GARAM MASALA RICE

Ingredients

1. Basmati rice- 1 cup
2. Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
3. Onion ( chopped)- 1 medium
4. Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic paste-1/2 tsp
6. Green chili ( chopped)-1 no( or to taste)
7. Carrot ( cubed)-1/4 cup
8. Green Beans (chopped)-1/4 cup
9. Green peas( frozen)-1/4 cup ( optional)
10. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
11. Garam masala-1/2 tsp
12. Grated coconut-2 tbsp
13. Coriander leaves( chopped)-1 tbsp
14. Mint leaves ( chopped)-1 tbsp( optional)
15. Water- 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups
16. Cardamom powder-1 pinch
17. Salt to taste

Method

• Wash basmati rice,drain well and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan,add cumin seeds and let it splutter.Now add onion,ginger ,green chili and garlic , saute till onion turns translucent.
• Now add carrot ,green beans and green peas( if using) and saute for a minute.Add turmeric powder and garam masala and mix well.
• Now add the rice and stir well.Fry this for a minute or two ,stirring continuously.
• Add grated coconut, coriander leaves,mint leaves and water.Mix well.
• Now Add salt to taste.Bring it to a boil.
• Reduce the flame to low .Cover and cook until the rice is done,this will take approximately 15 minutes.( Do not stir in between)
• After the rice is just done,sprinkle the cardamom powder over the cooked rice and switch off the stove.
• Gently fluff up the rice using a fork and cover and keep aside for  5 minutes.Serve hot with raitha.

CHENA MEZHUKKUPURATTI / ELEPHANT YAM STIR FRY

Ingredients

1. Chena/Elephant Yam (peeled and cubed)- 2 cups
2. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
3. Chili powder-1/2 tsp+ 1/2 tsp
4. Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
5. Curry leaves- 1 sprig
6. Garlic crushed- 2-3 cloves
7. Shallots (sliced)-1/2 cup
8. Pepper powder-1/2 tsp (or to taste)
9. Fennel Powder-1/4 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Water

Method

• Thoroughly rinse the cubed chena/yam.Add turmeric powder,1/2 tsp chili powder,salt and water to it and cook until done.Do not over cook.Drain well and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan ,add mustard seeds and let it splutter.Add curry leaves,garlic and shallots and saute until it turns translucent.
• Now reduce the flame to low and add 1/2 tsp chili powder, pepper powder and fennel powder.Saute for a few seconds.
• Now add the cooked chena and saute for a few minutes or until it is browned.
• Serve with rice.

QUICK TAVA RICE

Recipe source:Tarladalal.com
You can find the recipe here
You can also watch the video( in hindi) here

Ingredients

1. Cooked basmati rice- 2 cups
2. Whole Kashmiri red chilies- 3 nos
3. Garlic- 3 cloves
4. Water-1 tsp
5. Onion(sliced finely)- 1/2 cup
6. Capsicum( sliced finely)-1/2 cup
7. Tomato(chopped)-1 cup
8. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
9. Yogurt- 2 tbsp
10. Salt to taste

Method

• Combine whole red chilies ,garlic and 1 tsp water and grind to form a smooth paste.Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan,add onion and saute for a minute.
• Now add the chili -garlic paste and saute for almost 30 seconds on a medium flame.
• Add capsicum,tomato,turmeric powder,salt, yogurt and mix well.Cook for a minute.
• Now add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes,mixing well in between.
• Serve with raitha.

VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES ( Eggless and fat free)

Recipe source: Gazing in
You can find the original recipe here

Ingredients

1. Pumpkin puree- 1 cup
2. Sugar-1/2 cup
3. Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
4. All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
5. Cocoa powder-1/3 cup
6. Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp
7. Baking soda-1/2 tsp
8. Salt-1/4 tsp
9. Semi sweet chocolate chips- 1/2 cup

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl add pumpkin puree,sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
• In another bowl whisk together flour,cocoa powder,baking powder,baking soda and salt.
• Add pumpkin mixture to this and mix until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour this into the prepared baking tray and level it with a spatula ,bake for about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Let it cool completely before cutting
• Dust the brownie with icing sugar and serve.

Note: *For best results use within 24 hours.
          * This brownie is just moderately sweet ,you can add a few tablespoons more of sugar if required.
          *The original recipe calls for 2 tsp of baking powder,but i added only 1 1/2 tsp.

SPECIAL CHICKEN FRY

Ingredients

1. Chicken (medium sized pieces)- 500 gms
2. Oil
3. Curryleaves- 2 sprigs
4. Rice powder- 2 tsp

For Marination

1. Kashmiri  chili powder-1 tbsp( or to taste)
2. Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
3. Garam masala-1/2 tsp
4. Black peppecorns-1/4 to 1/2 tsp(or to taste)
5. Ginger-1" piece
6. Garlic-4 cloves
7. Mint leaves ( chopped)- 1 tbsp
8. Coriander leaves (chopped)-2 tbsp
9. Shallots- 4 nos
10. Tomato ( chopped)-1/4 cup
11. Salt to taste
12. Water-( as required)

Method

• Combine all the ingredients for marination in a blender with sufficient quantity of water and grid to form a smooth paste.Rub this on to the chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Just before frying add rice powder to the marinated chicken pieces and mix well.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces over medium flame until browned on all the sides.( make sure you turn the pieces once in between for even cooking).
• Now add curry leaves ,mix well and fry it for a few seconds more.Transfer it on to a kitchen paper.
• Drizzle lemon juice on it just before serving ,if desired.
• Serve with rice or chapathi.

KERALA MANGO PICKLE / MANGA ACHAR

Ingredients

1. Raw mango ( Chopped)- 3 cups
2. Kashmiri chili powder- 5 to 6 tbsp( or according to taste- see note)
3. Turmeric powder-1 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder-1/2 tsp
5. Fenugreek powder-1/4 tsp
6. Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
7. Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp
8. Kurryleaves- 2 sprigs
9. Oil-3 to 4 tbsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Vinegar-1/8 cup (more if required)

Method

• Combine together chopped mango,kashmiri chili powder,turmeric powder,asafoetida , fenugreek powder and salt to taste.Mix well and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let it splutter,now add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.Saute for a few seconds.
• Now reduce the flame to low and add the marinated chopped mango and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes,stirring well in between. ( or until the skin turns greenish brown,see above picture)
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool completely.Add vinegar and mix well,adjust salt level if required.
• Transfer if to a glass jar  with a tight lid.Serve with rice.

ENJOY!!!

Note
*You can add regular red chili powder instead of Kashmiri chili powder,in that case just use 2 to 3 tbsp   or according to taste.

HOMEMADE GARAM MASALA

Ingredients

1. Cardamom pods-1/4 cup
2. Cloves-1 tbsp
3. Cinnamon stick- 3 nos( 2" piece)
4. Fennel seeds-1/2 cup
5. Black pepper- 3 tbsp
6. Star anise- 2 nos
7. Nutmeg- 1 no
8. Mace- 4 nos

Method

• Heat a   non stick pan and add all the ingredients and dry roast it for about 2 minutes on a medium low flame.Allow this to cool slightly.
• Grind this to a coarse powder  using a blender.Store it in an airtight container.