Desi Fiesta

lunch box idea

Chettinadu Kaikari Biryani

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Biryani’s are always my fav as they are packed with so much nutrients and I prefer them spicy.  India is famous for is N num of varieties in biryani and am sharing a very famous biryani which I make often at home . This Biryani I first learned in my Home science and this was the recipe which saved me while board practical as this was Tasted by Chef Mr. Damodaran sir and he liked it :). I always love the coconut milk flavor in biryani and always use them instead of water. As you all might be knowing chettinadu foods mostly are prepared with ground masalas and they normally contain coconut in them . 

Chettinadu Kaikari biryani is my family fav and it tastes better when you use fresh coconut milk for this recipe. Some People also make them by grinding a masala paste which normally include shallots and all the spice which I have used here as whole like cloves, bay leaves etc. This is a simple way I generally make this biryani and this taste so yummy . You can add any veggie  of your choice and make them as spicy as you like .

 Ingredients

Mixed vegetables- 1 cup ( chopped) – ( I used Beans, carrot, Potato here)
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Onions – 1 No (Chopped)
Tomato – 1 medium sized ( chopped)
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Red chilli pd – 1 tsp
Sambhar pd – 1 tbsp
Coriander pd – 2 tsp
Cumin pd – 1 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
coriander leaves – 1/4 cup chopped
Salt to taste
coconut milk – 3 1/2 cups
Yogurt/curd – 3 tbsp
Bay leaves -2 nos
Cinnamon stick – 1 ” piece
Cardamom – 2 nos
cloves – 2 nos
Oil – 2 tbsp

Method

  • In wok / kadai heat oil add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamon .
  • After they pop add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till  onion translucent.
  • Add tomatoes and saute till they are cooked and mashed well .
  • Now add Red chilli pd, coriander pd , sambhar pd, turmeric pd , salt ( remember to add salt including the rice) and  cumin pd . Mix well.
  • Add all the chopped vegetables saute them for a while until well combined.
  • Add curd / yogurt and mix them well and cook for a while then turn off the flame.
  • In a rice cooker put washed rice , coconut milk and vegetable mixture and cook them .
  • If you are making in pressure cooker cook the for 2 -3  whistles.

Arisi paruppu sadam /Arisemparupu ( Kongunadu cuisine )

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Today am here with a kongu nadu recipe which is one of my fav region from tamil nadu I love to cook and enjoy the kongu nadu recipes . Have seen this delicious rice preparation  in a friends home and they tasted yumm . Kongunadu is an western region in Tamil nadu and the food has a slight variation too. Arisemparupu, famously known only in Kongu region is an one pot meal which is quick to make and has its own goodness in taste. My H loved this delicious arisemparupu and make them again N again . This is a very very quick to make one pot meal which taste so yummy and I served this yummy rice with Potato vadhakal . Lets move to the recipe quickly !!

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup
Toor / Tuvar dal – 1/2 cup
Whole Red chilli – 2 No
Green chilli – 2 No ( split)
Channa dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 No Medium size ( Chopped)
Tomato – 1 No large size ( Chopped)
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Sambhar pd – 2 tbsp 
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig 
Water – 3 – 4  cups or as required 
Salt to taste 
Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

  • In a pressure cooker heat oil add mustard seeds, once they splutter add curry leaves, urad dal,  channa dal .
  • Saute them till they are light brown in color.Add ginger garlic paste , green chillies and whole redchillis and saute .
  • Add the chopped onion and saute them for a while till they turn translucent .
  • Now add tomatoes and cook them till they turn mushy.
  • Add sambhar pd ,turmeric pd , salt and mix well .
  • Now add the washed rice and toovar dal and mix well.
  • Add required amount of water to cook them in pressure cooker I used 3 1/2 cup water here.
  • Close the lid and cook the rice for 2 to 3 whistles. 
  • Once the pressur subsides open the lid and mix the rice gently .
  • Serve them hot with potato fry or any stir fry.

Sending to Jagruti’s Potluck party 

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh . 

Tomato Bisi bele bhath (pressure cooker Method)

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After a long time I had a chance to take part in SYS-W series whose brain child is Viji of Virudhu unna vanga . This is time Viji had given us two ingredients for each member depending on the Number we choose and so my my two ingredients were Tomato and Rice . I love Bisibele bhath But some days are so lazy I do feel like roasting  and grinding  the spices so here is an delicious and simple way to make a delicious sambhar rice or I call it Tomato bisi bele Bhath as it taste some what similar to Bisi bele bhath .

Tomato is the main ingredient which gives the tanginess in this instead of tamarind extract I have used Tomato .  I make this often nad pressure cooker makes our life so easy . Just Mix in and cook them In pressure cooker It is so easy to make. Lets Move on to the recipe..

Ingredients 

Rice – 1/2 cup
Toor dal – 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegetables – 1 cup ( I used carrot, potato, beans, Peas)
Onion chopped – 1 medium size
Red chilli pd – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Sambhar pd – 2 tbsp ( Adjust to your taste)
Tomatoes (plum tomatoes)  – 3No  medium size ( grind it in a blender to puree with 2 green chillies )
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Coriander pd – 1 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/2 tsp
Oil / ghee – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch long
Bay leaf – 1No
Cloves- 2 No
Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp (chopped)
Water – 6-7 cups 
Ghee to top on the rice ( as required)
Salt to taste 

Method

  • Wash rice and dal and drain the water. keep it aside.
  • In a pressure cooker heat oil add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf  , curry leaves,onion and saute them till translucent.
  • Add ginger garlic paste saute for a while and add the pureed tomatoes cook them for a while.
  • Add the red chilli pd, sambhar pd, cumin pd, coriander pd, salt and mix them well.
  • Now add the chopped veggies and saute them for a while.
  • Add the  washed rice and dal mix them .
  • Add water and cover the pressure cooker, put on the weight.
  • In low flame wait until 4-5 whistles and then switch off the flame.
  • After the pressure subsides open the pressure cooker and mix the Bisibelebhath .
  • Top them with ghee and serve with papad or fryums .

Tomato puloa

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This a tangy version of puloa which i liked a lot .. The tangy tomatoes are well blended with rice and there comes a delicious puloa to your plate . In this puloa  I used Long grain rice which makes the puloa more attarctive and tempts everyone to have them. The green peas in it adds extra color  and taste to this puloa . The rice variety can be served for lunch or dinner with some raita . If you are a spice lover you can increase the spices in this recipe.Now lets quickly look for the ingredients and method to prepare this yummy puloa

 

 

 

Ingredients


Basmati rice 1 cup
Tomato-2 medium sized
Onion-1 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
Green peas-1/4 cup
Turmeric-1/8 tsp
Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp
Sambhar pd- 1 tsp
Green chilli-1
Coriander leaves-2 tblsp chopped
Oil/ ghee  2 tblsp
Cardamom- 1 no
Clove-1 no
Bay leaf-1 no

Method

  • Soak basmati rice and chop tomatoes ,  onion and slit green chillies. Heat a pan with oil or ghee and temper with the cardamom, clove and bay leaf  .
  • Add green chillies, onions and fry till onion turns transparent. Add ginger garlic paste, green peas and fry for a minute. Then add tomatoes.
  • Add salt, turmeric, masala powder and red chilli powder, sambhar pd. Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Drain the soaked rice and add it. Fry for a minute and add 1 1/2 cup of water, coriander leaves. Bring to boil and then put this a slow cooker or a pressure cooker  until 2 whistles in low flame .
  •  Drizzle a tsp of ghee and mix well when the rice is done. Serve with any raita.
Tips
You can also include tomato ketchup in the recipe and instead of sambhar pd use pav bhaji masala  🙂 they taste equally gud.