Thai Green Curry With Vegetables

Ingredients
• Carrot, cut 1 inch diamonds Into a medium
• Cauliflower, Separated Into florets 1/2 small
• Baby brinjals 2-3
• Potato, diced 1 medium
• Lemon grass stalk 5
• Lemon juice 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coconut milk 3/4 cup
• Fresh basil leaves 2-3
• For green curry paste
• Green chillies 10
• Shallots 3
• Garlic cloves 9
• 1 inch piece galangal
• Lemon grass 3 inch piece
• Lemon rind, grated 1/4 teaspoon
• a small bunch Coriander roots
Coriander seeds 2 teaspoons •
Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons •
• Salt to tast

Method
To make green curry paste, grind green chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, lemon rind, coriander roots, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and salt to a fine paste. Blanch all the vegetables. Tie lemon grass in a muslin cloth to make a bundle. Crush it slightly. Heat a non-stick pan, add green curry paste and roast for one minute. Add the blanched vegetables, lemon juice and cook for three to four minutes stirring continuously. Add three cups of water and continue to cook. Add lemon grass bundle and cook for three to four minutes till the lemon grass flavour is imparted. Remove the bundle and add salt and coconut milk. Simmer for a minute. Add basil leaves and take off the heat. Serve hot.

HYDERABADI BIRYANI RECIPE

Ingredients:
• ½ kg Basmati Rice (semi-cooked)
• 1 kg Boneless Meat (washed and chopped into square pieces)
• 500 gm Curd
• 4-6 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 4-6 Green Chilli
• 2 Big Onions (sliced)
• ¼ cup Lime Juice
• ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
• A pinch of Caraway Seeds (Shahi Zeera)
• 5-6 twigs Coriander Leaves (chopped)
• 5-6 twigs Mint Leaves (chopped)
• 2 pinch Saffron
• 1-2 Cinnamon
• 2-3 pods Cardamom
• 2-3 drops Saffron Color
• 1-2 pods Clove
• 2 cup Oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Ghee
How to make Hyderabadi Biryani:
• Smear the pieces of meat with ginger-garlic paste.
• Keep them to marinate for an hour.
• In the meanwhile, fry the sliced onions in a heated pan on low flame till light brown.
• Let the onions cool down and crush them.
• Now add crushed fried onion (only three-fourth), curd, red chilli powder, cinnamon, green chilli paste, cardamom, shahi zeera, coriander leaves, clove, saffron water, mint leaves and salt to the marinated meat.
• Leave the meat as it is for 1 hour.
• Make the mixture of aromatic water by adding salt (one tsp), cinnamon, clove, cardamom, mint leaves and coriander leaves in a little water.
• Now spread a layer of semi-cooked rice in a heavy bottomed vessel.
• Add saffron color, limejuice, ghee and the remaining crushed onions over the layer of rice.
• Spread a layer of marinated meat over this, and again spread the remaining semi-cooked rice.
• Now add the aromatic water in a circular motion over the rice layer.
• Now tightly cover the vessel with a lid. Keep it on a low flame.
• Remove the vessel from the flame exactly after 15 minutes.
• Hyderabadi Biryani is ready to eat.

CHICKEN RECIPE KURMA

Ingredients:
 1 kg chicken
1 cup onions ( pyaj) (sliced)
2 tblsp poppy seeds (khuskhus) (khuskhus)
1 tblsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup coconut (narial) (scraped)
1/2 cup yogurt
2 cloves garlic (lasan)
2 tsp ginger (adrak) paste
3-4 green cardamoms
3 tblsp oil (tel)
salt (namak) to taste
6 red chillies whole
1/4 cup fresh cream (malai)


How to make chicken kurma:
Clean, wash and skin the chicken. Cut the chicken into 12-14 pieces.
Soak poppy seeds in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes.
Grind soaked poppy seeds with de-seeded red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, green cardamom and scraped coconut.
Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced onions and cook till they are translucent. Add ginger paste and stir for 15 seconds.
Add chicken pieces and cook on high heat for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Make sure the chicken does not brown.
Stir in the ground paste and add 1 cup of water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add beaten yogurt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Finish with fresh cream.

Gongura Pulihora

INGREDIENTS:

Rice :2 cups

Popu/Tadka :

Green chilles :4 cut length wise
Mustard seeds : 1tsp
Zeera :1/2 tsp
Urad dal :1 tbsp
Channa dal : 1 tbsp
Curry leaves : 2 strings
Red chillies : 2
Turmaric : 1/2 tsp
Lemon : 1/2 lemon juice
Hing : 1/4 tsp
Salt : as required
Oil : 3 tbsp


Masala items:

Gongura leaves :3 handfulls
Red chilles :5
Mustard seeds :1/4 tsp
Zeera :1/2 tsp
Methi seeds :1/4 tsp
Oil : 2 tbsp


Preparation :

Fry above masala items in Oil.
Grind the above fried items together and add little salt and water while grinding . Make it like wet masala .
Wash and soak rice for 10 min . Drain water and add 4 cups of water . Cook in rice cooker .
Remove rice from the rice cooker and allow it to cool by spreading in a big bowl . Separate the cooked rice grains.
Heat the remaining oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add dry red chillis, zeera, channa dal, urad dal and fry for a minute till light brown.
Add the slit green chillis, asafoetida and few curry leaves,turmaric and fry for a few seconds.
Add this popu/tadka along with masala paste to the cooled rice and combine well such that its spread all over the rice. Adjust salt.Add lemon juice .


Serve with pappula podi and onions.

Shahi Makhani Curry

Ingredients:

Makhani - 1 cup (Deep fry the makhani and place it on warm water)
Pudhina - 15 pieces chopped
Coriander - 1/4 cup chopped
Curry leaves - 5 to 6
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Zeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Green chilly paste - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Raisins - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 10 tsps
Cashew nuts - 3 tbsp


Masala Paste:

Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 1/2 cut large peices
Yogurt - 3/4 cup
Oil - 2 tsp


Masala Paste Preparation:

Fry cashews in pan without oil until they turn reddish.
Fry onions in oil until onions turn reddish
Grind the above fried items along with yogurt to a smooth paste.

Preparation:

Take a large pan and add oil. Once oil is hot add curry leaves, onions and salt. Fry it well.
Add green chilli paste, red chilly powder, ginger garlic paste and fry it for few more minutes.
Now add coriander powder and mix it well. Add raisins and let it cook for 3 mins.
Add zeera powder, coriander leaves, pudina and fry it well. Add masala paste also and cook it for 5 to 10 mins on low flame.
Squeeze makhani out of water and add it to the pan. Cook it for another 5 mins on low flame.
Add garam masala and cook it until oil floats on low flame.
Garnish with cashewnuts pieces and coriander leaves .

Serve with roti or pulav

ANDHRA RECIPES

Andhra food recipes are known for its spicy flavour. Andhra cooking is rich in spices. Some of the famous Andhra cuisines include biryani, pickles and chutneys and desserts.

Every state of India has its own specialty. Food from Andhra Pradesh is famous for the rich seasoning and lots of variety. One can get vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. Though the taste changes from place to place because of the influence of other states, the main features of Andhra food are: -

Staple food
Rice is the staple food of Andhra Pradesh because rice is produce here in large quantity. Idli, dosa, vada and uttapam are made of rice and are mostly consumed with rice for daily diet. There are varieties in these also like there are sada dosa, masala dosa, rava dosa, Rava idli, masala idle etc.
There are many varieties of rice, which are cooked with spices, vegetables and meat.
Pesarattu has the feeling of upma eaten with chutney.
Tamarind rice is very popular.
Vegetarian and non vegetarian
The Andhra food is basically vegetarian, which is eaten on a banana leaf.
In the coastal region fish is eaten with rice.
They make use of all the vegetables but brinjal, potatoes and tomatoes are quite popular.
Spicy
A lot of spices are produced in south region and hence Andhra food is rich in spices.
They make use of cinnamon and black pepper.
They are seasoned with a lot of herbs and the curry is served hot.
Hydrabadi
Hydrabadi biryani is the specialty of hydrabad, which is seasoned with vegetable and meat.
It uses black pepper a lot.
One can find the influence of Indian and mughal taste in the Andhra food. A lot of variety is available in biryani.
Kababs, keema and their types are also very popular.
Pickles and chutneys
They are famous for some instant and preserved pickles.
The chutneys (sauces) of chilly, ginger, coconut and other vegetables are very popular.
They are served with all the meals.
They are very tasty, aromatic and spicy.
Desserts
Kheer and savayin are very famous which are specially made during the month of ramzaan.
Sweets made up of milk are widely eaten.
Special sweets of almond, eggs, apricot, mangoes and other fruits are equally popular.

Indian Diet During Pregnancy

Pregnant mothers always wonder that what they should eat & what not. Some says a mother should take the diet of two people because she needs to take care of one more life. But is it true, if yes what they should eat & if not how the baby will get proper diet to grow as a healthy child. When you will consult with a doctor they will say a pregnant mother must take a balanced diet. So that mother & child both gets a proper nutrition for their body. Basically Balanced diet must contain some or other thing from the entire food group. Not only this but balanced diet also meant to keep track on the proper quantity, quality & reaction or allergy of any food on mother. Following tips will help you and your baby stay healthy.
As it has been strictly prescribed by doctors that intake of Vitamin A must be controlled because it may cause damage to embryo.
Cabbage, Cauli-flower & all long green vegetables such as Tondali, Turai, Louki, Parwal, Spinach, Govari should be used alternately. You must keep balance, rather than eating same vegetable all the time.

Reduce brinjal, suran/yam, papaya, celery, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, pepper, asfoetida, mustard, bajara, carom seeds, jaggery from your diet. You must remember that those who have previous history of abortion better they must avoid these.
Those who suffer from constipation, gas, bloating must avoid peas and other `heavy to digest' cereals, potato. They must take green gram as it is easy to digest and gives protein.
Black grapes, banana, ripe mango, dates, cashewnuts, apricot are very beneficial.
Butter, clarified butter, milk, honey, fennel seeds, sweets made from jaggery rather than white sugar can be taken in small quantity.

Rice, Murmure, pulao, Bhakari, Khichri, Chapati, Paratha, Gujarati thepla are the items made from wheat and rice, so they are quite beneficial.
Items such as sandwich, bakery bread, bun, dhokla, pizza, handva, pancake, khaman, steamed rice cake, curd, tomato, tamarind, kadhi usually increase the swellings and acidity. So, try to avoid such item but if such problems do not exist, you can take in small quantity.
Indian women try to carry out fasts during pregnancy which is not good for health.
Do not eat left over, frozen & deep-frozen food.
Avoid cold drinks, mutton, cocoa, chicken, eggs, alcohol, smoking, tobacco, betel nut, pan-masala but tea, coffee & ice-creams can be taken in small quantity.
Remember, the baby inside depends on you for proper nutrition. So, if you will take healthy & balanced diet your child will become healthy.
During pregnancy, mother must focus on supplemental nutrients while maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet. They must get a list of healthy Indian foods and meal planning tips from doctor to eat well during a pregnancy.

Indian women must maintain a high quality diet during their pregnancy to get a healthy, fit & fine baby. Now start following your diet chart to become a healthy mom.