Shrimp Masala Rice (Easy Shrimp Biriyani)

 Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cup
Shrimp- 500 gm (1lb)
Onion- 2 medium,chopped
Tomato - 1 big,chopped
Garlic- 1 tbsp chopped
Ginger -1 tbsp chopped
Green chillies- 3-4
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 3/4 tsp
Mint leaves(pudina)- 1/2+1/2 cup chopped
Coriander leaves (Cilantro) - 1/2 +1/2 cup chopped
Cashew nut- 1/4 cup (optional)
Raisins- 1/4 cup (optional)
Water -  1 cup
Oil
Directions 
1. Cook basmati rice with enough water and salt.Keep aside
2. Heat oil in a big and deep pan,add and saute chopped onion, garlic,ginger and green chillies.When it is soft add chilly powder,turmeric powder, and coriander powder and saute until the raw smell goes.
3. Add chopped tomato and when it is soft add Garam masala and mix well.
4. Add half of chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
4. Add cleaned shrimp/prawns and mix well .Pour water and adjust salt.Close with a lid and cook. It will take 3-5 minutes
5. When the shrimp is done and water is almost evaporated, add cooked rice and mix well.
6.When it is completely dried add the remaining leaves and remove from heat.
Serve hot with Raita, Pickle and Papad!!!
Note : Adjust the quantity of chilly powder/green chilly and leaves(mint and cilantro)according to your taste

Recipe Courtesy : Dr.Lakshmi Nair -Magic Oven

Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients (10-12 cutlets)
Boneless Chicken - 3/4 cup ,cooked and minced
Potato- 1 medium, peeled,cooked and mashed
Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped
Green chillies- 2-3 chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds- 3/4 tsp
Garam Masala -1/2 tsp
Egg - 1 beaten 
Bread crumbs - 1 cup (I used store bought bread crumbs, but it can be made at home )
Salt
Curry leaves
Direction
1. Cook chicken with salt and water in a vessel, cool it and then mince using fork or a mixer .Cook potato and mash it .Keep both of these aside
2. Heat oil in a pan add the fennel seeds, followed by curry leaves,ginger, garlic, green chillies and onion .Saute till onion turns soft and light brown.
3. Add the pepper powder and garam masala and mix well.
4. Add the minced chicken followed by mashed potato.Mix everything well.Check salt .Switch off heat and allow it to cool .
5. When the mixture is cooled or bearable warm , make small balls out of it using hands and make shapes of your choice-round, oval or cylindrical. 
6. Dip the cutlets in beaten egg and roll them in the bread crumbs.Take care to completely cover it with bread crumbs.
7. Deep /Shallow fry it in oil .Serve hot with onion salad and tomato ketchup !!!
Note :1. You can keep the  bread crumb rolled cutlets in freezer for 1-2 weeks in ready to fry form in air tight containers.
2.You can make beef or mutton cutlet with the same recipe.
3. Vegetable cutlets can be made with more vegetables -beans, carrot ,peas etc in place of chicken.
How to make Bread crumbs : Any type of bread can be used -white, wheat ,sour dough ..etc.Allow it to dry in room temperature.Or bake them in oven 300 F for 10-15 minutes,lined on a baking sheet.Flip them in halfway so they get dried uniformly.
Dry until it can be crumbled in a mixer/blender .Remove from oven and cool.When it is dried well crumble them in a mixer/blender/ food processor to a coarse texture.You can keep it in freezer in air tight containers.
Onion salad : Crush thinly sliced onion with a pinch of salt and one tsp of lemon juice.

Fried Rice

Ingredients
Basmati Rice/Long grained rice - 2 cups
Chicken -boneless- 1/2 cup 
Egg  - 2
Capsicum - 1/4 cup,chopped
Carrot- 1/4 cup,chopped
Beans - 10 no: or 1/4 cup chopped
Spring onion - 6-8 nos
Pepper powder-1 tbsp+ 1 tsp
Corn flour - 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce- 1 tsp
Salt
Cooking oil 
Direction
1. Cook the rice with enough water and salt and allow it to cool.Take care not to overcook.
2. Cook the chicken pieces in water and salt ,and when it is done ,shred it using hands or fork.Mix the chicken pieces with pepper powder and corn flour.Heat oil in a shallow pan and fry this for a few minutes.Keep aside
3. Cut the carrot and capsicum as long thin strips of 1 inch size, slice the beans thinly in elongated pattern.(or cut all vegetables according to your creativity )Cut the lower white portion of spring onion to round slices.Chop the upper green portion separately and keep aside. 
4. Beat the egg adding salt and pepper powder and scramble the egg in a shallow pan with enough oil.Keep aside 
5. Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan.Add the white spring onion,carrot, beans, capsicum and saute for 3-5 minutes with a little bit of salt until veggies are well fried and cooked .Add shredded chicken and pepper powder.Saute well
6. Now add  soy sauce and cooked rice,mix well.Finally add scrambled egg and green spring onion.Mix and saute for 2-3 minutes in medium heat and remove from stove.
Serve hot !!!
Note: 1) You can make egg fried rice with the same recipe,by avoiding chicken pieces
2) Vegetable fried rice can be made by avoiding egg and chicken in the same recipe 

Royal Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken - boned or boneless -500 gm (1 lb)
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Garlic- 1 tsp ,crushed
Ginger- 1 tsp crushed
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Butter- 2 tbsp ,preferably unsalted ,at room temperature
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup - 1tbsp
Oil - 1/2 cup or for frying the chicken 
Red color - a pinch
Coriander leaves - one handful chopped
Salt - as required

Method 
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces or size of your choice. Clean it by adding 1 tbsp of vinegar, salt and all purpose flour.Drain the water several times and pat dry.Keep aside 
2. Grind ginger,garlic, chilly powder, cumin powder, pepper powder and salt together to a fine paste using enough water.
3. Marinate the chicken pieces with this and keep in refrigerator for 2 hrs.
4. After 2 hrs , take the marinated chicken from refrigerator and mix well with 1 tbsp of butter, and yogurt.Cook it in a thick bottomed vessel ,without adding water ,in medium heat.
5. After almost 15 minutes,when the chicken is almost done,add garam masala, mix well and stir continuously until all the water is evaporated from chicken and it is fully dried.
6. Heat oil in another pan , and deep/shallow fry the chicken pieces.
7. Take another pan,mix 1 tbsp butter,chopped coriander leaves, ketchup and red color. Transfer this to a stove top on low heat.When  the butter is melted mix all ingredients well and add the fried chicken pieces.Mix well  and serve hot !!!
This can be served with chapati,parotta and as an appetizer ..
Recipe courtesy :Jeleena & Jereena of  jellyjerry.com