Ingredients

To Fry: Rice, Urad dhal, Channa dal, Jeera - 1 tbsp each

Red chillies – 8-9 nos

Onion – 2 medium onions chopped

Coconut grated – 1/2 cup

Coriander powder  - 2 tbsp to be added later while grinding

Fry these items in a kadai with little oil and let it cool down. Then grind them into a paste by adding some water and keep aside.

Other ingredients:

Small onions – 5-8 nos

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Chicken – Cleaned and cut into medium pieces – 1 lb

salt to taste

chilli powder, turmeric powder

In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil. Add the chopped small onions and fry until slightly brown. Add the chicken pieces, salt and turmeric powders. Cook until the water released from the chicken gets evaporated.

Add the masala paste and adequate water for your gravy. The consistency should be little thin. Check for spices and add chilli powder if required. cook on medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Garnish with Coriander leaves. Adding some gingely oil (aka Sesame oil) will add to a nice flavor to the recipe.

Radish – 1/2 lb

Coconut grated – 1/2 cup

Gram dhal – 1 tbsp

Urad dhal – 1 tbsp

Red chilli – 4 to 5 nos

curry leaves – 4-5 nos

a little oil

Tamarind – a small piece

salt to taste

In a kadai, heat little oil and fry gram dhal and urad dhal. Then add curry leaves, red chillies and fry for few minutes. Add chopped radish and let it cook for sometime.

When the radish is cooked, add grated coconut and tamarind. When the coconut is slightly roasted turn the heat off. Allow it to cool.

Add salt and grind them into a paste. If required, the chutney can be seasoned with mustard.

This chutney can be had with white rice or as a side dish also.

Ingredients:

Eggplant – 1 lb cut into pieces

Onion – 1/2 chopped

curry leaves

Chilli powder, coriander powder – 1 tbsp each

Coconut grinded –  4-5 tbsp

Oil and mustard seeds for seasoning.

Coriander leaves to garnish.

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Let them pop. Add onions and fry for few mins. Add curry leaves and fry.

Add the eggplant pieces and fry for 2-3 mins. Add water until the eggplants are slightly covered. Add chili powder and coriander powder. Add salt. Cover it with a plate and let it cook until the eggplant is well done.

Add the grinded coconut and mix well. Garnish it with coriander leaves. The simple gravy is ready to be tasted.

Big onions – 2 chopped into medium pieces

tomatoes – 3 to 4 nos

Fennel seeds – 1/2 tbsp

Chili powder

turmeric powder

salt

Garam masala

Cloves, Cinnamon sticks – 2 nos each

Oil

Grind onions, tomato and fennel seeds together into a slightly coarse mixture. Do not add water.

In a heavy bottom pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks.  Add the onion, tomato mixture. Add chilli, garam masala, turmeric powders and mix well. Add salt. Cover and let it cook for 10 – 15 mins mixing once a while. This will eliminate the raw smell.

Mix thoroughly and let it simmer until the oil oozes  out. Garnish with coriander leaves.  This can be served with Rice or Dosa.

Ingredients:

Lemon – 2

Toor Dal - 1/2 cup cooked and mashed

Tomato – 1 chopped

Curry leaves

asafoetida

Salt

Turmeric powder

Green chillies – 4 nos

Mustard and Jeera to season.

Coriander leaves

Fry green chillies in a little bit of oil. Take about 4 cups of water in a pot and add tomato, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and let it boil for sometime.  Add the fried green chillies to this mixture.

Once the water is reduced to 3 cups, add the toor dhal and let it simmer for 3-4 mins. By now, the tomato will be well cooked. remove it from the stove and let it cool down.

Add lemon juice and coriander leaves before serving.

Chicken / Mutton washed and cut into medium pieces

Basmati Rice – 4 cups

Big Onions sliced – 2

Medium tomatoes chopped – 2

Cilantro – 1 bunch cleaned and washed

Mint leaves – 10 to 15 nos

ginger garlic paste – 2 tbs

Chilli powder – 1 tbs

Coriander powder – 1 tbs

garam masala – 1/2 tbs

Yogurt – 1 cup

Green Chilis – 4-5 slit

lemon juice

Cloves / Cinnamon sticks – 4 each

cardamom optional

water – 8 cups

Fry Oil and ghee in a heavy bottom pot. When its hot add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and fry until they pop. Then add onions and fry until soft and transparent. Add tomatoes and fry for few mins. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell disappears. Add cilantro, mint leaves and green chillies.  Fry for few mins.

Add yogurt, lemon juice, chilli, coriander and garam malasa powders and make it into a nice gravy. add salt and check for taste. The spices can be adjusted at this point. Let it fry until the oil separates slightly.

Add the meat pieces, let it cook for few minutes. Mutton should be half cooked. Then add rice and water. cook covered until the rice is half done.

Put the dosa plate under the pot and cover the pot tightly and place something heavy on the top. A small pot with water could be used. Let it cook on slow flame for 20 mins.

Chicken biryani is my all time favourite food. I love it when the meats flavor is well mixed with the rice and cooked to perfection. My thanks to Sheren from Minneapolis for teaching me this recipe.

I intend to make a record of all my favorite recipes so many others can enjoy the delicacies the same way. Would appreciate your contribution of recipes, so together we can share ideas.