Prawn Biryani

Prawn Biryani - Malabar Style

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 3cups
Prawns(Whole) - 1kg
Onion, sliced thinly - 3nos.
Tomatoes, chopped - 2nos.
Lemon juice - 2tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 bunch
Mint leaves, chopped - small bunch
Whole spices for rice - cardamom - 5, cinnamon - 2" , cloves - 4, star anise -1 & bay leaves - 2
Chilli Powder - 1tsp
Biryani Masala powder- 11/2tsp
(Biryani Masala powder -
Dry roast & grind to a fine powder the following:-
Cardamom-3, Cinnamon(1" stick) -2, Cloves-4,
Nutmeg-quarter, Mace-3
Fennel seed-1/2tsp, Shahjeera-1/2tsp, Cumin seed-1/2 tsp)
Ghee/Butter - 1tbsp+1tbsp
Oil as needed
Salt as needed

For Marinade
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2tsp
Salt as needed

For Grinding
Green chillies - 5nos.
Garlic,chopped - 11/2tbsp
Ginger,chopped - 11/2tbsp
Coconut grated- 3tbsp
Curd - 4tbsp

For Garnish
Onion - 1nos.
Cashew nuts - few
Raisins - few

Method:

Soak rice in water for half an hour. Rinse and drain. Heat 1tbsp of ghee. Add the whole spices and fry for a minute. Add the drained rice & roast it for few minutes. Add 6 cups of boiling water & salt and cook rice till done. Spread rice in a flat plate & sprinkle lemon juice.

Clean & de-vein the prawns. Marinate in chilli, turmeric, pepper powders & salt for 30 min.
Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger and grated coconut into a coarse paste adding curd.

Fry raisins and cashew nuts in ghee, till brown and keep aside. Carmelise one onion(thinly sliced for garnish) & keep aside. In the same pan fry the marinated prawns to a golden tinge. Keep aside a few prawns for garnishing.

To the fried prawns, in the same oil, add 3 onions chopped. Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add tomato, ground paste, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and the lemon juice. Cook covered for a few minutes. Then open cook till the masala reduces in quantity. Add chilli powder. Check for salt. Finally add the Biryani Masala & switch off the heat.

In a microwave safe dish, spread half of the rice, layer the prawn masala on top and layer the remaining rice on it. Cover & microwave for 4 min on high. Alternately you can bake it for 15-30 min at 150 deg. celsius. Mix thoroughly and serve garnished with fried prawns,roasted cashews,raisins and caramelized onion and serve hot with onion raita & pickle.

Other Related Recipes:
Malabar Chicken Biryani
Unnakka Chemeen Chammanthi/Dried Shrimp Chutney

Mutta Choru

Mutta Choru
Recipe from Blogs

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice -1 cup
Eggs - 3
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 1
Ginger paste - 1/2tsp(no ginger in the original recipe!)
Ghee -1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Coriander leaves - few sprigs
Salt-as required
Boiled Water - 1 1/2cup

Method

Boil 2 of the 3 eggs. Cut into halves.
Soak the washed rice for 5 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel and roast the rice till the grains become slightly soft on biting. Add boiled water and break into it 1egg and mix well. Add coconut milk,pepper powder and salt and cook till it is done.
Now heat oil in a wok. Add curry leaves, green chillies & ginger paste. Add red chilli powder,turmeric and garam masala. Cook at at a low flame or else chilli powder will get burnt. Next add the boiled eggs. Roast it till it becomes golden.
Add these eggs along with the masala to the cooked rice. Mix well. Finally garnish with chopped coriander.

Channa Pulao

Channa Pulao
Yield - 2servings

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1cup
Kabuli Channa/Dried Chick Peas - 1 cup
Onions, thinly sliced - 2+1nos
Garlic cloves - 3nos.
Whole spices for Rice -
Cloves - 2nos.
Cinnamon - 1"
Peppercorns -4nos.
Bay leaves - 1nos.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Salt to taste
Ghee/oil

Method:

Soak the chick peas in water overnight. Wash rice & soak for 30min. Drain & keep aside.
Pressure cook chick peas with salt & keep aside. Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Add whole spices. Roast for a minute & add the sliced onions(2nos.). Saute till the onions are translucent and add the drained rice. Saute for a few more minutes. Add salt & 2cups of hot water and cook till done.
Grind to a paste the remaining one onion & garlic cloves.
Heat Ghee/oil. Add the ground paste & cook till the raw smell goes. Add chilli powder & chopped coriander leaves(alternately u can grind coriander along with onion & garlic). Cook for a minute and add rice & channa. Mix well & serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati/Long Grain rice - 1cup
Lemon Juice - 2-3tbsp
Onions, chopped finely - 1nos
Ginger, chopped finely - 1tbsp
Green chillies, chopped - 1nos
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad Dal - 1tsp
Channa Dal - 1tsp
Dry Red chilli - 1nos.
Peanuts, roasted - handful
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil as needed
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash rice & soak for 30min. Drain & cook in 2 cups water(Add salt to water). The grains should be separate and not sticky.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Add the dals & dry red chilli and fry till they turn light brown. Now add chopped onions, ginger, green chillies & curry leaves. Saute till light brown. Add turmeric powder and switch of flame. Add boiled rice and sprinkle lemon juice over rice. Add peanuts & mix well and turn on the flame. Cook for 2-3 minutes and switch off. Serve with pickle.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice

Ingredients:
Long grain rice - 11/2cup
Tomatoes, chopped - 3nos (4 for a tangier taste)
Onions,chopped - 1nos
Green chillies,chopped - 2-3nos
Coriander leaves,chopped - 4-5 sprigs
Coconut milk powder - 3tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Whole spices
Bay leaves - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinammon stick - 1" piece
Star Anise - 1

Oil as needed
Salt as needed

Method:
Wash rice and soak in water for 30min. Puree the tomatoes. Dissolve the coconut milk powder in a cup of water.

Heat oil in a pan, fry the whole spices for a few minutes. Add chopped onions & green chillies and saute till it turns brown. Add the chilli & turmeric powders. Now add the pureed tomatoes & coconut milk followed by coriander leaves. Add salt to taste. When it starts to boil add the drained rice. Add water as needed & cook till done. Serve hot with onion raita.

Tomato Rice served with onion raita....

Malabar Chicken Biryani

Malabar Chicken Biryani - Recipe from Blogs

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 3cups
Chicken - 1/2kg (About 8 big pieces)
Onion, sliced thinly - 3cups
Tomatoes, chopped - 11/2cups
Curd - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1tbsp+1tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 cup(or half a bunch)
Mint leaves, chopped - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - a few
Biryani Masala powder- 2tsp
(Biryani Masala powder -
Dry roast & grind to a fine powder the following:-

Cinnamon-1 big stick,Cardamom-3,Cloves-4,
Nutmeg-quarter, Mace-3
Fennel seed-1/2tsp,Shahjeera-1/2tsp,Cumin seed-1/2 tsp)

Boiled Eggs - 2nos.
Raisins & Cashewnuts for garnishing
Rose water - 1tbsp(optional)
Saffron - a few strands(optional)
Ghee/Butter - as needed
Oil as needed
Salt as needed

For Marinating chicken
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2tsp
Salt as needed

For Grinding
Green chillies - 5nos.
Garlic,chopped - 1tbsp
Ginger,chopped - 1tbsp
Poppy seeds,soaked in water - 1tsp.

Method:
Soak rice in water for half an hour. Rinse and drain. Roast the drained rice in ghee/ghee+oil/oil for few minutes. Add 6 cups of boiling water & salt and cook rice till done. Spread rice in a flat plate & sprinkle 1tbsp lemon juice.

Marinate chicken pieces in turmeric, chilli & salt for 30 min(preferably in refrigerator).

Fry raisins and cashewnuts in ghee, till brown and keep aside. Fry half of the sliced onions till golden & keep aside. In the same pan shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces for a few minutes.

Heat oil/ghee in another pan and saute the remaining onions till translucent. Add the ground paste and saute. When the raw smell goes, add tomatoes, curd, lemon juice and salt. Saute till oil separates. Add the chopped leaves and fry for a minute. Now, add the chicken pieces, mix well & transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of boiling water and pressure cook for 5-6 minutes or till done. If there is more gravy, open cook till the required consistency is obtained.

In an oven-proof dish, spread half of the rice, layer the chicken pieces on top and layer the remaining rice on it. Sprinkle saffron(mixed in rosewater). Garnish with fried cashews, raisins & onions. Cover & microwave for 4 min on high. Alternately you can bake it for 15-30 min at 150 deg. celsius. Mix thoroughly and serve with boiled eggs(hidden in rice), raita & pickle.

Other Related Recipes:
Prawn Biryani
Chilli Chicken
Chicken Curry
Kerala Chicken Roast

Mushroom Pulao

Mushroom Pulao - Recipe from Blogs
I have made a couple of changes...like avoided mint leaves, made it more spicy etc....

Ingredients:
Button Mushrooms(Cleaned&Sliced) - 1 cup
Potato - 1nos.
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Onion - 1nos.
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/2-1 tsp
Coriander Leaves
Curd - 1tbsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Salt to taste

Whole Spices
Whole Red Chilli - 1
Bay Leaf - 1 small
Cloves -2
Cardamom-1
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Star Anise - 1 small piece(Not the whole!)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Method:

Wash rice and soak in water for 1/2 an hour. Peel & chop the potatoes. Slightly fry the potatoes in oil & keep aside.

Heat oil. Add the whole spices one by one and when done(aroma comes), add the chopped coriander leaves. Saute for while and then add chopped onions & ginger-garlic paste. When onions turn brown, add all the powdered masalas & salt.

Cook for a while & then add the potatoes & mushrooms. Cook covered until the mushrooms are half done or when all the moisture has evaporated. Now, add curd & cook for 1-2min. Add the drained rice & saute for a few minutes. Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker & add 2 1/4 cup of boiling water. Pressure cook until done.(2-3min). Serve garnished with coriander leaves with pickle and/or salad.