Egg Biryani!

There are a few questions that mankind has been to find answers to. Will Sachin Tendulkar ever quit playing cricket? Will we ever find a renewable bio fuel? Is there life elsewhere in the galaxy? Another such question is what came first, the chicken or the egg? And so, while the debate goes on who came first, almost all of us would agree to the fact that eggs in any manner taste delicious.

At my place, we have eggs at least once a week. This usually happens we want to have a non-fussy & simple dish that still gives you that “I-have-had-the best-meal” feeling. Remember my post on the “Aloo Saunfiyana”? Where I had spoken about the humble potato winning the most versatile ingredient award in the veggies category, I guess the more suave egg would win hands down in the non- vegetarian category.

I have always confessed how much we as a family love any biryani. And when it combined with the goodness of eggs, it doesn’t get any better. Please don’t get intimidated with the long list of ingredients, they are all easily available in the kitchen. Add some love coupled with lots of efforts and you will have a biryani that will remain in your hearts for a long time to come. The one that I made certainly did!

Egg Biryani

Ingredients:

• 6 Eggs
• Oil for frying

For the rice

• 250 grams long grained Basmati rice
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 1 Inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 Tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 50 ml Milk
• 1 tablespoon tumeric powder (haldi)
• Salt

For the gravy

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped (Increase the quantity if you want it spicier)
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 250 ml thick curds
• 2 tablespoons Biryani Masala Powder (I used Everest Biryani Masala)
• 1 tablespoon tumeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
• 1 large tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 1 Inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt - to taste
• 2 stalks of corriander, chopped
• few mint leaves

For the Garnishing

• 2 large onions, sliced finely
• 10-15 cashews
• 10 -12 raisins
• Ghee/ Oil to fry
• Few Mint leaves
• 1 lime, quartered

Procedure:

• To prepare the garnishing, heat the ghee/ oil in a pan. Now fry the sliced onions on medium heat till they turn reddish brown in colour. Take out and drain on an absorbent paper.
• In the same oil, fry the cashews and raisins until they change colour to reddish brown. Once again, Take out and drain on an absorbent paper.
• Keep both aside while we shall begin work on the rice.

To prepare the rice:

• Soak the rice in water for about 15 mins, then wash and drain till the water runs clear.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large vessel and add in the whole spices (Cardamoms, Cinnamon and Bay leaf).
• When the spices begin to splutter, add the rice and fry for a while.
• Now add in water that is double the quantity of rice. E.g. for 1 cup rice you will require to use 2 cups water. Add salt and let the  rice cook.
• When the water begins to boil, lower the heat and allow the rice to cook till you have large and fluffy grains of rice, each separate from the other.
• Once the rice has reached that stage, drain using a colander. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well
• Separate a handful of rice from the colander. Now, mix the milk and turmeric and sprinkle over the rice you have separated.
• Your rice is ready

To prepare the eggs:

• In a large vessel heat water and add the eggs and bring to a boil for 10-12 minutes.
• Once the eggs are done, peel them and cut each into half, lengthwise.
• Heat the oil in a pan, and lightly fry the eggs on each side till they get a light brown colour. This step is optional, however, I do it to give the eggs slight texture.
• Remove and keep aside. 

For the gravy:

• In a large vessel, heat the ghee and add the whole spices and allow them to splutter.
• When the spices begin releasing aroma, add the chopped onions and let them cook till they turn golden brown. Add the ginger, garlic pastes along with the chillies.
• Once the onions are done, add the chopped tomato and cook till it it is limp.
• Beat the curds well and add. Once the mixture has simmered well, add in the masalas (red chilli powder, biryani masala, turmeric powder, garam masalas)
• Now, add the eggs and mix well so that the eggs are covered well with the mixture
• Once done, add the chopped corriander& mint leaves.

To assemble the biryani:

• Line a large vessel with ghee.
• Add the gravy mixture. Now add in half the onions we had fried earlier and some of the fried cashews and raisins.
• Layer the gravy mixture with the cooked rice. Sprinkle the surface with the rice that was mixed with the milk and turmeric.
• Finish the layering with the remaining fried onions and dried fruits.
• Cover the vessel with a lid that fits perfectly. Or you could cover with aluminium foil so that no steam escapes.
• Place the vessel on a tawa and cook for 20 minutes. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes even after you've turned off the gas.
• Serve hot with raita.

Subzi Cheese Biryani (Vegetable Cheese Biryani)

“Can vegetarian food be made interesting as well?” wrote a reader recently. “Yes, of course”, was my enthusiastic answer. With a little bit of creativity and innovation, even a vegetarian meal can be an absolute delight. Though, I am a hardcore non vegetarian, I always opt for a vegetarian meal whenever I require a change from the regular stuff. Ever since the “Aloo Saunfiyana” recipe was well received on the blog, I have decided to start posting all vegetarian recipes that have been lying in my folder for eons now.

One such interesting recipe is the Subzi Cheese Biryani, which was the outcome of my sisters creative thought process. This dish was the outcome of a very healthy debate between my sister and me as what’s the best thing to make when you have almost every vegetable at your disposal. Since the two of us are the greatest biryani fans on the planet, we decided that biryani it would be, but hero of the dish would not be the veggies but a very special ingredient “cheese”. That decided, my sister, pen and paper in tow, sat conceptualizing the biryani while her brother went on and got into executing the dish.

When we decided to make this biryani, it was planned like the way a usual biryani was to be made, and we weren’t too sure of how the final product would turn up but wanted to go ahead with it nevertheless. I tried and kept the oil and fats to a minimum considering that there is a generous amount of cheese, enough to cause the mild hearted a few jitters. I must say it is time consuming but worth every bit of the effort

We had it with Prawns in Butter Garlic Sauce. The verdict?  Awesome. The joy of cooking a meal together is priceless. Try doing it sometimes, I promise it will leave a smile on your face and memories in your heart.

Subzi Cheese Biryani

Ingredients:

 2 cups long grained basmati rice

·     100 grams mixed vegetables (I used French beans, cauliflowers, green capsicum & green peas)

·         2 medium onions- finely chopped

·         2 medium tomatoes- finely chopped

·         200 grams thick curd- beaten well

·         3 tablespoons cashew paste

·         100 grams processed cheese – for grating

·         3 cheese cubes- sliced for garnishing

·     Assortment of whole spices (2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 small bay leaf)

·         1 ½ tablespoon ginger—garlic paste

·         1 teaspoon coriander powder

·         1 teaspoon red chili powder

·         1 teaspoon turmeric  powder

·         1 teaspoon garam masala powder (all spice powder)

·         4 large tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)

·         Salt to taste

·         Juice of half a lime

·         Some milk

·         Few leaves of coriander and mint for garnishing.

Procedure:

For the rice:

·         Soak the rice for atleast 20-25 minutes in water before you begin working with it.

·         In a large pan heat water equivalent to double the quantity of rice. When the water starts boiling, add in the rice.

·         Add some ghee to the rice. This will ensure that the grains don’t stick to each other.  Also, add some salt.

·          When the rice is about ¾th  done, take out from heat drain it on a colander and let it cool for a while.

·         Take out a large spoonful of the rice and keep aside.

·          Add ½ teaspoon of the turmeric powder to the milk and stir well. Pour this milk on the rice that has been kept aside and mix well. This will give the rice a nice yellow colour.

For the gravy:

·          

·         In a deep pan add the oil or ghee and let it heat. Once the oil is hot add in the whole masalas and let them crackle.

·         Once the masalas are done, add the onions and cook till the onions are nicely browned. Add in the ginger garlic paste and cook well.

·         Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are pulpy. This is important since if the tomatoes are not well cooked; the gravy will separate.

·         When the tomatoes are pulpy, add in all the spice powders (coriander, red chili, turmeric& the garam masala powder) and cook well. Add a little water if required.

·         Now add the cashew paste and cook till the oil leaves the sides and the mixture has thickened a bit. Add in the curd and let it simmer for about 7 minutes

·         Add in the vegetables, salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

·         Finally, add in the juice of lime and mix.

·          

For the assembling:

·         Line a heavy deep bottom vessel with ghee and pour in half of the gravy.

·         Now , on top of this add a layer of half the rice; grate half the cheese on top the rice. Also, add some of the coloured rice to this

·         Repeat the layering process with the other half of the gravy, rice and cheese

·         Slice the cubes into fine squares and layer on the top.

      Seal the vessel tightly and cook for about 30* minutes on medium flame and for another 10 minutes on a low flame.

     Once done take out from the heat and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

      Serve with refreshing raita.

Goan Pork Sausage Pulao

Here’s a quick question. What best reminds you of Goa? Sandy pristine beaches, Port wine, fun loving people and awesome seafood. But are we missing something? Yes of course!! How could we miss the Goan Pork Sausages, the best gift that Goa could give the world?

The Sausages, Lingis (Linguica) or Choriso as they are called in local language are often ranked number one on the shopping list of any tourist visiting Goa.  I, for one, have been lucky enough to have an aunt who visits Goa at least 2-3 times a year and thus I have my year long supply continuously replenished. In simple terms, the sausages are chunks of pork meat coated with chilly, spices, and marinated with vinegar giving them a fiery hot colour. These are then tied together with a thick thread. You could store them for at least six months. To tell you the truth, they barely remain that long, the magic is when you take the sausages, and there is a nice pungent aroma of the spices and vinegar that have by now mingled well with each other. Then, as you slowly tear the outer covering, the aroma fills your entire house. It has to be experienced.

Because they come preloaded with a whole lot of spices and are already marinated, the sausages serve as a quick fix meal on a day when probably you have guests at a short notice or are feeling lazy to cook. All you need to do is chop some onions, a potato and add the sausages & some salt…. Done…. Your jhatpat meal is ready.

My mum usually makes sausages in the manner mentioned above and they are awesome. I had always wanted to make this sausage pulao and so I gave it a try this time. Spicy, aromatic, and yummy was how I would describe the result.

As always make some extra, you never know someone might just drop in sensing the aroma.

Goan Sausage Pulao

Ingredients

• 150 grams long grained rice
• 150 grams Goan Pork Sausages
• 2 Onions (Peeled and Cubed)
• 2 Potatoes (Peeled, Cut into wedges & fried)- I excluded this
• 2 tablespoons Garlic Paste
• 2 tablespoons Ginger Paste
• 1 Green Chilly (Chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Oil and for frying the potatoes.
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 8 Black peppercorns
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4-5 Cloves

Procedure

• Wash the rice, and soak in water for about 20-25 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges. Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till they are golden brown in colour. Keep them on an absorbent paper for oil to drip off.
• Open the casing of the sausages by cutting the string and keep aside.
• In a pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and heat. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and let it cook.
• Once the pastes start to brown, add onions, and stir well till they turn translucent.
• Add in the whole spices, chilly and potato wedges and let them cook for a while.
• Once the spices begin to give out an aroma, add in the sausages, and let them cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and mix well. Be careful when you mix as too much mixing will cause the grains to break.
• Add water and cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Remember to keep checking at regular intervals if more water is required. Usually, the proportion of rice and water is 1:2. So for 1 cup rice, you will require 2 cups of water.

 Voila!!! The Goan sausage pulao is ready…. Enjoy with friends and family.

Prawns Biryani!!!

Being a South Indian, it would be criminal if I don’t put a post on rice anytime soon; and what better rice dish than the emperor of all dishes “The Biryani”.

The Biryani and the Taj Mahal are the two best things left behind by the Mughal rulers. We will cover the Taj in another post on Mughlai food; this time we’ll cover the all- time favorite “Biryani”. Having a biryani means you don’t need anything else since it is a complete meal in itself.  Layered with fats, carbs and proteins it is not one of the healthier options but come on, who ever heard of a diet biryani or a low calorie biryani hmm….  Indulgence has its own pleasures right? J

Not much is written about the history of this dish, but legend has it that the Persian soldiers (when going on longer journeys) carried with them a dish that was meat gravy topped with a layer of rice. Although there are many varieties of the biryani available world over, in India almost trace their roots to the kitchens of the Nawabs in Hyderabad and Lucknow. It is said that a particular Nawab boasted of 49 varieties in his kitchen. Essentially, biryanis are of two types, “Kachchi (raw) Biryani” as the marinated rice and meat are cooked together & the “Pakki (cooked) Biryani” this is where the rice and meat are cooked separately and then layered.

Preparing a biryani is a long drawn, elaborate and tedious task. But believe me; it will be worth the effort. I guess with some planning and preparation, the task will be simpler and less strenuous.

I had initially planned doing a either a chicken or mutton one; but there were some large prawns in the fridge & my mum felt that the best way to use them was in a biryani. You could replace the prawns with either mutton or chicken. Purists believe that the ratio of rice to meat should be 1:1 that is 1 kg rice for 1 kg of meat. However, I tried 1:0.7 that is 1 kg rice and 700 grams meat and it came out decent. A good biryani is only as good as the quality of rice used. So, make sure to use good quality and long grained rice. Needless to say, no being miserly on the use of ghee and spices.

Well, get set for the grind of making the yummy Prawns Biryani. My suggestion is make a little extra, the aroma will draw all your neighbours and I’m sure they will not leave till they’ve had some.

 Prawns Biryani.

Main Ingredients

§  Long grained Basmati rice                                                       800 grams

§  Prawns (approx)*                                                                     550 grams

§  Large Onions                                                                            3

§  Lime                                                                                         1

§  Desi Ghee                                                                                 4 Tablespoons

§  Milk                                                                                          ¼ cup

§  Salt                                                                                            To taste

§  Oil                                                                                             for frying the onions

For the Marinade

§  Thick curd                                                                                   350 grams

§  Ginger Paste                                                                               1 ½ tablespoon

§  Garlic Paste                                                                                1 ½ tablespoon

§  Green Chillies (finely chopped)                                                  3

§  Kashmiri Chilli Powder*                                                              2 tablespoons

§  Turmeric Powder                                                                        1 ½ tablespoon

§  Garam Masala Powder                                                                1 tablespoon

§  Jeera (Cummin) Powder                                                             1 tablespoon

Whole Masala’s

§  Cinnamon Stick                                                                        1

§  Green Cardamom                                                                    4-5

§  Cummin Seeds                                                                        1 teaspoon

§  Bay Leaf                                                                                    1 Large

§  Star Aniseed                                                                              1

Procedure:

We shall begin by making the marinade:

§  Clean, De-shell and de-vein the prawns.

§  Heat oil in a deep frying pan

§  Slice the onions finely. Fry them in the oil till they turn golden brown; be careful since if they burn they will taste bitter. Once done place them on an absorbent paper to drain the excess oil. Let them rest for a while and allow them to get crisp.

§  Beat the curd well add in prawns and coat them well with the curd. To this add a little salt, ginger garlic pastes and all the other masalas mentioned under the marinade heading.

§  Crush the onions and add to the curd mixture. Remember to keep some aside for garnishing.

§  Add the juice of half a lime to it, finely chopped coriander and tear in a few mint leaves.

§  Mix well (take care not to damage the prawns) and keep aside for at least 2 hours.

For the rice:

§  Soak the rice for atleast 20-25 minutes in water before you begin working with it.

§  In a large pan heat water equivalent to double the quantity of rice. When the water starts boiling, add in the rice.

§  Add some ghee to the rice. This will ensure that the grains don’t stick to each other. Add in the all the ingredients mentioned under the whole masalas heading and some salt.

§  You will need to make sure that you constantly keep watch on the rice to make sure that it doesn’t get over cooked.

§  When the rice is about ¾ done, drain it on a colander and let it cool for a while.

§  Take out a large spoonful of the rice and keep aside.

§  Add ½ teaspoon of the turmeric powder to the milk and stir well. Pour this milk on the rice that has been kept aside. This will give the rice a nice yellow colour. Personally, I don’t like using artificial colouring.

For the assembling:

§  Line a heavy bottomed vessel with ghee.

§  Add in the prawn marinade and spread well. Top this with a few mint leaves and half the coloured rice.

§  Top this with some of the fried onion

§  Now layer this with the white rice. Cover it with the remainder of the coloured rice and top it with the remaining fried onions and the mint.

§  Seal the vessel tightly and cook for about 30* minutes on medium flame and for another 10 minutes on a low flame.

§  Once done take out from the heat and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

§  Serve with refreshing raita.

Notes:

§  The Prawns I used were of the large variety. So approximately I used about 12 prawns.

§  Kashmir Chilies are not spicy. But the powder gives a nice, bright red colour.

§  I used prawns so I have mentioned 30 minutes. Chicken or mutton should take about 45 minutes.

Phew!!!! That was long… I’m rushing to enjoy the biryani…

Chinese Food!

I have noticed that whenever I go to a restaurant, somehow I tend to flip to the Chinese section of the menu and order something from there.  Can’t really help; I doubt any other cuisine in the world offers such a unique combination of colour, texture, cooking and tastes. That is perhaps the reason why almost every street in the world would have a Chinese restaurant. Although Chinese food has faced criticism in the past for its excessive use of sodium (salts) and Mono-sodium Glutamate (Ajino motto), the fact is that authentic Chinese food is healthy and a food connoisseurs delight.

My first experience with Chinese was when I was in college and happened to visit a newly opened Chinese restaurant in the college vicinity. I sat observing the chef who expertly went about his task off tossing and flipping the rice, noodles he prepared like a pro. Excited, I came home and tried the same, ending up with nothing more than a Chinese khichdi and a very messy kitchen that my dear mum spent the rest of the day cleaning.

Coming back, Chinese is one of the few cuisines in the world that manages to retain the original flavors and textures of the ingredients used. There is a generous usage of vegetable, meat, fish, or poultry. The cooking is done on a high flame that helps retain the crunch of the vegetables and the taste of the meats. Another reason for the popularity is that Chinese is relatively easy to prepare (just change a few ingredients and sauces and ……. Presto, you have a new dish) and it’s adaptability to the local cuisine. I have seen almost every Indian dish coming under the Chinese influence right from dosa’s to samosa’s to even a schezwan dhokla.

What I’ve made today is an authentic Chinese meal with an Indian touch. Burnt Garlic Fried rice & Schezwan Hot Chicken. Call it a Chinese meal or Indo-Chinese fusion, the taste was awesome nevertheless.

Burnt Garlic Fried Rice

Ingredients
• 1 cup Pre-cooked rice * refer notes below
• 100 grams mixed vegetables- finely chopped (Carrots, French Beans, Bell Peppers, Cauliflower)
• 1 bulb Spring onion
• 6-7 cloves Garlic finely chopped
• ½ inch piece Ginger finely chopped
• 1 Egg – Beaten well
• 2 tablespoon Soya Sauce
• 3 table spoon oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• Salt – to taste

Method
• If your preparing rice fresh cook it till it’s Al-Dante (75% done)
• In a wok or a deep bottomed pan, heat oil till just before smoking point. Add the egg and stir well so it becomes like a minced omlette.
• Add in the garlic and let it brown. Take care not to burn it or it will give out a bitter taste.
• Add in the ginger and onions stir quickly.
• Now, add some of the mixed vegetables, rice, and 1 tablespoon soya sauce and stir well. Repeat the same with the other batch of vegetables and rice and the remaining soya sauce, salt and keep stirring.
• Once the vegetables and sauce have mixed well with the rice add in the vinegar and give it once last mix
• Serve hot garnished with spring onion greens.

Schezwan Hot Chicken

Ingredients

• 200 grams boneless chicken
• 1 Egg white
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 2 tablespoons red chili paste * refer notes below
• 3 Dried red chilies
• 1 spring onion – finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce
• 8 cloves garlic – finely chopped
• ½ inch piece of ginger – finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon crushed pepper
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Oil for frying

Method

•  Make a batter with the egg white, corn flour, crushed pepper and salt. Coat the chicken well with this batter and keep aside for about 15 minutes
•  Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces till they are golden brown. This should not take more than 2 minutes if the oil is smoking hot; else 5 minutes. Take out and drain the excess oil on an absorbent paper.
•  For the gravy, add in the 3 tablespoon oil, add in the ginger garlic, red chilies, and stir well quickly.
•  Next add in the onions, red chili paste, and ketchup stirring it well.
•  Now, add in the soya sauce and some water.
•  When it comes to a boil, add in the chicken pieces and the spring onion greens and salt.
•  Dissolve the remaining corn flour in water and stir well to make a solution. Add this to the gravy. Adding corn flour thickens the gravy giving it texture and also gives it a gloss.
•  Add in the vinegar and give it one last mix.
•  Garnish with remaining spring onion greens and serve hot with the fried rice or noodles.

Notes:

• Traditionally, fried rice is prepared using rice is slightly old. If possible, try and use rice that has been prepared probably the night before. It tastes better with rice that is slightly thick grained, so try and avoid the basmati variety.

• To prepare the red chili paste, soak 3-4 red chilies in warm water for half an hour and then grind to a fine paste along with 2 cloves of garlic and ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds. This paste can be used for any other gravy as well.

• Be careful when using salt for the seasoning as soya sauce already has a very high salt content. Also, when you buy soya sauce remember to check the label. Dark soya sauce is for the colour and light soya sauce is for the taste.

• I have mentioned in the blog about cooking on a high flame. Please be careful when you’re trying this for the first time.

Well, even as you enjoy your Chinese meal, Keep smiling and happy cooking!!!!!