Saturday, December 2, 2006
Bread Pudding
10 slices white bread, cut into cubes 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup raisins 6 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups scaled milk 1 pinch ground nutmeg Directions: Preheat oven the 375 degrees F. Combine bread cubes, butter, cinnamon and raisins; mix well and pour over bread cubes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for 25 minutes. Serves 6. ------------- |
Carrots with Ginger and Lime
1 lb. peeled carrots, cut into 2" pieces (can substitute baby carrots) -------------1 cup chicken stock 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, leave whole zest of 1 lime 1/2 of zested lime 1/4 cup honey 1/4 butter 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions: Place carrots, stock, ginger, and 1/2 of lime in a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Cook about 10 - 15 minutes until carrots are tender. Drain and toss with lime zest, honey, butter and salt. Serve warm. Carrots can be cooked ahead of time and then reheated wit the zest, honey, butter and salt just before serving. |
YOGURT RICE
Ingredients for 4 to 6 servings. -----------1 c. rice 1 Tbsp. oil 2 1/2 c. water 10 curry leaves 1 c. yogurt 1 hot green pepper (cut 1 c. Sour cream into 2 or 3 pieces) salt as per taste 1/8 tsp. asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 1 red pepper (break into 1/2 tsp. urad dhal 2 or 3 pieces) 10 sliced pieces cucumber 1/4 x 1/4 inch fresh ginger 10 sliced pieces tomato 1 tsp. coriander leaves (chopped) Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 1/2 cups of water as explained in the directions for plain rice. Mix the rice with yogurt, sour cream and salt well. If you make yogurt rice in the morning to eat in the evening, you may use 1 cup of warm milk in the place of Sour cream. In a fry pan, saute mustard seeds and urad dhal in oil. When mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves, asafoetida, chopped green and red pepper, ginger and coriander leaves. When the whole mixture turns into golden color, remove from heat and pour it into the yogurt mixed rice. Mix well and garnish it with tomato and cucumber pieces. In the course of the day, if the yogurt rice gets solidified, add warm water to bring it to the semi-solid consistency. Good to serve this at picnics. Since it does not spoil fast, can be carried to be used as a lunch during short trips, specially in hot summer season. |
MEAT BIRIYANI
1 lb. meat 1 Tbsp. coriander leaves 1 c. yogurt or yogurt 1 Tbsp. mint leaves 1 stick butter 2 medium size tomatoes cooked 5 small pieces cinnamon sticks 2 inch ginger 3 bay leaves 1 whole garlic 3 cardamom 1 tsp. cumin powder 3 cloves 1 Tbsp. salt 4 big onions 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 7 green chilies 1 c. basmati rice Keep the meat soaked in the yogurt or yogurt for 1/2 hour. Heat the butter, season it with cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and. cloves. Cut onions and green peppers lengthwise and add them into the fry pan with the other spices. When onion turns into golden brown color, add the coriander and mint leaves and the tomato pieces. (If mint leaves are not available use a drop of mint essence) .After 2 minutes, add crushed ginger and garlic, stir nicely. Then add the meat and yogurt, cumin, salt and turmeric. If it is cooked in the pressure cooker, it will take 20 minutes to cook. Otherwise, cook meat until it becomes soft. Remove excess water (gravy) from meat and measure it and keep it aside . In a different vessel measure the excess gravy taken from meat and add enough water to make the liquid into 1 cup and heat it on the stove. Wash and add basmati rice into it and cook. When all water evaporates, rice would have been cooked only halfway. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a tray with meat and top it with rice. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake it for 30 minutes. A little warm water can be sprinkled if there is not much moisture. Serve this with onion pachadi. --------------- |
EGGPLANT RICE (Vangi Bath)
Ingredients for 4 servings. -----------1 c.rice 1 lb.eggplant 2 c. water 1/8 tsp. turmeric powder 1 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 1/8 tsp. asafoetida 10 curry leaves salt to taste 10 tsp. oil 4 cashews 2 onions (medium), chopped Masala Ingredients: 1 tsp. chana dhal 4 red chilies 1 tsp. coriander seeds 1 tsp. urad dhal1 Fry masala ingredients in 1 tsp. oil until golden brown in a fry pan over medium heat. Dry blend mixture into a powder. Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water and cook in pressure cooker for 5 minutes. In a fry pan, saute mustard seeds, and curry leaves in oil. When mustard seeds start popping, add chopped onion, eggplants, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt and ground masala powder. When eggplant is fried well, remove the skillet from heat and pour the eggplant mixture into rice. Mix the rice with eggplant. Top it with roasted cashews |
EGGPLANT RICE (Vangi Bath)
Ingredients for 4 servings. 1 c.rice 1 lb.eggplant 2 c. water 1/8 tsp. turmeric powder 1 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 1/8 tsp. asafoetida 10 curry leaves salt to taste 10 tsp. oil 4 cashews 2 onions (medium), chopped Masala Ingredients: 1 tsp. chana dhal 4 red chilies 1 tsp. coriander seeds 1 tsp. urad dhal1 Fry masala ingredients in 1 tsp. oil until golden brown in a fry pan over medium heat. Dry blend mixture into a powder. Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water and cook in pressure cooker for 5 minutes. In a fry pan, saute mustard seeds, and curry leaves in oil. When mustard seeds start popping, add chopped onion, eggplants, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt and ground masala powder. When eggplant is fried well, remove the skillet from heat and pour the eggplant mixture into rice. Mix the rice with eggplant. Top it with roasted cashews ----------- |
PEACE RICE
Ingredients for 4 servings 5 green chilies 1 c. coconut milk 15 pieces coriander leaves salt to taste 1 Tbsp. + 1 c. water 1/2 c. fresh peas 1 c. basmati rice 1 c. chopped onions 3 Tbsp. melted butter 1 tsp. masala powder 6 cashews Blend green chilies and coriander leaves in 1 tablespoon of water into a smooth paste. Saute rice in 1 teaspoon melted butter very lightly over low fire for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup Coconut milk, 1 cup water, salt, peas, sauteed rice and green chili paste and cook for 15 minutes. Saute chopped onions, masala powder and cashews in butter in a fry pan over medium heat until golden brown and mix it with cooked rice. Serve hot. |
Coconut Rice
Ingredients for 4 to 6 servings 1 c. rice 11 cashew nuts (split into 2) 2 Tbsp. melted butter 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 3 or 4 whole green chilies or red 2 tsp. urad dhal peppers (cut into pieces) 2 tsp. chana dhal 1/2 fresh Coconut, shredded 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 2 tsp. salt Cook rice separately and let it cool for a while. In a sauce-pan, add melted butter or ghee and mustard s eds and fry in low heat until the seeds start popping. Then add urad dhal, chana dhal cumin seed, cashew nuts, chili or pepper and fry until the dhals are light brown. Add Coconut shreds and fry on low heat until the coconut is slightly brown. Always stir constantly while frying. Add salt and rice and mix well. Note: Depending on your taste you can vary the proportions of the above ingredients -------------------------- |
BISI BELA HOLI (Sambar Bath) Rice
Ingredients for 4 servings: Masala Ingredients: 2 tsp. ghee 2 inches cinnamon sticks 2 Tbsp. chana dhal 2 cloves 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds 2 cardamom 6 red chillies 2 Tbsp. grated coconut 1/4 inch square asafoetida (powdered) 1/4 inch ginger Fry the above ingredients in 2 tablespoons ghee over slow fire until golden brown and grind them into a smooth paste. Vegetables: tamarind {size of a lime) 1 (big) potato 1 c. rice 1/4 cauliflower 1/2 c. toor dhal 2 carrots 1 tsp. salt 10 beans 1/8 tsp. turmeric 2 (big) onions 12 cashew nuts 1 (big) tomato 12 raisins 1 c. green peas 1/2 c. ghee 1 bell pepper 2 Tbsp. coriander leaves Cut the vegetables into big pieces and wash them well. Soak tamarind in 3 cups of water for 1/2 hour and extract the juice from the pulp. Wash rice and dhal and strain the water. Mix rice, dhal, tamarind water and vegetables, masala paste, salt and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Fry nuts and raisins in ghee and add to the bath. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. -------------------- |
TOMATO RICE
| Ingredients for 3 to 4 servings. 1 c. rice 1 Tbsp. oil 2 c. water. 1 onion 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 3 large tomatoes(cut) 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 2 or 3 green chilies (diced) 1 tsp. chana dhal Cook the rice with 2 cups of water as explained in plain rice. Fry cumin seeds, mustard seeds and chana dhal in a tablespoon of oil, until the mustard seeds pop and the dhal is golden brown. Saute the onions. Add the tomatoes and green chilies and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the rice with the paste well and garnish with coriander leaves. ----- |
Chicken Biriyani
Ingredients for 6 to 8 servings ---------------------4 lb. chicken (cut) 3 cups basmati rice 1 coconut 1 Tbsp. salt Masala Ingredients: 2 inch ginger 1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds 4 pods cardamom 2 tsp. fennel seeds 1 1/2 garlics (whole) 3 in. cinnamon 2 Tbsp. mint leaves (chopped) 2 green peppers 10 cashew nuts 7 cloves 1/2 cup coriander leaves (chopped) Grind these spices with 1/2 cup water and make a masala paste. Spices to be sauteed: 4 cloves 15 cashew nuts 1 1/2 inches cinnamon 2 sticks butter 1 c. onion (cut) 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 1 Tbsp. mint leaves 5 bay leaves 2 Tbsp. coriander leaves 4 cardamom Grind coconut pieces and extract 6 cups of milk. In a heavy bottomed 6 quart saucepan, saute all above mentioned spices in 2 sticks butter. When they all turn into golden color, add the ground masala paste. Stir the mixture. Two minutes after that, add the well cleaned chicken pieces and salt. Keep on stirring for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of Coconut milk. When chicken is 3/4th cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk. When the whole mixture boils, add the washed basmati rice. When rice is half cooked, pour the whole mixture into oven ware tray and place it inside the oven at 250 degree. Biriyani will be ready in 20 minutes. Serve It with yogurt pachadi. |
TOMATO BREAD UPPUMA
6 slices white bread 2 green chillies 2 large onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic 1 large tomato, sliced 1 tsp. coriander powder 1 Tbsp. ghee 1/4 c. chopped coriander leaves 1 tsp. mustard seeds salt to taste Cut bread slices into medium sized cubes. Heal ghee and saute mustard seeds until they pop. Add sliced onions and when golden brown, add green chillies, garlic, coriander powder, nd sliced tomato pieces. When gravy becomes thick, add bread cubes and cook till bread is soaked and soft. Add coriander leaves and mix uppuma well. --------------- |
MASALA BREAD
6 tsp. grated coconut ------------------lime-sized turmeric 2 tsp. pottu kadalai 2 Tbsp. coriander leaves 1 1/ tsp. coriander seeds 1/2 onion chopped 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds 3 cloves garlic 4 red chillies salt to taste ghee for frying 6 slices white bread Grind first 10 ingredients into a fine paste, adding very little water. Smear on both sides of the bread slices. Shallow fry in a little ghee until brown. Serve with coconut chutney. |