Ennai Kathirikai

One of the best tasting recipe with the egg plants. Bunny wanted to have ennai kathirikai this week.So we bought nice round small sized brinjals from the Indian street. This is my first try. I never made ennai kathirikai before. Surprisingly it turned out very well. With Bunny's applause, I felt really proud to have prepared it..

Recipe as follows...

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Bengal gram - 1.5 tsp
Black gram - 1.5 tsp
coconut - 2 tsp
asafoetida - little amt
salt - 1.5 tsp
Red chilli - 6

Fry all the above ingredients and powder them.

Slit the brinjals into 4, still intact near the stalk.

Stuff the powder into the brinjals.

Steam cook in pressure cooker for 5 mins. ( Brinjals directly fried will consume more oil. Steam cooking improves taste and makes it more healthy to eat. )

Add oil to pan. Splutter mustard seeds and orid dhal. Add the brinjals and fry till its completely cooked.

Tasty 'Ennai Kathirikai' ready..

Chenna masala

Ingredients

chenna - 500 gm.
onion -3
tomato -2
chilli powder -tea sp.
coriander powder -tea sp.
green chilli -3
ginger finely chopped -tea sp
garlic finely chopped -4 tea sp
coconut grated -cup
aniseed{saunf} -tea SP
cinnamon -1"pices 3nos
cardamom -3
mustard seeds -1
tea sp curry leaf -two
stems coriander leaf enough to garnish.
oil -2table sp.
salt - to taste
Preparation
1. Soak chenna in water 4-5 hr. Until it is tender.
2. cook in a pressure cooker.
3. chop tomato, onion and green chilli
4.heat the oil, break mustard, add curry leaves first, then chopped tomato, onion and green chilli.mix it well.keep in a medium fire, stir occasionally until golden brown.
5.in a frying pan fry coconut till golden brown, turn the fire to low, add chilli power, coriander powder,aniseed,cinnamon mix well. take out from fire, leave for few minutes and grind with water.
6.add this masala to the fried onion, mix well, when oil separates add chenna,ginger,garlic and salt.boil for 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle coriander leaves.

Veg Biriyani

Ingredients
Rice 2 cups Beans 1/2 cup (chopped) Carrots 1/2 cup (chopped) Peas 1/2 cup Potatoes 1/2 cup (chopped) Cauliflower 1/2 cup (chopped) Onions 3 Green chillies 4-5 Ginger - garlic paste 1 tbsp. Cloves 3-4 Cinnamon 1 piece Elachi 3-4 Bay leaf 2 Red Chilli powder 2 tsp. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp. Coriander powder 1 tsp. Garam masala Powder 1 tsp. Jeera powder 1 tsp. Ghee 3 tbsp. Mint leaves 1 bunch Coriander Leaves 1 bunch Salt to taste Cashews, raisins & Pistachios 1 cup Saffron 2 strands put in warm water

Preparation
Wash & Soak Rice for 1-2 hrs. Heat ghee in Vessel. Add Cloves, Cinnamon, Elachi, Bay leaf etc. Allow it to Splutter. Then add the Rice & fry on low flame until rice is crispy. This will take approx. 15 mts. Once the Rice has been fried add water. Add 4 cups of water. Add salt & then cover & cook until the rice is done. In the meantime, Grind 2 Onions to a fine paste & keep it aside separately. Also grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves & green Chilies. Keep this too aside separately. Heat oil / Ghee in a kadai. Fry the Onion paste until Light brown. Then add the Ginger-garlic paste. Saute it until done. Then add the Chopped vegetables & Mix all of them together & fry until the vegetables are done. Then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder & jeera powder & mix all together. Then add the Ground paste of mint-coriander & green chillies & Mix it along very well. Check salt .Cover & cook. Do not add water. Once it is cooked, Switch off the gas. Chop the remaining Onion & fry it in Ghee until Golden brown. Keep it aside. Also fry the nuts & raisins. Take a Serving Vessel. Add a layer of rice in the bottom. Then add the gravy on top of it. Again add a layer of rice on top of that & then again add the remaining gravy on top of it. Now add the remaining rice & decorate with fried onions, nuts & saffron. Just before serving Mix all together Serve hot with Raita.