Sunday Special - - a weekly event at roshan's cucina

Come Sunday and it is time for many of us to indulge in some good food. It is said that cooking is a great way to unwind. For me cooking and blogging about food is almost therapeutical. To know more about the speciality of cuisine around the world and to encourage experimentation with new recipes, a Sunday Special event is being launched at this blog. Join me every week to display the specials we cooked for our dear ones and get to know what has been cooked in our friend's kitchen.

Sunday Special

the weekly event at roshan's cucina

# Send in any special recipe prepared on Sunday with a brief write up

# Only fresh posts may be sent. Old post may be reposted

# Entries close on Thursday at 2000 hrs IST(first edition on 24.09.2011) . Late entries will be considered for the following week







# Link back the recipe to the Sunday Special page with the logo


# Mail the recipe to cookingwithroshan@gmail.com


# The Sunday Special recipe will be published every Saturday night

Pazham Nurukku (Traditional Onam Breakfast)

I stumbled upon the name 'Pazham Nurukku' while I was preparing an Onam related article for the publication I was working for. It would have been the year 2005 or 2006 and an immediate search for recipe did not yield any result. Every year then on I would remember about the Pazham Nurukku during Onam season. Finally, one day there was a recipe in the The Hindu - Metro with a title, 'Pazham Nurukku in Chocolate cups'. Well I knew the chocolate cup part is slightly weird for a traditional Onam breakfast. Recently i made another search in the web and got to read various Pazham Nurukku recipes  and here we go i tried it and i knew why people gave so many nostalgic account of eating the Pazham Nurukku on an Onam day morning with lots of papad. 

I have prepared a very simple and easy to prepare recipe and have avoided the use of coconut milk and cardamom powder which i read but which i thought could be ignored. This tasted really good. Try it!!

the recipe

Banana / ethapazham  - 4
Jaggery, grated - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

the method

Cut the banana into 1 inch pieces with the skin on. Steam it till it is half done. Peel the skin.

In a sauce pan, add the jaggery and melt it. Strain it to get rid off any dust particles. Place the jaggery syrup in a heavy bottom pan. Place the pan in medium heat and add the banana pieces.Cover the banana pieces with the jaggery syrup till the fruit is fully coated. Turn to medium heat. The jaggery will start sizzling at this point and thicken. Gently tilt the sauce pan so that the banana is well coated and there is no more melted jaggery. Pour the ghee on top of the banana and shake well and then gently give a stir so that all the pieces are coated with the ghee. Serve warm with papad or serve as it is.

Mughalai Chicken Biryani

 

Mughalai biryani is not spicy but it is full of flavors.  This is a slow cooked delicacy that imbibes the flavors of all the ingredients. The use of whole kashmiri chillies and whole pepper corns gives a great aroma and taste. The recipe is from various sources that include the television and the web. I have tried to incorporate the best of all methods.

 the recipe to cook rice
Basmati Rice – 2 cups (to serve 8)

Whole spices

Green cardamom – 4
Cloves -3
Cinnamon – ½ inch piece
Bay leaf – 1
Ghee or Veg Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method to cook rice. Place adequate water in a pot. When the water comes to boil, add the oil, whole spices, lemon juice and salt. Add rice. When the rice is cooked but firm drain the water and keep the cooked rice aside.

recipe to cook the chicken

Chicken – 750 gms
Onion – 4 +3
Whole Kashmiri red chillies – 10
Pepper corns – 1 ½ tsp
Garam Masala – 1 ½ tsp
Chilly powder – 1 ½ tsp
Ginger Garlic paste – 2-3 tbsp
Almond paste – from 20 - 25 almonds
Salt to taste
Curd – 1 cup
Coriander leaves – 5 tbsp
Mint leaves  - ½ cup
Ghee – 2 -3 tbsp + 3 tbsp
Cashewnuts & raisins – as much as you need
Saffron – 1 small pinch (optional)

Milk - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 3-4 tbsp (to fry onions into golden brown color – for garnish)

Whole spices

Green Cardamom – 4
Black Cardamom – 2
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – ½ inch piece
Blade of Mace – 1 piece
Star Anise – 1 (deseeded)
 

the method

Heat oil in a pan and fry 3 chopped onion till they turn brown (take care that the onion doesn’t get burnt – fry the onions in medium heat. Keep it aside.

Heat a heavy  bottom pan pressure cooker and add the ghee. Turn to medium heat and add the whole spices. Stir till the spices release its aroma. Add the 4 chopped onions and sauté till they turn translucent. Turn to medium heat. Stir in the whole kashmiri chillies. Saute for few seconds and then add the pepper corns and ginger garlic paste. Add the almond paste and stir for a while. Add the garam masala and chilly powder. Turn to low heat and add the chicken pieces and salt. Continue cooking in low heat and saute occasionally till the chicken is half done (let the chicken cook in its own juices). Turn to medium heat and add the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Turn to high heat and add the beaten curd. Stir well. Turn to medium heat and cook till the chicken is done.

Layering the biryani

Take a heavy bottom pan or a pressure cooker. Add 3 tbsp ghee. Place a thick layer of rice followed by the cooked chicken with gravy. Next place another thick layer of rice follwed by the cooked chicken and gravy. Top it with a thin layer of rice. Sprinkle the fried onion, cashew nuts and raisins and a table spoon or two of mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix the saffron with milk and pour it over the rice. Close the pan with an airtight lid.  Place the pan / cooker in low heat for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve hot with raita.

Beef Stew (Kerala Style)

Beef Stew is a permanent dish at home for a festive day breakfast; for Christmas & Easter. I prepare this dish whenever i have a craving for it. The rule to eat a beef stew is to soak bread or hopper in it and then eat it. Well it is my way of eating the stew. This tastes good with idiyappam (string hoppers) as well as puttu too.

Ingredients for the stew

Boiled beef* - 400 - 500 gms

Beef stock – 1 cup
Potatoes – 2 or 3 diced
Carrot – 2, chopped
Green chilly – 2
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Onion – 2 medium, julienned
Oil – 2 tbsp

Whole spices

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 6 medium sized
Green Cardamom – 6 medium sized

Ghee – 2 tsp
Cashew nut – 3 tbsp
Raisins – 3 tbsp

Pepper powder – ¾ to 1 tsp

Thick coconut milk(first extract) – ¾ cup
Thin coconut milk(second extract) – 1 cup

Utensil required – heavy bottom pan or a pressure cooker

the method

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Keep the fried fruits aside. To the same pan add oil. Add the whole spices and stir till the spices release the aroma (take care that the spices do not get burnt). Add the julienned onion, ginger and green chillies. Add the boiled beef, potatoes and carrots. Add water or third extract of coconut if required. Add salt. Cook till the potatoes are done. Add the second extract of coconut milk and bring to boil. Add ¾ tsp pepper powder. Check taste. Add the first extract of coconut milk. Add the fried cashew nuts and raisins. Turn off heat when the stew is about to boil.

an optional note: dilute 1 tsp rice flour to the second extract of coconut milk to thicken the stew ( i have added  rice flour in this recipe)

*ingredients to boil the beef

Beef – 400 – 500 gms

Ginger – half inch piece
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Green chilly – 1 medium sized
Salt to taste

Pazham Puttu (Banana Puttu)

This is a recipe which i have learnt to prepare from my mother's aunt. As mentioned in my previous post, the banana used in this recipe is ethapazham which is a very nutritious fruit. The idea of mixing the puttu mix with banana is just to give a twist to the usual puttu with a sweet taste. The pazham puttu is usually prepared with rice flour and banana. I have prepared a wheat puttu with the fruit. Can be had as such or can be had with some milk and sugar. Try it....

the recipe

wheat flour - 1 cup

coconut, grated - 3/4 of a coconut or 1 (as much as you can grate)

salt - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (or according to your taste)

water - 1/4 cup or less

            (or as required - the quantity of water is based on the texture of the wheat flour being used)

banana - 2 

if you do not have a puttu mould, just place the mix in a steamer and steam it.

the method

Mix the salt with the water and keep it aside.

Cut the banana into tiny cubes.

Place the wheat flour in a wide mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salted water (1 tbsp at a time) and mix with your finger as if to form crumbs. Repeat the process till the flour is just moist and crumby. Add the grated coconut gently run your fingers through the mix. Stir in the chopped banana and gently mix it. Take care that the wheat mix does not form lumps.

Boil water in a puttu maker or a steamer and fill the mould with the puttu mix. Cook for 2 minutes after the steam comes out of the lid.

Serve warm or hot with or without milk & sugar.

Also check out MEAT PUTTU