Coriander Rice (Kothamalli Sadam)

Ingredients:

Rice                         -  1 cup
Fresh coriander        -  1 bunch
Onion                      -  1 no
Green chilies            - 3 nos
Ghee                       -  2 table spoons
Mustard seeds         -  1 tea spoon
Black gram dal        -  1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dal      -  1 tea spoon
Jeera powder          -  1/2 tea spoon
Masala powder       -  1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and cook rice.
2.  Grate onions.  Finely chop green chilies.
3.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add jeera, sauf, finely broken cinnamon stick and cloves.
4.  As soon as they turn brown, add the grated onions and green chilies.
5.  Stir cook till onion is cooked, add jeera powder, garam masala powder, salt (enough for the rice also) and switch of the stove.
6.  Add the finely chopped fresh coriander and stir cook.  It will change colour slightly in the heat of the kadai itself.
7.  Add the rice and mix thoroughly and serve with raita, pickle and papad.

Green Leaves Biryani

Ingredients:

Green Leaves Biryani

Basmati rice            -  1 1/2 cups
Green chilies           -  3 - 4 nos
Fresh coriander       -  1 cup
Fresh methi leaves   -  1 cup
Fresh mint leaves     -  1/2 cup
Palak lealves            -  1 cup
Ginger garlic paste   -  1 table spoon
Jeera                       -  1 tea spoon
Cinnamon stick        -  1/2 inch
Cloves                     -  3 nos
Sugar                       -  1 tea spoon
Ghee                        -  3 table spoons
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak rice in 2 1/4 cups of water.
2.  Wash and finely chop all the fresh greens and green chilies.
3.  Heat ghee in a kadai and add jeera, finely broken cinnamon sticks and cloves.
4.  Once they become golden brown add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies.
5.  Once the raw smell goes off add the fresh greens and stir cook till the leaves change colour.
6.  Now add the soaked rice along with water, salt and sugar and cook till the rice is done.
7.  Serve hot with raitha and kurma.

Verkkadalai Biryani (Groundnut Biryani)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice           -  1 1/4 cups
Groundnuts             -  1/2 cup

Verkkadalai Biryani

Onion                     -  2 nos
Tomato                   -  1 no
Ginger                     - 1/2 inch
Garlic                      -  4 pearls
Green chilies            -  2 nos
Mint leaves              -  10 - 12 leaves
Fresh coriander       -  1 table spoon
Fresh curd               -  1/2 cup
Jeera powder           -  1 tea spoon
Coriander powder    -  1 tea spoon
Red chili powder      -  1 tea spoon
Cloves                     -  4 nos
Cinnamon stick        -  1/2 inch
Ghee                       -  2 table spoons
Sugar                      -  1 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak rice in 1 and 3/4 cups of water for 1/2 hr.
2.  Wash and soak groundnuts in water for 15 mins.
3.  Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
4.  Grind together ginger and garlic.
5.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add the cloves, finely broken cinnamon sticks, then add the chopped onions and green chilies.
6.  As soon as the onions turn transparent, add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, stir cook till the tomatoes are soft.
7.  Add jeera powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and drained ground nuts, stir well.
8.  After a few mins add the finely chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, stir for a minute and add curd.
9.  Stir for 1 min. then add the soaked rice along with the water, salt and sugar and cook till the rice is nicely done.
10.Serve hot with raita.

Murungakkai Biriyani (Drumsticks Biryani)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice                -  1 cup
Murungakkai               -  2 - 3 nos
Onions                         -  1 no
Tomatoes                     -  2 nos
Green chilies                -  2 - 3 nos
Cardamom                  -  2 nos
Cloves                         -  2 nos
Bay leaves(Tej patha)   -  1 nos
Fresh coriander leaves  -  2 table spoons
Red chili powder          -  1 tea spoon
Jeera powder               -  1 tea spoon
Coriander powder        -  1 tea spoon
Sugar                           -  1 tea spoon
Ghee                            -  3 table spoons
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and cook rice and spread it in a plate and allow it to cool.
2.  Cut murungakkais to 2 inch long pieces, add salt and steam cook it.
3.  Allow it to cool and with the help of a spoon take our the flesh, slightly mash it and keep it aside.
4.  Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
5.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add broken cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.
6.  After they change colour and aroma comes out add the onions and green chilies.
7.  As soon as the onions become transparent add the tomatoes and stir fry till the tomatoes become soft and shapeless.
8.  Now add the drumstick flesh, salt, coriander powder, jeera powder, sugar and red chili powder.
9.  Mix thoroughly and add the cooked rice to the mixture.
10.Throughly mix and serve hot with raita.

Curry leaves Biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice          -  1 cup
Curry leaves           -  a handful
Onion                     -  1 no
Garlic                     -  1 full
Ginger                    -  1 inch
Green chilies           -  1 no
Cardamom             -  1 no
Cloves                    -  3 - 4 nos
Dal chini                 -  1/2 inch stick
Bay leaves(Tej pati)-  1 nos (Crushed and broken into pieces)
Ghee                      -  2 table spoons
Sugar                     -  1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste

1.  Wash and soak rice in 1 & 1/2 cups of water.
2.  Clean curry leaves and grind it into a paste along with ginger, carlic and green chilies.
3.  Hear ghee in a kadai, add cardamom, cloves, finely broken dal chini pieces and bay leaves.
4.  After they turn to brown colour add the ground paste and stir continuously till they cook well.
5.  Drain the water from soaking rice and keep the water aside.
6.  Add the drained rice to the kadai and stir fry till the rice becomes light pinkish.
7.  Add the drained water, salt and sugar and cook in low flame till the rice is cooked well.
8.  Serve hot with kurma, raita and papad.

Generally Curry leaves when used in cooking, are removed from the food and thrown away.  They have many medicinal values which are not fully used because of this.  In this biryani its medicinal values are fully used.

Properties of curry leaves:  It is known as an anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,  anti-hypercholesterolemic etc. Curry leaves are also known to be good for hair, for keeping it healthy and long. They also contain iron.. 

Mango Delightful Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice    -  1 1/2 cups
Mango            -  1 cup
Milk                -  1 cup
Sugar              -  2 table spoons
Green chilies   -  3 nos
Cloves            -  4 nos
Bay leaves      -  2 nos
Ghee               -  3 table spoons
Salt                 -  1 tea spoon

1.  Grind mangoes and milk together, add water and make the mixture to 2 1/4 cups.
2.  Wash the basmathi rice and soak it in the mango, water and milk mixture.
3.  Heat ghee in a kadai, add the bay leaves and cloves.
4.  Once the cloves change colour add the finely chopped green chilies to it, and add it to the soaked rice.
5.  Add salt and sugar to the rice and cook till the rice is done.
6.  Serve hot with kurma.

parwal Fried Rice (Pointed Gourd)

Ingredients:

Basmati rice        -  1 cup
Parwal                - 200 gms
(Pointed Gourd)
Ghee                  -  4 - 5 table spoons
Mustard seeds    -  1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal  -  1 tea spoon
Black gram dal    -  1 tea spoon
Curry leaves        -  a few leaves
Asafoitida           -  1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder-  1/2 tea spoon

To be fried and powdered:

Coriander seeds -  1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal -  1/2 table spoon
Ground nuts       -  1/2 table spoon
Black gram dal   -  1/2 table spoon
Red chilies          -  3 - 4 nos
Cloves               -  2 nos
Cinnamon stick  -  1/2 inch
Grated coconut  -  2 table spoons

1.  Heat  a kadai add 1/2 tea spoon of ghee and fry all the items till golden brown and after cooling, powder and keep aside.

2.  Wash, soak rice for 15 mins, cook till done.
3.  Spread the rice in a plate, pour 2 table spoons of ghee and allow it to cool.
4.  Wash and cut parwals into small pieces.  (See to it that the seeds are soft.  If hard please remove)
5.  Heat 2 table spoons of ghee in a kadai, add mustards, bengal gram dal and black gram dal.
6.  Once the mustards crackle and the dals turn golden brown add the chopped parwals and curry leaves.
7.  Also add salt, turmeric powder and asafoitida.
8.  Stir well, cover and cook in low flame till the vegetable is cooked.
9.  Add the cooked vegetable, ground powder to the rice and mix thoroughly.
10.Serve hot with raita and papad.