Showing posts with label Rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rice. Show all posts

Khara Pongal
7:04 AM - Posted by Anjum - 9 comments
SharePongal – a savory pudding made with beautiful combination of lentils and rice tempered with spices and nuts sauteed in Ghee
It is also one of the simplest and healthiest dishes to make which does not need constant attention and gets done in matter of minutes

  • Moong Daal -1 cup
  • Rice -1 cup
  • Cashewnuts -10
  • Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
  • Pepper Powder -1tsp
  • Curry leaves-5-6
  • Chopped Green Chilli -2
  • Grated coconut- 3tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Water -4 cups
  • Oil/ghee-2tbsp
Take a cooker and heat oil/ghee in it.
Wash moong daal and the rice and keep it separately.
Roast cashew in the oil and keep aside.
Now, add mustard seeds and cummin seeds and curry leaf.
When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add green chilli and fry for a few seconds.
Now, add the moong daal and fry for a minute.
Add water and the washed rice.
Also add coconut, salt and turmeric powder.
Close the cooker and allow it to whistle thrice.
After the cooker cools down, add the pepper powder, cashews and chopped cilantro leaves.
Add more water if required to get a pudding like consistancy.
Serve hot as it is or with  coconut chutney/onion chutney/sambar



Vegetable Biryani
10:38 AM - Posted by Anjum - 8 comments
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The vegetarian version of the Biryani is usually made with a variety of easily available ingredients such as peas, cauliflower, carrots and capsicum.
This vegetarian recipe is the closest I could  get to the all time favourite chicken or Mutton Biryani.It tastes awesome.This recipe is a treat to all the vegetarians who miss out on the heavenly experience of relishing the Biryani.
Ingredients:

  • Mixed diced vegetables-3cups
  • Rice-3cups
  • Oil-1cup
  • Sliced onions-1cup
  • Slit green chillies-6
  • Ginger garlic paste-4tsp
  • Chopped tomatoes-1cup
  • Corriander powder-2tsp
  • Red chilli powder-2tsp
  • Garam masala-1tsp
  • Thick curds-2cups
  • Chopped mint leaves-1cup
  • Salt-to taste
  • Ghee-2tbsp


Heat oil.Fry onions,green chillies and salt till golden brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins.
Add tomatoes,red chilli powder,corriander powder and garam masala.
Add curds and mint leaves and let it boil for 3-4mins.
Simmer flame,close lid and let it cook till almost cooked.Check salt
Boil enough water for the rice to be drained.
Add soaked rice,salt ,a tsp oil  and boil till the rice is half cooked.Drain.
Spread a layer of rice in a wide,heavy bottomed pan and spread a layer of the gravy over it.
 Repeat the same staps again finally ending with a layer of rice on top.
 Add mint leaves and 2tbsp ghee over the rice.
Close lid and cook over slow flame for 15-20mins or till the rice is done.
Serve hot with curd raita or mint chutney


Chicken Biryani & Pudina(mint) chutney.
11:42 AM - Posted by Anjum - 8 comments
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Biryani is derived from the Persian word 'Birian'. In Farsi, Birian means 'Fried before Cooking'.
In the olden days, rice was fried (without washing) in Ghee (Clarified butter). It did two things: 1. It gave the rice a nutty flavor 2. It burned the outside starch layer gelatinizing it. After the rice is stir-fried, it was boiled in water with spices till half cooked.
In an earthen pot called Handi, the rice and meat are layered, bottom and top layer are always rice. An interlayer of some condiments may be introduced between the meat and the rice. Cardamom, Mace, Screwpine essence, rose water may be added to give flowery and herbal aroma. The Handi is sealed and put on the coal embers to cook.
Now,many variations of the "Biryani" are enjoyed all over the world.
So here is mine...
Ingredients:
  • Chicken pieces-1kg
  • Basmathi Rice-750gms
  • Thick full cream curds-400ml
  • Sliced onions-2big
  • Sliced tomatoes-2big
  • Green chillies-10
  • Ginger garlic paste-5tsp
  • Red chilli powder-2tsp
  • Dhania powder-2tsp
  • Garam masala-1tsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Chopped mint leaves-1 cup
  • Chopped cilantro-1cup
  • Fried onions-1cup
  • Oil-1cup
  • Ghee-2tbsp
  • Rose water-1tsp

 
Marinate the chicken pieces with curds and a tsp of salt for around 4 hrs.
Heat oil.Fry onions and green chillies till golden brown.
 
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2mins.Now add all the powdered spices and saute till oil separates.
Add the marinated chicken and saute on high flame.Close lid and simmer flame and cook till the meat is 80% done.Add chopped mint and cilantro.Check for salt.
Switch off flame.There is no need to add water.The water in the curds is sufficient.
The greavy or "akhni" is done.
(If making mutton biryani,you will need to pressure cook it till the meat is 80% done)
Now boil water in a large pot.Add salt and rice to boiling water.Use enough water so that the rice boils well freely.
Strain rice.
 Heat another heavy bottomed pot.Spread a layer of rice and sprinkle fried onions over it.Now layer the rice with the gravy.Over this,follow the same steps-rice,fried onions and gravy.The topmost and bottom layers shall be rice.
Finally pour ghee and rose water over the topmost rice layer.Cover lid and let "Dum" on minimum flame for about 15-20mins.Keep something heavy over the tip or wrap an aluminium foil
OR(oven method)
layer the same in a baking dish.Cover with aluminium foil .Preheat to 175degrees and bake for 20mins.
Switch off flame and let it stand for 10mins.
Now open lid and very gently fold in the layers without breaking the chicken pieces as they are very tender at this point.
 Serve hot with bagare baingan or curd raita or pudine ki chutney.

 
 Pudiney ki chutney:
Grind together-
  • Pudina leaves-1bunch
  • Grated coconut-4tbsp
  • Green chllies-4
  • Garlic-3cloves
  • Tamarind-grape size
  • Cumin(jeera)-1/2tsp
  • Salt-to taste

 Enjoy the divine meal.....

 
 


Bagara Khana or Khushka
12:46 PM - Posted by Anjum - 3 comments
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Khushka  refers to " Khushk " in Urdu, which means plain or dry
This is a staple in most Hyderabad Muslim households and served with an accompaniment of spicy dry or wet curry. The same rice when cooked with spices, takes the form of Khushka / kushka / Kuska Biryani

Bagara Khana or khushka is a rice delicacy prepared in Hyderabad, India. The long grain rice, along with spices and green chilies, is used to prepare the rice

Ingredients:
  • Basmathi/Long grained rice-500gms
  • Sliced onions-1cup
  • Slit Green chillies-5nos
  • Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
  • Cinnamon stick-2"
  • Cloves-3nos
  • Cardamom(elaichi)-2nos
  • Shahjeera-1tsp
  • Mint leaves(pudina)-1cup
  • Oil-4tbsp
  • Ghee-1tbsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Water-1 liter
Method:
Wash and Soak rice in water for about an hour.
Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed pot.
Add the cinnamon,cloves and cardamom and saute till the aroma arises.
Add sliced onions and green chillies and saute till translucent.
Add the ginger garlic paste and salt and saute well.
Add the shahjeera and mint leaves and saute for a minute and add water and bring to a boil.
Now add the soaked rice and let it boil till around 80% of the water is absorbed.Stir occasionally.
Now close with a lid and keep something heavy on the lid.Let it cook on low flame for about 15mins.
Done:-)

The dish makes up for the vegetarians who miss out on the Hyderabadi Biryani
 Having this Rice while it is warm is so comforting, but if wish to serve it later and want to prepare it ahead of time, just microwave reheat it covered for 2 or 3 minutes adding a few drops of water to the rice. You can store left over rice in a microwave safe bowl for easy reheating in the refrigerator for upto a week. It stays good and is as fresh when reheated in a microwave just before having it.

My perfect Meal-Khushka,Korma and Fried Fish :-)

Option: If using a rice cooker,follow the same procedure and after adding water and rice,transfer the contents to a rice cooker and cook hassle free.


Hyderabadi Kacchi Dum Ki Biryani
1:19 PM - Posted by Anjum - 3 comments
ShareHyderabad is known the world over for its “Kachchi Aqni ki Dum ki Biryani” – truthfully named on its method of preparation. It is the best “One dish meal” one could ever imagine. In fact it is the King of all dishes.

Marinate:
Chicken-1kg

Thick curds-1/2cup
Ginger garlic paste-1 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies-12,slit into two.
Chilli powder-3tsp
Corriander powder-2tsp
Chopped pudina-1cup
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Grind together-10 peppercorns,1/2tsp shahjeera,1" cinnamon stick,3cardamoms,10 cloves
Lemon juice-of 2 lemons
Salt -to taste

Marinate all the above ingredients and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Soak 1/2tsp saffron in half a cup of warm milk.
Heat one cup oil in a pan and add one big sliced onion and fry until brown and remove in a bowl.
Soak 4 cups of basmathi rice for 30mins.


Boil enough water and to this add:
 5 cardamoms,
2 bay leaves,
1tsp shahjeera,
1/2tsp ginger garlic paste
2tbsp oil
salt to taste.


Boil for 2-3 mins and drain(rice should be a little below half cooked )

Heat a heavy bottomed pan,add the oil left over from frying the onions and arrange a layer of chicken on it.
Spread a layer of rice over it and sprinkle  fried onions over it crushing them with the fingers.
pour a tsp of melted ghee and some of the soaked saffron.
Repeat the same procedure with finally a layer of rice on top.
Sprinkle the remaining fried onions and saffron.

Cover with a double sheet of aluminium foil(foil should be bigger than the mouth of the pan) and close the lid.
Cook on high flame for 10 mins and again on medium high for 20 mins.

Switch off the flame and let it stand for 15mins to absorb the flavours completely.
Gently fold in the layers .


Ideally served with shami kababs and mirchi ka salan
Its tastes great even with out any accompaniments.


Cooking the Biryani in the oven:
For this take a oven proof dish or aluminium tray , grease it with oil , layer chicken , rice , sprinkle ghee /oil , fried onions , saffron milk, . Now seal it with aluminium foil and cook in preheated oven @ 400 degree F for 30 mins and reduce heat to 300 degree F and cook for an hour . switchoff oven and after 10 mins of standby u can takeout tray from oven and serve hot .


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