SHAHI HYDERABADI MUTTON BIRIYANI

Hyderabadi biryani is one of the most popular among the biryani recipes. Mutton or chicken cooked with yogurt, mint and spices is layered in between half boiled rice and kept on dum by sealing the handi or pot with dough.

Ingredients:
Mutton - 1 kg
Onions – 5 to 6 chopped onions
Garlic (peeled) - 1/2 cup
Ginger (pieces) - 3/4 cup
Green Chillies -  8-10
Mint Leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Cloves - 10 to 15
Cinnamon - Three 5” pieces
Nutmeg or Jaiphal - Less than ¼ piece
Mace or Javitri - 1 piece
Small Cardamoms - 10
Black Cardamoms - 1
Tomatoes - Approx. 3
Yogurt - 3 to 4 tbsp
Lemon Juice - About ½ lemon’s juice
Red food colour
Salt to taste

For Rice:
Rice - 6 cups
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon – 1” stick
Small Cardamoms - 2
Mint Leaves - a handful
Coriander Leaves - a handful
Lemon juice - Juice of 1 lemon
Water - 12 cups
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Grind cloves, cardamoms, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon to a fine powder. To this add garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and salt and grind to a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.
2. Marinate mutton with this paste for atleast 15 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee. Fry onions till light brown. Keep aside some onions for garnishing.
4. Add marinated mutton and cook for a while. Add tomatoes, yogurt, lemon juice and little water and cook till mutton is tender.
(Take care not to make too much gravy)
5. Meanwhile, keep 12 cups of water to boil. Add cloves, cinnamon, small cardamoms, mint leaves and coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and let it boil. Add rice and let it cook.
6.When rice is 3/4th done, strain & transfer over mutton.
7. Do not mix. With big spoon, make slits for air. Add ghee & red colour. Cover first with wet cloth, then with lid, and keep a weight over the lid. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Garnish with fried onions and cashewnuts. Add boiled eggs if you like.
Serve with raita.

Raita:
Beat 1 cup yogurt. Add 1/4 cup water, finely sliced green chillies, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat well and serve with biryani.

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AMBOTIC SPICE PASTE ( from Goa )

This is a nice spicy paste from Goa to make your delicious curries..

Ingredients:
Dry red chillies ....... 10
Cumin seeds ........... 1/2 tsp.
Cloves ...................... 5
Cinnamon ............... 1 inch piece
Black pepper .......... 1 tsp.
Ginger ...................... 2 inch piece
Garlic ....................... 10 cloves
Salt ........................... 1 tsp.
Malt vinegar ........... 1/2 cup

Method:
Dry roast and grind to a paste using vinegar.
Store this paste in the refrigerator.
Vinegar helps it to last for months.

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ALOE VERA CURRY (Rajasthani)

(Cooked without skin)

Aloe vera plant is well known for its medicinal properties.These days it is used in health and cosmetic products. Ever thought that it could be eaten as a vegetable too. In Rajasthan it is known as Gwaar Paatha and a delicious curry is made with this.
The tender ones can be cooked without peeling and if you get a nice fleshy one you can remove the outer skin and make the curry with the jelly like fleshy part.

                                                              (Cooked with skin)

Ingredients:
Aloe vera leaves ..... 2
Mathania lal mirch powder ... 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder .... 1 tsp.
Asafoetida ............... a pinch
Fenugreek seeds ..... 1/2 tsp.
Aniseeds ................ 1/2 tsp.
Amchoor powder .... 1/2 tsp.
Jaggery .................. 1/2 tsp.(a small piece)
Black cardamom ...... 1
Star anise ............... 1
Cinnamon stick ....... 1 inch piece.
Tomato puree ........... 1 tbsp.
Yogurt ..................... 1 tbsp.
Salt ................... to taste.
Oil .................... 2 -3 tbsps (preferably mustard oil or ghee.

Method:


1. Peel and cut the aloe vera leaves into cubes. If it is tender you can even cook it without peeling.



2. Boil them for 2-3 minutes with salt. Drain and set aside.



3. In a pan heat a little oil and add the whole spices.Now add the asafoetida, red chilli powder,jaggery, salt and coriander powder. Add a little water and put the aloe vera cubes.Simmer for 2-3 minutes.



4. Mix the beaten yogurt to the curry and keep stirring on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.

Note: If you don't have Mathania lal mirch use Kashmiri chili powder to get the rich red colour.

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Bajre ki Raab 

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CHICKEN FRIED RICE

This is the most popular dish of the Chinese Cusine loved by one and all. Make it the way you want with just vegetables or add chicken, prawns, ham etc etc..

Ingredients:
Rice .......... 1 & 1/2 cups
Carrot ..... 1 small
Beans ....... 6-7
Capsicum ... 1
Spring onion ... handful
Celery ........... 2 inch piece
Eggs .............. 2
Chicken ....... 1/4 cup (boiled & shredded)
Garlic ... 1 pod (crushed)
Salt ........... to taste
Ajinomoto .... a pinch ( optional)

Method:
1. Boil the rice adding salt and strain it. Run under cold water so that the grains remain seperated.

2. Chop all the vegetables very finely.
3. Scramble the eggs adding a bit of salt.

4. In a wok, add oil. Put the garlic, saute and add the vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute.(add ajinomoto at this stage. But you can avoid it too as some people are allergic to it.)

5. Add salt, shredded chicken, scrambled eggs and rice.
6. Mix well. Serve with any chinese side dish.

Check out the recipe video 

 

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CARROT RICE

Often kids refuse to eat some vegetables like carrots and this is a nice way to make them eat. This dish is mildly spiced and perfect for kids lunch box. However if you like it spicier you can adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice ... 1 cup (we can use the left-over rice too)
Grated carrot .. 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/8tsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/8 tsp
Garam masala ........ 1/2 tsp
Salt .... to taste
Oil

For Tempering:
Cumin seeds .... 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds ... 1/2 tsp
Urad dal / chana dal ... 1 tsp
Asafoetida ......... a pinch
Dry red chillies ... 1-2
Curry leaves ....... a sprig

Method:

1. In a pan heat a little oil. Add the tempering ingredients. When the seeds crackle, add the grated carrot.

2. Season with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Saute for a minute.
3. Add the cooked rice and mix well.
Serve hot.

LEMON RICE

This is the most popular dish made in South Indian homes. You can make use of your left over rice too. Because of the tanginess from the lemon juice this does not spoil easily and hence it is always a preferred dish to carry during journeys and picnics.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice .......... 2 cups ( Can also use the left over rice)
Ginger .................. 1 tbsp. (grated)
Green chillies ....... 1-2 slit
Lime juice ............. 2-3 tbsp.
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Salt .......................... to taste
Oil

Tempering:
Mustard seeds ......... 1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds ............ 1 tsp.
Dry red chillies ......... 1-2
Asofoetida .................. a pinch
Curry leaves ............. 8-10
Chana dal .................. 1 tbsp. (soaked for 1-2 hrs)
Peanuts ..................... 1 tbsp.

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients.
2. Fry till the seeds crackle and then add ginger and green chillies.
3. Mix the lime juice into the rice and add turmeric powder. Check the salt.

4. Now add the rice to the tempering and stir well.
5. Finally add the coriander leaves.
 

Check out the video:

JOWAR KI ROTI ( Millet)

Jowar ki Roti or Bhakri is an Indian flat bread made with Sorghum flour. This grain has incredible health benefits.  One roti itself is quite filling and keeps you going for the day. This is the reason why it is mostly consumed by the people in the villages who do a lot of physical work. Unlike the wheat flour this one has to be handled very carefully.
Knead it with warm water just before making the rotis. Traditionally they were made by hand patting them which is very tricky. You can roll them between two plastic sheets to make your task easy.

Ingredients:
Jowar atta ...... 1 cup ( millet) Jowar also is known as Jowari, Juar
Wheat flour .... 1/4 cup
Salt ................... to taste (optional) In South India geneally salt is not added in this roti.
Ghee/oil ..... to smear on top.

Method:
1. Mix both the attas and add salt if desired.

2. Knead the dough with luke warm water.Set aside for at least half an hour.
3. Roll into rotis...before rolling check the consistency of the dough and sprinkle a little water and knead again if required.....rolling this roti is a bit difficult. You can also roll in between the plastic sheets.

4. Roast it on a griddle until half done and finish it off directly on the gas using tongs. This gives a rustic look and taste.


5. Smear ghee on top and serve hot. Here I have served it with MIRCHI KA SALAN.

ALOO SABJI (Vrat ka Khana)

This sabzi is usually made during Ekadashi fasting. As we don't use any spices, this is flavoured with cardamoms sauteed in ghee and tempered with rock salt and crushed black pepper.

Ingredients:
Potatoes : 4-5
Cardamoms .. 2-3
Rock salt ....... to taste
Black pepper powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Ghee or oil

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes. Peel and cut into pieces.

2.In a pan heat a little ghee and add the crushed cardamoms.Now add the potato and salt. Stir well to blend and crush a few pieces of potato to make a thick gravy. Add a little water (depends on how much gravy you like) and simmer.

4. Sprinkle the crushed pepper and serve with puris or rotis made with the Shingara flour or Buck wheat flour

Watch the recipe video

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