Malabar Mutton biryani , Kannur style.

I am thriving in a society where food culture is at its maxim. Malabar food has so much to offer that i at times find it difficult to grab it all. As no challenge is unturned .. i love to explore and dig in everything i can get my hands on. Inshahaallah i promise (myself ) to bring everything to this blog . Kannur the place i am from is no different from Kozikode and Thalassery  in many ways . 

Our delights are never ending and how much  i try to explore  the load just increases. 
Today's recipe is first of malabars favorite dish .
Mutton biryani has always been the no. One dish ... for Aj . A nice well cooked juicy mutton and perfect well blended masala .. ya you heard me right .. it has to be perfect for him .
And by luck every time this recipe for some reason turns out well for me .

 it all. As no challenge is unturned .. i love to explore and dig in everything i can get my hands on. Inshahaallah i promise (myself ) to bring everything to this blog . Kannur the place i am from is no different from Kozikode and Thalassery  in many ways .  



Our delights are never ending and how much  i try to explore  the load just increases. 
Today's recipe is first of malabars favorite dish . 
Mutton biryani has always been the no. One dish ... for Aj . A nice well cooked juicy mutton and perfect well blended masala .. ya you heard me right .. it has to be perfect for him . 
And by luck every time this recipe for some reason turns out well for me .



INGREDIENTS

3 cups basmati rice
1 kg mutton , cut into meduim sized peices
3 tableapoon oil 
4 large onions, slliced
2  tablespoon ginger paste
2 tablespoon garlic paste
6 green chillies, crushed (depending on your spice level)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoon  coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon garam masala powder
3 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
1 inch cinnamon
2 pods cardamom
3 cloves
6 cups of boiling water
1 tablespoon mint leaves
Salt to taste
4 tablespoon ghee
1 small onion, chopped
6-8 cashewnuts
2 tablespoon raisins
A bunch chopped coriander and mint leaves for garnishes.

Method 

Wash and drain rice .
Heat oil in pressure cooker, add half the coconut  oil and add the chopped onions ,cook till soften .
Add grinded  ginger garlic chillie pastes . Cover  Cook for five minutes.
 Add tomatoes and cook till mushy.
Add the spice powders and salt . Stir well on low flame .
Add the mutton ,, mix well and pressure cook for a whistle and lower flame and cook for 20 minutes minimum. This depends on the mutton also.
Off the flame let the cooker cool off the pressure.
Now open and simmer on high flame if the water quantity is high .the gravy must be thick .
Add the remaining coriander mint leaves. 
Add half teaspoon of the garam masala and stir well
. In a large saucepan,heat  the ghee. Fry the  onion slices cashews  raisins and keep aside. Reserve the ghee for late use.
Take a huge vessel ,heat ghee and add  whole masalas and stir fry. Add the rice  and stir fry for some minutes .Add 6 cups  hot boiling water into this.
Keeping on high .Add few mint curry leaves  and salt,  .
Cook on low flame till 3./4 cooked . mix well.
Now take out half of the rice , spread the mutton  masala, t. sprinkle fried onion, cashews and raisins,  garam masala,  chopped coriander mint leaves.Add the remaining rice on top  and then sprinkle all remaining ingredients. Close  the lid tightly  and cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with raita and coconut chutney and of course nice lemon pickle .

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Beetroot cheese pudding

This is my first post after returning back from Dubai. Today i write this post with a great weight in my heart ...leaving my birthplace behind with a lot of memories both happy and sad..is something i just cannot pen in words. I love my hometown but still there will always be a pinch longing to go back. Living abroad for so long , i am still trying to adjust to my daily chores with each  aspect of it reminding me of my favorite spaces of life in Dubai.

So i decided to start my post with a positive note. A Sweet  dish for a new beginning . I have come across many sweets and savouries using beets as a main ingredient. Here's a recipe just alike . 

Beetroot cheese pudding.
This is a simple pudding which is really a gem just because of its easy to sample together quickly just under 45 minutes .
I prepared two trays of each . One will be going to a party which I will be attending shortly .
I have used beetroot juice  to be added   to the topping of the pudding .
I have used almarai brand of cream cheese for the pudding as its the most apt .
But i really miss my puck cream and the curd 

Ingredients
1 cup full fat milk
1 cup whipping cream powder
1 cup fresh cream
50 gms cream cheese
1/4 tin milkmaid
2 tablespoon gelatin powder
3 tablespoon cold water.
1/2 cup cashews
1 packet oreo buscuits crushed .
1 teaspoon butter

For the beetroot topping
150 gms liquid glucose.
150 gms white cooking chocolate
1/2 tin milkmaid
2 tablespoon sugar powdered .
2 tablespoon Gelatin powder
1/2 cup beetroot juice ( juice of 1/2 beetroot )

Method
Crush the oreos and cashews .
Roast the cashews in 1 teaspoon butter
Keep aside .
Soak the gelatin in water for 5 minutes  and double boil.
Beat the rest of the ingredients for 3 minutes and then add the gelatin and beat well for 2 minutes
Pour into the dish and add the oreos and the cashews.  Set aside.
Now to prepare the topping  ,soak  the gelatin in water to bloom and then double boil . Double boil the rest of the ingredients and stir till it thickens .
Cool and add to the set pudding.
Note :
Shred the beetroot and squeeze the juice required for 1 /2 cup. Do not add water.

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