Vegetable biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 small, thinly sliced
Tomato - 1, chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Paneer - 1/4 cup, small cubed
Carrot - 1 big, cubed
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Cloves -  3-4
Cardamom - 3
Star anise - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon  - 2 -3(1" sticks)
Peppercorns - 3-4
Cilantro - 3-4 tbsp , chopped
Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews- 2 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Ghee/ oil - 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - 4 cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil/ghee in a pan. Fry the cashews and raisins and keep aside. Then shallow fry the paneer cubes till it turns golden brown on the sides. Drain and keep aside.
3. Add a tbsp more of oil/ghee to the pan and fry half of the sliced onions till it turns golden brown. Keep aside.
4. Now add a tbsp of oil/ghee to a bigger pan . Add in the whole spices(Cloves, cardamom,star anise,bay leaves, cinnamon and peppercorns) and fry for a minute. Add the remaining onion and fry till golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
5. Now add the tomato pieces and saute till it turns mushy. Add the garam masala powder , red chilly powder and salt. Saute for a minute.
6. Mix in the carrots and cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes.
7. Now add the drained rice and mix well for a minute. Then add the peas and some of the chopped cilantro.
8. Add water and required salt to this . The water should be a bit salty. Cover and cook on medium -high heat for about 15 minutes or till the rice is fully cooked.
9. When the rice is cooked, just fluff the rice with a fork. Then gently mix in the fried onion, paneer cubes, remaining chopped cilantro, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot with raita or pickles!

Aloo gobi

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Potato - 1 large, cubed
Cauliflower florets - 2 cups
Green chilly - 2, slit lengthwise
Tomato - 1 , chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Dried Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp , chopped
Salt to taste
Oil -  tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter jeera. Then add the copped onion and saute till it turns golden brown.
2. Then add ginger garlic paste and green chilly. Saute for a minute or two.
3. In a small bowl mix in all the powders(turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder, kasoori methi) and salt. Add 2 tsps of water and make a paste. Pour this paste into the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Now add the cauliflower florets and potatoes. You can sprinkle a tsp of water if you want. Mix well so that all the pieces are coated with spices.
5. Cook it covered for about 10-15 minutes on medium flame. Make sure the vegetables donot stick to the bottom . Add oil if you want.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis or chapathis!

Methi paratha

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Methi leaves - 1 cup, tightly packed
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Oil as required
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take the methi leaves from the stem. Wash and roughly chop them.Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add the methi leaves. Saute it for 2-3 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, methi leaves, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala and salt. Mix it. Then required luke warm water to make a soft dough.
3. Keep it covered with a damp wet cloth and keep it aside for about 30 minutes.
4. Make lemon sized balls and roll it into chapathis.
5. Heat a tawa and cook the parathas till it turn light brown on both sides. Drizzle little oil on the sides.

Serve with curd or pickle!

Curd rice/Thayir sadam

 Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Butter - 2 tsp
Carrot - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Green chilly - 2 , finely chopped
Ginger - 2 tsp, finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp, chopped
Salt to taste

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Wash and pressure cook rice in 2 cups water for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool down a bit. Then add butter and curd and mash up the rice. Then add milk and mash it again.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and urad dal. Wen the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Pour this into rice.
3. Add the chopped carrots, ginger, green chilly, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well everything well.

Serve with pickle!

Egg biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Egg - 6

Onion - 2 medium, thinly sliced

Tomato - 1 , chopped

Cashew - 2-3 tbsp

Raisins - 2-3 tbsp

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 2 ( 1" pieces)

Bay leaves - 1

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1"piece

Garlic - 2- 3 pods

Green chilly - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder  - 1 tsp

Garam masala/ Biryani masala - 1 tsp

Coconut milk - 3/4 - 1 cup 

Mint / coriander leaves 

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - 4 cups
Cilantro leaves  for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for about half an hour.
2. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and fennel seeds. When the fennel seeds splutter, add the drained rice and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add water and salt . Cover and cook on medium heat till the water is absorbed and rice is 3/4th cooked.
3.  Take a saucepan and place the eggs. Cover the eggs with water and boil for 10 -12 minutes on medium-high. Switch off the flame and let it sit for 5 minutes. Wash the eggs in cold water and remove the shells.
4. Heat a tbsp of oil in another pan, fry the cashews and raisin and keep aside. Then fry half of the sliced onion till golden brown. Keep aside.
5. Grind together ginger,garlic and green chilly to a coarse paste.
6. Heat a tbsp of oil and fry the remaining onions till golden brown. Then  add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala/biryani masala and salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add tomato and cook till mushy.
8. Add the coconut milk and the hard boiled eggs  and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium-low flame till the gray becomes semi-thick.
9. Arrange the rice and egg masala in layers in a heavy bottom pan.  Garnish with few cashews, raisins, fried onions and coriander leaves in-between the layers.
10. Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 5-8 minutes. Or you can bake this for 10 minutes at 350 deg F.

Serve with raita!!

Vegetable stew

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 big
Potato - 2 medium
Carrot - 1
Green chilly - 2, cut lengthwise
Ginger - 1 " piece, chopped finely
Thin coconut stew - 1/2 cup
Think Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Peppercorns - 2
Cinnamon - 1 " piece
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole spices(cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns). Saute for a minute.
2. Cut the vegetables into cubes. Add these vegetables to the pressure cooker and pressure cook the vegetables, ginger and green chilly with just enough water and salt for 2 whistles.
3. Open the pressure cooker and add thin coconut milk. Boil it for 2 minutes. Then add thick coconut milk, a tbsp of coconut oil and curry leaves. Remove from fire.

Serve hot with Kerala Appam!!

Watercress thoran/ Stir fry

Ingredients

Watercress - 1 bunch, chopped
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly - 1 + 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and one dry red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves followed by chopped onion.
2.  Saute till the onions turn slightly brown. Then add the chopped watercress, turmeric powder and salt . Add 3 -4 tbsp of water. Stir well and cook till the leaves are soft and all the water is absorbed.
3. Coarsely grind coconut and 1 dry red chilly. Add this to the cooked water cress and mix well. Cook on medium flame for a minute.

Serve with rice!

Quinoa upma

Ingredients:

Quinoa - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Carrots - 1/4 cup, chopped
Peas - 1/4 cup
Green chilly - 2 , slit length wise
Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped finely
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly - 1 or 2
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add oil , mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies. Once the mustard seeds starts to splutter, add the curry leaves and  chopped onion and fry till it turns colour .
2. Now add all the vegetables ,green chillies and turmeric powder. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the quinoa. Mix and stir for a minute. Now add water and salt. Cover and cook on low flame for about 10 minutes or till all the water is absorbed and quinoa is soft and done.
4. Serve hot.

Vanpayar thoran

Ingredients:

Vanpayar - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Dry Red chilly  - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak vanpayar overnight or atleast for 6-8 hrs. Then pressure cook it with just enough water, salt and turmeric powder for about 3-4 whistles.
2. Coarsely grind together one dry red chilly and coconut.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and one red chilly. When the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves followed by cooked vanpayar along with water. Cook in medium-high heat till all the water is fully absorbed.
4. Then add the ground coconut mixture to it and mix well. Cook for another 1- 2 minutes on medium heat.
Serve with rice or kanji!