Dondakaya Verusenaga Curry

Preparation time : 30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Donda Kayalu/Tindora - 250gms/1/4Kg - Slit lengthwise

Curry Leaves - 15-20

mustard seeds - 1/4 tablespoon

cumin seeds - 1/4 tablespoon

Turmeric Powder - a pinch

Green Chillis - 2 - Slit lengthwise

Onion - big - finely chopped

Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 Cup

Urad Dal - 1 tablespoon

Red Chilli powder - 3/4 tablespoon

Coriander powder : 1/4 tablespoon

Cumin Powder - 1/8 tablespoon

Garam Masala - 1/8 tablespoon

Salt - as required

Coconut Powder - 1 tablespoon

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and urad dal(allow it to turn red) and saute it.

2. Add curry leaves and gree chillies and saute it for 2 mins.

3. On medium flame, add chopped onions and turmeric powder then saute until onions turn brown then add little bit salt.

4. Add chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well and cook for 4 mins.

5. Add cut tindora and keep stirring them for 2/3 mins. On low flame, Place the lid and cook for 5/6 mins.

6. Add the roasted peanuts and coconut powder and mix. Add garam masala and saute it.

7. Cook on low flame for 4-5 mins without lid. Turn off the heat.

Veg Biryani

Serves 4 : Preparation time 45 mins

2 tablespoons of oil

Spices:
1/2 teaspoon of Shahjeera (Persian Cumin)
1 teaspoon Jheera (Cumin)
3 Cloves
4 inch stick of Cinnamon
1 Black cardamom
2 Green Cardamoms
3 Bay leaves
2 stems of Curry leaves
5 Cashew nuts (Optional)
3 whole dry red chillies
Salt to taste 

2.5 cups of white Basmati rice (soak it)

Vegetables:
1 big onion cut into thin long slivers
1 medium onion cut into thin long slivers (used for garnishing)
4 Green chillies (mild ones) chopped
2 small potatoes diced
1 Carrot diced
1 cup of fresh Green peas
1 small capsicum
1 small bunch of Pudina leaves chopped
1 small bunch of Coriander chopped

Method:

1. Take a large vessel(Or the container of electric rice cokker) and add 4.5 cups of water and bring to boil (this water should be enough to cook the basmati rice)

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add Shahjeera, Jheera. When they splutter, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves,
 curry leaves, cashewnuts, dry red chillies and cook until cashew turns light brown.

3. Add the vegetables: Start with Onion, let it get brown a bit and add vegetables including the Coriander & mint. (Set aside a handfulof mint for garnishing.)

4. Add salt and continue cooking, we want the vegetables to be half done.

5. When the vegetables are half done, add the boiling water into them, add the soaked rice, mix it and let it cook until done.
You can cook it in Electric Rice cooker.

6. Once the rice is cooked,Garnish with fried onion & pudina spread all over the surface of the rice.
Squeeze some lemon (to taste) .


Best can be served with a Gravy curry or Raita.

Tomato Roti Pachadi( chutney)

Ingredients:

1 big sized Diced half Ripen Tomato( should be yellowish red) / 2 medium sized tomatoes
3 Tsps Oil
3 spicy green chillies
one small sized fresh ginger 
1 heaped Tsp Cumin seeds
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1  Tsp Turmeric
1  Tsp Asafoetida
1  Tsp Fenugreek powder(Optional)
1 Tbsp Tamarind paste
1 Tsp or to taste; Salt
chopped coriander
2 Garlic cloves


Preparation:

1. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a pan. Add Cumin seeds,turmeric, mustard seeds, greenchillies and fry them.

2. Add garlic, ginger ( need not paste it), tamarind paste , salt and saute.

3. You can transfer these contents of the oan into belnder jar/mixer jar.

4. Now, use the same pan and add 2 tbsp of oil,then add tomatoes and saute them until tomaotes turn mushy.

5. once, tomatoes are done, add them to the remaining contents in the blender and grind to a paste

6. take the paste into a bowl and server with Idly/dosa or rice.
Add tomatoes, cover and let simmer until tomatoes wither/go tender, but not completely done. Add Tamarind paste and leave to cool.
3. Heat 2 Tsps oil in pan. Add Black Gram and Dry Red chillies. When black gram turns pale gold, add Coriander and Cumin seeds. When Black Gram goes golden brown (dry chillies would be dark brown & giving off an aroma by now), add Mustard seeds, they'll splutter. Switch off flame and add Fenugreek powder, Turmeric and Asafoetida. Leave to cool.
4. Grinding:
First add the spice mix from step 2 and grind. Then add Salt, Sugar and the Tomatoes from step 3 and coarse grind on pulse/whipping mode with quick spurts of power.
5. Mix in the chopped cilantro. Bottle and refrigerate.

Paneer Biryani

Variety tangy biyani made of Paneer(Cottage Cheese). This recipe serves 4.

Basmati Rice – 1 cup ( soaked for 30 mins)
Water – 1 cup
Paneer / Fried paneer – 1 packet cubed
Onion – 1 sliced thinly
ginger garlic paste – 1 tblspoon
Tomatoes – 2 chopped finely
Curd – ½ cup
Ghee – 1 tblspn
Oil- 2 tblspn
Cumin Seeds /Shahjeera – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tbl spoon
Chilli powder ( optional) for little spicy flavour– 1 tbl spoon 
Salt -  according to taste
Fried Onions – for Garnishing
khasoori methi (dried Methi leaves)– 2 tlspoons
green chillies – 2 slit
Coriander leaves – for garnishing
Coriander paste (Swad brand)- 2 tblspoons
Mint leaves ( dry leaves or fresh )– 2 leaves
Cinnamon / – 1 small stick
Black Cardamom  – 4
Biryani leaf/Bay leaf – 2 leaves
Cloves  – 4
Star Anise – 1

Preparation:

1. Wash Basmati rice and soak for 30 mins.
2. Fry Paneer cubes in 1 tblspoon of oil if not using Fried Paneer cubes. 
3. In a big vessel/Kadai , heat oil and ghee and add cumin seeds, Cinnamon ,Black Cardamom,Biryani leaf,Cloves,Star Anise and let them splutter.
4.  Add in onions and cook till golden brown. Add with salt and mix well. 
5. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell leaves.
6. Now add coriander paste ( or grind bunch of coriander leaves and 2 greenchillies with pinch of salt into fine paste) and mix well. Cook until the paste and the onions mix well.
7. Add slit greenchillies and fry for few minutes.
8. Add in tomatoes and cook till mushy.
9. Add Khasoori methi , turmeric powder, chilli powder and mint leaves.
10. Add in curd and fried paneer pieces and mix well. At this time, the paneer cubes should be well mixed and marinated with the total masala. Keep the lid on the kadai for 2 mins.
11. Now, take the lid off and Add rice and water and gently mix the entire contents with rice and keep the lid on the kadai and cook rice on medium flame. It should take 15-20 minutes to cook the rice.
12. After 20 minutes, take the lid off and check if the rice is cooked. If not, sprinkle little water on the rice and keep the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
13. You can cook the rice in pressure cooker instead of kadai.
14. Once the rice is cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and fried onions.
15. Serve hot with raitha.

Tomato Rice ( Tomato Biryani)

Another variety flavored rice cooked with tomatoes.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Soaking Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 40 to 45 mins
Serves : 4 to 5

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Oil - 3 tblspn
Cinnamon / Pattai - 2 inch stick
Cardamom / Yelakai - 4
Shahjeera/Jeera - 2 tsp
Onion - 1 large sliced thinly
Green Chilli - 2 pricked with a knife 
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tblspn
Tomatoes - 4 large Chopped finely
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 1 tsp 
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped 
Water - 2 cup / 500 ml (same cup you used for measuring rice) 
curd – 1 cup
khasoori methi – 1 tblspoon
Method: 
1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 mins. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add in cinnamon, shahjeera and cardamom. Let them sizzle for a min.

3. Now add in onions and green chillies. Saute them till golden brown. Add salt to make onions crunchy.

4. Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.

5. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder. Mix well.

6. Now add curd and mix with the masala well.

7. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and mix them all with the  masala. Let them cook for 2 mins until tomatoes turn mushy.
8. Add, khasoori methi to the mixture and stir well.
9. Add in coriander and mint leaves to the mixture. The masala is done.
10. Add rice and water to this masala and mix well. Keep the lid on the kadai and let the rice cook for 15 minutes on medium flame.
11.  After 15 minutes, take the lid off and check if the rice is done. If not, then sprinkle handful of water on the rice and keep the lid on and cook for 5 mins on medium flame.
12. Serve hot with Raitha.