Vegetable Biriyani / Veg Pulav

Biriyani is a rice dish made with spicy aromatic Indian spices.! It is an absolute delight when cooked with Basmati rice. The rice by itself has a unique flavour and taste. Biriyani is usually made of meat, however, there is a vegetarian version as well. You can have this spicy Biriyani with chilled Raita.Ingredients

Veg Pulav

• Basmati rice – 2 cups
• Carrot, Beans, Potato, Cauliflower, peas – 1 cup
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 and half teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Pudina / Mint leaves – a handful (optional)
• lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
• Curd / yogurt – 3 teaspoon
• Onion – 1 medium
• Tomato – 1 medium
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2 teaspoon
• Oil / Ghee – 2 teaspoon
• Cilantro – 5 stems
• Salt – as required

Spices

• Cinnamon – 1 stick
• Fennel seeds – 2 pinch
• Elaichi – 1
• Bay leaves – 2
• Cloves – 3
• Anistar – 1

Preparation

1. Soak Basmati rice for 20 minutes. Make fresh ginger garlic paste and set it aside. [Ginger 2 inch piece and garlic – 5 pods. Make a fine paste of both.]
2. Chop all vegetables to big pieces, pressure cook by adding little salt just for 5 minutes and set it aside. Slice onion, cut tomato, finely chop cilantro and keep it ready.
3. Pour oil or ghee in a vessel and when hot add all items under spices and fry for 30 seconds. Now add the sliced onions and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. When it turns light brown add ginger garlic paste and fry continuously for 2 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy. Add mint leaves. (optional) and Cilantro. Fry.
4. Lower the flame, add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, fry for a minute. Add lemon juice, fry for 30 seconds. Add curd / yogurt and fry again. Cook for 3 minutes. Do not let it burn. Add the Basmati rice and mix it well. Pour 2 and half cups of water, add salt and increase the flame to medium high.
5. When the water starts boiling add the cooked vegetables and simmer the heat to low medium. Wait until rice is cooked. Switch off and serve with Raita, Peas masala or boiled eggs.

Vegetable Biriyani with Raita

 

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Other similar recipes

• Egg Biriyani / Anda Biriyani
• Vegetable Kurma
• Salna – A South Indian street food
• Egg Masala
• Egg kuzhambu/ Egg curry

Other related searches

• Biriyani
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Tomato Curry (Type 2)

Like I mentioned in my earlier post, there are a lot of tomato curries prepared in India. Click here for type 1 The recipe here is the usual and perhaps one of the most common curry in the country. It goes well with chapati, dosa, idli or plain white rice.

Ingredients

• Tomato – 4 large
• Onion – 1 large
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Cilantro – 4 stems chopped finely
• Oil – 2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Salt – as required

Preparation

1. In a frying pan pour 2 teaspoons of oil, when hot add mustard seeds, after it splutters add curry leaves, then the chopped onions. Fry until it is light brown.
2. Now add the chopped tomatoes and when it is about to get mushy add chilli powder, coriander and turmeric powder and fry for 30 seconds. Pour a small cup of water, add salt and cook until the quantity of curry reduces. Keep stirring at regular intervals. 
3. When it is condensed, switch off and garnish with cilantro. Serve with chapati, dosa, idli or plain white rice. 

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Moong Dal tadka / Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu

Moong Dal tadka / Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu is a North Indian dish where dal is cooked, tempered with various spices which gives flavour to the curry. It is the tadka / tempering that makes the dish flavourful and tasty. There are lot of versions to Moong dal tadka. However,  I blend two different versions and it came out well.

Moong Dal Tadka

Ingredients

• Moong Dal / Paasi paruppu – 250 gms
• Onion – 1 large
• Tomato – 1 medium
• Green chillies – 2 slit
• Ginger – 2 inch piece thinly sliced
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Kasuri methi – 2 generous pinch
• Cilantro – 5 stems
• Salt – as required

Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu

To temper

• Cooking oil or  Ghee – 2 teaspoon
• Pearl onions / shallots – 5 chopped
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Cumin / Jeera – 1 teaspoon
• Garlic – 6 pods chopped
• Red chillies – 2
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Green chillies – 2 finely chopped

Preparation

1. Take the moong dal, sliced onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger in a pressure cooker. Pour 2 cups of water, add turmeric and cook for 10 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release and mash it to a fine paste. If it is thick, pour some water and cook until it is thick. Add kasuri methi.
2. To make tadka, take a small frying pan and keep it on low medium flame. Pour oil or ghee and when hot add mustard (optional) and let it splutter, add cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds. Add red chillies and sliced pearl onions, fry until it is light brown. Add chopped garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry until it the garlic turns a little brown. Be careful not to burn it. Stay on low medium flame.
3. Finally pour the tadka into the dal, add salt and mix well. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with plain hot rice along with any veg side dish. I served it with brinjal fry. You could try other poriyal varieties like Potato poriyal or Aloo methi, Aloo Mirch , Beetroot poriyal, Avarakkai poriyal etc.

Served with Rice and Brinjal fry

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Groundnut chutney / Peanut chutney

Groundnuts / Peanuts is said to be poor man’s food in India. It can be used to make chutney usually had with idli, dosa, upma and mudde (ragi ball). Can be made in a jiffy!

Ingredients

• Groundnuts / Peanuts – 100gms
• Red chillies – 6 – 7
• Ginger – 1 big piece sliced
• Curry leaves – 5 leaves
• Tamarind – a very small piece
• Salt – as required

Preparation

Dry roast groundnuts and red chillies on medium flame. Fry continuosly for 5 – 7 minutes until it is light brown. Do not let it get burnt. Switch off the stove and throw in the curry leaves. Allow it to cool. 

Now take the fried groundnuts, chillies and remaining ingredients in a mixer, add salt and grind it into a fine paste by adding water little by little. 

Groundnut Chutney

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Okra / Lady’s finger Curry / Vendakkai Kuzhambu (Type 1)

There are a lot of okra curry varieties prepared in India. Some are cooked with coconut, without coconut, puli kuzhambu, simply as side dish, Okra fry, Bhindi masala the list is endless. This Okra curry recipe is cooked with coconut where very little ingredients are required. It can be had with plain white rice.

Vendakkai Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• Okra / Lady’s finger – 200 gms
• Tomato – 2 large
• Coconut – 1/4th cup
• Ginger – 2 inch piece
• Garlic – 4 pods
• Oil  1 teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 and half teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Salt – as required

To temper

• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation

Cut Okra into big pieces, fry it in one teaspoon of oil until the stickiness leaves. Let it be crunchy. Set it aside. Take coconut, tomato, ginger, garlic in a mixer and grind it into a fine paste.

Now take a frying pan, pour oil and when hot add mustard seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the ground coconut tomato paste, pour little water and let it cook for 10minutes.  Until the raw smell leaves.

Now add turmeric and chilli powder and mix well. Pour some more water, add salt and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. The curry will start thickening and oil will start floating up. Switch off and serve with plain white rice.

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Kerala Kadala Curry / Black Channa Curry

Kerala food reminds me of Mom. She prepares Puttu and Kadala curry on some weekends upon “request”. 🙂 It is a comfort food in Kerala. Healthy but a little heavy. Sometimes I can go without food at noon if I’ve had it for breakfast. This curry can be had with Puttu or Chapati. 

Kerala Kadala Curry

Ingredients

• Kadala / Kala channa / Chickpea – 200gms (soaked 8hrs)
• Onion – 1
• Tomato -1 
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – as required

Seasoning

• Coconut oil or any cooking oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Green chillies – 4
• Ginger – 2 inch piece thinly sliced
• Garlic – 6 pods
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

To grind 

• Coconut – 1/4th cup
• Cumin/Jeera – 1 teaspoon

Preparation

1. Pressure cook the Kadala, Onion, Tomato, 3 Garlic pods, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Coriander powder and salt for 15 – 20 minutes. Meanwhile grind the coconut and Cumin /Jeera to a fine paste.
2. Allow the pressure to cool and release by itself. Open the cooker and add the ground coconut paste into it. Let it boil for 10 minutes. The gravy will start thickening. 

Seasoning

• Type 1 : Thinly slice the ginger, slit the green chillies, chop the remaining garlic, curry leaves and add it into the curry. Allow it to boil for another 5 minutes. Pour coconut oil and switch off the stove.
• Type 2 : Pour coconut oil or any cooking oil in a seasoning pan, when hot, add mustard seeds (optional), throw in the garlic pods, green chillies and fry. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute. Switch off and add the seasoning into the boiling curry and cook for another minute. 

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Mint Chutney / Pudina Chutney

Mint leaves are widely used in Indian cuisine. Ranging from beverages to chutneys or even as flavoured rice dish known as Pudina rice. The chutney goes well with idli, dosa, curd rice and plain white rice.
Mint leaves have various medicinal values. It is used as home remedy for stomach ache, common cold. You will find their usage in aromatherapy, essential oils and also in some shampoos for the cooling effect.

Ingredients

• Mint leaves – 2 handful
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic – 3 pods (optional) 
• Channa dal / Pottukadalai – 1 teaspoon
• Urad dal / Black gram – 1 teaspoon
• Coconut – a handful or 8 to 10 pieces
• Green chillies – 6 
• Salt – as required
• Oil – 1 teaspoon

Seasoning

• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard – 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli – 1
• Curry leaves – 5 – 6 leaves
• Cumin / Jeera – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Preparation

Take a small frying pan, pour a teaspoon of oil and when hot add urad dal, Pottukadalai, ginger, garlic (optional), and green chillies one after another slowly. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes. If using coconut pieces add it too at this stage. I used shredded coconut.

Now throw in the mint leaves / Pudina in and fry it on medium low flame for a minute and half. The 

leaves will shrink a little. Finally add the shredded coconut and fry it for a minute or two. Allow it to cool, transfer it to a mixer and grind it into a fine paste. 

 

Transfer to a bowl Pudina chutney is ready to serve! 

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Puli Sadham / Tamarind Rice

Puli Sadham / Tamarind Rice is a speciality in South India. It is prepared as prasadham in temples and is unbelievably tasty! A lot of people try to replicate the same taste at home. I have tried it too and it came out quite well!
Ingredients

• Cooked rice – 1 cup / 200gms
• Tamarind extract – from 1 lemon size
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Salt – as required

Roast & Grind

• Chana Dal / Pottukadalai – 1 teaspoon
• Urad Dal / Uzhundhu – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 and half teaspoon
• Red chillies – 4
• Sesame seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 teaspoon (optional) 

Other ingredients

• Gingelly oil / Nallennai – 3 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Kadalai paruppu – 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli – 3 
• Ground nuts or Cashew – 4 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation

1. In a frying pan roast all the items under “roast and grind” except fenugreek seeds in a teaspoon of oil. Cool it and grind it into a fine powder and set it aside. Make tamarind extract from the lemon size Tamarind. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind it finely and keep it ready. 

1. In the same frying pan pour 2 teaspoons of gingelly oil and season it with all the items under “other ingredients” in the same mentioned order. Now pour the tamarind extract and add turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil in low flame until the oil starts floating up. Switch it off. 

1. Add the cooked rice and start mixing without mashing it. Add the ground powder as you mix slowly. Add the fenugreek powder too at this stage (optional).  Check for salt. 

OR

The steps mentioned will give you an yellow puli Sadham. If you want it brown, you can add the roasted and ground powder before the tamarind extract starts boiling. Let it boil on low flame, switch off and mix the rice. Add fenugreek powder lastly (optional). This will give you a brown puli sadham. I made the brown version. 

Green gram curry / Pacha payar curry

Green gram curry / Pacha payaru curry is a traditional Kerala dish. The dry version is served with Kanji in Kerala. Throw in some shredded coconut to the dry version and it becomes “sundal“, a traditional dish relished in Andhra and Tamil Nadu. However, a slightly watery version can be had with chapati as well.
Ingredients

• Green gram lentil – 200 gms (soaked for 4 hrs)
• Onion – 1 large
• Green chilli – 4
• Shredded coconut – 1/6th cup (only if making sundal)
• Sambar powder – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Salt – as required

Seasoning two types (choose under preparation)

• Coconut oil or Any cooking oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard – 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Red chilli – 2 (optional)

Preparation

1. Soak Green gram lentil for at least 4 hrs and keep it ready. Take all the above items in a pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes. Make sure to pour generous amount of water as this lentil requires lot of water to cook. Allow the pressure to cool and season it according to your choice.

Seasoning types

The traditional way of seasoning here i.e, the Kerala style is to just pour coconut oil and throw in the curry leaves.

OR

If you do not like coconut oil for seasoning, you can follow the regular seasoning way with all the items under “seasoning” in the above list.

Note : Mine came out a little dry as I did not pour much water. 

Tip : If you like to make sundal then the type 2 seasoning is suitable.

Quick Tomato Curry / Thakkali Kuzhambu (Type 1)

Tomato curry / Thakkali Kuzhambu is one of the most basic curries made in India. There are so many different tomato based curries made that we may not be able to keep count and surprisingly most of it is called “Tomato curry” translated in vernacular. Below is one such recipe, quick, easy and simple to cook. I personally feel this resembles some Thai curry a little. Do not be fooled by the simplicity of the recipe. 🙂 It is delicious and a time saver! Goes well with plain white rice.
Ingredients

• Tomato – 2 or 3 large
• Coconut – 1/4th cup
• Red chilli powder – 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Salt – as required 

 Seasoning

• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin / Jeera – 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs chopped

Preparation

Chop the tomato into big pieces and put them in a pressure cooker. Pour a glass of water, add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Pressure cook for 5 – 7 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the coconut into a fine paste and set it aside.

Now switch off the cooker after 7 minutes and allow the pressure to release. Open and add the ground coconut paste. Cook for 5 minutes. Check for consistency. It may be a little watery but that is how the curry will be. If you like it thick, increase the amount of coconut paste. 

After cooking with coconut paste

Finally season it with all items under seasoning.

Seasoning

Serve with plain white rice.

Thakkali Kuzhambu