Get together Menus

Deciding what to cook for get together! these are the menus I cooked for small group of friends. Hope it might help you in planning. Please do share it with me your menus for a party. I will include it here.......

Get together Menus

1)  Menu:

Prawn Biriyani

Andhra Chepala Vepudu

Andhra Chepala Pulusu

Perugu Chutney

2) Menu:

White Rice

Kodi Vepudu

Kodi Kura

Sambhar

Poppadums

Yoghurt

3) Menu:

Layered Lamb Biriyani

Yoghurt chutney

4) For Chaat Party:

Vada Pau

Pani-puri

Mirchi Bajji

5) All time snacks:

Chuduva

Nuvvulu undalu

6) Pickle to go with:

Chinese aaku Pachadi 

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Kodi Vepudu/ Andhra Chicken Fry

Kodi Vepudu

Ingredients:

Chicken - 750 g (use chicken thigh pieces with bones, cut into bite size pieces)
Red onion - 1 no. (grind into paste)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Chilli powder - 2 - 3 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Mix these together, cook in a daaka/ utensil with 1/4 th cup water, until pieces are cooked.

Onion - 2 no. (sliced finely, brown ones)
Green chillies - 6 no. (sliced round)
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tbsp

Masala Powder:

Coriander seeds - 3 tsp

Whole cloves - 5 no.

Cardamom - 5 no.

Cinnamon stick - 5 in

Black peppers - 1 tsp

Fry these in tsp of ghee, until roasts well and powder.

Garnish:

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Mint leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Proceed:

1) Heat a flat deep non-stick pan with oil on medium heat, when it is hot add green chillies first, fry.

2) Add sliced onion and fry until golden color. keep mixing (otherwise onions become darker).

3) Add cooked chicken along with gravy it may have. Now mix these and fry until all the water is evaporated and sticks to the chicken. Check for seasoning.

4) Add masala powder and garnishing stuff, mix well and switch off.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with Kodi Kura, Charu or Rasam, Rice and Yoghurt.

Serve with Kodi Kura, Mutton Pulav or Ghee Rice and Raita.

Tip:

You have to keep stirring while cooking, to get even frying.

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Apricot Pastry Puff

Apricot Pastry Puff

Ingredients:

Puff pastry - 1 - 2 sheets (defrost as per instructions, cut in to round circles with help of cookies cutter makes 8)

Apricots - 1 tin (drain, keep these on paper towels)

Crystalised ginger - as needed (each piece cut into pieces and keep them sperately)

Runny honey - as needed

Pistachios - chopped, as needed

Egg wash or milk - to smear

Proceed:

Preheat oven to 220 d' C.

Place circles on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash or milk all over.

Place small amount of crystalised ginger inside middle of each pastry circle. Drizzle little honey.

Place 3 apricots on top, drizzle bit more honey on top.

Decorate pistachios on top.

Repeat this procedure for each circle.

Bake these for 15 mins or until golden brown.

Serve dusted with icing sugar on top. yummy....................

Note: I have cut the pastry into four as I don't have any cookie cutter, smeared milk on top. Instead of 3 apricots, I used 4. I don't have pistachios either so used lightly toasted almonds.
I think you need to prick them before you keep everything in the middle, I didn't do it so no worry's.

This recipe is adapted from Allyson Gofton.

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Vegetarian Tacos

Vegetarian Tacos

Things we need:

Tacos - 10 no.

Cook until heated through in a microwave, do not burn

Mexican Style beans - 1 tin

Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp

Mix these two in microwave safe bowl and cook for 1-2 min

wee look

Nupur's Green tomato chutney (Hiravya tamatyachi Chutney) - as required

Avocado and garlic dressing - store bought

Red Capsicum - 1 no. (chopped)

Carrots - 1-2 no. (grated)

Cheddar Cheese - grated, as needed

Hiravya tamatyachi Chutney

Salsa - as needed

White onion - 1/2 no. (chopped very finely), Jalapeno - 2 no. (chopped finely), Tomato - 1 no. (chopped finely), lemon juice - to taste - Mix these in a small bowl

getting ready

Proceed:

Keep everything separately in bowls with serving spoons.

Hold taco shell in one hand and spoon off some beans on to the bottom of the shell, then some grated carrots, capsicum pieces, salsa, Nupur's chutney, avocado dressing and some cheese.

A big thanks to Nupur for the recipe, I ate it with kichdi and invented to eat this way too. Worked wonder. Hugs........


Tip:


For assembling in taco shells, invert non-stick muffin trays, and keep the shell inside the gap to hold, do this for every gap, fill and place it to serve.

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Silverbeet Pappu/ Dal

Silverbeet Pappu/ Dal

Set 1:

Toor Dal/ Kandi pappu - 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Water - 2 and 1/2 cups
Silverbeet - 1/2 bunch (cut the white part off, wash and chop)

Cook set 1 in pressure cooker until soft and mash lightly with pappu guthu. or masher.

Set 2 (seasoning):

Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Garlic - 5 cloves (smashed and sliced)

Red chillies - 2 no. (split in half)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Hing/ Asafoetida - small pinch

MTR Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp (my twist)

Set 3:

Tamarind - lemon size (add water until immersed and microwave for 1 and 1/2 min and squeeze out the pulp when cool enough)

Salt to taste

Proceed:

1) Take a kadhai, heat oil in it. Do seasoning from Set 2 by adding mustard seeds when it is stopped poping add cumin seeds when it is starting to brown, add curry leaves, red chillies, garlic and fry, add hing and rasam powder in the last, mix well. Immediately follow by adding Set 3 and stir. Cook until it becomes slightly thick.

2) Add cooked dal from Set 1 to the above, mix well. If you want the dish to be little runny add water to loosen up a bit, cook until it boils. Check for salt and switch off.

Serve with Plain White Rice, Ghee, Poppadums, Aloo Fry, Yoghurt on side.

Tip:

Use home made tamarind paste.

Meanings:

Silver-beet = Swiss Chard

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Majjiga Mirapakayalu/ Dried Sour Chillies

Ingredients:

Yoghurt - 1/2 litre
Water - to make it thin
Salt - as needed
Green chillies - 15 no. (long variety)

Proceed:

Wash the green chillies, slit them in the middle (by keeping intact). In a Plastic container add yoghurt, water, salt and beat it. Now add slit chillies to it, put the lid on top. In the morning take a steel tray, keep the chillies side by side (do not throw away the butter milk) and keep it in a sunny area whole day. In the evening add these chillies to the same buttermilk, repeat this process for 3 days. On the 3 rd day throw away the buttermilk. Now keep these chillies under the hot sun until all the chillies are dried up. You can turn now and then. But make sure to keep inside in the evening. Store these in an air-tight container, keep serviattes in side to remove any moisture it may have. Will stay for an year.

While serving:

Deep fry the chillies and serve.

Serve with Yoghurt rice or daddojanem and any lentil curry. Yum........................

Tip:

You can stuff these chillies with turmeric, mustard powder, fenugreek powder, amchur (dried mango powder), hing and kala namak (black salt) or salt. When you have slitted the chilli, sprinkle some of this mixture inside and keep in butter milk. Taste will be so

different..................

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Merry X-mas

Have a Happy Christmas and a New Year!

Want to try an Eggless Fruit cake...................

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Baingan Burta/ Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes

Baingan Burta

Roasting:

Eggplant - 1 no.(large and fat)
Oil - little to smear

First preheat oven to 250 ' C- Bake. Smear little oil to the eggplant and keep it on a tray lined with foil and roast the eggplant for 40 - 60 mins until the skin looks flaky and water oozes out. keep aside and remove the eggplant skin and tap it with serviettes to remove any water which is coming out and chop.

Other things we need:

Oil - 5 & 1/2 tbsp

Garlic - 7 cloves (sliced)
Ginger - 2 inch (sliced and chopped)

Green chillies - 6 no. (cut into small pieces)

Onions - 2 m (chopped)

Tomatoes - 3/4 th tin

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)
Salt to taste

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in a non stick kadhai, add sliced garlic, ginger and fry well . Add green chilli fry again.

2) Add chopped onion and fry until light brown.

3) Add chopped smoked eggplant and fry for 8 mins keep stirring.

4) Add 3/4 tin chopped tomatoes (cook first, for 1 min in microwave) and cook for 8 mins again or until oil floats on top, stirring in between.

5) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, stir and remove from flame and add salt to taste.

Serve with Phulkas or Rice.


Eggplant used:


American Eggplant

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Chicken 65

Chicken 65

Set 1:

Chicken - 1/2 kg (boneless, diced)

Red color - a few drops
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Egg - 2 no.s
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (freshly ground)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Plain flour - 1 tsp
Ajinomotto - a pinch

Set 2:

Yoghurt - 1 cup

Set 3:

Green chillies - 10 - 15 no.s (slit lengthwise)
Curryleaves - 3 sprigs

Proceed:

1) Mix every thing from Set 1 and marinate for 1hr, keep this in refrigerator and fry in oil. keep aside.

2) To the above add Set 2 and cook until yoghurt evaporates, keep aside.

3) Heat oil, add green chillies and curry leaves fry for some time and add point 2. Fry altogether and Serve.

Serve with Fried Rice or Methi Biriyani or Sambhar.

Tip:

1) One can deep fry the chicken or else u can shallow fry too, by adding small amount of oil, here I have shallow fried only.

2) Add required amount of oil in the last and fry.

© 2008 by Rajani Rayudu

Sorra Pidupu/ Shark Fry

Sorra Pidupu/ Shark Fry

Ingredients:

Sorra or Baby Shark - 1/2 kg pieces
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
Masala powder (follow my kodi kura recipe) - 3 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

*Boil shark pieces in water, it cooks under 10 - 15 mins. Cook until soft, wash, remove skin and bones, mash it with fingers. To that add turmeric, chilli powder, masala powder, gg paste and salt to taste, mix well.

marinating fish

Onion - 2 large no. (chopped finely)
Green chillies - 6 - 8 no.s (sliced round)
Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Oil - required (add oil just to immerse the bottom of the pan)

Proceed:

1)Heat oil in kadai or wok. When it is hot add curry leaves and green chillies and fry.

2)Add onions and fry until golden color.

3)Add shark pidupu and fry well.

4)Lastly add coriander leaves and fry for 5 mins more.

Serve with Plain white Rice and Yoghurt on side.

Tip:

Use lots of chillies for this recipe.

I used lemon shark/fish

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Bye Bye

Buzzy Bee is so Busy!

Me going on a holiday. Will be back in few months in new city. Until then enjoy my cooking! Last weekend we had a party at our place. We cooked all the dishes from start to finish.

They are-

Chuduva
Pedas

Layered Lamb Biriyani
Kobbari Annam
Plain Rice

Kodi Kura

Cauliflower Manchurian
Aloo Kurma
Chana and Paneer curry
Sambhar
Vankaya Chikkudu Ginjala Kura

Courgette Pachadi
Perugu Chutney

Pesara Pappu Payasam

Pesara Pappu Payasam recipe is blogged by Indira from "Mahanandi" blog. It tastes great with the addition of poppyseeds in the payasam, eat this and take a nap :-). Thanks Indira as always for your yummy authentic recipes.

Pedas recipe is blogged by Prema from "premascookbook" blog. Thank u once again.

The above drawing was drawn by Anirudh (Radha's Buzzy Kid). He is little artist, only 6yrs old. Have u noticed Bee got a small kid in the nest. The mommy Bee is flying kites and got tangled it seems! If you tell them to paint their imagination goes wild and come up with all sorts of ideas in a funny way.


Take care every one!

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Green Chilli Pickle

Green Chilli Pickle

Ingredients:

Green Chillies - 1/2 kg
Lemons - 10 no. (take the juice, keep aside)

Mustard seeds - 1/4 th cup

Salt - 1 & 1/2 cups

Asafoetida - 1/4 th tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder - 4 tsp

Rice Bran Oil - 2 cups

Proceed:

Fry Asafoetida and fenugreek and grind in the grinder with salt and mustard seeds. Cut chillies in small pieces. Mix them well with the ground masala. Pour the lemon juice over the chillies. Fill them in the jar. Heat oil. When cold, add to the pickle. Cover and leave aside.

Serve with Parathas.

Tip:

Use Rice Bran Oil it tastes good and brings out natural flavor from spices and chillies. I use it for making Aloo Kurma too. Do try and see the difference.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Kanda Bachali

Kanda Bachali

Italian spinach

Ingredients:

Kanda/ Ratalu - Frozen 350 g packet (wash these in warm water)
Tamarind - Lemon size
Water - 1 & 1/2 rice cup

Keep these in cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Remove the tamarind in a bowl add the cooked water around 1/2 cup. and squeeze the pulp. Drain the water from the kanda by using strainer and keep aside or use directly.

Bachali/ Italian spinach - 1 bunch (wash and chop roughly)
Salt to taste
Coriander Leaves - small handful

Seasoning:

Oil - 3 tbsp
Chana dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 4 no. (broken into bits)
Green chillies - 4 no.(chopped finely)
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Hing - 2 pinch
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Powder:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Powder this in pestle and keep aside.

Proceed:

1) Heat a deep non-stick pan, when it is hot add oil, wait for few mins and do seasoning in the above order.

2) Add Bachali leaves and fry for 2mins, add tamarind juice and cook for 10mins, by mixing now and then.

3) Add drained kanda to it, mix well, keep covered and simmer for 15mins.

4) Add Salt to taste and coriander leaves, cook on high for 2mins and switch off.

5) Add Mustard powder, mix well and serve.

Serve with Vadiyams or Poppadums, Plain Rice and Yoghurt.

Where to find?

Frozen Ratalu can be found in Indian groceries in freezer section.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Pedas

For my friend sreemanthem I made Pedas, blogged by Prema from premascookbook. They were simple and yet very delicious.

I even fooled them by saying bought it from sweet vendor........haha

Instead of keeping the mixture inside a cap, I did gulab jamoon shape, keep the toppings on it and flattened with fingers to get even shape. After u finished doing Pedas leave these aside for 4hrs to harden a bit, otherwise it will be chewy.

Do try them ! Thanks Prema for your delicious Peda recipe.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

Marinating Chicken for 3 hrs or 24 hrs:

Boneless Chicken - 1 kg (diced in to pieces), Green Chillies - 4 no. (slit length ways), Yoghurt - 1/2 cup, Milk - 1/2 cup, Chilli powder - 5 tsp, Big Lemon - 2 no.(take the juice), Salt - 2 & 1/2 tsp, Ginger & Garlic Paste - 3 tsp, Garam masala - 1 tsp, Turmeric - 1/2 tsp., Red Orange Color - 1/2 tsp.

Mix all the above and marinate for minimum 3 hrs or overnight.


For Par-boiled Rice:

Basmati Rice - 6 rice cups (electric cooker measure), Whole Cloves & Cardamom - 4 each., Shahjeera - 1 tsp, Cinnamon - 1/2 inch., Water - 9 cups

Par-boil rice (please read tips and comments too) with all the above. Once half boiled drain and spread it on a plate.


Deep Fried Onions:

Onions - 2 no. large (Sliced thinly), Oil - 1 cup (use electric rice cup measure, only)

Deep fry sliced onions until light golden color, keep these aside on a plate. (please read tips).


Powder these in Pestle:

Cardamom - 10 no., Whole Cloves - 10 no., Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch, Salt - 2 tsp.

Powder first three ingredients in hand pestle. Add salt, powder again and add very little water to dilute. Keep covered.

For garnishing:

Mint leaves - 1 big Bunch, Corainder leaves - 1 bunch, Lemon juice - 1 no.

Chop these together and add lemon juice to it.

Proceed:

1) We need a large pressure cooker. Smear some ghee from top to bottom, add chicken marination inside the cooker. Spread evenly.

2) layer with some deep fried onions.

3) Layer the top with some half boiled rice.

4) layer the top with some chopped herbs.

5) Sprinkle some of the powder liquid on top.

6) You can even add few tspns red orange color liquid (1/4 tsp ROC which is been diluted in little milk).

7) Repeat the layers from Point2 - Point6.

8) Top it with the oil in which onions were fried earlier.

Close it with a stainless steel lid and wrap a wet cotton towel (remove water by twisting) around it and cook this on medium-low for 40 - 45 mins until u get this nice aroma while cooking. Switch off once cooked.

After 30 mins stand by mix gently with fork or dig in through layers and serve.

For Hyderabadi dinner party:

Serve it with Haleem, Perugu Chutney or Raita, Mirchi ka Salan and for dessert Double-ka-meetha


Tips:

Always use Kohinoor Basmati Rice for quality and aroma, next bet would be Daawat.

Par-boil? When u cook the rice it just reaches bubbling or boiling point (60% cook rice). At this point switch off and drain immediately in a colander and spread it on a thali or a plate.

Always fry onions until golden color. Drain it on a plate, once cooled it turns in to dark color. If u cook the onions darker, it will taste bitter. Here we need sweetness from onions.

Always prepare this dish when everything is ready. Do not do multi tasking.

Always check the wet cover, if is dry wet again and wrap around the lid or u can keep atta dough around to seal the edges well. If the steam is escaping put the atta paste to stick where it is damaged.

Use pressure cooker utensil only, not stain less steel utensil, other wise you will burn the dish.

Electric element works even cooking, where as some gas cooking elements burns the dish. So keep an eye and sniff method while cooking.

Cooking on gas, then keep a skillet (means dosa pan) underneath the pressure cooker to get even cooking. As always said keep an eye on it.

If you are unable to powder the ingredients in pestle use coffee grinder to powder only. Remove this in to small bowl and add very small amount of water as shown in the picture.

Don't forget to post your comments, much appreciated:-)

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Kothimeera Pachadi/ Coriander leaves Chutney

Kothimeera Pachadi

Ingredients and proceed:

Coriander seeds - 5 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Red Chillies - 10 no.

Oil - 1 tbsp

Roast these in oil until golden color. Keep aside in chutney jar. Grind these first.

Kothimeera - 1 big bunch (only leaves and young stem)
Oil - 1 tsp

In the same skillet add oil and roast leaves, until wilted. Add this to chutney jar.

Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size (add water until just immersed microwave for 1 & 1/2 min, soak for few mins)

Add the tamarind to the above jar and salt to taste and grind everything into smooth paste by using very little tamarind water which u kept aside. Check for salt, scrape this into a small serving bowl and do seasoning.

Seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Chana Dal - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Red Chillies - 2 no. (split in half)

Garlic cloves - 5 no. (smashed lightly).

Do seasoning in the above order. When finished add it to above grinded coriander paste.

Serve with Rice, Dal or Curry and Yoghurt on side.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Andhra Chepala Pulusu/ Andhra Fish Curry

Andhra Chepala Pulusu

Marinating Fish:

Fish - 1 kg pieces (please read tips)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 3 tsp
Salt to taste

Mix these together and keep aside.

Ingredients:

Green chillies - 6 no. (slit lengthwise)
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs

Onion - 1 large (diced, fried in 2 tsp of oil and then pureed) or Shallots - handful (peel and sliced thinly)

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp each
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Masala powder - 3 tsp (please read tips)

Tamarind - Big lemon size (add water until the tamarind is immersed, microwave for 2 mins, and squeeze to make pulp)

Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Oil - 7 tbsp

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in a non-stick Kadhai, add green chillies and curry leaves and fry well, keep few for garnishing

2) To the above add onion paste or sliced shallots and fry for 5 mins. on medium heat.

3) Add gg paste, turmeric, red chilli powder and masala powder and fry for few mins. Mix well.

4) Layer the fish pieces on top, close the lid and cook for few mins, turn over carefully, rotate the dish and cook for few more mins. by closing lid.

5) Add water until fish pieces are immersed, keep the heat on high, when it is started boiling, simmer and cover for 10 mins.

6) Add tamarind pulp, close the lid and cook until oil floats on top and the raw smell of tamarind disappears, do not mix the curry with the spatula instead carefully hold both the handle of the dish and rotate.

7) Add coriander leaves and check for salt, cook it for 5 more mins and serve. While serving, garnish with curry leaves and green chillies which is been fried earlier.

Serve with Plain White Rice. 


Tips:

* For this dish use shallots, if you don't have then do as above. I would recommend to use shallots to get that authentic taste of Andhra Chepala Pulusu. For shallots no need to fry or grind as normal onion, you can slice them thinly and fry in oil directly, just follow point 2.

* When u have added fish pieces, do not mix with spatula, instead rotate the dish or otherwise fish becomes mushy.

* For Indian curry's do not use Salmon. Any other firm fish will do. For Indians use Bochu Cheppa, Sheelavathi, Pulsa variety.

* Only for River fishes (ex: Bochu cheppa, Pulsa, Rohu) we do pulusu style. For Sea fish ( ex: Tella Sanduva or Silver Pompfret, Vanjeeram) do iguru type, means with out adding any tamarind to it, but replacing with my chicken masala powder to the above method.

* Pulusu and Iguru type curries have their own masalas, so do not add cloves and say pulusu. In here we omit the cloves and cinnamon.

Masala Powder (no need to roast spices):

Coriander seeds - 3 tsp, Poppy seeds (white) - 1 tsp, Cardamom - 4 no. {Grind all these together in to fine powder}.

********For New Zealand Fish:

Blue Warehou and Mullet are good for Fish Curry or Pulusu. Trivally and Red Snapper is good for Fish Vepudu or Fry.

Meaning:

Mullet = Koyyingalu (we call these in telugu language, when they are small we call them katti chepalu, big we call them koyyingalu)

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Methi Biriyani

This recipe was adapted from "SpiceRoot" by Malar Gandhi. I have added few bits and deleted some and end result was very tasty rice. Thank u so much.

Methi Biriyani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice- 5 rice cups (Use electric rice cooker cups)

Whole Masalas - { Whole Cloves - 10 no, Cardamom - 10 no. (smashed lightly), Cinnamon stick - 4 inch, Bay leaves - 5 no.}

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chillies - 8 no. (slit lengthwise)

Onion - 1 no. (sliced thinly)

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 tsp each

Turmeric - a pinch

Whole tomato - 1 no.medium (chopped)

Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Frozen Methi leaves - 3 blocks or small bowl of fresh methi (keep this in warm water, until needed)

Oil - 1 tbsp + Ghee - 4 tbsp
Lite Coconut milk - {1 rice cup + Water - 6 and 1/2 rice cups + Salt - 3 tsp} - mix these and keep aside

Proceed:

1) Heat a wok, add oil and ghee when it is hot add cumin seeds, whole masalas. When it releases aroma add green chillies, fry.

2) Add onion and fry until light brown. Add gg paste and fry on medium heat.

3) Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add tomato pieces and fry on high until mushy.

4) Add squeezed methi leaves and chopped coriander leaves, fry until water is gone, mean while wash the rice 3 times and immediately follow point 5.

5) Add basmati rice to the above mixture, mix gently and fry until water evaporates and add this mixture to the electric cooker.

6) To the above add coconut water mixture and mix again keep the lid, switch it on. When it is done it goes in to off position. Please do not open the lid. After 10 mins remove the lid and wipe the lid with cloth to remove water content, do this for every 10 mins until u finished off 30 mins standby and serve.

Serve with Chicken 65 or Aloo Kurma and Perugu Chutney

Tip:

Use Kohinoor basmati rice.

Translation:

Methi = Fenugreek Leaves

Methi = Menthaku (telugu)

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Vangi Baath

I have searched whole internet how to do Vangi Baath. In the end I ended up doing Vangi Baath recipe from "MasalaMagic" blogged by Latha. She is just so sweet in sharing the authentic way. Isn't she very humble person? ya!
Thanks Latha for your recipe and there are few other dishes too which I have tried from your blog and will post them later.

I have added 1-2 handful of peanuts in seasoning. I have also added some Frozen broad beans which I boiled in salted water for 5mins, and added them half way through frying eggplant and further fried. The beans complimented the eggplant and were very tasty!

Serve this with Perugu Chutney or Raita.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Sun-dried Tomato and Cashew Pesto

Sun-dried Tomato and Cashew Pesto

Ingredients:

Sun -dried Tomato in oil - 3 tbsp
Cashews(unsalted) - handful (please do not roast)
Garlic - 3cloves
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Balsamic vinegar - 2 tbsp
Olive oil - 3 tbsp
Salt and Pepper - a pinch each
White vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Tabasco sauce - 1 tsp


Proceed:

Grind these altogether coarsely, check out the taste and season accordingly. Scrape these in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil on top and serve.

Serve with Ciabatta Bread and Avocado Oil on side. yum.................

Notes:

Avocado oil can be eaten with freshly home made bread, just dip the bread in oil and eat. Serve this as an appetizer.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Ugadi shubhakankshalu

Happy Ugadi to all my Blog Friends and Readers!

photo source: dgreetings.com

Experiment Food

Is it raining outside why don't we have garam garam mirchi bajji's . Yes I know we need to get hold of Chillies first. Last weekend we visited chilli farming got hold of variety of chillies. I washed few variety of chillies and kept in the freezer to use year long.
For the remaining chillies I made Mirchi Bajji blogged by Lakshmi from "myrasoi". What can I say picture says it all. It tasted like the ones we get near road side wheeler. Slit these fried chillies in the middle serve with finely chopped red onion, Chat Masala and few drops of lemon juice.



For a variation I have tried Cut Mirchi too, blogged by lakshmi. They are absolutely perfect. These stays in fridge for a weak. Just warm up in microwave and serve with finely chopped Red Onion, Lemon juice and Chat Masala.

Wow Lakshmi thank u very much for your recipe, this one is a keeper.

Chilli Farm (this one is absolute heaven.)

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Pepper Chicken

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut in to pieces)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 th - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind - Indian lime size (add just enough water to immerse the tamarind, microwave for 1 - 2 mins, cool down. Squeeze it in to pulp.)
Whole tomatoes - 3 no. (medium size, chop them)

Cook these together for 2 whistles in pressure cooker. Once it is cool down, transfer to flat deep nonstick pan and cook it until water evaporates completely.

Green chillies- 6 no. (slit length wise)
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Cumin and Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp each (powder these together in pestle)
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Oil - 3 tbsp

Heat a flat deep non-stick pan, add oil when it is hot, add powdered ingredients, immediately add gg paste, stir. Add curry leaves and green chillies, fry for few secs. Remove green chillies once it is fried, to that add cooked chicken and fry on high until all liquid is dried up. Check for salt and add fried green chillies mix gently and serve.

Serve it with Mysore Rasam, Rice and Yoghurt on side.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment food

I don't know what we eat or drink got any vitamins in it or not, but surely look at this drink it is very healthy made up of beetroot, carrot and strawberries. Now I get it drink healthy juices to get a-z vitamins in your body hihi....... any way Beet Treat was blogged by Pooja from "creativepooja" blog. Thanks Pooja for your healthy drink. Even my friends kid liked it, he wants to drink every sunday itseems. Isn't it nice to get compliments from a kid. For extra taste I have added honey to the drink and pulsed it.



What is that I have experimented here, well "Ginger -Lemon- Rasam" from One Hot Stove blogged by Nupur. It is interesting after I have made the rasam and tasted it, it tasted just like pappu charu the way my amma makes it. Thanks Nupur........






Photo: Lamb Curry, Aloo Fry (add capsicum when u are adding gg paste).

Thank u once again to Pooja and Nupur for wonderful and creative touch in their recipes.

© 2007 by Rajani Rayudu