Thengaipal Sadham ( Coconut Milk Rice)

From my mom's kitchen.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 2 cups

Coconut One medium size

Garlic 1 no

Onion 3 nos

Green Chilli 4 nos

Cinnamon 2 small sticks

Cloves 4 nos

Cardamom  2 nos

Bay leaf 1 nos

Cashew nuts about  10-15 nos

Oil 3-4 Tbsp

Ghee 2 tbsp

Salt to Taste

Prep

Extract coconut milk by grinding coconut such that you get 4 cups out of it. First use one cup of water to grind and extract. Subsequently add one cup water at a time and squeeze out the milk. Alternatively, one could use store bought coconut milk. Consistency should be that of milk, not to thick not to thin

Onions to be sliced thinly and garlic pods should be peeled.  Soak the rice for 15 mins

Process

Heat Oil and ghee together in a pressure cooker, add all the spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom) let it cook add cashew nuts and cook until it turns light golden. Now add Onions, garlic and whole green chillies ( stalks removed) and sauté until the onions turn translucent. Now add the extracted coconut milk (4 cups)  with salt. Cook further until the milk starts to froth ensure that it doesn’t boil (risk of splitting). Now add the rice by straining water completely. Cover and wait for 2 whistles before turning off the stove.  Cool the cooker immediately and open to check that it hasn’t caught the bottom.

Serve Hot with Mutton Kurma, Spicy chicken gravy, Hot Pudhina Chutney, Veg Kurma, Koftha Curry or Raitha ( Potato, tomato, onions, green chilly)

Prawn and Potato in Rich Tomato Gravy (Vegetarian options too)

Ingredients

Prawn (shelled and deveined) 1 cup

Potato 2-3 nos

Tomato 3 nos

Onion 2 nos

Green Chilli 1 no

Garlic Cloves 6-7 nos

Butter 3-4 tbsp

Cloves 3-4 nos

Cinnamon stick 1 small piece

Dried bay leaf 1 small piece

Star Anise 1/4 a piece

Cardamom 2-3 nos

Ginger Paste 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp

Curry Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1/2 tsp

Dried Fenugreek Leave Powder 1/2 tsp

Fresh Cream 1-2 tbsp (optional)

Water 1 cup

Curd 2-3 tbsp

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation

In a pan melt butter add the whole spices ( cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom) saute till the flavors start to release. Now add chopped garlic cloves, roughly chopped tomato and onions, deseeded green chilli. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, blend them in a mixer and pass the resulting mixture through a sieve and set aside. Now melt more butter in a pan, add ginger paste and garam masala, cook  until the raw flavors go away. Add the filtered puree into the pan and cook for 2 mins, now add red chilli powder,curry chilli  powder, water and salt. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins under low heat. When the oil starts to separate add beaten curd and cook further.

Peel the potatoes, wrap them in wet kitchen cloth and microwave for about 4 mins. Remove and dice them into cubes and add to the pan, cover and cook for another minute. Now add the prawns, cover and cook for 2-3 mins. Remove cover, add fenugreek leaf powder and mix well. Cook for further 2 mins by sprinkling some garam masal powder.  Turn the heat off and add fresh cream if you have. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with phulka, roti, chappathi, dosa, aapam etc.

Prawn and Potato in Rich Tomato Gravy

When i made this gravy today, it was too spicy as i added 1 tsp of chillipowder, hence for the recipe its 1/2tsp. 

Variations: You could add shredded tandoori chicken, mutton tikka, paneer, other vegetables too. Onion can be avoided too.