Mushroom rice - Pressure cooked

This is a very easy dish to make.
Mushrooms - about 300 gms (cleaned and cut length-wise)
Onion - 1 (sliced fine)
Tomatoes - 2 medium (sliced fine)
Green chillies - 3 (slit)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Rice - 1 cup (clean and soak for 1/2 hour then drain)
Capsicum - 1 ( cut into small pieces)
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Chicken stock cube/ liquid (optional) - 1 cube or 1/2 cup liquid.

In a pressure cooker add about 1 tbsp oil (can add a bit of ghee and less oil too) saute onions till golden, add the ginger garlic paste, when fried, add the slit green chillies and the turmeric, chilly and coriander powder after mixing into a thick paste with a bit of water. fry well. When the oil comes out, add the tomatoes , wait till the tomatoes soften and then add the mushrooms and capsicum. Coat the masala well, add the garam masala powder and the rice, then add the chicken stock powder.
Finally add 2 cups of water (if adding liquid stock, please adjust accordingly), put the lid on and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Canned mushrooms will do too, but may not taste as good..

Chicken stew - healthy too!!!

This is a very easy and very tasty dish to make......

Traditionally, this was made minus the tomatoes and the coconut milk was always extracted the old fashioned way...

I used to do this too, but since I have discovered the coconut milk powder,I always use it ..saves time, and the end result is just as delicious.

Chicken - 1 kg (cleaned and cut into small pieces)
Green chillies - 5 to 6 (slit)
Curry leaves - 3 to 5 stalks
Onion - 1 to 2 (sliced)
Tomatoes - 2 to 3 (sliced - make sure the tomatoes are not too ripe)
Potatoes - 2 to 3 (peeled and cut into cubes)
Salt - 1 tsp
Cardamom - full pods - 4 to 5
Cloves - 4 to 5
Cinnamom sticks - 2 ( 1 inch sticks)
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Keep aside

Coconut milk powder - 5 tbsps
water - 1 glass
coriander leaves - cleaned and chopped
coconut oil - 1 tsp


Put all of the first set of ingredients (chicken to chilli powder) in the pressure cooker . Mix 1 tbsp of coconut milk powder with 3/4 glass of water and add to the lot. Pressure cook till 4 whistles. Take off the stove and leave till steam escapes.

Now, keep on the stove and add the remaining 4 tbsps of coconut milk powder to 1/4 glass of water.Add more salt as required. Switch off the stove before the stew boils.Add the bunch of chopped coriander leaves and a pinch of tarragon (optional). Add 1 tsp of coconut oil.

Superb with aapams, porotta, chappatis ..I love to have it with rice and lemon pickle.

Mutton Biryani - Chettinad style

Mutton - 1/2 KG
Onions - 3 large (sliced thin)
Green Chillies - 3 (slit in half)
Tomatoes - 2 large (sliced)
Garlic cloves - 5 (crushed)

whole spices
cloves - 5nos
pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks - 2 inch
cardamom - 5 nos
1 bay leaves

Marinate the mutton for 1 hour ...
1/2 cup curd,
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste

Soak 1 and 1/2 cups rice for 1/2 an hour and drain.(may add a half cup more)

Brown the sliced onions, keep aside half for later.
In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tsp oil and add the whole spices..once they release the flavour, add the brown onions, add just the mutton pieces and slightly cook them, add the tomatoes, green chillies and the crushed garlic, add the marinade and pressure cook the mutton..I waited for 3 whistles.

Lightly fry 2 tsp coriander powder and keep aside

Once all the steam settles, empty the mutton into a vessel. Layer the remaining browned onions and half the rice add the mutton pieces ,the coriander powder and add the rest of the rice. Now take the gravy and measure it with the same cup/measure as the rice. Liberally add mint leaves throughout the layers. Add boiled water to make the liquid nearly double the quantity of rice. (I put in 2 and 3/4 of liquid)
I have found that a little less than double is always better, especially in a cooker.

Instead of boiled water, add warm milk with a pinch of saffron for added flavour
Two whistles, and wait 20 minutes before removing the lid.

Roast Chicken - my way

,

I know it is quite perverse of me to post this recipe just when we have to keep away from poultry due to the spreading bird flu hereabouts!!!!



But this is also another way to enjoy a dish I had made some time back....great memories!!!



Chicken - 1 whole dressed and skinned.



Curd - 1 Tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 2 full tsp

Pepper - crushed - 1 tsp

Lime juice - frm one lemon

Butter - 1/2 tsp softened to room temperature (or 1/2 tsp oil)

Soy sauce - a dash

Salt to taste



Mix all the ingredients and make the marinade. Thoroughly cover the whole chicken inside and out, in the marinade. Keep for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Stuff 1 onion cut into quarters, 1 sliced tomato and some pieces of a celery stalk into the cavity.



Add 1 tbsp of water to the pressure cooker, layer the base of the cooker with onion and tomato slices (it adds to the flavour and prevents the chicken from sticking to the cooker)



I added other veggies like potato , and carrots and pressure cooked the chicken. Turn off the stove after two whistles, wait till the pressure drops and take the chickn out. In a non stick wok, add 1 tsp of oil, spread it well, remove only the chicken and brown it( about 5mints each side should do.) Keep the chicken on a platter.



Empty the veggies and the stock in the wok and reduce the liquid till it is thickened. Arrange the veggies(also tossed in a Zuchini at this point) around the chicken and pour the liquid over the whole.



Enjoy it hot.









-