Vegetable Pulao (Pressure Cooker Method) - How to make an easy vegetable pulao

It is perfect for office lunch box and kids lunch box also. If you do not have much time but want to prepare a quick and comforting meal, then this is a perfect choice. Today let us learn how to prepare easy vegetable pulao using the pressure cooker method following this easy vegetable pulao recipe.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Sliced Onions – 2 (big)
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
Frozen Corn – a handful
Frozen Peas – a handful
Mint Leaves – few
Water – 3 cups
Salt to taste
To Temper

Bay Leaf – 1 (small)
Cloves – 2
Cinnamon – 1 inch sticks
Slitted Green Chilli – 2
Ghee – 2 tsp
Method

Take 2 cups of rice and soak in water for 30 min and set aside.

Heat ghee in pressure cooker and add the tempering ingredients one by one and set it for few min.

Add onions and salt, saute it well. Then add ginger garlic paste, green chilli, mint leaves and fry for few min.

Then add chopped vegetables, garam masala powder and fry for 2 min. Drain water from soaked rice, then add it and fry for 2 min. And then mx well until combined well.

Now add exactly 3 cups of water and allow it to boil. Close and pressure cook it for 2 whistles in medium flame. Garnish with ghee.

Greens with Dal

It is a very simple and flavorful dish, full of nutrients. I have prepared it with spinach. It is very easy to prepare and tastes delicious with hot steamed rice. Today we will learn how to make greens with dal following this easy recipe.

 Ingredients
Chopped Spinach/Keerai (Greens) – 1 cup
Soaked Moong Dal – ¼ cup
Chopped Small Onions – ½ cup
Chopped Tomato – 1 (small)
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
To Grind
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Rice Flour – 1 tsp
Water – ¼ cup
To Temper
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Urad Dal – ½ tsp
Jeera/Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Hing – a pinch
Method
Pressure cook dal with turmeric powder, salt and enough water until soft, mesh it well with a ladle.
Add greens to the cooked dal and allow it to boil and get cooked. Meanwhile grind coconut with rice flour and water to fine paste and set aside.
In a pan, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by one listed under to temper, let it splutter then add onion and tomato saute till raw smell of tomato leaves and onion turns golden brown. Transfer this to greens with dal.

Once green is cooked and well blended with dal add coconut paste. Bring it to a quick boil and switch off. Serve with rice and ghee.

Somvar Ladoo, How to make somvar ladoo

Somvar Vrat/ Monday Fasting/ Karthigai Somavaram Viratham –

It is dedicated to hindu god Lord Shiva. Somavar takes its name from Soma or Chandra – the hindu moon god. Fasting on the day is done by many to appease Lord Shiva and get prayers and wishes fulfilled. It is also believed to help in attaining prosperity and peaceful family life. Somvar Vrat begins from sunrise on Monday. Usually those devotees observing the Vrat visit a Lord Shiva temple in the morning and the evening. People also offers Pilva leaves while doing the pooja. The mantra that is chanted is Om Namah Shivaya. Mondays in Karthigai Masam (November- December) is also auspicious in Tamil Nadu.  I am dedicating this yummy ladoo for my most favorite Lord Podhu Aavudayar.

Ingredients
Wheat Flour – 1 cup
Ghee – ½ cup
Cardamom Seeds – 2
Jaggery – ½ cup
To Saute
Ghee – 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts – 2 tsp
Dry Grapes – 2 tsp
Method
In a pan, heat ghee. Add cashew nuts and dry grape and fry this for few seconds and keep aside.

In the same pan, add wheat flour and roast it till it gets changed in color. And make sure this should not burn.

Add cardamom seeds, jaggery and keep cook in low flame for about 5 min. And switch off. Then transfer it into big mixing bowl with fried nuts.

Melt ghee and add it into mixing bowl. When its warm, start making ladoos.

Gobi Dry Curry

Gobi Dry Curry is simple and flavorful dish that goes well with rice and roti. As per your taste, you can increase/decrease the spice level.

Ingredients

Chopped Gobi/Cauliflower Florets – 1 (medium)

Chopped Onion – 1 (big)

Tomato Puree – 1 (big)

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

Garam Masala Powder – ¼ tsp

Chopped Curry Leaves – 2 tsp

Salt to taste

To Temper

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera/Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - few

Oil – 2 tsp

Method

Bring water to boil, with gobi florets, salt, turmeric powder and a cup of water and then cook until soft. Drain it and keep aside.

In a kadai, heat oil. Add the ingredients listed under to temper let it splutter. And then add onion, ginger garlic paste saute till slightly browned.

Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powders and salt. Let it boil for few min. Then add parboiled cauliflower.

Mix until gobi gets coated well with masala. Close the lid and keep cook in low flame for about 3 to 5 min. Garnish with chopped curry leaves and switch off.

Serve with hot steamed rice/Variety rice/ Chapatti…

Bell Pepper Crab Masala

In this dish, crab is well blended with bell peppers and other Indian Spices. These tastes good and go well with hot white steamed rice, idli/Dosa!

Ingredients

Chopped Onions – 3 (big)
Chopped Tomato – 1 (big)
Chopped Bell Pepper – 1 cup
Washed & Cleaned Crab – 1 lb
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil -2 tsp
(For dry roast and grind)
Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – 1 tsp

Grated Coconut - 4 tsp

Garlic – 3 pods
To Temper
Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry Leaves – few
Oil – 1 tsp
Method
In a skillet, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few sec. Then add chopped onions and fry until it becomes slight changes in color.

Now add chopped bell peppers, tomatoes and cook till it becomes mushy. Add crab and salt then close the lid and keep it for about five min.

Then add chilli powder, coriander powder and a cup of water and keep cook for few min. Now it’s time to add ground masala.

Keep cook until crab is cooked well and blended well coated with masala. Switched off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice!

Enjoy well!!

Squash Bowl

Ingredients
Chopped Squash/Bottle Gourd – 1 Cup
Chopped Carrot – ¼ cup
Soaked Moong Dal – ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Chopped Tomato – 1
Chopped Cilantro – few
Salt to taste
Water – 3 cups
To temper
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Peppercorn – ½ tsp
Chopped Onions – ¼ cup
Curry Leaves – few
Dry Red Chilli – 2
Oil – 1 tsp
Method
In a pressure cooker add soaked moong dal, tomatoes, coriander leaves, chilli powder, chopped squash and carrots, coriander powder, salt with enough water. And cook until three whistles come out. Then switch off the flame and keep it aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add tempering ingredients one by one. And saute it for few seconds. Then transfer into veggie bowl. Now your squash bowl is ready to serve.

Zucchini Fry with Lemon Juice

Ingredients
Chopped Zucchini – 2 cups
Chopped Onions – 1 (big)
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Garlic Salt as per taste
(For Dry Roast & Grind)
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Peppercorn – ½ tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1 pinch
Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
To Temper
Jeera/Cumin Seeds – ¼ tsp
Chopped Cilantro – few

Oil – 1 tsp

Method
In a pan, dry roast ingredients for few min. Then switch off the flame. Let it cool down and make it as a fine powder, and then keep it aside.

In a kadai, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it for few seconds. Now add chopped onions and saute it well.

Then add chopped zucchini, garlic salt, chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well. And then sprinkle some waters. Let it cook for 5 to 10 min on medium flame.

At this stage add ground masala powder (under for dry roast and grind), mix evenly.

Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and serve hot zucchini with roti /rice.

Roasted Gram Ladoo/ Pottukadalai Ladoo/ Maa Ladoo/ மா உருண்டை

Roasted Gram Ladoo

It’s a famous South Indian sweet and easy to prepare. Dry Roasting grams gives nice flavor to the dish. Based on your tastes, you can add raisins along with cashew nuts. Making ladoo is easy to make a shape, when its warm. Enjoy this delicious healthy ladoo…

Ingredients
Roasted Gram/Pottukadalai – 1 cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Melted Ghee – ¼ cup
Cardamom/ Elachi Powder – ¼ tsp
Broken Cashew Nuts -  2 tsp
Method
Dry roast roasted gram in a pan till nice aroma gets. Don’t let it change in color. In a dry mixer grinder, it to a fine powder.

Grind sugar to a fine powder. Sieve flour with sugar for even mixing. In a pan, add a tsp of ghee and fry the cashews till golden brown, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, cashews, elachi powder and keep it ready. Now heat ghee for a min and pour it into the mixing bowl.

Mix well with a ladle for mixing evenly. When it’s warm start shaping them into laddus. Repeat this for the rest of the flour too. Store in an airtight container and enjoy with your ladoos.

Pepper Chicken/ Kozhi Milagu Varuval/ மிளகு கோழி வறுவல்

Pepper Chicken is the easiest chicken fry. This is a dry curry and suits well with rice or even rotis. Adding freshly ground pepper powder gives a nice flavor and aroma to the dish. This is really simple ad yummy dish.

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 lb
Finely Chopped Onion – 1
Finely Chopped Tomato – 1
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
Chopped Coriander Leaves – few
To roast and grind
Peppercorn – 2 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp
To Temper 

Cumin/Jeera – 1 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks – 2 small pieces
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 2
Curry Leaves -a handful
Method

Dry roast all the ingredients under named as “to roast and grind” till slightly browned and grind it to a coarse powder and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add onion and ginger and garlic paste and saute till slightly browned.

Then add tomato and fry till its mushy and raw smell goes ff. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and half of the coarse pepper powder along with chicken pieces and fry well till raw smell leaves. Saute till chicken is well blended with the spices.

Then add one more cup water along with salt and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Heat oil in a kadai, and add the items under “to temper” then add pressure cooked chicken.

Add the remaining pepper fennel powder and saute till it becomes semi dry. Add chipped coriander leaves and switch it off. 

Chettinad Chicken Gravy/ செட்டிநாடு கோழி குழம்பு

Chettinad Chicken Gravy is a spicy, yummy and flavorful dish. This goes very well with steamed white rice, chapatti and roti.

Ingredients
Chicken Pieces – ½ kg (Washed and Cleaned)
Yogurt/Curd – 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Salt as required
To Roast and Grind
Grated Coconut – 3 tsp
Dry Red Chillies – 10 to 12
Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Black Peppercorns – 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1 ½ tsp
Roasted Gram – 1 tsp
Chopped Big Onion – 1
Chopped Tomato Pieces – 1
To Temper
Bay Leaf – a small piece
Cinnamon Sticks – ½ inch piece
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 2
Curry Leaves – few
Small Onions – 7
Finely Chopped Tomato – 1 
Peeled Garlic – 5
Oil – 2 tsp
To Garnish
Chopped Coriander Leaves - few
Dry Red Chilli -1
Method

In a bowl add chicken pieces, salt, turmeric powder and curd. Then marinate well for at least one hour.

Heat a pan, add red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, fennel seeds, roasted gram and dry roast till slightly golden brown.

Then add onion, tomato and saute till onions turn golden brown and tomatoes raw smell leaves. Finally add in coconut and saute till browned. Cool down and grind it to a fine paste.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and saute for a min. Add onion, tomato, garlic, curry leaves and saute this for 2 to 3 min.

Then add the chicken pieces and saute it for few min. Now add the ground masala paste and mix well. Saute until raw smell goes well completely and the chicken blends well with the masalas.

Add a cup of water, salt and chilli powder and pressure cook until 2 whistles come out. Once it cools down, add the chopped coriander leaves.

Zucchini Tortilla Tacos

Taco is one of famous food in Mexico. I have added zucchini masala in this tacos. I already posted zucchini masala in my previous post. Hopefully you'll like this yummy treat!

Ingredients

Tortilla – 2
Zucchini Masala – 4 tsp
Chopped Baby/Jeune Romaine/ – a handful
Sliced Cucumber – 1
Cheese Slice - 1
Pepper – a pinch
Grated Cheese – 2 tsp
Ranch/Sauce (optional) – 1 tsp
Method
Place a slice of cheese in tortilla and microwave it for 30 sec. Then add zucchini masala, baby romaine, cucumber, pepper and grated cheese.
Add a choice of sauce and close it. Then serve this yummy & spicy tacos! Here is the zucchini masala recipe link.
https://shanuskitchen.blogspot.com/…/11/zucchini-masala.html

Spinach Pasta

My kids love pasta. My son preferred pasta for his school lunch. Regular pasta is getting bored in day to day life. So I tried out this yummy pasta.

Ingredients

Pasta – 1 cup

Spinach – 1 cup

Milk – ½ cup

Oregano – 1 tsp

Corn Flour – 1 tsp

Grated Cheese – 3 tsp

Bread Crumbs - 2 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

In a kadai, bring water to boil with salt and little oil. Add pasta and cook it for right consistency. Drain water and keep aside.

Add spinach to boiling water and cook for few minutes. Then switch off the flame.

Cool down and grind it a smooth paste. Add the spinach puree to pan and allow it to boil for a min and keep cook until its thickening.

Now add milk, corn flour and keep stirring until it forms a thick sauce. Then add salt and oregano.

Add cooked pasta and give a quick stir, then add breadcrumbs and mix again.

Add grated cheese and mix well. Serve hot and mild spinach!

How to get more juice from citrus fruits?

In my life, everyday morning I'm drinking lemon juice with hot water. Here I'm going to tell how to get more juice from citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, limes, and etc...

1. If you roll while applying a bit of pressure to the citrus fruits, you will get so much more of that yummy juice
2. Place citrus fruit in microwave  and heat it for about 15 to 20 seconds, then you'll get more juice

Zucchini Masala

Ingredients

Chopped Zucchini – 1 cup
Chopped Onions – 1 cup
Chopped Tomatoes – ½ cup
Tamarind Pulp – a tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as required
(Dry Roast & Grind)
Dry Red Chilli – 5 to 7
Cumin/Jeera – 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds- 1 tsp
Peppercorn – 1 tsp
Grated Coconut – 2 tsp
To Temper
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds – ¼ tsp
Broken Red Chilli – 2
Chopped Coriander Leaves - few
Method
In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients for few minutes which are under to dry roast and grind. Then switch off the flame. Let it cool down and grind it as fine paste.
In a kadai, heat oil. Add the tempering ingredients one by on and saute it for few sec.
Add chopped onions and saute it well. Let it change slight brown in color. Now add tomatoes and fry well.
Then add zucchini pieces with little salt and saute it for few seconds. Now add ground masala, tamarind pulp with enough water.
Let it cook for another 10 to 15 min. Then garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Pineapple Salad

It’s a simple and yummy treat. Pineapple helps to lose weight. This keeps your skin beautiful. It maintains good eye health. This keeps gums & teeth healthy.

Ingredients
Chopped Banana – ¼ cup
Chopped Pineapple – 1 cup
Chopped Dates – 2 tsp
Dry Cranberries – a handful
Salt – a pinch
Fresh Ground Pepper – ½ tsp 
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Honey – a tsp
Method
In a clean bowl add all the ingredients one by one. The add salt, honey, Lemon Juice and freshly ground pepper.

Mix well and enjoy with simple delicious salad!

Lemon Poha/ Lemon Aval

Lemon Poha is very easy to make and can be made for breakfast/dinner. This is a tasty South Indian tiffin item made with poha. It’s slight variation to the regular poha upma. This is also another easy recipe and can prepare with few ingredients.

Ingredients

Poha/Aval – 2 Cups

Lemon Juice – 1 (small)

Salt to taste

To Temper

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Channa Dal – 2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Peanuts – 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp

Hing – a pinch

Sliced Green Chilli – 3

Curry Leaves – few

Chopped Cilantro – few

Method

In a bowl, take two cups of poha. Add water to poha till immersing level. Leave it soaked for 3 to 5 mins. Add required salt. Soak Channa dal for few min.

Heat oil in a pan, add the items under “to temper” and saute till golden brown and the dals turn crisp.

Then add soaked poha, give a stir until the seasoning is mixed evenly. Check for salt and adjust accordingly. Switch off and add the lemon juice. Serve hot/warm!