Semiya / Vermicelli Biryani: ( Biryani made of Sevai/Semiya upma)

Ingredients:

Semiya /Sevai – 1 cup
water – 1.5 cups
cloves – 3
bay leaf – 2 leaves
cinnamon sticks – 2
shahjeera – 2 tblspoons
oil – 2 tblspoons
Green cardamom – 2 pieces
ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tblspoon
greenchillies – 2 slit
onions chopped – 1 big onion
tomatoes chopped – 1 medium tomato
carrots/beans/peas – chopped finely and boiled – 1 cup
salt – according to taste
turmeric powder – 1 tblspoon
chilli powder – 1 tblspoon
coriander powder – ½ tbl spoon
mint leaves – 5 leaves
Corinader leaves – 2 stalks
Curd – 2 tblspoons
lemon juice (Optional)– 2 tblspoons

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan . Add Shahjeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger garlic paste and greenchillies and fry them.
2. Add chopped onions and fry them till golden brown. Add salt to onions.
3. Add tomatoes and fry until they turn mushy. Add Carrots/beans/peas and mix well.
4. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, curd, mint leaves and coriander powder and mix well. Cook until oil comes out from sides.
5. Now, add vermicelli and water and mix well. Keep the lid on the pan and cook on medium flame.
6. Once vermicelli/sevai is cooked, add lemon juice before serving.
7. serve hot.

Pulihora – Tamarind rice

Cooked Rice seasoned with tamarind paste and other ingredients, usually made as Nivedhyam for temples.

Ingredients:
rice – 2 cups cooked.
Tamarind paste – 4 tablespoons
curry leaves – 3-4 leaves
mustard seeds – 1 tblspoon
hing/inguva – ½ tblspoon
greenhillies – 3-4 slit
minapappu – 2 tblspoons
senagapappu – 2 tblspoons
red/dried chillies – 2
salt – according to taste
turmeric – 1 tblspoon
oil – 2 tblspoons
Peanuts (Optional) – ½ cup
Coriander leaves – 2 stalks for garnishing
Methi powder( roasted/raw)(Optional) – ½ tblspoons 

Preparation:
1. Soak tamarind in hot water and make a thick paste by squeezing.Filter to remove stones and debris. Set this aside.
2. Cook 2 cups of rice without getting mushy and let it cool. Spread rice in a bowl.

Method:

1. Add oil to a pan and heat it. Add mustard seeds and let them spluter.
2. Add  Inguva(Hing), menthi powder, minapappu/urad dal , senagapappu(chana dal) ,peanuts till  they turn golden.
3. Add curry leaves,  green chilies and red chilies and turmeric powder. Fry everything well. 
4.  remove the contents and transfer them to the cooled rice  and mix well.
5. In the same pan, add oil and add tamarind paste and salt to it.
6. Keep the flame medium and cook the tamarind paste until it becomes thick. You can add some of the greenchillies in the tamarind paste as well. They taste good.
7. Once the tamarind paste gets thick, add this paste to rice and mix well. 
8. Gently Mix all the contents well with rice. Make sure there are no lumps of white rice unmixed.
9. Add chopped coriander leaves.

Egg Biryani

Spicy rice cooked with boiled eggs.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice-2 cup
Water – 2 cups.
Onion-1 sliced thinly
Eggs -  4 boiled
Ginger Garlic paste-1 tblspn
Coriander leaves- 2 stalks chopped
Mint Leaves-1 handful
Green chilli-3 sliced
Cashew-1 tblspn
Khasoori methi-1 tblspn
Curd-1 cup
Red chilli powder-1 tblspn
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tblspn
cumin powder – ½ tblspoon
Garam masala powder-2 tsp
Cinnamon sticks-1 small piece
Bay leaves-handful
Star anise – 1 
biryani flower – 1 
Black/green Cardamom-2
Cloves-4
Shahjeera/Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Ghee- 1 tblspoons
oil – 2 tblspoons
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Soak Basmati rice in water for 30 mins.
2. In a wide pan, heat oil  and ghee and add shahjeera, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, biryani flower.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell leaves-handful
4. Add in sliced onions,Green chilli,Cashews, and fry till golden brown.  Add salt and stir.
5. Add khasoori methi, mint leaves, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and mix well.
6. Add curd and mix well with the rest of the contents.
7. Add boiled eggs and mix well with the masala. At this time keep the lid on the pan and let it mix well for 2 minutes. The eggs should get well marinated with the mixture.
8. Add coriander leaves.
9. Remove the lid and add rice and water and mix well from bottom.
10. Keep the lid again and let the rice cook for 15 minutes. Open the lid and check if the rice is cooked. If the rice is not cooked, sprinkle handful of water on rice and keep the lid on for 5 minutes.
11. Once the rice is done, switch stove off and the biryani is ready.
12. Serve hot with Raitha.
13. You can cook the rice in electric cooker with the same procedure. Once rice is added along with water – transfer the contents into electric rice cooker and cook.

Kakarakaya Vepudu( Bitter Gourd Fry)

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Kakarakaya/Bitter Gourd - 4 big ones - Diced into big pieces.

Pink Onions - 1 big Finely Chopped

Garlic - 3 cloves crushed

Curry Leaves - 3 leaves

Red chillies - 2 big

jeera/cumin seeds - 2 tblspoons

mustard seeds - 1 tblspoon

Coriander leaves - 1 stalk chopped finely

menthi powder( Roasted Fenugreek Powder) Optional- 1/2 tblspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tblspoon

salt - according to taste

oil - 3 tblspoons

red chilli powder - 1 tblspoon

jaggery - 1 tblspoon ( if powdered)

Inguva(Hing) - a pinch

Milk - 2 tblspoons

dry coconut powder - 2 tlspoons

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a vessel and add Diced Kakarakaya Pieces in it. Add some salt to the boiling water.

2. Boil for 20 mins until the pieces turn into light green. 

3. Drain the water and squeeze out excess water from the kakarakaya pieces by hand and keep then aside. This will reduce the bitterness of Bitter Gourd.

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds,mustard seeds,hing, methi powder and let them splutter.

2. Now add curry leaves, crushed garlic and red chillies and fry well.

3. Once garlic turns golden color, add chopped onions and fry until onions turn golden brown. Add salt to onions.

4. Add kakarakaya pieces( squeezed out of excess water) and mix well.

5. Add Turmeric powder, red chilli powder , dry coconut powder and stir. 

6. Fry the contents for 5-6 minutes until the kakarakaya pieces turn into light brown color ( as shown in the picture above) .

7. Add Jaggery and give a stir for another 2 minutes. At this point make sure Jaggery mixes well with the entire contents without any lumps.

8. Add Milk to the curry and mix well.

9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

10. Kakarakaya vepudu is ready. Serve hot with Rice.

Tips:

1. Milk adds additional flavour and nice texture to the curry.

2. Adding jaggery reduces the bitterness of the kakarakaya. It can be substituted with sugar as well, but jaggery gives nice taste.

3. Squeezing out excess water from kakarakaya is important as the pieces hold water and makes the texture of the fry into watery. Also squeezing water removes the bitterness.

4. Coconut powder and methi powder are optional, but gives additional taste. 

Bendakaya Vepudu (Okra Fry)

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

Bendakayalu(Okra) – ½ Kg

PinkOnions finely chopped – 1 big

Garlic – 3 -4cloves

Methi powder ( Roasted/Raw Fenugreek powder) – ½ tblspoon

Inguva/Hing – a pinch

salt – according to taste

red chilli powder – 1 tblspoon

greenchillies – 2 slit

curry leaves – 2-3 leaves

coriander leaves – 1 stalk full chopped

Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tblspoon

Mustard seeds – 1 tblspoon

turmeric powder – 1 tblspoon

minapappu/urad dal – 1 tblspoon

oil – 3 tblspoons

red/dry chillies – 1

milk – 2 tblspoons

Method:

• clean and cut the Bendakayalu/okra into small pieces as shown in the picture.
• Heat oil in wide pan and add Jeera, mustard seeds, hing, methi powder, curry leaves and fry them until splutter.
• Add crushed garlic, minapappu/urad dal, greenchillies and red chillies and fry them till golden brown.
• Add chopped onions and fry them until golden brown. Add salt to onions.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and mix well.
• Add cut okra and mix gently with the contents. Be careful not to break the bhendi pieces while mixing.
• To avoid breaking bhendi pieces, toss the contents slightly from bottom by holding the either sides of the pan with both of your hands.
• Keep the lid on the pan and Cook the okra for 6-7 mins until the bhendi turns soft and the color turns to dark green color ( as shown in the pic). Gently stir in between not to burn the bottom of pan.
• Add coriander leaves and mix well.
• Now Add milk for an extraordinary taste and mix well.
• Switch off the stove and bendakaya vepudu is ready.
• Serve with Rice or Roti.