Vermicelli veggies upma

Roasted Vermicelli(Semiya) - 2 cups
Ghee or butter - 5 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Peas,beans and carrot chopped - 1.5 cups
Green chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Salt - As reqd
Water - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup


Chop onion, ginger and green chillies into small pieces.Heat 3 tbsp ghee or butter in the kadai.
Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add chopped onions, green chillies, dry red chillies, ginger and curry leaves.Fry, till the onions turn brown.Add the peas ,beans, carrots mixture. fry for 1-2 mins, sauting frequently.Once its 3/4 cooked,Add water along with sugar and salt.Veggies shld not be fully cooked,3/4th cooked enhances the taste.U can use frozen veggies to save time.Allow it to boil.When it starts to boil, add fried vermicelli, stirring continuously.Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame, till vermicelli is soft and almost all water has dried up. Add coconut and stir for 2 mins.
Serve hot with sugar or pickle. Healthy breakfast ready in 15 mins.This Upma is for Raaga for WBB Express Breakfast Event....

Chicken Biriyani

Among keralites 'Biriyani' will be top favourite food,either chicken,mutton or fish.Same with us,Partners may have different interest,But in case of having biriyani...we are one.I remember after our marriage,when ever we go to resturants,'S' orders only biriyani.I call him Biriyani FREAK!!! Before i thought making at home is a complicated and time consuming process.After coming to US,now biriyani is not meant for special occasions.Its became a part of our usual menu.Traditional way is 'Dum' process,I havent tried that.Instead I cook rice and chicken masala separately,layer them and baked in conventional method.Special thanks to Annita and Shynee for giving this wonderful Malabar recipe....

Ingredients....

Basmati Rice - 1 kg
Chicken cut into big pieces - 1 kg
Thinly Sliced Onion- 3 big
Sliced Tomato - 2 big
Ghee - as needed
Broken cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Lime - 1 big
Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Chopped Mint leaves - 1 small bunch
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Biriyani Masala Powder 3tsp
Rose water - 2 tbsp(optional)
Saffron - 1 gm(optional)
Boiled eggs - 2
Salt - as req

For Marinating Chicken

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as needed

For Grinding

Green Chillies - 7-8
Garlic - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds soaked in water for 5- 10 mts - 2 tsp

Method...

1) Marinate chicken with ingredients listed.Apply well and let it stand for 1 hr or so in refrigerator.

2)Wash and soak rice for 15 mins.In a heavy bottomed pan,cook rice along with salt,cloves,cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamom with enough water.when its 3/4 cooked,strain the excess water.Spread the rice in a flat serving dish,and sprinkle 3-4 drops of lime juice, allow it to cool.

3)Heat a little ghee in a pan and roast cashews and raisins till brown and keep it aside.Now add half of sliced onion and fry them until they are well browned.Add more ghee /oil if needed.Drain them into a tissue paper and reserve .Now into the same oil,add marinated chicken pieces and shallow fry them for a while. This can enhance the taste and also make the chicken pieces more firm.

4)Now add rest of the onions and saute them till translucent(add 1 tbsp of ghee/oil,if needed0.Mix in tomatoes,salt and the ground paste and saute them for 2-3 mts.Stir in curd and lemon juice and saute until oil separates.Now add fried chicken pieces,mix well,cover and cook.

5)When it is half done,add Coriander leaves,Mint leaves,curry leaves and 2 tsp Biriyani masala powder.Mix and allow the chicken to cook well in medium heat,until all water is absorbed and chicken pieces are coated with gravy.Switch off the stove.

6)Take a biriyani pot,spread chicken pieces along with the gravy in the bottom.Now add one layer of cooked rice over chicken.Sprinkle a little biriyani masala powder,fried onions,cashews, raisins and saffron(mixed in rosewater)U can even use leonjuice+turmeric powder mixture instead of safforn,here i used this.Repeat the same for 2 more layers with chicken ,rice and fried cashew-raisins-onions etc.Seal the vessel with aluminium foil and bake it for 15 mts at 300 F.Mix thoroughly and serve hot with whole boiled eggs ,Raita ,Pickle and Pappad or Ulli surka.