Chicken Biryani - In a jiffy (Cooker Recipe)

Approx time : 25 mins

Recipe loosely adapted from
http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-biryani-in-pressure-cooker/

Ingredients :

For tempering : 

1. Bay leaf - (2 small/medium size)
2. green cardamamoms - 3
3. cloves - 5
4. one inch cinnamon stick - 1
5. star anise - 1
6. shahi jeera - 1/2 tsp

Marination :

1. large lime - 1  or vinegar
2. Salt as needed
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4. 1/2 tsp red chilly powder

Rest of the ingredients:

• about 700gm chicken (with bone) - Boneless doesn't turn out as tasty
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt as needed
• 1 medium sized tomato (finely chopped)
• 1 - 2 tbsp curd
• 15 large mint leaves - finely chopped
• corriander leaves - finely chopped - about a fist full (after chopping)
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 green chilly - chopped
• 1 large onion - slices
• 3 tsp ready made biryani masala (Suhana biryani masala is tasty)

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed under marination atleast 1 hour prior to preparation. 
2. In a large cooker (5 litres), add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the spices mentioned under tempering. Saute till they begin to sizzle. 
3. Next, add in the onions and saute till they are golden brown. 
4. Next, add in the ginger garlic paste till the raw aroma of the paste disappears.
5. Next, add in the tomato and cook till the tomato is no longer raw. It should be well fried. Take care not to burn the mix.
6. Next, add the biryani masala and saute for about a minute. Do not let the masala burn.
7. Next , add the curd, finely chopped corriander, pudina (mint leaves), and green chillies. 
8. Stir to combine well.
9. Next, add the marinated chicken and mix well for about 3 minutes. Let the masala coat the chicken well.
10. Next, add the washed rice and fry the rice along with the masala for a minute. Take care not to break the rice.
11. Next, Add 3 /14 cups water. Close the lid of the cooker. Put the weight on the cooker. 
12. Pressure cook on HIGH heat on the medium burner of your gas stove for 3 whistles.
13. Turn of the heat immediately after the third whistle.
14. Let the steam escape on it's own. 
15. Garnish with corriander leaves.
16. Serve with a raita/salan.

Red velvet cupcakes

You can use the recipe below for both the cupcakes as well as the frosting!
Tried and tested again!

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/red-velvet-cupcakes

Tuna salad

Time : 10 mins

Ingredients :

1 large onion or 2 small onions - chopped very fine
1 tomato - chopped very fine
1 large capsicum or 2 small capsicums - chopped very fine
1 can tuna in oil/sardines in brine etc
vinegar to taste (about 1 - 2 teaspoons)
salt to taste
A pinch of sugar (optional)


Method :

1. Combine the onion, tomatoes, capsicum in a bowl. 
2. Add in the fish (shredded) along with the oil in the tin. 
3. Mix well
4. Add salt and a pinch of sugar if required.
5. Add vinegar as per taste.
6. Tuna salad in minutes is ready!

Chicken Curry (In the cooker) - Easy, super-quick

Approximate time required : 15 mins

This recipe serves 3.

Ingredients :

Chicken, cut into medium pieces  - About 300-400 gm roughly (with bone or boneless)
Onions - 1 large, chopped fine
Tomato - 1 small, chopped fine
Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped - 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon 1 inch
Cloves 3
Pepper corns - 4 whole
Green cardamoms 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking (About 1-2 tablespoons)
Any chicken masala (readymade/xacuti masala etc) - about 1-2 teaspoons.
Water - 1 1/2 cup roughly

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with lemon/vinegar and salt for at least 15 mins - 1 hr prior to cooking.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add green cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon,pepper corns and sauté.
3. Add the onion and saute the onions till they turn golden brown in colour. You can add a pinch of salt for faster uniform browning of the onions. 
4. Add garlic paste, ginger paste. Mix and sauté well. Continue saute-ing till the raw aroma disappears (roughly a minute). Don't let it burn.
5. Next, add in the finely chopped tomato, and saute until the tomato is soft and cooked. 
6. Add the chicken masala, and fry well. 
7. Next, add in the pre-marinated chicken pieces and toss in the masala for about 3 minutes.Check for salt. Adjust as required. Bear in mind that you have already added salt while marinating the chicken.
8. Add water and stir well.
9. Now, put the lid on the cooker, add the weight, and on the medium burner of your gas stove, cook for about 3 whistles on High.
10. Keep the cooker aside till the steam is let off.
11. Now, open the cooker, put it back on the flame, add corriander and cook for a minute till the chicken is cooked. 
12. Chicken curry in a cooker is ready!

Recipe loosely adapted from :
http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Quick-Pressure-Cooker-Chicken-Curry.html

Chocolate mousse cake (moist and awesome)

Ingredients
      250-300 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, or dark chocolate drops
      150 g butter
      5 eggs
      50 g caster sugar
      cocoa powder, for dusting



Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160c fan/gas 4. Line the base of a 20 cm
diameter spring-from/loose bottomed cake tin with a disc of baking
parchment and grease the sides with butter.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan
of simmering water and allow to melt, then remove from the heat and set
aside.

3. Place the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl and, using a hand-held
electric beater or electric mixer, whisk for 7–10 minutes or until the
mixture forms a light, pale mousse.

4. Fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs until fully combined, then pour
into the prepared tin and bake for 20–22 minutes or until the cake is
almost set. Allow to cool down completely in the tin before removing, then
dust with cocoa powder and cut into slices to serve.

Easy pumpkin chapatis - great way to have pumpkin!

Ingredients :

1. One small pumpkin (grated), if you have a large pumpkin, cut out a quarter and grate it. You will have to skin the pumpkin first.
2. Jaggery powder (as per taste)
3. Salt (to taste)
4. Whole wheat flour (as required).
5. Elaichi powder/nutmeg powder/ coconut powder/freshly grated coconut (as per your liking).

Method :

1. In a non-stick, add the grated pumpkin along with the jaggery. Add salt to taste. Cook on a low flame till the pumpkin is cooked.
2. Once, it's cooked, remove it from the flame and let it cool.
3. Now, add the atta into the pumpkin, add elaichi powder/coonut powder/nutmeg powder/ freshly grated coconut and knead it into a dough (Don't add any additional water).
4. Now, roast the chapatis with some ghee/oil.

Easy and yummy chicken mince cutlets

This is a great easy-to-make recipe. It can be made before hand and stored in the freezer for a few days. You can thaw a few cutlets as and when you need them.

Ingredients :

1. About 300-500 gm chicken mince 
2. salt to taste
3. 3-4 red chillies (Whole)
4. tamarind one small ball
5. 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
6. 2 big onions (finely chopped)
7. garlic - 15 pods (finely chopped or pounded in a mortar pestle).
8. ginger - little lesser than garlic (finely chopped or pounded in a mortar pestle).
9. Fine rava/semolina for coating the cutlets
10. Corriander/dhaniya/kothmir (finely chopped ).
11. Pinch of sugar (optional)
12. Bread crumbs (toasting the bread, cooling it and then crumbing it also gives the cutlets a different, lovely flavor).
13. Oil (about 1-2 tbsp)
14. Little water (1/8th cup, only if necessary)

Method: 

1.  Wash the mince gently. 
2. Then add  mince, salt, red chillies, tamarind, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger in a vessel (non-stick preferably). 
3. Cook covered for about 20 mins till the mince is cooked, and the water has dried out. (Add water only if necessary, else the cutlets will become soggy).
4. Check for sourness and saltiness. Adjust with salt, lime/vinegar if required. You can add a pinch of sugar of you like.
5. Once the mince cools, run it through  a mixer . It should be coarse in texture.
6. Next, in a bowl combine the mince, bread crumbs and corriander together.
7. Now, shape the mince into mini balls and then flatten them out into roundish /oval cutlets.
8. Now, lighlty coat them with  rava.
9. Heat some oil.
10. Shallow fry  the cutlets on each side till done.

* Freeze the rest of the cutlets. Shallow fry only the amount you actually require, freeze the rest.

Pork Ribs - Anisha's easy recipe

Pork ribs 


Ingredients :

10 red chillies
Ginger garlic paste
Mustard powder 
Soya sauce
Tomato hot n sour sauce
Vinegar
Salt a bit

Mix ingredients well n apply on display ribs
Use a fork to pork well
Keep in fridge  for about 5 days n daily turn it post poking it
Pressure cook until soft with a bit of water 
Once cooked remove ribs n boil d gravy until becomes like a sauce..u could add honey at this point.

Easy-peasy and finger-licking good!

Cabbage - peas vegetable (turns out pretty good).

Finely cut cabbage - 1/2 medium sized cabbage

Green peas - 1 cup

Onions - 2 small, finely chopped

1 green chilly - finely cut

Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp

Tomatoes - 1 finely chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece, finely chopped

Red chilly pwd - 1 tsp

Haldi - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

1-1/2 tbsp oil

Amchur (1/2 - 1 tsp)

Handful of corriander leaves (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Method 

Heat Oil in a non stick pan

When it is heated, add jeera

Then Once it crackles, add the finely chopped onion. Add a little salt for faster browning of onions.

Add green chillies.

Once the onion becomes a little brown, add finely chopped ginger, fry till nicely done for about 3-4 minutes

Then add tomato and fry the tomato nicely till the oil starts to seaparate.

Then add the haldi and red chilly powder and fry for about 1-2 minutes.

Then add the cabbage and the green peas, add salt, mix well, cook , covered with lid for about 20-30 minutes. Add water if necessary.

Keep stirring in between and checking. 

Towards the end, adjust for salt,if too mild, add red chilly powder.

Then add the corriander and cook covered for another 2-3 minutes.

Adjust for sourness with amchur/squeezed lime. 

Goan Pork Sausages - Stir Fry/Gravy

This is perhaps the best way to have sausages. By adding a whole lot of veggies to it :)

Ingredients:

1.  About 5 finger sized Goa Pork Sausage chunks (Costas etc). (You can increase or decrease the chunks as per your preference).
2. A handful each of corn, green peas, carrot (cut into roundels), capsicum (either cut long or into small 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch chunks.
3. Two large potatoes (each potato cut into about 8 pieces roughly)
4. Two onions - cubed. 
5. 1 red chilly.
6. Salt to taste.
7. Pinch of sugar (as per taste)
8. Vinegar/Lime (purely optional, only if required).

Method :

1) Add all the above (upto point 6 in the list above). in a pressure cooker. Mix well on low-medium flame for about a minute or two.

2) Pressure cook for four whistles, the sausage will be well cooked by then. 

3) DO NOT release the steam.

4) Once the steam goes down on its own, dry the water on a high flame. Keep stirring the mix. You need not dry out the entire mix if you need a little gravy. Check for sourness, saltiness. Add vinegar/lime, salt and sugar as required.

*The sausage already has vinegar as a preservative, so generally you would not need to add additional vinegar.

Vanilla sponge cake - Oil based

Awesome moist vanilla sponge cake. Recipe adapted from here.
http://justeasyrecipes.co.za/2009/08/27/vanilla-cake/

Ingredients :

Serves (1 layer, about an inch in size)

3/4th cup sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 2/4 cup all-purpose flower
1/2 cup milk
half of 3/4th cup veg oil. (non-flavoured oil)
 1 1/8th tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence.
Fresh cream - about 3 tablespoons.


1) Grease a round baking dish (medium sized) with butter +dusted maida or line it with butter paper.
Grease the sides too.

2) In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened – about one minute. The eggs should combine well, else the cake will be eggy.

3) Add sifted flour, milk, oil, baking powder and vanilla essence, and beat for another minute – just until the batter is smooth and creamy. Don’t overbeat. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.

4) Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick poked into the centre of the layer comes out clean.

5) Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a thin knife, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper. Let cool completely before covering with chocolate ganache frosting.

Cake decoration - Chocolate ganache icing

1) Prepare chocolate ganache as explained in the previous post.
2) Now, gently place the cake with the flat side on the top, on a turn table.
3) Cut the cake into two and apply some chocolate ganache between the two layers.
4) Now, put the layers back together. You can also put a layer of whipped cream, cut citrous fruits, jam, jelly etc between the two layers.
5) Now, once the two layers are back together, cover the entire cake with the ganache. Cover the sides as well. Use a flat knife for the same.
6) Now, pour a good layer of ganache on the top of the cake, and spread it evenly over the entire
cake.

7)Now, beat some whipped cream to stiff peaks, pour it into a piping bag. Cut a small hole at the end of the piping back (about 2 mm in size).

8) Now, draw horizontal lines on the ganache with the whipped cream. The lines should be about half a centimeter apart. Don't spread out the lines too much, or you won't get the icing effect.
Try and keep a steady hand, so that you get straight lines. Don't fret if you mess up. A tasty cake is all that matters.
9) Next, turn the cake 180 degrees, and with a toohpick, using gentle hands, draw vertical lines at about 1 cm distance from each other.
Now, again turn the cake 180 degrees, and with the tooth pick draw veritical lines, between the previously drawn vertical lines.

10) A lovely pattern will begin to emerge.

11) Leave it in the fridge to set.
The pattern looks much neater once it's set.
12) Now, add some cherries or cut fruits(cut into wedges) on the cake. Use kiwis etc.

Check this blog for a detailed link with pictures!
https://food52.com/blog/12964-the-magic-of-marblin

Choco Ganache (with rum optional)

Ingredients :

150 ml whipped cream
75 ml (heaped chopped chocolate) - at room temperature
Rum - about 2 tablespoons (optional)


Bring whipped cream to a boil on a low simmer, until it just starts to bubble, whilst stirring continuously.
Then pour this liquid cream directly onto the chopped chocolate.
Leave it aside, covered for about 2 mins.
Now, the chocolate should have melted.
Now, stir the mix continuously, till the cream and the chocolate is well mixed and well combined.
It should become of slightly running consistency.

Mix in the rum as taste.

Chocolane ganache with rum is ready.

Awesome eggless chocolate cake recipe

Pretty awesome recipe to follow.

http://www.spiceupthecurry.com/chocolate-cake-egg-less/#wprm-recipe-container-28313

Frosting : Chocolate ganache with rum  frosting, with whipped cream icing.