Vegetable Dum Biryani

I tried this veg dum biryani after referring to vah chef's recipe and chef Harpal Singh's recipe. It came out very well and tasted like restaurent biryani. I am going to share the recipe with you and hope you will also try this soon :)          

                                                                                     

                                                                 

          

                                         
What you need:

Basmati rice-4 cups
Cauliflower florets-1 cup
Cubes of carrots-1 cup
Cubes of potatoes-1 cup
Slices of beans-1 cup
Cubed paneer-1/4 a cup
Chopped onions-2 cups
Chopped mint-1 cup
Chopped coriander leaves-1 cup
Green chilly paste-1 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste-1 tablespoon
Curd or yogurt-1 cup
Chopped cashews and almonds-1/4 a cup
Saffron soaked milk-1/2 a cup
Lime juice-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ghee-1/4 a cup
Oil to deep fry the chopped onions

For powdered masala:                                
Bay leaf-1
Cloves-5
Cinnamon-1 stick
Nutmeg-1
Mace-1
Star anise-1
Sahijeera-1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds-2 tablespoons
Block pepper corns-5
Cardamom-2
                                   
   

                                                 

                                                               

Preparation:
. 

1. Rinse and soak the rice in water for thirty minutes.Deep fry the chopped onions in the oil until they turn golden brown in colour on a low to medium flame and keep them aside. Soak the saffron in half a cup of warm milk and keep it aside. 
2. Start boiling twelve cups of water in a big vessel. Add two tablespoons of ghee, one bay leaf, one cardamom, four cloves and salt to taste to the boiling water. Now lower the flame and add the soaked rice to it.
3. Heat two tablespoons of ghee and two tablespoons of oil in a deep wide pan on another stove. Add all the chopped vegetables and saute them for two minutes on a medium flame. 
4. Now add the green chilly paste and ginger garlic paste and mix it well. Add the powdered masala, half of the browned onions, half of the chopped mint and coriander leaves, chopped cashews, chopped almonds and salt. Saute for two minutes and add the curd.
5. Mix it well.and sprinkle two tablespoons of ghee on the top. Lower the flame and now start adding the 70% cooked rice to the marinated vegetables in the pan. Over the top of the rice, add the remaining browned onions, lime juice, chopped mint and coriander leaves, saffron soaked milk and the remaining ghee. 
6. Cover it with a lid and keep a vessel with the water (that has remained after cooking the rice) on top of it as a weight.
7. Cook it on a low flame for ten to twelve minutes. Turn of the stove and remove the weight from the top. Remove the lid and check the middle of the rice for any water. If there is, then cook it for two more minutes. 
8. Turn off the stove and leave it for ten minutes. While serving, use a flat spatula and take rice from the sides of the pan down to the bottom and transfer it onto a serving plate. Enjoy the veg dum biryani along with onion raita and gravy of your choice.

   Note: Use a big vessel to dum the biryani. Mine was already full so I used a deep lid to cover it.     Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces.     

Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is a simple, one pot meal dish which goes well with papad and onion raita. It is easy to prepare and also easy to carry as a lunch box meal for school going children or office going adults. Tomatoes contain lycopene (antioxident), vitamin A and vitamin C and are low in calories.
Let's see how to make tomato rice :)

                                             

What you need:

Rice-4 cups (I used sona masuri rice)

Tomatoes-4 big sized

Chopped onion-1 medium sized

Green chillys-5

Chopped coriander leaves-1 cup
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon

Cinnamon stick-1

Cardamom-2

Cloves-5

Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

Bay leaves-2
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Chilly powder-1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Ghee-2 tablespoons

Oil-2 tablespoons

                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                              

Preparation: 

1. Wash and soak the rice for ten minutes. Chop the tomatoes and green chilly into small pieces. 

2. Heat the ghee and oil in a cooker and add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds. After a few seconds, add the chopped onions and the cut chilly and fry for two minutes on a medium flame. 

3. Now add tomato pieces and ginger garlic paste. Saute them for two minutes and add chopped coriander, turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. 

4. Mix them well and add the soaked rice. Fry them for a minute and add eight cups of water. Close the lid and pressure cook it for three whistles.

5. Once the pressure go off, open the lid and mix the rice carefully without mashing it.

Serve it hot with papad and onion raita.

Note: You can also add cashew nuts and increase the quantity of turmeric powder and chilly powder (reduce the green chilly) to make it look more colourful. 

Katte Pongali or Spicy Pongal

Katte Pongali is one of the healthy and tasty rice dishes. It is simple to prepare and is easily digestible from children to aged people. It contains carbohydrates (rice), proteins (split green gram)) and fat (ghee),  vitamins (cashew  nuts) and gives strength to us.
Let's see how to make  Katte pongali.

  

                           
What you need:

Rice-1 cup
Split green gram or pesara pappu-1/4 a cup or 1/2 a cu
Green chilly-3
Finely chopped ginger-1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Curry leaves-a few
Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Pepper corns or miriyalu-1/4 teaspoon
Cashew nuts-8
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Asafoetida or inguva-a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tablespoon
Ghee-3 tablespoons

Preparation:
. 

1. Dry roast the split green gram and rice for two minutes on a medium flame.
2. Allow it to cool and wash it with water. Pressure cook it with four cups of water until four whistles by adding turmeric powder, pepper corns, salt and oil.
3. Let the cooker cool down and heat the ghee in a pan.
4. Add cashew nuts, cumin seeds, cut green chilly, asafoetida, ginger if you are using and curry leaves one by one and fry it for a minute on a low flame. 
5. Turn off the stove and add this to the cooked rice and dal. Mix it well and serve it hot with coconut chutney.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Note: You can replace green chilly with dry chilly and pepper corns with pepper powder.                    

Kobbari Annam (Coconut Rice)

Kobbari annam is very simple to make and tastes great. Pepper powder doubles it's flavour and taste...






Ingredients:

Ponni rice-2 cups
Fresh grated coconut-1 cup
Curry leaves-a few
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Oil or ghee-2 tablespoons
Salt-1 tablespoon
For Seasoning: 1 tablespoon bengal gram or pachi sanaga pappu, 4 pieces of red dry chilli, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.

Method:

1. Cook the rice and allow it to cool.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add red chillies, bengal gram, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3. Once they start spluttering, add the curry leaves and coconut powder.
4. Stir well and fry it for 3 minutes on a low flame.
5. Add the pepper powder, cooked rice and salt and mix it well. Turn off the stove and serve it with tomato rasam and papad…

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice)

Ingredients:

Ponni rice- 2 cups
Tamarind pulp-4 tablespoons
Green chillies-4
Curry leaves-a few
Gram dal- 1 teaspoon
Urad dal-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt-2 teaspoons
Dry chillies-4
Ground nuts or peanuts-2 tablespoons
Grated jaggery-1 teaspoon (optional)
Asafotida- a pinch
Oil-3 tablespoons


Method:


1. Cook two cups of ponni rice (not too soft) with 5 cups of water. Allow it to cool and add ½ a teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of salt, fresh curry leaves and one tablespoon of oil.
2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a vessel and add the dry chillies, urad dal, gram dal, ground nuts or peanuts, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a pinch of hing or asafotida, slitted green chillies, a few curry leaves, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt and fry until a nice aroma spreads.
3. Add tamarind pulp, grated jaggery and boil it on a low flame until the oil separates from the sides.
4. Now add this to the rice and mix well.
5. Keep it covered for ten minutes till all the spices have been absorbed by the rice and serve.

Pappu Biyyam (kichidi)

Pappu biyyam is one of our favourite rice. My mother makes this with rice and bengal gram dal, whereas my mother-in-law makes this with rice and green gram dal (splitted moong dal). Both go well with tomato pickle or raw tomato chutney.

Ingredients:

Ponni rice-2 cups
Bengal gram dal 0r pachi sanaga pappu-1/2 cup
Green chillies-4
Chopped onions-2
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Cinnamon stick-1
Cardomam-1
Cloves-4
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Oil-1 tablespoons
Salt-1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Mix the rice and dal. Wash them properly and soak them in the water.
2. Heat the oil and ghee in a pan and add the cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom and fry them for one minute on a medium flame.
3. Add the chopped onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste and fry them for three more minutes.
4. Add five cups of water and boil. When the water is boiling, add salt, soaked rice and dal.
5. Cook them for five minutes on a medium flame and lower the flame until the rice is done. Serve hot with tomato pickle or tomato chutney.

Note: If you are using pressure cooker or electrical rice cooker, add only 4 and ½ cups of water.

Fried Rice and Aloo Koorma with Onion Ritha

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice-2 cups
Mixed vegetables (cubed carrot, fresh corn and fresh peas)-1 cup
Garam masala-1 tablespoon
Ghee-4 tablespoons
Salt- 1 tablespoon

Method:

4. 1.Wash and cook the rice with 4 cups of water (not too soft). Let the rice cool.
5. 2. Boil the vegetables and keep them aside.
6. 3. Heat the ghee in a pan on medium flame.
7. 4. Add the mixed vegetables and fry for three minutes on low flame.
8. 5. Add salt and garam masala, rice and mix well. Turn off the stove and serve hot.

Note: Garnish the rice with chopped spring onions. I didn’t have them when I was preparing this meal.

Aloo Koorma

Ingredients:

Boiled and cubed potatoes-2 cups
Dry chilly powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch (optional)

For grinding:

Tomatoes-2 small sized
Chopped onions-2
Green chillies-4
Coriander seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts or sasame seeds or dry or fresh coconut (I have used cashews)
Curd-1 cup
Coriander leaves-a few
Garam masala-1 teaspoon
Salt-1 tablespoon
Oil-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the ground paste.
2. Fry until it turns brown in colour and add the boiled potatoes.
3. Stir well and add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt.
4. Add ¼ cup of water and cook on medium flame.
5. Add the garam masala and stir well. Turn off the stove and add the curd and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Onion Ritha

Ingredients:

Finely chopped onions-2
Chopped green chillies-2
Chopped coriander leaves-a few
Salt-1/4 teaspoon
Home made Curd (yogurt)-1 cup

Method:

1. Take a big bowl.
2. Add the chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves and salt.
3. Add the curd and mix well.
4. Simple and delicious onion ritha is now ready…
5. Serve it with the pulav or fried rice or rotis.

Vegetable Pulav and Palak paneer

This is my submission for Think spice...think garlic event hosted by Sunita of http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/

Vegetable Pulav

Vegetable Pulav…

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice-2 cups
Cubed carrot-1 cup
Cubed beetroot-1 cup
Fresh mint-1 cup
Fresh coriander leaaves-1 cup
Chopped onion-1
Fresh grated coconut-1 cup (optional)
Cinnamon stick-1
Star anise-2
Cardomam-2
Cloves-4
Bay leaves-4
Shajeera-1 teaspoon
Ghee-4 tablespoons
Oil-2 tablespoons
Salt- to taste (1 tablespoon)

For grinding:

Ginger-a small piece
Garlic-5 cloves
Jeera or cumin seeds-1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds-1 tablespoon
Green chillies-4

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice with 4 cups of water in an electric rice cooker container. Heat the ghee and oil in a pan on medium flame.

2. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardomam, star anise, bay leaves and shajeera and fry for 1 minute.

3. Add the onions, carrot, beetroot, mint and coriabnder leaves and fry for 3 minutes.

4. Add the grinded paste and fry for two more minutes and mix it with the salt.

5. Remove from the stove and add to the rice cooker container and cook it is done.
   

Note: Before serving mix the rice gently.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer…

Ingredients:

Chopped Spinach-4 cups
Cubed Paneer-1 cup
Green chillies-4
Dry chilly powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch (optional)
Sugar-1 teaspoon (optional)
Garlic-4 cloves
Chopped onions-2
Garam masala-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ghee-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Wash and boil the spinach with green chillies and allow it to cool.

2. Grind the spinach with garlic, chilly powder, turmeric powder, sugar and salt into a paste.

3. Heat the paneer in oven for two minutes and wash with cold water or deep fry the paneer in oil and keep them aside.

4. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the chopped onions.

5. Fry the onions for three minutes on medium flame and add the grinded spinach paste.

6. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes on low flame and add the paneer.

7. Cook for three more minutes and add the garam masala.

8. After two minutes turn off the stove and serve with the vegetable pulav or pooris.

Lemon Rice

The lemon is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants. The fruit is used primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, primarily in cooking and baking. Lemons are used to make lemonade, and as a garnish for drinks. Iced tea, soft drinks and water are often served with a wedge or slice of lemon in the glass or on the rim. The average lemon contains approximately 3 tablespoons of juice. Allowing lemons to come to room temperature before squeezing (or heating briefly in a microwave) makes the juice easier to extract. Lemons left unrefrigerated for long periods of time are susceptible to mold. They contain Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) which is essential for human health. 100 milliliters of lemon juice contains approximately 50 milligrams of Vitamin C and 5 grams of citric acid. Because of its high Vitamin C content, lemon has been touted in alternative medicine as a tonic for the digestive system, immune system, and skin. There is a belief in Ayurvedic medicine that a cup of hot water with lemon juice in it tonifies and purifies the liver. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon.











Ingredients:

Ponni or samba masoora rice-2 cups
Lemon juice-4 tablespoons
Ground nuts-1 tablespoon
Curry leaves-few
Green chillies-5
Red dry chillies-2 splitted into pieces
Seasoning ingredients-2 tablespoons (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chenna dal, fenugreek seeds)
Asafetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Salt-1 tablespoon or to taste
Oil-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Cook the rice with water (not too soft) and allow it to cool in a broad vessel.

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the red dry chilli pieces, ground nuts, asafetida and the seasoning ingredients.

3. Fry them until brown and turn off the stove. Mix the rice with the remaining oil, salt, turmeric powder, curry leaves and lemon juice.

4. Add the fried ingredients to rice and mix well.

5. Cover with a lid and leave the rice for ten minutes. This will help the rice to absorb all the spices.

Note: You can use cashew nuts instead of ground nuts.

Cumin Rice

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice-2 cups
Cumin seeds-2 tablespoons
Cinnamon stick-small piece
Cardamom-2
Cloves-4
Cashew nuts-8
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Salt-1/2 tablespoon

Method:

1. Wash and add four cups of water to the rice, in the rice cooker container. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cashew nuts and cumin seeds.

2. Fry them until brown and add salt. Mix the fried ingredients to the washed rice and cook.

3. If you want to cook directly in one pot, heat the ghee in a big heavy bottomed vessel and add all the ingredients.

4. After frying them, add 4 and ½ cups of water and salt and boil on medium flame. When it starts bubbling, add the rice and lower the flame.

5. Turn off the stove after the rice cooked and serve hot with dal or palak paneer.

Sweetened Rice

Paramannam





Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup
Sago or sabudana or Saggu biyyam-1 tablespoon
Gram dal or channa dal-1tablespoon
Water-1 and half cup
Milk-1and half cup
Ghee-2 tablespoons
Cashew nuts-5 coarsely pounded
Cardamom powder-1/2 teaspoon
Grated Jaggery-1/2 cup
Sugar-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Heat milk and water in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium flame. Meanwhile wash and soak the rice, sago and channa dal in water.


2. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the soaked rice, sago and channa dal.


3. Let the rice cook until it becomes soft and add the ghee.


4. Now mix the rice with jaggery, sugar and let it cook until the jaggery melts.


5. Add the cashew nut powder and cardamom powder and turn off the stove.


Note: Don’t add the jaggery before the rice has cooked softly otherwise the milk will curdle. (sometimes jaggery contains salt).