How to clean Vazhaipoo / How to clean Banana Flower / Plantain Flower / Banana Blossom

Banana Flower

Method
a) Grease your hand with some oil before you start to clean the banana flower to avoid staining your fingers and sticking to your hand.
b) Choose a fresh banana flower.
c) Remove the red petal and discard under the petal you will find row of flowers save them.Repeat this process till the flower becomes small.
d) Now take each flower from the bunch,remove the white cover and the stamen from the flower we will not be using this in our cooking ( see picture).
e) Put it in a bowl of water or buttermilk to prevent from changing colour.
f) Chop the flowers finely and cook.Cook the flowers while they are fresh.

Try out these recipes using Banana Flower

a) Vazhaipoo Kootu/Banana Flower Kootu

b) Vazhai Poo Kola Urundai / Banana Flower Kebabs 

c) Vazhai Poo moongh Dal Pulao 

d) Oats Vazhai Poo Usili

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Bread Rasmalai Recipe / Instant Bread Rasmalai / Easy Bread Rasmalai

Thank you all for the encouragement and continuous support ,today my website is stepping into its 11th year.Happy birthday www.sailajakitchen.org

Bread Rasmalai

Ingredients
White bread - 6 slices
Whole milk - 4 cups
Chopped nuts - 1 tbsp
( I used pistachio and almonds)
Sugar - 3 tsp or less
Saffron strings few
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Method
Pour milk in a heavy bottom pan boil till it slightly reduces.
Add sugar and boil for couple more minutes.
Switch off the stove add the saffron,nuts and cardamom powder.
Mix and keep it in the refrigerator.
Remove the crust and cut the bread slices using a round big cookie cutter arrange these on a plate.
Just before serving pour the cold milk mixture on top of the bread sprinkle some nuts on top and enjoy!

Note:
a) Always serve this sweet cold make sure your milk mixture is cold when serving.
b) Do not soak bread in milk pour the milk just before serving.
c) You can add almond flour to thicken your milk quickly.

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Shrimp Biryani Recipe / Prawn Biriyani Recipe / Eral Biriyani Recipe / Royyalu Biryani Recipe

Shrimp Biryani

Ingredients for the rice
Water - Required amount
Basmati Rice - 1 & 1/2 cups
( soak rice in water for 30 minutes )
Salt to taste
Cardamom -1,Cloves - 2,Cinnamon stick - a small piece
Shajeera - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 1tsp
Method

Shrimp Biriyani

Boil around 6 to 7 cups of water in a large pot.Add the spices,salt & oil bring this to a nice boil.
Drain out the water from the soaked rice,add the rice to the boiling water.
In medium high flame cook till the rice is half cooked.
Now strain out the water.
Note:
Once your gravy is ready then start your cooking process for rice.We need to add the rice immediately to the gravy & put it in DUM.So make your gravy first & then the rice )

Ingredients for the marination
Prawn/Shrimp - 25 medium size
Salt to taste
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
My biriyani masala - 1tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Method
Take a wide bowl add all the above mentioned ingredients.
Mix well & rest it for at least 30 minutes

Ingredients for the gravy
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Chopped mint & coriander leaves - a handful
Sliced onion - 1/4
Chopped tomato - 1 small
Slit green chillies - 8
Cloves - 2,Cardamom -2,Cinnamon stick - a small piece,Bay leaf -1,Star anise -1
Water - 1/2 cup

Shrimp Biriyani

Method
Heat oil & ghee in a pan add the spices.
Now add the onion & green chillies,fry till light brown.
Add the tomato,mint & coriander leaves fry till tomatoes are mashed.
Add the marinated shrimp & fry for 2 to 3 minutes in high.
Add water cover & cook till the gravy is semi thick.
Switch off the flame.

Garnish
Fried onion - 1 tbsp
Chopped mint & coriander leaves little
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

Shrimp Biriyani

Method
Take a wide thick bottomed vessel spread the gravy.
Now on top add the rice,spread evenly.Sprinkle the fried onion,lemon juice,mint & coriander leaves.
Close it with a tight lid & in very low flame cook for 10 minutes.
Make sure your lid if tight & don't let the steam go out.
Switch off the flame,mix gently & serve it hot with onion raita.

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Vegetable Jowar Upma Recipe / Jowar Upma Recipe / Jonna Upma / Cholam Upma / Sorghum Upma - Millet Recipes

Jowar Upma

Ingredients
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal and Channa dal - each 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Chopped ginger -1/4 tsp
Slit green chillies - 4
Chopped onion - a handful
Chopped vegetables - 1/4 cup
( use any vegetable you like here i have used carrot,beans,peas)
Diced tomato -1 small
Salt to taste
Sorghum/Jowar/Jonna/Cholam - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 and 1/4 cup
Method
Wash and soak sorghum in water for 5 to 6 hours.
Take a pressure cooker add the drained sorghum pour water and a pinch of salt.Cook till its done.
Heat oil in pan and temper it with mustard,urad dal,channa dal.
Now add the onion,green chillies,curry leaves and fry till onions are transparent.
Add the vegetables and salt fry a minute ,sprinkle very little water for the vegetables to cook.
Now add the cooked sorghum/jowar and mix it gently till everything is well combined.
Switch off the stove and serve them hot.

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Sunnundalu / Urad Dal Ladoo / Urad Dal Laddu / Ladoo recipes

Urad Dal Ladoo

Ingredients
Whole Urad dal without skin -1 cup
(Dry roasted till light brown, cool and dry grind to a very fine powder)
Powdered Sugar- 3/4 or 1 cup
Cardamom - 3 (powdered)
Warm melted ghee required amount
Cashew nuts & Raisins fried in ghee - 1 tbsp
Method
Put all above mentioned ingredients together in a wide bowl except warm ghee,mix it well.
Now pour warm ghee little by little & roll it out into small tight balls.
Store it in an airtight container and enjoy!

Note:
a) Store bought urad dal can be used but make sure you have dry roasted till raw smell has disappered.
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Cauliflower Peratal / Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal / Cauliflower Pepper Fry / Cauliflower Piratal

Cauliflower Peratal

Ingredients dry roasted and fine powdered

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Fennel seeds/Somph - 2 tsp

Khus khus (white poppy seeds) - 2 tbsp

Black pepper - 2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2 " piece

Star anise - 1/2

Other ingredients

Cauliflower - 1 big

(cut into medium size florets)

Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Garlic crushed - 10 cloves

Onion, sliced - 1

Salt to taste

Chopped tomato -1

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Dry roast all the masala ingredients on a low flame for 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool,dry grind to a fine powder.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the crushed garlic. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped onions and salt.

Saute the onions for about 3-4 minutes till soft. Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are cooked and soft, about 3 minutes.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the masala powder. Mix well till its well combined.

Add in the cauliflower and half a cup of water,cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be firm but cooked.

Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

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Shahi Paneer Recipe / Shahi Paneer - Paneer Recipes

Shahi Paneer

Tempering ingredients
Bay leaf - 1
Whole pepper - 5
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cloves - 1
Shajeera - 1/4 tsp
Black cardamom -1
Oil - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Ingredients to be boiled
White onion - 1
Green chillies - 2
Cashew nut -12
Almonds - 6
Ginger - a small piece
Green cardamom -2
( Boil these ingredients in water for 5 minutes or till soft.Cool and grind it to a smooth paste, use a strainer and remove the puree.Keep it aside)
Other ingredients
Paneer cubes / Indian Cottage Cheese -15
Hot milk - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Saffron a generous pinch
Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream - 1 tbsp
Method
Heat oil and ghee in a pan temper it with above  mentioned ingredients.
Now pour the cooked and ground paste and in low flame cook till raw smell has disappeared and oil has separated the pan.
Add all the dry masala powders ,sugar and cook for few more minutes,add the paneer cubes pour hot milk and some water if needed.
Cook till the gravy is thick switch off the stove,
Add cream and saffron mix and serve it hot with roti or rice.

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