Vegetable Rice

Posted by Rini Raj




Basmati Rice - 4 cups
Onion medium size - 2 nos
Frozen peas - 2 cups
Diced Carrot - 1 cup
Cinammon - 1 stick
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Bay Leaf - 2 nos
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 Tbsp
Cashew - 10-20 nos
Raisin - for garnishing
Ghee/Oil - 3 tsp
Salt - As reqd


Soak Basmati Rice in water for 30 mnts prior to cooking.
After 30 mnts drain the rice well.

In a saucepan melt 2 tsp ghee and add the cinnamon, cardamom,bay leaves, and cloves.
Add frozen peas, carrot and pepper powder and stir fry for another 2 mnts.

Add the rice and sauté it for 4-5 minutes,till the grain becomes slightly soft on biting. Add double the quantity of hot water with salt added and cook till the rice is soft and the water is absorbed. Remove from the fire.

Add lime juice to rice to prevent further cooking. Avoid stirring the rice, fluff it with a fork and let it cool.

Cut the onions into thin slices. In a pan melt the remaining ghee and put raisins and cashews till it becomes brown color.

Drain it from ghee and keep aside. Then put the sliced onions and fry till it is dark brown color.

Add the fried onions, raisins and cashews to the rice and mix well.

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Mushroom Masala

Posted by Rini Raj



White Button Mushroom - 50gm

SET 1

Red Wine Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder ( jeera pwder) - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as Reqd

SET 2

Garlic cloves - 3
Shallots ( small Onion) - 3-4 nos
Cilantro Leaves - a bunch


Wipe off any dirt from mushroom with a damp cloth. Do not wash mushrooms in water will become hard while cooking. Slice mushroom length wise.

Mix all the ingredients of SET 1 with mushroom and keep it aside for 15- 20 mnts.

Chop garlic cloves and shallots into fine pieces. In a pan add few drops of oil and saute the chopped garlic and shallots.

When it becomes golden brown add chopped cilantro leaves and stir for 1 more minute.

Then add the mushroom mix and mix everything well. Once mixed do not stir continuously. Leave it in medium heat for 10 mnts, until all the water ooze out from mushroom. Do not add any extra water. Then stir fry till all water is gone.

Garnish with Cilantro leaves.

Goes good with Pulavo, Roti, Naan and Fried Rice





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Mutter Paneer - Peas with cottage cheese

Posted by Rini Raj


1 cup of frozen peas

500 gms paneer cubed

2 medium onions

2 medium tomatoes

1/2 tsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

2 tsps coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsps garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 green chillies chopped fine

3 tsp ghee

1 cup water

¼ cup yoghurt

Salt to taste

3 tbsps cream

2 Bay Leaves

1 medium size Cinnamon stick

Coriander leaves chopped fine to garnish

1. Cut the onions into four and boil them in sufficient water for about 5 minutes. Grind it in a mixie.

2. Heat 1tsp of ghee/oil in a frying pan, add the paneer (cheese cubes) and fry for 4-5 minutes, until they gently turn to golden brown on all sides.

3. Remove the paneer and dip it in cold water, squeeze the water and keep it aside.

4. Now pour 2 tsp of ghee in pan, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, sauté and add ground onion, fry it until light golden brown, now add ginger garlic paste and sauté well.

5. Add Chilli powder , turmeric ,cumin, green chilies and coriander powder, stir it and add chopped tomatoes, cook until the tomatoes juices ooze out and oil leaves masala.

6. Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.

7. Pour in ¼ cup yogurt add garam masala, mix it well and cook it for 2 minutes.

8. Now add the fried paneer (cheese cubes) and one cup of water and salt.

9. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and cook till the gravy thickens.

10. When the gravy is as thick as you would like, turn off the flame and stir in the cream.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Mutter paneer tastes great with parathas, naans and even jeera rice.



Hint : If health conscious substitute Paneer with Tofu.. Tastes Great…



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Uzhunnu Vada with Coconut Chutney

Posted by Rini Raj




Black gram (Uzhunnuparippu) - 1 glass

Rice Powder – 1 Tbsp

Onion (big) - 1 no

Green chilies - 2 nos

Ginger - 1" piece
Pepper - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few

Asafoetida (Kayam) - 1/4 tsp

Soda powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - As reqd
Oil for deep frying





Soak black gram in water for at least 3 hrs.

Chop green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves into very small pieces.

Grind the black gram with very little water. It is better not to add any

Water at all. Add salt while grinding.

Remove the batter from grinder and add the chopped items and mix well.

Add rice powder, pepper, asafetida, soda powder to the batter. Batter should

Not be too hard, or too watery. Keep the batter for 5 mnts.

Heat the oil in a frying pan.

Apply cold water on your left hand and put a little batter of the size of a

Lemon on it.

Press it softly to get a flat round shape like patties.

Make a hole in the middle with wet finger.

Deep fry them in oil till golden brown in color

Repeat the procedure for the remaining batter.

Serve with chutney or sambhar…..




Hint …. When making for small kids avoid green chilies … Just add ¼ tsp more pepper…. My Kid love it…..





Coconut Chutney for Vada


Grated coconut – 1 cup

Green chili – 4 nos

Channa Dal (Pottukadala) – ¼ cup

Ginger – ¼ inch piece

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – As req



Grind everything into a fine paste with very little water.



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Tomato Pachadi

Posted by Rini Raj





Ripe Tomato – 2 nos

Green Chili – 3 nos

Curd – 1cup

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Cumin seeds (Jeera) – ¼ tsp

Mustard (kaduku) – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – a few

Oil – 2 tsp

Salt – As required




Chop tomatoes into small pieces. Add some water and salt and cook well. (Or microwave for 3-4 mnts). Grind Green chili, grated coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Mix this paste with curd. When the tomato is cooked well and almost all the water is gone, pour the curd mix to the boiled tomato. Heat it for 2 mnts. Should not boil too much….. Have to take the curry when it’s about to start boiling. Add salt if required. Immerse the curry leaves to the curry. In a pan heat the oil and when hot put the mustards in and pour that over the curry…..




HINT : CAN BE MADE WITH BITTER GOURD, VELLERIKA OR PINEAPPLE.

IF USING BITTERGOURD INSTEAD OF COOKING IT, FRY IN OIL AND THEN ADD TO THE PASTE. IF USING VELLARIKA OR PINE APPLE CUT IN TO SMALL PIECES AND COOK WITH SALT.



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Chicken Biriyani - Malabar Style

Posted by Rini Raj



Ingredients:

Chicken - 1Kg
Basmati rice - 4 cups
Onion - 3 + 2 nos
Tomato -3 nos
Chopped Garlic - 4 tbsps
Chopped Ginger - 4 tbsps
Green chillies - 6-8 nos
 Poppy seed/Khuskhus - 2 teaspoons
Aniseed(Perinjeerakam) powder - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cashew - 4nos
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Mint leaves - 1 small bunch
Fresh Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste - 1/4 tsp
Garlic Paste - 1/4 tsp
 Biriyani masala - 1 teaspoons
Salt – as per your preference
Curd - 1 cup Juice of one lime

Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 5 - 6 pieces
Bay leaf(Vazhana/karuga ela) - 2 nos
Cardamom(Elakka) seeds - 4 - 5 nos
Cloves(Grambu) - 4 - 5 nos
Pepper slightly crushed - 4-5 nos
 Ghee – 250gms (Replace with Olive oil ,if you are health conscious) Sliced cashew nuts - 20gms Raisins - 20gms Saffron – 1gm (optional)
Boiled egg halved - 2 nos

1. Soak the rice in water for 30min prior to cooking.
2. Cut the Chicken into big pieces and wash. Make small gashes on the pieces. Marinate it with turmeric powder,coriander powder, Ginger and garlic paste, biryani masala and salt and keep it aside atleast for 30 mnts.
3. Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger into coarse paste.
4. Grind aniseed and poppy seeds( poppy seeds should be soaked in water for 15 minutes), grated coconut and 4 pieces of cashew into a coarse paste.
5. Chop corriander leaves, mint leaves and curry leaves into small pieces.
6. Slice onion very thin. Slice tomatoes vertically and thin.


1. Drain the rice well. In a saucepan melt ghee and add 1/2 the cinnamon, cardamom,bay leaves, cloves and pepper. Can add saffron to the rice, its an optional. Add the rice and sauté it for 4-5 minutes,till the grain becomes slightly soft on biting. Add double the quantity of hot water with salt added and cook till the rice is soft and the water is absorbed. Remove from the fire. Add lime juice to rice to prevent further cooking. Avoid stirring the rice, fluff it with a fork and let it cool.

2. In a sauce pan melt ghee/olive oil and the remaining spices ( cardamon, bay leaf, cloves, pepper, cinnamon) and saute for 1 mnt. The oil/ghee smells really good. Then add items in step 3(green chilli, ginger and garlic -coarse paste) and saute it for 3-4 mnts until garlic becomes slightly brown. Be very careful not to over fry the garlic as it will spoil the dish.

3. Now add 3 sliced onions and fry till it becomes golden yellow and translucent. (Not dark brown). Now add items in step 4 ( paste of poppy seed, aniseed,grated coconut and cashew) and saute for another 5 mnts.

4. Now add sliced tomatoes and then chopped leaves from step 5 and saute for another 5-10 mnts till all the tomato is cooked.

5. Now add the marinated chicken and saute for 4-5 mnts. This enhances the taste of the chicken, and moreover keeps the chicken pieces intact during the cooking process. After that add curd and salt and Cook till the chicken is tender and the water, absorbed and the whole masala coats the pieces. Remove from the fire and keep it aside. Do not add water to cook chicken, if needed add curd instead.

6. In a pan add some ghee. Fry the cashews and raisins and keep aside. Then fry the remaining sliced onion till its golden brown. Sprinkle some sugar on top to fasten the browning process. I strongly recommend to use ghee here, even if u were using Olive oil for this recipe, cox ghee fried onion will really enhance the flavor of biryani...And the smell is irressistable.

6. Set conventional oven to 400F degrees. Layer an oven safe bowl with a thin layer of cooked rice and then with cooked chicken and more rice on top. Garnish with the fried onions , cashews and raisins. Cover tightly with an aluminium foil and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 mnts. Make sure the bowl is sealed properly. Else the water content will escape and food will become dry. Finally mix the biriyani carefully and serve it hot with boiled egg in the middle.




ENJOYYYYY!!!!!!!!!




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Angel White Cake

Posted by Rini Raj

For Cake

All-purpose flour(Maida) - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup
Egg whites - 3
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup

Whipped Cream Frosting


1 1/2cups whipping cream
1 1/4cups powdered sugar
1/2teaspoon vanilla essence

1) Heat oven to 350°.

2) Grease and flour a 9-inch round baking pan and set aside.

3) Sieve and stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set it aside too.

4) Beat sugar and butter in a large mixer bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy (3 to 5 minutes).

5) Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

6) Add vanilla essence. Reduce speed to low.

7) Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition just until mixed (1 to 2 minutes).

8) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

9) Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

10) Loosen edge of cake by running knife around inside edge.

11) Carefully remove cake from pan.

12) Cool completely.

13) Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Garnish with chocolate. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

14) For Chocolate topping mix 1 tsp cocoa powder to the frosting.



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Chocolate Puffs

Posted by Rini Raj



Puff pastry and chocolates are my favorite items. This dish combines both. Its a simple dish made with puff pastry with a twist. traditional puffs filling is replaced with pieces of chocolate and nuts. Chocolate lovers are gonna love this dish... Inside the fluffy pastry is sweet molten chocolate and crunchy nuts.....


1 sheet puff pastry
2 eggs
1 teaspoon heavy cream
8 chocolate kisses
8 miniature chocolate candy bars
Nuts of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Unfold puff pastry and cut the sheet into 2 (4 by 4-inch squares). Beat eggs and cream together to create an egg wash. Brush pastry squares with egg wash. Place 2 chocolate kisses ,1 mini candy bar and few nuts in the center of each pastry square. Repeat with remaining kisses and mini-bars. Pull corners of the square up around the chocolate, brushing edges with more egg wash, if necessary, to create a secure bundle. Brush exteriors of chocolate puffs with more egg wash. Repeat with remaining puffs.

Place puffs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with more hot chocolate and whip cream.






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Posted by Rini Raj


Welcome to "Culinary Delights of Kerala"

..... Rini

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