Red Rice Payasam

This recipe is from Ahaa! Enna Rusi on Sun TV
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red sticky rice, powdered coarsely
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp sugar 
• Cardamom powder, a pinch
• Cashews and raisins

Preparation:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins. Remove the fried cashews and raisins and keep aside.
2. Fry the powdered rice till the flavour comes out.
3. Pressure cook with milk and switch off. (Alternatively, you can microwave it)
4. Then add milk as required, sugar, fried cashews and cardamom powder.

Note:

1. I try to use sugar free drops instead of sugar wherever possible. It had the same taste in this preparation.

Kongunadu Kozhi Rasam

Recipe from Chef Jacob on Ahaa! Enna Rusi
Ingredients:

• 250g Chicken with bones
•  15 pearl onions, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• curry leaves
• 2 sprigs coriander, chopped

To grind:

• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 red chillis
• 4 pearl onions
• 5 garlic cloves

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook chicken with minced onion, tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and little salt with 5 cups water. Discard bones.
2. Prepare rasam paste by dry grinding pepper, cumin, fennel and red chillis. Once powdered add coriander powder. Then add garlic and onions and grind to a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan, season with cumin and curry leaves. Once cumin splutters, pour in the pressure cooked chicken stock and add the ground paste. Allow to boil and switch off. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

From LG Microwave Cook Book
Ingredients:

• 250g chicken 
• Vegetables of choice, sliced, cubed or quartered (I used baby corn, mushroom and cabbage)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp garlic paste (For 1tsp garlic paste, mix 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt)
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 4 tbsp corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Prepration:

1. Pressure cook chicken, shred the pieces and take stock.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add crushed garlic and chilli paste.
3. Add vegetables and stir fry about 3 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and all other ingredients except corn starch. Check for taste and add more to requirement. 
5. Add dissolved corn starch and stir till soup thickens. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Clear Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 250g chicken with bones
• 50g mushroom sliced or quartered
• Pinch of ajinomoto
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• Chopped cilantro (coriander) for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook chicken with salt and keep the chicken pieces aside.
2. Boil the stock with mushrooms.
3. Add salt and pepper and ajinomoto.
4. Discard the bones from the chicken and shred the pieces.
5. Add it to the stock and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Add cilantro leaves for garnishing and serve.

Penne Casserole with Ground Beef and Mushroom

My variation of Ziti Casserole with Ground Beef and Mushrooms from:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/hamburgcasseroles/r/r100130b.htm

Ingredients:

• 8 oz or 225g Penne pasta
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 to 3 oz or 85g mushrooms, sliced
• 12 oz spaghetti sauce ( I used only 7 oz )
• 1/2 can (5 1/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup (To prepare Cream of Mushroom Soup, see link:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6416683131238773679#editor/target=post;postID=8976703585321092263)
• 7 oz or 200g tomatoes, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded mozarella cheese ( I used only 1 cup)

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente consistency.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the ground beef about 5 minute.
3. Add onion, green bell pepper and mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring, until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in spaghetti sauce, cream of mushroom soup and diced tomatoes.
5. Allow to boil and simmer 5 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Grease a baking dish with butter. Spread half of the pasta, spoon half of the sauce over the pasta, then top with half of cheese. Repeat layers with the remaining pasta, sauce and cheese.
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 175 deg F, until hot and bubbly.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 100g thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cups chicken broth
• 1tbsp, finely chopped onion
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, combine mushrooms, broth, onion and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. 
2. In another pan, make white sauce. Melt butter, add flour to it and then add milk to it gradually and stirring constantly so no lumps are formed. 
3. Add the mushroom to the white sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Cazuela Gaucho (Argentine Chicken Stew)

With slight variations from:
http://www.food.com/recipe/argentine-chicken-stew-cazuela-gaucho-13502

Ingredients:

• 1/2 chicken cut up
• Flour, for dredging
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• 1 med. potato, cut into chunks
• 100g pumpkin, cut into chunks
• 1/2 turnip, cut into chunks
• 1 med. onion sliced
• 1 med. garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp paprika (chilli powder)
• 1/8 cup white wine ( I substitute with chicken stock)
• Chicken stock as required
• 1/8 cup barley
• Corn, sliced 1 1/2" long ( I use baby corn)
• 50g  peas
• 50g beans, cut
• salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for sauteing
• 1/4 egg, beaten

Preparation:

1. Dredge chicken in flour, saute in olive oil till golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Saute carrots, turnip, pumpkin and potato till golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Saute onions until limp and translucent, add garlic and paprika near the end of cooking onions and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Return chicken and vegetables to pan.
5. Add bay leaf, white wine (substitute chicken stock), salt and pepper, chicken stock to barely cover stew. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer and cook about 5 minutes. 
6. Add barley and corn (Note: Pressure cook barley in chicken stock before adding to pan). Allow to boil, add peas and beans and cook till beans is tender.
7. Beat egg with a little hot liquid from the pan, add to the stew and stir.
8. Cook 5 minutes, taste for seasoning and correct if necessary. 
9. Serve in soup plates or deep dinner plates with rim.

Cottage Pie

With slight variations from:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/775643/cottage-pie

Ingredients:

• 250g beef mince
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 250ml beef stock (OR)
• 1/2 beef stock cube, dissolved in 250ml boiling water
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Mash:

• 500g potatoes, boiled 
• Milk to requirement
• 2 oz butter (56g)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Add mince, carrots, onion and celery with enough beef stock to cover. Allow to boil.
2. Add garlic, flour and tomato puree. Cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Add sauce, salt and pepper and cook till all liquid is absorbed.
4. Mash potatoes with butter and required milk. The paste must be firm and consistent.
5. Place meat in a casserole and add the potato mash on the top, making basket- like weaving pattern with a fork.
6. Top with cheese and bake in oven at 200 deg C/ 400 deg F for 30 to 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Arusuvai Thokku

(From Ahaa! enna rusi on Sun TV)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup guava (cut)
• 1 cup apple  (cut)
• 1 cup pineapple (cut)
• 1 cup seedless grapes (green)
• 1 tsp cumin                  
• 1 tsp garam masala  
• 1/2 tsp turmeric              
• 2 cloves                 
• 1 bay leaf      
• 1 cup fruit paste (all fruits pureed)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 
• Coriander chopped 
• Oil

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, bay leaf and cloves.
• After cumin splutters, add cut guava, apple and pineapple. Stir fry for a few minutes.
• Add whole grapes and fry for a few more minutes. 
• Add garam masala, turmeric, stir fry and then add the fruit paste. Mix well and fry till fruits are cooked.
• Add lemon juice, stir well.
• Add chopped coriander and serve.

Banana Halwa

(From AvaL Vikadan)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup semolina         
• 1 ripe banana (Morris variety)
• 1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup ghee (can add less as required)
• 1/2 cup water             
• Cashews, fried in ghee/oil

Preparation:

• Fry semolina in ghee till brown. 
• Pour boiling water into the browned semolina and stir till thickened. 
• Mash banana to a smooth paste and add it with sugar to the pan. 
• Keep stirring it till it forms a non-sticky lump.
• Add the fried cashews and serve