Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani & Mirchi Ka Salan


Whenever I see/hear "Hyderabadi Biryani", I starting drooling... Not for the non-veg version though.. Wait!! Am I making a mistake by saying "Non-veg version of Hyderabadi Biryani"??? Oh yes, I am.. Isn't Hyderabadi Biryani always made with Chicken or Mutton or whatever...?

Being married to a Tamilian brought up in Hyderabad, I thought my DH will be the right person to show me a place that serves authentic veg version of this biryani. But he was also thoughtful when I asked for it. He and my in-laws did know a couple of joints that served the veg version, but all of us were quite skeptical because these joints are famous only for the non-veg biryani and always had the risk of (read: accidentally) mixing up both. So no taking chances!!

Now what? Put on your thinking hat and start experimenting.. That's what I did. Some enormous googling, some addition, some innovation and lots of patience resulted in a lip-smacking (authentic looking and tasting) Hyderabadi Veg Biryani! Traditionally, these biryanis are slow-cooked in dum-style i.e. a big vessel holding alternate layers of gravy and rice cooked not on direct heat, but kept over a bed of hot charcoal. I have used to oven-method to replicate it.

And what more could be a perfect partner for biryani other than mana Mirchi Ka Salan? Ever since I saw Malar's version of Mirchi ka Salan, I was looking out for an opportunity to do this exquisite combo! So here goes our very own Hyderabadi Delights Vegetable Biryani and Mirchi Ka Salan, hand-in-hand all the way to Pari's "The Combo Event" hosted to celebrate her 100th post. Hearty congrats dear!
Hyderabadi-style Vegetable Biryani
Basmati rice slow-cooked with vegetable gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
For rice:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Ghee - a tsp
Cardamom pods - 2
Salt - to taste

For Gravy:
Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
I have used Carrots, French Beans, Potatoes, Green Peas, Cauliflower. I micro-waved them for 5 minutes. You can also par-boil them or use Frozen vegetables.

Onion - 1 big, thinly sliced
Tomato - 1 big, chopped into big cubes
Green Chillies - 2 to 3, slit
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Mint leaves - a handful
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Thick Yoghurt - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - a tsp.
Cashews - 10 to 15
Oil/Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp.
Salt - to taste

Whole Garam Masala:
Cinnamon stick - 1" inch piece
Cloves - 4 to 5
Bay Leaf - 1
Star anise - 1
Cardamom pod - 2 or 3
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Biryani Masala powder:
Dry-roast the following ingredients and powder them: Cinnamon stick (2" inch), Cloves(4 to 5), Green Cardamom (4 to 5), Black Cardamom (1), Cumin (2 tbsp), Red Chilli (3 to 4), Peppercorn (1 tbsp)

For Garnishing:
Saffron strands
A tbsp of milk
Uff, that was a long list. Don't panic, you'll feel rewarded at the end! ;)

How to do:
Cooking the Rice:
1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for an hour.
2. Heat Ghee in a heavy-bottomed vessel. Drain and add the rice to this. Meanwhile boil 3 cups of water separately.
3. Stir till the rice becomes a little hard. Add the boiling water, cardamom pods and salt to this.
4. Cook till all the water is absorbed and holes start appearing on the surface. Switch off, cool and fluff it up with a fork. Set aside.

Preparing the Gravy:
1. Heat Oil or Ghee in a wok. Throw in all the ingredients marked under "Whole Garam Masala" and fry till the aroma is released.
2. Now add the cashews and fry till the cashews turn golden brown.
3. Add the Onion, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the onions start to turn brown.
4. Throw in the tomatoes, half of the coriander and mint leaves and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the salt, turmeric powder and 2 (heaped) spoonful of Biryani Masala powder.
5. Mix and add the vegetables. Coat them well with the masala and fry for 5 minutes till they are done. Remember, we have par-boiled them; so it should not take more time to cook.
6. Add the Yoghurt/Curd, give a good mix and remove from the flame. Add the remainder of coriander and mint leaves and mix.

Arranging/Cooking the Biryani:
1. Mix the saffron strands in milk and set aside.
2. Take an oven-safe vessel, or a heavy-bottomed deep vessel.
3. Arrange alternate layers of Cooked Rice and Gravy, starting with Rice and ending with rice, i.e both bottom-most and top-most layer must be rice.
4. Sprinkle the saffron-milk over the rice.
5. If using oven, cover the vessel with an aluminum foil and cook in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes on 200° C.
For stove-top method, cover the vessel with a lid, lower it into a bigger vessel filled with water and place the whole arrangement on the stove on low-medium and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, dig out a layer all the way till the bottom and serve with some chopped coriander over it.

Mirchi Ka Salan
Chillies cooked in mildly spiced gravy
Serves 2


What we need:
Jalapeno Pepper / Long green chilli, medium-hot variety - 5 to 6
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.

To sauté and grind:
Onion, medium sized - 1
Tomato, medium sized - 1
Garlic - 4 to 5 pods
Ginger - 1" inch piece
Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp.

To Dry roast and powder:
Roasted Peanuts - 3 tbsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.

To Temper:
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
Oil - 2 tbsp.

How to do:
Making the paste:
In a tbsp. of oil, gently sauté the diced onions, along with garlic and grated ginger. When the onions turn soft, throw the chopped tomatoes, saute for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the grated coconut and switch off. Let the mixture and then blend to a smooth paste with very little water.

Making the dry masala powder:
Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and cumin and make a fine powder using a mixie.

Making Mirchi ka Salan:
1. Heat oil in a kadai and sauté the chillies till the skin starts turning white. Remove and set aside.
2. In the remaining oil, add the cumin, fenugreek seeds and the curry leaves. When the cumin crackles and fenugreek turns dark brown, add the ground onion-tomato paste.
3. Stir well till the oil starts to separate. Now throw in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and powdered peanut-sesame-cumin powder. Sprinkle little water to avoid the burning.
4. When all gets blended well (you can see that mixture will no more stick to the pan), add a cup of water and salt.
5. When it starts boiling, add the sautéed chillies and stir. Adjust the consistency of water based on how thick you want your gravy.
6. Allow it to boil for a minute and remove.

Serve the Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani and Mirchi Ka Salan together and relish the irresistible combo! :)

I agree the whole thing is a bit tedious process and involves a lot of work. But it is definitely worth every bit of it. So save it for a special occasion or a party-day where your efforts would be noticed and appreciated! :)

Hope you enjoyed today's combo. See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Guest Post #2

Today's Guest Post is by one of my ex-colleagues and a very good friend, Karpagam. A kind-hearted person, great cook and of all, a very helpful person she is..! We used to have a gala lunch-time every day, with all the team members sitting in one big table and sharing everyone's lunch box (typical pattikadu style!) Those days are so memorable time of my career. :)

These 2 recipes I am posting today are her specialties and I can vouch 100% for the taste! :)

French Toast

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Sliced white bread - 10
Butter

Method:
1. Beat the eggs lightly.
2. To this, add sugar, salt, and milk and stir it well.
3. In a medium-low heated Tawa/Skillet, add butter.
4. Place the bread slices one at a time in the egg mixture for a few seconds.
5. Transfer to the tawa and cook until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side.

Serve hot with honey/jam. You can team it up with a glass of Orange juice and a fruit for a satisfying breakfast!

Milagai Killi Sambar
Broken chilli Sambar

Ingredients:
Toor dal – 1 cup
Tomato – 2
Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Tamarind Juice – 1/2 Cup
Green Chillies – 4
Garlic flakes – 5
Onion – 1
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Salt – As required
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Jeeragam (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves – 5
Coriander leaves – for taste
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Method:
1. In a pressure cooker, take the toor dal, tomato, green chillies, Asafoetida and turmeric powder. To this, add 2 cups of water and Pressure cook till 4 whistles.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add Mustard followed by Fenugreek seeds, Jeeragam and curry leaves.
3. When they are donea, add garlic and fry till golden brown.
4. Add chopped onion and fry till the onion turns transparent
5. Add Tamarind Juice and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add this to the boiled dal, along with salt to taste and pressure cook again for 5 minutes.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Hope you all enjoyed today's guest post. See you all soon with another interesting recipe. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Khasta Kachori / Moong Dal Kachori ~ ICC January Challenge

Kachoris or Samosas? I would have without a second thought, said "Samosa".. But having tasted this Kachori now, I will have a dilemma from now on, when it comes to Kachori or Samosa... Of course, they are no synonyms! Since I hadn't tasted Kachoris for a long time now, I had no idea how would it even look like.. I don't wanna sound like a moron anymore ;)

ICC January gave me the perfect timing to rekindle my memory cells and refresh my palates. Thanks to Srivalli, whose brain child is Indian Cooking Challenge, who made the right decision, choosing Kachori over Samosa, otherwise a moron like me would have never remembered this delicious savory! Needless to say, the end result was simply delicious, crispy Kachoris that brought a wide smile on DH's lips :)

Thanks to Medhaa, whose tried and tested recipe is what we are going to use for this month's challenge. Over to the recipe.. I have pasted the recipe, as is as given by Medhaa. Also I made the kachoris a bit smaller than the usual, as I preferred it that way.

Kachoris
Adapated from Medhaa's Aunty recipe

Resting Time for the Dough is app 1/2 hr - 1 hr
Frying time for the Kachoris - 20 mins for each batch app.
Soaking Time for the Filling is app. 1 hr
Cooking Time for the Filling is app 15 mins
Yields - 15

For the Dough
Ingredients Needed:

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups
Oil/ Ghee - 1/4 cup ,
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water for kneading

Method
Mix the flour and salt, Add the oil/ghee and mix till you get a bread crumbs texture.
Slowly add water and make a soft dough. Knead well for about 8 minutes.
Cover and keep aside to rest for atleast half hour.

Special Tips / Notes for the dough:
1. Keep the dough covered at all times, if not it will dry up and not puff up when frying. If the dough is made right wet cloth can be used if not just a towel.
2.The dough could spring back for many reasons:
Dough is too cold (If wet cloth is used)
Dough is not soft enough.
Not kneaded for enough time.
Oil is less.
Not rested enough.

Fillings
Khasta Kachori - Moong Dal Kachori

Ingredients Needed:
Split Moong Dal (yellow) - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 2 tsp chopped fine (opt)
Green Chilli - Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Sauf / Fennel seeds powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Mango powder / Amchur - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
1. Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours not more.
2. Drain the water well.
3. Grind the dal to a coarsely. (Will resemble Idli Rawa)
4. Heat oil in a pan.
5. Add the hing and cumin seeds.
6. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
7. Add the dal.
8. Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.
9. Cook for another 10 minutes on low till the dal turns slightly brown.
10. Add all the masalas.
11. Cook for few minutes till the aroma of the spices hit you.
12. Add Salt.
13. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.

Special Tips / Notes for the filling:
1. The fillings have to be really dry if not when rolling they will ooze out when rolling.
2. Adjust the masalas according to your taste. What is given in this recipe is spicy to the extent one can still enjoy.
3. For idea on pressing the filled kachori, check out Manjula's method. If you try to press out using a rolling pin, the filling may come out and make holes in the kachori.
4. Fry the kachori's on medium low to get a crisp outer layer, that is the key. For people using electric stove, the numbers can be going from 6 to 4.

To Make Kachori's
Make a small ball from the dough. Roll out into a 2 inch diameter circle. Or flatten the ball using your fingers having the center thick and sides little thin.
Place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center of the rolled dough.
Cover the filling with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough. Repeat with all the balls and keep aside for 5 -7 mins.
Then using your palm, flatten the balls by lightly pressing it, as using the rolling pin will make the filling come out. (See notes below). Keep aside covered. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying. The oil should not become smoking hot. Test to see if the temperature is right by dropping a tiny ball of dough and see if it is rising slowly to the top.

Drop the kachoris in batches of 3-4 gently into the oil. It should rise up slowly. If you don't want to use lot of oil, use just enough for two or three at a time and fry them.

After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.
Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the side down gets a golden brown color.
Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.
Remove when done, cool and store in airtight container. Serve with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney .

Special Tips / Notes for making the Kachoris:
You can fry 3 kachori's at a time.
The oil should be at a heat when you drop some dough it should come up slowly, if the dough comes up too fast the oil is too hot, if it does not come up then the oil is cold.
It will not be crisp if the oil is too hot.


Hope you enjoyed this challenge as much as I did. See you all soon with another interesting post! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Happy Birthday Anupama!

Our dear blogger buddy and my shweeeet friend Anupama, is celebrating her birthday today! Isn't that so nice to be born on a day dedicated to LOVE? No wonder she is such a lovable person! :)

So, may we all wish Anu a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY and many many wonderful returns of the day!



And wishing all my friends and readers a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
See you all soon with an interesting recipe! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Killu Milagai Rasam - Dedicating to a loved one!

Duh... Another rasam? Why is it again RASAM???? Before you could fire me with any questions, let me clarify! More than this rasam, my memories associated with this rasam are more special!

Every one of us has this special person in life whom we love/like unconditionally.. No no wait! I am not talking about Parents, Spouse, In-laws, Boy friend/Girl friend, Siblings.. True that we love these people and we always need to love them! But apart from these relationships, we may share a special bond with one person, who may be a friend, a distant relative, a cousin or a colleague, whom we love/like without any special reason! Do you agree with me?

So I am dedicating this post, to my that-special-person, my cousin, S. I am 12 years elder than her, but I am her favorite "Akka" and she is my sweetie-pie. Right from her childhood (and mine too! You know, I am not that old!) we have a mutual affection for each other, which keeps growing each day. I was (and am) so pleasantly happy to love and be loved by a cousin, as I don't have siblings and I used to be one nasty, mean, b****y cousin to the rest of them ;)

And this rasam, is one of auntie's speciality and S's and my favorite too. Now over to our "Killu Milagai Rasam"... Since "Fenugreek" is a main flavoring ingredient of this Rasam, I would like to send this to, SE (Denu)'s Cooking with Seeds:Fenugreek. CWS was initiated by Priya and hosted this month by SE.


Killu Milagai Rasam
Broken Chilli Rasam/Soup

What we need:
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Red Chillies - 3 to 4
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp.
Ghee - a tbsp.
Salt - according to taste
Water - as needed
Curry leaves - a sprig
Coriander, finely chopped - 2 tbsp. Optional

How to do:
1. Extract the tamarind in 2 cups of warm water. Set aside.
2. Heat Ghee in a deep bottomed vessel and add the fenugreek seeds.
3. Wait till they start turning brown, now add the mustard and allow it to pop.
4. Add cumin, torn/broken red chilli pieces and curry leaves.
5. When they are done, throw in some Asafoetida and a pinch of turmeric powder.
6. Now add the extracted tamarind water with salt. Check for seasoning and adjust the consistency according to taste.
7. Bring to a boil and remove.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice. To serve as a soup, let this rest for sometime, this is for the tempering's flavor to seep in, and then strain and serve.

Award time:
My lovely buddies never stop sharing their happiness with me. So here comes another shower of appreciation.
Priya on her 200th post shared with me this award. Hearty Congratulations dearie, wish you many many such wonderful milestones! *wondering how long would it take for me reach that milestone*

Malar has passed on to me:

Nithu shared with me:

Devi has shared with me:


Hearty congrats to Sara too, on her 200th post.
Thank you so much friends. Your every comment, award only boosts me to do better. Kindly do accept these awards from me too!

T&T Rotli from Lataji's Kitchen
Lataji is one blogger I always look upon and admire at. The way she gives every minute detail when making the dishes, her constant encouragement, and her immediate response to any queries only teach me how to be more perfect as a blogger! Here's something I tried from her kitchen and absolutely loved!
These Rotli's were so soft and perfectly layered that I actually kept peeping into the layers the first time I made it. :) And now whenever I am making Roti's at leisure, I make Rotli's instead. Thanks Lataji, for presenting us such wonderful recipes

It was a long post, I know. Here I sign off, promising to see you again with a Guest Post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

My First Guest Post!

So I am joining the band-wagon too! Yes, starting today "Guest Post" will be a regular feature in my blog. Here I am planning to present you some delicious recipes from my family and friends who have inspired me, motivated me and the most important of all, from some of the wonderful persons, whose cooking, to me, is indeed a magic!

I am not promising to make it a weekly section, but I shall try to be regular as much as possible (given that I am such a lazy person, "regular" itself is too much a commitment to make!)

Kick starting this series with Pranita Raj, whom we fondly call Chinnu. We (as in my DH) are distant cousins, but when it comes to similarities, interests and tastes, we are not that distant at all! And she is the person who gave me the right push to start this "Guest Post" series. A greatly talented person esp when it comes to designing dresses and presenting the food artistically, this recipe of hers was featured in one of the editions of last week's 'Eenadu'.
http://epaper.eenadu.net/svww_zoomart.php?Artname=20100209a_007101006&ileft=587&itop=652&zoomRatio=130&AN=20100209a_007101006
Also she is planning to start her own food blog soon. So Wishing her good luck, let's hear what she has to say!

C&S: Tell us about yourself!
Pranita: A HR by profession, an artist by heart.. Thats what I am.. Super creative and Uber Crazy... :)


C&S: What does Cooking mean to you?
Pranita: I enjoy experimenting with food and as my husband loves homemade food, I always look to innovate and try out new dishes..

C&S: Your inspiration/role model/favorite cook??
Pranita: My mom is the best cook in the World :)

C&S: Your favorite Cuisine?
Pranita: I like Chinese and South Indian cuisine.

Recipe Name: Fruit Chaat
Speciality of this recipe: Done within minutes and very nutritious. Considering that Maha Shivratri is around the corner, what could be more apt than a recipe with fruits!

Fruit Chaat
Serves 2

Ingredients:
A Pineapple (cut into two halves length wise, and scooped out, and the pulp cut into small bite-size pieces)
An Apple/Pear (cut into small bite-size pieces)
2-3 Chikoos/Sapota/Sapodilla (cut into small bite-size pieces)
6-7 Fresh Strawberries (cut into small bite-size pieces)
A few seedless Grapes (halved)
Watermelon Half (cut into small bite-size pieces)
Kiwi (optional and cut into small bite-size pieces)
Half a Cucumber (cut into small bite-size pieces)

For the Dressing:
2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 a cup Lime juice
2 tsp Chaat powder
1 tsp roasted Jeera/Cumin pwd
1/2 a tsp freshly ground Pepper
A pinch of salt (optional)

For Garnishing:
An orange cut into two halves, some strawberries and grapes.

Method:
Take all the cut fruits in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients of the dressing.
Add this mixture to the fruits and toss lightly.
Serve in the scooped out pineapple. Garnish with this orange halves.
Tastes best when served chilled. :)

See you all soon with another interesting post. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Ellu Podi / Ellu Urundai


Ellu or the Sesame seeds is the one of the most versatile seeds that have a place in every other cuisine in the world. They are known for the nutritional benefits and are exceptionally rich in Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium and also have Vitamin B1 and Vitamin E.

There is also a general belief that Sesame seeds have the property to regulate the menstrual disorders in Women. Although I do not recommend taking it without any Professional advice, I myself have experienced it working like magic.

Over to our simple Ellu Podi or Sesame powder..

Ellu Podi
Sweetened Sesame Powder

What we need:
White Sesame seeds - 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 3/4th cup
Cardamom Powder - a pinch Optional

How to do:
1. Check for any impurities and dry roast the sesame seeds till they turn light brown.
2. Let them cool and powder them in the mixer.
3. To this, add the powdered Jaggery and pulse it for 3 to 4 times. Mix in the cardamom powder and pulse it once more.
4. Allow it cool and store it in an air-tight container.

You can use this powder to make Ellu Sadam (Sesame rice), Ellu Sevai (Sesame Rice Hopstrings) and also add this at the end when making "Vatha Kozhambu", it tastes awesome!

To make Urundai or balls, all you have do is to shape the powder using your hands into balls immediately after pounding. The stickness from the sesame and the slight warmth will help in shaping them.

These yummy Sesame balls find their way to Priya's Cooking with Seeds: Sesame. Thanks Priya for organising such a wonderful event!
See you all soon with another interesting recipe. Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

Avial

Hope this post finds you all in good colors! Here I come again after a tiny gap, with a yummy, tasty, healthy and traditional South Indian Curry, Avial. I love Avial! (read in block letters!) Yes, to an extent that I don't need rice or Adai to go with it. I simply like to relish the bowlful.

I am sure there are various methods to prepare Avial; so I am sharing with you amma's version. I have also tasted other variations like Avial with Onion-Tomato, Avial with Tamarind, each of them tasty in their own way. Hope one day I'll post all of them!

Avial
Mixed Vegetables cooked in Coconut-based gravy
What we need:*Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups
Thick Yoghurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - according to taste

To temper:
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp.
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - a sprig
Asafoetida - a pinch

To grind:Coconut - 4 to 5 tbsp.
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 tbsp.
Green chillies - 2 or 3 Red Chillies taste good too
Ginger - a small piece, de-skinned

*I have used Raw Banana, Carrot, German Turnip, Potato, Cluster beans, Beans. Ash-gourd, Yam, Drumstick are also best vegetables for Avial.

How to do:
1. Wash and cut the vegetables into long pieces. Boil them till they turn soft.
2. In a deep bottomed vessel, heat Coconut oil and add mustard seeds.
3. When they crackle, add Curry leaves and asafoetida.
4. Now add the boiled vegetables (along with the water used to boil them). Add salt as needed.
5. When they come to a boil, add the ground coconut mixture and give a good mix.
6. Bring to a boil and remove from flame. Now add the thick curd and mix well.

Serve with rice and appalam or Adai.

Notes:
1. Use only coconut oil for tempering as it gives that special flavor. Also before serving, add a generous amount of coconut oil, mix well and serve.
2. If you are including Drumstick, cook them separately as they can get mushy too easily.
3. A little sour curd will enhance the taste.
4. If you have Banana leaves to spare, keep the lid of the vessel tightly closed with a banana leaf. The flavor and smell is just too good!

T&T Tandoori Mushroom Capsicum Tikka Rice from Sushma's blog
Sushma, we all know is such a innovative cook. I get excited everytime she posts an Indo-Chinese dish or Tandoori dish, as she not only does it in a simple way, she also ensures it is so tasty and delicious. I always wanted to try her preparations; So I chose this Tandoori Mushroom and Capsicum Tikka Ricefor a lunch when DH was working from home. Not only did the otherwise I-wont-eat-Mushroom-Person loved it, he also asked me to make it often. Thanks Sushma for sharing it with us the wonderful recipe, we simply loved it!

Award time:
Akal's Saappadu has passed this to me.

Kanchan has tagged me again with the Kreative blogger award. She wants us tell yet another 7 interesting (or not interesting!) things about ourselves. So here you go!
1. I am or rather was a very short-tempered person. I have refined a lot over years, especially after marriage. DH has played a major role in moulding me! ;)
2. I get real terrible dreams. Often I dream that I have become blind or I am surrounded by Crocodiles, wake up screaming and bring down the whole house. So don't you dare to sleep next to me ;)
3. I have only 26 teeth. Rest of them has been taken away in the process of installing bridges and setting my teeth right. :(
4. I love reading books, ok this one is old.. I love reading the same books again and again. Like for example, I have read Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game more than 5 times and Dan Brown's Da Vinci code for more than 4 times. Crazy, ain't I?
5. I like to have Tea as many times in a day as I can (though I have it just once!).
6. I am the only person in my family who loves Dogs.. So much.. So much.. That I like to pet and cuddle all the dogs on the road going for a walk ;)
7. As much as I used to hate Greens, I just love them now! And I really miss them now, as we get only selected varieties here.

Thansk buddies for sharing your happiness with me too!
Guess I have bored you all enough. Here I sign off promising to see you all with another interesting recipe! Till then, Happy Cooking and Happy Blogging!

PS: Does the spell-check feature in the Editor (of Blogger) work for you all? It doesn't, for me! :(