Upma Kozhukattai :

This south Indian dish is made out of rice rava. It is a delicious dish for breakfast, and evening snacks. I love the same with curd, sambar, chutney.

Ingredients :

Rice rava - 1 cup (For preparing rice rava see note below)

Tur dal - 1/4 cup

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 2-3

Salt

Water - 1-1.5 cup

Seasoning :

Oil - 4 tblsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urid dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves

Asafetida

Note:

For preparing rice rava, wash and soak two glasses of rice in water for 2-3 hours. Drain the same and put in on a towel and spread it for drying. When it is 3/4 dried (means little bit wetness should be there so that you can get rice powder also out it) grind the same coarsely in the mixer to get rava bigger than the normal rava. Sieve and extract the rice powder separately. Dry them in paper and store it.

Method :

1. Soak the tur dal for half an hour in water.

2. After half an hour, coarsely grind the dal along with green chilli (or you can add the green chilli in the second step). I prefer to grind it along with tur dal as my family members do not like to bite the green chilly.

3. In a kadai, pour oil. When it becomes hot, add the mustard seeds.

4. When mustard seeds crackles, add urid dal. When it becomes brown in colour, add the curry leaves, asafoetida and tur /green chilly mix.

5. Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Add the coconut.

6. When it starts boiling, add the rava slowly and mix well. The mix will be like upma like consistency. Switch off the gas and allow to cool.

7. When it becomes cool, mix well again and make balls out of it. Either round shape or oblong shape that is normally done.

8. Place them in an idli cooker and steam it for 15-20minutes. When it is cooked fully, serve hot with chutney or sambar or curd or pickle or dosa molakai podi.

vaippan

Ingredients

2 cup of  wheat flour
1 cup of jaggery
3 pealed banna
1/4 spoon baking powder
cardamon
oil


Preparation

1) Add 2 cup of flour in a bowl.
   Add some cardamon in to it . 
   and  add 1/4 spoon of baking 
   powder, keep it a side.

2)Take 1 cup of jaggery and 
   add  3 pealed banna in to it
   well in the mixer.

3)Add the mixer with flour and 
   mix it well until it becomes  
   semisolid .

4)place the tava on the stove and 
  half of it with oil.

5)Make the mixture like bowl 
   and drop it.

6)constantly stir  it until becomes 
   golden brown colour .

7)serve  sweet vaippan

Thattai

1 cup maida
1/2 cup rice flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
a pinch of baking soda
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp salt
a sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp soaked Bengal gram

 Take maida, rice flour, baking soda, asafoetida powder,
chilli powder, salt and soaked bengal gram in a bowl.

 Pour water little by little and knead to make a smooth dough.

 Add a tablespoon of oil to the dough and knead well. 

Add chopped curry leaves and mix well. Finally,

add sesame seeds to the dough, mix and set
aside for half an hour.

 Roll the dough lengthwise into a long cylinder.

 Take a portion of the dough, roll and shape
it into a lemon size ball. Repeat the process
for the entire dough. 

Toss a dough ball in maida and then flatten
it to a thin thattai using a rolling pin. Flatten
the remaining dough balls into thattais.

 Heat oil in a pan, fry thattais one by
one or a few at a time, turning over
both sides. Remove when the sizzling
sound settles.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes 
(Makes 12)

Ingredients 

125g (4½ oz) softened unsalted butter
125g (4½ oz) caster sugar
125g (4½ oz) self raising flour
2 free range eggs
2tsp (10ml) whole milk
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon


For the Topping :
For Home Made Lemon Curd 
(or you can cheat and buy ready made) 

you will need:

4 lemons (unwaxed)
200g (8oz or 1 cup) caster sugar
110g (4oz or ½ cup) unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
3 free range eggs
1 egg yolk

And for the Meringue

Home made meringue tastes fantastic. If you’re short for time or want to cheat then you can buy ready made.
2 large egg whites (free range)
340g (12oz or 1½ cups) caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp (45ml or 1½ fl oz) boiling water


Method 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan assisted oven 160°C / Gas Mark 4).
Place 12 good quality cupcake cases into a 12 hole muffin tin.
Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Sieve in the flour. Add the milk and the zest of 1 small fresh lemon. Mix again until thoroughly combined – the mixture should be light and fluffy.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases.
Place in the oven on the middle shelf for 18-22 minutes or until risen and springy to touch. You can test that they are cooked by inserting a clean cocktail stick into the centre of each cake. If the cocktail stick comes out clean, they are cooked.
Once cooked, leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

For the Topping :

Method :

Place the lemon juice and zest into a small 
heatproof bowl, add in the sugar and butter 
cubes.

On the hob boil a pan of water and leave to 
simmer. 

The pan should be large enough for the
 heatproof bowl to fit onto comfortably.

Place the heatproof bowl over the pan of now 
simmering water, making sure no water 
enters your mixture. Stir until the butter 
has melted.

In a clean bowl lightly mix together the 
eggs and extra egg yolk until combined.

Carefully add the egg mixture into the 
heatproof bowl and stir for a good 10-12 
minutes or until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and stir occasionally 
until it cools.

Once cooled, your fresh lemon curd can 
be stored in jars in the fridge, and it will 
keep for a couple of weeks.

And for the Meringue

Method :
Preheat the oven to 110°C (fan assisted 
oven 90°C / Gas Mark 1/4).

Line a large baking tray with greaseproof 
paper.

Place the egg whites, caster sugar and vanilla
 extract into a large mixing bowl.

Add in the boiling water and whisk immediately
 until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and 
stands in peaks.

Spoon the meringues onto your baking tray
 into small dollops.

Bake for 90 minutes or until the meringues 
are crisp and dry. Remove from the oven and
 leave to cool.

Finally…

Once your beautifully moist Lemon 
Cupcakes have cooled, spoon on a 
healthy dollop of zesty lemon curd 
and crumble over the meringues. Finish 
with a lemon peel curl. Irresistible!

Red Velvet Cake

 need 

275g self raising flour (sifted)
225g sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
300ml vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon good quality cocoa
225ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 free range eggs
Red food colouring paste

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan Oven / 350 F / Gas Mark 4). Grease and line 3 x 7" tins. Sift flour, salt, sugar, cocoa and soda. Add buttermilk, oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, eggs and food colouring paste in that order; mix thoroughly. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile prepare the frosting.
Frosting:
250g unsalted butter
225g cream cheese
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
500g icing (confectioners) sugar
Mix the butter and cream cheese together, add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat until creamy. Spread between layers and on top / outer edge of the cake. Delicious!

Bonda -1

Ingredients:
Black gram 2 cup
Whole pepper 4
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies 5
Asafotedia 1/2 tsp
Onion 1
Curry leaves 4
 chopped  Corriander leaves-1 tbp
Salt
Oil

Method:
Soak the black gram for 3hrs.
Grind the black gram in a blender into thick batter along with ginger and whole pepper.
Batter should be thick. So add less water.
Finely chop the onion ,green chillies and curry leaves.
Mix the chopped onion,green chillies,curry leaves,corriander leaves, salt and asafotedia to the batter.
Heat the kadai with enough oil to deep fry the bonda.
Take a spoon full of batter and drop it in oil and deep fry till golden brown.

Wednesday

Chicken Buriyani

Ingredients:
Chicken 250 gm
Onion 2 medium
Tomato 1 small
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tbs
Green chilies 5
Chopped coriander leaves 1/2 cup
Chopped Mint leaves 1/2 cup
Curd 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder 1 tbs
Black Pepper Powder 1 1/2 tbs
Garam Masala 1 tbs
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds 1tsp
Cardamom 4
Cinnamon 1 stick
Cloves 3
Basmathi Rice 2 cup rice
Bay Leaves 4
Saffron 1/4 tsp
Food color red 1/2 tsp
Milk 1/2 cup
Lemon juice 1 tbs

PREPARATION:
Clean the Basmathi rice and soak the rice 
for 45mins.

Clean the chicken and cut into medium pieces 
and drain the water.

Soak the Saffron in 1/2 cup milk.

Cut the onions into thin long slices.Finely chop 
the green chilies and the tomato.

Marinate the chicken with Salt,turmeric,Garam 
Masala,Chili powder 1/2 tbs and curd for at 
least one hour.

Take a Heavy bottom Vessel and add 3tbs
 of oil.

Once when the oil is hot add all the whole 
Garam Masala items. 

When they splitters add the onion.

Fry the onion until they turn golden brown.Now 
add the Ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw 
smell goes.

Add the chopped tomato and the green chilies.

And fry till tomato becomes soft.

Add all the masala powder, 2 Bay leaves and fry 
well.

Now add 1/2 cup of chopped coriander and 
mint leaves.

Once when the oil gets collected on top of the 
masala it time to add the marinated chicken.

Mix well so the masala will get well coated on 
the chicken.

Reduce the flame and cook the chicken covered.

Mean time boil the water in a seperate vessel 

and add 2 bay leaves and 2 crushed cardamom 
and little salt.

When the water bubbles add the basmathi rice.

Once the basmathi rice is 50% cooked remove 
from flame and drain the water and keep aside.

When the chicken in completely cooked switch 
off the flame.

Now remove half the amount of the chicken 
gravy into an another vessel.

So we can make a layer of chicken and half 
cooked basmathi rice.

On the top of the chicken layer add the 
remaining chopped coriander and mint 
 leaves and top it with layer of rice.

On top of the rice pour the saffron milk.
Do mot mix just pour.

Sprinkle fried onions on top [optional]

Cover the vessel.The vessel cover needs 
to be heavy so the steam will not escape 
from the vessel.

If the vessel cover is not heavy take the 
chapatti atta and roll it on the rim of the 
vessel and keep the lid on top of it.So the 
steam will not lift the cover.

Cook for 30 -45 mins on low flame.

Yummy chicken briyani is ready 
to serve.

Enjoy with boiled egg and raitha.

Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients
mutton = 1 Kg
basmati rice = 1 Kg
onion = 400 Kg
Tomato = 1/4 kg
ginger = 50 gm
garlic = 50 gm
garam masala powder { cardoman = 5nos, cloves = 5 nos., cinnamon = 1 inch} powder it. or buy the masala form the shop.
coriander leaves = 1 bunch atleast 100 gm.
mint leaves = 1 bunch atleast 100 gm.
green chillies = 5 - 8 nos.
curd = 200 gm
red chilli powder = 3 table spoons.
ghee = 100 gm
coconut oil = 100 gm.
sunflower oil = 100 gm. [if you want add dalda.]
[ first when you measure the rice eg: when you cook normally if you have four cups of rice we add eight cups of water but for briyani you must reduce two cups of water = 4:6] you must measure the water in advance and boil the water and keep it ready.

PREPARATION:
cut the mutton into medium size [Don't cut it too small].

cut the onion, keep it aside,

grinde the ginger and garlic into fine paste.

cut the coriander leaves divide it into two portions,
then cut the mint leaves and divide it into two portions.

cut the tomatos put it in a vessel add green chillies[ don't
chop the chillies just divide the chilles into two.],

 add red chilli powder, tumeric powder, one portion of
coriander and mint leaves, measure the curd with which
cup you measure the rice and water you must the same
 measuring cup, mix it well and keep it aside.

measure the rice just wash once and add water and soak
the rice, keep it aside.

now heat the cooker first add ghee, coconut oil, sunflower
oil, [if you want and dalda], when the oil is getting heated,
add the onion fully, fry it till golden brown, now add ginger
garlic paste, garam masala powder, if you want add briyani
leaf. stir it well. when you get the flavour smell add the
another portion of coriander and mint leaves. stir it well.

now you add the clean mutton without water mix it well
and close the cooker, leave it for 5 mins.

then open it mix it once add the tomato curd mix add salt
to taste. mix it well close the cooker leave it in low flame
 put the weight allow it to cook for 10mins.

after 10 mins open it press the mutton and see that it is
 cooked by 3/4, now add hot water, when you see the
 mixture boiling.

add rice with out water " Don't Mix it" taste the mixture
if you want salt add it.

now close the cooker, you will see the steam coming out
 from the lid now put he cooker weight and sim the flame
fully leave it to cook for 12 mins.

open the cooker shift to another container and spread little
amount of ghee and sprinkle garam masala powder and
spread it equally.

your briyani is ready.

[ if you want to add fried cashew nuts you can add]

IF YOU WANT TO DO BIRIYANI WITH BROILER CHICKEN 
DON'T LEAVE INTERAVALS JUST ADD CONTINUESALLY 
AND CLOSE THE COOKER.