Brinji Rice

Brinji rice is a wonderful, simple and flavourful rice variety I made in which the main ingredient which flavours the rice is brinji leaves (tej patta or bay leaf). It is called brinji leaf in Tamil.

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 cup
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Cashews: a few
Bay leaves (Brinji leaves): 2
Cinnamon stick: 1/2 inch
Star Anise: 1
Cloves: 2
Cardamom: 2
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Coconut milk: 1 tsp.
Mint leaves (or mint powder): a few (or about a tsp.)
Salt to taste

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a pan and fry the cashews a bit on medium flame. Drain and keep aside, let the oil remain in the pan.
2. Wash and cook the rice as you normally do. To follow how I do the same, read How to make the perfect boiled rice.
3. While the rice is being cooked, heat the pan with the oil again, fry cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, star anise, cardamom and fennel seeds. Before you cover the rice, add this fried whole spices to the cooked rice and let it set for sometime.
4. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in the same pan, add chopped onion and fry until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillis, salt and mint. Mix well and let cook for 2 minutes. 
5. Add the coconut milk and combine well. Turn off the heat and mix the contents with the cooked, flavored rice. Mix well and top with fried cashews and garnish with coriander leaves (optional). Serve hot.  

Sprouted Green Moong Chat

So, after I made the Sprouted Chana Chaat with my new sprouts maker, I was all excited to try out other things. So I sprouted green moong dal and made a chaat using the same. In India, we used to eat them raw as salad, with raw diced onions, tomatoes and green chilli in it. But I fried it a bit because I couldn't it it cold for the evening snacks in the cold season.

Ingredients:

Sprouted Moong Dal: 1 cup
Onions (finely chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Turmeric powder (optional)
Mango powder
Chaat Masala
(spices to be adjusted according to taste)
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 1 tsp.

1. Heat oil on medium flame and splutter the cumin seeds.
2. Saute the onions a bit, add the tomatoes and green chilli. Don't cook for a lot of time as you want to eat this as a chaat, not a dal.
3. Add the sprouted daal and the spices. Mix quickly, turn off the heat after a minute.
4. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve.

Hariyali Corn

Ingredients:

Corn kernels: 100 gm
Onion (sliced): 1
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Tomato (chopped): 1
Green chilli (sliced): 2
Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
Fenugreek leaves (Methi)
Spinach leaves
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mango powder: a pinch
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.

1. Cut the corn kernels in small rounds and boil in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and keep the corn kernels aside. 
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the onions and let them fry until transparent. 
3. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli. Fry for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft.
5. Wash thoroughly and cut all the leaves. Save some coriander leaves for garnish. Add the remaining leaves to the pan. Mix well and let cook for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, mango powder and mix well. 
7. Add the boiled corn kernels and mix well. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
8. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. 

Talawa Chicken

Made this Talawa Chicken because I have an event coming up, so need to have a nice, easy and wonderful starter for the same. So tried this simple recipe in a small quantity, and wow! came out so perfect this is the best starter to begin with. So this basically takes very less effort and minimal ingredients. This sure is going to be the starter for my event.

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless): 200 gm
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp.
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Lemon juice: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves: for garnishing

1. Cut the boneless chicken to bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken. Fry for 15 minutes in open pan, on medium heat, making sure you turn the chicken pieces regularly.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder and turmeric. Mix well and let cook for about a minute.
3. Add salt, garam masala and black pepper. Mix well. Let cook for another 1-2 minutes on medium flame. Turn off the heat and sprinkle lemon juice. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with any dip/chutney. 

Sprouted Chana Chaat

Visit to India this year has been wonderful for me.. Most importantly for I got some amazing friends to be with me in the kitchen.. my sprouts maker is one of those.. So now, I would get regular, ready sprouts.. the feeling itself filled me with satisfaction as I am always looking for filling and healthy snacks during the evening tea-time. So here goes this !! The first I tried was black chana.. and wooohoo !! came out simply perfect...

So happy with the perfect result, I instantly made a chaat out of it for the evening snacks, and loved it to the core.. So here's my happy recipe of a simple, happy chaat.

Ingredients:

Sprouted Chana: 1 cup
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped finely): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Cooking oil: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp.
Mango powder: a pinch
Chaat masala/ Garam masala: 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/4 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Add the onions and fry a bit, till they just are little transparent.
2. Add the tomatoes and green chilli, mix well and let cook for a minute.
3. Add the salt, red chilli, chaat masala, mango powder and coriander powder and mix well. Add the washed, sprouted chana to the pan.
4. Mix well and let cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, sprinkle lemon juice and ting! Your healthy, tasty sprouts chaat is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Enjoy !!

Kori Ghassi (Manglorean Chicken)

Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Garlic (chopped): 3 cloves
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Coconut milk: 1 tsp.
Tamarind pulp: 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Curry leaves: a few
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cloves: 2
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Dried red chillis: 2
Grated coconut: 5 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper powder: 1 pinch

1. Dry roast the spices: coriander, cumin, fennel, poppy seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Keep aside and let it cool. Grind to a fine powder.
2. Dry roast the coconut and red chillis separately. Keep aside. 
3. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Add garlic, chopped onions, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Let fry until the onions start getting brown.
4. Add the tomatoes and mix well. When they start softening, add salt and black pepper powder. Mix well. 
5. Add chicken to the pan and mix well. Add the tamarind pulp and the roasted coconut. Mix well and cover for 5 minutes.
6. Remove cover and add the ground spice powder and coconut milk. Mix well and cover for another 10 minutes. Remove cover, mix and serve hot.

Chicken Cafreal

Ingredients:

Chicken: 200 gm
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Cloves: 2
Black peppercorns: 6-7
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger (chopped): 1 inch
Garlic (chopped): 4 cloves
Spring onions (chopped): 2
Coriander leaves: 10-15
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Sugar: 1/2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Onion (sliced): 2
Salt (To taste)
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.

1. Dry roast the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds on medium heat. Cool and transfer to a grinder.
2. Add the ginger, garlic and coriander leaves to the grinder.
3. Dry roast the green chillis in a pan and transfer to the grinder.
4. Add the lemon juice and sugar, add little water if required and grind all of this to a smooth paste. This is cafreal masala. Marinate the chicken in this paste for about 30 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until crispy and golden brown. Drain oil and remove from the pan on a kitchen paper. Keep aside.
6. In the same oil, add the marinated chicken on medium flame. Mix well, add some water if necessary. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
7. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
8. Remove cover and mix well. After 2 minutes, add the fried onions. Mix and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a dollop of butter. Serve hot.