Snake-gourd Poriyal

Ingredients

• Snake-gourd - 2
• Onion - 1/2 small size onion (Chopped)
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Mustard & Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut - 1 tbsp (grated)
• Green chillies - 4 or adjust
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt for taste

Method

• Scrap the outer skin of the vegetable.
• Cut it into half (lengthwise), deseed & Chop it.
• Cover & cook the vegetable on low flame by adding little water & salt.
• Remove from heat & keep it aside once it is done.
• Heat oil in the pan on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, curry leaves & green chilies one by one.
• Add onions, salt and fry till it becomes brown in color.
• Now add the cooked vegetable and fry well.
• Finally add the coconut & mix well.
• Remove from heat & serve as side dish for rice.

Tips for the recipe - Fry the onions wells before adding the vegetable. Even chopped shallots can be used instead of onions for better taste. Do not add much water to cook the vegetable. Just sprinkling little water will do. The vegetable doesn't looks & tastes good if it is over cooked.

Curd Semiya

Ingredients

• Curd - 1 1/2 lb
• Milk - 1/2  cup
• Semiya - 200 gms
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - 2 handfuls
• Fried cashews - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Fried raisins - 1 1/2 tbsp

Seasoning

• Cumin seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring (chopped)
• Ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp (grated or finely chopped)
• Green chillies - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Method

• Bring 3/4 liter of water to boil
• Add semiya to the hot water & reduce the flame.
• Cover & cook for 5 - 10 minutes or till it is done.
• Drain the water & run cold water through it. Allow the semiya to cool.
• Add milk, half of the curd, salt & sugar to the semiya.
• Mix well & keep it aside.
• Heat oil in the pan on medium high flame.
• Splutter cumin seed, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger & hing.
• Fry well & add it to the semiya.
• Now add the remaining curd, fried raisins, cashews & coriander leaves.
• Serve it with any pickle.

Tips for the recipe - Cashews & raisins are the most important ingredients in this recipe which adds more richness & taste to the dish. Adding sugar to the semiya doesn't make the dish sweet. Little sour taste in the curd (though it is fresh) needs a spoon of sugar to make it tasty. This photograph was taken when the curd semiya was thick. But usually, I add little water to dilute it. I like to have my semiya semi liquid. You can serve thick or dilute it by adding little water & milk according to your taste.

Egg Biryani

Ingredients
Group I for the Rice

• Basmathi Rice - 2 cup (160 ml each cup)
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Mint leaves - few
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Dry Spices for the rice

• Black Cumin - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2
• Cinnamon - 2 (1 inch each)

Group II for the Masala

• Boiled eggs - 4-5 (cut into half)
• Oil - 5 tbsp
• Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup
• Mint - 1 Bunch (chopped)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 handfuls
• Tomatoes - 3
• Green chillies - 6 (Slitted)
• Fried Onions -  approximately 2 medium size
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Any Readymade Biryani masala powder - 1 tsp (egg, chicken or mutton)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Dry Spices for the Masala

• Black cumin - 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon - 4 pieces (1 inch each)
• Cloves - 8
• Cardamom - 2
• Aniseeds - 1/4 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2

Method

Preparation of the rice

• Soak the rice for 1/2 an hour.
• Heat oil in the pressure cooker, on high medium flame.
• Splutter the dry masalas(for the rice) &  add the mint leaves(few).
• Add 1 cup of coconut milk & 3 cups of water to the rice. 
• Add salt and lemon juice.
• Cover the cooker when water starts bubbling.
• Simmer the flame & do not let the cooker to whistle.
• Let it cook for 15 minutes.
• Now open the cooker & transfer the rice to another large vessel.
• Spread the rice using fork & allow it to cool slightly.

Preparation of the masala

• Heat oil in the pan on high medium flame.
• Splutter the dry masalas (for the masala) & add the ginger garlic paste.
• Fry well till the oil separates. Add the chopped tomatoes & continue frying till it becomes mashy.
• Now add the mint leaves & fried onions.
• Now add chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, biryani masala powder & salt.
• Fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk & mix well. Simmer the flame.
• Cover & cook till it becomes thick & the oil separates from the masala.
• Add the chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice & the eggs.
• Mix well but gently for 5 minutes.
• Switch off the flame & cover it for 5 minutes.
• Now spread this masala on top of the rice & mix gently till it gets incorporated.
• If you wish you can keep the rice in dum for 10 minutes or serve immediately with raita.

Tips for the recipe - While preparing the rice you can also use ghee instead of oil for better taste. Briyani tastes good when there is enough oil. So it is not necessary to drain the oil completely from the fried onions.

Rava(sooji) Upma

Ingredients

• Rava - 1 cup 
• Onion - 1 (chopped lengthwise)
• Green chilles - 5 (slitted)
• Red chillies(optional) - 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Mustard seeds & Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp(chopped)
• Hing - 2 pinches
• Coriander leaves - handful
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in the pan and let the mustard seeds splutter on high-medium flame.
• Then add the urad dal, channa dal, chillies, curry leaves, ginger, hing and onions.
• Saute till the onions turn transparent. Add salt.
• Reduce the flame to low-medium.
• Then add the rava & fry well.
• Add 2 cups of hot water.
• Mix well & cover it for 10 minutes.
• Open the lid & mix the upma by adding the chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve it with chutney.

Tips for the recipe -  A spoon of coconut oil can be added while serving for good taste.

Beetroot Poriyal I

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 2 medium size (finely chopped or grated)
• Onion - 1 medium size (chopped)
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard - 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 5 (slitted)
• Coconut - 1 tbsp (shredded)
• Oil as required
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in kadai on high medium flame.
• Splutter mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves & green chilies one by one.
• Add onions, salt and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
• Now add the vegetable and fry well.
• Sprinkle little water & cover the pan.
• Reduce the flame to low medium & cook till it is done.
• Finally add the coconut & mix well.
• Remove from heat & serve as side dish.

Tips for the recipe - If you are using grated beetroot & if it is very juicy then there is no need to add water.It will cook on its own juice. If you wish you can also add a tsp of chana dal while spluttering mustard.

Fish Fry I

Ingredients

• King/Seer/Vanjaram Fish - 5 fillets
• Ginger - 1 1/2 inches
• Garlic - 8
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Aniseeds powder - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tbsp or adjust
• All Purpose Flour - 2 Tbsp
• Lemon - half lime
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying

Method 

• Grind ginger, garlic to smooth paste. 
• Mix all the other ingredients together except fish.
• Apply it on the fillets & keep it in the sun for 1 hour or it can be marinated overnight.
• Heat oil on the pan & place the fillets.
• Roast it on medium flame.
• Drizzle some more oil if necessary.
• Flip the fish & roast both the side till it becomes dark brown in color.

Tips for the recipe - While placing the fish on the pan check that the fillets has enough masala on it. You can use any fish which taste good for roasting like catla, rough, tilapia, salmon & so on.

Mango Ice Cream

                                         This recipe directs you to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. If you have an ice cream maker at home, you can directly pour the mixture into it & no need to follow the rest of the process. Others still can make good & soft homemade ice creams without an ice cream maker.


Ingredients

• Sweeten Mango Pulp - 1 cup
• Fresh cream (heavy whipping cream) - 3/4 cup
• Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
• Pistachios for garnishing

Method

• Pour fresh cream into the deep mixing bowl.
• Beat the Cream until it begins to form soft peaks.
• Now add the condensed milk & mango pulp.
• Mix gently till it gets incorporated with the whipped cream.
• Transfer it to any deep container or any metal vessel with tight lid.
• Cover it tightly & put it in the freezer for 1 hour.
• After an hour remove it from the freezer & beat the mixture well. Again cover it & transfer it to the freezer.
• Repeat the same process for 6 times with 45 minutes of time interval.
• By doing this you are breaking the ice crystals & making your ice cream soft.
• After finishing the beating process transfer it to an another container & cover it tightly.
• Put it in the freezer till the ice cream is ready.
• While serving garnish it with pistachios.