Couscous Dum Biriyani

Ingredients
Couscous cooked with little salt-2 cups

Salt to taste

Lime-1/2

Cubed tofu-1/2 cup

Sliced mushroom-10

Tomato chopped-1

Onion sliced-1/4

Sliced green chillies-1

Chilly powder-1/4tsp

Turmeric powder-little

Curd-3tsp

Mint-1/4 cup

Coriander leaves-little

Ginger & garlic paste-1/4tsp

Garam or Biriyani masala-1/8tsp(optional)

Tempering

Oil-2tsp,Ghee-1tsp

Cloves-1,Cinnamon-a small bit,Cardamom-2,Jeera-1/4tsp,Shajeera-1/4tsp,Bay leaf-1

Garnishing

Fried onion,raisin,cashew nut,almonds-little & Chopped coriander leaves.

Method

Heat oil & ghee in a pan temper it.Fry the onions,mint,coriander leaves,ginger & garlic paste & green chillies till light brown. Add other ingredients one by one & fry till all the masalas are well cooked.Put the masala at the bottom of a heavy vessel & spread the cooked couscous on top of it.Add the fried onion,raisin,cashew nut,almonds,chopped coriander leaves & lime juice on top.Keep it in low flame covered with a tight lid for 10 minutes,till all the aroma gets into the couscous & gravy is a bit dry.You can also keep it in oven for 10 minutes at 200 deg.C.Before serving just mix it once or twice & serve it hot with raita.

Note:You can make this dish even with chicken,shrimp or mutton.
To learn more about couscous read here....

Oats & Lentils Kozhukattai

Ingredients ground coarse

Soaked American lentils-1 cup

Salt to taste

Red chillies-4

Other ingredients

Quick oats-1 & 3/4 cup

(dry roast it slightly)

Tempering

Oil-2tsp

Mustard-1/2tsp,Urad dhal-1/2tsp,Channa dhal-1tsp

Chopped onion-1tbsp

Chopped green chillies-1

Grated ginger-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves-little

Hing-1/4tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan temper it.Fry the onion,green chillies,ginger & curry leaves till light brown.Switch off the gas ,now add the oats & ground paste.Sprinkle very little water & make balls.Grease idly plates & steam it till cooked.Serve it hot with any chutney.

Note:Instead of making balls you can also just crumble & steam it & serve it like uppuma.For extra taste you can also add grated coconut.You can use any other lentils of your choice.

Couscous Vegetable Uppuma

Ingredients
Couscous-1 cup

Mixed Vegetable-1 cup

Salt to taste

Chopped onion-1/2

Slit green chillies-3

Chopped tomato-1

Curry leaves-little

Grated ginger-1/2 tsp

Boiling water-2 & 1/2 cup

Tempering

Oil-3tsp

Mustard-1/2tsp,Urad dhal-1tsp,Channa dhal-1tsp,Jeera-1/4tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan temper it.Add onion,green chillies ,curry leaves,tomato,ginger & vegetables.Fry it till light brown.Add couscous & salt fry for 2 minutes.Pour water cover & cook it in medium flame till done.Garnish it with curry & coriander leaves.

Learn more about couscous here.....

Award

Thanks Aruna for the lovely Award.......Nice way to start the year.Love to share this beautiful gift with all my friends.Please accept it.

Lentils & Quinoa Sambar Bath

Ingredients
American lentils soaked-1 & 1/2 cup

(soaked overnight)

Quinoa -1 & 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Chilly powder-1 & 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Hing-1/2tsp
Chopped onion-1/2
Chopped tomato-2
Curry leaves-little
Tamarind paste-3tsp
Frozen vegetables-1 cup

Chopped capsicum-1/2
Drumstick-1/2 cup
Tempering
Oil-3tsp
Mustard-1tsp,Urad dhal-1/2tsp,Channa dhal-1/2tsp,Methi-1/4tsp
Garnishing
Ghee-3tsp,Cashew nut-8,Curry leaves-little,Red chilly-6
(fry above ingredients in ghee)
Method
Heat a pressure cooker temper it.Fry onion,tomato & curry leaves till light brown.Add the dry ingredients fry a bit,add the vegetables,lentils & tamarind paste.Pour some water & pressure cook it.Once cool open & add the quinoa pour 1:2 ratio of water & cook it till done.Garnish it with cashew nut,red chillies & curry leaves tempered in ghee.Serve it hot with papadam.
To learn more about quinoa see here

New Year Eve Feast

We had a lovely & memorable New Year Eve.All the husbands cooked & we ladies had a Day Out!!!!!!! They cooked a variety of dishes & the greatest gift was they even Baby Sitted our Kids.Hats off to our hubbys.....................

You all must be thinking what they prepared ?Here comes the menu....

1.Plain Rice

2.Rasam

3.Curd

4.Fish kuzhanbu

5.Fish fry

6.Shrimp fry

7.Tandoori chicken

8.Mutton chukka

9.Mango sambar

10.Egg curry

11.Chicken Biriyani

12.Ice cream & Chocolate cake

(store bought)

They even served it to us with great LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A great Thanks to one & all.Eagerly waiting for another occasion like this.

Christmas Fruit Cake

Wish you all a Happy New Year............

Ingredients

Maida-1 cup

Butter-3/4 cup

Sugar-1 cup

Baking powder-1tsp

Vanilla essence-1tsp

Eggs-2

(separated)

Cream of tartar-less than 1/8tsp(optional)

Ingredients soaked in orange juice or rum for at least a day.

Fresh orange juice-1/3 cup

Fruit cake mix-1 cup

(its citrus peels & cherries cut into cubes soaked in dry sugar syrup)

or Tutti fruity

Raisins-1/4 cup

Cashew nut-1/4 cup

Chopped almonds-1/4 cup

Chopped walnuts-1/4 cup

(dust the above ingredients with 2 tsps of maida)

Spice powders

Cinnamon powder-1/4 tsp

Grated nutmeg-1/4tsp

Grated fresh ginger-1/4tsp

Clove powder-1/4tsp

Caramel

Sugar-1/3 cup

Water-5 tsp

(In a pan add sugar & 1tsp of water & keep stirring till it changes its colour to golden brown.Now slowly add remaining 4 tsp of water,mix it well.Be care full at this stage it may splutter & burn fast.Remove from fire,cool it before adding it to the cake batter)

Method

Sieve baking powder,spice powders & maida.Add tartar to egg whites & beat it till fluffy.Beat essence & egg yolks.Cream butter & sugar till creamy,slowly add egg yolk mixture & maida alternatively & beat it till mixed well.Now add the dry fruits mixture,caramel liquid & egg whites & fold it well.Grease a baking tray dusted with little maida.Pour this cake mixture in it,bake it for 40 minutes at 350 deg.C till done.Cool it completely & cut it the next day.

Courtesy:Sangeetha with some slight changes......

Double Beans Curry

Ingredients dry roast & make a powder
Coriander seeds-1/2tbsp
Jeera-1/2tsp
Whole pepper-1/2tsp
Red chillies-3
Garlic-1
Coconut-2tbsp
Ingredients
Boiled double beans-1 & 1/2 cup
(boil it with salt & little turmeric powder)
Onion chopped-1/2
Chopped tomato-1
Curry leaves-little
Tempering
Oil-3tsp
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Urad dhal-1/2tsp
Hing-1/8tsp
Method
Heat oil temper it.Fry onion,tomato & curry leaves till light brown.Add the ground masala & the boiled beans with the water.Cook it till all the water is evaporated & dry.Serve it with hot rice.

Courtesy:RaksKitchen with a slight change.......

Avocado & Cornmeal Muffin

Ingredients
Avocado-1

(mashed)

Fine cornmeal-1/2 cup

All purpose flour-1 cup

Sugar-1/4 cup

Baking powder-1 & 1/2 tsp

Egg-2

(beaten)

Milk-1/4 cup

Salt -1/4tsp

Method

Mix all above ingredients together.Pour in greased muffin tins.Bake at 350 deg.C for 10 minutes or till done.

X'Mas Tree

My daughter decorated this Christmas tree........Merry X'Mas to one & all.