Pudina Peas Pulao, Cauliflower Subji | Cooking for Two | Lunch Box Series : LBS#69

I am back to cooking for two of us since Athamma has gone for a trip. It's been only three days since she left and it's become a hectic task for me to plan cooking just for two of us. I know it's not right to cook special food for the kids. They simply refuse to eat what I make for the elders. So without Athamma, it's just me and Hubby dear. 

While planning for the kids has always been on the same line, planning what to cook for just us, with the condition we don't eat leftovers for the next meal, is always the toughest! For all the huge list of recipes already listed out, coming out with something with exact measurement, making sure nothing is wasted, is surely a taxing task.

Since I was working on Saturday, I had to pack my lunch. So I ended up making this simple combo, which met all our needs. Another wonderful addition that this rice has is the Pudina or Mint leaves. The interesting thing is, I had used the frozen Pudina paste that Athamma had the brain wave to make and store. Couple of weeks back, I ended up getting too much of Mint leaves. As they would anyway end up getting rotten, she decided to make a paste and freeze it in our magic freezer tray! You name it, and we have it. Be it chili paste, coconut paste, Poppy Seeds paste and the latest to the family, the Pudina paste!

I did say that Athamma is too smart right, well she is always resourceful and comes up with wacky and interesting ideas. Else imagine finding ways to store the excess produce on hand. Trust me, when I used in the rice, it had such wonderful aroma and taste. 

Today's Lunch Box had

Pudina Peas Pulao and Cauliflower Subji, both cooked in Pressure cooker and took only 25 mins

Pudina Peas Pulao ~ Step by Step Pictures

  Mint leaf paste, frozen and can be used whenever there is a need!

 

Ingredients Needed

Rice - 1 & 1/4 cup
Green Chilies - 2 long
Peas - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1/4 of a big one
Cloves - 1
Cardamon - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1"
Star anise - 1
Mint paste - 2 tbsp or three small frozen cubes
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - 2 & 1/2 cups

Cauliflower Sabji ~ Step by Step Pictures

Ingredients Needed:

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Onions - 1/2 medium
Tomato puree from 2
Curry Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil  2 tsp
Water as required

How to make both at the same time!

Wash and soak the rice for 15 mins

Clean the florets and mw with enough water for 2 mins. drain the water and keep it aside.

Since I was using pressure cooker for both the dishes, I had them on the gas. Chopped onions very finely for the subji, and juliennes for the pulao.

Use the same ladle as it saves time and energy!

Keep stirring, then add the whole spices to the pulao cooker, combine everything, add the chopped green chilies, and pudina cubes.

Simmer for couple of mins. Meanwhile, when the onions for the subji turns colour, add the drained cauliflower, Let it cook, while you puree the tomatoes.

Then pour the tomatoes over the cauliflower, along with all the spices. Combine and let it mix together well.

For the pulao, when the pudina mix is melted, add the peas, and drained rice. Stir on high flame for couple of minutes.

Add measured water, salt. Adjust the spice. Cover with lid and cook for 3 whistles.

For the subji, add enough water and cover with lid. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles depending on how soft you want the cauliflower to be.

Allow the pressure to fall off before you remove to serving bowls.

' 

It was indeed a wonderful meal, with the pudina adding more zing to it.  And we didn't end up with lot of leftovers.

I am hoping to make some more dishes for just two, hope you will come back to catch them up! Until then have a great week ahead.

Chicken Biryani Dindigul Thalappakatti Style ~ Step by Step | Weekend Cooking

There is always a strange feeling getting back to things you haven't been doing for a while. Like not updating this space can easily be one of it. I almost had to remind myself that it's been almost half a month past and there has been no updates. Though it wasn't the lack of dishes. 

As I have said many times, getting Biryani recipe always excites me no end. Couple of weeks back, when Konda had visited her friend's birthday party, she came home with a packed Chicken biryani. Kids loved it and I had to know how it was made. I called up her friend's mom right away and came to know they hail from Dindigul and this was one of the many varieties she prepares. Now that got me really hooked and asked her if she would share the recipe with me. She was such a sweet lady to do it right away. I ended up making this after couple of days and boy, everybody loved it!

I could easily say this looks exactly like how they serve as Thalappakatti Biryani, only difference being I didn't use the Seeraga Samba Rice for the biryani. All Non Veg biriyanis in south use Seeraga Samba Rice and I guess the taste almost goes with that. Anyway having arrived with yet another Chicken Biryani that I can make again, I was content.

I made this during Sunday lunch and had paired it with Mutton Semi Gravy, Chicken Legs Gravy and X Chicken Fry.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani Step by Step Pictures

Ingredients Needed

For boiling chicken

Chicken - 3/4 Kg
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Curds - 2 tsp

Pressure cook without adding water for 2 -3 whistles. Once done, allow the pressure to fall

For the Masala Paste

Pearl Onions - handful
Mint Leaves - handful tightly packed
Coriander leaves handful tightly packed.
Green chillies -  3 long


Whole Spices

Cloves - 3
Cinnamon 2"
Cardamon -2
Bay Leaf - 1 long

For the Rice

Rice - 3 cups
Onions - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green Chilies - 2
Oil - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk, thick - 2 & 1/2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Salt to taste (remember you added in chicken already)
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

How to make the chicken biryani

Wash and cut chicken, drain well. In a pressure cooker, take the chicken along with salt, turmeric and curds. Pressure cook for couple of whistles. Once done, allow the pressure to fall down.

Extract the coconut milk and keep it ready.

In another pressure Cooker, heat oil, add all the wholes spices. Let the flavours come out.

Then add the onion julienne, green chilies, followed by the ginger garlic paste, saute well. Add chopped tomatoes and saute well. Once the tomatoes get soft, add the ground masala to it and cook well till the oil comes out.

Now add the drained chicken and saute well to make sure the chicken coated with masala. Add coconut milk, water and adjust spice.

Add drained rice and bring to boil. Cover with lid and cook for 1 whistle. Simmer completely and cook for 10 mins.

Wait for the pressure to fall, fluff the rice well and transfer to a non stick pan, grease the bottom with ghee, spread the rice and cover with thick lid and dum for 15 mins.

Remove and finally add the lemon juice.

Serve with Onion Raitha or chicken gravy.

Notes:

There are couple of ways of making this biryani. You can half cook the rice and add it at the last stage. Cook both separately and dum the whole process.

Cooking in pressure cooker was much easier, only cautious thing you have to remember is add the salt at different stages and adding less water than required for the rice to be separate and grainy.

Always fluff and never mix too much.

Other Chicken Recipes
Other Biryani Recipes

Paneer Stuffed Buns | Homemade Paneer Buns

From there are certain things that jog your memory and take you down the memory lane, most of them would be linked with food. There is always something that reminds you of those days gone by and you get fonder for those each moment. Buns, especially savory ones have always been such favorite. When we visit the local bakery, I always look at the freshly baked buns and always wanted to bake at home.

Somehow when I started baking at home, I never got around clicking pictures. And this time again, I made the same dough as for homemade pizzas and wanted to bake these buns for Konda with some Paneer stuffing. There was so much commotion, what with both Konda and Peddu wanting the pizzas, while Chinnu was sulking for Maggi, I ended up with a messy dough, which wouldn't stay it's shape and then short of time, all resulted in me forgetting the vital thing. Brushing with butter and milk to get the golden crust on top. Albeit the lack of the final thing, I decided to go ahead sharing this as it surely didn't lack in taste.

I would surely bake these again with the final touch and change the pictures, hopefully sometime. Even when I was clicking them I was wondering what was missing, but if you can imagine a five minute break that you get between shots and mouth, you would understand my predicament. 

With the new year fast approaching, with kids exam started today, it's been a week to remember. The last few weeks of the year that's been so eventful in so many ways. As always so many memories, best of course would be one of these bakes.Since my hands were too messy, I was glad I had Konda to click a step by step pictures for me. She is very interested in photography and has the P&S that I am no longer using. I am waiting when she will get to handle bigger ones.

Step by Step Pictures

Paneer Stuffed Buns

Ingredients Needed:

For the Dough

All purpose flour / Maida - 3 cups
Dry Yeast - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt a pinch
Olive Oil / Cooking Oil - 4 tbsp
Water to make the dough

For the Paneer Stuffing:

Onion - 1 medium
Paneer, crumbled - 1 cup
Roasted Chili flakes - 1 - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Garlic, grated - 2 pods
Oil - 2 tsp

For the Final Brush

Milk - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

How to make the dough

Heat the milk to lukewarm, add the yeast along with sugar and keep it covered for 10 mins.

In a wide bowl, take the flour, salt and mix well. Then when the yeast has risen well, add to the flour and crumble well. Slowly add the water to knead into a soft pliable dough. Keep adding the oil in intervals, until you get a dough that doesn't stick to your hands.

Pat down well and keep it covered for an hour. Punch and knead again and let it rest for 2 hrs.

How to make the stuffing

Heat a pan with oil, add the grated garlic, saute well. Then add the finely chopped onions. Once they turn colour, crumble the paneer, add salt and chili flakes. Mix everything well.

How to make the Paneer stuffed Buns

Once the dough doubled it's original quantity, punch it down again and pinch out small balls. Flatten in the middle, place a spoonful of the stuffing and enclose wel.

In a greased baking tray or a foil covered tray, place the stuffed in buns. Let it rest for another 30 mins or so. By then the dough would again rise.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 185 C for 15 mins. Allow it on the wire rack for a while before serving this warm.

Check out the bloggers doing the Bakeathon: Champa, Sumana Deepak, Priya Suresh, Veena Krishnakumar, Preeti Deo and Jayasri Ravi