looks like twisted one. The common name of 'Murungaikai' is 'Horse Raddish Tree' 'Drum Sticks Tree'.

Well...here I cooked this under my Dad's direction. We cooked the drumsticks and separated pulp alone and used it in cooking. My brother really appreciated this one....as he always complains when we cook the whole drumsticks ' why the hell you guys put these sticks in sambar?!' I am glad that he enjoyed this one!

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup
Thoor dal 2 fistful
Drumsticks 4
Green chilies 4 finely chopped
Garlic 4 beads finely chopped
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Tomato 1 chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Cumin seeds few
Oil few spoons
Cilantro chopped few.

Method:

Chop drumsticks and cook with limited water. And then separate the pulp alone. Use back of your spoon and scoop the pulp! Set aside.

In a crock pot, heat oil. Add cumin, curry leaves and chilies. Let them crackle up.

Then add garlic, onion and tomatoes...fry real good.

Further add salt, turmeric, rice and dal to it. Add enough water. Cover and cook till tender.

When the rice and dal is done, stir-in drumstick's pulp + 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook till they blend to the rice and pongal consistency is achieved.

Garnish with cilantro leaves. Enjoy with potato chips.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Sambar

Kovaikkai Masale Bath:>

Tindora Masale Bath. Dondakkai Bath. Kovaikkai Saadham. Gherkins Spice Rice.

Ingredients:

To Be Toasted Each Separately And Powdered Togather:

Coriander seeds 2 spoons
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Dry red chilies 6
Fenugreek seeds 1-2 spoons
Whole black pepper 1 spoon
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cloves 3
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Dry coconut grated 1/4 cup
Black Sesame seeds 2 spoons
Asafoetida.

For Rice:

Long Grained Rice/Basmathi 1 cup
Ghee few spoons
Salt

For Pan-Frying:

Gherkins/dhondakkai/kovaikkai/tindora 1/4 kilo
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon/ lemon juice few spoons(i used lemon)
Ghee few spoons.

For Sesonning:

Ghee few spoons
Mustard 1/2 spoon
Cumin 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Dry redchilies 3.


Method:

In a pressure cooker, cook rice along with salt and few spoons of ghee. When it is done...spread the rice in a wide tray. Fluff the rice with fork. Allow this to cool down to room temperature.

In a wide, heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil. Stir-in sliced tindora...add salt, turmeric and lemon juice. Fry them till they are tender.

Now add powderd spices too. Let them get fried well. When the raw smell of the spices is gone and oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.

Now mix this spicy tindora with rice. Let the rice get well coated with spice-blend.

In a separate pan, heat ghee. Add sesonning ingredeients one by one. Wait till they pop and splutter.

Now run this sesonning over the rice. Mix them once again thoroughly. Using hands could be a good choice.

Serve warm as a main dish for lunch. Enjoy!

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Fiery Hot Egg-plants Rice:

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1-2 cups
Italian Egg-plants 6-8 (slitted twice)
Onion fienly chopped
Garlic 1-2 whole head - peeled & chopped
Dry Red chilies 1 fistful - toasted n grated
Tomatoes 2 - pureed
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Salt
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Cilantro to garnish
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

Cook rice with limited salt in it. Spread them in a clean tray to get stiff and well seperated rice.

In a iron wok(preferably) heat oil.

Crackle mustard, cumin and curry leaves.

Add garlic and fry till it turn golden and very aromatic.

Now add onions and fry real good. Let it turn to golden color as well.

Followed by tomatoes. Let it loose its moisture and become glossy in the wok.

Add salt, turmeric and chili flakes. Fry for about 2 minutes and egg-plants.

Maintain stove over medium heat. Let the egg-plant coat oil all over it.

Do not add any water. Cover and cook over medium heat until the egg-plants are done.

When it is tender enough, add rice without forming any lumps. Now fry over high heat for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Labels: Brinjal/ Egg-Plant, Main Dish - Rice

Vegetable Lemon Rice:


Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup
Mixed Veggies(carrots, beans & Peas)
Salt
Turmeric powder 2 pinch
Lemon juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chenna dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger skinned and chopped from 4-5 inch size
Curry leaves 1 cup
Cashew nuts 1 cup
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.

3. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Add further ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Let them to come to crisp condition with good flavor.

4. Now add little salt, turmeric, lemon juice and veggies. Cover and cook till tender. When the veggies are done, remove from stove.

5. Mix this above syrup to rice. Using hands or blunt spatula....mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Set them aside for at least 1-2 hours.

Instead of eating just carb'.....adding veggies to your lunch box, makes it bit healthy!

Labels: Carrot, Main Dish - Rice

Thirunelveli Ulundhu Saadham:

Ulundhu Saadham. Urad Dal Kitchedi/kitcheri. Ulundhu Pongal.

This recipe was prepared by my family friend 'Meena Aunty. Though she is from Palayamkottai, uncle is from Thirunelveli. Well...she made this Urad Dal Pongal on some special occasion and called this as ' Thirunelveli Ulundhu Saadham'! I thought urad dal could make the pongal very gooey! But she did add enough oil...so the rice was pretty much stiff and seperated infact.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup(broken, washed)
Salt
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 5-7
Wholepeppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Curry leaves 4 twigs
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Ghee/Oil 1/2 cup.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 spoons of ghee. Add rice and urad dal. Add salt and 4-5 cups of water. Pressure cook till tender and soft. Maybe till 6-7 whistles.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, pepper, cumin, chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let them crack and splutter well.

Now run this sesonning over the cooked rice-lentils setup. Mix thouroughly.

Serve steaming hot! Maybe with coconut chutney and onion sambar would be a good choice.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Noi Arisi Puliyodarai:

Cracked Rice Puliyodarai. Broken Rice Puliyodare.

My Grandma's Recipe! Hope you'll know how I intensify the flavour of my Puliodari...(quick refresh - make it previous day night, pack tightly in a narrow vessel...serve minimum 7 hours later) The same thumb rule is followed here, only thing is we are using 'cracked rice' in place of raw whole rice! Well...you could ask me, is there anything difference in the taste? Certainly the cracked rice puliyodarai is much more tastier than the regular one. I don't know whether its because of my grandmother's magic hands or....simply the broken rice....takes all the flavour and intensifies the aroma and makes it real feast! Yet a debated question in the family! Well...anyway, here it goes....

One can buy commercially cracked raw rice/cracked raw rice for this recipe. Or if you just only have whole rice.....dont panic. Its very simple to crack it down. Wash the whole rice several times and let it get well soaked in water for 20 minutes. Then spread them in a clean cloth or plate or kitchen tissues and sun dry them. Again if it is severe winter out....no worries. Dry roast the rice in medium heated pan. Do not toast till it turns color. The rice should be without moisture and pale white. Just roast to remove moiture! Then using a blender crack the rice. Seive away the amorphous rice powder. Just retain the cracked/broken rice.

Ingredients:

Tamarind large lemon size
Sesame oil 1 small cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 + 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Dry red chilies 10
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Cashew nuts 10 halved
Salt
Broken Rice 1 cup

To Be Roasted Each Separately And Powdered Together:(Puliyodarai Podi)

Coriander seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Curry leaves 2 twigs
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 6-8
Asafoetida 1 spoon.

Store this powder in air tight container.



In a bowl, soak tamarind in one cup of water for 1-2 hours. In a blender run this along with the same soaked water and extract a thick tamarind milk.

In a heavy bottomed non-stick pan, heat little oil. Add mustard, chana dal, Urad dal, cashew nuts, asafoetida, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Add one by one each in the above said sequence. First add mustard and wait till it splutters. Next dal and cashew....wait till they get fried up to reddish color. Now add curry leaves....fry them till crisp.

Now add salt, turmeric to this and followed by thick tamarind milk. Cover and cook on medium flame. Maybe it takes time. More than 45 minutes or so.

Once the tamarind milk consolidates to thick paste add broken rice and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over low-medium heat.

When the rice is almost done,add the puliyodarai podi. Mix well, one could run few spoons of warm sesame oil now.

Serve warm! Or bring it to room temperature and pack in a compact vessel! Serve after 4-7 hours. Serves best for travel & picnic!

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Cashew Rice:

Just like that....one day I invented this recipe! I had leftover, cashew puree and fried cashews. I tried to finish it! The recipe turned great. So here it is...Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 1 cup
Cashew nuts 25 - halved
Cashew nuts 25 - pureed
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Ginger 2" peeled & grated
Whole pepper 1 spoon
Cumin 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Ghee few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Add pepper, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait till they crackle and turn crisp!

Then add ginger....let it turn aromatic too. Now add halved cashew nuts. Fry real good. Maybe till they turn to golden color.

Now add pinch of turmeric to this.

Add cashew puree and contine stirring! Maintaint he stove in low heat. Better to use non-stick cooker.

When it is aromatic....add rice, salt and just enough water. Thats it! Pressure cook till 1-2 whistle sounds.

Serve warm with coconut chutney or brinjal kotsu.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Casa Casa Pulav:

Its mildly sedative...puts you to sleep. So better fix it for dinner!

Ingredients:

Basmathi Rice/Any Long Grain Rice - 1 cup
Poppy seeds/casacasa - 1 cup
Cinnamon sticks 2
Bay leaves 2
White Onion 1 large thinly sliced
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Salt
Ghee 2 spoons.

Method:


Soak poppy seeds in warm water an hour or 2 ahead.

Wet grind them to thick paste. Even if it is not blend....dont worry, its not end of the world. The food turns up good!

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Add cinnamon and bay leaves.

Followed by onions & ginger-garlic, fry real good until raw smell of ginger-garlic is gone.

Add salt and rice. Let the rice get well coated with oil(ghee).

Then add casa casa milk. Maintain the stove over medium heat. Pressure cook the rice for 1-2 whistle sounds.

Serve warm with any spicy gravy.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Beet Root Saadham:

Ingredients:

Basmati/raw rice 2 cups.
Beet root 3
Green chili 1 deseed - chopped
Onion 1 finely chopped
Tomato 1 - puree
Salt
Turmeric pinch
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mint finely chopped 10 leaves to garnish
Cilantro to garnish
Butter.

Method:

Cook rice along with salt. Spread in a wide tray to have well seperated stiff rice.

Peel and chop beet root, set aside.

In a wok, heat butter. Crackle mustard,cumin and asafoetida and. Add chilies, onion and fry real good.

Followed by tomato puree annd salt, turmeric and chili powder. Wait till oil shows up on sides.

Add beet root. Cover and cook, if needed add 1/4 cup of water.

When it is done, add rice without forming lumps. Mix well. Let it be in low heat for some time. Rice should blend with beet root color and turn bit crispier.

Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves.

Labels: Beet Root, Main Dish - Rice

Thai Style Burnt Chicken Chunks with Jasmine Rice:

Ingredients:

Chicken cubed skinlees/boneless 100-200 grams
Jasmine rice cooked 1 cup(with salt)

For Chicken Marination:

Red chili 1
Green chili 1
Garlic 2 cloves
Cilantro few
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Brown sugar 1 spoon
Thai fish sauce 2 tables spoon
Lime juice 2 spoons
Salt
Pepper 1 spoon
Peanut oil few spoons.

Method:

Wet grind the marination ingredients to thick paste. Marinate chicken in it for about
2-4 hours.

Heat up the charcoal griller, grill chicken chunks for about 30 minutes.

Spoon in the left over marianation juice every 7-10 minutes.

Whent he chicken is done, mix with jasmine rice for extra flavourful treat or serve warm with plain jasmine rice. Enjoy.

Labels: Chicken, Main Dish - Rice

Saffron Risotto:

Ingredients:

Italian rice/Arborio rice 1 cup
Vegetable broth 2 cups
Saffron 1/4 spoon
Milk few spoons
Salt
Butter a cube
Cheese 1 cup shredded
Saffron few strands to garnish.

Method:

Wet grind 1/4 spoon of saffron with milk and make a thick paste, set aside.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, melt butter. Stir-in rice....let the rice coat oil thoroughly.

Add enough salt and vegetable broth to it. Cover and cook over low-sim heat.

When the rice is half the way done, add saffron milk and continue cooking.

When rice is done without any liquid, add cheese. Mix thoroughly.

Garnish with saffron strands. Enjoy!

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Vegetable Cheese Rice:

Ingredients:

Arborio Rice/Italian 1 cup
Carrots 1 small finely chopped
Peas 1 fisful
Jalapenos 1-2 finely chopped
Scalion 1 small finely chopped
Salt
White pepper 1 spoon
Black pepper 1 spoon
Cheese as per taste
Vegetable oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook rice with little bit of salt and oil in it. Spread them in a tray to get well seperated stiff rice.

In a wide skillet, heat oil.Add jalapenos and scalions to it. Fry real good till golden color.

Then add carrots and peas to it. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes.

Followed by rice, salt, white and black pepper. Fry real good over high heat without lid.

Now stir-in cheese. Maybe not at one corner, crumble at all the sides and give a quick toss. Let it melt real good.

Serve warm as a main dish.

Labels: Carrot, Main Dish - Rice

Shrimps Biriyani:

Iral Biriyani. Era Biriyani. Roiyalu Biriyani. Prawn Biriyani.

When I was in Hyderabad, I hardly ever eat in the mess(hostel mess). Most of the time I managed with raw veggies and fruits. I hated hostel food....so very badly. Well....later I started cooking lightly in the room itself! Like I had one small electric stove and had few vessels to manage. On one particular day...myself and my friend Balaji went for a shopping, we came across some 'frozen shrimps' in the aisle.....we thought of cooking our own meal! Since....for biriyani all it takes is just one vessel and it was pretty handy for me to make this recipe. Though on the other day shrimp biriyani didnt turn out so well...as I expected...it was okay!

Ingredients:

Cinnamon sticks 2-4
Cloves 5
Cardamom pods 5
Bay leaves 3
Biryani flower 2
Marathi mokku 3
Ghee 2 cup
Green chillies 6-8 slitted
One large onion finely sliced
3-4 ripe tomato finely chopped
Mint one cup
Lemon juice 2-4 spoons
Ginger-garlic paste 4-6 spoon
Coriander leaves 4-6 twigs- chopped
Curd half cup
Rice 3 cups(Basmathi rice)
Shrimps/Prawns medium sized 1/4 kilo
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1-2

Method:

1. Add 1 spoon of ginger-garlic paste with shrimps. Further add salt +lemon juice + curd and set this aside/in fridge. Maybe for 20 minutes minimum.

2. Pour generously ghee in the pressure cooker and bring it to smoky hot...now add the spices one by one...cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, maratti mokku and birinji flower to it. Let them fry for a while.

3. Add chillies, and wait till it splutters.

4. Followed by onion and remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry them well till its raw smell leaves.

5. Now add tomatoes, coriander leaves and mint. Fry them until all water content evaporates and oil shows up in the top.

4. Now start adding marinated shrimps to this and toss them well.

5. Add food color(optional), salt and red chili power. Semi cook them without adding any water....until the raw smell of chili powder goes.

6. Now add water 5 cups of water and bring it to boil followed by rice. Pressure cook them over medium heat till one whistle or two maximum. Never release the pressure before time. Let it be on dum for 10-15 minutes.

7. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.

Serve hot with onion raita or brinjal serva.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Shrimps

Lime Rice:

Kacha Neembu Ka Chaawal. Elimichankkai Saadham. Green lime's Rice.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 2 pinch
Lime juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger skinned and chopped from 4-5 inch size
Curry leaves 1 cup
Cashew nuts 1 cup
Sesame oil 1/4 cup
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.



Method:

1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.

3. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Add further ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Let them to come to crisp condition with good flavor.

4. Now add little salt, turmeric and lime juice. Let it come for a boil. Remove from stove.

5. Mix this above syrup to rice. Using hands or blunt spatula....mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Set them aside for at least 1-2 hours.

Garnish with coriander leaves and fried curry leaves.....just before serving.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Wild Rice with Chicken:

Ingredients:

Wild Rice 1 cup
Fresh Home Made Chicken Stock
Cornish hen 1

Spices as per Choice:

I used Following Spices in this Stock:

Cinnamon
Cloves
Whole garlic
Ginger
Whole Pepper
Cumin
Green & dry bay leaves
Cilantro & parsley leaves
Mint a few leaves
Turmeric a pinch
Salt

I used Following Veggies in this Stock:

Jalapenos
Carrots
Celery
Leeks

Method:

Well...I used the whole chicken to make stock, so that I could have it with rice after making stock. It is cornish hen afterall....very small bird, weighs about 300-400 grams!

Cook rice using this chicken stock. While making wild rice...always soak rice 3-4 hours ahead.

Using the remaining stock....bake a cornish hen to go with this chicken. Have fun!

This is solo cooking, no great care afterall!

Labels: Carrot, Chicken, Fowl, Main Dish - Rice

Arkot Star Hotel Kushka:

Arkot Kushka. Kushka Rice.

Kushka is a recipe....where the rice is cooked with meat(generally mutton and rarely chicken)! Much similar/just like a Biriyani. Then they remove the meat chunks from the rice! Rice is served in the name of Kushka! There are so many vegetarian fans too for this recipe! Actually when someone hate to take a bite of meat....but yet love the flavour of this rice! This is for you! The meat broth makes this rice very tasty! So either use meat/meat broth for preparing kushka.

Arcot Star Hotel has one hell of a great kushka recipe....the best I ever had! They are unique....they serve their Biriyani/Kushka just in particualar time. They prepare right amount and sell withing minutes. Either if we go early or bit late.....we can't find it. Around 11.30 to 12 almost everything will be Gaayap(over)! So I always make sure to be there before 12- 12.30! There are so many fans like me for this mouth watering Arcot Kushka!

Ingredients:

Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon 3
Maratti mokku 2
Bay leaves 2
Star anise 1
Ghee 1 cup
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 finely chopped
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Mint leaves few
Coriander leaves alone few
Tomato 1 chopped
Lemon juice 1
Salt
Chili powder
Red/Kesar food color/turmeric 1 pinch(optional)
Mutton cooked broth 1 and 1/2 cup(goat's meat cooked water alone)
Short grained rice 1 cup(seeraga samba rice)

Note: To prepare Mutton broth/Goat's meat broth. Cook 1 cup of meat with salt and 2 cups of water. Once the meat is done. Filter and discard meat/the flesh and reserve the cooked water....the broth! One can use the same meat for some other recipes like, Arcot bonda or anything. If you wish while cooking meat, one can saute it before with little spices like onion, ginger-garlic and few spons of oil.

Method:

In a pressure pan, heat ghee. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, maratti mokku, sat anise, bay leaves and green chilies. Fryt hem till the green chilies crack and turn opaque.

Now add onion and fry them till it turns to golden color. Followed by ginger-garlic paste. Fry them real good until its raw smell leaves.

Then add tomatoe and fry till its water content is lost and oil shows up on sides.

Add mint and coriander leaves and fry fry till they wilt.

Now add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and food color to this. Add rice and saute for few minutes. Maybe till the rice is slightly fried.

Then add your reserved Mutton/Chicken broth. Cook over low-medium heat till 1 whistle sound. Do not release the pressure in hurry. Let the rice stand in pressure and get cooked.

Serve hot with Brinjal Serva and onion/cucumber raita.

Labels: Chicken, Main Dish - Rice

Tomato Rice:(Country Style)

Thakkali Saadham.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Green chilies 3 fienly chopped
Garlic 6 cloves fienly chopped & minced
Onion 1 medium fienly chopped
Toamtoes 6 (country ones) finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1-1 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook rice with salt and a spoon of oil in it. When they are doen, spread them in a wide tray and set under fan....to get well seperated and stiff rice.

In a handi/kadai/wok. Heat oil. Add mustards, asafoetida, chana urad and curry leaves to it. Let them crackle well.

Now add chilies, let the crack too.

Followed by garlic and onion, wait tillthey are fragrant.

Now add toamtoes, salt, pinch of turmeric and chili powder. Cover and cook. When the toamtoes turn pulpy and oil shows up on sides...remove from heat.

Now stir-in rice and mix them well. Now pack this rice in a dispaly dish.

Best travel dish! Serve warm or at room temeprature.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice

Asparagus Risotto:

Spring Risotto.

Ingredients:

Arborio Rice (Italian Rice) 1 cup
Asparagus 6-9(tough ends trimmed & cut in 2" bits)
Carrot finely chopped
Scallions 1-2 fienly chopped
Jalapenos 1 seeded & chopped
Red Bell pepper 1 sliced
Peppercorns 1 spoon - ground
Chicken Broth 2 cups
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese freshly grated 1/2 cup
Olive oil few spoons
Parsley/basil to garnish.

Method:

Cook rice with chicken broth and pich of salt. When the rice is done, set aside.

In a wide skillet, add oil. Add all the above mentioned ingredients(except cheese and parsley) and stir-fry them.

When the veggies are done, stir-in rice. Let the oil coat the rice well. Let all ingredients coem togather.

Now add cheese and parsley too. Make upt he fishishing touch.

Serve warm as a main dish.

Labels: Carrot, Main Dish - Rice