Qabuli Biryani#Alphabet Challenge

Qabuli Biryani is a vegetarian layered rice dish from Andhra, this biryani has layers of basmati rice, chana dal in a yogurt gravy and saffron milk & kewra water! I made this for our friends get together and they all were amazed with the flavor and taste.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For The Chana Dal Gravy
150 grams Chana Dal / Bengal Gram Lentil - soaked
1½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
½ Cup Oil
1 Cup Thick Yogurt - whisked
3 Green Chilies - slit
3 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Kitchen King Masala
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
½ Cup + ½ Cup Brown Onion - crushed
1 Teaspoon Salt
A Juice of One Lemon juice
1 Large Potato - boiled and fried
Whole Spices
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Bay Leaf
2 Cloves
4 Whole Black Peppercorns
1" Stick Cinnamon
1 Brown Cardamom
2 Green Cardamoms
For The Rice
300 Grams Basmati Rice
2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
Whole Spices
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1" Stick Cinnamon
3 Cardamoms
5 Cloves
8 Black Peppercorns
1 Brown Cardamom
Method
To Boil The Rice

Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 minutes
Boil 6 -8 cups of water and salt. Add the whole spices. Drain the excess water from the soaked rice. When the water comes to roll boil,add the rice and boil for about 10 minutes on medium flame. Remove the rice when it is just cooked but the grains should be firm. Drain the water, let it cool completely.
For The Chana Dal Gravy
Wash and soak the chana dal for 2 hours.

Heat oil in a kadai / pot fry add all the whole spices and sauté for a minute then add ginger garlic paste, and sauté till the raw aroma vanishes. Switch off the flame, add then ½ cup room temperature water and then the whisked yogurt mix well. Place the pot back on to the flame and on high flame stirring continuously with a whisk, whisk this till it comes to a rolling boil, then reduce the flame ( the yogurt will not curdle if you try this method, this is a tried and tested method). Now add the dal mix well, ½ cup crushed brown onions and place this on the flame and cook covered on low flame till the dal is just done but still whole. Add green chilies and half the coriander leaves, give it a stir. 

This gravy should be thick, do not dry this completely. Switch off the flame add lemon juice. Keep aside. 

Assemble The Biryani 

In a heavy bottom pan add ¼ cup water, & ¼ cup oil mix well and then half of the boiled rice with a sprinkle of pinch of salt and then add all of the cooked dal mixture. 

A sprinkle coriander leaves, potatoes cubes and brown onions.

Then the remaining rice top it with yellow color, fried onions, coriander leaves, slices of tomatoes and few drops of kewra and a few dollops of butter all over. Cover it with a foil tightly and leave it on dum on high flame for 5 minutes then very low flame for 15 minutes. Switch off the flame. 

Let it rest for 10 minutes. 

Lightly mix the rice and serve hot. We enjoyed this with raita.
Labels: Alphabet Challenge,Chana Dal, Biryani, Rice, Indian, Andhra Pradesh,Main course, Vegetarian

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Ribbon Pakoda/Ola Pakoda#Alphabet Challenge

This is another addictive savory snack. Ribbon Pakoda is a snack that I enjoyed in my young age and still love eating it. When my daughter was schooling this was a regular snack that was in her tiffin. This is also called Ola Pakoda in Tamil. During festival eating to many sweets one gets tried, you want something spicy and this snack balances that sweetness. Try this addictive and super easy snack.

Ingredients
2 Cups Chickpea flour / Besan
1 Cup Rice flour
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Teaspoon Red chilly powder - adjust to taste
1 Tablespoon White butter
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method
Sieve the rice flour and besan thrice.
In a bowl mix all the above ingredients together, add water little at a time and knead it into the soft dough.

Make the dough a little soft so that the it can be squeezed easily from the murukku maker. This is plate that is used to make the ribbon / ola pakoda.

Heat oil in a kadai.
Grease the inside of murukku press with oil. Make a ball and put in the murukku press and press it directly in the oil. When they turn light golden brown, flip the side and cook till light golden. Remove pakoda and place it on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

Let it cool completely and then store it in an airtight container. Repeat the same for the remaining dough too. You can keep this for a month and enjoy this as a tea time or tiffin snack.

Labels: Savory Snacks, Festival Sweets, Chickpea flour, South Indian, Tamil Nadu, Alphabet Challenge

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Okra / Bhendi Sabzi #AlphabetChallenge

Ingredients

250 Grams Bhendi/Okra
1 Medium Tomato - chopped
1 Medium Onion - chopped
A Sprig Currry leaves
2 Tablespoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Teaspoon Garlic & Ginger paste
1 Teaspoon Vindaloo masala
Salt to taste
¼ Teaspoon Garam Masala powder


Method
Wash the bhendi well. Dry them well using kitchen towel or paper towel. Cut off both ends (head and tail part). And chop them into pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle a bit add the curry leaves, chopped onions and fry till transculent, add ginger garlic paste fry well. Then add chopped tomato, vindaloo masala and fry well. Then add the chopped bhendi and salt mix well so that all the masala gets coated with bhendi. Cover it and let it cook. Stir in between. When you cook bhendi by covering the pan with lid, you will get softer texture. Then add garam masala powder. Mix it well. 

Serve hot with roti/ phulka / paratha, dal/rice.
Labels: Bhendi, Okra, Alphabet Challenge,Vegan,Gluten free, Vegetarian,Indian

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Naturally Fermented Appam Using Homemade Toddy#Alphabet Challenge

Traditionally, appams are fermented with a local alcoholic drink known as toddy, since we do not get toddy in my city decided to make this from scratch at home.
Making naturally fermented appam with homemade toddy (or kallu) these are perfectly soft, lacy pancakes. You can check the different appam recipe posted below.

Cup Measurement 250 Ml
Makes 25 - 26 Appams
Ingredients
2 Cups Idly Rice
1 Cup Grated Coconut
4 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
100 to 125 ML Water
To make the Fermented Coconut Water / Toddy
175 ML Coconut Water
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
Method

Add a tablespoon sugar into the coconut water ,mix well . Close well and keep this water in indirect sunlight for 3 days Do not keep it direct sunlight. I kept this in morning at 9 am till 4 pm in indirect sunlight. Then kept at room temperature on my dining table for a day or until fermented. It stays well in the refrigerator for 4 - 6 weeks.
For Making The Appam

Soak rice for minimum 6 hours or overnight and drain all the water the next day. Wash it once in fresh water and drain that water too.
Keep aside 3 tablespoon of the soaked rice. In the remaining rice mix rest the coconut and keep aside .
First grind the 3 tablespoons of rice with water and make a fine paste. Pour this into a sauce pan, add 300 Ml water and mix well. Cook it on medium low flame stirring continuously, till is form a thick and shiny dough. Let it cool completely.
Grind the remaining rice and coconut mix with 2 - 3 tablespoons fermented coconut water to fine paste. I ground it in 3 batches. Now add the cooled rice paste along with a little of the ground rice coconut paste and blend it well so that it is incorporated. Add this paste to the remaining ground batter, wash the mixer jar with water, pour this to into the batter and mix very well with your hands for 2 - 3 minutes. Leave it to ferment overnight in a warm place. 

It takes 14 - 16 hours to ferment this batter, keep this in a warm place. Once the batter is fermented - the batter will be bubbly and frothy. Add salt and mix well. Taste for sugar, add if necessary. 

Make appams in a appam pan or you can make them on a tawa too. 

Enjoy with Avail or Stew. 
My Notes

Egg Appam can be made with this batter, just break an egg on top when the appam is nearly ready cover with a lid and let the yolk set.

See here for the other two method that the Appam are made Palappam - With Idly Rice - Vegan & Gluten Free
Appam / Instant Appam
Labels: Alphabet Challenge,Appams,Kerala,Side Dish, Flatbreads,South Indian, Gluten free, Vegan

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Mix Flour Shankarpali/Shankarpara#AlphabetChallenge

Shankarpali is crispy, crunch and yet very soft like fried biscuit. This snack typically made in India during Diwali or Christmas, actually a festival is incomplete without this snack. It is made in two forms savory and sweet. Today, I am sharing the sweet version.
Makes 400 Grams
Ingredients  
1 Cup Level All Purpose Flour
½ Cup Level Wheat flour
½ Cup Level Fine Semolina
2 Tablespoons Heaped Ghee - melted and cooled
Salt a pinch
Oil as required to deep fry
For The Sugar Syrup - to knead the dough
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Water

Method 
In a small sauce pan mix sugar and water, bring this a boil only till sugar melts. Immediately take off flame add salt and ghee.  This syrup does not require any thread consistency . Allow to cool. When cooled then add the semolina mix it and let it sit covered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes take the whole wheat and all purpose flours into a big kneading bowl.   Add the sugar semolina mix little by little , mix well with the help of your palms. knead the dough. The dough should be of medium consistency. Not very hard nor very soft. 

Make equal sized balls and roll into 1/4 cm thick circle. Cut them into square or diamond shape. 

Heat oil, when the oil if medium hot then put the cut squares in to it. Do not fry on high flame, because they will remain uncooked from the inside. 

Fry the pieces till light brown and crisp. Once all are fried, place them aside to cool. They become nice crispy on cooling. Once cooled store them in an airtight container.

Enjoy these sweet, crispy yet melt in mouth Shankarpali.
Labels:  Festival Sweets, Shankarpali, Christmas, Mix Flour, Snacks, Alphabet Challenge

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Low Carb 2 Ingredient Oats Bread#AlphabetChallenge

This low carb, gluten free, light, quick and easy bread, do try this bread is really good for sandwiches. 

Ingredients
2 Eggs
4 Tablespoons Gluten Free Oat Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking powder
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Salt / All Purpose Seasoning
½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
Method

Break the egg in a large bowl add the oats powdered, garlic salt, olive oil and whisk well, till it forms a smooth batter without lumps. Pour this into a silicon muffin pan and bake at 180°C in a preheated oven for 18 -20 minutes.

Cool the bread then unmold.

Slice and make a sandwich of your choice. This bread is perfect for sandwiches. 
Labels: Alphabet Challenge, Baked, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Oats, Egg, Breads

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Kondakadalai Sundal/Chickpeas Sundal#AlphabetChallenge

Sundal is a healthy and nutritious evening snack or salad with legumes. There are many types of  and variations of sundals prepared with different legumes.  This is a chickpea sundal also know as Kondakadlai Sundal. 

We had this as a salad for healthy dinner,  it's filling that it makes you feel full and reduces hunger pangs, also reduces the urge to have any unhealthy snacks, its simple, healthy and yum too. Lets make the sundal. 

Ingredients
1 Cup Dried Chickpeas/ Garbanzo beans/ Kondakadalai
1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
A Sprig Curry leaves
3 Dry Red chillies
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method 

Soak chickpeas/kondakadalai for about 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Drain the water that they were soaked in and rinse them in fresh water.
Pressure cook the these in 2 -3 cups of water and ½ a teaspoon of salt till done. When done and the pressure has cooled down completely then drain the chickpeas in a strainer.  

Heat oil a pan or wok oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add curry leaves, asafoetida, dry red chillies, sauté for a few seconds. Add the grated coconut and again saute for a second, add the chickpeas and salt, toss them till they are well mixed in the seasoning. Take off flame.
Serve and enjoy a healthy and delicious meal!!

Labels: Lentils, Chickpea, Salads, South Indian, Healthy, Alphabet Challenge

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Aloo Tamatar Jhol - No Onion No Garlic#AlphabetChallenge

Aloo jhol is a dish from the North Indian cuisine of Uttar Pradesh, this is a no onion no garlic gravy dish which can be had with puris, luchis or chapatis and also goes well with steamed rice.

Jhol means a thin gravy, wherein  the potatoes are first boiled  and then add them to the gravy.  This gravy does thicken when it cools a little. This is another vrat recipe.

Ingredients 

2 Tablespoons Oil
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 Inch Piece Ginger -  finely chopped
1 Green Chilly -  finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
5 Medium Potatoes - boiled
A Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Teaspoon Heaped Coriander powder

1 Teaspoon Heaped Red chilly powder

½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder

½ Teaspoon Sugar 

Salt to taste

Water as required
1 Tablespoon  Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Method 

Chop the potatoes into thin triangle slices.

Grind the green chilly and ginger to  make a fine paste. keep aside.

Heat  oil in a kadai, add  cumin seeds and  mustard seeds,  when they crackle them add the ground paste and tomato paste, fry till oil surface, then add the turmeric, chilly and coriander powders, with a little water and sauté  till oil surfaces. 

Add the  potatoes and continue to fry for a minute, add salt, sugar, two cups of water  or more and bring it to a rolling boil.  When it comes to boil, cover and let it simmer on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes till oil surfaces.  Keep stirring off and on and mash the potatoes lightly.   Adjust the gravy consistency is accordingly by adding more water.

When done then garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with puri, luchi or chapatis or steamed rice.

My Notes 

Can use 2 medium tomatoes blended instead tomato paste. Blend the tomatoes with the ginger and green chilly.

Labels: Aloo, Tomato, No Onion No Garlic, Vrat, Uttar Pradesh, Alphabet Challenge

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Indo Chinese Idli Fry - Leftover Idlis#AlphabetChallenge

Have leftover idli's and you are tired of having them with Sambar or chutney then try this quick Indo Chinese fusion recipe. Quick, easy and delicious. We had this for a quick Sunday brunch, can pack this as your kid's tiffin as they are moist and not dry to eat.

Ingredients

10 Leftover Idli's - cubed.
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Capsicum - chopped
3 Garlic cloves - finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Tomato ketchup
2 Tablespoons Soya sauce
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Red chilly powder or to your taste
½ Teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste
1 Spring Onion - chopped for garnishing
Oil - as required for deep frying

For The Batter 
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Rice flour
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
Salt to taste 
Method 
Cut the idlis into big cubes.  

In small deep frying pan heat oil. 

As the oil is heating let's prepare the batter -
Take all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl , add water to make a thick coating consistency. 

Dip the idli pieces in the batter and fry on high flame till golden.

Remove on a absorbent paper to remove any excess, fry all the remaining pieces and keep aside. 

In a another pan heat the 2 tablespoons oil and add the onions, garlic , fry till translucent. Then add capsicum and toss,  it should remain crunchy. Add the tomato ketchup, vinegar, soya sauce, chilly powder,  salt, 2 tablespoon water, sugar and stir well,  let it come to a boil. Now add the fried idli's toss them well till coated with the sauce on high flame. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot. 

Enjoy!!
Labels: Breakfast, South Indian, Leftover series, Idli, Indo Chinese, Kids delight, Brunch,Vegan, Alphabet Challenge

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