Renil's Kitchen: July 2025

Saturday, 26 July 2025

Ingredients:

Method:

Mix together besan, rice flour, chilli powder, garlic powder, asafoetida, fennel powder and salt
Transfer 1/2 cup of this mix to another bowl to make boondi
To the first mix add water little by little and make smooth dough
Fill this in a sevanazhi and press dirctly into the hot oil in circular motion
Fry until golden crisp ; do not over fry
When this dough is finished, start making boondi
To make boondi batter add water to the flour mix and add baking soda
Make a batter of flowing consistency
Through a perforated ladle pour the batter to the hot oil and fry until golden crisp
Once ready remove from oil and repeat until the batter is finished
Fry roasted peanut and chick pea; take care not to over fry them
Finally add a lot of curry leaves to the hot oil and fry them until crisp
Now mix everything together; crush the sav to make them small
To this mix add chilli powder, asafoetida, salt and garlic powder according to taste
Allow this to cool completely
Store in an air tight container
This will stay good for several days if stored properly

Ingredients:

Method:

Wash the rice 4-5 times and soak for 4 hours
Wash urad dal and fenugreek seeds once and soak for 4 hours
Soak rice flakes for 10 minutes
After 4 hours transfer the dal, fenugreek seeds and salt to blender jar
Add dal soaked water as needed and blend to a thick , smooth and frothy batter
Transfer this to a big vessel
Blend rice a little coarse batter using dal soaked water
Blend rice flakes to a smooth paste
Combine everything together and mix with your clean hand for 4-5 minutes
The batter should not be too thin or too thick
Cover the vessel and keep in a warm place for fermentation
This batter will ferment faster than your regular idli batter as it contains more nutrients for the microorganisms
Once fermented the batter will look fluffy and airy
To make idli, grease the idli plate with butter
Place it in the steamer
Fill it withe batter
Steam for 8 minutes
Remove from from steamer
Set aside to cool down for 2-3 minutes
With the help of a spoon remove from the mold
Serve with chutney or sambar

Ingredients:

To marinate :-

For masala:-

For ghee rice:

For layering:

Method:

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients listed under 'to marinate' and keep aside for 30 minutes
Soak rice for 30 minutes
Fry the marinated chicken for 5 - 6 minutes
Add sliced onion to hot oil
Stir and cook until very soft
Add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli and saute for 3 minutes
Add spice powder and stir for 30 seconds
Add blended tomato and add salt
Cook until oil separates
Add 3/4 portion of fried chicken and combine well
Add mint leaves and coriander leaves
Cook for 3 minutes and turn off the flame
To prepare rice heat up ghee and oil in biryani pot
Add spices and some onion and crushed ginger and garlic
Saute for a few seconds
Add water and allow this to boil
Add salt and drained rice
Cook on high flame until rice and water become the same level
Then cook on low flame for 8 minutes
Turn off the flame and open after 10 minutes

For layering and dum:

Remove half portion of rice and sprinkle some garam masala, ghee, fried onion, fried cashews and fried raisins, coriander leaves and mint leaves
Add chicken masala as next layer
Add the rice and repeat the layering as before
Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes
Open after 30 minutes
Heat up some oil and add 6 cloves crushed, 4 green chilli slitted and some curry leaves
Stir for a few seconds
Add pepper and garam masala
Add 1/4 portion of fried chicken and stir well
Serve this hot along with biryani

Ingredients:

Method :

Take butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook until the milk solids turn golden ; it may take 6-7 minutes.
Add sugar to this and mix well; allow the mix to cool down
Sift together maida, baking powder, baking soda and salt and keep aside
When the butter mix is cool enough to touch add vanilla essence
Add eggs one at a time and mix well
Add flour mix and stir until 75% is combined
Add milk and lemon juice and stir until a smooth batter is formed; avoid over mixing.
Pour this batter to an 8 inch tin and bake for 40 - 45 minutes
Take out from oven and remove from the tin
Allow the cake to cool down completely
Then slice and enjoy!