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.

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!

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!

  

Cucumber Raita

This traditional side dish is delightful and cools the body on summer days. It taste very good with pulao or chapathi or biryani.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup non fat yogurt
1/4 cup cucmber shred
1 tbsp carrot shred
1 green chilli chopped
1 small onion chopped
fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt

 How i make it :

• Shred the Kheera or Cucumber, Carrot along with skin on a shredder.
• Chop up the onions, cilantro leaves and chillis.
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and finish it off with a pinch of salt.

Serve along with pulao or biryani or chapathis.

Plain pulao

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup water
1 medium onion
3-4 green chillis
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp ghee
2 tsp oil
whole garam masala (cinnamon, elaichi, cloves, bay leaves, mace, kala jeera, black pepper corns)
2 tbsps coconut shred +1 tbsp poppy seeds (ground into paste)
3 tsps salt
fresh mint
1 tsp garam masala powder (blended along with coriander and cumin)
Cilantro leaves for topping.

How i make it :

• Wash 2 cups of rice and set aside.
• Chop onions, chillis lengthwise. Mean while grind coconut and poppy seed with 1/4 of water to a smooth paste and keep aside.
• In a pressure cooker , heat 2 tsp ghee and oil and add all the masala spices and saute for a minute. To it add onions and green chillis and cook untill golden brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and mint leaves to the onions and saute for another minute.
• Now stir in the coconut poppy seed paste to the onion mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes, add salt and garam masala powder at this point.
• Dump in the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water and cover it with cooker lid with whistle on the top.
• Let 2 whistles come out and stop the heat. 

Serve it with Raita and Enjoy with your favourite curry.

Beerakaya nuvvula pachhadi (Ridge gourd sesame chutney)

Ingredients:
2 small ridge gourds (peeled and chopped)
3 tbsp sesame seeds (white)
5 -6 small green chillis
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
small size tamarind soaked in water
salt to taste
1 inch ginger
1 tsp oil, mustard, cumin seeds and chana dal, dry red chillis, curry leaves for seasoning.

How i make it :

• Peel the skin of the ridge gourd and chop them
• In a oil greased pan, add the green chillis, ginger and beerakaya and cook them untill tender for 5 mins.
• Add the sesame seeds add fry for 2 more mins.
• Let it cool before blending. Add all the mix in to the blender and add raw garlic cloves, cumin seeds, soaked tamarind, salt and blend it together into a smooth paste.
• Once done blending, in a kadai or pan add 1 tsp oil and season it with mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chana dal, dry red chillis and pinch if hing.

       Enjoy the chutney with hot steamed rice and top it with tsp of ghee. :)

Sorakaya pala curry (Bottle gourd milk curry)

Ingredients:
1 small Sorakaya or bottle gourd
1 medium onion chopped
3 tbsp Oil for seasoning
1 tsp of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp chilli powder or kaaram
salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup milk

How i make it:

• Peel the skin of the bottle gourd and cut into cubes and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a non stick pan and season it with mustard sees, cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves.
• Add onions and ginger garlic paste to the cooked seasoning mix
• Add bottle gourd cubes to the onions and cook for 5-10 minutes untill it oozes out water.
• In to the cooking bottle gourd add chilli  powder, turmeric, salt and cover it and cook for another 5-10 minutes untill bottle gourd is translucent.
• Then add the milk to the curry and cook for another 5 mins and stir occasionally.
• Top it with coriander leaves

       Enjoy this recipe with rice or chapathis.

Poha Upma (atukula upma)

Ingredients:
2 cups poha thick ( serves 4)
1 small onion chopped
2 green chillies
2 red chillies
5-6 curry leaves
1/4 cup ground nuts
1 tsp mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal (for seasoning)
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1 small chopped carrot (optional)
juice of 2 big yellow lemons

How i make it:

• Soak the poha in water for half an hour in a bowl
• In the mean time, heat the oil in the pan and season it with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, red chillis and ground nuts and fry for a minute (check the groundnuts are fried)
• Add onions, green chillies and carrots and cook for 2 mins
• Drain the water from the soakes poha, and add the poha to the seasoning mix.
• Add turmeric and salt to the poha, check if everything is well mixed and cook it for 1-2 mins untill raw smell goes away from poha.
• Off the heat, then mix the fresh lemon juice into the poha and finish it off with some coriander leaves on the top.

        Enjoy! 

Paneer tikka masala

Ingredients:

200gms paneer (cubed)

1 large onion chopped

2 medium sized tomatoes

2-3 green chillis slit

1/2 cup green bell peppers

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala (blended with coriander and cumin seeds)

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp cream

 How i make it :

•  First to peel the tomatoes, plunge them in hot boiling water. The skin comes out easily and chop roughly.
• In a non stick pan, add tbsp ghee or butter or oil and fry untill golden brown. Once done set aside.

• Add 1 tbsp oil in the pan, and saute onions and capsicum, chillis to golden color for 2-3 minutes and add ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute and add chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook untill all the mixture looks like a paste.

• At this point add all the spices (chilli powder, turmeric, salt, garam masala) add 1/2 cup milk.
• Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes and simmer it. Add the fried paneer cubes into the gravy and cook for another 5 minutes on a low flame.

  Finish it off with another pat of butter or a tbsp of cream and serve it with chapathi, paratha, naan or rice.

  Enjoy !

Vegetable Frankie

Ingredients:

1 small onions chopped length wise

1 small carrot chopped length wise

1 cup cabbage

1 cup green mango

1 cup green bell pepper

2 green chillies slit

2 green onions

5-6 mushrooms

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

4 medium size wheat tortillas

fresh ground black pepper

salt to taste

Grated cheese (optional)

1 tsp lemon juice

 Preparation:

1. Cut all the above vegetable into length wise like a  match stick.
2. Heat the pan, and grease the pan with olive oil and add all the vegetables and saute for 5 minutes(carrot and mango first)
3. Then add salt, ginger garlic paste, sugar and saute for another 2-3 mins
4. then add soy sauce and 2 tbsp of water and cook untill all the veggies are tender and brown.
5. Heat the tawa and heat the tortilla for 5-10 secs
6. Add the cooked veggies into the tortilla and roll all the things together.
7. Serve it with your favourite sauce.

Enjoy!