Mrs.Mano's Tamilnadu Delicacies - Part 2

[sk]

Dear Mrs Mano,

Can u plz post the recipe for Birinchi(fried rice/pulao) with little pieces of bread served during marriage reception.
thank you
rgds,
sk

[huldaashok]

Dear Mrs. Mano,

How are you? How was your son's engagement?

I have a question about adding salt to rice dishes like biryani. Please let me know approximately how much salt should you add when you are cooking 1 kilo of Biryani rice.
Because I sometimes tend to cook the rice seperately and bake it in the oven with the masala.

Also, is there a recent version of word document containing all the latest recipes. If yes, can you please email me at this id: hulda.amirtharaj@asic.gov.au.

Thank You,
Regards,
Hulda

[Thattai]

Dear Mrs. Mano,

Congrats on your son's engagement. Your future daughter-in-law is really lucky to join your 'foodie' fold. She could not have asked for a better guide into the intricacies of cooking than you

Thanks for the recipe of the stew. Looks really delish from the picture itself. Will try recipe and get back to you with the results.

Also, could you please give recipes using drumstick keerai? Non-veg with keerai would be really good as well, and preferably without deep frying.

Hopefully, you will be able to provide them soon, as I have a big batch of keerai that I need to use up. If not, will try the recipe next time I get my hands on the keerai. Here in Bombay, it's a little difficult to procure.

Thanks again!
Thattai

[Thattai]

Dear Mrs. Mano,

Since the last post tried the Hyderabadi Chicken. I saw a similar recipe in my file given by you, but passed it up cos of the coconut quantity. Then I saw the later recipe with the photo and HAD to make it cos it looked so yummy!! Definitely a case of a picture saying a thousand words! Also, coconut was only one cup.

Needless to say it came out very tasty. Did not taste very hyderabadi (more manglorean) but still yum. There was no chilli in the ingredients, so I went back to the earlier recipe and added red chillies as mentioned there. This is the earlier list:

Chicken pieces- 1 kilo
Finely chopped tomatoes- 2 cups
Onion-2
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Red chillies-10
Poppy seeds- 2 tsp
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Curry eaves- 1 arc
Cinnamon- 1 piece
Cardamom-3
Shredded coconut- 2 cups
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Enough salt


Also, I wasn't sure whether the tomatoes, chicken etc went in raw together. So I sauteed the tomatoes in a little oil, then fried the chicken a bit and then added the rest as mentioned.

Net, net one more easy and tasty recipe. Thanks!

PS: In both the recipes, the quantity of ingredients is different, but the method is ditto. Please let me know which is the more accurate recipe to follow in future?

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Sk!

Here I am posting the recipe of Brinji rice for you!

BIRINJI RICE:

Ingredients:

Briyani rice- 1 cup
Coconut milk- half cup
Vettiver- 3 tbsp
Whole coriander seeds- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Mint leaves- a handful
Coriander leaves[chopped]- 3 tbsp
Slit green chillies-3
Sliced onion- half cup
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Bread pieces cut into squares and fried in ghee –half cup

Powder coarsely the following ingredients:

Cinnamon- 1 small piece, 2 cardamom, 1 clove, a pinch of fennel seeds

Procedure:

Soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes and then drain the rice. Boil 2 cups of water and soak the coriander seeds and the vetti ver in it for 2 hours. Then drain the flavoured water through a muslin cloth. This water must be measured to 11/2 cups Heat a vessel and pour the ghee. Add the coarse powder. Immediately add the onions and the chillies. Fry them to golden brown. Add the greens and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk along with the flavoured water and enough salt. Add the rice. Cook on medium fire. When the rice is 3/4th done and the water is almost evaporated, cook the rice on ‘Dhum’ for 20 minutes. Garnish the rice with the fried bread pieces.

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Hulda!

I am fine and thank you very much for enquiring my son’s engagement. It was celebrated in a grand style a few months back. Now I am very busy here in Tamilnadu [Thanjavur] preparing everything for my son’s forthcoming marriage which will be on 1st September.

Now, coming back to your culinary doubt-
Normally, I could not write the correct quantity of salt in my recipes. Because, each and every kind and brand of salt has different taste and in practice, I have to add a little more of salt or decrease a little salt according to its taste whenever I cook in my kitchen.
When I cook briyani, I will add salt separately to masala as well as the rice. Even for sambar, I add salt first to the vegetables with the tamarind separately and then add salt to the cooked dal.

As I was busy in my search for a suitable bride for the past 20 months, I haven’t collected all my latest recipes in my file.

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Thattai!

Thanks a lot for your wishes. Now I am in my native place, preparing everything for my son’s forthcoming marriage. That was why it took a little more time in posting the recipes you have requested.

About the recipes on Hyderabad chicken curry, please post here the two versions. I will then write about it.

I am posting here a few recipes of murungai keerai for you.

MURUNGAI KEERAI EGG CURRY-1

Ingredients:

Chopped murungai keerai- 2 cups
Finely chopped small onion- 1 cup
Finely chopped tomato- half cup
Turmeric powder- half sp
Eggs-4
Salt to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp
Chilli powder- half sp
Cumin seeds- half sp
Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsp
Shredded coconut- half cup

Procedure:

Beat the eggs with ¼ sp salt and the chilli powder. Heat a pan and pour the oil. Add the cumin seeds. When they start to splutter, add the onion with the tomatoes and the turmeric powder.Fry them until all the ingredients are mashed and finely cooked. Add the keerai with enough salt and 2 or 3 tbsp of water. Close with a lid and cook on slow fire. When the keerai is cooked, add the eggs and cook on slow fire. When the eggs are scrambled with the keerai, put off the fire and mix in the shredded coconut well with the chopped coriander leaves

MURUNGAI KEERAI VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

Murungai keerai- 1 cup
Sliced onion-1
Mashed tomatoes- 1 cup
Chopped carrot-2
Chopped cabbage- half cup
Water- 8 cups
Pepper corn- half sp
Garlic flakes- 6
Shredded ginger- half sp
Cumin seeds- half sp
Coriander seeds- half sp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Powder the spices coarsely. Heat the water. When it starts to simmer add all the ingredients from top to bottom. When the water is reduced to half of the entire quantity, put off the fire. Drain the water. Mash the vegetables with a beater. Add the drained soup. Mix well. A tsp of butter or ghee can be added in this stage for an extra flavour.

[sk]

Dear Mrs mano,

Thanks a ton for the brinji recipe.I am in boston now first thing i'll do after i reach home on monday.I just have one doubt is the vettiver you have mentioned is same one that we use in water/ face pack /scrub skin ?.

Thanks once again.
regards,
sk

[huldaashok]

Thanks Mrs. Mano for the reply. So I take it that putting the right amount of salt comes from practise.

All the best for your Son's wedding and let us know what was menu for the wedding virundhu

Cheers,
Hulda

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Sk!

Vettiver is immersed in mud pot water for its flavour as well as its medical effect in Tamilnadu. It is also used in the famous 'Thanjavur kadhambam'.