Hussain is my regular autowalla and we have interesting conversations on the way to office. This friday, we were discussing Hyderabadi Biryani when he told me that Biryani has an interesting and easy to cook cousin called Tahiri. He went on to describe the recipe for this easy one pot dish and I noted the recipe in my head. I had to cook it today least I forget the recipe.
So here is Hussain's Tahiri recipe



Method
1. Clean and Marinate 1/2 kg mutton (with bones) with 2 tbsp curd, 1 cup each of chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves, 3 finely chopped green chillies and salt and keep aside. It is good to leave this marination for at least 2 hours before you cook it.
2. Wash 2 cups of basmati rice and drain the water and keep aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, take 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp oil and when hot add 2 finely chopped onions and saute till the onions are slightly brown.
4. Add 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder and mix well. Add the marinated mutton pieces and saute well for 5-10 mins. Add 3-4 finely chopped tomatoes and mix well. Now saute all this for at least 15-20 mins mins till the mutton is almost done and the tomatoes are mushy. Since rice cooks well, ensure that your mutton is well cooked before you add the rice.
5. Add the basmati rice and mix well so that it is well coated. Add 5 cups of water (use the same measuring cup as used for rice). Add a handful of finely chopped mint and coriander leaves, 1 tsp garam masala powder and mix well.
6. Pressure cook for 4 whistles and then turn off the flame.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve the Tahiri with dahi raita.

Tasted this dish for the first time at Sahana and Vijay's place in Leeds. Loved it for its simple flavors. I like Beetroot for the unique color of the dishes and have cooked this dish many times after coming back from our UK holidays.
Here is Sahana's recipe for the dish

Method
1. Boil 1/2 cup of toor dal in pressure cooker. Along with Dal, you can also boil 2 beetroots by keeping them in separate vessels.
2. Grind 1/2 cup grated coconut with 2-3 tsp sambar powder with very little water to a fine paste. I used store bought sambar powder. I added 1 small piece of tamarind and some pieces of beetroot while making the paste.
3. Cut the boiled beetroot into pieces and keep aside.
4. Boil 1 glass of water in a vessel and while boiling add 2 green chillies and leave it for 5mins.
5. Add the beetroot pieces, boiled dal and of coconut and sambar powder and cook. Add 1 tsp of jaggery for some sweetness and a pinch of asafoetida and let this cook on a slow flame for at least 10 mins. You can adjust the water according to the consistency you desire.
6. For the tempering/tadka, take a small pan. Add 2 tsp coconut oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds when the oil is hot. When the seeds start  to splutter, add 2 dry red chillies, 1 sprig of curry leaves and a pinch of urad dal. 
7. When the sambar is cooked, add the tempering/tadka and cover with the lid so that the flavor is absorbed.

Serve hot with rice.

Last week, I had lunch with some colleagues at Rayalseema Ruchulu - one of my favorite Andhra cuisine restaurant. We ordered Chicken curry the Seema style and the gravy was spicy and extremely tasty. Wanted to try the recipe and was searching online yesterday. Surprisingly found out that the restaurant themselves have put up a few recipes online. Cooked this dish and it did not even take me a total of 30 mins of cooking time, chopping included. Highly recommended for everyone who loves South Indian flavours.



Method
1. Marinate 1/2 kg chicken with 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt and 1 tsp chilli powder for atleast an hour before cooking. I added 2 tsp curd to the marinade though this was not part of the recipe.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. When hot, add 1 sprig of curry leaves and fry them till they are crisp. Now add 2 medium onions finely chopped and fry them till they are brown in color.
3. Add marinated chicken pieces and fry until chicken looses its pink colour. Add 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder and fry the same. You can give the chilli powder a miss if you dont like your gravy too spicy.

4. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. Cook the chicken pieces for another 15 mins on slow flame with lid covered or till its cooked.  Keep stirring all the while. Adjust the water according to the consistency you want.
5. Adjust the salt if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Came across this interesting recipe on a youtube video last Sunday and decided to cook it. This is probably a Hyderabadi dish because the fried onion, curd and mint combination is something I see a lot in Hyderabadi cuisine. I am glad I cooked this dish because not only was it very easy, but also the richness of the dish makes it a very good dish to cook when you have guests over.




Method
1. Take a non stick pan and add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add 2 medium sized onion juliennes and saute till brown.
2. When onions are brown, add 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste and saute. Add handful of curry leaves and saute. Add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, pinch of turmeric, salt and saute till the spices are well cooked. Sprinkle some water if the spices are getting charred.
3. Add 1/2 kg chicken and mix well. Saute for 3-4 mins. Add 1 cup of yogurt to the chicken and mix well.
4. Make a fine paste of 1 cup of coriander, 1/2 cup of mint, 3-4 green chillies and 1 tbsp of grated coconut with little water. Add this to the chicken and mix it well.
5. Add 1 cup of water and cover and cook for 20 mins or till the chicken is well cooked
6. Add cream if you want a richer gravy and a pinch of garam masala before taking it off from the stove

Serve hot with chappatis.

My blog is heavy on non-veg dishes so decided to cook some veg dishes today to balance it out :) 

Last time when I cooked paneer butter masala, I realised that the taste of methi, tomato and paneer is a very good combination. So decided today to cook with original methi(fenugreek) leaves and not kasoori methi. This dish is absolutely tasty - has a bitterness imparted by the methi and the tangy taste from tomatoes.

Method

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. When hot, add finely chopped 2 medium sized onions and saute till brown.Add a pinch of salt to the onions for flavor
2. Add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste and 2 finely chopped green chillies and saute for 2 mins. Add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and saute. Sprinkle some water in case you feel the masalas are getting scorched.
3. Add 1/2 cup of methi leaves and saute for 5 mins till methi is completely cooked
4. Now add 3 finely chopped medium sized tomatoes  and cook for 2-3 mins
5. Add 1/2 cup water and cover and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and well cooked.
6. Now add 200 gms of paneer cut into cubes and mix well
7. Add 1 tsp amchur powder and mix and cook for another 5 mins and your dish is ready.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chappatis

I had always heard of ghee roast but never tasted it. Decided to cook it finally and it did turn out well. Extremely spicy, hot and tasty :)

Method

1. Marinate 1/2 kg chicken with 1 tsp turmeric powder, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp chilli powder, salt and 2 tbsp curd. Keep aside for at least 1 hour.

2. Take a pan and dry roast 3-4 red chillies, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp pepper corns, pinch of fenugreek seeds and grind along with 6-7 garlic flakes and 1 marble sized ball of tamarind.

 3. Place a large pan and add 1 tbsp ghee. Add all the marinated chicken once the ghee is hot and saute for a min. Add the masala paste and fry till the chicken is coated. Add more ghee if you like it. Adjust the salt and let it cook on a slow flame. You can add a pinch of sugar if you like
4.Take of the flame and serve as a side dish.

Had an unused bunch of spring onion lying in my fridge for a week now..wanted to use it for my cooking today was in no mood for Chinese.Hence went online and googled for spring onion recipes and came across this nice Sambar recipe.
The sambar came very close to what is offered in udupi restaurants.

Method

1. Chop  around 20 stalks of spring onion along with the green leaves and keep aside. Finely chop 2 tomatoes and set aside.
2. Boil 1/2 cup of toor dal and keep aside.
3. Grind 1/2 cup of coconut, 2 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 tbsp of sambar powder,  pinch of turmeric powder, 1 marble sized ball of tamarind  and 1 tsp of jaggery powder to a fine paste with water and keep aside.
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add 2 tsp of mustard seeds. When they splutter add pinch of asafoetida and 1 sprig of curry leaves. 
5. Add the chopped Spring Onions &  tomatoes and mix well. Cook till the onions and tomatoes are soft.
6. Now add the ground paste, toor dal and 2 cups water and let the gravy boil for 5 mins. You can adjust the jaggery and salt now.
7. Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

I guess I can just replace the spring onions with onions, add more water and get a good sambar to go with hot idlis.

The usual chicken gravy recipe with onion and tomato paste. Very easy to cook, this spicy chicken gravy is ready in less than 45 mins.. You can hardly go wrong with this recipe.

Method

1. Clean and chop about 500 gms of boneless chicken. Add salt and set aside.
2. Roughly chop 3 medium sized onions. Blend in a mixie with about 7-8 pods of garlic and 1 inch ginger till you get a fine paste and keep aside. Blend 2 tomatoes in the same mixie and keep aside
3. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 inch cinnamon, 5-6 cloves, 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp chilli powder, 1 cardamom and blend in the mixie to a coarse powder. You can add some salt if you need to add some volume to blend.
4. In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil.  Add the coarse masala powder and saute till you can smell the aroma of the spices. Now add the the onion paste and saute till golden brown. Since the onion was blended raw, you need to ensure that you saute for a longer while till the raw smell of onions is gone. 
5. Add the tomato paste and some turmeric and again saute till the tomatoes are cooked. Add additional chilli powder if you want a spicy gravy.
6.  Add chicken and coat it with sauce. Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Now cover with a lid and let the chicken cook for 15-20 mins on a slow flame. Keep stirring in between and cook till chicken is tender.
7. Adjust the salt. Add 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Garnish with coriander leaves. Squeeze some lemon juice on the gravy and serve with rotis.

As you must know by now, Bhindi(Okra or ladies finger) is one of my favorite vegetable. Felt like cooking okra with dahi. Searched online and found this easy recipe on Tarla Dalal's site. This dish was really easy to cook and the total time is just around 45 mins along with chopping time. Whats best is that the dish is spicy yet not very hot.


Method

1.Wash, wipe dry and cut around 30 pieces of okra into 1 cm pieces. Cut them diagonally
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and sauté the ladies finger in it for 5 mins till almost cooked. Add a pinch of salt to the okra. Keep this aside.
3. In the same pan,heat 2 tsp oil and add 2 tsp fennel seeds(saunf) and saute for a minute. Add 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) and saute. Now add 1 tsp mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida(hing) to it and saute til the mustard seeds crackle. Take care to see that the masala doesn't get scorched.
4. Add 1 inch of  ginger finely chopped to the pan and saute. Now add 1 big tomato finely chopped. Saute till the tomatoes are well cooked. Add 1 tsp of sugar to balance the taste.
5. As the tomato is cooking, whisk together 3 tbsp curds, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1tsp chilli powder, 2 tsp coriander powder and salt and mix well. Add this mixture to the pan when the tomato is cooked and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the okra that was kept aside and mix well and cook for 5 mins.
Serve hot with chapatis.

I had seen this episode of Chak Le India - Kachcha Raasta long back and had noted down the recipe. I like Aditya Bal's style of cooking where I see him char the aromatics regularly. This reduces cooking time and also gives a good consistency to the gravy.
Wanted to cook something quickly today and hence decided to try this recipe. The dish was amazingly tasty and ready in less than a hours time. 




Method
1. Take 250 gms of chicken, clean and keep aside. I used boneless chicken but you can use one with bones too. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp oil and salt and keep aside
2. Char the aromatics a la Aditya Bal - 2 medium sized onions cut into cubes, 5-6 garlic pods, 1 inch ginger, 2-3 green chillies and 1 bunch of chopped coriander leaves and stalks. Saute this well till the onions are slightly browned and the raw taste of the aromatics is gone. Keep aside
3. Now dry roast the 7-8  cloves, 2-3 cardamom pods, 7-8  black peppercorns, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 inch of cinnamon for 2 mins. 

4. Grind the dry roasted spices to a nice powder. Add the charred aromatics and again grind to a fine paste. Aditya Bal generally uses a mortar and pestle to grind the spices, but I used the mixer grinder to save on time. Add the paste to the marinated chicken. Add 3 tbsp curd to the chicken and mix well and keep aside. 

5. Take a pan and add 2 tsp oil. Add 2-3 green cardamoms and saute. Add a handful of raisins and saute again. Now add the marinated chicken and mix well. I added 1 cup of water but you can add water according to your preference. Adjust the salt.

6. Cover, simmer and cook for 20 mins. 

Have been very busy lately and haven't been able to update the blog. 
I had read this recipe in a magazine sometime back and the simplicity of the dish made me want to cook it. This dish took me only 15 mins to prepare.



Method
1. Wash Basa fish Fillets thoroughly. Season with little salt and steam fillets of Basa Fish in a steamer for around 10 mins on medium flame. Add some lemon grass while steaming for flavour
2. As the fish is cooking, prepare the sauce with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 pods of garlic crushed, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 juice of lemon, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp soya sauce. Adjust salt and sugar according to your taste.
3. Remove the fish fillets from the steamer. Pour the sauce generously on the fillets.
4. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Healthy recipe, isnt it?

I generally cook this raita as a substitute for a side dish when I feel like having healthy food :)  Just love the color of this dish


Method
1. Boil 1 beetroot in the pressure cooker. I generally club it with dal or anything else that is being pressure cooked.
2. Remove the skin and grate. Add salt and a pinch of sugar to the beetroot.
4. Take 2 tsp coconut oil for tempering in a pan, Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of hing, 7-8 curry leaves and temper till mustard seeds start spluttering.
5. Stir in curd according to your taste.Adjust the salt and sugar
6. You can garnish the raita with corainder leaves and serve.

My pachi(mausi) is visiting us in Hyderabad and we are having a gala time having tasted all the specialties Hyderabad has to offer!! 
On one of the evenings when we were tired of going out, pachi cooked this awesome dish. I had never eaten this before and instantly liked it.




Method
1. Wash and clean around 300 gms of okra /bhindi and let them dry or pat dry them with a towel. 
2. Cut off the bottom hard part of the okra and then Slit them lengthwise such that it has 2 vertical slits but don’t cut all the way till the end. Cut it such that it can hold the stuffing.
3. For stuffing, add 1 cup freshly grated coconut, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 a lemon, 3-4 green chillies and a handful of coriander leaves and salt to a coarse paste with little water (chutney consistency)

4. Fill the stuffing in the bhindi
5. In a pan, take 2-3 tsp oil. When hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric, pinch of asafoetida and saute. Add the stuffed bhindi and mix well. Cook on low heat with water on the lid. This helps in condensing the steam and cooks the bhindi quickly without scorching.
6. Remove from heat when the bhindi is cooked. The bhindi cooks in 15-20 mins on low heat. 

A simple recipe - very easy to make and tasty too.



Method
1. Make a marinade of 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp red chilli flakes, 1 tsp tomato ketchup, 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 2tsp olive oil, 2 tsp finely chopped spring onion greens, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Adjust the salt. I also added some lime juice to make it more tangy.
2. Marinate cubes of paneer in the marinade and leave aside for half an hour. I used about 250 gms of paneer but you can make the marinade according to your taste.
3. Grill while applying the marinade or fry on a hot tava with 1 tsp olive oil.

We predominantly cook fish curries in 2 ways..this is my favorite way which goes well with some fishes like pomfret, kane(ladyfish) and even prawns.

Method
1. Wash 7-8 Kane fish(also called Lady fish) thoroughly, apply a little salt and set aside.
2.  Take a small pan, add  1 tsp coconut oil and when hot, add 1 -2 tsp coriander seeds, pinch of fenugreek seeds and 5-6 whole dry red chillies. Saute lightly for 2 mins
3. Grind them with 1 cup of grated coconut,  pinch of turmeric powder and 1 inch ball of tamarind to a fine paste. 
4. Take a bigger pan. Heat 2 tsp coconut oil and add 1 onion finely chopped and saute till pink.Add a pinch of fenugreek seeds, 2 green chillies slit at the centre and saute. You can use any other oil, but coconut oil gives it a distinct Konkani flavor.
5. Add the coconut paste and fry for 2-3 mins. Add 2-3 cups of water and let the mixture come to a good boil. I also add 2-3 Dried Sol for added sourness. 
6. Now add the fish and let the curry come to a good boil. Adjust the salt according to taste. This fish cooks within 5 mins. 
7. Serve hot with plain rice. 

Came across this recipe on Food Network that I have subscribed to and had to try it from the moment I had seen it. Finally tried it today and it was as tasty as it looked.
Here is my version


Method
1. For the marination, take a bowl. Add 2 tsp of olive oil, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, freshly ground pepper, some red chilli flakes, and 2 grated garlic cloves. Add 2 tsp of lime juice, salt and mix well. Marinate 250 gms of Breasts of chicken with the mixture. You can choose to butterfly the chicken as mentioned in the above recipe but I did not do that - I just cut the chicken into smaller pieces. Leave aside for 2 hours.
2. Make the salsa with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1/2 capsicum finely chopped. Add 2 tsp lime juice, salt and refrigerate.
3. After 2 hours, grill the chicken. I just chose to fry the chicken on a pan with olive oil on low heat , turning on both sides till cooked.
4. Serve hot with the salsa on top of each piece. You can garnish with freshly ground pepper and red chilli flakes.

I am a fan of spinach and hence decided to make Mutton with spinach today. Most of the recipes of Saagwaala Mutton and other spinach mutton use Spinach Puree but I thought of adding finely chopped spinach instead. The dish was absolutely tasty! Highly recommended




Method
1. Blend 1 cup coriander leaves, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 inch ginger, handful of mint leaves and 2 green chillies in a mixer. Add salt and marinate 1/2 kg mutton for at least an hour before cooking.
2. Take 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. When hot, add 1 bay leaf, 3-4 cloves, 1 inch cinammon, 1 cardamom, 1 tsp cumin seeds and saute till the cumin splutters. Add 1 big onion finely chopped and saute till pink.
3. Add 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped and saute till mushy. Add the mutton and saute for some time till the raw taste of ginger garlic goes away. Now add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker, close the lid, add the weight and cook for 4-5 whistles.
4. Remove the lid when the pressure is off and add 2 cups of finely chopped spinach and 1 tsp kasoori methi and cook till the spinach is well cooked.

Serve hot with chappatis. You can add more water in case you need a gravy to go with rice.

Came across this recipe in my cook book and decided to cook this today for lunch. Tasty and the best part is that my 9 month old relished it. The flavor of the coconut differentiates this from the normal version.

Method

1. Soak 2 cups of basmati rice in water for 15 mins to remove the excess starch. Drain and keep aside.

2. Take 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. When hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 inch cinammon, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 pepper corns, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf and saute for a minute. Add 2 medium onions slit into long thin slices and saute till pink. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies.

3.  Add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 cup of finely chopped mint leaves.

4. Add 1 potato cut into cubes, 1/2 cup of carrots cut into cubes, 3-4 tsp pf green peas, 1/2 cup of cauliflower florets. I added some soaked black channa and 5-6 snap peas. Saute all the vegetables for 2 mins

5. Add 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp garam masala powder and saute well such that the vegetables are coated with the masala.

6. Add the rice and saute till all the vegetables and rice mix well. Now add 25 gms of coconut milk powder added in 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Add 3 more cups of water, mix well and close the lid of the cooker with the whistle on.

7. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove the cooker from the flame. Remove the whistle once the pressure is off and separate the rice with a fork.

Serve  this biryani hot with Onion- Tomato Raita

I used to always wonder how kakori kababs in restaurants melt in our mouth. Then when I saw this dish being cooked on Foodistan I was inspired to try it. I searched online and this dish is my adaptation from different recipes.

Method

1. Add 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp shahi jeera, 1 cardamom, 1 inch cinammon, 2-3 cloves and saute for a minute. Add 2 medium finely chopped onion and saute till brown.
2. Add 1 inch  ginger finely chopped and 5-6 pods of garlic finely chopped, ½ cup of mint, 2 green chillies finely chopped,1 tsp turmeric and saute.
3. Now add around 300 gms of boneless chicken cut into smaller cubes (this is actually a mutton dish but I tried with chicken) and cook till the meat is tender and almost cooked.
4. Now add 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1tsp garam masala, ½ cup coriander chopped, and 1 cup Chana Dal (which is soaked and boiled - remove all the water before adding). Saute for around 2 mins and then let this mixture cool a bit.
5. Now grind the above mixture in a mixer grinder to a coarse paste. The strands of chicken should be seen.
6. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Beat 1 egg in a bowl.
7. Make small balls with the batter, flatten it, dip it in the egg and shallow fry on a pan on a slow flame on both sides till cooked.

This will make around 20 medium shaped kababs - serve with mint chutney.

I had tasted Pithla at my friend Mona's home and liked it a lot but never ventured to cook it on my own. This is the first time I tried it and I have decided that I am going to cook it regularly

So here is my modified version of Mona's Pithla recipe..

Method

1. Add 3/4 cup besan to 2 cups water and mix well so that  you do not have any lumps. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in pan. When hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds.  When they splutter add 2 finely chopped green chillies and 2 sprigs of curry leaves. Also add a pinch of asafoetida and saute well. 
3. Now add 1 finely chopped onion and 3-4 finely chopped cloves of garlic and some salt. When the onion is slightly pink add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and continue sauteing till onion is brown in color.
4. Add  1 finely chopped tomato and 1/2 cup of spring onions greens. (Spring onion is not part of the original recipe - but I added it for the added taste.)
5. Adjust the salt as required and 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder(again not part of original recipe) and saute. Now add the besan mixture and keep stirring regularly to avoid lumps 
6.  Cook for 10 mins or till the raw taste of besan goes.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, some spring onion greens and serve piping hot with Jowar Rotis (Bhakris)