Vegetable Biriyani - The most exotic, rich and delicious dish found in all parts of India, but with a different version! The biriyani calls for any dry vegetables you have in hand, adding a pinch of saffron at the end really completes this dish. But many won't prefer to use saffron including my mom :) Presenting my version of vegetable biriyani.
Ingredients:
Vegetables - Any(carrots,beans,potato, cauliflower)
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
Fennel Seeds - 1tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2tbsp
Shallots - 10
Onion - 2
Tomato -1
Green/red chillies- 3
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Salt
Ghee- 2tbsp
Aniseed - 1tbsp
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Yogurt - 2tbsp
Cloves- 3
Biriyani powder - 1 tbsp(optional)
Cinnamon- 1 stick
Cardamon- 2
Preparation:
Grind the shallots, ginger garlic, mint, coriander, chillies, 2 cloves, aniseed,half cinnamon stick, tomato to fine paste.
Wash and dry the rice, heat ghee in a pan, fry the rice for 3 mins and keep aside.
heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the remaining cinnamon stick, bay leaves,cloves,cardamon and onion, fry till the onion turns to slight golden brown.
Mix the vegetables and add salt, biriyani powder(optional), turmeric, coat the vegetables with all spices, let it cook for 5 mins.
Introduce the ground paste and yogurt,mix well with all vegetables for 2 mins.
Add the fried rice and 4 cups of warm water.
You can add saffron at this point.
Close the pan lid and let it cook for 8 mins in medium heat.
Yumm!! Biriyani is ready :)
Note: Cooking time varies from rice to rice, you can add more water and increase the cooking time as per your choice.
Yogurt Curry or Moor Kuzhambu is the most soothing curry, specially in summer. I like to make this curry even in freezy winter too :)
It can be prepared with or without vegetables(okra, snake gourd or bottle gourd...etc)

Ingredients:
Yogurt - 2 cups
Channa dhal- handful
Yellow lentils - handful
Garlic - 3
Ginger - 2 spoons
Cumin - 1tbsp
Grated coconut - 2tbsp
Chopped Onions - handful
Shallots - 6
Mustard seeds - 1tbsp
Red Chilly - 1
Pepper - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Salt

Preparation:
Soak the channa dhal and yellow lentil in hot water for an hour.
Grind the lentils, garlic, grated coconut, chopped onions, chillies, whole peppers to fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, mustard seeds, red chilly, shallots fry till the onion turns golden brown.
Add any vegetable and fry till it gets cooked.
Mix the ground paste and add turmeric and salt, fry till the raw smell subsides.
Add the Sour yogurt and remove from heat after one minute.
Serve with Rice and spicy potato fry.