Tag: lunch

Mains

Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani

The HomeChef

No Sunday passes without making a biryani at our home. This time it is the Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani. It is an out of the world experience to have this dish which is full of flavours and tastes absolutely yum.

Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani

  • Servings: 6-7
  • Difficulty: Skilled
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Ingredients

    For cooking rice:

  1. Basmati rice – 3 cups
  2. Cardamom – 2-3
  3. Cloves-2
  4. Ghee – 2 tbsp
  5. Anise seed -1
  6. Salt as required

    7. For layering:

  7. Onions – 4
  8. Orange/yellow food colouring – 2-3 drops
  9. Milk – 4 tsp
  10. Ghee – 2 tbsp
  11. Chilli flakes as required
  12. Coriander leaves- a little
  13. Butter or ghee a little as required for topping (optional)
    14. Ingredients for Chicken marination:
  14. Chicken – 1.5 kgs
  15. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
  16. Coriander powder – 4 tbsp
  17. Biryani masala- 3 tbsp
  18. Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp
  19. Green chilli- 1
  20. Cardamom- 5
  21. Cloves- 5-6
  22. Ginger garlic paste – 4 tbsp
  23. Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
  24. Yogurt – 4 tbsp
  25. Mint leaves – 1 cup
  26. Anise seed- 1
  27. Salt as required

Directions


  • Start by deep frying the onions required for layering (listed as layering ingredient). Once it turns golden brown, set it aside.
  • Soak Basmati rice for minimum of 30 mins.
  • Marinate the chicken: Mix all the ingredients required for chicken marination listed above. Allow to marinate for minimum of 30 mins.
  • Cooking the rice: In a large pan, take water (enough to cover the rice) and bring to boil. Add salt and the spices listed for cooking rice. Add the soaked rice to the boiling water. Once the rice gets half cooked, remove the spices and drain the water. Transfer the rice to a wide plate or vessel to avoid any further cooking.
  • Next take a large pan and place it on flame.  Add little oil and transfer the marinated chicken to it. Cook for around 6 mins and set aside.
  • Now we have come to the final sequence of layering the chicken and rice. Take a big vessel again and place it on flame. Add a first layer of the chicken from the previous step. Then add the second layer of half cooked rice (half the quantity). Spread some of the fried onions from the first step on top of the rice. Repeat the layer of remaining chicken and rice.
  • Mix the colouring to few drops of milk and sprinkle around on top of the rice.
  • Drizzle 2 spoons of ghee around it.
  • Cover with an aluminium foil and place a tight lid over it.
  • Cook on low flame for 45 mins.
  • Remove the lid. The chicken and rice will be nicely cooked through with excellent flavours.
  • Yummy dum biryani is ready and can be served with raita and egg. Enjoy!


Please find the video recipe below:

Mains, Side dish

Pepper chicken masala – restaurant style

The HomeChef

My first chicken recipe to share with all of you. It is the hot Pepper Chicken Masala. I am addicted to spicy food and I am sure you will love this too.
A great restaurant style recipe, you don’t have to go to any Anjappar or chettinad restaurant hereafter to have this. Make it at home and enjoy!

Pepper chicken masala

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  1. Chicken – 750 gms
  2. Red Onions – 4-5
  3. Toamtoes – 2
  4. Green chilli- 1
  5. Curry leaves – few
  6. Cinnamon stick – 1
  7. Coriander leaves – to garnish
  8. Oil – 1/2 cup. Add more if required
  9. Salt to taste
  10. Turmeric powder – 1 tsbp
  11. Ginger garlic paste – 4 tbsp

Ingredients to grind into Pepper masala powder:

  1. Peppercorns – 2 tbsp
  2. Coriander seeds- 3tbsp
  3. Fennel seeds – 1 tsbp
  4. Dry red chillies – 2
  5. Cloves – 2
  6. Cardamom – 4

Please watch video for the method:

Mains

Murungai Keerai Kolambu (Drumstick leaves with Dal curry)

The HomeChef

I miss eating so many native vegetables of India and Murungai keerai (drumstick leaves) is one of them. I was so happy to get hold of fresh drumstick leaves here in Melbourne. This keerai kozhambu is one of my favourite curry to have with steamed rice.

It is super healthy and rich in nutrition. If you are low on Iron, this is usually the recommended vegetable. It is rich in protein, vitamins and calcium.
Please find the recipe below:

Murungai Keerai Kolambu

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  1. Drumstick leaves – 1 cup
  2. Moong dal – 1/4 cup
  3. Toor dal – 1/4 cup ( you can also choose 1/2 cup toor dal and skip the moong dal)
  4. Shallots – 5 or Onion -1
  5. Tomato – 1
  6. Curry leaves – little
  7. Channa dal – 1tsp
  8. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp, Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  9. Oil and salt as needed

Ingredients to grind into powder

Channa dal – 2 tbsp and Coconut – 2 tbsp

Please watch video for the method:

Mains

Egg Kothu Parotta

The HomeChef

A light in the main street with people always in front of that shop. What could they be eating I used to wonder when I was a kid. I hear the chopping against the pan loud and clear. Then I knew it is the famous “Kothu Parotta”. A mouth watering dish!

For this recipe the key ingredient is paratha/parotta. I have used frozen parotta and followed pack instructions. You can get it from any Indian/Srilankan grocery shop. The other ingredients are very commonly found.

Please find the video recipe below:

Mains

Stuffed Mushrooms with pan fried Asparagus

The HomeChef

It is a great feeling to create a healthy dish. This recipe does just that.

Asparagus has been on my list to cook for a long time. It is known for its health benefits and nutritional value including being high in fiber and rich in vitamins like A,B,C and E.  It is generally served up as a side to a main dish.

The combination of Stuffed mushrooms with Asparagus turned out to be a wonderful light meal. Easy and simple to cook. Hope you like it too.

Please find the video recipe below:

 

 

 

 

Mains

Radish Sambar and Eggplant Fry

The HomeChef

Nothing can beat a homemade meal. After a nice short vacation, a simple cooking at home  is what I needed. This cannot be replaced by the extravagant dishes at restaurants.

A delicious and tasty home lunch can be made with this combination: Radish (Mullangi in Tamil) Sambar and Eggplant/Brinjal fry (Yennai Kathirikkai in tamil) with steamed rice. Yumm indeed!

The Mullangi Sambar is made with radish and dal. Radish is considered to have a cooling effect to the body. The style I chose to make this sambar is much easier where the tempering is done in the beginning itself. You can choose to do at the end as well.

Please find the video recipe below for the Mullangi Sambar:

Yennai Kathirikkai- Eggplant Fry

This is a mouth watering simple side to go with steamed rice made with eggplant/brinjal. It is a dry dish and complements well with any gravy and rice.

Please find the video recipe to make Yennai Kathirikkai below:

Mains

Sambar -a lentil based curry with Vendakkai Poriyal

The HomeChef

A very tasty and scrumptious meal for lunch/dinner is the steamed rice with Sambar and vendakkai(okra) poriyal.

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Varuthu Aracha Sambar:

The sambar is a very common curry in most households in South India. This version goes the extra mile of adding freshly ground spices into the lentil based curry. It is popularly called as Varuthu aracha (roasted and ground) sambar. Because of the fresh masala, it has a very rich aroma and additional taste which is truly divine. The sambar goes well with steamed rice, dosa or vadai. Add a hint of ghee along with the sambar while mixing with rice to make it extra tasty.

Please find the video recipe to make the Varuthu Aracha Sambar below:

Vendakkai (Okra) Poriyal

A poriyal is generally referred to a dish which is dry and not a gravy. The vendakkai (okra) poriyal pairs very well with steamed rice which has a curry. This recipe is very easy to make with less ingredients.

Please find the video below to make the vendakkai poriyal.

Mains

Vendakkai (Okra) Curry

The HomeChef

My most favourite vegetable would be the ladies finger also popularly known as Okra or Vendakkai (in tamil).
I have been told from childhood that if we eat this vegetable we will do very well in Mathematics .

Next to sambar, the Vendakkai puli (tamarind) curry is usually my go to recipe and it goes very well with steamed rice. Please find my version below in the video. Hope you like it!

Mains

Chilli Basil Stir-fry Noodles

The HomeChef

One of my favourite stir fry noodles rich in flavours and equally spicy. It brings memories of the Chatswood street food place we often go to while in Sydney to enjoy this dish .

Things you need:
1. Noodles cooked – 2-3 cups
2. Few cut vegetables of choice – I used carrots, beans mushroom, broccoli, red pepper and tofu
3. Chilli flakes-1-2tsp
4. Ginger garlic paste
5. Basil leaves- few
6. Oil and salt as required

Please watch video for method.