Baby Corn Dum Biryani

This is a delicious Dum Biryani (spiced rice dish) which is the perfect main meal. Dum refers to a slow cooking method, where the rice and masala is placed in layers and dough is used to create a tight seal to prevent steam from escaping. The steam helps the spices to infuse the rice and create a wonderful aromatic flavour. I made the dum preparation using cooker. You can see my previous posts of Dum Biryani explanation. This is a simple Veg Biryani with a strong aroma of spices. Make one and enjoy with family!

Ingredients: 
Baby Corn- 8-10 chop horizontally
Dabur Basmati- 2 Cups [Soak previously for 30 mins]
Mint 2 cups fine chpped [For layering during Dum preparation]
Coriander 2 cups fine chopped [For layering during Dum preparation]
5 onions fine chopped.
2 tsp Ginger chops
2 tsp Garlic chops
Whole spices:
Star anise-3 No
Cinnamon Stick 2" [break it into small 3-4 pieces]
4 white Cardamom pods
1 black Cardamom pod
1 tbsp Snauf
2 tsp Black Pepper Corn
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
3 Red chilli
2 tbp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tbsp Red chilli powder

Green Paste: Grind following to fine paste
1 Fist full - Mint chops
1 fist full- Coriander chops
5 Garlic flakes
1" Ginger piece
4 Green chilli
4 tbsp Yogurt

Method:

• Take a medium size Pressure cooker, add 2 tbsp coconut oil and 1 tbsp ghee. Start to fry the spices one by one (Cumin seeds. cloves, start anise, Cardamon, cinnamon sticks, snauf, black pepper corns).

• When you smell the pleasant aroma of the spices, add the ginger-garlic. Saute well for a minute and then add onions. 
• Let the onions turns golden brown. After which add the Garam masala powder, Cumin
  powder, Red chilli powder, Coriander powder, 3 red chilli (whole break in hands). Saute well for 2-3 minutes.

• Now add the Baby corn and saute well for 2-3 minutes. Add the green paste and let the whole masala cook for about 3 minutes, till the raw flavor of the green masala is gone. 
• Now next step you can start preparing for the Dum. Take a part of the masala and keep aside (you need it for layering).

Rice Preparation:

• Basmati Rice cooking procedure:
  

  • 2 cups of Dabur Basmati rice (Washed well and soaked for 30 mins, For 2 cups of rice add 4 cups of water).
  • Cook the Basmati in a wide vessel.
  • First let the water boil well, after which add the drained basmati & little of salt. Let it boil well for 2-3 mins under high flame, after which close the lid and keep the flame to lowest heat. The Rice will need 10-15 minutes to get cooked. (See that you don't add much salt here).
  • For first layering we are using 50-60% cooked rice, second layer will have 80% and final third layer will have 90% of cooked rice.

Making of Dum:

• Keep watching the rice, it should only cook to specified percentage. When you see its done transfer the upper layer onto the Corn masala which is ready, this will be your first layer (50-60%) as you can see in the picture. (You will see little bit water while transferring rice, and this will be absorbed while it is cooked along Masala under Dum, so don't worry with it)
• Now layer it with some chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and 2-3 tbsp of Kesar water (choice).

• Again add the second layer (80%) of the rice.
• To the second layer add the remaining of the Corn masala which you had taken before.
• Add the last (third) layer (90%) of Rice, followed by mint and coriander leaves. Top a little of ghee & 2-3 tbsp of Kesar water (choice).

• Now close the lid and keep the heat to lowest and let the contents get cooked in lower heat for 15-20 minutes. [REMEMBER WE ARE NOT USING THE WHISTLE HERE]

 

Serve along Raita/ or mirchi ka salan or any curry of your choice

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN

Paneer Biryani

Ingredients:
Paneer 8 Medium cubes (The paneer will be fried in Tawa to light brown and then will be cut into small pieces)
2 cups pf Basmati rice, washed well and soaked in water for 30 mins.
10 black pepper corns
4 green chilli chopped
Star anise 3 no'
Cinnamon stick 2"
Cloves 8 
Cardamom pods 4 (crush it using pestal and mortar)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Saunf (powder it coursly using pestle & motor)
1 potato cut into small cubes
10 garlic pods smashed well
5 Onion chopped 
5 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp ghee
4 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

•  Take a wider medium vessel, add 4 tbsp oil & 2 tbsp ghee. Add all the dry spices (Cumin, flowed by each sauteing, Saunf, black pepper corns, green chilli chopped, Star anise, Cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods). Fry the spices for 2-3 minutes till they give out pleasant aroma. 
• Now add the green chillies, garlic followed by onions, let the onions fry to transparent and then add the potato cubes and saute well. Add the turmeric powder and mix well and stir fry for 2 minutes. 

• Add the Basmati rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes under medium flame.

• Now add 4 cups of hot water into the rice mixture, adjust the salt and bring it to a boil. Check if you need some more chilli for spice, if so add red chilli powder according to your requirement. Now close the lid air tight, keep the flame small & let the contents cook gently for 10 minutes.

• Simultaneously Fry the Paneer on tava by adding a tbsp of ghee. Let it get fried to crispy golden brown. Cut the fired paneer into smaller cubes with knife. 

• When the rice is done add the Paneer pieces & garnish with coriander leaves and serve along raita/ tomato-garlic sweet sauce sauce.

Bisi Bele Bath Brahmin Style

Bisi bele bath is a dish from Karnataka, it can be used as a complete meal; which finds ideal for dinner as well lunch time. I like the spicy version of the Bisi bele bath, which goes well along a crispy Besan bondies or even potato chips. It is a very easy recipe for a starter too. I like home made bisi bele bath masala powder, as it comes fresh and smells great along the preparation. 

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup
toor dal 2 cups
dalchinni 2 pieces
6-8 red chilies
2 tbsp dhanya
1 tbsp urd dal
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp khus-khus
nutmeg 1 small piece
curry leaves few
mustard 1 tbsp
oil ½ cup
hing ¼ tbsp
salt to taste
¼ turmeric powder
tamarind pulp-1 marble sized

Vegetables:
beans, carrot, potato, onion and green peas.
All the vegetables should be cut into fine pieces.

Method:

• Fry all masalas (except rice, toor dal, curry leaves, mustard, oil and hing) in little oil and make it into a powder in mixie. This powder will be the bisi bele bath powder. (Your can also make it in large amount and store in air tight containers).
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel, and mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and splutter it.
• Later add water, chopped vegetables and toor dal.
• When vegetables and toor dal is half cooked, add rice, tamarind pulp, salt, powdered bisi bele bath masala and stir well.
• Later add hing and mix well, adjust the salt. Close the lid and cook until done on a low flame.
• Serve it with pure ghee and fried potato chips.

Soya Chunks Veg Biryani

Soya chunks (alternatively called as meal maker in India) is a good source of protein especially considered as a best replacement for meat based proteins.
With no sufficient vegetables at hand, a Sunday meal can still be a special one if you have soya chunks with all the spicy masala's added along. I prepared this soya chunks biryani with a slight variation from my usual vegetable biryani. I learned making myself biryani since my 8th standard and my dad really used to loved my biryani preparation. I love rice preparations when it comes to vegetable pulao to biryani or even a bisibelebath. Try making this biryani and I am sure you will love it :) 
The below measurement of ingredients serves 9 people.

Basmati Rice/ Sona masuri- 3 cups (Wash the rice and soak it for 30 mins)
1 cup soya chunks
8-9 medium Onions finely chopped
4 deseeded tomatoes finely chopped
8 green chilli chooped
2 carrot small cubes
Garlic 15 flakes smashed well
Ginger 5 tbsp finely chopped
Finely chopped coriander leaves - 3 fist full
5 tbsp curry leaves finely chopped 
Raisens - 5 tbsp
Cashew- 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Spices:
1 medium tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp pepper powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 big tbsp Saunf (powder it slightly using pestle and motar)
2 medium tbsp Cumin seed (jeera)
4 Star Anise
5 Indian Capers (Marath muggu)
2" cinnamon stick
6 Cloves
5 pods of Cardamom (powder it slightly using pestle and motar)

(wash in water and soak the chunks in warm water adding a little of salt, when soya chunks swell , squeeze the chunks to remove excess water and keep aside)

• Take a big bottomed vessel fry Cumin, Saunf, Cloves, Star anise, Cinnamon stick, Indian capers, Cardamom & pepper powder. Fry until the raw smell is gone.
• Now add the Ginger and garlic, saute well in medium flame for 2-3 mins

• Add the chopped onions, green chilli, curry leaves, tumaric powder and Chilli powder. Fry until the onion turns transparent. Now add the chopped tomatoes, saute well for 5 mins until the tomato blends well in the masala.
• Add the carrots, (or any vegetable of your choice), followed by Soya chunks and fry well for 4-5 mins, with repeated stirring. Add adequate amount of salt.

• When the masala have cooked well, and soya chunks have blended well along the masala. Add 2 fist full coriander leaves, mix well , now add rice and fry for 3-4 mins.

• Add water and mix well (as I had soaked the rice previously , it already has moisture content in it. So see that you add 1 1/2 cup of water to 1 cup of rice. The rice gets cooked quicker as it already been soaked. It takes a minimum of 10-12 mins).
• Keep the flame low and seal the vessel well and let the biryani be set to cook. (Before you set the rice to cook, check for spice, salt content. If it is less adjust it by adding salt , chilli power/garam masala power if needed)
• When the biryani is done, garnish with fried cashew , raisens & a fist full of coriander leaves. Serve the biryani along Raita or kurma.

Zafrani Veg Biryani

Zafrani Biryani is biryani with zafran or saffron/Kesar mixed in milk. There are many ways of making Zafrani biryani. When it comes to Veg, you can add any vegetables of your choice. This biryani is loaded with spices and also the color given by the saffron gives it the name as Zafrani. Same manner lamb or Chicken can also be added when it comes to non-veg biryani making. Next time i am thinking of making chicken zafrani biryani. 
Today we have veg meals, I made Zafrani biryani & Paneer Raita; while mom made delicious Beetroot Kurma. It was indeed a delicious meal for us today.

 Ingredients
    Basmati Rice 2 cups, soaked for 30 mins, then cooked to 80% and kept aside
    Kesar mixed in milk1/2 cup
    Onion 5 finely chopped
    2 tomato chopped
    2 carrots small cubes
    Onions 2 fried in ghee to caramel color, mix with 1/2 tbsp of clove oil
    Yogurt 1 cup
    1 lemon juice
    Ginger and Garlic finely chopped 5 tbsp each
    5 green chilli finely chopped
    1 inch cinamon stick
    4 pods cardamon
    1 tbsp shahi jeera
    8 pepper corns
    Fried Cashew nuts, Sliced almonds and raisens for garnish.

Method

• Heat oil add Shani jeera, cinammon , cardamon, crushed pepper corn and onions and saute for few min add ginger garlic, green chilli, add salt. Fry till onion turn transparent.
• Add tomato, fry for 3 mins and then add the yogurt. Fry well till the masala blends well, add   lemon juice and mix well.
• Now add half the amount of previously fried onions and well well along masala. Keep it aside.

Preparation of dum:

•  Take a kadai, grease with ghee, add first cooked rice, sprinkle little of kesar milk, and layer with masala,  fried onions, then next layer of rice. Now layer each time same way till all     the content is done. 
•  Keep the kadai air tight covered with a lid. Keep it above a pan or a bronze vessel for dum around 20-30 mins.
   When done, mix well , add ghee if needed. Serve along Raita and other side dish of you choice.

DUM

Methi Pulao

Methi pulao is a favorite rice recipe among all of us. You can also make it for dinner or lunch, as it serves like a wholesome meal!! This New Year we almost settled to have a brunch, mom made rice pundi, and I switched myself making Methi pulao and Aloo palak. Please find the aloo palak recipe; which I have already posted before.

2 1/2 Cup Basmati Rice/ Sonamasuri Rice [Soak for 10-15 mins, this helps the rice to cook sooner]

Ingredients:
2 medium Onions (chopped)
3 garlic flakes finely chopped
2 small bunch of methi (fenugreek) leaves (chopped)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp Ghee
Spices:
Garam masala powder 1tbsp
Chat masala powder 1tbsp
Cinnamon bark small 1"
4-5 cloves
1 star anise
1/2 tbsp turmaric powder
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp pepper powder

For green paste:
4-5 flakes of garlic
1' ginger piece
2-3 green chilies
1 cup coriander leaves
1 small chopped onions

Grind the above ingredients to fine paste.

Method:

• Wash methi properly and drain the water, chop finely and keep aside.
• Heat oil in the a cooker and add Cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin; fry till you smell the aroma of spices, add garlic and fry till light brown.

• Now add chopped onions, turmeric powder fry till onions are transparent.

•  Add tomatoes fry for 3 mins, add carrot,  Green paste, salt, red chili powder (option), garam masala powder and  methi leaves. Stir-fry for 8-10 minutes.

• Add rice and fry well for another 5 minutes.

• Add enough water (1 cup rice, 2 cup water), check if salt needed and pressure cook on low flame for 5 minutes. After 1 whistle remove the cooker.

•  Add pepper powder (choice), chat masala powder, ghee and mix the contents well.

• Garnish with chopped coriender leaves.
• Serve the methi pulao hot with raita/ kurma/ palak dish.[I made Aloo Palak]

Methi pulao along Aloo palak  and Rice pundi

It was a wonderful brunch for us on New Year Day on Sunday!!

Cashewnut Ghee Rice

Ghee rice is simple yet makes a great combination along any veg & nonveg curry. Children also will love this. So this is a kids special recipe, mild or less spice also has more flavor. Pack for their lunch box with potato fry or their desired veg . They love to eat this ghee rice. You can make this rice for party and any other occasion also and serve with spicy curry or kurma. Make one and enjoy along your family :)

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup (soaked in water for 30-40minutes), Ghee 2-3 tbsp, Onion 1 big (longitudinally sliced), Green chilli   2-3 no.(slit open), Cashew nuts 10-15 no.s, 2-3 tbsp cashew paste, raisin 20 no.s or 3 tbsp, Cinnamon 1" stick, Clove 3 no.s, Cardamom 2-3 no.s, Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp, Mint & coriander leaves  1/4 cup or less finely chopped.


Method

• Add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, add pinch of salt and cook till done. Dont over cook the rice. when done spread it along plate and keep it aside.

• Heat ghee in a vessel, add cinnamon,clove and cardamom let them pop.
• Then add cashew nuts and fry lightly.Add sliced onions fry till onion turns golden brown,and add ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell leaves.Then add green chillies, raisens, cashew paste and mint-coriander leaves stir well and fry for a minute.
• Add enough salt stir well. Mean while heat a tsp of ghee in a non stick pan and add the rice and fry well for 3-4 min.
• Now mix the rice along the fried mixture, the ghee rice is ready to serve hot with any veg curry or kurma, also goes well with non veg curry of your choice.