Cashew and Carrot Pulao

Cashew and Carrot Pulao is a dish that is apt not only for lunch or dinner but also for lunch boxes. Kids will love the cashews, lots of carrots hence it's not only tasty but eye appealing too.

The coconut milk especially if you are using home made one is going to give richness to the dish. Store bought milk works well too. I have tried both.

Serve it with some Salna or raita.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

For Tempering:

Cloves : 5

Green Cardamom/Elachi: 3

Cinnamon:1"stick

Mace/Japatri: 1

Star Anise: 1

Marathi Mogga : 1

Stone Flower: 1

Bay leaves: 2

Ground nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon 

Shahi jeera : 1/2 teaspoon 

Fennel seeds: 1 teaspoon 

Cashews: 1/3 cup

Ghee : 3 tablespoons 

Other:

Basmati rice: 2 cups 

Onion : 1 medium sliced

Carrot: 2 large cut in circles 

Green chilies: 7-8 slit

Capsicum/green pepper: 1/2 sliced

Tomato: 1 medium chopped 

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon 

Mint : 2 tablespoons chopped (2 sprigs)

Cilantro/coriander leaves: 1/2 cup chopped (very small bunch)

Coconut milk: 1 1/2 cup

Water : 1 cup 

Garam masala: 1 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 30-40 minutes.

Heat ghee in a pan and add all ingredients listed for tempering. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add onions and green chilies and sauté till they turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. 

Add the veggies and cook for 2 minutes. Add mint and cilantro and cook for 1 minute.

Add coconut milk, water, salt and garam masala, mix well and bring it to a boil. Add drained rice, bring it to a boil again, simmer the stove and close lid.

Cook for 12-15 minutes until rice is done, turn off the stove and let it rest for 5 minutes before opening the lid.

Open lid and fluff up the rice. 

Serve hot with Salna or raita

Onion Salna for Biryani/Pulav

Onion Salna is a gravy side dish that goes well with any biryani or pulav. 

The dish requires basic simple ingredients to make.

It definitely comes in handy when you ran out of veggies or meat but need a filling gravy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

To make a paste:

Peanuts : 3 teaspoons

Till/Nuvvulu/Sesame seeds: 3 teaspoons

Onion : 1 medium chopped 

Dry coconut powder: 3 teaspoons

For Gravy:

Onion : 1 large cubed

Ginger garlic paste: 1 teaspoon 

Red chili powder: 3 teaspoons

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon 

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon 

Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon 

Garam masala: 1 teaspoon 

Chintapandu paste/ Tamarind extract: 2 teaspoons ( from a small lemon size)

Cilantro/coriander leaves: To garnish 

Oil : 6 teaspoons

Method:

Take a pan and dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds for 2 minutes. Keep them aside.

In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of oil and fry onion until they turn light brown. Add coconut powder and fry for 30 seconds at the end. Turn off the stove and let it cool off.

Take the peanuts and sesame seeds in a blender first and make a powder. Add onion mixture and blend for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend into gravy.

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and sauté till they turn translucent. Take them out without oil and keep aside. 

Add Ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, salt, cumin and coriander powder and mix well. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the prepared gravy and 1 cup of water and mix well and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the tamarind extract and garam masala, mix well and cook for 2 minute. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with biryani or pulav. 

Andhra Mutton Fry

Andhra Mutton Fry is a very simple dish made with few ingredients.

The fry is an amazing appetizer or as a side dish with rasam/sambar rice.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

To pressure cook or Stove top:

Mutton: 500 gms

Ginger garlic paste: 1 teaspoon 

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon 

Salt: 1/2 teaspoon 

Water: 2 cups 

For Fry:

Onion: 1 medium chopped 

Green chilies: 4 slit 

Cloves: 5

Cardamom/Elachi: 3

Cinnamon: 1" stick 

Ginger garlic paste: 1 teaspoon 

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon 

Red chili powder: 2 teaspoons

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon 

Garam masala: 1 teaspoon 

Ground Pepper: 1/2 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Cut the mutton into bite size pieces, wash and add all ingredients listed above a pan to either pressure cook for 3 whistles or over stove top for 20 minutes until all the water is evaporated and mutton pieces are cooked completely.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and fry for 1 minute. Add green chilies, turmeric and onions and sauté till they turn light brown. 

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add red chili powder, salt and coriander powder and mix well. Add the cooked mutton pieces and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes so the mutton absorbs the spices. Add garam masala and pepper, mix well and cook for 1 minute and turn off the stove.

Serve hot as an appetizer or with rasam/sambar rice as a side dish.

Burnt Chicken Garlic Fried Rice

Burnt Chicken garlic fried rice is a dish where you can definitely taste the garlic. The garlic, ground pepper and red chili flakes gives a distant flavor and is very aromatic too.

The dish is a good one for a weekday dinner. 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Long grain rice: 1 1/2 cups

Chicken boneless: 250 gms cut into cubes

Onion : 1 medium sliced 

Garlic: 12-14 cloves chopped 

Red chili flakes: 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon 

Ground pepper: 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon 

Soy sauce: 2 teaspoons

Rice vinegar: 1 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Peanut or Sesame oil: 3 tablespoons ( you can use any oil of your choice)

Method:

Cook rice with 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of oil, wait for 5 minutes and fluff it up with a fork and keep aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok on high heat, add garlic and onions. Sauté for 1 minute and add chicken and sauté till all of them turn light brown for 5 minutes. 

Add 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes and ground pepper, mix well and cook for 1 minute.

Add rice, rest of the red chili flakes, ground pepper, soy sauce, vinegar and salt and mix well to coat.

Serve hot.

Masala Rice

Masala Rice is a simple dish made with basic ingredients. 

It's a good one for lunch boxes and for weekday dinner. Simply serve with raita, both kids and adults will really love it.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice/Long grain rice: 1 1/2 cups 

Onion : 1 large sliced

Tomato: 1 large chopped 

Cilantro/coriander leaves: small bunch /1/2 cup chopped 

Red/green chilies: 2 slit 

Curry leaves: 1 sprig 

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon 

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon 

Red chili powder: 1 teaspoon 

Asafoetida/hing: 1/4 teaspoon 

Fennel seeds/saunf :1 teaspoon 

Mustard seeds/ aavalu:1 teaspoon 

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Cook rice with a teaspoon of oil and 3 cups of water. Keep it aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and add mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Once the mustard seeds splatter, add chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves fry for 20 seconds. Add onion and turmeric and sauté for 3 minutes until they turn light brown. 

Add tomatoes and cook them until they turn mushy. Add chopped coriander and fry for 1 minute. Add coriander powder, salt and red chili powder and mix well.

Add cooked rice and mix gently but to coat the masala. Turn off the stove.

Serve hot with raita.