Mavinakayi Chitranna (South India)

Mavinakayi Chitranna is one another recipe that goes with the taste of most South Indian cuisines. However, this recipe is from the kitchens of Karnataka.

Ingredients

Cooked rice 2 cups

Raw mango 1 cup (grated)

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds 1½ teaspoons

Fenugreek seeds ¼ teaspoon

Curry leaves 8 to 10

Green chilies 5 to 6

Coriander leaves a few

Chana daal ½ tablespoon

Urad daal ½ tablespoon

Grated coconut 1 tablespoon

Asafetida 1 pinch

Vegetable oil as required

Salt to taste

Method §  In a frying pan dry roast ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds separately; pound them to smooth powder and keep it aside. §  Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; add remaining mustard seeds to crackle; add cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves one by one and sauté for a few seconds; add chana daal and urad daal to the same frying pan and stir for a minute or two; add green chilies and sauté for some time; add powdered ingredients and grated coconut and cook by stirring until coconut is cooked; add grated mangoes and cook well by stirring until water is absorbed and mixture gets thicken; add salt to your taste and coriander leaves; once cooked to your taste allow the mixture to cool. §  Mix with cooked rice to your taste and enjoy.

Mavinakayi Chitranna (South India)

Mavinakayi Chitranna is one another recipe that goes with the taste of most South Indian cuisines. However, this recipe is from the kitchens of Karnataka.

Ingredients

Cooked rice 2 cups

Raw mango 1 cup (grated)

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds 1½ teaspoons

Fenugreek seeds ¼ teaspoon

Curry leaves 8 to 10

Green chilies 5 to 6

Coriander leaves a few

Chana daal ½ tablespoon

Urad daal ½ tablespoon

Grated coconut 1 tablespoon

Asafetida 1 pinch

Vegetable oil as required

Salt to taste

Method §  In a frying pan dry roast ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds separately; pound them to smooth powder and keep it aside. §  Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; add remaining mustard seeds to crackle; add cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves one by one and sauté for a few seconds; add chana daal and urad daal to the same frying pan and stir for a minute or two; add green chilies and sauté for some time; add powdered ingredients and grated coconut and cook by stirring until coconut is cooked; add grated mangoes and cook well by stirring until water is absorbed and mixture gets thicken; add salt to your taste and coriander leaves; once cooked to your taste allow the mixture to cool. §  Mix with cooked rice to your taste and enjoy.

Goan Mussel Pulao (Goa)

Another tasty recipe from Goa is Mussel Pulao. Being one of the costal states of India, Goa’s seafood recipes are many and finger licking tasty, and this one with Mussels is one among them.

Ingredients

Long grain rice 2 cups

Mussels 1 cup

Onion 1 large (sliced)

Tomato 1 (chopped)

Cinnamon 2 small

Cloves 4

Cardamom seeds 1 teaspoon

Red chilies 3

Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Coriander leaves and grated coconut for garnishing

Vegetable oil as required

Salt to taste

Method §  Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes; §  Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan; add finely sliced onion into it and fry to translucent; add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, chili and sauté for a minute. §  Add mussels and fry for 5 minutes; add tomatoes and stir in low flame for another 6 to 7 minutes. §  Add turmeric powder and salt and stir well to mix. §  Add rice and 3 cups of water; cook by covering until rice is cooked and all water is absorbed. §  Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut; serve hot.

Arroz Refogado (Goa)

Don’t you feel the name is quite complicated to pronounce? Anyway, we feel it is quite difficult to pronounce. Name is in Portuguese language but the meaning is Fried Rice. This famous Goan recipe is a good option for lunch.

Ingredients

Long grain rice 4 cups

Boneless chicken pieces 4 cups

Chicken stock 8 cups

Onions 6 (sliced thinly)

Tomatoes ½ cup (chopped)

Beans ½ cup chopped

Carrots ½ cup (diced)

Green peas ¼ cup

Garlic 6 (chopped)

Cloves 6

Cocktail sausages 4-6

Boiled eggs 2

Salt to taste     

Vegetable oil as required

Water as required

Method §  Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes; §  In one deep bottom vessel boil water; add boneless chicken pieces, salt, diced carrots, beans, green peas, and a little onions; cook until chicken is done in low flame. §  Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry onions to translucent; add tomatoes (after removing all seeds) stir to mix; §  Add rice and cloves to the saucepan and stir well for 5 to 6 minutes in low flame. §  Pour in chicken gravy, 2 cups of water, and chicken stock to the rice; add salt and cook until rice is cooked and gravy dried out remove from fire and serve hot.

Arroz Refogado (Goa)

Don’t you feel the name is quite complicated to pronounce? Anyway, we feel it is quite difficult to pronounce. Name is in Portuguese language but the meaning is Fried Rice. This famous Goan recipe is a good option for lunch.

Ingredients

Long grain rice 4 cups

Boneless chicken pieces 4 cups

Chicken stock 8 cups

Onions 6 (sliced thinly)

Tomatoes ½ cup (chopped)

Beans ½ cup chopped

Carrots ½ cup (diced)

Green peas ¼ cup

Garlic 6 (chopped)

Cloves 6

Cocktail sausages 4-6

Boiled eggs 2

Salt to taste     

Vegetable oil as required

Water as required

Method §  Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes; §  In one deep bottom vessel boil water; add boneless chicken pieces, salt, diced carrots, beans, green peas, and a little onions; cook until chicken is done in low flame. §  Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry onions to translucent; add tomatoes (after removing all seeds) stir to mix; §  Add rice and cloves to the saucepan and stir well for 5 to 6 minutes in low flame. §  Pour in chicken gravy, 2 cups of water, and chicken stock to the rice; add salt and cook until rice is cooked and gravy dried out remove from fire and serve hot.

Thenga Choru (South India)

The name is actually from Kerala but the recipe is popular throughout South India either as Coconut Rice, Kobbari Annam or Thenga Choru. Comparatively easier than Biryani to prepare, this dish is very tasty.

Ingredients

Long grain rice 2 cups

Coconut milk 4 cups

Carrot ½ cup (diced)

Beans ¼ cup (chopped)

Lemon ½ (juice)

Cummin seeds ½ teaspoon

Cinnamon 1 stick

Cloves 3

Cardamoms seeds ½ teaspoon

Green chilies 3 (slit)

Onion 2 large (sliced)

Cashew nuts 8 to 10 (split)

Raisins 8 to 10

Ghee, water and curry leaves as required

Method §  Wash and soak rice for 1 hour; drain and keep aside. §  Heat ghee in a saucepan; sauté cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, green chilies, and curry leaves; add half of the sliced onions and sauté to translucent; add carrots and beans and stir for 2 to 3 minutes in medium flame. §  Add rice and stir in low flame for 4 to 5 minutes; add coconut milk and allow it to boil; add salt and lemon juice; cook under cover until rice is done and all coconut milk is absorbed; if required add a little more water to get the rice cooked well; once cooked keep aside. §   Heat a frying pan with ghee; add remaining onions to it and fry until brown and keep aside; in the same ghee fry cashew nuts and raisins separately and keep aside; mix the leftover ghee with cooked rice and garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Bisi Bele Bath (South India)

This rice made dish is quite similar to Pongal or Kichuri with a slight variation in taste and preparation. Though Bisi Bele Bath is widely available through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it is originally a Karnataka dish. We tasted the dish first time from a vegetarian restaurant in Bangalore and we liked the taste.

Ingredients

Rice 1 cup (long grain)

Toor daal 1 cup

Potatoes ¾ cup (diced)

Carrots ½ cup (diced)

Beans ½ cup (chopped)

Green peas ½ cup

Tamarind juice ½ cup

Cashew nuts 8 (slit)

Asafetida 1 pinch

Ghee 1½ tablespoons

Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon

Coriander leaves a few

Vegetable oil as required

Ghee 3 teaspoons

Water as required

Salt to taste

Masala powder ingredients

Coriander seeds 2 tablespoons

Fenugreek seeds 1 tablespoon

Chana daal 1 tablespoon

Urad daal ½ tablespoon

Red chilies 6

Clove 2 to 3

Cinnamon 2 (small)

Method §  Roast all masala ingredients and grind them to fine powder. §  Wash & soak rice for 30 minutes. §  Wash & soak toor daal for 10 minutes; drain and pressure cook toor daal to tender. §  Heat a frying pan with 3 teaspoons of ghee; fry cashew nuts and keep aside; §  Heat some vegetable oil to the same frying pan with leftover ghee in it; add all vegetables and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. §  Add salt, turmeric powder, asafetida, and masala powder; sauté for another 2 minutes. §  Add rice and stir for a minute; add cooked toor daal and stir to mix well; add tamarind juice and 4 cups of water; cook until all water is absorbed. §  If rice is not cooked well, add some more water and cook until done. §  Garnish with fried cashew nuts, coriander leaves and serve hot. A similar dish from Tamilnadu is known as Sambar Sadham, though taste may differ a little.

Kashmiri Pulao (Kashmir)

Naturally, the name says where from the cuisine is originated. Yet, my first experience with Kashmiri Pulao was in Bhubaneswar, and I fall in love with the cuisine on my first try itself. By the way, if you imagine spicy cuisine from Kashmiri Pulao, you are wrong; this one is one sweet main course that India is hosting.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 2 cups

Sugar 8 teaspoons

Saffron 2 teaspoons

Apple 2 cups (chopped)

Pomegranate 1 cup (seeds)

Almonds ¼ cup (sliced)

 Cashews ½ cup (split)

Raisins ½ cup

Carrots 1cup

Green peas 1 cup

Corn ¾ cup

Rose water 2 tablespoons

Ghee 4 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Method §  Wash and drain rice; cook drained rice using required water with saffron, ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste), 4 teaspoon sugar and keep aside. §  Boil water in a bowl and cook all vegetables until tender; keep them aside. §  Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a frying pan, and fry almonds, cashew nuts, and raisins; keep aside. §  Mix boiled rice, remaining ghee, remaining sugar, fresh fruits, fried dry fruits, and vegetables. Serve warm with Raita.

Awadhi Biryani (North India)

Another variety of Biryani popular in India is Awadhi Biryani. Famous in Lucknow in India, this dish has roots from Persian families. Comparing to other forms of Biryanis, this one has a slightly different taste, and of course the procedure. Usually prepared with Chicken, you can try preparing the dish with Mutton or with vegetables.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 2 cups

Chicken pieces 2 cups

Curd 1 cup

Onion 2 (sliced)

Garlic 2 teaspoons (paste)

Ginger 2 teaspoons (paste)

Green chili 2 teaspoons (paste)

Mint leaves 8 to 10

Corriender leaves 10 to 12

Lemon 1 small (juice)

Cumin powder 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds ½ teaspoon (powdered)

Nutmeg powder ½ teaspoon

Cardamom 1 teaspoon (seeds)

Cinnamon 3 to 4 (small sticks)

Cloves 3 to 4

Garam Masala 1 tablespoon

Chili powder 2 teaspoons

Pepper corns 4 to 6

Saffron 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil as required

Method §  Wash chicken pieces and marinate them with a paste of lemon juice, cumin powder, fenugreek powder, coriander powder, chili powder, and salt for 30 minutes. §  Boil water in a bowl with salt to your taste; add washed – drained rice and cook in high flame for 4 minutes; §   Remove half of the rice, rinse in cold water, drain, and keep aside; Cook the remaining rice for another 2 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, and keep separately. §  Heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil and fry marinated chicken for 3 to 4 minutes and keep aside. §  In the same frying pan fry onions to golden yellow; add garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, green chili paste, mint leaves, coriander leaves and salt to taste; sauté for 1 minute in low flame; add fried chicken pieces and curd and cook well to a thick gravy. §  Now like Kerala Biryani, spread a layer of cooked chicken with gravy, then a layer of less cooked rice then another layer of cooked chicken with gravy, then a layer of more cooked rice, and finally a layer of remaining ingredients in a handi and bake for 30 to 40 minutes after closing the handi tight. §  Once cooked mix well and serve with Raita, and pudina chutney. §  Serving with thick curd is also a common practice.

Chicken Biryani (Kerala)

Biryani is one cuisine that most of the people love throughout Kerala to be served in parties or events. Although Biryani is a dish prepared in other parts of India, they all have differences in preparations and taste.

Ingredients

Chicken 1 kg (big pieces)

Basmati Rice 1 kg

Onions 2 large (sliced)

Tomato 2 large (chopped)

Cashew nuts ¼ cup (split)

Raisins ¼ cup

Curd 1 cup

Lemon 1 (juice)

Coriander leaves 8 to 10

Mint leaves 6 to 8

Curry leaves 2 sprigs

Cloves 2

Green cardamom 2

Cinnamon stick 3 to 4

Nutmeg powder ½ teaspoon

Cumin powder ½ teaspoon

Fennel seed powder ½ teaspoon

Star Aniseeds 2 to 3

Vazhana leaves 2

Rose water 2 tablespoon

Saffron 1 pinch

Boiled eggs 2

Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon

Chili powder 1 teaspoon

Green chili paste 1½ teaspoons

Ginger paste ¾ teaspoon

Garlic paste ¾ teaspoon

Poppy seed paste ¾ teaspoon

Salt to taste

Ghee as required

Method §  Wash and soak rice for an hour; drain water and keep aside. §  Marinate chicken pieces in a paste of turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt for 30 to 40 minutes in refrigerator; §  Boil rice in a cooking bowl with water at 1:2 ratio (1 cup rice - 2 cups of water); you may also add some salt. §  Heat some ghee in a frying pan and fry half of onions, cashew nuts, and raisins separately and keep them aside. In the same ghee or add a little more ghee to it and fry chicken pieces for some time; keep it aside. §  Add more ghee to the frying pan; add remaining onions and sauté until translucent; add tomatoes, salt, green chili paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, and poppy seed paste and sauté for 3 minutes; stir in curd and lemon juice and cook until ghee separates. §  Mix fried chicken pieces to the gravy, cover and cook for 5 minutes; add mint leaves, coriander leaves, curry leaves, cumin powder, nutmeg powder, and fennel seed powder to the gravy and cook in medium flame until all water is absorbed and chicken is done. §  In a handi (a vessel normally used for making Biryani), spread a layer of chicken along with its thick gravy; on that spread a layer of half-cooked rice; on that sprinkle some fried onions, cashew nuts, raisin, saffron, cloves, cardamom, star aniseeds, cinnamon sticks, and vazhana leaves; then another layer of rice and repeat the layering until all rice, cooked chicken, and other ingredients are done; seal the vessel with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes; mix well with rose water and add boiled eggs. §  Serve hot with pappads, onion salad, and pickle.