Preeja's cookbook

   Mutton Biriyani | Hyderabadi Mutton Biriyani recipe Preparation time : 30 minutes + 4 hours to marinate mutton Cooking time - 1 Hour Total time : 5 hours & 30 minutes Serves - 4 Ingredients: To marinate mutton:  Mutton pieces ( medium sizes) - 600g  Fried onion - 1 Cup ( do not discard oil that used to fry the onions)  Green chilli paste - 1 Tbsp  Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tbsp  Chilli powder - 2 Tsp  Turmeric powder - 1 tsp  salt to taste  coriander leaves - 1/4 cup  Mint leaves - 1/4 cup  Fried onion oil - 2 Tbsp  Ghee - 1 Tbsp  Thick curd - 1 cup  Caraway seeds - 1tsp  Star anise - 1  Cardamom - 4  cloves - 5  cinnamon - 1 inch piece  Mace - 1  To cook mutton : Ghee - 2Tbsp For rice:  Basmati rice - 600g  Water - 4 & 1/2 cup  Green chilli - 1 ( adjust according to your taste)  salt to taste  coriander leaves  Mint leaves  Fried onion oil...

 Palak Paneer Recipe (Easy method)     Preparation time : 10 Minutes Cooking time : 20 minutes Total time - 30 minutes Serving - 3 to 4  Ingredients: Cottage cheese / Paneer cubes - 200g Spinach leaves / Palak - 300g Oil - 1 Tbsp Butter - 2 Tbsp Cumin - 1 tsp minced Garlic- 2 tsp minced  Ginger - 2 tsp Chopped onion - 1/4 cup Green chilli - 1  Cumin powder - 1 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp cumin powder - 1/2 tsp Fresh cream 2 Tbsp + garnishing Salt to taste Method: 1. Rinse cleaned Spinach leaves thoroughly in a large pot filled with water. Drain off the water and keep it aside.   2. Heat water in a large pot and add spinach leaves.   We need to Blanch the spinach . Cook the spinach in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Take off the spinach and immerse it in ice cold water immediately.  3. Add spinach leaves into a mixer and blend into a smooth paste. 4. Heat a pot and add oil & butter . Add cumin and garlic ....

 Dry Fruits & Nuts Cake Cooking time : 80 minutes Preparation time - 30 minutes Ingredients: Mixed dry fruits  - 600g Orange juice - 250 ml Almonds - 60g Tutty fruity - 150g Chopped pistaachio - 40 g Chopped cashew nuts - 40g All purpose flour /Maida - 225g + 3 Tbsp for dusting the dry fruits & nuts Brown sugar - 225g Unsalted butter - 225 g ( Room temperature) Eggs - 4 cloves - 4 cinnamon - small piece (or cinnamon powder -1/4 tsp) nutmeg - small piece (or nutmeg powder -1/4 tsp) zest of one orange Method: 1. Chop dry fruits into 1 cm chunks. Put the dry fruits in a jar and mix it.  2. Pour orange juice into the jar over the dry fruits. I hadn't add nuts and tutty fruity in this stage. Shut the jar , and live it for 5 hours.  3. After 5 hours, drain the excess juice and keep it aside. 4.The cake batter for 2 kg of cake . I have used 2 loaf tin of 1.5 liter capacity. Butter the inside of cake  tin, making sure to get into all corners. Line the tin with b...

Instant Mango Pickle | Kerala style Mango pickle Ingredients: Chopped Raw mango - 400g Coconut / sesame oil - 3 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder - 1/8 tsp Red chili powder - 1 Tbsp Kashmiri Red chili powder - 1 tsp Vinegar - 1/4 cup salt to taste Dried red chili - 3 Curry leaves     Method : 1. Heat a pan on medium heat and add coconut oil.   2. When oil heats up, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to crackle, add fenugreek , asafoetida powder, dried red chili and curry leaves.   3. Switch to  low heat  and add chili powder & kashmiri red chili powder. Mix well. 4. Add vinegar and bring to boil. add salt and mix well. 5. Add chopped mangoes and mix well . Saute for 2 minutes and turn off the stove. 6. Remove from heat and allow the pickle to cool down completely. 7. Transfer pickle into an airtight container. You can store this pickle for 7 days.   8. Serve with rice , paratha etc.. Note: 1. Adjust chi...

    Kerala style Appam Recipe Ingredients: Rice (Idli rice / white rice) - 2 Cup Sugar - 3 Tbsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Instant yeast - 1 tsp Grated coconut - 1 cup Coconut milk / Water - 1& 1/4 cup Oil / ghee , for roasting Water as required ( Soaking & grinding )   Method: 1. Add rice into a bowl , wash it with water few times and soak in water for 4 hours   2. After 4 hours, drain water and keep it aside. 3. Add half of rice and 1/2 cup of water into a mixie and grind into a smooth paste. transfer the batter into a large bowl.   4.  Keep one ladle full of batter aside in a small bowl . Keep a pan on low heat . add one ladle full of batter that keep in a small bowl and one cup of water. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Let the mixture cool down completely.   5. After cooling down, add the mixture into a into a mixi / Blender  and blend to a smooth paste by adding water if required. Add this mixture with ground batter.   6. Add...

 Dates & almond Milkshake Ingredients: Chilled milk - 2 Cup   Pitted dates - 10   Almonds - 15   A pinch of cinnamon powder or cardamom powder   Hot water to soak dates & almonds Method: 1.Add pitted dates into a bowl and pour enough hot water to soak the dates. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.   2.  Add almonds into another bowl and pour enough hot water to soak the almonds. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain the water.   3. Into a blender , add dates with soaked water,  almonds, milk and cinnamon powder. Blend well 4. Pour the milkshake into a glass . You can add  some roasted almonds and cinnamon powder on top of it. Enjoy !! Notes: 1. You can increase or decrease the quantity of almonds and dates as per your taste. 2. You can add a scoop of ice- cream while blending. 3. You can store it in refrigerator for 24 hours. But it taste good , if you consume it after blending . 4. You can use almond milk instead of re...

 Meen Mulakittathu | Kerala Fish curry without coconut   Ingredients: Cleaned fish - 1/2 kg ( Used sliced malabar trevally)   Red chili powder - 1 & 1/2 Tbsp ( adjust it according to your taste)   Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 & 1/2 Tbsp ( It gives nice red color to the gravy)   Salt - 1 & 1/2 tsp   Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp   Fenugreek powder - 1/8 tsp   Sliced small onion / shallots - 1/2 cup   Coconut oil - 2 Tbsp   chopped ginger - 1 Tbsp   Chopped garlic - 1 Tbsp    Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Brindleberry / Malabar Tamarind / Kudampuli - 15g   Hot water - 1 & 1/2 cup   Curry leaves -  a spring Method: 1. Wash malabar tamarind and soak in hot water for 15 minutes.    2. Heat coconut oil in an earthen pot and add mustard seeds into it. When the mustard seeds start to crackle , add curry leaves.   3. Add small onion , ginger and garlic into it. Saute it for 2 to 3 minutes or un...