Crisp Bhindi Fry

Ingredients

• Ladys finger(Bhindi) - 1 lb
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Gram flour(Besan/Kadalapodi) _ 3 spoons
• Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 - 3 tbsp
• Onion(medium) - 1 no
• (jullienned)

For seasoning:-

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu) - 2 tsp
• Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu) - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/2 tsp
• Roasted peanuts(Nelakadala) - 1 tbsp
• Roasted cashews - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
• Coriander leaves - 1/4th bunch (chopped finely)
• Green chillies - 2 - 3 nos or as reqd
• Garlic pods - 2 nos
• (minced or grated or crushed)
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch or more to garnish

Method

Wash the bhindi and pat dry them in towel and leave them for 1 hour. After 1 hour, cut them into circular discs or rings of 5-7 mm thickness. In a bowl mix together salt, garm masala powder, turmeric powder, gram flour, chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. To it, add bhindi, 1/4th bunch of pat dried coriander leaves and toss well.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds followed by black gram, Bengal gram, cumin seeds, roasted peanuts & cashews, curry leaves and coriander leaves one by one. Fry them covered for 1 - 2 mins on a medium flame.

Now add julienned onion and saute for 3 - 4 mins. Change the flame to high and add the bhindi tossed with all powders and coriander leaves to the above and toss it well and saute for 2 mins without lid. Close the lid , turn the stove to medium and cook covered for 6 - 7 mins. In between keep tossing or shaking so that the bhindi is not burnt.

Open the lid and cook on medium flame until the bhindi turns crispy.

Finally garnish with cilantro leaves and curry leaves and switch off the stove and keep covered for 10 more minutes so that the flavours of cilantro and curry leaves is absorbed by the bhindi.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Chicken Biryani is a delicious non vegetarian Indian cuisine, but biryani's can be Vegetarian and non Vegetarian both. Today i am going to make chicken biryani, hope you all will enjoy this recipe.


Ingredients

• 2 Cups Basmati Rice
• 3/4 kg Chicken Pieces
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 3 Sliced onion
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger Paste
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Green Chilli Paste
• 1/2 Cup Tomato Puree
• 2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Whole Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• Saffron a pinch
• 2 tablespoon Rose water
• 2 tablespoon Green Coriander Leaves
• Mint leaves (Garnishing)
• 10 tablespoon Oil
• 4 Tablespoon butter
• Clay pot for serving

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces with the mixture of tomato puree, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt, and keep aside for 3-4 hours.

Now heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until it becomes golden brown, and keep half aside. Now add the marinated chicken and cook it for 10 minutes.

Boil water, add 1/2 of the whole garam masala, bay leaf, salt and rice in it. Cook the rice until 3/4th done. Drain rice and place it aside.

Dissolve saffron in warm milk and set aside.

Place alternate layers of chicken and rice in a clay pot. Now sprinkle saffron dissolved in milk, remaining garam masala powder, golden fried sliced onions and butter in between the layers and on the top. Carefully end it with the rice layer topped with saffron, spices & rose water. Cover and seal it with an aluminum foil and cook on low flame for about 10 to12 minutes. Chicken Biryani is ready to serve.

Cloves

More or less in all Indian recipes cloves are used. It is been used in whole or ground form mainly for culinary purposes and as a flavouring agent in food industry and its flavour blends well with both sweet and savory dishes but as they are extremely strong so they are used sparingly, Cloves have an intense fragrance.

The clove is an air-dried unopened flower bud obtained from evergreen medium sized tree, which start flowering in about 7 years and continues to produce flower buds for 80 or more years, its clusters are plucked by hand when the buds are fully developed with a pronounced pink flush and then dried over several days in the sun.

It is also been used as the antiseptic and antibiotic the clove oil are used in medicine especially in dentistry, oral and pharyngeal treatments. It is also been used in Ayurveda called Lavang. Its essential oil is used in aromatherapy when stimulation and warming is needed, especially for digestive problems, and also widely used in preparations of toothpaste and mouthwashes, soaps and perfumes. It is also reported to help diabetics in sugar assimilations.

Chicken Tandoori

Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients:

1 - whole chicken (de skinned)

4 - medium onionsfew cashews and raisins

1- hard boiled egg

3 tsp - curd

pinch of orange color

turmeric powder half tsp

vegetable oil

chili powder to taste

salt to taste

onion rings, lemon rings and Coriander leave (for garnishing)

Method:

Clean the chicken and made vertical slits on it but make sure not to make holes through.
Add curd, turmeric, chili powder, salt, orange color and half tsp vegetable oil to the chicken.
Marinate chicken in the mixture for at least 4 to 5 hours.
In a wok add oil to it, add chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
Then add chili powder, salt, turmeric to the onions and fry till oil separates.
Now add the raisins and cashews.
Stuff the marinated chicken with this onion mixture and hard boiled egg.
Pre heat oven at 350 C for 5 minutes.
Keep the stuffed chicken in greased dish and bake for an hour, turning upside down in between.
Make sure not to overcook the chicken take it out when it is little reddish brown on the top.
Slice it before serving.
Garnish with onion rings, lemon ring and Coriander leave and now its ready to serve.

Tips

• Squeezed out, lemon can be used to rub the hands, nails, and fingers. Rub till peel and hands turn dry. Wash after 15 minutes. Best done leisurely, while relaxing as in watching TV, etc.

• Dry almond skins in sun till brittle. Powder, mix with gram flour, turmeric and store. Add curds and honey to a Tablespoonful of mixture and use to rub skin clean while bathing. Making and excellent cleaning agent for the Body and face.

Chicken Fatafat

Chicken Fatafat

Ingredients:

1 kg of Chicken cut into pieces
1 tbsp of Jeera powder

1 tsp of Garamasala powder

1 tsp of Ginger Garlic paste

1 tsp of Turmeric powder.
Salt to taste.
1 big finely chopped Tomatoes,
1 big finely chopped onion.
Coriander leaves (For garnishing)


Method

Clean the chicken pieces properly pat it dry and marinate with all the ingredients (except tomatoes and onions )for1/2 hr.
Heat the 3 tbsp of oil,fry the onion and then add the marinated chicken.
Fry the marinated chicken for 5 minutes add finely chopped tomatoes and fry it for 5 min. add salt to taste ,add 1cup of hot water in it and cover it with lid .
Wait for 15 min garnish with coriander leave its ready to eat now.