Tuna Biryani / Tuna Rice

I think some of you are really busy with the blessed month of Ramadan. I had got few requests to post some nombuthura(breaking of fasts) recipes. Frankly says, I would love to try out and post some, but am not doing it because am afraid it will affect the intention of fasting. I believe we should not give much importance for food and other worldly affairs especially in the blessed month. This month is to receive lots of blessings and rewards from the Almighty by making more duaas, offering more salah(prayers) , increasing Quran recitation and giving more sadaqa(giving in charity).. etc. (Click here to know more). I am sure most of you know this but many do not give much importance for it. Anyway I am leaving a simple rice recipe for you, I prepared this using the ready-made tuna chunks, so not much work like cutting and cleaning... :)



Ingredients used,
tuna 2 cans
onion 2 medium size
tomato 2
basmati rice 2 cups
garlic paste 2 tsp
ginger paste 2 tsp
green chillies 2
coriander leaves 1/2 cup chopped
mint leaves 2 Tbsp chopped
garam masala powder 1 tsp
pepper powder 2 tsp
turmeric powder 1 pinch optional
cardamom 2
cloves 2
cinnamon sticks 2 1/2" pieces
ghee or oil 2 or 3 Tbsps
lemon juice
salt



How I prepared it,
Wash and Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour.
Boil water, add cardamoms, cloves , cinnamon and little ghee and salt to it.
Cook rice in this.
Drain and keep aside.
If you love to get a yellow color add a pinch of turmeric to the boiling water.

Heat a nonstick vessel, add ghee or oil.
Saute chopped onion until slightly brown.
Add chopped tomato and green chillies.
Add garlic and ginger paste and saute well until the raw smell goes.
Add mint leaves, half of the coriander leaves, tuna, pepper powder and garam masala.
Add enough salt and stir well.
Remove from fire and keep aside.
Heat another heavy bottomed vessel, apply little ghee on the bottom side.
Spread 1 or 2 plates of rice, sprinkle little lemon juice , ghee and coriander leaves over it, for this refer other biryani recipes here.
Spread the tuna masala over it.
Repeat the process until the rice and masala finish.
Close the lid, place the vessel on a low flame, cook for ten minutes or until the steam comes to the top.
Open only after one hour and mix well, and keep half an hour before serving.

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Chicken Sausage Stir Fry

Some people would discourage us from buying sausages, though we choose only chicken. They say only the 'unwanted parts' after slaughtering are used for making sausages. So we used it only once in a month but was difficult to avoid wholly since kids loved it very much.
This is the way the "husband cooks" when he gets a chance to enter kitchen in my absence. So am adding this to the 'bachelor's cooking'...

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Thick Tomato Curry / Thakkali Chutney

Once my Daughter asked "is tomato a fruit or vegetable?" I had no doubt to reply it is a vegetable. She smiled " Yeah, that's why Encyclopedia Britannica explains farmers say tomato is a fruit , but those who love cooking says tomato is a vegetable....!" Any way this doubt has never arisen in my thoughts all these years.... :) Whatever it is , I liked it very much , in raw form or cooked.This simple and delicious chutney is good to take with rice, chappathi or dosa or any thing you like. We normally make this when we have no other curries we like. I have posted other tomato curries like tomato coconut milk curry, tomato pickle, thakkali pachadi etc, earlier, hope you all will love them. Hm, am still craving to take little thakkali chutney with rice , by mashing the green chillies in it... yum! :P



Ingredients for making thakkali chutney
tomatoes 4 big chopped
small onions / pearl onions 1 handful chopped
onions 2 chopped
green chillies 3 chopped
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
red chilly powder 1 or 2 tsp
salt

For seasoning,
mustard seeds 1 tsp
curry leaves 2 stalks
coconut oil



How to prepare
Heat coconut oil in a wok.
Allow mustard seeds to splutter.
Add curry leaves.
Put chopped shallots and onions.
Stir until it is semi transparent.
Add green chillies and tomatoes.
Add all the powders and salt.
Place the lid and cook on a low flame.
Cook well stirring occasionally.
When tomatoes are mashed well, remove from fire.
Normally , no need to add water.
If you found it very dry, sprinkle little water while cooking.
You can make this without adding shallots too, if you are lazy to peel them.
Then use onions instead.
Enjoy!

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Ful Medames

This recipe is for bachelors from some bachelors of Dubai. :) Ful Medames is one of the national dish of Egypt which always has a special place in our dinner menu with khubz, especially on the days when I do not cook. This is often prepared by my husband, but I have given little changes to his version, since I always wanted to keep the taste of Arabic spices in the dish. If you don't have the ingredients like za'atar and basil leaves just make it with the remaining ingredients.



Ingredients used
Ful medames 2 cans of 375 gm
onions 2
tomatoes 1
green chillies 2
pepper powder 2 tsps
basil leaves dried 1 tsp
zaatar 2 tsps
olive oil 2 Tbsps



How I prepared
Drain and mash ful medames very well.
Heat oil, saute chopped onions, tomatoes green chillies in little oil.No need to cook onions and tomatoes toomuch. Add pepper powder and dried spices. Stir and mix this with mashed ful medames.
Enjoy with hummus and grilled chicken!
Pour little olive oil on top. Serve with coriander leaves.

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Canned Tuna in Kerala

This is from Bachelor's kitchen. In their kitchen, all foreigners turn into keralites. Especially canned food items,sausages etc.

Ingredients

Tuna two small cans
Onion one big
Tomato one big
Green chilly two
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds half teaspoon
Coconut oil one table spoon
Garlic ginger paste optional
Turmeric powder half teaspoon
Chilly powder one teaspoon
Oil one talespoon

Salt

How to prepare
Drain water and oil from the can.
Heat oil.

Let the mustard seeds splutter.

Add finely chopped onion.

Sauté for awhile
Add tomato pieces green chilly ,curry leaves ,salt and the powders.

Stir till tomatoes are cooked.

Then add the canned tuna into this and stir.

Sprinkle little garam masala over this.

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Mushroom with egg

This is a simple and delicious recipe for making mushrooms! A bachelor's special for their dinner preparations. This one had got much appreciations from readers when I published in other cooking sites in net.. Hope you enjoy! :)

Ingredients

Mushroom - 2 cups(cut into pieces)

Onion(medium) - 2 nos(chopped)

Tomato - 1 no(chopped)

Garlic pods - 2 nos(crushed)

Ginger - A small piece(crushed)

Green chillies - 2 nos

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Eggs - 2 nos

Curry leaves - A few

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - As reqd

Method
1)Heat oil in a pan.

2)Splutter 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds.

3)Saute onion in this till golden.

4)Fry garlic and ginger for 2 mins.

5)Add tomato, green chillies, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and curry leaves. Stir well.

6)Add mushroom, stir and cook by adding little water.

7)Cook until no water remains.

8)Break two eggs, add into this mixture, stir well and let it dry.

9)Add garam masala.

10)Garnish with coriander leaves.

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