Instant Biriyani / Thattikootu Biriyani

Do you feel preparing a biriyani requires a lot of chopping and sautéing? Then try making this way and you will be surprised with the taste of this biriyani without adding any onions, tomatoes, ginger or garlic.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

Chicken: 1 kg

Chicken masala: 4 Tbspn

Curd: 3 Tbspn

Salt

Oil: 5 tbspn

For the rice

Basmati Rice: 3 to 3.5 cups

Water: 6 cups for 3 cups of rice

Ghee: 2 tsp

Whole Spices: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, bay leaf

salt

For garnish

carrot: 1 grated

Mint and coriander leaves: handful

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with salt, chicken masala and curd and set aside for an hour

2. Meanwhile prepare the ghee rice. Heat ghee and add all whole spices. Add water and allow to boil. Now add salt and rice and cook until all water is gone.

3. Add a tsp of oil and saute the grated carrot for 5 mins

4. Add 5 tbspn of oil to the marinated chicken and cook without adding any water.

5. Give some time until the chicken is cooked and all water is dried up and the masala is very well roasted. This is the only step which you will need to give some time otherwise the raw taste of masala might be prominent.

6. Now add the chopped coriander and mint leaves and give a mix

7. Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Also add the carrot along with this and give a final mix

Yummy biriyani is ready in less than 20 mins.

Happy cooking 

Shabana

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Kheema Pakora is a crunchy tasty snack which takes less than 15 minutes and just 2 steps. 

Ingredients

1. Meat mince: 250 gms 2. Onion: 2 small finely chopped 3. Green chilli: 2 nos finely chopped 4. Ginger garlic paste: 1tbsp 5. Garam masala: 1 tsp 6. Chilli powder : 1 tsp 7. Coriander leaves: handful finely chopped 8. Salt to taste 9. Oil to deep fry 10.Gram flour ( kebab flour/ kadala maavu) : 3 tbsp or more to make the kheema mix thick

Method

1. Add all ingredients except oil to a large bowl and mix well. Adjust kebab flour for consistency 2. Heat oil and drop small pieces of the mix and fry until golden brown in medium heat. Pakoras are ready to serve.

Happy snacking
Shabana

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Guntur Mutton Fry

Guntur Mutton Roast is a spicy dry lamb delicacy served as a side dish with Rice. Guntur is a city in Andhra Pradesh state of India known for its chilli, cotton and tobacco exports and has the largest chilli market yard in Asia. No wonder this spicy lamb delicacy is a unique taste bud experience from the Andhra Cuisine. 

Ingredients

• Mutton: Half kg
• Oil: 4 tbsp
• Onion: 1 large sliced lengthwise
• Green chillies: 5 finely chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 2 tsp
• Pepper crushed : 1 to 2 tsp as per need
• Garam Masala: 1 tsp
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves: handful
• Dried red chilli: 4
• Salt to taste

Method

1.  Pressure cook the mutton with little turmeric and salt for 4 to 5 whistles until its almost cooked.Need not cook completely
2.  Heat oil in a non stick pot and saute the onion and green chillies until soft
3.  Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 min
4.  Add the coriander powder and cooked mutton ( without the leftover water. keep the water aside)
5.  Mix well and add pepper powder and garam masala and dry red chillies and salt
6.  Mix all and pour the left over water and cover and cook until mutton is completely done.
7.  Add coriander leaves and keep the pan open at this stage for any excess water to evaporate
8.  Keep mixing in intervals until gravy is completely dry and thick

Happy Cooking
Shabana

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Ivy Gourd Onion Masala  / Dondakaya Ullikaram - Andhra style

Ingredients

• Dondakaya / Ivy gourd - 500 gm
• Onion - 2
• Dry Red chilli - 6
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and cut Dondakaya into thin strips. 
• Dry roast the red chili, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds until they give nice aroma. When they are cooled add the onion along with it grind it to a coarse paste.
• Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a thick bottom pan . When the oil is hot add dondakaya and give a stir. 
• Add a little salt and turmeric powder and cook with lid  for 5 - 10 minutes until dondakaya gets tender.
• Add the ground paste and mix it well and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes. 

Happy Cooking

Shabana.

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Methi Chicken

If you are  looking in for a special variety of chicken curry but not prepared with any fancy ingredients then this is the dish you need to try out. A very easy chicken gravy which can be prepared with the usual ingredients, yet would result in a very unique dish

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 kg
• Cardamom - 3
• Cloves - 2
• Whole pepper corns - ½ tsp
• Onion - 2, big (sliced)
• Green chili - 4 (chopped)
• Ginger (crushed) - 1 ½ tsp
• Garlic (crushed) - 1 ½ tsp
• Tomatoes - 2 (chopped
• Yogurt (curd) - 1 cup
• Chili powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• Pepper powder - ½ tsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Garam masala powder - ¾ tsp
• Kasuri methi (dry) - 3 tbsp.
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
• Water - ¼ cup
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1/4 Cup

Method

1. Heat oil in a deep pan, add cardamom, cloves and whole pepper corns. To this add sliced onion and saute till soft and it changes the color
2. To this add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute till the raw smell disappears. Now add chopped tomatoes and chicken pieces and cook on high flame for about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the flame, add all the spice powders and saute till the raw smell disappears. Stir in the yoghurt to it, reduce the flame and mix till well combined.
4. Add kasuri methi and lemon juice to it and mix well.
5. Add ¼ cup water to it and cook it till done, covered. Serve hot.

Happy Cooking!

Shabana

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Chicken Chukka

This is one alternative to chicken fry which i have always relished eating as a side dish with biriyani or kerala rice. This dish requires marinating chicken with a special blend of spices for an hour and that is all you need to spare to make this tasty chukka chicken.

Ingredients

Dry Masala:
Dry Red Chillies: 7-8 / or dried kashmiri chillies - 10-12 nos
Coriander Seeds:  3 table spoon
Cinnamon : 3 cm piece
Cardamom: 4 nos
Clovers: 5 nos
Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 3-4 tsp

Wet Masala:
Coriander Leaves : handful
Green Chilli: 2
Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 table spoon

Other Ingredients

Chicken: 1 Kg ( Small pieces)
Oil: 4 to 5 tablespoons
Onion: 2 medium finely chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves a handful finely chopped

Method

1. Take the above dry masala in a blender and powder them finely and add to the cleaned and drained chicken
2. In the same blender and add the wet masala and little water and grind to smooth paste to puree and add to the chicken
3. Mix both these dry and wet masala mix well to coat the chicken and marinate for 1 hour or longer
4. After an hour, heat oil in a kadai and saute the onions until light brown
5. Now add the marinated chicken and toss well in the oil. Cover and cook on a low heat for 15 mins, now water from the chicken will come out. Mix well and cover again and cook on low heat for another 15 mins.
6. Now increase the heat and cook till the water is evaporated and chicken is done.

Tasty Chicken chukka is ready to be enjoyed as a side dish with any Indian meal. 

Happy Cooking!

Shabana

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Tandoori Prawns / Grilled Prawns

A great sea food appetizer. Yummy !

Ingredients 

• Prawns : 10-15 ( Cleaned, deveined and tail on)
• Thick yogurt : 1 Tbsp
• Cumin Powder : 1 Tsp
• Pepper powder : 1.5 Tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder : 1 Tsp
• Garam Masala : 2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste or crushed : 2 tsp
• Honey : 1 Tbsp
• Lime juice: 1/2 lime
• Salt

Method

1. Add all the ingredients except the prawns to a wide bowl and mix well to form a thick paste.
2. Add the prawns to the marinade and coat well and allow to sit for an hour and then skew it and grill in a pre heated oven at 180 degree for 6 mins on each side.
3. Enjoy delicious tandoori prawns after 12 minutes of grilling. Do not over cook the prawns. 

For the Yogurt mint dip/ chutney:

Mix together 2 tbsp of thick yogurt ,few chopped mint leaves, a chilli, salt and drops of squeezed lime and enjoy the prawns with the spicy tangy dip.

Happy cooking!!

Shabana

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Chicken White Karahi

Chicken White Karahi ... a north Indian dish which is not very spicy and ideally prepared in a kadai / wok. Try it today as It tickles your taste buds in a whole new way. A chicken curry in which the meat is cooked in yogurt and has the right blend of mild spices.

Ingredients

• Oil: 3-4 tbsp.
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Chicken: 1 kg ( small pieces)
• Onion : 1 medium ( ground into paste without water)
• Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp.
• Green chillies: 5 nos
• Chicken masala powder: 1 tbsp. (optional)
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
• Yogurt: 1/2 cup
• Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
• Pepper powder : 1/2 - 1 tsp
• Fresh cream: 1/2 cup
• Chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds and add cleaned chicken and cook until its no longer pink
2. Add the ginger garlic, green chillies and continue to saute. To this add the onion paste and cook till the raw flavor of onion is gone
3. Add the chicken masala powder, salt, coriander and cumin powder and stir fry for a minute
4. Add the yogurt and cook chicken in yogurt until done
5. Once cooked add the garam masala and pepper powder and stir well. Switch off flame and stir in the cream
6. Add coriander leaves and serve hot

Happy Cooking!

Shabana

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Prawns Pulao

Prawns pulao ... pulao is a basic rice dish made in most indian homes. Its a ' One pot ' dish where you add the rice, veggies, spices and the prawns or any meat into a single pot and cook. Its a quick meal with a lot of  different recipes possible by simply interchanging prawns with meat or veggies.   

Ingredients

For marinating the prawns

• Prawns :500 gms
• Chilli powder: 2tsp
• Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala : 1 tsp
• salt
• Oil : 1 tsp

For the rice

• Cardamom pods: 4-5
• Cinnamon : 1inch
• Pepper corns: 8-10
• Bay leaf : 1
• Cloves : 5-6
• Basmati rice: 2 cups
• Chicken stock : 4 cups (Add one maggi magic cube to 4 cups boiling water to make stock
• Onion : 1 large finely chopped
• Tomato: 1 chopped
• Coriander leaves :handful
• Garlic :5-6 pods
• Oil : 4 tbsp
• salt

Method

1. Marinate the prawns with the ingredients mentioned.

2. Add oil to a wide skillet / kadai and stir fry the prawns. Do not over cook

3. Remove the prawns and add all the whole spices to the same oil . Add a table spoon more of oil if needed at this point

4. Once Masala is sauteed add the onion and make it translucent and to this add the chopped tomatoes.

5. Keep the water to boil and add the stock cube

6. Once tomato turns soft add washed and drained basmati rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes

7. Add the fried prawns and pour the boiling stock water and cook until rice is tender. Add salt according to the salt in the stock.

8. Make a coarse paste of the coriander leaves and garlic and add to the cooked rice and leave it covered for few minutes after turning off the flame.

Tasty Prawns pulao is ready in One Pot!!

Happy Cooking!!

Shabana

Shabana Faizal

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Fluffy Idlis and Chutney recipes

The toughest part of making idlis at home is to grind the rice in a normal blender or mixie. Not everyone would have an electric stone grinder, and even with a stone grinder making the batter with rice is a time consuming process. So I wanted to try out making the batter with urud dal and rice flour. I got the recipe and tried it couple of times and i am sharing that right proportion here for all my readers so that you can try out in your normal blenders or mixie to get fluffy hot idlis !!

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250 gms

• Rice flour: 3 cups
• Urud daal: 1 cup
• Cooked rice; 1 fistful (Optional, for faster fermentation)
• Water for rice flour: 3.5 cups
• Water to grind the urud daal: less than half a cup
• Salt

Method

Soak the urud daal in water for 3-4 hours.

Once the daal is ready to be ground, mix the rice flour with the water and make a thick batter and keep aside. ( no blender required)

In the jar of your mixie add the drained urud daal and the cooked rice and grind to a smooth paste with very little water. Daal will be ground easily in 1-2 minutes.

Once the daal is ready pour it into a large vessel and mix the rice flour batter with a ladle or heavy spoon

Add about a teaspoon of salt and mix well and allow to ferment overnight.
Next morning stir the fermented batter very well and make soft fluffy idly and enjoy with chutney of choice.

Coconut Chutney with red chilli powder

In a blender add half cup grated coconut, 1-2 tsp red chilli powder, 2-3 shallots and grind well by adding little water. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadai and splutter some mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillies and few curry leaves. To this add the ground coconut and mix well in low flame. Switch off flame before the chutney reaches a boil.

Coconut Chutney with green chilli

In a blender add half cup grated coconut, 1 green chilli, 2-3 shallots and grind well by adding little water. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadai and splutter some mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillies and few curry leaves. To this add the ground coconut and mix well in low flame. Switch off flame before the chutney reaches a boil.

Onion Chutney

Add a tablespoon of oil in a kadai and saute 1 large onion until it gets translucent. Add a teaspoon of red chilli powder and a small ball of tamarind and mix well. Once cooled blend this until smooth. Optionally you can add the tempering. (Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadai and splutter some mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillies and few curry leaves)

Happy cooking!!
Shabana

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Rava Laddoo

 

Rava laddoo is a popular Maharashtrian sweet prepared for all auspicious occasions . It is quick and easy to make and also a wonderful gift that can be made for your friends during festivals.

Ingredients

• Coarse rava / sooji / Semolina : 1 cup
• Dessicated coconut : 1/3 rd cup
• Ghee / clarified butter : 1/4 cup
• Fine sugar : 3/4 cup
• Chopped cashews : 2 tbsp
• Raisins : 2 tbspn
• Cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp
• Boiling hot milk : Approx 1/4 - 1/3 cup

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee and lightly roast the cashews for a minute and add raisins and allow it to pop up. Remove from pan and keep aside
2. Add the remaining ghee to hot pan and once warm add the sooji and roast it in medium flame for about 7-8 minutes by constantly stirring it to prevent forming lumps and sticking to the pan.
3. Once sooji is roasted add the coconut and fry again for 4-5 minutes by stirring and the add the sugar and mix well for 2 minutes
4. Add the nuts and raisins along with the cardamom powder and mix well till well combined with the roasted sooji and coconut
5. Keep the boiling milk ready on the other burner and add it at this point of time. Mix well and switch off flame and transfer mix to a plate
6. After 5 minutes when the mixture is still hot make balls out of it by taking about 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture.

Note : At any point if you feel the mix is getting dried and is not forming a smooth ball add boiling milk a tablespoon at a time and correct the consistency.
This mixture should make almost 15 rava laddoos and can be stored in a airtight container for 2-3 days. Enjoy this yummy delight.

Happy cooking!!
Shabana

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Tomato Chicken

Tomato Chicken is a dish where chicken thighs are coated with many fragrant spices like cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin and cinnamon and then simmered in a tomato sauce. This is a slow cooked curry and therefore needs some extra cooking time. But the preparation is not much and it does not require undivided attention while cooking. It is the slow cooking that gives a flavor filled gravy and chicken! The dish has a very thick gravy and goes well with rice or rotis.

Preparation time: 20 Mins
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• Chicken Thighs: 6 pieces
• Onion: 1 large roughly chopped
• garlic: 5-6 cloves
• ginger: 1 " inch piece
• Refined Oil: 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder: 2 tsp
• Turmeric: 1 Tsp
• cardomom: 1/2 Tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Pepper powder: 1 Tsp
• Cinnamon: 2-3 Small Pieces
• Cloves: 4-5 
• Bay leaf: 2 
• Canned tomatoes (Chopped) : 400 gms (14 Oz tin)

Method

1. Place onion, garlic and ginger in a blender and process into a smooth paste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion paste and saute, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Place chicken pieces in skillet and stir them around with the spice mixture until they are well coated.
3. Saute for another 4 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes with liquid and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the oil has separated from the liquid. Stir occasionally.

Note: If you simmer uncovered, the sauce will thicken; add water or chicken stock , or keep covered while simmering

You need not stir the gravy frequently for 2 hours. After an hour or so just keep an eye and adjust water level.

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Happy Cooking!!

Shabana

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Chicken Hariyali

I decided to try this recipe on the request of one of my dear blog subscriber , Shaikh Tasneem. This was the first request I got on my blog and I was really excited to try it for her and it came out real good. This recipe is from Punjabi cuisine and is really very quick and healthy with all those greens. It requires very less sautéing and ingredients. Try it at your home and I am sure your family will be surprised !

Ingredients

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 20 mins
Preparation time: 10 mins

• Chicken; 1/2 kg (cut into small pieces)
• Ginger garlic paste: 1 Tbsp
• Oil: 4 Tbsp
• Mint leaves; One fistful (1/3rd Cup)
• Coriander leaves: one fistful ( 1/3rd cup)
• Spring onions: 2 ( take all the white potion)
• Green Chillies: 5 nos
• Yogurt: 1/2 Cup
• Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder: 1/2 Tsp
• salt to taste

Method

1. Add oil in a pan and saute the ginger garlic paste for 1-2 minutes. 
2. Add the cleaned chicken to this and let it cook uncovered on medium heat for 5 minutes

 

3. Meanwhile grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves, spring onions and green chillies to a smooth paste adding little water.

 

 

4. Add this paste to the chicken along with the salt, cumin and garam masala powder and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes until the oil is separated.

 

 

5. While it is cooking, beat the yogurt and keep ready.

 

6. Once the chicken is cooked add the yogurt and mix well and boil until it reaches desired consistency.

 

7. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

 

Note: If you prefer Chicken Hariyali with more gravy you can switch off the flame immediately after mixing in the yogurt. I preferred a thicker gravy so i further boiled it for 10 minutes for getting a thick coat of gravy on the chicken pieces.

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Happy cooking!!

Shabana

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Paratta is an Indian dish which is usually made plain or with stuffing of choice. This paratta will give your day a healthy start as it uses wheat for the paratta and oats for the filling, Compared to the other usual fillings this one is much easier to make as it requires no cooking time for the filling.

Ingredients

For the paratta

Wheat flour: 2 cups

• water to knead 
• salt 

For the filling

• Oats: 1 Cup
• Red chilly powder: 1.5 Tsp
• Coriander Powder: 1/2 Tsp
• Turmeric: 1/2 Tsp
• Coriander Leaves: few
• Amchur Powder: 1/2 Tsp
• Curry leaves: Few
• Water

Method

1. Knead the wheat flour with salt and water to form a soft dough
2. In another bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling and keep adding water very little at a time until you can make balls out of it. Make balls of the size of a big lemon and keep ready
3. Now make big sized balls out of the atta. Roll it little and keep one oats ball and cover it into a ball and roll it carefully like a chappathi
4. Heat a tawa and sprinkle some oil and cook the paratta on both sides by occasionally flipping it over until both sides get brown spots.
5. Serve it hot with raita or chutney.

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Happy Cooking!!

Shabana

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka is a famous starter dish in India and Pakistan. The same is converted into a side dish by making a thick gravy using onion puree and flavoursome masalas.. It is one of the most popular dishes of Britain and some consider it to be their National dish. This saucy curry goes very well with rotis and breads of your choice.

Ingredients

·         Oil: 2 tbspn

·         Cloves: 3-4

·         Cinnamon stick: 1 inch

·         Cardamom: 3-4

·         Bay leaf: 1

·         Cumin seeds: 1 Tspn

·         Onion puree: made from 2 onions

·         Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp.

·         Salt to taste

·         Red chilli powder: 1 tspn

·         Coriander powder: 1 tsp

·         Garam masala: ½ tsp

·         Water: ¼ cup

·         Tomato puree: 1 cup

·         Fenugreek leaves: 1 tbspn

·         Cream: ½ cup

·         Chicken Tikka: 8-10 pieces ( http://smackinglydelicious.blogspot.com/2016/01/chicken-tikka.html) 

·         Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Prepare the onion puree by simply grinding 2 onions in a blender until a fine paste is formed. Do not add water while grinding
2. Add oil to a pan and splutter the whole spices and sauté for a minute
3. Add the ground onion and salt and sauté till it slightly changes colour, for about 6-7 minutes
4. While the onions are cooking on low heat,  prepare the tomato puree by making small slits on the tomatoes and boiling them for 3-4 minutes and then grinding them after taking off the peels.
5. Once onions has changed colour add the ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes, about 2-3 minutes
6. To this add the red chilli, coriander and garam masala powders and mix well and add the water to prevent the spices from getting burnt
7. Add the tomato puree and cook with closed lid for about 5 minutes
8. Now add the fenugreek leaves and cream and give a last stir
9. Finally add the prepared tikka and toss well until the gravy coats all the pieces.
10. Serve hot with nan or rotis

Note: You can find the recipe for making chicken tikka in my blog.

Happy Cooking!!
Shabana

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