Valhomas Kothu Paratta

Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvp_Z6S6BHU&feature=youtu.be

For full recipe visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvp_Z6S6BHU&feature=youtu.be

Tomato Paste Fried Rice with Dried Tuna Chips

This is a very simple recipe that requires only a few ingredients from the pantry. It's a blend of tomato paste and dried tuna chips with cooked rice and a few other typical Maldivian spices. I used normal big grain rice, but really any rice would do. So next time you’re in the mood for a “hikimas” (dried tuna) dish, whip up some of this! It is quick, easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 big onion (sliced)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

12 curry leafs

4 dry chilly (cut into pieces)

200 grms dried tuna chips

4 tbs tomato paste

1 tbs dark soy sauce

½ tsp pepper powder

1 tsp lonumirus curry powder

4 cups cooked rice

Salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

Method:

1_ In a sauce pan or wok heat oil and add onion, ginger garlic paste, curry leafs, dry chilly and sauté until light brown.

2_ Now add dry tuna chips sauté for few minutes, add tomato paste, dark soy, lonumirus curry powder and sauté again until everything is mixed.

3_ Add rice, pepper powder mix well, season with salt and serve…………….. enjoy! 

Canned Tuna Mas Bai ( Picnic Rice)

Here is another picnic rice recipe for your next picnic or pair it with some spicy dry vegetable curry and you have a satisfying meal for lunch or dinner.  My son & daughter are huge fans of Maldivian flavors so I served this canned tuna mas bai with teluli rihaakuru (fried fish paste) they loved it. My kids eat rice well when I serve rice with Maldivian foods like theluli rihaakuru (fried fish paste), mas fen (combination of smoked tuna, thick coconut milk, chilly, onion, curry leafs), rihaakuru with thick coconut milk or rihaakuru dhiya(combination of rihaakuru, thick coconut milk, onion, chilly lime). They like to munch cucumbers & tomatoes too when they eat rice with these Maldivian combinations. So I try to make these foods when they both are home.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice (washed)

1 tin canned tuna (oil or water drained)

1 big onion (sliced)

1 spring curry leaf

5 2inch pandan leaves

1 fresh chilly (giteyomirus)

5 cardamom pods

3 inch cinnamon stick

1 tbsp. whole pepper

¾ tsps. turmeric

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Water

Method:

1 – In a sauce pan big enough to cook rice add oil, onion, curry leafs, pandan leafs, chilly, cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper.  Sauté until onions get soft.

2 – When onions get soft add rice and sauté until rice color changes to a very very light brown or until the rice particles separates.

3 – Add water enough to cook rice into the rice & onion mixture, add turmeric. Cook just until big bubbles are forming on the rice now adds salt, fluff the canned tuna on to rice. Give a good stir and cook until all water is absorbed in to rice.

4 – Serve with Theluli rihaakuru (fried fish paste) or some dry vegetable curry …….. Enjoy!

Kulhi Baipen or Bonga Bonga

It seems that this is the breadfruit season as we are getting lot of breadfruits from our relatives. Yesterday my mum cooked a big pot of Bambukeyo bondibai, which is my favorite dessert and today I cooked Kulhi Baipen for lunch. I never cooked this before but have tasted it several times, if my memories are not so dim the last time I ate Kulhi Baipen was about six to seven years back. I remember the taste because I loved it so much.

Last night I asked my mum if she can tell me how to cook Kulhi Baipen but she said She wasn't so sure about all the ingredients used to cook it. I sat with a pen and paper started listing the ingredients per the long back taste of kulhi baipen. Today after I cooked, I invited my sisters & mum to taste it, I knew they would love it because the taste was just like the original recipe my grandmother used to cook. So here I share my version of Kulhi Baipen, which is so yummy, spicy and majaa (fun).

Ingredients:

3ltr’s water

1 cup rice (washed)

310 grams breadfruit (cut into bite size pieces )

1 big onion (Sliced)

2 garlic chopped

1 spring curry leaves

10 pcs pandan leaf

1/2 chilly ( githeyomirus, depends to your taste)

1 tsp ajinomoto

3 tbs good quality rihaakuru (fish paste)

½ of a medium smoked tuna  ( sliced in to bite size pieces, Valho mas falhieh)

3 tbs tomato paste

4 tbs Vegetable oil

Salt

For curry paste:

90 grms coconut

60 grm onion

9 grms garlic

6 grms dried chilly ( hiki mirus)

¾ tbs whole pepper

¾ tsp cumin seed

4 grms ginger

1 tbs lonumirus curry powder

¾ cup water

Method:

1 - Grind all curry paste ingredients in a food processor or a food grinder into a very fine paste. Leave aside.

2 - In a large sauce pan add 21/2 liters of water and rice, cook for 20 minutes on medium heat, now add bread fruit and cook until bread fruit & rice becomes very soft, so soft that it can be easily mashed using back of a wooden spoon. Mash soften breadfruits as much you can pressing bread fruits in the sides of pan using wooden spoon.

3 - In another sauce pan heat oil and add onion, garlic, curry leaves, pandan leaves and chilly fry until light brown.

4 - Put fried onion mixture into the breadfruit mixture. Add curry paste, smoked tuna, rihaakuru, tomato paste, salt and ajinomoto. Cook until the mixture turns into thick gravy, at this stage if the gravy is too thick add extra water and adjust salt per your taste. Serve hot ………….. enjoy! 

Note: 1-  Breadfruit used to cook this Baipen should not be ripe at all. Press fingers on the                         breadfruit if you cant press easily than it's not ripe.

          2-  In kulhi baipen the rice don't have to be mushy, just soft will be fine. 

Queen of Island Rice

I love to try different variations with rice dishes with varieties of flavors which come to our big stores from around the globe. This rice dish has its own unique flavor with the combinations of all spice, paprika and Maldivian flavor chicken curry powder. By looking at the ingredients one may think this will be a very difficult dish, but what I believe is if all ingredients are capt ready any dish becomes a piece of cake.

 Ingredients

21/2 cup rice

900 grms chicken legs or 1 chicken cut in to pieces

2 large onions (sliced)

2 springs of curry leaves

8 pcs pandan leaf

4 garlic chopped

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

6 cardamom pods

2 inch 4 piece cinnamon sticks

Fresh chillies  ( giteyomirus)

1 chicken stock cube

2 tsp paprika

3 tsp all spice

2 tbs chicken curry powder ( kukulhu havaadu )

21/2 tbs tomato paste

1/2 tsp ajinamoto

Oil

Water

Method:

1-    Put chicken in a pan, pour water just the amount until chicken is covered, add about half tsp of salt and cook until chicken is cooked.  Take out the chicken on to a plate. Add chicken stock into the soup and cook for another 10 min. Set aside.

2-    In another pan put onion, curry leaves, pandan leafs, chopped garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, fresh chillies and pour about ¼ cup of oil. Fry until onions are soft, take half of the onion mixture into a plate.

3-   Wash rice and put rice into the pan with soften onions. On medium flame roast the rice with onion. Stir constantly don’t take your eyes off because the rice will burn easily, keep on stirring until the rice granules separates from each other (Roasting rice with soften onion is very important in this recipe, it brings a very unique and delicious flavor to this dish). Set aside.

4-    In a big enough pan or wok which the rice can be cooked put rest of the onion mixture, 4 tbs vegetable oil, cooked chicken, paprika, all spice, chicken curry powder, garlic paste, ginger paste  and tomato paste. Roast chicken in this spice mixture stirring constantly. 

      Keep flame on low, when the chicken gets a nice brownish color pour soup, give a good scrub using a wooden spoon in the bottom of the chicken fried pan because the spices stuck in bottom of pan will contain lot of flavor, put roasted rice and if soup does not reach 2 inches above the rice & chicken mixture, pour enough water to reach 2 inches above. Put ajinamoto & salt give a stir, cook rice until soft but not mushy. Serve rice by itself or with dry potato or Eggplant curry .... enjoy! 

      Note : I used old big grain rice, basmati rice will taste good too. The spices I bought from                      Fantasy.

                 If the water gets less add extra water to cook rice, instead of water more chicken soup will be fine.

Canned Tuna Lasagna

Introducing another favorite pasta in my blog for the first time. Its lasagna everyone’s favorite noodles. There are lots of ways I cook lasagna, mostly I use beef or chicken as a meat but this time I tested with canned tuna and this recipe turned out as delicious as all other lasagnas I cooked. I tried to make this recipe as simple & easy as I can, I did not use mozzarella that’s because I could not get from any of nearby shops but I did include it in ingredient list, adding mozzarella will make this dish more delicious and complete. I can write lasagna is no lasagna without mozzarella. I really mean it :D 

With so many bitter experience with normal lasagna sheets I found out its best to use INSTANT lasagna sheets so that I don’t have to do precooking which saves time, well some time, and don’t have to be worried that my lasagna sheets will end up sticking to each other and the disappointment of not getting the perfect sheet.

There are few points you must remember when cooking with instant lasagna sheets 

1-    Always apply a generous amount of sauce in the bottom of baking tray before applying lasagna sheets.

2-   When applying instant sheets leave ½ inch distance from all the sides of tray and even in between each lasagna sheet.

3-   Never overlap lasagna sheets without applying a good amount of sauce.

4-   When cooking with instant sheets always apply a generous amount of sauce on the top sheets and then cover with cheeses but this is not necessary if precooked lasagna sheets are used only the cheeses will be fine.

5-   When cooking with instant lasagna sheets always cover with aluminum foil.

6-   If cooking a large tray cut the lasagna sheets after it cools a little bit otherwise will end up with a sticky knife and uneven lasagna servings but if cooking in individual small trays this is not necessary you can serve immediately. 

If you follow this you will get beautifully cooked lasagna. Just from my experience all these points I have noted. The reason why all this have to be done is no matter if the lasagna sheets are instant, it have to be cooked, and to cook this what acts is the sauce. If good amount of sauce is not applied you may end up with hard and rubbery lasagna. This recipe serves three. 

Ingredients:

6 lasagna instant sheets

1 canned tuna in oil

1 big onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 medium carrot (chopped)

1 cup sliced cabbage (chopped)

5 beans (chopped)

1 big tomatoes (chopped)

1 cup water or chicken or beef stock or more

½ cup chilly & garlic sauce

½ cup tomato sauce

2 tbs tomato paste

1tbs lonumirus curry powder or chillie powder

3 tsp Italian seasoning or Italian spice

1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Salt

Vegetable oil or olive oil

Method:

Prepare a square baking tray 8” x 8” by lining with aluminum foil or if you have an oven safe baking dish you don’t have to do this. Set it aside.

To make sauce: In a pan heat oil, add onions & garlic saute until onions gets soft, into this add carrots, cabbage, beans and tomato saute until vegetables are soft. Drain oil from canned tuna fluff with a fork, drizzle tuna into the soften vegetables stir and cook for two minutes. Add tomato & chilly garlic sauce, tomato paste, lonumirus curry powder, Italian seasoning and oregano stir to combine.

Pour one cup water or stock cover and simmer for three to four minutes.  If you think your sauce is too thick add some more water or stock and cook to a thick consistency of pasta sauce which we get in bottles. Add half of the Parmesan cheese season with salt.

If using normal lasagna sheets cook in salted water with 2 tbs olive oil or vegetable oil in a large pot. When cooked drain excess water.

In the aluminum lined tray, ladle some sauce and spread along the bottom of the tray. Apply two sheets of instant lasagna sheets if using cooked lasagna sheets layer sheets edges overlapping.

Again ladle in some sauce sparingly into center and spread evenly on this apply a layer of mozzarella cheese. Place cheddar on top of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese in thin even layer on top of cheddar cheese. Apply second layer of noodles, topping again with sauce and cheese. Finish with another layer of noodles. Spread last layer of sauce and cheeses over the top if you are using cooked lasagna sheets applying sauce on top will not be necessary only cheeses will be fine.

Cover lasagna tray with aluminum foil (not touching lasagna sheets or sauce). Bake at 190C for 45 minutes, check in between if the sheets are cooked by lifting the aluminum and pricking a fork, when the sheets are cooked it will be soft, there is no problem taking the lasagna tray out from the oven for a while to check.

Allow to cool before serving………………………… enjoy!

* To add Italian twist I added Italian seasoning & oregano but this lasagna can be cooked omitting those two spices, will taste great. From the pictures you can see I used very little cheddar cheese and I have crushed it in to big pieces. For an even layer always grate the cheeses and spread. 

* Keep updated with the new classes by checking under the label  Decorating & Cooking classes.

Chicken Shawarma with the touch of Sweet Hungarian ..

Did you know Shawarma is called a meat preparation in Arabic, and the bread used is called Taboon bread. Shawarma also refers to rolled sandwiches and wraps. Shawarma is made by alternately stacking strips of seasoned flat meat (beef, lamb or marinated chicken) on a stick. An onion, a tomato, or a halved lemon is sometimes placed at the top of the stack for additional flavoring. The meat is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit rotates in front of, or over, a flame for hours(Information taken from Shawarma).

First I saw meet roasted this way in India, and two to three months before in a small restaurant at Majeedee magu near artificial beach. Shawarma wraps are getting very popular now a days. Why not try this delicious Sahwarma recipe at home.

I know I know some of my recipes have such a big ingredient list, let me tell you if you want yummy foods must add all needed ingredients to get that perfect taste. Just buy one bottle each and it can be used so many times, always check the expiry date because some shops sells goods which will have one or less month expiry. This happened to me, I bought some highly expensive spice & dried herb bottles without checking expiry date the bottles expiry were due to end of that month. What a waste.

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinate

500 grams boneless chicken (cut into bite size cubes)

1 tbs Tomato paste

2 cloves Garlic paste

1 tbs Mustard

11/2 tbs Soy Sauce

1 tbs Dried Oregano

1 tsp Paprika

1 tbs Roasted Curry Powder

2 tbs Vegetable oil

3/4 tsp Salt

Vegetable salad

½ of a medium size cucumber (sliced)

2 tomatoes sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage or lettuce

Small onion ( chopped)

Scotch bonnet Chile ( githeyo mirus) as much you like

1 tbs lime juice

Salt

To cook chicken

1 big onion sliced

1 garlic clove chopped

Scotch bonnet Chile ( githeyo mirus) as much you like

1/3 cup vegetable oil (reduce if you want)

To make Shawarma roll

3 Flat Pitta Breads

½ cup garlic sauce or mayonnaise (both will be great)

3 slice cheese

Method:

Mix all the marinate ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and leave over night or at least for 3 hours. In a sauce pan heat as much oil you want from 1/3 cup of vegetable oil. Add sliced onions, garlic and Scotch bonnet chile, and saute until onions get soft. Into this add marinated chicken and cook on medium heat stirring in between until chicken is cooked and no water is left. Set aside. Make salad combining all the salad ingredients. Set aside.

To assemble Shawarma :

Take pitta bread, apply your choice of sauce or mayonnaise, on this in the middle put one third of chicken mixture than salad. On salad divide slice cheese in to three portions and arrange on top. Roll both sides of pita to the middle and secure with a toothpick. Serve with french fries. ... Enjoy!

Note: For a more healthier version skewer the marinated chicken and grill as a kebab. All the dried herbs & spices used in this recipe I bought from Fantasy Store. 

Crunchy Chicken Submarine with Italian Dressing

This Ramadan my most viewed post up to today is chicken submarine recipe.That's why for all the submarine lovers here is a mouthwatering Yummy Submarine recipe which I made yesterday. My son loved it, wish my daughter was here. Missing her terribly on this Ramadan when I am making different kinds of food, she keeps complaining about the vegetarian food aunty(women looking after her at Sri Lanka) cooks for her, not that the food aunty cooks is bad just my daughter is having difficulty adjusting to vegetables without meat.

Ingredients:

3 submarine buns

2 tomatoes (sliced)

2 lettuce leaves (each halved)

6 slice cheese

Mozzarella cheese

To make Crispy Chicken:

½ of chicken breast (cut in to thin slices)

¾ cup flour

1/2tsp baking soda

11/2tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp salt

½ tsp pepper powder

2 eggs (beaten)

Oil for deep frying

To make Italian dressing:

¾ cup Mayonnaise

2 tbs cream cheese spread

2 tbs Chilly & garlic sauce

11/2 tbs Italian seasoning 

Method:

To make Crispy Chicken: Heat oil on low flame until small bubbles appear. Mix flour, baking soda, garlic powder, salt and pepper powder in a plate. Take a chicken piece dip in eggs and then in the flour mixture, again in egg and again in flour mixture fry on low flame each side until light golden brown. Continue until all chicken pieces are fried. Drain on kitchen towels. Set Aside.

To make Italian Dressing: Mix everything, set aside.

To assemble Submarine: Take a submarine bun cut horizontally from middle and apply a generous amount of sauce, on this put a lettuce half, on this arrange some crispy chicken pieces on this grate some mozzarella cheese, on this arrange tomatoes, on this half two slice cheese and arrange cover the stuffed submarine with the top of bun. Prick two tooth picks two sides. Make the other two submarines the same way. Cut each submarine in half and arrange in a baking tray. Bake in a 170C pre heated oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.... ENJOY!

Note: For a more crunchier chicken fry on low flame until crispy on both sides. Italian seasoning & garlic powder I bought from Fantasy Store. For extra hot add chopped chilly into the sauce. 

Baked Curried Chicken with Fried Tomato Couscous

Introducing Couscous to Maldivian cuisine, I have never seen or heard anyone cooking Couscous here, but I have seen in a TV channel call TLC some of the world famous chefs cooking Couscous in different ways. Four months before I went to do some shopping at a shopping Center called Agora & to my surprise I saw a small box of Couscous  but that day I did not buy it. Few days back I went again for shopping & bought 1 small box. This is one of the important foods which must stay in my pantry without running out of it.

Fried tomato Couscous

So the big question will be what is COUSCOUS? Couscous is actually a grain food that is comparable to pasta or rice. It is actually made of semolina wheat that's moistened and then formed into tiny grain shapes. Couscous grains are smaller than rice grains and are dusted with flour so that they can retain structure. It can be interesting to know that couscous is staple food of some regions of the world and is considered like the pasta or rice in some countries. Just like pasta and rice, the couscous can be very versatile in terms of preparation and can be used in various dishes and salads, and they can also be used to prepare side dishes. Couscous is also a very good source of protein, Carbohydrates. The best thing about couscous is that it contains no cholesterol.

Baked Curried Chicken

I cooked fried tomato Couscous for Friday’s special lunch and to go with this Baked curried chicken & Copy Fai (kind of Kale leaf) salad.

Ingredients for Baked Curried Chicken

1 kg whole Chicken (skin removed)

2 medium onions (sliced)

7 garlic cloves (chopped)

11/2 inch ginger (chopped)

2 springs curry leaves

12 pcs 2” + 1 whole pandan leaves

2 tsp Cumin powder

21/2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp fennel seed powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

31/2 tbs lonumirus chicken curry paste

1 tsp whole pepper

11/2 tbs tomato paste

2 inch cinnamon

3 tbs chilly sauce

1cup thick coconut milk

2 good pinch of dried rosemary (optional)

1/2 of a lime

Salt

1/3 cup + 2 tsp vegetable oil

Ingredients for fried tomato CousCous

2tbs chopped onion

1garlic clove (chopped)

6curry leaves

1tsp nigella seeds (Kalhu dhiri) optional

1big Tomato (sliced)

1cup water

1/2cup Couscous

2tbs oil

Salt

Method:

Roasted Chicken Curry:_

Make small incisions on the fleshy areas of the chicken (leg, breast). Leave aside.

In a sauce pan heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Add onion, chopped ginger, garlic, curry leaves and pandan leaves. 

Saute until slightly golden. Take half of the onion mixture into another bowl & leave aside. Add Cumin powder, Coriander powder, fennel seed powder and turmeric powder fry for 2to 3minutes, switch off flame, but don't take the pan out of stove the slight heat is needed yet. Add Lonumirus curry paste whole pepper & fenugreek seeds crushed with your fingers or a grinder, tomato paste and 1tsp salt. Mix everything together. Add 2 tsp oil and again mix. 

Now line a baking tray big enough to hold the chicken with aluminum foil. Rub this curry paste on and inside the chicken pushing some paste into the incisions and into the cavity.

When you are finished cut 3 strips of pandan leaf from the whole leaf big enough to tie the chicken. If you don't have a big whole leaf you can do as I did. I knotted three small strips to make a big strip enough to tie the chicken. I made three strips like this. Now tie the chicken with the pandan strips squeezing the legs, the wings inside, so that the flavors will remain inside the chicken. 

Cover the tray with plastic wrap or with aluminum foil & leave the chicken in the fridge to marinate for 4 hour's or overnight. Pre Heat the oven to 220C, 15 minutes before baking take the chicken, take out the plastic wrap and sprinkle half of the fried onions which was taken before on to the marinated chicken,  put the tray into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, again take the tray out now some oil will be formed in the bottom of the tray. 

Pour the coconut milk, sprinkle 1/2tsp salt, dried rosemary & put the cinnamon stick broken in to 2into the curry. Being very careful not to tear the aluminum foil mix everything using a spoon or an egg beater, again put the tray into the oven & leave for 15 minutes again take the tray out mix the tomato sauce and using a spoon scoop spoonful of gravy or curry on the chicken. Like this gos on & in each 15minutes take the tray out from oven pour the curry on the chicken. You can taste the curry at this point & add salt if you need more otherwise keep on baking like this for 11/2hour or until chicken is cooked. when cooked take the tray out squeeze 1/2 of the lime on to the roasted chicken.

Method:

Fried tomato CousCous

In sauce pan heat oil, add onion, curry leaves & nigella seeds. Fry for 3minutes until fragrant.

Add the Tomatoes fry for another 2minutes.

Pour water and season with salt, let the water come to boil as soon it starts boiling switch off the flame.

Pour the CousCous & cover the pan with lid. Leave for 5minutes, after 5minutes fluff the couscous with a folk and mix well with the tomatoes......................enjoy a yummy & a healthy meal.

Theluli Mas (Spicy Fried Fish)

Theluli mas or spicy fried fish is very common in Maldivian cuisine. The ingredients vary to prepare this fish from island to island. My recipe is a very easy recipe as “lonumirus curry powder” which is a combination of dried chilies & some spices sold almost in every local shops & it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. This fish is a must on our dinner & lunch table.

This pic is taken from Google

Ingredients:

1 Tuna lion about 650 grms (cut vertically in to 1/3 inchthick steaks)

21/2tbs lonumirus curry powder

21/2tbs tomato paste

Salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

Method:

In a bowl mix lonumirus curry powder, tomato paste & salt, rub this paste on the tuna steaks & leave for ½ an hour covered with plastic wrap. Heat oil in a sauce pan & arrange the steaks, put lid on & cook on low heat until bottom is fried.

Turn the steaks to upside down & fry again until slightly crispy. I like bottom of my steaks to burn the paste lightly to give a stronger flavor. This goes well with anything, rice, roshi, bread  & even with boiled vegetables ………………………………………enjoy!

Chicken fried Noodles

Hello my readers! After Ramadan this is my first recipe. My apologies to those who were asking for new recipes, keeping you all waiting. I love eating noodles for dinner, it is light & easy to make, but today my recipe is not so easy some chopping & frying is needed. After tasting it's worth of all the little hard work, so here we go..

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

1 chicken breast or about 100 grms boneless chicken (cut in to bite size cubes)

1/2 tsp salt

Stir fry ingredients:

1 big onion (chopped)

1 medium carrot (chopped or sliced)

2 capsicum (seeds removed & cut in to bite size)

1 leeks (cut thinly or shredded)

1 cup of shredded cabbage

12 curry leaves

Habanero Chilly (Githeyomirus )

4 garlic cloves (chopped)

Sauce:

2 tbs tomato paste

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbs chilly & garlic sauce

1 tbs lonumirus curry powder (if this is not available add 1/2tbs chilly powder)

1 tbs tomato sauce

3 pkt noodles

4 cups of water

Method:

In a wok or a thavaa add first three ingredients & fry chicken pieces until slightly brown from outside, take the chicken pieces on to a kitchen towel & leave to drain oil. In the same wok add all the stir fry ingredients and stir fry until tender. Into this add the sauce ingredients, stir constantly for two to three minutes, now add the fried chicken pieces & the three soup packets, which is inside the noodle packets. Stir to combine well, Take out from stove & leave aside, but don't cover. In another sauce pan start boiling water, as soon it starts to boil switch off the flame and add the noodles. Cover & leave for two minutes or just until noodles is tender, but not mushy. Drain water from the noodles and immediately add the noodles into the chicken & vegetable sauce, put on low flame & using a tong mix the noodles with the sauce, when mixed well take out from flame & serve hot with an omelet............................enjoy!

Note: Chilly you can add as much you want. I did not add any salt to this recipe because the soup sachets inside the noodles packet gives enough salt flavoring.

Vegetable Biryani

May the light that we celebrate at Ramadan
show us the way & lead us together on
the path of peace & social harmony.
WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY RAMADAN..

Ingredients:

2cups rice

2big potatoes (chopped in to bite size cubes)

1big carrot (chopped in to bite size cubes)

8beans (chopped in to bite size pieces)

3 big onions (sliced)

Curry leaves

Pandan leaves (raanbaa fai)

Maldivian chilly (githeyo mirus) (chopped)

1tsp ginger garlic paste

2inch 3piece cinnamon sticks

5 cardamom pods

4 cloves

11/2tbs garam masala powder

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1tsp roasted curry powder

Your choice of nuts about a handful

Raisins

Salt

4cups of water

1/2cup vegetable oil

Method:

In a big pan boil water cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and rice until half cooked. In another deep sauce pan heat oil & fry half of the onions until golden brown, take out the crispy onions on to a kitchen towel leave to drain oil, in the same oil roast the nuts until slightly light brown take from oil & leave to dry on paper towels, Just the same way roast the raisins until it pops, take on to paper towels, mix fried & roasted, onions, nuts & raisins leave aside, In the same sauce pan add rest of the onions, potatoes, carrots, beans, curry leaves, pandan leaves, ginger garlic paste and Maldivian chilly mix all ingredients if you think oil is less add extra oil. On low heat stir fry these vegetables until vegetables are half cooked.

Now add garam masala powder, turmeric powder, roasted curry powder and salt mix with the vegetables and roast the vegetables with the spices for 2 to 3 minutes, add the half cooked rice with the remaining water in the rice or if no water add 1cup of water and mix everything slowly, put the lid on the sauce pan and cook for 5minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff the biryani with a fork to separate the rice grains. Put biryani into a serving dish and sprinkle a generous amount of roasted onions, nuts & raisin mixture on top, Serve hot ..............................enjoy!!

Note: I did not sprinkle nuts, raisins on top of this recipe that's because my kids does not like it....