Puli Inji or Inji curry

Ingredients:

Ginger - 3 cups chopped and minced finely
Tamarind- 1 big lemon size
Green chilly - 15 (finely chopped)
Jaggery - 3 cubes
Chilli powder - 1 tblsp

Asafoetida- a generous pinch

Fenugreek powder - a pinch

Salt to taste


To Temper:

Coconut oil - 4 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chilly -2( broken into pieces)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

 1. Soak tamarind in hot water for half an hour. Squeeze the tamarind and extract the tamarind juice and filter it. The tamarind extract should be around 4 cups

2. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and  pour 4 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds and red chilly . Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves . Then add the minced ginger . Fry till the water content of the ginger gets reduced and then add green chilly and fry till the colour of ginger turns brown and it becomes dry.

3. Boil the tamarind juice extract . Once it boils for sometime, add the fried ginger and let it boil for another 5 minutes.

4. Now add red chilly powder, asfoetida and salt  and mix well. Boil it in low flame till the ginger cooks well and the mixture reduces to half. It will take about half an hour - 45 minutes.

5. Now add jaggery cubes and boil in low flame till the jaggery melts and the whole mixture becomes thick and pulpy . This will take another half an hour to 45 minutes.

6. Add the fenugreek powder.Mix well and remove from heat. Cool it and transfer it to a bottle and allow it to settle.


Note:
- Puli inji is an important part of Onam sadya.
- It tastes good after 1-2 days. So prepare it in advance before sadya.

Eggless Banana walnut muffin

Ingredients:

1. Banana - 2 ripe
2. Walnut - 1/4 cup
3. All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
4. Sugar  - 1/3 cup
5. Oil  - 1/4 cup
6. Baking soda   - 1/2 tsp
7. Baking powder -  1/2 tsp
8. Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Take a bowl and mash the bananas with hand or fork. Mix in oil, vanilla  and sugar. Keep aside.

3. In another bowl, mix all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder..

4. Fold in the banana mixture and the flour mixture, donot over mix. Mix in half of the chopped walnuts.

5. Pour the batter into prepared muffin cups to 3/4 of it. Sprinkle each muffin with the chopped walnut.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.


Recipe courtesy - Rakskitchen

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients:

Mushroom - 250gm
Onion - 2 big, thinly sliced
Rice - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

For the Marinade
Curd - 1/3 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp  
Salt to taste  
Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup each,chopped
 
For the seasoning
Oil+Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1' stick
Cloves - 2-3  
Cardamom - 1
Star Anise - 1
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp  

Method
 
1. In a thick bottomed kadai, add 2 tbsp oil and fry the onions in it till dark brown and crispy.You could also deep fry the same.

2.Wash and soak the rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.


3.Marinate the mushrooms in ingredients mentioned under marinade along with half of the fried onions. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
 

4.In a kadai add oil+ghee and saute the whole garam masala followed by shahjeera.

5.Add the marinated mushrooms along with the marinade and cook for 5-7 minutes or till the mushrooms start shrinking.
 

6.Mix in the coconut milk and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.  

7.Drain the rice(reserve the water) and mix in carefully trying not to break the grains.Add in salt to taste and  1/2 tsp of garam masala.
 

8.Add the water in which the rice was soaked and let it boil.Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.The water should be fully absorbed by now. 

9.Switch off the flame and leave it undisturbed for another 15 minutes.  

10.Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.Mix in the rest of the fried onions and serve.

Source : Divyascookbook