Chettinad style vegetable biryani recipe was in my try list for long time. Even though I have posted Angannan hotel style biryani in vegetarian version, I wanted to try authentic home style veg biryani of Karaikudi, Chettinad.

Recently I came across this chettinad veg biryani recipe in a YouTube channel. She mentioned it as arachu vacha biryani i.e biryani with freshly ground spices. This recipe doesn’t use any store bought spice powders like red chilli powder, garam masala or biryani masala powder. So this biryani has a nice aroma of freshly ground spices. Color of this biryani may vary based on the vegetables and masala. Mine was half white in color for the first time. So I added little turmeric powder in the second time and took pictures. So the color of biryani in step by step pictures and cover pictures may vary. But the taste and flavor was really good. Friends, do try this recipe and let me know how it turns out for you.

Do check out my other Chettinad recipes.  too !

Chettinad vegetable biryani recipe

Chettinad vegetable biryani recipe

Cuisine: Chettinad

Category: Biryani recipes

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Steamed rice / Puzhungal arisi - 1 cup Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Ghee - 1 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 inch Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 1 Bay leaf - 1 Black stone flower - 1 Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Big onion - 1 (sliced or finely chopped) Green chilli - 3 to 4 Ripe tomato - 1 Mixed vegetables - 1 cup (1 carrot, 10 beans, 1 potato, a handful green peas) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp (optional, I used it) Water - 2.25 cups Salt - as needed To Grind - Paste 1 Mint leaves - a handful Garlic cloves - 10 To grind - Paste 2 Grated coconut - 2 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 inch Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 1

HOW TO MAKE CHETTINAD VEG BIRYANI

1. Wash the rice. Wash the vegetables and chop into small pieces.
2. Grind paste 1 and paste 2 separately.
3. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker.
4. Saute whole garam masala, fennel seeds. Add onion, green chilli and saute well.
5. Add paste 1 and saute for a minute. Add vegetables, salt and mix well.
6. Add paste 2 and saute for few minutes. Add water and washed rice.
7. Mix gently and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
8. Open the cooker and fluff the rice gently. Serve with raita !

CHETTINAD VEG BIRYANI - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash the rice and keep it aside. No need to soak it. Wash and chop the vegetables into small cubes. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. Saute the whole garam masala like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf. Saute onion, green chilli and few curry leaves till onion becomes transparent. Add tomato and saute till mushy. Add required salt for quick sautéing of tomato. Then add mixed vegetables and saute well. In the mean time, grind paste 1 ingredients to a coarse paste. Add to vegetable and saute for a minute.    Grind the ingredients of paste 2 to a smooth paste adding required water. Add to the cooker. Add water, salt and turmeric powder (optional). Mix well and bring the water to a boil.  Add washed rice and pressure cook for one whistle in low flame. For this, keep the flame high till steam comes out. As soon as steam comes out of the nozzle, put the weight valve and lower the flame completely. Cook till one whistle in low flame. Open the lid after the steam is released. Mix gently with a fork. Serve hot with onion raita !

Note

Adjust the quantity of green chilli as per your taste. I made medium spiced biryani. You have to grind the paste 1 and 2 separately. For variations, you can grind green chilli along with garlic and mint leaves. You can also use basmati rice or seeraga samba / jeera rice for more flavor.

Try this flavorful Chettinad veg biryani and share your feedback with me. I served it with onion raita. I also prepared Barbeque nation hotel style cajun potato, curd rice. 

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Kalan Milagu Peratal / Mushroom Pepper Fry Recipe

I learnt this kalan milagu peratal also known as kalan milagu varuval in Tamil from my neighbor friend  who is from Chettinad. Mushroom pepper fry is served as a side dish for rice. Mushroom, onion and fennel seeds are the major ingredients in it. Recent days I have been trying varieties of mushroom recipes asking my friends, referring cookbooks. I am glad to learn this simple and yummy recipe. It came out well. Sendhil is not a fan of mushroom. But he liked this curry because of pepper flavor. Personally I liked it with sambar rice and rasam rice. Friends do try this easy mushroom pepper fry recipe / kalan milagu varuval and share your feedback with me.

Do check out my other mushroom recipes too !

Kalan milagu varuval / Mushroom pepper fry recipe

South Indian, Chettinad style mushroom pepper fry called as kalan milagu varuval in Tamil. Its a good side dish for rice.

Cuisine: Chettinad

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Mushroom / Button mushroom - 15 Big onion - 1 (finely chopped) Garlic cloves - 5 (-do-) Pepper corns - 1 to 1.5 tsp Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt & water - as needed To Temper Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY

1. Wash and clean mushroom. Slice it and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
3. Saute onion, garlic till transparent. Add mushroom slices, salt and mix well.
4. Cover cook in low flame by tossing it whenever needed.
5. Coarsely crush the pepper + fennel seeds. Add to the cooked mushroom.
6. Mix well and cook for a minute. Switch off the flame. Serve with rice !

KALAN MILAGU PERATAL - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and clean the mushroom. Slice it and set aside. Slice onion thinly and keep aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add onion, garlic and saute till transparent. Add sliced mushroom, required salt and mix well. Cover the kadai with a lid. Cook in low flame till mushroom is cooked. Coarsely powder the fennel seeds and pepper corns together. After the mushroom is cooked, add this powder and mix gently. Let it cook in low flame for a minute.  Switch off the flame and serve this mushroom pepper fry with sambar rice or rasam rice.

Note

Adjust the quantity of pepper corns as per your spice level. For variations, you can skip fennel seeds. You can also saute one green chilli along with onion and adjust the quantity of pepper accordingly.

Try this easy mushroom pepper fry recipe and enjoy with rice ! I served it with thakkali kuzuhambu.

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Peerkangai Poriyal Recipe - Ridge Gourd Stir Fry Recipe

Ridge gourd stir fry ( peerkangai poriyal in Tamil) recipe is my recent try with this vegetable. Ridge gourd is called as beerakaya in Telugu, peerkangai in Tamil, torai in hindi, hirekayi in Kannada and peechinga in Malayalam. It is also known as Chinese okra and sponge gourd. 

As we all know ridge gourd is a healthy vegetable with lots of health benefits. It is rich in dietary fiber , vitamin-C, zinc, iron, riboflavin, magnesium, thiamine and traces of another minerals. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. So its good for weight loss as well. As ridge gourd gets cooked easily, this stir fry can be prepared under 10 minutes. Its a very simple recipe. It is sure is a good addition to my ridge gourd recipes. 

Friends, lets try to include this healthy vegetable in our regular diet and reap its benefits. Even we can use its skin/ peel and make an yummy thogayal with it. I have shared peerkangai thol thogayal recipe too. Please check the link below. Now lets see peerkangai poriyal with step by step pictures.

Do check out my other ridge gourd recipes below

Ridge gourd skin chutney

Ridge gourd kuzhambu

Ridge gourd poricha kootu

Ridge gourd subzi for roti

Ridge gourd dal

Ridge gourd poriyal / peerkangai poriyal recipe

South Indian style ridge gourd stir fry / peerkangai poriyal recipe for rice

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: side dish

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Ridge gourd - 1 Big onion - 1 Sambar powder or green chilli - 1 tsp / 2 Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Sugar – a pinch Salt & water - as needed Grated coconut – 1/4 cup To Temper Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Chana dal - 2 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few Asafetida / hing - a pinch

HOW TO MAKE RIDGE GOURD / PEERKANGAI PORIYAL

1. Wash and peel the skin of ridge gourd. Cut into small cubes.
2. Heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves and hing.
3. Saute onion, curry leaves. Add ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and sugar.
4. Mix well and saute in low flame. Cover and cook till ridge gourd becomes soft.
5. If needed sprinkle little water and cook it.

RIDGE GOURD STIR FRY - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and peel the skin of ridge gourd. Cut into small cubes. Chop onion. Heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves, hing. Saute onion till transparent.  Add ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and sugar. Mix well and saute in low flame.  Cover and cook in low to medium flame. Stir gently in regular intervals. Ridge gourd gets cooked by releasing water. So no need to add more water. If required you can sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp of water. Ridge gourd shrinks in quantity once its cooked. Do not cook till mushy. Stay nearby and cook patiently. Switch off the flame once its cooked soft. Lastly add grated coconut and switch off the flame. Serve with sambar rice or you can mix this poriyal with rice adding few drops of ghee and enjoy !

Note

You can use slit green chilli instead of sambar powder. You can also use roasted peanut powder instead of grated coconut. Addition of sugar and turmeric powder helps to give bright green color to the poriyal.

Enjoy this yummy ridge gourd poriyal with sambar rice or vatha kuzhambu rice.

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Instant Rava Toast / Suji Toast Recipe Without Curd

Instant rava toast also known as sooji / suji toast is one of the easy breakfast recipes I make regularly in my kitchen. Usually I prepare this rava toast without curd. This recipe may be new to some of you. So today I have shared my version of instant rava bread toast recipe without curd. I don’t say this rava toast comes out crispy and stays long. But it tastes really good when served hot. Kids would enjoy this toast with tomato ketchup. Its a very easy and quick, Indian style breakfast recipe with bread made with easily available ingredients at home. Semolina, onion, tomato and spice powders are the major ones. Bachelors and working women can make this recipe easily under minutes. You can even make it as kids snacks. Friends, do check out this easy, instant rava toast recipe. Try and share your feedback with me.

Instant rava toast / sooji toast recipe

Instant rava toast without curd in Indian style !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Bread recipes

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Bread - 6 to 8 slices ( I used milk bread) Semolina / Sooji / Bombay Rava - 1 cup (unroasted, coarse ones) Big onion - 1 (finely chopped) Tomato - 1 (finely chopped) Capsicum - 1/4 (finely chopped) Carrot - 1 (Grated) Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (finely chopped) Hing / Asafetida - a pinch (optional) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Salt & water - as needed Butter and cooking oil - to grease the pan and bread

HOW TO MAKE SUJI TOAST WITHOUT CURD

1. Wash and chop all the vegetables finely.
2. In a wide bowl, take the semolina and mix all the ingredients.
3. Add water to make a smooth batter without lumps.
4. Batter should be slightly thick and pourable.
5. Take a bread slice and spread the batter.
6. Heat a dosa pan with butter. Toast the bread both sides.
7. Remove once it turns golden brown.
8. Serve rava toast with tomato ketchup !

RAVA TOAST / SUJI TOAST RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop onion, capsicum, tomato, coriander leaves. In a wide bowl, take the semolina (no need to roast it), chopped vegetables, salt and spice powders. Mix everything well. Add water to make a smooth paste without lumps. Make sure batter is slightly thick but pourable. You should be able to spread a thin layer on the bread. Take a bread slice and spread the batter over the slice on one side. Heat a dosa pan and add a tbsp of butter. Let it melt. Now keep the bread slice smeared with rava batter and roast in medium flame till it turns golden brown. Grease the other side of bread slice with butter or cooking oil. After the rava part turns golden brown, flip the other side. Cook till golden brown. Remove and enjoy hot with tomato sauce. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of chilli powder and garam masala powder as per your taste buds. You can skip chilli powder and use finely chopped green chilli. If you wish to add curd, you can add 1/2 cup curd to the above mixture and adjust water accordingly.

Try this easy, instant rava toast / suji toast and enjoy !

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Drumstick poriyal / Murungai keerai poriyal is an healthy, yummy stir fry recipe that goes well for sambar rice. Recently when I went to Salem, my in-laws got me a bunch of drumstick leaves (Murungai keerai in Tamil, Nugge soppu in Kannada). I always make sambar adding drumstick leaves. But this time for a change, I tried drumstick leaves poriyal with toor dal. I learnt this recipe from my friend Shalini. Usually this poriyal is prepared by tempering, sautéing and cooking drumstick leaves along with onion, red chilli and spices. But I pressure cooked toor dal, drumstick leaves and then did the above said procedure. So it helped to get a nice color of leaves. Friends, do try this yummy drumstick leaves poriyal with toor dal and share your feedback with me.

 Check out my drumstick leaves sambar recipe too !

Drumstick leaves poriyal / Murungai keerai poriyal recipe

Drumstick leaves stir fry / Murungai keerai poriyal recipe with step by step pictures.

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Drumstick leaves / Murungai keerai - 3 cups Toor dal - 2 tbsp Big onion - 1 ( finely chopped) Red chilli - 1 to 2 Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Salt & water - as needed Sugar and turmeric powder - 2 pinch (to get bright green color) To Temper Cooking oil or coconut oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - Few Asafetida / Hing - a pinch

HOW TO MAKE DRUMSTICK LEAVES PORIYAL

1. Clean the drumstick leaves and wash it well to remove the sticks.
2. In a pressure cooker, take the murungai keerai, toor dal, turmeric powder. sugar and required water.
3. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Drain the excess water and keep the keerai aside.
4. In a kadai, heat oil temper mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and red chilli.
5. Saute onion. Add cooked drumstick leaves with toor dal. Add required salt and toss well.
6. Lastly add grated coconut, mix gently and switch off the flame. Serve with sambar rice !

DRUMSTICK LEAVES PORIYAL - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Clean the drumstick leaves by removing it from the stem. Discard all the stem and stalk part. Wash it thrice to remove the dirt and small sticks. It will settle down in the water. Remove the leaves and set aside. In a pressure cooker base, take the washed toor dal,, drumstick leaves, sugar. Add required water and pressure cook for 2 whistles in very low flame. Drain the cooked water and consume as soup adding salt and pepper powder. (Don't worry toor dal won't turn mushy. It will stay firm  but cooked soft). Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, hing, red chilli and finely chopped onion. Add the cooked toor dal and drumstick leaves. Add required salt and toss well. Add grated coconut and switch off the flame. Mix well and serve with sambar rice. Enjoy !

Note

You can skip toor dal and make this poriyal. You can also use moong dal instead of toor dal. For variations you can saute the drumstick leaves instead of pressure cooking it.

Try this healthy drumstick leaves poriyal n enjoy with sambar rice !

If you like, you can mix with plain rice adding few drops of ghee.

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Barbeque Nation Style Cajun Potatoes Recipe

Cajun potatoes was in my try list since I tasted in Barbeque nation hotel lunch buffet. Its pronunciation is KAY-JUN-POH-TAY-TOWZ. Cajun fried potato with mayonnaise was served as a starter. It was so tasty. We all loved it very much and had 2 servings extra. Raksha and Sendhil told me to try at home. When I was searching for Barbeque nation hotel style Cajun potato recipe, I found one in my Instagram page feed. I tried it for a weekend lunch. It came out so well just like the ones in Barbeque nation. 

The recipe I followed was given from scratch with homemade Cajun spice mix recipe. So it was so easy and convenient . For variations, you can deep fry the potatoes. I shallow fried it. Also you can adjust the quantity of mayonnaise as per the taste. Lets see how to make Barbeque nation hotel style Cajun spice potato with step by step pictures.

Cajun potatoes recipe

Cajun spices potatoes recipe with mayonnaise

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Starter recipes

Serves: 12

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Baby potato - 12 no Corn flour – 2 tbsp All purpose flour / maida – 2 tbsp or wheat flour Salt - as needed Cooking oil - to shallow fry potatoes. Cajun spice mix recipe and Cajun sauce Garlic powder or garlic paste - 1 tsp Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp OR pizza seasoning – 1 tsp Pepper powder - 1 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Big onion - 1 (finely grated or paste) OR onion powder - 1 tsp Salt - as needed Milk - 1 to 2 tbsp Mayonnaise - 4 to 5 tbsp ( I used eggless mayo, Veeba brand) Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp (optional)

HOW TO MAKE CAJUN POTATO

1. Wash and pressure cook baby potato with skin adding salt and water in pressure cooker.
2. Take the cooked potato and press with fork gently.
3. Add corn flour, maida , salt and coat well. Shallow fry them till golden brown on both the sides.
4. Remove in a plate. To make Cajun spice mix, mix all the ingredients given under “Cajun spice mix recipe” in a bowl.
5. Add mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, milk. Mix well.
6. Just before serving, add the mayo mix over the potato and serve !

CAJUN POTATO RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and pressure cook baby potato with skin adding required water and salt in a pressure cooker base. Cook in high flame for one whistle. Switch off the flame and . Potato should not be over cooked. It should be soft but retain its shape. Take the potato and press it with a spoon gently to flatten it. Coat it with maida , salt and corn flour paste. Heat oil in a kadai. Shallow fry the potato both sides. Cook in medium flame to make the outer layer crispy. Flip it whenever needed and fry it.   In a bowl, mix all the ingredients given under “ Cajun spice mix recipe “.  Add mayonnaise, tomato ketchup and milk according to the consistency. Add little hot water to dilute the mix if needed.   Add the mayo, cajun mix to the potato and serve hot immediately. You can garnish with chopped onion, coriander leaves and a pinch of red chilli powder on top of it.

Note

You can use regular potato instead of baby potato. Just pressure cook whole potatoes, cut into roundels and then coat with corn flour paste, fry it. For variations, you can deep fry the cooked potato instead of shallow frying it. Adjust the quantity of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup based on your taste. You can skin tomato ketchup if you wish.

Enjoy this yummy, kids friendly cajun potatoes at home ! Share your feedback with me.

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