cuisine

 Vendaikai

Vendaikai (Tamil) also known as Bhindi (Hindi) and  Okra or Lady’s Fingers (English) is a commonly used vegetable in Indian cooking.  It is of North African/ Arabic origin but has been adapted into local cuisines all over the country. In South Indian cooking, Vendaikai is sautéed or cooked with gravy based preparations. It adds to the taste and nutrition of traditional South Indian sauces like sambar. The simplest preparation of Vendaikai in Tamil Nadu is as a sautéed side-dish (poriyal).

 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

 

Servings: 2

 

Ingredients:

 

Lady’s Fingers (vendaikai):  250 Grams

Onion        : 1

Chili powder: 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoon

Mustard seeds: ½ teaspoon

Urad dhal: ½ teaspoon

Asafetida: a small pinch

Coconut Grating: 2 tablespoon

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

Oil: 2 tablespoon

Salt: ½ teaspoon

 

 

Method: Split the Lady’s Fingers down the middle and cut them into tiny pieces. Chop onion.

Pour oil in a nonstick pan and when hot add the mustard seeds, urad dhal, and asafetida. When they start to splutter, add the chopped onion and curry leaves to stir-fry for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Finally add the cut Lady’s Fingers with salt, turmeric and chili powder. You have to stir often for 6,7 minutes till the vegetable is tender and cooked completely. Finally, add the grated coconut and mix well.

 

Tips: After washing the okra, wipe the water completely off the vegetable before cutting.

 MUTTON BIRYANI

 

Biriyani is a special rice dish that can be seen in kitchens all over India, South Asia and the Middle East. It is a rice dish made with many different types of spices and may contain meat or vegetables. Mutton ( which usually refers to goat or lamb meat) and chicken are commonly used meats. Biriyani is believed to have been brought into India by Muslims from the North West of the subcontinent. In olden days biriyani used to be cooked over firewood in heavy vessels with burning cinders placed over the top.  These days we mostly use pressure cookers to make biriyani.  In Tamilnadu and South India, biriyani is made with a lots of spices.

 

Servings: 5

Cooking Time: 1 hour

 

Ingredients:

 

Mutton (goat or lamb) : 600 grams

Basmati rice: 500 grams or 3 cups

Onions : 250 grams or 5 no

Small Onions (shallots): 50 grams

Tomatoes: 4 no approximately 150 grams

Green chilies: 6 no

Coriander, Mint leaves: 1 bunch

Ginger/Garlic paste: 2 teaspoon

Lime: One half

Salt: 1.5 teaspoon

Curd (yogurt): 1/2 cup

Water: 6.5 cups

Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tablespoons

Oil: 2 tablespoons

 

Spices:

 

Bay leaves : 2 no – leaves of bay tree called tejpatta in Hindi and brinji in Tamil

Cinnamon: 2? piece – inner bark of a tree called dalchini in Hindi and pattai in Tamil

Cloves: 6 no-  dried flower bud called laung in Hindi and laungam in Tamil

Cardamom: 6 no – seed of a plant called elaichi in Hindi and elakkai in tamil

 

Method:

 

Cut meat into large pieces, wash and marinate in curds with 1/2 teaspoon salt for 30 minutes.

Slice the onions and tomato fine and set aside.

Clean and chop coriander and mint leaves.

Grind the small onions into a coarse consistency and set aside.

Grind the green chilies and set aside.

Grind together ginger/garlic paste with cardamom, cinnamon sticks and cloves into a smooth paste.

Soak rice in a cup of water  for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

Heat a pressure cooker containing ghee and oil over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Fry till the onions turn golden brown. Add the ginger/garlic paste and spices along with the ground small onions and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the gravy thickens.

 

Add the marinated mutton with green chilies along with the chopped coriander and mint leaves and stir for another 5 minutes. Adding a cup of water to the gravy, raise the heat to high and close the cooker. Cook for 12 minutes till the mutton becomes soft.

 

 

Boil 4.5 cups of water in another vessel. When the cooker can be opened, add the boiling water with the juice from half a lime, salt and the soaked (drained) rice. Close the cooker and pressure cook over low heat for another 10 minutes.

 

Tips: Biriyani is best served with pachadi containing curds and sliced onion.