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.

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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

Beans Potato Curry | Beans Bangaladumpa Koora | Beans Aloo ki Sabzi

For the lunch box that I made along with Kathirikai Paruppu Kulambu, I made this simply Curry or Koora as we also call in Telugu. Now Koora is a name given to vegetable dry sautes as well as gravies. The usage is most confusing, however we manage somehow. Coming to this simple beans and potato subzi, I eat this at my sil's place. She had made it along with Pappu and I was surprised that hubby dear liked it and said he would eat such dishes if I were to make it like that. 

There was nothing so different about it, except of course the green chili spice that he so likes. So back home I decided I should make it and see if he still likes it. My SIL had made it quite spicy and it was bright red in colour, which meant she had added red chili powder as well. Mine didn't end up like that, maybe because I pressure cooked the vegetables and then added. Coming to the simple one, here is how you can make this simple dish that makes a good side dish for both rice and rotis as well.

Pressure cooking makes this dish get done very quickly, else you will have to slog over the stove for a while for the vegetables to get done.

Step by Step Pictures

Beans Potato Curry 

Ingredients Needed:

Beans - 1/4 kg
Potato - 2 small
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Green Chilies - 2 medium
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For the Tempering

Mustard Seeds, Urad dal  - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - handful
Crushed Garlic - 4 cloves
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make the Beans Potato Curry

Make a coarse paste of coconut and green chilies without adding water.

Wash and trim the beans. Peel the potatos and cube. Pressure cook till done.

In a non stick pan, heat oil, temper with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and crushed garlic.

Next add the ground coconut mix, saute well till done.

Then add the cooked vegetables and cook on high for the water to evaporate. Add the spices and combine everything well.

Continue cooking in sim till the spices and vegetables blend well.

Serve with Rice or rotis

Enjoy the week ahead!

Kathirikai Paruppu Kulambu | How to make Paruppu Kuzhambu | Lunch Box Series : LBS#68

I know I am getting back to my Lunch Box Series after a long time. Not that I don't carry packed lunches to work. I simply didn't have anything new or sometimes lack of time, that forced me to drop this series completely. All the lunch box recipes are very quick to make, most of them take under 30 mins or max 40 mins in different phase to get done.

Making something different for the lunch box, made me take the extra step to click the pictures as I went about. The entire thing was done within 40 mins, with me doing the breakfast as well. So I am not sure exactly how much time I must say for the lunch box recipes alone.

Anyway if you want something quick to get done, you know what to try. Today's special is all about Paruppu Kulambu, specially from Tirunelveli. In the Paruppu Kulambu that I had already shared, I mentioned a colleague of mine who hails from this city. I happen to have a conversation with another colleague of mine along with this friend. Guess what everybody talks only about food with me. So it's no wonder we started talking about what's made often at their place. They again spoke about Paruppu Kuzhambu and how differently it's made. So I asked this friend to share the recipe and she connected to her Mom. Her mom said I can use any vegetable and I had only Brinjal and so it became Kathirikai Paruppu Kulambu.

I was happy when I had my colleague taste and certify that I had the exact replica of what her mom makes. This was only time I almost followed to the T and confessed about the additions I made. She said her mom forgot to mention those and I was smart in adding them myself! There is recipe writing for you.

Today's Lunch Box had

Kathirik Paruppu Kulambuai 

Beans Aloo Curry

Plain Rice

Rasam

Curd Rice                                                                                                                               

One main predominant thing that they kept saying was about using Pearl Onions for all the dishes. Even though I know Amma uses it very much, I haven't been paying particular attention on the aspect of the cooling effect these onions are supposed to have. This brought to focus how much we ignore such important things while we cook. I decided I should be paying more attention to these things going forward.

I was also surprised of usage of Fennel Seeds in a sambar. I have only used Fennel Seeds for Kurma till now. Altogether this was a fantastic meal!

 

 

 

Kathirikai Paruppu Kulambu

Ingredients Needed:

Toor Dal - 1 cup
Hing - 1 big pinch
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Brinjal - 4 medium
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Rock Salt to taste
Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves handful

For the paste

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp
Pearl Onions - 5

For the Tempering

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard, Urad dal - 3/4 tsp
Pearl Onions - 4 - 5
Curry leaves handful

How to make the Kathirik Paruppu Kulambuai

In a pan, take the cooked dal along with enough water. Add hing, then add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds. Let it start boiling.

Next add chopped tomatoes, followed by brinjals. Add chili powder, coriander powder, salt and tamarind extract. Continue boiling in simmer

For the paste, peel the pearl onions, chopped coconut and grind to a coarse paste. Add this paste to the boiling dal. Mix well.

In another pan, add oil, temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and pearl onions. Saute till the onions are browned. Pour this into the boiling dal.

Continue cooking for another 10 mins after adding coriander leaves.

Switch off when the Kulambuai thickens.

Notes:

I added cooked dal, else you can pressure cook toor dal in pressure cooker along with hing, tomatoes and certain vegetables till soft and continue the same process.