Biryani - Sunder Uncle's Recipe

Sunder Uncle is - my sister from another mother - Hema's Dad. He was one of the sweetest people I knew, and he always treated me like one of his own. He was a total foodie, and an amazing cook. 

From as long as I've known Hema's family, I've celebrated Christmas with them, and Sunder Uncle would usually make the yummiest biryani among other yummy dishes. I'd eat several helpings, and it is to me both comfort food and celebration food all rolled into one. 

This is his recipe, or as close to it as we can remember... when I cooked it today for the first time on a video cook-along with my soul sisters (that includes Hema), it was a load of fun, and an ode to Sunder Uncle and his cooking legacy. I missed him, and also felt so close to him. 

Ingredients 

Oil 1/2 cup or Ghee 1/4 cup + Oil 1/4 cup 

Bay leaves - 3

Star anise - 2

Cinnamon bark - 4 inch sticks

Cloves - 4 

Garlic Ginger paste - 3 tablespoons 

Green chilies - 12 or as per taste 

Onions - 3 sliced 

Basmati / Jeera rice* - 1/2 kg 

Water or Chicken stock - 1 1/2 times volume of rice 

Salt - to taste 

Lime juice - 1/2 

Curds - 2 tablespoons 

Mint leaves - 1/4 cup 

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup 

Tomatoes - 3 medium sliced 

Chicken/Mutton/Beef* - 1/2 kilo or Vegetables 

*Preparation

• Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice. Heat some oil in a kadai and 'fry' the rice in the hot oil till there is no water left and the rice is evenly coated with oil.  
• Cook the meat with salt and water. The mutton or beef will need to be cooked in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles. 

Method 

Take a cooker and add oil (and ghee). After heating add cinnamon,cloves, and star anise. Then add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies, stir. Add the sliced onions and fry it until the onions are golden yellow in color. (For the vegetable biryani, add the vegetables at this point and cook till half done.) 

Add the rice, water, bay leaves, and salt to the cooker. Add the lime juice, curds, and coriander and mint leaves; add the tomato. Now add the pre-cooked meat, close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. 

Kozhi Varutharachathu

Ingredients for the Masala Paste

 1 cup of grated coconut 

10 shallots 

7 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons of black pepper

2 teaspoons of coriander seeds

3 dried red chilies 

5 Kanthari Mulaku 

1 stick of cinnamon

1 star anise

 3 cardamon pods 

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

10 curry leaves

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

 Dry roast all the ingredients for the masala paste, except for the oil, till it turns a golden colour. Then add the coconut oil and continue roasting for 5 minutes. Cool completely, then make a thick paste with it in a mixie. 

 Ingredients for the Chicken Curry 

 1/2 kilo chicken 

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

3 chopped onions 

3 chopped tomatoes 

5 green chilies 

2 tablespoons of ginger / garlic paste 

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon of chili powder 

Salt, to taste 

 Method 

 In a kadai pour the coconut oil and saute the onions. Add the ginger and garlic paste, and green chilies, saute for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes.Saute till tomatoes start leaving the oil. Add the masala paste along with turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt. Add the chicken to this. Mix well, making sure that the chicken is coated well with all of the masala and spices. You may pour a cup of water, then cover the pan to cook the chicken. Once cooked you can alter the thickness of the gravy as needed. Serve garnished with a few curry leaves. 

This authentic recipe came from the kitchens of my soul sister Anupa, who is an expert in Kerala Cuisine. 

Chocolate Coffee Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup of flour (125 g Maida)
1 cup of sugar (210 g)
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (30 g)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee*
1/2 cup of curds
1/4 cup of coconut water*
1/4 cup of butter (50 g)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add melted butter, coffee, coconut water, egg, curds, and vanilla. Mix till a thin batter is formed.

Grease the muffin pan and line with paper. This batter rises quite a lot, so do not fill more than 1/2 of each muffin cup.

Bake at 175 C for 15 - 20 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)

*I use ID Filter Coffee Decoction, which is very strong. If you want the muffins to taste more like coffee, you can double the proportions of the coffee and not add the coconut water.

Serving suggestions: 

Tastes delicious with a glass of cold milk, or serve a warm muffin with a scoop of vanilla icecream. 

Sabudana Kichdi Recipe

our Book Club is more than a book club... we are soul sisters, a girl gang, each other's cheering squad... and this morning we also became a Cook-along club... with my Friend Ramya walking us through the steps on how to make the perfect Sabudana Kichidi... as always it was loads of fun... and we all got to eat a yummy breakfast after... totally worth setting up an alarm to wake up at 7:30 am for this... and what a lovely way to start the day...

Ingredients 

1 cup of sago

2-3 medium potatoes 

1/2 cup of peanuts

3-5 green chilies

coriander leaves

grated fresh coconut

lemon 

1 tablespoon of ghee

1 teaspoon of jeera 

a few curry leaves
salt, to taste

Preparation

6 - 12 hours in advance: 

- Take 1 cup of sago and rinse 3 - 4 times or under running water till the excess starch is washed away. Place the sago in a bowl and add water so that the water level is about 1 inch above the level of the sago. Let the sago soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes of soaking, drain the excess water from the sago, place the soaked sago in the bowl, cover and leave it for 6 - 12 hours. 
- Boil 2-3 medium potatoes. Once they have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them for 6 - 12 hours. 

Just before cooking: 

 - Peel the potatoes,  and dice
 - Roast 1/2 a cup of peanuts, cool, and grind them coarsely. (Expert Tip: Do not grind the peanuts too much, that may release the oil from them and make it sticky.) 
 - Slit 3 - 5 Green Chilies 
 - Finely chop Coriander Leaves 
 - Grate 1 - 3 tablespoons of fresh Coconut
 - squeeze the juice of a small lemon 

Cooking method: 

- Add about 1 tablespoon of Ghee in a kadai. (Expert Tip: Adding a very small quantity of cooking oil to the ghee will prevent it from burning.) 
 - When it is hot, sputter about 1 teaspoon of Jeera in the hot ghee. 
 - Add the potatoes. (Expert Tip: Add a pinch of sugar so that the potatoes brown well.) Stir till golden brown. 
 - Add the Green Chilies, and Curry Leaves, then stir.
 - Add the peanut powder and stir. 
 - Add the sago and salt. Mix well, then cover the kadai and cook on low heat till the sago turns translucent. 
 - Add the Coconut, Coriander, and Lemon Juice. Turn off heat. 


Serve hot with a dash of coconut on the top, and a wedge of lime.

Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Pumpkin Puree

Pressure cook pumpkin cut into chunks. Cool, scoop out pulp, blend with a fork or hand blender.

Pumpkin Spice

 - 1 small Nutmeg
 - 2-3 inch long pieces of cinnamon
 - (Optional) 1 inch piece of dried ginger
Grind to a fine powder.

Dry Ingredients

1.5 Cups of Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice

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In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar and 2 eggs
Add 1/4 cup of unsalted Butter, and 1.5 cups of Pumpkin Puree, mix

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold.

Bake at 175 C for 23 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)