Palak paneer biryani | Easy Lunch box recipes

Palak Paneer biryani with video

Palak paneer is a classic combo, which generally makes a combo in gravy as a side dish for chapathi. I have posted Palak paneer gravy in Jeyashri's kitchen. As schools are reopening for kids in many places, i thought i will post this easy and kids friendly lunch box recipe. This palak paneer biryani is an easy one pot meal, loved by all at home. Try it out at home and I am sure kids will love this.

Palak paneer biryani

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 3-4


     Basmati rice  1 cup
     Palak leaves  1 cup (15-17 leaves)
     Mint leaves  a handful
     Garlic  4 cloves
     Biryani masala*  1 tsp
     Oil  2 tblsp
     Ghee  1 tblsp
     Cashew nuts  few (optional)
     Red chili powder  1 tsp
     Salt  as needed
     Sugar  1/2 tsp
     Onion  2
     Tomato  1
     Coriander leaves  few to garnish 
*I used store bought biryani masala.

Method:

• Soak the basmati rice in 1 cup of water  for 15 minutes.
• Blanch the palak by dipping it in hot water for a minute. 
• Add the sugar in the water, this will help to retain the green color of the palak leaves.
• Drain the water and take out the leaves.

• Grind the palak leaves along with mint and garlic into a fine paste. 

• In a pressure cooker add oil and ghee.
• Chop the onions into long.
• Add the cinnamon stick.
• Add the onions and saute till they turn golden brown. Keep the flame and do not burn it.

• Chop the tomatoes finely and add it.
• Cook for 2 minutes and add red chili powder and mix well.

• Add the ground palak masala to this. Add the paneer cubes to this. Cook for 2 minutes. 

• Mix well and cook till the raw smell goes.  Add the soaked rice along with the water.

• Add the Biryani masala too. If you do not have anything, you can add garam masala.
• Cover and cook till 2 whistles or you can cook for 1 whistle and keep it in a very low flame for 10 minutes and switch off the stove.

• If adding cashew nuts roast them in ghee and add it to the pulao. 
• Fluff it up with fork. Gently mix it up.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve palak paneer biryani with onion raita .

Notes:

1. You can add bay leaf, cardamom and star anise too while adding the cinnamon.
2. While grinding add a small piece ginger and also little fennel seeds. 
3. Instead of adding cashew nuts in the last, you can grind this too along with mint and palak. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes and then add.
4. Palak paneer biryani tastes awesome and flavourful even after 2 hours. 

Palak khichidi | Palak dal khichidi recipe

Palak Khichidi | palak dal Khichidi is a simple comforting one pot meal. We all love dal khichidi but i have tried this palak dal khicidi for the first time. I got the recipe from a friend whom i met in a cookery show. We all loved it and enjoyed it for lunch. You can have this for dinner too. Dal khichidi is similar to south Indian pongal but with the addition of few other spices. Try this at home and make your meal a healthy one.

Vegetarian Fried bee hoon recipe | Rice noodles recipe

Vegetarian fried bee hoon | Mee hoon is a Popular Singapore | Malaysian local food made with rice noodles. It is similar to the veg hakka noodles we make using the Indo chinese method. This fried mee hoon | bee hoon | fried noodles is widely available in all food courts in Singapore and Malaysia. They mostly serve the non veg version of the bee hoon, but many stalls have the vegetarian fried bee hoon too. Though i am not a big fan of this bee hoon, Varsha and Suresh who always love to explore new cuisine likes this bee hoon a lot. I learnt this recipe from my Malaysian Tamil friend Rubini, who patiently explained me the recipe, even in her busy schedule with the little kid. Thank you so much for the recipe. My family enjoyed the noodles and i have already made this twice on popular demand. Check out the Teh tarik another local tea recipe.

Onion rasam recipe | Vengaya rasam

Onion rasam is a simple south Indian rasam recipe. I have tried this for the first time, and loved the taste of the rasam. It tasted similar to vengaya vatha kuzhambu, i can say it is a thinner version of vengaya vathakuzhambu. If you love the flavour of small onions then you will surely love this onion rasam. Check out my garlic rasam too.

Onion rasam recipe

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 4-5


     Small onions | shallots| chinna vengayam 15-20
     Tomato  2
     Tamarind  a small gooseberry sized
     Rasam powder  1 tsp
     Black pepper  1tsp
    Jeeragam | cumin seeds 1 tsp
    Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
     Toor dal   2 tblsp (cooked)
    Salt as needed
    Curry leaves   few
    Coriander leaves  few
    Ghee   1 tsp
    Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
    Asafoetida  2 pinches
     
     

Method:

• Grind the tomatoes and filter it. Filtering is optional. I want the rasam to be more thin and not cloudy.

• Grind the black pepper, cumin seeds, coriander and curry leaves in a mixie in a coarse mixture.

• Add hot water to the tamarind and extract thin tamarind juice. 
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the onions.
• Saute it till becomes soft. Do not burn it.

• Add the tomato juice, tamarind juice, turmeric powder, rasam powder,asafoetida and salt.

• Add the coarsely ground pepper mixture. Mix well. Let this boil for 7-8 minutes.

• Add 1 cup of water to the cooked toor dal and add it to the boiling mixture.
• Let this froths up.
• Switch off the flame and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Onion Rasam is ready to serve with hot rice.

Notes:

1. You can chop few tomatoes and add it to the rasam if you want bits of tomatoes.
2. You can pound few garlic pods and add it to the rasam. 
3. If you want you can use big onions also for this onion rasam.

Veg uttapam recipe | Vegetable Uthappam

Veg uttapam | uttapam is a South Indian breakfast recipe, generally made with left over idli|dosa batter. I have posted small uttapam recipe in jeyashri's kitchen inspired by Murugan Idli kadai. I actually wanted to try 5 taste uttapam but since i have already posted mini masala uttapam recipe, i thought i will make the normal veg uthapam. The uttapam was quite filling and loaded with veggies. You can serve this without any chutney or sambar too.

Mango Shrikand recipe | Mango recipes

Shrikand is an Indian sweet made with strained yogurt. I have already posted kesar shrikand recipe. I wanted to try out Mango shrikand recipe this time. Few days back when i was talking to a Maharastrian friend she was talking about this Mango shrikand and also told me about Aam Piyush a mango drink. Both the recipes sounded so interesting and today i am posting the recipe of Mango shrikand. It is a no cook recipe, only the yogurt should be hung in a muslin cloth or keep it in a tea strainer as i did. Check out my full collection of Mango recipes.

Paneer cutlet recipe | Millet paneer cutlet

Paneer cutlet with millet, i tried this for the first time in a cookery class here in Singapore. Even when i was trying this at home before the class, it was a loved by everyone. Also it was a super hit recipe in the class too. Paneer and cooked millet are the main ingredients and gram flour |kadalai maavu is used for binding. It is a perfect starter for parties. Also you can stuff this inside the burger and serve for kids. I won't say this is a healthy cutlet recipe but you can make it healthy by cooking the cutlets on a pan.

Check out my

• Beetroot cutlet
• Soya chunks cutlet
• Semiya cutlet  

Mango dip recipe | Mango recipes

Mango sauce recipe

Mango dip | mango sauce is a dip made with ripe mangoes. This is an excellent dressing for salad too. You can serve this as a dip for any spicy paneer tikka or vietnamese spring rolls are some plain cut salad veggies. Even you can serve with plain cut raw mangoes too. Check out my full collection of mango recipes.

Veg lasagna recipe | Easy Lasagna recipe

Lasagna is similar to pizza but made with lasagna sheets. We first tasted veg lasagna during our Europe trip in France border. Then i tried it at home during few months back and posted in Jeyashri's kitchen Instagram too. After that Varsha's friends who are all in Instagram asked me to make lasagna for them. So after their board exams got over i called all of them home and made lasagna for them. So finally i decided to make lasagna for Jeyashri's kitchen and posted the step wise recipe here. Make this at home and let me know how it turned out. I wanted to cottage cheese lasagna too, will post  the Indian version of Paneer lasagna soon.

Mango margarita | Virgin margarita recipe

 Mango margarita is a mexican cocktail , generally mixed with alcohol. The classic way of serving the margarita is by dipping the rim of the serving glass in salt. Last year when we friends went out for a dinner, one of them ordered this margarita and the salt dipped part was so interesting. I wanted to try the Virgin Margarita recipe at home and finally tried with mango. It was so refreshing and i would say it's a perfect summer drink. Try this easy mango margarita recipe at home and get refreshed. 

Virgin Mango Margarita

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 6


    Mango pieces  3/4 cup
    Plain soda  330ml
    Sugar  3-4 tblsp  
    Lemon juice  2 tblsp
    Salt  little
    Ice cubes  few  
                                                       Video of mango margarita

                                                   
    

                                 


Method:

• I used banganapally mango. Scoop out the flesh of the mango and chop them roughly.
• In a mixie add the mango pieces, sugar, lemon juice and ice cubes.
• Grind this into a smooth mixture.

• Add plain soda to this. Mix well.

• Take a serving glass and rub the rim with lemon juice.
• In a plate add salt and dip the edges with salt. You can also sugar or red chili powder too.

• Pour the virgin mango margarita to that glass.

• Enjoy the drink.

Notes:

1. Instead of sugar you can make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar and water in equal proportions. Just boil sugar and water till sugar dissolves.
2. You can use any fruit of your choice. Strawberry, watermelon will go well with this.
3. For serving instead of salt you can use coarse sugar or mix red chili powder and salt too. 
4. Keep the soda water chilled. You can even add sprite or 7 up also to make Virgin mango margarita.