Happy Mother's Day

Mothers have always held a special place in our societal and family structures for thousands of years. Unlike fatherhood, which can be said to be an indirect relationship, motherhood is a natural and very strong bond between a mother and a child.

Mothers are everything for us when we are small...our lives revolve around her. For everything that we need we call mother. To protect us from all perceivable dangers we want her around us. To take us out we hold her arms. To kiss away our wounds we run to her. And for a warm hug and love we look for her. She is the everything of our lives, the greatest human being in the world or should we say divinity on earth. On the special occasion of Mothers Day pay tribute to your mother - the greatest blessing of God on you.

Im very much happy and proud to have such a mother and there is simply no way we can ever really thank mother for all she has done for us. Because it is not enough if we thank her each and every day through out our life. That is the greatness of a mother i feel. But i take this special day as an opportunity to thank her for all the gifts through out her life. Mothers Day is the perfect day to celebrate the joys of having a mother. And hats off to all mothers and enjoy friends. Its really a blessing of being a mother.

I really Miss her a lot. :(
I Love U MOM.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Cauliflower Hara Bara

Ingredients :-

Cauliflower - 1 big (cut them as if you can see the heads of the flower along with the stem)
Onions - 1/2
Chillis - 5
Ginger Garlic Paste
Curd/ Yogurt - 2tsp
Pepper Powder - 1tsp
Chana dal - 1tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Pudhina
Coriander
Pinch of Turmeric
Salt to taste

Procedure :-

1. In a blender take coriander, pudhina, chillis and grind it into a paste and keep it aside.

2. Now in a bowl add the cauliflower florets, grinded paste, GGP, curd, pepper powder, turmeric, salt and mix well and keep it aside for 1hr.


3. Heat oil in a pan add jeera, chana dal, onions, curry leaves, GGP and fry for sometime.
4. To this add the marinated cauliflower mix and keep the lid.
5. It takes around 10 mins to cook and ready to serve with chapati or rice.

Instant Mamidi Avakai/ Mango Pickle

Avakai is one of the most popular pickle among all the pickles. I feel that all the pickle lovers will crave for avakai and wait eagerly for the mangoes season to come. And everyone at my home are pickle lovers and i tried here with the mangoes that i got it from some indian stores.

In childhood my grandmother use to make different types of pickles and she used to store it in large jars. In those days she use to pack us each and every pickle when we are back to our place. Those are the lovely beautiful days in villages we spent all the summer holidays. And coming to Avakai, it is such a big process which they use to make and need so much of patience and interest too. As generations change due to so many reasons like lack of time, place etc we love to eat such pickles but cannot make it at home as they do. So this is the way i tried some instant pickle and enjoyed it.

It can be stored in some dry place and preserved for 3-4months but i think that much time is more for it as it gonna be empty within days (that is the magic of Avakai).Its such an easy process and no need of any special ingredients too.

Many such pickles are coming soon..:) Stay tuned!!!

Ingredients :-

Mamidikayalu / Raw Mangoes - 2to3 (small-3, if large-2)(preferably sour mangoes to be taken)
Chilli powder - 1/2 cup
Mustard powder/ Aava podi - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1cup
Garlic - 8 to 10 flakes
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of turmeric

Procedure :-

• Wash the raw mangoes with water and clean it with a dry towel and let it dry (make sure it is fully dry and no water on it)
• Now cut them into small pieces as to which size you want them to be and keep it aside (better if you cut them along with the inner part which is hard to cut but tastes good and can be preserved for longer).
• To the pieces add all the ingredients except oil and mix well till it is evenly distributed among all the pieces.
• Now to this add the oil and mix it well and transfer into some jar.(jar need to be clean and dry)




• This pickle will be ready to serve within two days and can be preserved for 3-4months and good with any rice or breakfast options like idly, dosa etc. (good with white rice, pappu and some fried curry will be the best forever :))

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani is a delicious rice-made dish which is most popular among the Muslims and non-Muslims in India. Dont know how they prepare it but it tastes good only when Muslims made it. I always wonder that people make chicken biryani very often at home but when it comes to mutton biryani they prefer going to some hotel and have it. So this is what we too do when we really very much tempted to eat mutton biryani.

But one day when i went to my friends place we had mutton biryani and believe me that i felt it is bought from some hotel. So i asked her the recipe and i dont know whether it is the exact proceudre where Muslims do it but the taste is somewhat nearer. And here im preparing the mutton and rice separately and then mixing them together and cook it further for the final biryani. And thanks to my friend for a wonderful recipe. So please try it at home and enjoy the relished and exquisite taste of this delicious dish.

Ingredients :-

4 to 5 cups basmati rice
1 to 2 lb Mutton
2 onions (Coarsely grind-shouldnt be a paste - u should still see the flakes)
1 1/2 tomato
10 slit green chillies
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
2tsp Ghee
6-8 cloves
small inch Cinnamon (Dhalchina)
2-3 Biryani leaves
pudhina
coriander
Few Curry leaves
Chilly powder - 1 to 2 spoons (based on ur taste)
3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste

Procedure:-

• In the pressure cooker add required oil, add half of ground onion, half of slit green chillies, fry till golden brown, then add 1tbsp of ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins, then add the chilly powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala and fry for sometime. Now add half of chopped tomatoes and when they are little soft add curry leaves, coriander leaves,required salt and when fried add the mutton to it(if possible add some turmeric salt and chilli powder to it and keep mutton for 15 mins for better taste) and let it cook.
  
  
  
• Water comes out from it and after sometime when the water is evaporating then add 1/2 cup water and let it cook(it takes around 15 to 30 mins to cook depending on the tenderness of the mutton pieces)





• Meanwhlie in the separate bowl (take a big pan where you want actual biryani to be prepared). I used the 10litre cooker.
• Now to this add required oil and two teaspoon ghee, add cloves, cinnamon, biryani leaf, remaining ground onion,slit green chillies and fry till golden brown.
• Then add ginger garlic paste,curry leaves fry for 2 mins, add 1/2 tsp garam masala, chopped tomatoes and saute a little and add coriander leaves and chopped pudhina,required salt.
• Add required water (calculate since u might get water from the mutton mixture) and allow it to boil. Once it comes to boil, add the rice.




• Once rice is half cooked, add the mutton mixture and close the lid of the cooker. Cook it in low flame. Dont put the whistle on(it may take around half an hour depending on how much rice you are cooking) and when you feel it is done take switch off the stove and serve it with raitha.