Paneer Biryani ( Pressure cooker method)

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
3 cups of water
1 cup of paneer cubes pan fried
2 tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp oil
1 onion diced lengthwise
3 green chillies slit lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 ginger garlic paste
Whole garam masala (cinnamon(1), elaichi(4), cloves(5), bay leaves(3), mace, kala jeera, black pepper corns, Star anace(1))
Fresh mint
Salt to taste(2 tsp)
1 tbsp garam masala 
coriander leaves for topping.

 How i make it :

• Wash Basmati rice and drain the water with colander.
•  Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and fry all the paneer cubes or blocks until golden color and once fried set aside.
• In a pressure cooker (must be atleast 5 liters) heat 2 tbsp ghee+1tbsp oil and saute all the whole garam masala for a min. Then add onions and chillies and fry for 2 mins untill tender.
• Dump all the veggies and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 mins until no raw smell from veggies.
• Add in the drained rice just incorporating with veggies, also add fried Paneer blocks at this stage. Then pour the water to the rice and season it with salt, garam masala and pressure cook it with a whistle on the top. After 2 whistles stop the heat and leave it until pressure goes out. Top it with coriander leaves before serving.

        Serve hot with Raita or any gravy curry.

Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:
1 Pound shrimp (35 shrimps deveined and peeled)
4-5 bamboo skewers
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp salt
1 lemon juice
1 tsp of red chilli flakes
1 tsp chilli powder(optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder(optional)
Cilantro leaves chopped fine.

 How i make it :

• Soak bamboo skewers in water before grilling. Marinate the prawns with the above spice seasoning. Insert the shrimps or prawns into the bamboo skewer in a series.
• Heat a grill pan with 2 tsp oil coating the pan. Grill in medium high heat each side for 4-5 minutes and prawns are totally cooked on each side.

          Serve hot with a sauce and salad.

Cabbage Curry Puffs

Ingredients:
(1 sheet of puff pastry yields 9 puffs)
1 Package Puff pastry
1/4 cup onion chopped (small onion)
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup carrot chopped
1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1 tbsp milk (substitute for egg wash)

 How i make it :

Cabbage curry stuffing:

1. Thaw the puff pastry from the freezer for 40 mins.  Meanwhile cut all the above veggies into small .
2. In a non stick pan heat oil, and saute onions untill tender and add the veggies except peas and saute untill tender. Add in the chiili powder, dhaniya powder, turmeric, salt and cook for 5 mins on a low medium heat stirring in between.
3. Once veggies look tender dump in the peas and 2 tbsp water and cook for another 5 mins and shut the heat down. 

Folding the Puff pastry:

1. Dust the work surface with little flour and place 1 sheet of puff pastry, dust some more flour on the pastry to avoid sticking. 
2. Roll down the pastry sheet gently with chapathi roller and cut them into desired shapes or parts.
3. Stuff the curry in each cut part and fold it gently pressing the ends with the folk.
4. Brush little milk on the top of all stuffed puffs and place in the preheated oven for 25 mins on 350 degree F.

          Serve hot with ketch up or hot sauce. 

Pomfret Fish curry (Chanduva chepa iguru)

Pomfret is a fleshy fish with less bones, it tastes great when fire grilled or curried. I made a masala curry version with coconut and poppy seed paste, getting some korma flavour into the fish. 


Ingredients:
2 pomfret fish sliced.
2 medium onion chopped
2 green onion chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4-5 green chillis slit
5 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chilli powder
2 tbsp salt (little less)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp Garam masala (blend along with cumin and coriander powder)
3 tbsp coconut shred
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup of water.
Coriander leaves for garnish.

How i make it :

• Cut the pomfret fish and gently massage it with little salt and wash thoroughly. Do not over work with fish. Marinate the fish pieces with 1 tbsp each of chilli powder, salt, turmeric and lemon juice and set aside for 15 minutes. Mean while grind coconut and poppy seeds into paste with little water.
• Heat 5 tbsp oil in an open broad pan and fry onions, green onions and chillis till tender and colored. Season the onions with 1 tbsp chilli powder, salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. 
• Gently arrange the fish on to the seasoned onion and cover it and cook for 3-5 mins on low medium heat. Dust a tbsp of really spicy garam masala powder.
• Slowly the fish pieces gives out water, add the Coconut-Poppy seed paste into the fish with a cup of water (do not over fluid the fish as it may break).
• Cover and cook the fish with gravy for 15 minutes or more on low medium heat stirring in the middle. 
• Once the gravy is thickening off the heat and garnish it with coriander and cover it and let cool and serve with white rice.

          Enjoy!

Spicy Andhra Chepala Pulusu (Fish Tamarind gravy curry)

Fish Pulusu can be made with Kingfish, Tilapia, Carp or Catfish if staying away from India. In Andhra it is exclusively made with Bochha, Jalalu, Vanjaram and many more. The curry is made spicy to compensate it with sourness from the tamarind pulp, which together gives a Delicious dish.


Ingredients:
2 Tilapia fish (scaled, cleaned and made into fillets)
2 medium onions chopped
5-6 green chillis slit
2 green onions
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
yellow lemon size or egg size tamarind soaked in water
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
5 tbsp oil.
2 tbsp or more chilli powder
1 tbsp turmeric
Salt to taste (2tbsps)

             

 How i make it :

• Scale and clean the fish fillets just by massaging it on a cutting board to remove the dirt on the fish skin. Marinate the fish with chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. 
• Grease a open non stick pan with 5 tbsp oil and saute onions and green onions and slit green chillis until tender. Once tender stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute until no raw smell.
• Arrange the marinated fish fillets into the onions and cover for 5 mins until water coming out and then flip the fish and cook for another 5 mins(I personally skip flipping). Once the fish is added the heat should be in medium low flame.
• Squeeze the pulp from tamarind with 3/4 cup water and add to the fish and add 1/2 cup of water. DO NOT OVER FLOOD IT. NO STIRRING WITH THE SPOON ONCE FISH IS IN THE PAN. HOLD BOTH THE EARS OF THE PAN AND GIVE A GENTLE SHAKE, BECOZ THE SPOON MAY BREAK UP THE FISH FILLETS.
• Cover with lid and cook on lower medium for 12-15 mins until the gravy gets thicker, just shaking in the middle. Top it with chopped fresh cilantro.

Enjoy this master piece with Rice. Curry tastes great the next day as the fish absorbs sourness from the tamarind.

Beetroot fry curry

Ingredients:
(Yields 4 servings)
3 medium size Beetroot (de-skin, chopped and boiled)
1 large size onion chopped
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 tbsp each of chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric
for seasoning:
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
5-6 curry leaves
2 garlic cloves broken
2 red chillis.

How i make it :

• Peel the skin of  beetroots and chop them into tiny chunks and boil them in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water.
• Grease the pan with 3 tbsp oil and season it with mustadr, cumin, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, garlic and red chillis and saute for a while.
• Add onions, chillis and start cooking them until tender. Dump in the boiled beetroot removing the colored water.
• SAVE THE WATER FROM THE BOILED BEETROOT AND USE FOR MAKING RASAM, WHICH HAVE LOT OF NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
• Cook the beetroot by flavouring it with chilli powder, salt and turmeric.
• Cook the beetroot untill no raw smell for 10 mins stirring in the middle. 

Top it with coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice or Roti. This is a great side dish for Pappu or Dal. Enjoy!

Aloo Besan Curry (Potato Chick pea flour Curry)

Ingredients:
(Yields 4 Servings)
2 medium size potatoes (boiled and chopped)
2 heaping tbsps Besan flour or Chick pea flour
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 cups water
2 green chillis
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp of mustard and cumin seeds
1 tsp each of urad dal and chana dal
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves for garnish.

 How i make it :

• Boil the potatoes and chop them into cubes. Mix 2 tbsps of besan flour in to 1/2 cup water ans set aside.
• Heat 3 tbsps oil in a non stick pan and season with mustard, cumin, curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal. Add onions to the seasoning and cook till tender, add ginger garlic paste to onion and cook for a while.
• Dump in the boiled potatoes to the onions and spice it up with chilli powder, turmeric, salt and stir in the besan flour mix and add the rest of water to the curry and cook on low heat for 5-10 mins and granish it with Coriander leaves.

Enjoy the curry with Chapathi or Puri.

Plantain Fry Curry(Aratikaya vepudu)

Ingredients:
2 medium plantains
1 medium onion
2 green chillies
Curry leaves
1 tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillis, 2 garlic cloves(for seasoning)
3 tbsp oil or more.
1 tbsp each of chana dal, ural dal for seasoning.
Coriander leaves for topping.

How i make it :

• Cut the Plantains into half and pressure cook it in a cooker untill 2 whistles.
• Cool down the Plantains once taken out from cooker and chop them into small cubes.
• In a non stick kadai or pan  heat 3 tbsp oil and season it with mustard, cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal, red chillis and add onions. Saute the onions untill tender.
• Add the chopped plantain and cook for 2 mins. Then to it add chilli powder, turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water. Cook it with closed lid with 5-7 mins stirring in the middle.
• Stir fry for 5 more mins with open lid and Granish it with coriander leaves.

Enjoy! this dish with rice and sambhar.

Gutthivankaya curry (eggplant fry)

Ingredients:
2 pounds brinjal round
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1/2 cup coconut poppy seed paste
1 tsp dhaniya powder
3 tbsps oil
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp tuermeric
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala powder

 How i make it :

• In a non stick kadai or pan, heat a tbsp oil. Saute  onion and tomato untill half cooked.
• Cool the sauted veggies, blend the onion, tomato, coconut poppy seed paste into paste form and set a side. Mix in ginger garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, dhaniya and masala.
• Wash and slit the brinjal on the top and stuff it with masala paste and set aside.

  

 

• Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and place all the stuffed brinjal and left over masala in the pan and cook the gravy and brinjal cooks. Use spoon or spatula for stirring it, but gently roll over the brinjal and cook other side of it. Cook untill all the gravy was fully cooked, and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve along with Pulao and Roti. Enjoy !

Beerakaya Senagapappu Curry (Ridge gourd chana dal masala)

Ingredients:
2 Large Ridge gourds
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 cup chana dal
2 green chillis chopped small
2 tbsps oil
mustard and cumin seeds for seasoning
5-6 curry leaves
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of garam masala
Chilli powder, turmeric, salt as required.

 How i make it :

• Boil 1/4 cup chana dal with double amount of water. Dont over cook it. Mean while peel the skin and chop the ridge gourd into small.
• In a non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and season it with mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves. Then add chopped onions and chillis and saute for 3 minutes, once brown add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
• Add the ridge gourd pieces, and to it add salt, chilli powder, turmeric and cook it for 5-10 minutes. 
• Add the boiled chana dal to the curry and cook for 5 minutes untill the curry is near. Sprinkle some garam masala and cilantro on the top and serve it hot with Chapathis or Plain rice. Enjoy!

Egg Fried Brown rice

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
1/4 cup onion chopped
1/4 cup green onion chopped
1 cup red bell pepper chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp oil
mushrooms (optional)

 How i make it :

• Cook brown rice in electric rice cooker, in the mean time chop all the veggies and set aside.
• In a deep dished wok or pan heat oil, and first add chopped garlic and fry for a minute, then add all the veggies and cook for 3 minutes.
• Make a space between the cooking veggies and beat 2 eggs in the pan.

• Fry the veggies along with scrambled egg, then add the cooked brown rice and season it with black pepper, salt and soy sauce and fry for 3  minutes. Check if the rice is too dry add a tbsp of water and keep stirring. Top it with green onions.
• Serve it hot with your favourite meat or fish. Enjoy !

Mushroom Curry (Andhra style)

This is a vegetarians non veg curry, especially with plain pulao, the coconut poppy seed gravy makes the dish richer.

Ingredients:
1 pound mushrooms halved
1 large onion chopped
2 green chillis
1 large tomato chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp cocnut shred+1 tbsp poppy seed ground into paste
1 tsp garam masala (my Gm ground along with cumin and coriander)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
2 tbsp curd (for more gravy)
2 tbsp oil

 How i make it :

• In a non stick pan, heat 2-3 tbsp oil and season with cumin seeds. Once heated add chopped onions, chillis and fry untill golden brown. To it add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins.
• Add the chopped tomatoes to the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the chopped mushrooms and cook untill water comes out for 5 mins.
• Mean while grind coconut shred and poppy seed into paste with curd. Then add the paste to the cooking mushrooms. Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric, salt and cook for 8-10 mins along with 1/4 cup water.
• Once the curry getting thick add the garam masala and top it with coriander leaves.

          Curry tastes too great with PURI, Chapathi or Plain pulao. Enjoy!

  

Stuffed Chicken Cheese Bell Pepper

This was a guest cook recipe by my Husband. He experiments when i am not around. This was a low carb low fat healthy recipe where the cooked ground chicken is stuffed inside a fresh grilled Bell pepper.

Ingredients:
1 cup ground chicken
1 Bell Pepper
1/2 sliced Onion
1/4 cup garam masala
chopped cilanthro
1/2 sliced tomato
1/2 lime
salt to taste
cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin Olive oil
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric powder
1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste

How he made it:

• Marinate the ground chicken with ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, turmeric and garam masala and 1 table spoon of fresh lemon juice and set aside.
• In a heated pan add 1 table spoon extra virgin Olive oil
• Saute the chopped onions until brown, add chopped tomatoes and saute whole thing for 3 to 5 minutes. 
• Add the marinated chicken to the sauted onion tomato mix and fry until it completely cooked
• Wash a Red Bell pepper and cut the rim of the pepper so that it serves as a 'lid' and add two table spoons of cheese in it...and fry along with the chicken until it becomes soften. 
• Once chicken is done and cooked then stuff the chicken into the bell pepper and add 1 table spoon of cheese on the bell pepper...and close it with the 'bell pepper_lid'..close the pan with the lid.
• Keep it for 5 mins in small flame..

 Take onto a plate and serve with fresh cut lemon, fresh raw onion and cilanthro.

Beerakaya Royyalu kura (Ridge gourd shrimp curry)

Ingredients:
2 ridge gourds (large)
1.5 pounds prawns or shrimp
1 med onion chopped
2 green chillis slit
few curry leaves
1 tsp jeera
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp salt
1.5 tbsp chilli powder
tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala powder (my Gm blended along with cumin and coriander)
coriander seeds for topping

 How i make it :

• Clean the shrimp, and remove the shell and devein it. Marinate it with little chilli powder, turmeric, salt and set aside. Peel the skin of ridge gourd and chopped into small.
• In a kadai or non stick pan, heat 3 tbsp oil and season with jeera seeds and curry leaves.
• Add chopped onions and fry untill golden brown and add ginger galic paste and saute for 1 minute.
• To the onions, add shrimp and let cook for 5 mins. Add chopped vegetable into the cooking shrimp, and add chilli powder, turmeric, salt and cover and cook for atleast 10 mins untill water comes out and sucked in.
• Stir in the garam masala and cook for another 3 mins. Check it out the curry shouldn't be dry. If dry add little water and off the heat. Garnish it with cilantro leaves.

         Enjoy this dish with Chapathi ot rice.