Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients

• Ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp (chopped finely)
• Garlic - 1 1/2 tbsp (chopped finely)
• Green chillies - 2-4 (chopped diagonally)
• Chilly Sause - 3 tbsp or adjust
• Soya sause - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Tomato sause - 2 tbsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Water - 1/2 liter
• Corn flour - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• Spring onions or coriander leaves for garnishing

To Marinate

• Chicken (boneless) - 300 grams (cut into bitable pieces)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Vinegar or lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Egg white - from 1 small egg or adjust
• Corn flour - 1 1/2 tbsp
• All purpose flour or maida - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash & clean the chicken.
• Drain the water completely.
• Mix all other marination ingredients together to the chicken.
• Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Then deep fry the chicken pieces on medium high flame.
• Remove the chicken from the oil when it is done & keep it aside.
• Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil & add ginger, garlic, green chillies one by one.
• Fry till it is slightly brown.
• When ginger & garlic starts changing the color, soon add the vinegar, soya sauce & chilly sauce.
• Add the chicken pieces & saute well.
• Now add the tomato sauce.
• Mix the corn flour in half a liter of water & add it to the chicken.
• Add salt.
• Mix well & allow it to boil.
• Add 1/4 cup of water if necessary.
• The sauce mixture will start thickening.
• Switch off the flame when the sauce thickens & reaches the desire consistency.
• Add pepper & coriander leaves/spring onion.
• Mix well & serve hot.

Tip for the recipe - The deep frying mixture shouldn't be very watery. Squeeze out the water completely from the chicken after washing it. Add the egg white little by little till you get good consistency. Do not add more than 1 small egg.

Chicken Biryani I

Ingredients

• Basmathi rice - 3 cups (160 ml each)
• Black cumin -1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 3 sticks
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Tomatoes - 2 medium size (chopped)
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Mint - handful (chopped)
• Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Onions - 3/4 cup (fried)
• Lemon - 1/2
• Oil as needed
• Pinch of saffron or orange food color mixed in 1 tbsp of water.
• Pinch of turmeric or yellow food color mixed in 1 tbsp of water.

Marination

• Chicken - 1/2 kg
• Curd - 1 cup (235 ml)
• Mint - handful (chopped)
• Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)
• Lemon - 1/2
• Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp or adjust
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Green chillies - 4 (crushed)
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 1/2 tsp

Dry masala

• Black cardamon - 1
• Black cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Ani seed - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 3 sticks
• Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp 
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves - 3
• Cloves - 6
• Cardamon - 4

To Garnish

• Cashew - 1-2 tbsp (fried)
• Raisin - 1-2 tbsp (fried)
• Onion- 1/4 cup (fried)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients for marination & keep it aside for 1 hour.
• Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
• Bring 15 cups of water to boil.
• When the water start bubbles, add black cumin, cinamon sticks, rice, salt & a spoon of oil.
• Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Do not cover.
• Now switch off the flame & drain the water.
• Keep the rice aside.
• Heat 5 tbsp of oil in the pan & fry the dry masala.
• Then add ginger garlic paste.
• Fry well, till the oil separates.
• Now add the tomatoes, fry till it becomes mashy.
• Add chilly powder, coriander powder, fried onions, salt & the marinated chicken. Mix well.
• Cover & cook the chicken till it is half done.
• Then open the lid & allow the gravy to get thicken.
• Finally add the mint & coriander leaves.
• Now switch off the flame.
• Take a tray & place the chicken masala in the bottom layer.
• Arrange the half boiled rice on top of that.
• Repeat the process twice & arrange the last layer of rice.
• Sprinkle the garnishing ingredients.
• On top of it drizzle little oil, lemon juice, the orange & yellow color water.
• Now seal the lid that the steam should not go out of the tray.
• Either you can put in the oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit or on the stove at low flame for 35 - 50 minutes.
• After removing it from the heat mix it carefully, do not break the rice.
• Serve hot with raita.

Tip for the recipe - You can even add a tbsp of ghee with the oil while preparing the masala. It will increase the taste of the biryani. For strong biryani flavor you can also add 2 tsp of readymade biryani masala, while frying the tomatoes. After cooking the biryani you can mix the rice with the fork. So that the chances are less for the rice to break easily. To seal the lid you can either use the foil sheets or the chapatti dough.

Curd Rice

Ingredients

• Par boiled rice - 1 1/2 cups
• Curd - 2 1/2 cups (235 ml each cup)
• Milk - 1 cup
• Cumin - 2 tsp
• Ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp (finely chopped or grated)
• Green chillies - 6 or for taste( chopped)
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Cashews - 2 1/2 tbsp
• Raisin - 2 1/2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 2 string
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)
• Salt for taste

Method

• Pressure cook the rice with 5 cups of water & allow it to cool slightly.
• Add milk to it, when it is warm & mix well.
• Allow it to cool.
• Stir in the curd & mix well.
• Add water if necessary.
• Heat pan with oil.
• Fry cashews till it is light brown in color & add it to the curd rice.
• Also fry raisin & add to the rice.
• Splutter cumin seeds.
• Fry hing, curry leaves, green chillies & ginger one by one.
• Add this fried mixture to the rice.
• Add coriander leaves, sugar & salt.
• Mix well & serve.

Tips for the recipe - The consistency of curd rice should be semi liquid. The curd should not be very sour & it should be thick. You can also add one more tbsp of cashew & raisin.

Red bean & Brinjal curry

Ingredients

• Brinjals - 6-8 small size (quartered lengthwise)
• Red bean - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind - small lemon size or big gooseberry size
• Tomato - 2 medium size
• Shallots - 15 -20 (Chopped)
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Green Chillies - 2
• Mustard -1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Sambhar Powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt for taste

To Grind (for the masala)

• Coconut - 1/4 Cup
• Cumin - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander -seeds -1/4 tsp

Method

• Fry cumin & coriander seeds in little oil & grind it with the coconut.
• Boil Red Beans till it is half broken.
  
• Soak the tamarind in hot water & keep aside.
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, green chillies, curry leaves one by one.
• Add shallots and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Add the tomatoes & fry till it becomes slightly mashy.
• Now add the brinjals.
• Fry till it changes the color to brown & tomatoes become completely mashy.
• Add salt & sambhar powder.
• Stir in the tamarind water & allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the red beans & cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the grinded masala & mix well.
• Add water if needed.
• Cover & cook till the brinjals are tender & the raw small leaves the gravy.
• Remove it from flame, when the gravy becomes thick.

Tips for the recipe - After using the beans in the curry, do not throw away the water. You can use it for the curry. It will give the dark brown color for the curry. If you wish, 2-4 chopped or crushed garlic can be added while frying onions.

Mushroom Fry

Ingredient

• Mushrooms - 1 pack (Quater the mushrooms lengthwise)
• Onion - 1 (chopped lengthwise)
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Tomato - 1 (Chopped)
• Mutard & Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Sambhar powder or chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (chopped)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt for taste

To Grind for masala

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Ginger - 3/4 inch
• Garlic - 4
• Ani seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamon - 3
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch

Method

• Grind the masala ingredients & keep aside.
• Heat oil in the kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, & curry leaves one by one.
• Add onions and fry till it becomes brown in color.
• Add in the tomatoes & fry till it becomes mashy.
• Now add the Mushrooms and fry well for 5 minutes.
• Add the sambhar & turmeric powder.
• Add salt & saute well.
• Add the grinded masala.
• Stir in 1/4 cup of water & reduce the flame to medium.
• Cover & cook till it absorbs the water completely & looks dry.
• Add the chopped coriander leaves & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - Button mushroom & red onions works well for this recipe.

Ladies Finger varuval

Ingredients

• Ladies Finger - 5 cups (chopped into 1/4 inch round slices)
• Onion - 1 big (Cubed)
• Garlic - 6 nos
• Tomato - 1 ( chopped)
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Mustard & urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Sambar powder or chilly powder - 1 or 2 tsp
• Oil - 5 tbsp
• Salt for taste

Method

• Heat the pan with oil on High medium flame.
• Splutter mustard & urad dal.
• Add curry leaves, garlic & onions one by one.
• Fry for 30- 40 seconds.
• Add the tomato & fry till it is slightly mashed.
• Now add the chopped vegetable.
• Add salt & saute well.
• Reduce the flame to medium.
• Do not cover the vegetable.
• Keep stirring often.
• When it is 3/4 done, add the sambhar powder & continue frying.
• Let it fry till it is done.

Tips for the recipe - Go for tender ladies finger for this kind of poriyal. If the vegetable is too hard then the poriyal won't turn that tasty.

Brinjal & Potato Poriyal

Ingredient

• Brinjal - 6 nos(Chopped lengthwise)
• Potato - 1 big (Cubed)
• Onion - 1/2 medium size onion (Chopped)
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Mutard & Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Sambhar powder - 1 or 2 tsp
• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Garlic - 6
• Red chillies - 2
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt for taste

Method

• Add 1/4 cup of water to the potato & brinjal.
• Cook the vegetable on low flame by adding Salt, sambhar powder & 4 crushed garlic.
• Completely cook the vegetable till it absorbs all the water.
• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, curry leaves & red chilies one by one.
• Add onions, remaining garlic (crushed), salt and fry till it becomes brown in color.
• Now add the vegetable and fry well.
• Finally add the coconut & mix well.
• Remove from heat & serve hot.

Tips for the recipe - Select small & tender brinjals for good taste.