Prawn Biryani

My blog crossed 500 posts last week. This post was suppose to celebrate the special milestone and the 300+ Likes that my page has received on Fb. But it had to be postponed as I was quite busy in the first half and then feeling a bit low in the latter part of week. Now it seems like it was destined to mark an even bigger occasion.

Its the day of the election results and my TV has been switched 'On' since 7 a.m.. Have been following things closely ever since the counting started. And finally, it is time to pop the bubbly and burst the crackers. Yes, this one is to new beginnings. 'Ab ki Baar, Modi Sarkar. Baar Baar Modi Sarkar'.

Preparation Time - 40-45 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 200 gm small prawns
• 1 large + 1 medium sized onion
• 2 tsp GG paste
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 2 large tomatoes (freshly pureed)
• 1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped coriander leaves
• a few strands of mace
• a pinch of nutmeg powder
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamon
• 1 tsp ghee
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• Lemon juice (optional) (As I used country tomatoes which were quite tangy, I skipped the lemon juice)

Preparation - Chop the onion into thin long slices.

Wash and soak the rice for 1-2 hours.

Wash and clean the prawns. Add salt and about 2-3 pinch of turmeric. Mix together and keep aside for 10 mins.

Cooking - Heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil in a frying pan. Add the marinated prawns and fry till they turn pink. Remove and keep aside.

Heat 2 1/2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till light brown.

Add the GG paste and fry till raw smell goes away. Add the tomato puree and fry till oil starts to separate out.

Add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Fry for 1 minute.

Add the fried prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the soaked rice along with the chopped mint and coriander leaves. Fry till the leaves wilt up a bit. Add 2 1/2 cups warm water. Add salt to taste. Finally drop in the whole spices, nutmeg powder and ghee.

Cook on a medium low flame for 1 whistle (approx 12-14 mins). Remove and keep aside for 15-20 mins. Open the lid and fluff the rice grains with a fork. Sprinkle some lemon juice if you need more tang to it.

Serve hot with some cooling onion raita. (Do top it up with some desserts if you are feeling extra celebratory)

Note - While using tiger prawns or any large sized prawns for that matter in this biryani makes for a great presentation, these tiny freshwater prawns are much more flavorful. However, you can use the former if you wish.

Fruit Halwa

Apples and Bananas. Most kids love them. So why not use the flavors (and the goodness) of these fruits to transform a regular halwa into something rather special. Quite easy to make, it adds the right amount of zing to your child's meal. Garnish it in a fun manner and even the most picky of children will come back asking for more.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup semolina/suji,
• 3-4 tbsp apple puree
• 1 ripe banana (mashed but with a few chunks left)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 3 tsp ghee

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Add 1 tsp ghee. Roast the semolina on the pan till it darkens in color. Remove and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a wok. Add the mashed banana and apple puree and cook for a 3-4 minutes.

Boil the water and apple juice in a separate pan/wok. Add sugar and roasted semolina to it. After 1 minute add the apple-banana mixture and mix in.

Stir the contents for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame till a viscous mixture is formed (this will harden further on cooling). Stir in the remaining ghee.

Allow to cool down slightly and then fill into molds. Remove from mold when ready to serve.

Serve warm or chilled. (Garnish with sliced fruits if desired.)

Note - One can try this with other fruits like pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, mango, etc. But some fruits lose a bit of their flavor while coking so do add a little essence/juice to make up for it.

Fuel Efficient Method of Cooking Rice In Open Pan

Most of us are used to cooking rice in the pressure cooker in order to save both time and fuel. While this does away with the constant need to monitor the rice and draining away the excess water, it is not the healthiest way to cook rice. Recent studies have established that draining away the excess water which also contains a lot of starch makes the rice healthier to eat as it reduces the amount of carbohydrate being consumed.

However with the rising LPG cylinder costs and electricity bills, most of us are averse to cook rice in a open pan/pot. But one no longer has to worry about the amount of fuel being spent on cooking rice if one follows the method detailed below. This was shared by one of my aunts recently and I have been following it ever since. Also, it does not require one to stand near the stove for a long time to monitor the cooking.

Read on for the easy to follow steps -


1. Take a pan/vessel with sufficient amount of water in it. Wash the rice and add to it.

2. Switch on the flame and turn it up to HIGH.

3. Bring the rice to a rolling boil while stirring in between. (If you forget to stir, rice will catch at the bottom)

4. Cover with a lid and switch off the flame.

5. Allow to sit for a while till the rice grains cook in the hot water and swell up. This is the critical part and while some rice varieties may take 8 minutes some may take upto 12-14 mins. It takes 1-2 trails to get it right.

6. Open the lid and switch on the flame. Turn it up.

7. Allow the rice to come to a boil. Then switch off the flame.

8. Drain off the excess water.

9. Gently shake the rice and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Note - For par-boiled rice varieties(used especially in Odisha and West Bengal), keep aside the rice for about 50-60 minutes after step 4.  If it is still uncooked, allow it to boil for a few minutes during step 7.

Mango Lassi ( 2nd Version )

This yummy mango lassi does more than just beat the summer heat. The medley of flavors unleash a state of utopia that remains throughout the day. I find it the best way to end a rather frugal lunch consisting of rotis, dry subzi and some salad. The rose syrup and rose essence used in this recipe are the underdogs who steal the limelight without one even realizing it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 5-6 mins

Ingredients -

1 cup diced ripe mango
1 cup fresh yogurt
3/4 cup chilled water ( or as per desired consistency )
a pinch of cardamom
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp condensed milk
1/2 tsp rose water

For the garnish -

1 tsp subza(basil) seeds
2 tbsp rose syrup
1 tbsp water


Preparation - Soak the subza seeds with rose syrup and water in a small bowl. Leave aside for 2 hours.

Take the mango cubes, sugar, condensed milk and 1/4 cup water in a blender jar. Buzz for a few seconds till the ingredients come together. Add the yogurt, remaining water, rose water and cardamom powder. Buzz for a few seconds more. The mango lassi is now ready.


Put some soaked basil seeds at the bottom of the glass. Gently pour the lassi into the glass and finally add some more soaked basil seeds on the top.

Serve immediately.

Sunsilk Natural Recharge Strong and Abundant Shampoo Review

Sunsilk shampoos have been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I clearly remember using a green one during my school days. Then came the black and then the pink. I took a break from them for a while and tried out a few brands like Garnier, Dove, etc but none cam up to that level.

Then I discovered the Matrix one and used if for quite a long time . But when Sunsilk launched the 'Perfectly Straight' range sometime back, I could not resist trying it out. Was good and my hair felt a lot more straight than usual. Ok...my hair is almost straight but with a few waves that crop up at times. With the 'Perfect Straight' shampoo, I felt that one has to lightly comb out the still damp hair to see tangible results. Was quite happy with it except for the little dry spell that my hair has been going through. Being a hands-on mommy hardly leaves me with much time to do regular oiling and a subsequent hot towel treatment.

That is when I got the Sunsilk Natural recharge Shampoo and Conditioner (provided by the brand itself) for a review. Have tried it out for 2 1/2 weeks before writing this review. So, read on -

The shampoo comes in a opaque light green bottle that is quite sleek and attractive. At a price of Rs 132/- for 180 ml, it is quite affordable. On pouring out some shampoo into the palm, one can catch some fine shimmer in it but the best part is the fruity smell. I loved the smell of this shampoo that lingers on for a whole day in my hair. Sunsilk always makes great smelling shampoos I feel. I usually oil my hair the night before, so it took me two washes to get all that oil out of my hair. It lathered fine and my hair felt quite soft and healthy right after the wash. ( Note - I always dilute the shampoo before using it )

I followed it with the Sunsilk Natural recharge Conditioner which is a thick light green product without any great smell.  It is priced at Rs 64/- for a 80 ml inverted tube. It worked nicely on my hair ends and I was able to de-tangle them with my hands. Left it on for 2 minutes before washing it off with cold water. I followed it with a towel dry but skipped the hair serum the first time I tried this range. But I repented it by the time my hair had dried. So I used some serum and my hair looked fine. And it stayed quite nice for the entire day. However, the next day was a different story. My hair looked limp and dry and felt a bit rough. As I was already having dry hair, this product seemed to have made it worse. But I still used it for another two weeks albeit in a diluted form and regularly used the serum as well. However, I could not find that it made any difference to my hair. No 5 times stronger/thicker hair.

So, putting everything in a nutshell -

Plus -

1.  Affordable price.
2. Sturdy packaging. The lid does not become loose or come off after a few washes ( Patanjali Shampos are worst in this department ). Can be carried while travelling.
3. Lovely smell . (Best part I think)
4. Leaves hair clean in two washes.
5. Paraben Free formula.
6. Hair is quite soft and manageable on first day.

Minus -

1. Does nothing for my dry hair.
2. Hair feels quite dry and rough on the second day. (Maybe this is because I already have dry hair)
3. It is not a SLS free formula
4. The Ginseng root extract and oil comes towards the end in the list of ingredients. So, not sure how much of it is present in the product to give some perceptible benefits.
5. The 5X thicker hair is just a claim. ( I guess it is easier to use models with great DNA and experts stylists to create a catchy advert than to actually make a good shampoo or any product for that matter )


Overall rating - It would rate it a 3/5 . And I would definitely not repurchase it.

Tomato Chutney (Andhra Recipe)

The South Indian version of tomato chutney is a far cry from the sweet and syrupy one favored by the folks of Odisha and West Bengal. While the former is a tart scorcher ( thanks to the overload of green chillis ), the latter is doused with jaggery/raisins and copious amounts of sugar. Both are as different from each other as chalk and cheese.  The south Indian one is usually served as a accompaniment with breakfast/snack items while the eastern version goes well with rice and dal/dalma.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 8-10 mins

Ingredients -

• 4 small ripe tomatoes
• 6-7 shallots (peeled)
• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 pinches mustard seeds
• 1 dry byadgi chili (optional)
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the shallots and green chillis. Follow with the tomatoes after 1 minute. Fry everything on a medium high flame for 2 minutes.

Add garlic and coriander leaves. Give a stir and switch off the flame.

Transfer everything into a blender along with some salt and buzz a little to get a somewhat coarse paste. Transfer back to a mixing/serving bowl.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok. Add mustard seeds with broken red chili followed by the asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for 10 seconds. Pour over the tomato paste and mix in.

Serve with dosa/idli/uttapam or even plain rice.

Note - I usually prefer to have it with white rice and some papad.

Beetroot Parantha

A simple and colorful parantha recipe...this is a sure-shot method of introducing some beetroot into your kiddo's meals. Read on -

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients -

• Whole wheat flour ( 1 1/2 cups)
• onion ( 1 small, chopped )
• grated beetroot ( 1/2 cup )
• roasted jeera powder ( 1/5 tsp )
• chilli powder  ( 1/5 tsp )
• crushed green chili (optional)
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• oil/ghee for frying paratha ( 2 tsp )
• buttermilk/yogurt for kneading the dough

Preparation -

Take the flour in a plate. Add the chopped onion, beetroot, coriander leaves, green chilli, chili powder, jeera powder and salt. Mix well. Add buttermilk/yogurt little by little to get a stiff dough. Cover with moist cloth and keep aside for 15 mins.

Make 4-5 balls out of the dough. Roll out the balls into parathas/circles.

Cooking- Heat a non-stick tawa. Put one paratha, add little ghee/oil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip and add some more oil/ghee. Cook till done.

Repeat for the other parathas as well.

One can also add some mashed potatoes to the paratha along with the grated beetroot. This makes for tastier paranthas.

Patanjali Madhuram Natural Sugar Review

I will be very honest about why I got this one. My regular readers must be well aware of my family's fondness for cakes and muffins. And this one works out to be both healthier than white sugar and cheaper than brown sugar and Demerara sugar.

Made from pure sugarcane juice without any added sulphur, it retains all the benefits that sugarcane juice can boast of. Rich in calcium and magnesium, it is also touted to be helpful in health conditions like dry cough, cough with sputum, indigestion and constipation (as mentioned on the packet/Patanjali website).

It can be used as a substitute for white sugar in milk, lassi, kheer, sherbats, mithai and any other recipe which uses the former.

Read on how it measures up -

Advantages -

1. Free from sulphur and other chemicals.
2. Loaded with calcium, iron and magnesium.
3. Tastes good when used. in Tea (which is big plus for me), aam panna, sweet chutneys, kheer and ragi sherbat.
4. Cheaper than brown sugar or Demerara sugar. Costs Rs 60/- per Kg.
5. Available online.
6. Boasts of medicinal benefits (not verified).


Disadvantages -

1. Since it has a deep brown color, it affects the usual appearance of the dishes (especially light colored ones).
2. Still contains too many calories, so weight watchers have to be careful.
3. Not suitable for diabetics.
4. Costly when compared to white sugar ( retails approx in the range of 40-50 rupees )

Keeping the above points in mind, I would rate it a 4.25/5.
And would I repurchase it ?? Yes. Yes.Yes. I got 2 1-Kg packets and have almost used up the first one. Will definitely buy more once I have worked my way through the remaining one.

Farfalle Aglio et Olio

The simplest pasta recipe ever. And I did not even know that it had a name before I read it on Priya's blog. Usually made by me when I am feeling too lazy or low, this one sure perks me up every time. While I do add some grated cheese to it, have skipped it this time as the original do not call for it. And while the fresh parsley is an integral part of this recipe, I seldom have it (or any other herb for that matter) in store when I cook up this pasta. Have to rely on my sun-dried herbs (Keya brand) most of the time.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation - 12 mins

Ingredients -


1 cup farfalle paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic flakes (chopped fine)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp dried parsley/mixed herbs/pizza seasoning
salt


Cooking - Boil 6-7 cups of water in a large saucepan. When it starts bubbling, add sufficient salt.

When it gets to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for 12 mins.

When the pasta has been cooking for about 8 mins, put another pan/wok on the flame. Add olive oil to the wok and allow it to warm a bit. In the meanwhile, drain the still al-dente pasta and keep aside.

Add the garlic flakes and saute till they give off their smell. Add the farfalle along with the chilli flakes and dried herbs. Saute for 2-3 mins.

Remove from wok and serve hot.

.

A little bit of cheese adds a lot to this simple recipe. Include it if you wish.

Patanjali Turmeric Powder

On my last trip to Rourkela (my native in Odisha), I was introduced to many Patanjali products and since then I have become totally hooked. It was tough to find them in Bangalore unless one visited their stores which was a pain in itself (not the store but the traffic enroute). That was before I discovered that they are available online on Zopnow.com (Muuah...I cant thank you folks enuf) .But somehow it never came to my mind to review them before I stumbled upon quite a few reviews in the beauty blogs.

So, here comes the first one. And before you ask me why I picked this product first, try and imagine Indian cooking without 'Haldi'. Naah....it is the one that gives that beautiful hue to our curries and dal. And this one did make me nostalgic. It reminds one of the 'Chakki ka Pisa hua haldi' our moms used in their kitchen. Oh-so-pure. Buying whole turmeric, drying it and finally taking it to the neighbourhood Chakki an be quite a task. But why make so much effort when you have this one available.


Read on for the review -

Advantages -

1. Gives a very nice and natural color. (And Patanjali poducts are renowned to be pure and free from chemical dyes )
2. Skin friendly. I used it in my ubtan and applied on my face too. It did not burn like some other brands.
3. It is economical and cost Rs 22 per 100 gms. (same as other brands but cheaper as compared to the organic stuff)
4. Gives nice color with less quantity used.
5. Available online on Zopnow.com.


Disadvantages -

1. Not sure if it is totally organic and free from pesticides and fertilizer traces. The label does not mention anything.

Keeping the above points in mind, I would rate it a 4.75/5. (-0.25 for not mentioning if it is organic in origin). And do not ask if I would repurchase it. Have been using it since January this year and do not remember the number of packets used up.

Dindigul Thalapakatti Biriyani

The Southern cuisine from India is replete with a whole lot of biryani varieties. It is as if each state has its own trademark version of the fragrant rice dish and the local masses swear by their own 'biriyani' (Yep...it is refferd to as biriyani in the South while the Northern parts prefer biryani). While the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani remains more popular on a pan national level, I was amazed by the popularity of the Chettinad and Ambur biryanis in Karnataka. But i guess the crown goes to Tamil Nadu when it comes to the sheer numbers. The Chettinad, Ambur and Dindigul biriyani all belong to different districts of the state.


A few ingredients more or less, use of different varieties of rice, cooking all the spices togather or separately frying each one can make a whole world of difference when it comes to the taste of biryani. For example, in case of the Dindigul biriyani, the onions, ginger-garlic, mint-corinader-chili, whole spices and tomato are all ground and fried separately. 'Treat each ingredient with its due respect' seems to be the mantra behind it. Sounds cumbersome if you compare it with the Hyderabdi biryani where everything is marinated and cooked together. But if you have the quest to try out the original Dindigul biriyani, you need to do it the right way. One can use mutton instead of chicken, but remember to cook the marinated mutton for 2-3 whistles along the spices before adding rice to it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -


1 kg chicken on the bone (cut into medium sized pieces)
4 cups basmati rice ( the original recipe uses Seeraga Samba rice )
1 large + 1 medium sized onion
2 medium sized tomatoes ( i used country or local ones which were quite a bit tangy )
1 cup mint leaves (tightly packed)
2/3 cup coriander leaves (tightly packed)
3-4 green chilis
1 tbsp GG paste
2-3 green cardamom
2 bay leaves
3-4 cloves
2" cinnamon stick
salt to taste
3 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp oil
1 cup thick coconut milk ( though this can be optional, it adds an authentic flavor. I used only 1/2 cup instead of skipping it altogether )

For the marinade -

1/2 tbsp GG paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2/3 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste



Preparation - Clean and pat dry the chicken pieces.

Take all the ingredients listed under marinade in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and then add the chicken pieces to it. Rub the marinade over the chicken pieces for 5-6 minutes (important step). Cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge overnight (if not overnight at least 3-4 hours).

Peel and chop the onion into chunks. Transfer to a mixer and make a coarse paste. Keep aside.

Similarly, chop the mint, coriander and green chillis. Transfer to a mixer and make a coarse paste. Keep aside.

Finally chop the tomato into chunks and put in a mixer jar. Make a fine puree out of it. Keep aside.

Soak the basmati rice for 1-2 hours before cooking.

Cooking - Take the oil in a wide bottomed vessel and heat it. Add the ghee to it. When the ghee has melted, add the onion paste and fry till it turns light brown.

Add the GG paste and fry till raw smell goes away.

Add the mint-coriander-chili paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the whole spices and fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomato puree along with a little salt and fry till oil starts to ooze out.

Add the chicken pieces and stir everything together. Cook on a medium to high flame till chicken is about 70 percent done. Switch off the flame.

Wash and drain the rice. Heat a pressure cooker and add the rice to it. Smooth out the rice surface with a spatula. Add 1 cup coconut milk and enough water such that the level remains just an inch over the rice. Add the chicken and mix in. Finally pour a little ghee over the contents of the pressure cooker.

Close the lid and cook for approx 12-15 mins or till 1 whistle. Remove from flame and keep aside for 15-20 mins.

Open the lid and fluff up the rice grains with a fork.

Serve hot with raita.

For the Biryani lovers, check out these popular varieties on my Blog :-


1. Chettinad Veg Biriyani

2. Vegetable Biriyani (Hyderabadi recipe)

3. Ambur Chicken Biriyani

4. Chicken Kofta Biryani

5. Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani