PASTA FUSILLI IN CREAMY CAPSICUM SAUCE

When it comes to pasta, am always a hater of the readily packed ones available at the local markets.My daughter,she is a huge fan of pasta and always pester me to get the ready made ones.So i started navigating and experimenting with new flavours which includes the italian as well as tried to indianise it to some extent.
This pasta fusilli in capsicum gravy gives you the lovely flavour of the capsicum.you wont get the raw taste .And ofcourse no one can judge that there is capsicum hidden in the gravy(obviously hideen but it is the main ingredient for that lovely sauce).
when i derived this new gravy for the pasta,i did not imagine how lovely and deliscious it would.So creamy and yet so healthy.
This sauce can be used for as a base for any pasta variety.here i have used the fusilli ones.
Surprise your pasta lovers at home with this creamy,buttery,cheesy recipe.



INGREDIENTS:

• Pasta fusilli     -     2 cups
• capsicum         -    1 small
• onions             -     1 medium finely chopped
• fresh cream     -     1/4th cup
• grated cheese of your choice  -     1/4 th cup
• italian seasoning  -  1 teaspoon
• butter/olive oil              -      2 tablespoons
• garlic                    -      4 cloves minced
• pepper      -      half teaspoons
• salt to taste

METHOD:

1. heat olive oil/butter in a pan.
2. add minced garlic and saute for 30 secs
3. add onions and fry till golden.
4. add chopped capsicum and saute till soft.
5. let it cool.then grind it to a fine paste.
6. add the fusilli to enough salted boiling water and cook till soft.Or follow the package instructions.
7. drain and reserve the water used for boiling the pasta
8. return the capsicum paste to the same tawa used to saute them.keep in low flame.
9. add the cream ,pepper,salt,half of the cheese and seasoning and let it come to a boil.
10. add the drained pasta and mix well.
11. if the sauce is very thick you can add some of the reserved water to make it thin.
12. now transfer to a serving bowl and top it with the reserved cheese and garnish with coriander.

cook's note:

1. YOu can add little butter while boiling the pasta ,so that they dont stick to each other.
2. you can even roast the capsicum over direct flame,peel the skin off and grind.It gives a good smokey tinge to your pasta base.But i find this method easy and equally flavourful.
3. you can even add veggies of your choice and add them after tossing the onions and let them fry for few mins on medium flame till they are half cooked.

VEGETABLE STEW- KERELA STYLE

I always love to add coconut or coconut milk to my dishes.The coconut gives rich flavour and thickness to any of the gravies ,be it a vegetarian or a non vegetarian dish.When you fee that any of your gravies have become thin and runny, you can always add some thick coconut milk at the end and leave it to boil till it thickens.

This kerela style vegetable stew is rich and combines the flavours of the indian spices and coconut.

 this is so rich in flavour and goes very well with aapam,rotis,chapathis and also rice.The entire veggies are cooked in coconut milk.

Here you have to take two consistencies of coconut milk-Thick and thin.
The first coconut milk which u take will be thick and the second coconut milk will be thin.
So first you will be using the thin coconut milk(that is, the milk taken the second time)..And then use the thick coconut milk at the last.

How to make the coconut milk?

1. Grate the coconut and let it sit in warm water for 10mins.(use 1/4th cup water for 1 cup of grated coconut).
2. then grind the coconut along with little of the soaked water.
3. now strain it and reserve the milk.This is the first and thick milk.
4. next grind the strained coconut with rest of the water.
5. Strain again.this is the second and thin milk.

INGREDIENTS:

• onions       -         3 large finely chopped
• carrots      -          1 large
• potatoes   -          2
• fresh green peas  -      1 cup
• ginger       -          1/2 inch
• garlic         -          4 cloves
• cinnamon  -    1/2 inch stick
• nutmeg powder  -   a pinch
• fennel seeds   -     1 teaspoon
• cardamom     -      2 nos
• cloves           -       4
• freshly ground black pepper   -   1 teaspoon
• green chillies   -    3-4  slit lengthwise
• grated coconut  -   2 cups
• cashews           -    8 nos (optional)
• butter            -       2 tablespoons
• curry leaves  -   2 springs
• coriander      -     for garnish
• salt to taste.

1. Crush the spices using a mortar and pestle(cinnamon,fennel,cloves,cardamom)
2. Crush the ginger garlic .
3. cut the vegetables into 1/2 an inch cubes.
4. Take thick and thin coconut milk from the grated coconut.
5. soak cashews in 1/4th cup warm water for 15 mins
6. Heat the butter in a pan.
7. splutter the crushed spices.add the nutmeg powder and freshly ground pepper.
8. add the curry leaves and saute for 30 secs.
9. Add the onions and fry till golden.
10. Add the crushed ginger garlic.Saute till raw smell leaves.
11. Add all the veggies and saute for a min.
12. now pour the thin coconut milk .
13. add salt and cover the lid and let the veggies cook till done.
14. Meanwhile grind the cashews to a fine paste using the same water used to soak the nuts.
15. mix this paste with the thick coocnut milk.
16. open the lid and add the thick coconut milk and cashew mixture.let it boil for two minutes untill thickened.
17. if u like the gravy to be thin ,then u can skip the cashew paste.
18. switch off flame and garnish with coriander.

COOK'S NOTE:

• the first milk you take from coconut will be thick milk,Save it for the last.the second milk from it would be the thin milk.
• You can use veggies  of your choice like french beans,cauliflower,etc.
• this gravy goes well with aappam,chapathis,rotis,phulkas and also rice.

Onion chutney

 There are times when you have coconut and still you feel lazy to grate and grind it.At that time there are few eay chutney recipes with me which comes in hand during the lazy hours.This is one such recipe and can be prepared in no time.It goes well with idlies and dosas.Adjust the red chillies according to your taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• Red onions  - 5 big
• Dry red chillies -10
• Tamarind. -  gooseberry sized
• Sugar.      -  1 tsp
• Oil.    -     2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds -  1 tsp

Method

1. Soak red chilies for 10-15mins
2. Peel n chop the onions roughly
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the onions till golden.
4. Squeeze the soaked chillies .
5. Grind the onions,chillies,sugar and tamarind together along with required salt.
6. Temper mustard seeds in a tablespoon oil and pour over the chutney 

MUTTON BRIYANI- (AMBUR STYLE)

 

This is one of my family's favorite recipes.this mutton biriyani tastes more of the Ambur style (A place called ambur in tamilnadu which is famous for their briyani).This place ambur is famous for their special briyani and people whoever travel via ambur will definitely stop there for their awesome taste.I have tried many briyani recipes and this one specially when i tried tasted more like the ambur type.Everyone at home enjoyed it thoroughly and the briyani was over within minutes.You can use chicken also in the palce of mutton but the cooking time drastically varied for chicken which i will give you in the cook's notes later.So , follow the instructions exactly to get the right consistency and taste.

  

 Here in my briyani recipe i usually grind some of the spices like cloves and cardamom ,as i dont like to bite them .so if u wish you can add the spices as whole.

 The soaked dry red chillies paste gives it the authentic flavour. .So never skip that step.

 INGREDIENTS:

• Mutton     -    1kg
• basmati rice - 4 cups
• water           - 5 cups
• onions     -     3 large
• tomatoes  -    3 large
• dry red chillis  -   6
• ginger    -     1 inch piece
• garlic    -      6 cloves
• green chillies  -   3
• coriander leaves -   1 cup (finely chopped)
• mint leaves       -     1/2 cup (finely chopped)
• lime juice         -     2 tablespoon
• curd                  -     1/2 cup
• star anise             -  1
• javithri/maze        -   1
• bay leaf                -   1
• red chilli powder  -  1 teaspoon
• turmeric powder   -   1/2 teaspoon
• ghee                     -   4 tablespoons
• oil                        -   2 tablespoons
• salt to taste

TO GRIND (1):

• Jeera     -         1 tablespoon
• bay leaf  -        1
• cinnamon  -   2 inch stick
• cloves      -    4 
• cardamom -  2.

TO GRIND (2):

     Grind together the ginger,garlic and green chillies.

TO GRIND (3):

     Soak the dry red chillies in 1/2 cup warm water for 15 mins.then squeeze the chillies and grind to a fine paste.

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30mins
2. Meanwhile heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and temper the bayleaf,star anise and the maze.Now add the powdered spices.
3. Add the onions and fry till golden.
4. now add the ginger garlic chilli paste and fry till raw smell leaves.
5. Add the washed mutton pieces and fry till it changes colour.
6. add the tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.
7. now add the coriander and mint leaves and saute for a minute.
8. Add the curd and again saute for a minute.
9. add the lime juice.
10. Next add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder and red chilli paste and saute for a minute.
11. Add the required salt.
12. Close the lid and put on the weight.(The onions,mutton and tomatoes will leave sufficient water.If not add half a cup of water .not more than that)
13. Let it cook for 10 to 12 whistles.The muttton should be cooked well.it depends upon the meat.For me it took 12 whistles to cook.You can check after the 8th whistle.if cooked properly then you can proceed with the next step.
14. Let the pressure reduces and then open the lid.
15. transfer the mutton pieces separately and measure the liquid left.This should be measured accordingly for cooking the rice.For example, if you are left with 2 cups of liquid  from cooking the mutton then You should only add 3 cups of water for the rice.
16. now add the soaked rice to the same pressure cooker and add the mutton pieces.Now measure the liquid and water and ass it to the pressure cooker.Check for salt and add extra if required.
17. Close and put the weight.
18. let it simmer for 20mis.
19. Open when pressure leaves and mix carefully so as not to break the rice.
20. garnish with coriander and serve with boiled eggs and ONION RAITHA.

COOK'S NOTE:

1. you can use chicken instead of mutton,but make sure to reduce the cooking time.for chicken 3 to 5 whistles will be sufficient.
2. you can also make this briyani using dum process.dumming process i have explained in my CHICKEN DUM BRIYANI.
3. You can also opt to use the spices as whole instead of  grindind.Personally i dont like the bite of cloves or cardamom,so i have ground them.
4. Never skip the dried red chilli paste.It gives the briyani its authentic taste.