Chicken Dum biryani

I must admit recently I have started losing my touch at making nonveg dishes :) even my DH has made that clear to me.I was all geared up to prove that i haven't lost and what better way to impress folks than a chicken biryani.

This is an old post that I'm redoing because of an email i got which i totally didn;t understand.

Palak Aloo Parathas | Spinach potato stuffed flat breads

We had a really long weekend 5 days precisely and me and my blog were on a holiday too.Lately I think i'll blame the weather for making me feel too lazy to blog luckily i drag myself to cook something simple and this is one such easy lazy day meal that kids and elders will enjoy equally!

Paneer/Cottage Cheese Fried Rice

I'm becoming a big fan of one pot meals these days.Why?My LM has long hours at school and she HAS to eat her lunch there, hubby dear who loves his elaborate curry-kootu south indian platter lunch has to carry his lunch and by making one pot meals in the morning i can escape all the cutting and chopping.Call it laziness but if i don't sleep with the menu decided for next day I'd be lost!

I made this paneer fried with a wee bit of doubt if my DH will like it because he isn't a big fan of paneer/cottage cheese.But he liked it so I decided it can make its presence once in a while.But alas LM never finished her lunch box :( sad but I just have to bear with her and her choosy habits.

This rice was really nice i loved the mild flavours which i wanted to be so because i thought someone little would enjoy it ( I was wrong) but i liked the mild spices which went perfectly well with the soft paneer.

To make this you need

Paneer 1 cup cubed 

Basmati rice - 2 cups soaked for half hour

Onion 1 large

Tomato 1 large

Ginger 1/2 inch piece, Garlic 4-5 pods both chopped finely or crushed

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Yogurt/curd 2 tablespoons

Warm Water 2 cups

Ghee/Butter/Oil or a mix of both in any ratio you want 1 tablespoon

Whole spices  - cinnamon 1 inch piece

• Soak the basmati rice for half hour and drain and keep aside.Heat some water to cook this rice keep this ready.
• Heat oil in a deep vessel, add the butter/ghee and add the cinnamon stick.Add paneer to this and brown the pieces.Remove the paneer and set aside.
• Add onions fry well then add the crushed ginger garlic and saute well.
• Add tomato and fry well until mashed.Now add the Yogurt/curd and saute well for 2-3 minutes.
• Add garam masala powder and fry well.
• Add the drained basmati rice and fry well until it goes translucent.
• Add the warm water now and check for salt.Add the fried paneer now.
• Once this water starts boiling mildly reduce the flame to medium and cover this and cook for 12-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.
• Fluff the rice up with a fork in between do not stir once the rice is added.

• Mild paneer fried rice is ready to be served with any raita of your choice, pickle and papads or by itself too.Have a good meal :) 

Sending this to Indus Ladies Kids Lunch box recipes

Potato Biryani

Anyone there doesn't like potatoes?Not me even though I am careful in adding them because they are highly starchy.Hubby was out of town last week for a few days so it was just us around, instead of skipping the real cooking I thought I'll try to make some quick biryani and made this which was done in about 15 minutes.Me and Aj loved it my LM who is still in serious hatred with onions and tomatoes ofcourse hated it even though she loves potatoes.

Egg fried Rice - Indo Chinese way

Everyone knows how versatile eggs are!I needn't say anymore. This is my instant quick fix lunch on days I don't pack lunch for the DH. Its so quick, simple and yummy too.Also whenever we need a to sneak in vegetables to the little ones this has to be the best option.This one has been in my drafts for a while now and I will be making this for lunch so I dug it out to post it.

Paneer/Cottage Cheese Fried Rice

I'm becoming a big fan of one pot meals these days.Why?My LM has long hours at school and she HAS to eat her lunch there, hubby dear who loves his elaborate curry-kootu south indian platter lunch has to carry his lunch and by making one pot meals in the morning i can escape all the cutting and chopping.Call it laziness but if i don't sleep with the menu decided for next day I'd be lost!

I made this paneer fried with a wee bit of doubt if my DH will like it because he isn't a big fan of paneer/cottage cheese.But he liked it so I decided it can make its presence once in a while.But alas LM never finished her lunch box :( sad but I just have to bear with her and her choosy habits.

This rice was really nice i loved the mild flavours which i wanted to be so because i thought someone little would enjoy it ( I was wrong) but i liked the mild spices which went perfectly well with the soft paneer.

To make this you need

Paneer 1 cup cubed 

Basmati rice - 2 cups soaked for half hour

Onion 1 large

Tomato 1 large

Ginger 1/2 inch piece, Garlic 4-5 pods both chopped finely or crushed

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Yogurt/curd 2 tablespoons

Warm Water 2 cups

Ghee/Butter/Oil or a mix of both in any ratio you want 1 tablespoon

Whole spices  - cinnamon 1 inch piece

• Soak the basmati rice for half hour and drain and keep aside.Heat some water to cook this rice keep this ready.
• Heat oil in a deep vessel, add the butter/ghee and add the cinnamon stick.Add paneer to this and brown the pieces.Remove the paneer and set aside.
• Add onions fry well then add the crushed ginger garlic and saute well.
• Add tomato and fry well until mashed.Now add the Yogurt/curd and saute well for 2-3 minutes.
• Add garam masala powder and fry well.
• Add the drained basmati rice and fry well until it goes translucent.
• Add the warm water now and check for salt.Add the fried paneer now.
• Once this water starts boiling mildly reduce the flame to medium and cover this and cook for 12-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.
• Fluff the rice up with a fork in between do not stir once the rice is added.

• Mild paneer fried rice is ready to be served with any raita of your choice, pickle and papads or by itself too.Have a good meal :) 

Bittergourd pan fry/Kootu and Seasoned curd rice

I wasn't a big fan of bittergourd atleast I just couldn't have it like most of the other south indian kootu types.
My hubby dear used to make a long elaborate dish earlier, a time consuming dish which required to flip each ring of bitter gourd once done,not any more.I love this version i came up with it and its easier and tastier and makes a great combination with any regular dals or even curd rice!

I used to end up deep frying the bitter gourd most of the times so i don't end up throwing it away once its rotten.But ever since i started making this dish i don't feel the need to fry bitter gourd anymore and you have to believe me when i tell you it goes really well with simple dal!Perfect comfort food!

I have clicked pictures of the bitter gourd pan fry with seasoned curd rice which is another simple dish on the south indian menu.After any meal heavy or light the finishing touch has to be curd rice.

You need

Bitter gourd 2 chopped in rings
Oil 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Onions 1 large sliced finely
Urad dal 1 tsp
Channa dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, channa dal and urad dal and fry well.
• Add onions and fry well until brown.
• Add the bitter gourd and salt and let it cook well.Cover it and cook until the bitter gourd cooks well.
• Add chilli powder and turmeric power and mix well.
• Remove the lid and let the bitter gourd fry well until all the moisture goes away.

To make the curd rice:

You need
Boiled rice 1 cup
Milk half cup
Curd/yogurt 3 4 tablespoons

To season
Oil 1 tsp
Ginger half tsp chopped pieces
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Red chillies 1
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Hing/asoefetida powder a sprinkle
Grated carrot 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

• Cook the rice well in water and when its almost cooked add the milk and let it cook it well.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, asoefetida and red chillies and pour it in the cooked rice mix.
• Once this mixture cools down well, add curd and mix well and check for salt.

• Add the grated carrots and serve with pickle and bitter gourd fry :) 

Sending this to Bon vivant moments : Rice and 30 minutes meal

Bittergourd pan fry/Kootu and Seasoned curd rice

I wasn't a big fan of bittergourd atleast I just couldn't have it like most of the other south indian kootu types.
My hubby dear used to make a long elaborate dish earlier, a time consuming dish which required to flip each ring of bitter gourd once done,not any more.I love this version i came up with it and its easier and tastier and makes a great combination with any regular dals or even curd rice!

Lachha Parathas and a simple snack - Chilli chapati

I make these parathas at home for my LM often but wasn;t aware of the name until I stumbled upon it at Pallavi's space.These parathas are better than the kerala parotas we love at our home for obvious reasons : they are whole wheat parathas and also consume lesser oil in their making.So now whenever LM asks for parotas this is what she gets  - chapati parota (we renamed it!) and she;s happy!I gave this quick make over to the humble chapatis and it was a super duper hit!

Lachcha parathas are layered chapatis they are not tedious to make and easy to work on.You can see the layers in concentric circles once they are cooked too.Thanks to Blog hop wednesdays for introducing us to new partners' and their spaces.BHW has turned 1 and congrats to Radhika for coming with such a wonderful idea.I have met so many wonderful blogger friends through BHW.Check out Pallavi's version here

You can make chilli chapatis if you have left over chapatis sitting in the refrigerator which are stiff as wood.This dish will vanish in seconds along with the leftover chapatis.

 You need

Wheat flour as needed
Water as needed to make a nice soft dough
Salt to taste

• Knead the above into a soft dough as for chapatis.Let it rest for about an hour in a zip lock bag.
• The lachcha parathas are layered and i have a step wise picture below showing how to make the layers.You have to roll out the dough into a normal chapati then apply oil/ghee on the chapati and sprinkle a little bit of flour onto this.Now make pleats/folds on the chapati and roll into a ball,flatten this ball with your hand and roll it out into a paratha. 

• Cook this parathas on a hot griddle or pan with oil or ghee.Serve hot with any side dish of your choice.

To make the chilli chapatis


You need

Chapati/lachcha parathas 1 torn into bits

Onions 1 small chopped finely

Tomato 1 small

Cucumber cubes 2 tablespoons
Cilantro/coriander leaves 2 sprigs
Tomato sauce 1 tablespoon
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Oil 1 tsp

Additional garnish : Sev/mixture, lime juice

• Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, tomatoes and fry well until soft.Then add the sauces and fry well.Now add the chapati bits and mix well in the sauces.
• Serve this hot with cucumber , cilantro and sev sprinkled and lime juice sprinkled over it.

• Enjoy chilli chapatis with hot tea :) 

Tips:

- If you're a newbie at making chapatis and incase the dough becomes too loose or sticky, leave the dough covered in a ziplock bag for about an hour and then roll it out cold it would be harder and much easier to manage.

Sending this to BHW @ Tickling palates , Love Lock series - Breads, Lets cook - Appetizers/Starters, Kids delight , Serve it - Griddled , Ramadan friendly recipes, Tell me your kitchen secret , Desi-Videsi Food festival

Lachha Parathas and a simple snack - Chilli chapati

I make these parathas at home for my LM often but wasn;t aware of the name until I stumbled upon it at Pallavi's space.These parathas are better than the kerala parotas we love at our home for obvious reasons : they are whole wheat parathas and also consume lesser oil in their making.So now whenever LM asks for parotas this is what she gets  - chapati parota (we renamed it!) and she;s happy!I gave this quick make over to the humble chapatis and it was a super duper hit!

Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadham

Coconuts are not aliens in our south indian kitchens but surprisingly I've never made this rice ever before.I love it and so did my LM who usually picks out titbits from her plate.i must declare it an instant hit.

I have been trying to make this rice for a while since my friend has been mentioning it for a while.I was a little worried about how it would last in the lunch box.But I realised the trick!One aromatic flavoursome rice and lunch made easy in this sweaty summer!I have added a lot of baby onions to this recipe which made it extra fragrant and tasty too.I just heard on tv yesterday evening that baby onions/sambar onions are great coolants during the summer.

You need

Cooked rice 2 cups

For the seasoning:

Coconut oil 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Channa dal/kadala paruppu 1 tsp
Urad dal/uzhundhu 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Peanuts 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts few
Green chillies 1 or 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Aniseeds/saunf 1 tsp
Red chillies 3
Baby onions 1/2 cup chopped finely
Grated coconut 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 and half tsp
Salt to taste

• Cook rice and allow to cool so the rice does not stick together.
• Heat oil in a pan/vessel, add all the ingredients listed under the seasoning one after the other waiting for each to fry well in the oil.
• Once the seasoning is all ready, check for salt and mix the cooled rice and mix well so that the flavors well mixed.
• Serve hot with any spicy chicken curry or vegetarian gravy of your choice and fried pepper papads.

• Pack it in the lunch box with fried potatoes and boiled eggs.
• Enjoy the amazing flavors!

Sending this to Lunch box ideas @ Cuisine delights, Only series-South indian , Cooking concepts 8-Vegan, Healthy Morsels @ Taste of pearl city, Anyone can cook #45 @ taste of pearl city

Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadham

Coconuts are not aliens in our south indian kitchens but surprisingly I've never made this rice ever before.I love it and so did my LM who usually picks out titbits from her plate.i must declare it an instant hit.

Chocolate crescents

I love baking and Radhika has just the event for all of us who are going crazy about baking.Like her event demands even though i can't post on all days I'll try to post atleast a few this month.

I was keeping away from yeast for a while as i had burnt my fingers a many too times.I found out it wasn't my fault.The mistake was that i had frozen my yeast and that killed it apparently.The fresh yeast works like magic now.

My friend always bakes with whole wheat flour(only) and she gave me her fool proof bread recipe, worked well for me.Since I'm not lucky enough to find a loaf tin or any fancy bread baking tins, i just go ahead and play with the shapes and still better make stuffed breads.

Twisted bread with 2 strands of dough

This is how i made it.Check my previous post on how to shape the crescents.

Whole Wheat flour - 3 cups (sieved)
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup (sieved)
Active dry yeast - 2 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp + more for greasing bowl
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup (warm) + more if required
Milk - 1/2 cup (warm)
Egg or milk for brushing the tops of the bread

• Sieve the flours and add all the remaining ingredients and mix well into a soft workable dough.Dough should be soft but not sticky to the fingers.
• Grease a bowl and leave the dough to rise, apply oil on the dough too.
• Cover with cling film or wet cloth and leave to double in size.(took about 3 - 4 hours,i left it for a longer time)
• For the filling:Chocolate chips as required, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave for 1 minute until smooth.

• Once the dough has doubled, pinch off a ball of dough and roll into a flat circle and cut into 4 portions first half then quarters.Take one quarter and apply the melted chocolate on the broader edge of the dough and roll the thinner edge to cover it up.
• Repeat for remaining dough and let the crescents raise for another 1 hour or so.Place them on a greased tray and let them rest.
• Brush the tops with beaten eggs or milk and they are ready to go into the oven.
• Preheat oven to 180C and push the tray to bake for about 45 minutes or until the tops and bottoms sound hard when knocked with a spoon.

• Serve yummy chocolate crescents with milk or juice.

          Happy baking :)

 

Sending this to I love baking #2@Tickling palates, I'm the star@Vegetarian Food&me,Bake fest #2

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