The recipe of Shahi Pulao

There are different kinds of Pulao. But Shahi Pulao is really rich in taste.

Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice, wash & soaked for 30 minutes.

Layer 1
Grind to a paste

1" piece ginger
3 green chilies
2 tbsp. coconut grated
2 sprigs mint leaves
½ cup coriander leaves
4 flakes garlic
1 carrot
1 capsicum
6-7 french beans
1-sprig sping onions greens chopped


Layer 2
Grind to a paste

1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. soaked khuskhus seeds
1 onion
5-6 blanched green chilies or white pepper
1 cardamom
1 clove
1 bay leaf
1/2" piece cinnamon
1 potato
1 onion

Other ingredients

6-7 whole shelled walnuts
15 cashew nuts halved
15 almonds, blanched and halved
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. cheese or paneer grated
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1-cup milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 tbsp. ghee or oil

Method

• Put plenty of water to boil, add salt and bay leaves, bring to boil.
• Add rice and cook till done but not mushy.
• Drain water, cool in large plate.
• Heat half ghee in a heavy pan , add carrots.
• Fry till tender, drain, add French beans to same fat.
• Repeat frying till tender, drain, add capsicum.
• Fry, drain, add paste for layer 1.
• Fry paste for 3 minutes, add salt, spring onions, stir.
• Take off fire, add fried vegetables back, and keep aside.
• Heat remaining ghee in another pan.
• Fry and drain cashews, almonds, potato slices.
• Add onions , stir fry till light golden.
• Add raisins, salt, half the milk, and paste for layer 2.
• Add fried dry fruit, stir and cook for 3 minutes,
• Take off fire , keep aside.

To proceed

• Take a deep casserole about 6-8 inches wide.
• Divide rice into 3 parts.
• Grease insides of casserole; spread one part of rice at bottom.
• Spread layer 1 mixture evenly over the rice.
• Spread second layer of rice over mixture.
• Mix layer 2 mixtures with the remaining rice.
• Spread evenly over 2nd rice layer.
• Sprinkle milk over layers.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly to cover casserole.
• Cover the casserole with a lid or clingfilm, making cuts for steam to escape.
• Bake in preheated oven at 250°C for 9-10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh ground pepper, coriander and walnuts before serving.
• Serve hot with pakodi kadhi or raitha

Recipe of Chicken Tikka masala

This mouthwatering chicken dish adds flavour to you lunch as side dish.

Ingredients to marinate:

* Marinate for about 1 hour
* Chicken - 500 gms of boneless chicken
* Ginger & garlic paste - 4 tsp
* Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
* chilli powder - 1 tsp
* garam masala - 1 tsp
* Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
* dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
* Salt to taste
* Curd - 1/2 cup beaten well


To Marinate the chicken

• Take the beaten curd and mix all the above powders together and add salt
• Cut the chicken into medium size pieces and add it to the curd mixture, close the vessel with a lid and let it to marinate for about an hour.

For the Gravy

Ingredients:

* Onion - 1 chopped
* Tomato puree - out of one small tomato
* Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tsp
* Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
* Coriander powder - 2 tsp
* Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
* Salt to taste
* Oil - 8 tsp
* garam masala powder - 2 tsp
* Coriander leaves
* Ground almond - 2 tsp (optional)
* Fresh Cream is optional to garnish


Method

For the chicken

• After the chicken is marinated, take them and bake them well in a pan with the flame very low in the stove or we you can put the chicken on the grill and cook it till they are cooked

For the gravy:

• Heat oil in a pan, fry onions till they turn golden brown.
• Add ginger & garlic paste and let them fry till the oil separates
• Then add all the masala powders to it, and then add the tomato puree.
• Add salt to taste and then add little warm water and the ground almond paste its optional to add nd let the gravy to come to a boil.
• Then add the cooked chicken pieces, and let the gravy come to a boil after adding the chicken pieces.
• Remove the dish from the stove and add the coriander leaves, and the cream (optional ) to garnish

Badam Burfi

special treat of badam burfi for all of you-

Ingredients

1 cup badam soaked in warm water for 2 hours
1 cup gram flour
1 cup ghee
2 tsp cardamom powder
2 cups sugar (adjust as required)

• Heat 2 tsp ghee and roast the gram flour till you get a nice aroma. Keep aside. Grind the badam to a smooth paste using a little milk.
• Heat sugar with 1 cup water and allow it come to a 2 thread consistency. Add the badam paste and mix for 2-3 minutes. Then add the gram flour to it and keep stirring it well. Add cardamom powder and then ghee little by little to the mixture and continue to stir till the mixture starts frothing well. Transfer to a greased plate and allow it to cool for a while. Cut into desired pieces.

Boondi ladoo

Ingredients
Gram flour – 1 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 1 cup
Cardamom – 2 pieces (powdered)
Raisins and cashews – 1/4 cup
ghee – 1 tsp

Method

1. Dissolve sugar in 1 cup of water and prepare syrup to one string consistency. Now add the cardamom powder and the food color (either yellow or orange).
2. Add enough water to the gram flour and make it like dosai(little watery, not so thick) batter.
3. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, pour the batter over the ladle. So it will fall like tiny balls (boondi) into the oil. Don’t over cook it. It shouldn’t be crispy. Drain it from oil and immediately put it into the sugar syrup. Leave it in the sugar syrup for few minutes and drain it. Repeat the same process for the whole batter.
4. Now heat little ghee in a pan and fry the raisins and cashews and add it to the boondi.
5. Let it cool for few minutes. Make balls immediately when it is warm. otherwise it is hard to make balls. Delicious ladoo is ready!!

Thattai

Thattai is a popular snack in tamilnadu. I don’t know about other states. Crispy thattai’s are great snack with a cup of tea. Try it you gonna love it.

Ingredients
Rice flour 2 cups
Channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) – 1/2 cup
Gram flour (Kadalai mavu) -1/2 cup
Chick peas flour/ Pottu kadalai mavu – 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp or red chilly – 4 (if using red chilly grind it )
Cumin seeds- 2 tsps
Black sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves- few (Crushed)
Melted butter or vegetable oil – 2 tsps
Salt

Method

1. Soak the channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) in water for 30minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
2. Mix rice flour, gram flour, chick peas flour, chilly powder, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves and salt. Add the soaked channa dal to the mixture .
3. Add water little by little and make the dough as murukku dough. Make small lime size balls and flatten each balls as thin as possible.
4. Deep fry until it is brown and crispy. Store it in a airtight container and enjoy with tea.
5. (I added little orange food color, but that is optional)

Note: (to flatten the balls, if you can able do it with your hands, else use a ziplog bag. Cut two opposite closed edges . Place the dough on one side and cover it with other side and roll it into a thin layer. Apply little oil so that it won’t stick.)

Murukku

Murukku is one of the popular South Indian snack. Here is a simple method to make crispy murukkus. There are different kinds of murukku. This one is rice murukku. Enjoy this with a cup of tea or coffee , great evening snack.

Ingredients:
Rice flour – 2 cups
Pottu Kadalai / Fried gram dal – 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
Melted Butter – 1 tbsp or vegetable oil – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Red Chilly flakes – 1 tsp or Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method

1. Smoothly powder the fried gram dal.
2. In a mixing bowl mix all the ingredients together by adding enough water. (not so loose ,the dough should be little thick to get perfect crispy murukkus)
3. Stuff the dough in the murukku press and press it into spirals on a paper towel or on a plastic sheet.
4. Heat enough oil to deep fry, once it is hot carefully drop the murukku into the oil and deep fry both sides until crisp. Drain on a paper towel , cool and store in a air tight container. You can keep this for weeks.