Zaiqa

I had always disliked vegetable biryani. My Ammi had to run behind me to make me finish my plate. The other day while I was browsing through this cookbook, I came across this recipe and I am so glad I tried it. This recipe is a keeper and I will definitely be trying it again and again in my kitchen.

Vegetable Dum Biryani –  Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices
Source: India’s Vegetarian Cooking
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• Spices for the Rice water:

1. Bay Leaves – 2
2. Fennel Seeds/Saunf – 1 tsp
3. Nutmeg Powder – 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon – 1 small stick
5. Cloves – 5
6. Black peppercorns – 8
7. Green cardamom – 3

• Milk – 4 tbsp
• Saffron strands – 1/2 tsp
• Rose Water – 4 tbsp (optional)
• Green cardamoms – 2
• Butter/Canola Oil – 6 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, thinly sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, French Beans, Lima beans) – 270 gms
• Red capsicum – 1, chopped
• Basmati Rice – 300 gms
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp
• Slivered Almonds – 3 tbsp

Vegetable Dum Biryani / Tarkari Ka Chawal

Method:

• Preheat Oven to 425 °F /220 °C/Gas Mark 6
• Put the spices meant for the rice water in 600 ml of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover the pan and allow the flavours to infuse. This will be our liq. 1.
• Meanwhile crush the two green cardamoms with milk and saffron and rose water and keep aside in a small bowl. This will be our liq. 2.
• In a pan on medium heat, pour 3 tbsp of butter/oil and stir fry the chopped red capsicum. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• In the same pan and butter/oil fry the onions until brown. Remove half of them and reserve for garnish. Add Ginger garlic paste to the pan and stir fry it along with the remaining onions. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the fried Ginger-Garlic and Onion.
• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp butter/oil in a pan and pour the above grinded mixture along with turmeric powder, Garam masala and tomato puree. Season with salt and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the tomato and onion mixture in the pan. Also add the stir fried red capsicum. Mix Well and simmer. Let it cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Strain the liq. 1 and keep aside. Throw away the spices.
• In a pan add 1 1/2 tbsp of butter/oil and fry the rice over high heat. (Note: Do not wash the rice before hand. Rinsing will wash away the significant amount of surface starch that contributes to the dish.)
• When the rice has become shiny, add half of the liq. 1 and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover for about 6-8 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
• Take an oven proof dish and start the layering process of the Biryani. The top and bottom layers are always the rice in a Biryani. Start by a layer of rice in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of Vegetable mixture, then a layer of rice, and layer of vegetable mixture, and then the final rice layer. Pour evently the remaining liq.1 and the liq. 2 and the reserved fried onions on the rice layer. Also sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves, and the slivered almonds on it. Seal the dish with tinfoil.
• Cook the biryani for 40 minutes in the oven reducing the heat to 375 °F/190 °C/Gas Mark 5 after 20 minutes. Open the dish/Remove the tinfoil from the dish, just before serving.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tamatar ki Chutney

This goes as my contribution to Sharmi for the event she is holding Jihva for Ingredients JFI and its Rice this month at her place.

Luv,
Mona

Soft deep fried Pooris along with delicious spicy Cholay was my breakfast today, or call it a lazy weekend brunch.

There’s something about Poori’s that everyone loves. This breakfast is a favorite in my house. The prepared dough is rolled into a circular disc just like it is done for parathas or chapatis, but instead of being cooked on a hot griddle, they are deep fried till nicely puffed like a baloon.

I had posted the last time about the Palak Poori, in which spinach in added to the dough of poori for a different flavor. Today’s poori’s are plain poori’s, which people usually enjoy alongside a potato curry, or a chickpea curry called cholay. It is a classic Indian breakfast.

This recipe goes as a contribution to Anita of ‘A Mad Tea Party’ for holding this Party of Poori’s.

Poori – Deep Fried Puffed Bread
Makes: 14 pooris

Ingredients:

Durum Wheat Flour – 3 cups (or) 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flor + 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Canola oil – for deep frying
Lukewarm Water – about  1 1/2 cups

Golden deep fried puffed Pooris ready to be eaten

Method:

1. Add flour and salt in mixing bowl and mix. Add water a little at a time and mix to form a kneadable but stiff dough. Soft dough will absorb more oil while deep frying. Knead the stiff dough for 5-8 minutes until soft. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll each part into a cylinder. Cut/pinch each cylinder into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into smooth and even balls between palms of your hands. Cover the balls with a damp towel.
2. Roll out all the dough balls one by one on a lightly floured board to a circular disk (approx 12 cm diameter) and arrange them on a tray. Turn the disk several times to make even circles. Use as less flour as possible while rolling the pooris. Do not roll the poori’s too thin, or else they will not puff up like a baloon.
3. Heat approximately 2 inch of oil in a deep frying pan or kadai/wok. (Never use non-stick pan for deep frying). Drop a tiny ball of dough into the hot oil, if it rises quickly then the oil is ready to deep fry the pooris. Slip a rolled out poori into the hot oil, making sure it does not fold over. Using a slotted spoon gently press the poori in the centre into the oil while rotating it and spoon hot oil continually over the cooking poori. Within seconds it puffs and swells and turns into a lovely light golden color. Turn over and fry other side in the same way. When both sides are pale golden brown, remove to a paper lined tray and continue frying until all the pooris are cooked. Do not stack them. Stacking deflates the puffed up pooris and makes them soft. My hubbby likes soft pooris so I stack a few especially for him. Serve immediately while still hot along with Cholay. Pooris can be kept warm for a few minutes in 200°F oven if stood on their sides without crushing them. The pooris will deflate eventually if left uneaten, but they will still taste great. You can also use them as a great snack along with any curry of your choice for picnics and while travelling.

Cholay – Chickpeas in a spicy sauce

Ingredients:

Dried whole Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans/Kabuli Chana – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Ground Cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Ground Coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 3, finely chopped
Tomatoes – 3, medium sized, finely chopped
Yellow Onion – 2, medium sized, chopped
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 tbsp, for garnishing
MDH Chana Masala – 1 tsp
MDH Chaat masala – 1 tsp

Cholay – Chickpeas in a spicy sauce

Method:

1. Soak dried chick peas overnight in plenty of water.
2. Next day, drain the old water and add about 4 cups fresh water, 1 tsp salt and pressure cook until soft. Drain the chickpeas in a colander but reserve the liquid in a bowl.
3. In a heavy bottom pan, pour oil and add the onions, reserving a little amount for garnishing. Cook until they are lightly golden bown. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, chana masala, chaat masala, green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and well cooked. Add the boiled chickpeas, 2 cups of the reserved water and mix well. Mash up a few of the chickpeas to impart a gravy consistency. Let it cook for 10 minutes and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and chopped onions. Serve along with poori or just as a snack.

Luv,
Mona

This recipe is my contribution to the event – A fruit a month’ AFAM, which the lovely Sig, of Live to Eat, has hosted for this month with Lychee as the fruit of the month. Many people do not know what Lychee are. Lychee is a fruit, mostly grown in China, and known for its sweet tart flavour. This fruit has a rose coloured skin when young, but as it matures, it develops a hard and leathery rind, which is inedible. It comes off easily leaving behind the jelly like, pearly white flesh with a single inedible seed inside. They are available fresh or canned in most asian stores. Anyways, here’s my entry for the event :

Ingredients:

Marination Ingredients-

• Boneless Chicken Breast Pieces – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Black Pepper – 1 tsp
• Canola Oil – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Gravy Ingredients-

• Gram Flour – 5 tbsp
• Canola Oil – 3 tbsp
• Red Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Green Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2tsp
• Yellow Onions – 1, finely chopped
• Canned Lychee in Syrup – 1 can, 565 gms
• Tomato paste – 3 tbsp
• Water – 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli flakes – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Chicken with Lychees

Method:

• Drain and reserve all the lychees and a cup of syrup individually in two bowls.
• Marinate the Chicken in the marination ingredients for preferably 30 minutes.
• Roll the chicken breast pieces in 4 tbsp gram flour and fry till golden brown. Make sure you do not fry them for too long as breast pieces toughen up too quickly.
• In a pan on medium heat, in a tbsp of oil, stir fry the red and green capsicum for about 7 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry the onions till light brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it along.
• Add the reserved cup of lychee syrup to it and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
• Now add the tomato paste and the stir fried capsicum to it and mix well.
• Dilute the remaining one tbsp gram flour in a 2 tbsp water and pour this into the pan. Let it cook till the mixture begins to thicken up.
• Add the Chicken pieces and the drained lychees, chilli flakes and red chilli powder and give a good stir.
• Let it cook on simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Once ready, Serve it hot.

Luv,
Mona

My earlier version of Chicken Biryani was the traditional kind, but I learnt this version from my Mother in law and is very light and has lesser calories and gets prepared quite quickly when compared to any other type of Chicken Biryani’s. As this Express Cooking Event calls for a meal to get ready in less than 30 minutes, I have used left over cooked plain rice, you guys can always make it fresh if you do not have left over rice. Its a complete meal with Biryani, a dessert, and a juice, and is filling but light on stomach.

My Version of ‘Instant Light Chicken Biryani‘
Serves – 2

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
Chicken Breast – 200 gms, washed, and cut into 2 cms cubes
Salt – to taste
Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Yogurt – 1 tbsp
Tomato paste – 2 tsp (optional)
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 1/2 tsp
Dry roasted Cumin seed/Zeera powder – 1 tsp
Dry Roasted Coriander/Dhaniya seed powder – 1 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice – 2 or 3 tbsp ( as you like)
Saffron threads – a pinch, soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk
Cooked Plain White Rice – 3 cups
Crispy Fried Onions – 2 tbsp

Method: ( Target time to prepare the whole meal – 30 minutes )

1. Put a heavy bottom pan on medium heat, and pour oil into it.
2. Add the chicken pieces, salt and red chilli powder, and fry till golden brown on all sides. This takes probably 7 minutes. When the chicken cubes has been browned properly, adjust the heat to medium high add the yogurt, tomato paste (optional) and ginger-garlic paste and the three dry masalas and stir well. This will take about 5 minutes. Now add half cup water and lemon juice. Cover the lid of the pan for 2 minutes until the water dries up.
3. Now arrange the half of the rice in a microwave safe bowl in a layer, add the cooked chicken breast from the pan on top of the rice in a layer, again arrange the remaining rice layer on top. Sprinkle the fried onions on top and pour the milk with saffron threads evenly on top of rice. All this takes about 5 more minutes
5. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. The Biryani is ready.
6. Serve the Biryani along with and a Juice and Ice Cream for a heartful meal for two ready in about in less than 30 minutes.

Tip: Adding salt to the water in which you cook rice is essential, or else the whole taste of Biryani turns upside down. One tip if you have forgotten to add salt to the water while boiling rice is – stir the required amount of salt in a little quantity of hot water, about half cup or a few tablespoons, and pour this on the biryani evenly. Warm the biryani in microwave and serve immediately.

Luv,
Mona

Butter chicken is one of the famous North-Indian dishes that made its way on the menu card of almost every Indian restaurant all over the world. Each person/household has their own style of cooking this delectable dish, but I prefer this procedure, its simple, healthy and gets prepared soon, and its delicious.

Butter Chicken – Makhani Murgh

Butter Chicken can be enjoyed along with parathas, naan or with plain rice.

Butter Chicken – Makhani Murgh
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For Marinade
Chicken – 1 (large) whole, cut into pieces
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Yogurt (thick) – 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
For Curry
Cloves – 3
Green Cardamom – 4
Cinnamon stick – 2 inch long stick
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Fresh tomato puree – 5-6 cups
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Half and half – 1 1/4 cups (or) equal amounts heavy cream or light cream
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kasoori methi – 1/4 cup
Canola oil

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients under the heading ‘for marinade’, and keep aside for 2-3 hours or overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before you start cooking. Heat a stove top grill pan and grill the marinated chicken pieces until lightly charred on both sides. Baste with canola oil whenever needed.
If using boneless chicken, marinate them as above directions. Skewer them onto bamboo skewers and grill them both sides until charred as shown here.
You can even grill the chicken on a charcoal grill for best flavors.
Cover and keep the grilled chicken aside in a bowl.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a saucepan, add cloves, cardamoms, and cinnamon stick. As the spices begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds. Add pureed tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt. Cover and let it cook until the puree is thick. Give a stir every once in a while. Add half and half or whatever using and let it come to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and add the grilled chicken, kasoori methi, garam masala and water according to the consistency of the curry you desire. Cover and let cook until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with drizzles of cream.

Suggested Accompaniments: Parathas, Naan, Basmati Chawal, Pulaos.. or even in between toasted bread as sandwiches.

Luv,
Mona