Vegetable Briyani

hello friends i am reopening my blog after 4 1/2 years.From the moment i got pregnant my DS occupied my time 24/7.Now that he started going to school i got some free time i thought what could be the better time to start blogging again.So today on my parents 34th wedding anniversary on feb 7th i am posting my first recipe..first let me start with wishing my parents "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY".

Mom and Dad

 Thank you for being there for me always...Love you....

My first recipe after a long gap is gonna be my DH and DS favorite vegetable briyani.This briyani is so flavourful and with a yummy ingredient soya chunk which makes this briyani different and special..My DS loves it so much even though the briyani is little bit spicier for his taste buds(he is 3 years old) he cant stop eating it.but of course with lots of oohs and aahs and a bottle of water :)

I got this my family fav recipe from my dearest friend Selvi.Till this day i cant forget the first time i tasted it at her home.it was little spicy for me but just like my son i could not stop eating.it was the yummiest briyani i have ever tasted with so much flavour and the taste of soya chunks oh heaven...so a big thanks goes to selvi dear...

Vegetable Briyani

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Cinnomon- 3
Bay leaves - 3
Aniseed - 2
Big onion - 2( cut lengthwise)
Pudina leaves - 10
Carrot - 2 (cut lengthwise into small pieces)
Beans - 6-8
Potato - 1(small)
Cauliflower - 3 florets
Green peas - 1 cup
Cashews - 10
Canola or veg Oil - 1cup
Water- 8 cups

Soya chunk Preparation:
Soya chunk - 1 full packet(i use nutrela brand)
Curd- 5 teaspoon
Sambhar powder - 3 teaspoon
salt -2 teaspoon

To grind:
Pudina leaves -1 small punch
Green chili - 8-10
Ginger - 1big piece ( 2 inch)
Garlic - 5 cloves
Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
Cloves - 2
Corriander seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Recipe

1.Soak rice in 8 cups of water and leave it for 30 min.
2.Soak the soya chunks in hot water for a minute and then drain the water and mix it with curd,sambhar pwder and salt and leave it for 30 min.
3.Take a big heavy bottom vessel and heat 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot enough put cinnamon,bay leaves,aniseed one by one untill it become brown in color
4.Add the onions and sauté it till it become transparent then add pudina leaves.let the onions caramalise for 5 minutes.
5.Now add the ground paste to the onions and mix it and leave it for 10 min in low flame until the raw smell goes.
6.Once the masala starts to stick to the bottom add the vegetables and sauté it for 2-3 min.
7.Add the soya chunks,cashews and rice and mix it all together and sauté it for 2 min.
8.Add 8 cups of water and add salt to taste and adjust accordingly.
9.Close the lid and increase the flame to high. let it come to boil.once it starts to boil reduce the flame to low and stir it once and close the lid.
10.Let it cook for 25-30min.switch off the stove and stir it one more time and wait for 5min and then serve. This briyani is little mushy.
11.Enjoy the hot flavourful briyani with thayir bachadi.(beat the curd add finely chopped onion&add salt mix it together)

Tips:
You can add chili powder instead of sambhar powder for soya chunks.you can also add mini soya chunks instead of regular one.
 Add green chili according to your spice level.
You can leave the briyani without stirring in the last step.if you like it little mushy like me then go ahead and give it a stir.

Peerkangai kuzhambhu..

Ingredients:

Peerkangai - 2
Small(pearl) onions - 1 packet or 15
Mustard- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
Tamarind - 1 lemon size(soaked in hot water)
sesame oil- 5-6 tsp
salt as required

1.Peel the edges and skin of the peerkangai and and cut into small round slices.
2.Take water in a deep pan and boil the the peerkangai slices till it become soft.
3.Once boiled leave it to cool.
4.Grind the cooled peerkangai in a blender or mixer nicely and keep it aside.
5.Heat oil in a pan and put mustard and urad dal and fry it until urad dal become brown.
6.Put thinly sliced small onions in to it and fry it till it become transparent.
7.Add tamarind juice and sambhar powder and salt in it.
8.Add ground peerkangai in it and mix well and close the lid and leave it for 10 min.
9.Add oil and leave it for 2-3 min and then serve hot with rice.
10.You can have it with bitter guard fry for side dish.

Vaththakuzhambhu(Tamarind based Dish)

Ingredients:
Mustard - 2 tsp
Fenugreek - 2 tsp
Small onion (cut into half) - 20
Garlic - 10
Spinach or Val Papdi(mochakottai)- Optional
Tamarind Extract- Tamarind Twice as lemon size(Soak it in 1 cup hot water for 10 min,filter,keep it aside )
Chillipowder-2-3 tsp
Salt as required

1.Heat 3 tsp seasome oil in a pan or kadai and add mustard and when starts to splutter add fenugreek.fry it till golden brown.
2.Add Garlic and fry it for 2-3 min
3.Add Small onions to this and add 2-3 tsp oil and fry it till transparent.
4.Add Tamarind Extract,2-3 tsp Chilli powder,Salt and mix it thoroughly and close it with the lid simmer it to medium flame for 20 minor till you get desired consistancy.Stir in between
5.Add 3-4 tsp oil and keep it in low flame for 2-3 min and serve hot
6.You can eat this with rice and Paruppu (Moong dal) dhuvaiyal.

Tomato Kojju

Ingredients
3 Tomatos(finely Chopped)
1 Big onion(finely chopped)
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp urad dal
2 tsp chilli powder
oil(seasome oil) as required
salt to taste

1.heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai and put mustard, when it starts splutter add urad dal and fry it till golden brown.
2.Add the chopped onions and fry it till transparent
3.add the chopped tomatos and fry it for2-3 min
4.To this mixture add Chillipowder and water and simmer it for 20-25 min,untill to get desired consistancy.Stir in between and finally add 3-4 tsp oil and leave it for 2-3 min.
5.tomato kojju is ready to serve with rice and also with idlis and chappathis.

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients:

Beetroot(Finely chopped)- 3
channa dal- 3 tsp
mustard
coconut
chillipowder
salt


1.Take a deep pan and heat some oil add mustard and let it splutter
2.add channa dal and fry it for 2 min
3.add chopped beetroot to this and add some water and let it boil for 15-20 min
4.Once it is boiled and ready add the ground coconut to it and add 1 tsp of chillipowder and salt as required.
5.Mix it and boil it for 15 min
6 mix it with rice and serve.