Corn Fried Rice | Sweet Corn Fried Rice | Corn Veg Fried Rice

Corn Fried Rice | Sweet Corn Fried Rice | Corn Veg Fried Rice is a tasty fried rice and I should say that my family enjoyed  the sweet taste of fresh corn in the fried rice. Once we tasted this dish  at Crowne Plaza, KL, Malaysia but it was very bland. For a long time, I was planning to make this dish with an Indian touch and today, you can see the result of those plans. Nowadays, I decide my weekend menu considering my blog because only on holidays, I have time to take photographs. But  I don’t want to spend too much of time in the kitchen since summer has started in Chennai.  I should also satisfy my son’s holiday meal with something that he likes the most. So I thought of making this fried rice, and needless to say, the dish turned out amazingly well. 

Ingredients:

Basmati rice     - 1 cup

Garlic (very finely chopped)  - 1 tbsp 

Ginger (very finely chopped)  - 1 tbsp

Sweet corn Kernels – ¾ cup

Capsicum         - ¼ cup

Carrot  - 1 No.

Beans   -  3 Nos.

Spring onion  - 2 sprigs

Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

Soya sauce – 1 tsp

Chilli sauce  - 1 tbsp

Pepper powder - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil  - 3 tbsp

 Method:

1. Wash & soak basmati rice for about minimum 15 minutes.
2. Cook the basmati rice with 1:2 water and salt. Spread the cooked rice in a flat bowl and drizzle some oil over  it so that it will not stick.
3. Cut the vegetables into thin, long pieces. Finely chop the white and green parts of the spring onion and keep them ready.
4. Remove the kernels from the sweet corn. Wash and cook in enough water by adding little salt for about 5 minutes. Drain the kernels from water and keep aside.
5. In a flat bottomed non stick pan, pour oil and add finely chopped garlic, ginger and sauté till you get nice aroma. Add white part of the spring onion, sauté a little, then add all vegetables along with a portion of finely chopped spring onion (green part) and sauté vegetables in high flame for 2 minutes.
6. When the vegetables are 3/4^th done, add the corn kernels and sauté everything in high flame.
7. Then add salt required for vegetables and all sauces, sauté well for 1 minute. By this time, the veggies would have shrunk.
8. Then add rice ,  pepper powder and the balance spring onion , gently mix rice with vegetable- corn mixture. Check for salt & spice  and add if required. After everything gets mixed with the rice evenly, switch off the stove. 

Your tasty Corn Fried Rice is ready to serve! It can be served with tomato sauce, any raita or veg/non-veg Manchurian of your choice!! We had this fried rice with cucumber raita and tomato sauce. Try this once & it will be in your regular menu J

Note:

• I have used fresh corns in this recipe, if you want you can even add frozen corn.
• You can add ajinomotto if you want more Chinese favour which I don’t prefer to add.
• You can use white pepper powder also instead of black one.

Tags: Indo Chinese Fried Rice recipe, Restaurant style corn fried rice, How to make corn fried rice at home? Sweet corn and mixed vegetables fried rice, Indianised version of  corn fried rice, corn -veg fried rice, fried rice without ajinomotto, Fried rice varieties, Sweet corn fried rice, How to prepare sweet corn fried rice at home?, Frozen corn fried rice recipe, Sweet corn recipes, Frozen corn recipes, Corn recipes.

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Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney

Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney is very easy to prepare and comes handy when we don’t have ingredients other than onion & tomato  at home or have very little time to cook. I love to have this chutney with hot, steaming idlies even though  it goes well with dosa, chapathi, roti, poori, etc. My mom is an expert in making this chutney and I remember those days when we sat together and had this chutney with thick pizza-like dosa (but soft!)!

Here is my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

• Bengal gram flour | Besan flour | Kadalai maavu  - 2 tbsp
• Onion (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Tomato (finely chopped) – 1 No.
• Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro | Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cinnamon – 1 “ stick

Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and season with cinnamon stick & fennel seeds.
2. Add finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent.
3. Add tomato and sauté until it becomes mushy.
4. Now add besan flour and fry in simmer until the raw smell of besan goes off. Ensure that the flour doesn’t form lumps.
5. Then add 2 cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil.
6. When the besan flour gets cooked, switch off, garnish with coriander leaves and transfer to a serving bowl.

Your tasty Bombay Chutney is ready to serve! As I said, it goes well with soft idlies, spongy dosas, rotis, etc.

Note:

• Care should be taken while frying the flour in oil i.e. the raw smell of the flour should go off, the flour must not form lumps and it must not get burnt.

To view  Kadalai Maavu Chutney | Besan Flour Chutney | Bombay Chutney Recipe in Tamil, click http://ranisarusuvai.blogspot.in/2013/12/blog-post_28.html

Tags:Besan flour chutney recipe, Bengal gram flour chutney, simple chutney recipes, Chutney for Idli/Dosa, Side dish for poori, Side dish for Indian flat bread, Quick side dish for chapathi/roti, Bambay chutney recipe, Kadalai mavu chutney recipe, secret of making bombay chutney perfect, side dish for soft idli, side dish for sponge dosa, kadalai mavu chutney recipe

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Senai Kizhangu Fry | Elephant Yam Fry | Chettinad Chenai Kilangu Varuval

Senai Kizhangu Fry | Elephant Yam Fry | Chettinad Chenai Kilangu Varuval is a simple fry, yet it will be an exotic accompaniment for any rice dish. As I said already in my earlier post for Pidi Karunai Masiyal, Senaikilangu is mostly known as Karunai Kizhangu in Chennai. Though there are many methods of making this fry, the recipe I’m giving here is very simple with minimum ingredients. I heard many people stay away from this tasty tuber because of its itchiness and some seem to be allergic too. But if you use this vegetable after leaving it for some days, it won’t cause irritation. It should not be used when fresh. I make this fry quite often for dhal rice, sambar rice, etc.

Ingredients:

• Senaikilangu – 250 gms
• Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Oil – 2 to 3 tbsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel the skin from senaikilangu and wash well in running water.
2. Cut into thin, tiny, cubes and keep it aside.
3. In a non-stick pan, heat oil and season with fennel seeds and curry leaves.
4. Then add required salt and red chilli powder, give a quick stir to mix all ingredients evenly with oil.
5. Immediately, add cubed senai kizhangu and mix everything well.
6. Cook covered with a lid in medium fire,  for about 8-10 minutes, stirring in between.
7. Open the lid and fry in simmer for about 5 minutes.

Your crispy Senai Kizhangu Fry is ready to serve! It goes well with sambar, dhal, rasam or curd. I use the left over fry, if any, for evening snack?! It would be so spicy & yummy to have with a hot cup of coffee! Today I made this fry with Beans Thanni Sambar, a Chettinad special sambar!

Note:

• I didn’t add tamarind juice in this recipe. If you have a second thought about its itchiness, just add few drops of thick tamarind juice in step(4).

Tags: Senaikilangu varuval recipe, simple yam fry recipe, Elephant yam recipes, Karunaikizhangu recipes, senai kizhangu varuval recipe, simple senai varuval, how to make simple fry with elephant yam, Chenai Kizhangu varuval, Chettinad Chenai Kizhangu Fry, senaikilangu poriyal recipe, Vegetarian fry recipes

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Aam Panna | Aam ka Panna | Raw Mango Drink

Aam Panna | Aam ka Panna | Raw Mango Drink is a healthy Indian summer drink prepared with raw mangoes and some other condiments. It is a famous drink in Northern parts of India, prepared to beat the heat during summer. It is believed to protect our body against sun stroke and is an excellent thirst quencher too. This drink will top up all the vitamins & minerals lost due to excessive sweat in hot summer. Truly, we have to be grateful to Mother Nature for providing us with raw mangoes at the right time, giving us a natural way to combat the heat.

As for aam panna, once we make the pulp ready we can make this drink at any time. Today being a holiday, I thought of making aam panna as I also had raw mangoes in the fridge. I prepared everything, kept it in the fridge and went out for some personal work. When I came back and had this, omg…I don’t have words to say! That is why I’m posting this recipe immediately.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Raw Mango – 1 No.(Medium)
• Jaggery – 1 cup
• Mint leaves – 15 Nos
• Roasted cumin powder – ¼ tsp
• Black salt |Kala Namak – ¼ tsp
• Pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Method:

Step I: Preparation of pulp & syrup:

1. Wash and pressure cook the raw mango with enough water for about 3 whistles.
2. Once the pressure subsides, open the pressure cooker and allow the mango to cool completely.
3. Peel the skin of the mango and scoop out the mango pulp from the skin and the seed, discarding both skin & seed.
4. Mash the pulp to a smooth paste with some spatula or blend in a mixer.
5. In the mean time, melt jaggery in a cup of water and strain the impurities. Again heat the strained jaggery syrup till it gets bubble consistency. Keep aside.

Step II: preparation of drink:

1. For preparing the drink for two, blend mint leaves, roasted cumin powder, black salt pepper powder to a fine paste. To this, add 4 tbsp of mango pulp and 6 to 8 tbsp of jaggery syrup with a cup of water and blend everything. Strain and serve with ice cubes.

Your minty, peppery aam panna is ready to quench your thirst!

Note:

• Mango pulp can be stored in an air tight container and kept in the freezer for a month and jaggery syrup can be stored in the refrigerator. The drink can be prepared at any time with the addition of ingredients.
• If you want you can add sugar directly while preparing the drink instead of jaggery syrup.
• The list of ingredients I have given above is as my family’s taste. But you can skip mint | cumin |pepper as per your choice.

Tags: Aam Panna recipe, Summer drink recipes, Raw mango recipes, Aam ka panna, Raw Mango drink recipe, healthy summer drinks, Raw mango summer drink recipe, Indian Sharbat recipes, Indian Drink, North Indian drink, 

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Kanchipuram Rava Upma | Kanjivaram Upma | காஞ்சிபுரம் உப்புமா

Kanchipuram Rava Upma | Kanjivaram Upma | காஞ்சிபுரம் உப்புமா  is  another variety of making breakfast with semolina | rava. My grandma used to make it very often and this recipe has already been published in Malligai Magal magazine and posted in my Tamil Blog “Rani’s Arusuvai Virundhu”. This is slightly different from our regular upma and it tastes different with the addition of more ingredients as we do for “Kanjipuram Idli”. I am sure you can add this as a variety in your breakfast list.

Ingredients:

• Semolina | Rava – 1 cup
• Water – 2 ½ cups
• Onion (finely chopped) –  1 No.
• Green chillies (slitted into 4) – 3 Nos
• Ginger (finely chopped) – ½ “ piece
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Coconut gratings – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Ghee – ½ tsp
• Mustard – ½  tsp
• Bengal gram dhal (Kadalai Paruppu) – 1 tbsp
• Pepper – ½ tsp
• Jeera | Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
• Cashew nuts – 5 No.
• Curry leaves – few

Method:

1. Dry roast the rava in a kadai in simmer  until you get a nice aroma and keep it aside.
2. In a heavy bottomed kadai or Non-stick pan, pour oil and season the items given one by one “for seasoning”.
3. Add onion and sauté till it becomes translucent.
4. Then add ginger & green chillies and sauté for a minute.
5. Then add turmeric powder & coconut gratings and sauté for a while.
6. Add water & required salt and bring it to rolling boil.
7. Then add roasted rava and cook in high flame until the upma thickens.
8. Mix well, simmer the flame and cook for about 5 minutes stirring now & then.
9. Finally add ghee and  cook until you get the upma consistency.

Yummy Kanchipuram Uppuma is ready to serve with any chutney of your choice! My vote is always for Coconut chutney!

Note:

• The water measurement I have given above will give a soft, non-sticky upma  as shown in the pic
• You can increase the ghee quantity to get tastier upma J J

To view Kanchipuram Rava Upma Recipe in Tamil, click http://ranisarusuvai.blogspot.in/2014/02/blog-post.html

Tags: Rava upma recipe, Kanjipuram uppuma recipe, South Indain uppuma recipes, Easy Breakfast recipes, Rava upma varieties, How to make Kajivaram Uppuma?, recipes with semolina, Healthy breakfast recipes, Diabetic friendly recipes, high fibre diet   

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Mulai Keerai Kootu | Amaranth Leaves Kootu | Thotakura Kootu

Mulai Keerai Kootu | Amaranth Leaves Kootu | Thotakura Kootu is a dhal based gravy prepared with mulai keerai | amaranth leaves. Mulai keerai in Tamil is known as Amaranth leaves in English and Thotakura in Telugu. Recently, we are getting fresh, tender greens here  in Chennai. Yesterday, I got a bunch of mulai  keerai  and I made this Keerai kootu since it’s my family’s favorite.  Ofcourse, all greens have their characteristic flavour & taste and when we add the right ingredients, we can bring out the real flavours of any green!

Here we go for the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Mulai keerai (chopped) - 2 cups
• Moong dhal     - ¾ cup
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Shallots            (chopped) - 8 Nos.
• Green chillies(slitted) – 2 Nos.
• Tomato            (chopped) – 1 No.
• Scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) -1 tsp
• Red chilli – 1 No.
• Asafoetida | Hing – a pinch
• Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Clean, wash and finely chop mulai keerai.
2. Cook the moong dhal with turmeric powder  and water until very soft.
3. Pour oil in a kadai and season with the items given “For seasoning”.
4. Then add onion, green chillies  and tomato, sauté for a minute. Now add mulai keerai and mix everything and cook in simmer for about 3 minutes till the greens shrink to half the initial amount.
5. Then add cooked moong dhal along with ¼ cup of water and mix well. Cook the greens with a lid covered for 5 minutes.
6. When the greens get done, add coconut gratings and required salt, mix everything and cook for a minute.

Your tasty, healthy mulai keerai paasi paruppu kootu is ready!! This can  be mixed with rice along with a drop of ghee or can be taken as side dish for kara kuzhambu, Meenkuzhambu or for rasam. Today I served this kootu with Vendaikkai Puli Kuzhambu!

Note:

• You can use the stem if it is tender otherwise use only the greens.
• Carefully add water while cooking greens with dhal to get kootu consistency .

Tags: Greens Recipes, Kootu recipes, Mulai keerai Moon dhal kootu recipe, Amaranth leaves kootu, Amaranth leaves recipe, Thotakura Kootu recipe, Mulai keerai paasi paruppu kootu, Mulai keerai kootu with moon dhal, Keerai Recipes, Side dish for rice, Healthy side dish with greens, Diabetic recipes

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Mangai pachadi | Raw Mango Sweet Pachadi | Maangai Vella Pachadi

Mangai pachadi | Raw Mango Sweet Pachadi | Maangai Vella Pachadi is a traditional dish made for Ugadhi (Telungu New Year)  as well as Tamil New Year.  It is the custom/tradition followed for years to incorporate all six tastes on the New Year Day to symbolize how life is made of ups and downs, joys & sorrows, etc. The raw mango has the characteristic sourness & a slight  thuvarpu (துவர்ப்பு)  taste by nature. While making this pachadi , jaggery (sweet), green chillies (spice) and of course, a pinch of salt is added. To complete the arusuvai (6 tastes), a bit of neem flower (bitter) is added.Even if we can’t do so many dishes on the New Year Day, we can go for this pachadi and fulfil the custom followed on the New Year Day!

Here we go for the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Raw mango – 1 No. (cut pieces measures about 1 ½ cup) 
• Jaggery –3/4 cup
• Salt – a pinch
• Neem flowers – 1 tsp

For seasoning:

• Oil – 1 tsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Jeera – ½ tsp
• Green chillies(slitted) – 2 Nos 

Method:                              -

1. Wash and peel  the skin of the mango. Cut into medium size cubes and keep aside.
2. Melt jaggery in ½ cup of water and strain the impurities.
3. In a heavy bottomed kadai, heat oil and season with the items given “For seasoning”.
4. Then add cut mango pieces & pinch of salt and sauté well. Pour ½  cup of water and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
5. Open the lid and ensure that the mango pieces get cooked well.
6. Now add jaggery syrup and mix everything well. Slightly mash the mango pieces.
7. When the mixture becomes glossy and attains a jam-like consistency, add neem flowers & switch off. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.

Yummy Mangai Vella Pachadi is ready to serve! Normally this dish is meant for side dish with sambar rice or curd rice. But it can also be served as a spread for breads and a dip for starters, a side dish for idli, dosa or for any Indian bread! You can also have it as a side dish for rice.

Note:

• This can be refrigerated for about 2 weeks and enjoy this dish  as you wish! J
• I have used dried neem flowers. Fresh ones can also be added.
• You can adjust the quantity of jaggery and neem flowers as per your taste.

Tags: Raw Mango Pachadi recipe, Tamil New Year Recipes, Mangai vella pachadi, Raw Mango recipes, Mango  sweet pachadi recipe, Mangai & vella pchadi, Managi pachadi with jaggery, How to make raw mango pachadi with jaggery?, Pachadi with 6 tastes, Raw mango & Neem flower Sweet pachadi

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Paanagam| Paanakam | Paanaka | பானகம்

Panagam| Paanakam | Paanaka .... an Indian lemonade made with the goodness of lemon, jaggery, dry ginger powder and cardamom. It is a refreshing drink especially irresistible this hot summer.  This tangy yet sugary drink with little spice is a real thirst quencher.  That is why it has been prepared as  prasadam for almost all temple festivals conducted during summer.  In the temples they prepare this in large vessels called “Anda’’  which has the capacity of about 100 litres . When it is produced in mass, little tamarind juice is alos added.

This is also a special Neivedyam made for Rama Navami, to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama.  Neer Mor and Kosumbari are also the other items made during this day for pooja. Today being Rama Navami, I prepared  paanagam and anyone can try this on any day particularly on sweltering summer days!

Ingredients:

• Water – 5 cups
• Jaggery  (crushed) –  1 cup
• Lemon juice – 2 Nos
• Dry ginger powder – 1tbsp
• Cardamom powder – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Melt jaggery in a cup of water, let it stand for some time. Filter the impurities.
2. Take a big vessel , add water, jaggery syrup, lemon juice, dry ginger powder and cardamom powder.
3. Stir well with a ladle.
4. Allow it to stand for an hour.

Paanagam is ready for Pooja! I have prepared this paanakam in a mud pot and I should say this is a real energy drink!

Note:

• You can increase | decrease the quantity of jaggery and lemon juice depending on your family’s taste. The measurement should be such that the sweetness should get balanced with the tanginess of lemon.
• You can use fresh ginger instead of dry ginger powder.
• You can filter once again after mixing everything.

Tags: How to prepare Paanagam at home? Paanakam recipe, Festival recipes, Rama Navami Recipes, Neivedyam for Temple Festival , Prasadham offeres during Koil Thiruvizha, Summer Festival recipes, Indian Lemonade recipe, 

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Raw Jackfruit Biryani | Raw Jackfruit Pilaf | Palaakkai Biryani | பலாக்காய் பிரியாணி

Raw Jackfruit Biryani | Palaakkai Biryani is yet another version of using raw jackfruit and I should say this is one of the most delicious rice dishes one could make equivalent to non-veg biryani.  As I have mentioned in my earlier post for Raw Jackfruit Curry, my grandma used to make stir fry, kootu, korma, etc., with this raw jackfruit but never made this biryani. I planned to try this so many times before, but always ended up making ” Palaakkai pirattal”, one of the favourite dishes of my family as an accompaniment for sambar. This year I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of tasting this yummy biryani and also posting this recipe on the blog!

Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice – 2 cups
• Raw Jackfruit – ½ No. (small)
• Onion (finely chopped) – 2 Nos.
• Tomatoes (finely chopped) – 3 Nos.
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander  powder – 1tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Biryani masala powder – 1 tsp
• Curd – 2 tbsp
• Coriander |Cilantro (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• Coconut gratings – 2 tbsp
• Red chillies – 2 Nos.
• Fennel seed – ½ tsp
• Khus Khus – ½ tsp

For seasoning:

• Oil | ghee – 2 tbsp
• Bay leaf – 1 No.
• Cinnamon – 1” piece
• Cloves – 2 Nos
• Cardamom – 2 Nos
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Peel the skin and by applying oil on both hands cut it into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the pieces to a bowl of water as we do for raw banana. This prevents the jackfruit pieces  from darkening.
2. Pressure cook the jackfruit pieces by adding salt, turmeric powder and enough water for about 3 to 4 whistles.
3. Allow the pressure to release, open the cooker and drain out the pieces and discard the water and keep  aside.
4. Wash basmati rice in water, drain the water and keep aside.
5. Grind the items given “For grinding” into a thick, fine paste by adding little water and keep aside.
6. In a pressure pan, heat oil and season with the items given “For Seasoning”.
7. Add onions and sauté till it becomes golden brown.
8. Add  ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes off.
9. Add tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes get mashed well.
10. Add all the masala powders and sauté till the masala gets cooked well.
11. Add the ground paste and curd and cook till the oil oozes out from the masala.
12. Now add the pressure cooked jackfruit pieces & salt and cook in simmer for about 5 minutes stirring in between.
13. Add the chopped coriander leaves | cilantro, mint leaves and basmati rice. Mix everything well and sauté for about 2 minutes.
14. Add  4 cups of water and combine everything. You can check for spice & salt at this stage and you can add if needed. Stir well and close the lid.
15. Wait for 1 whistle, then simmer the flame for 3 minutes. Open the cooker after releasing the pressure slowly. Then follow the same procedure as we have done for all other Biryani Recipes.

Your delicious, hot, spicy  Jackfruit  Biryani is ready to serve! We had this yummy biryani with mixed veg  raita!! After tasting this biryani, I really felt very bad for not trying this one for many years! It is that goodJ!

Note:

• Jackfruit should be cooked for some time with masala in simmer (step 12), otherwise it will be bland.
• Keep in mind while adding salt at the final stage since we have added salt while pressure cooking jackfruit.
• It is enough if we add cut raw jackfruit pieces measuring ¾ to 1 cup for  2 cups of rice.

Tags: Raw Jackfruit Biryani recipe, Palaakkai Biryani, Pala Pinju Biryani, Kathal Biryani, pala moose biryani, raw jackfruit recipies, Jackfruit Recipes, Biryani with raw jackfruit, How to prepare birayni using raw jackfruit? , Raw Jackfruit Pilaf, Palakkai Pulao

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