MUSHROOM MASALA

what u need
For spicy masala:


Dry red chilli:3
Coriander Seeds:1/3 tab
Black peppercorns:1tab
Cumin seeds;1/2 tab
Fennel seeds:1/2 tab
Poppy seeds:1 tab
Spilt rosted gram/Dalia:1 tab
Cardamom:2no
Mace:1/4ab
Star anise:1no
Nutmeg powder:1/8tab
Coconut :4tab
Pearl onians:6no
Ginger:1/2
Garlic:3cloves
Turmeric:1/4inch


FOR CURRY

Mushroom:4cups
Tomato:1
Green Chili:3
Curry leaves:10
Bay leaf;1
Black stone flower:2
Coriander leaves:2tab
oil:3tab
salt to tast
water :1/2 Cup
In a small skillet, dry roast, Dry red chili, Coriander seeds, Black peppercorns, Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, Poppy seeds and set aside it takes about 30 seconds for each one or until all spices release a nice aroma. In the same skillet combine cardamom, clove, cinnamon, mace, star anise, and nutmeg and dry roast until they release a nice aroma and set aside. Finally dry roast the coconut to slightly brown color and set aside.
In a food processor or grinder combine all the roasted spices, split roasted gram, coconut, pearl onions, ginger, garlic and turmeric in to fine paste by adding 2 tablespoon of water and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat oil and add bay leaf, curry leaves and black stone flower/kalpasi. When it starts leaving aroma, add mushroom, green chili and bell pepper and fry for 3 minutes. Then add ground masala tomato, salt and rest of water and let fry the masala for another 3 minutes and cover it and cook for another 5minutes or until mushroom are cooked well and gravy got thickened.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
Enjoy with hot rice or chapathi.

Mirch ka salan

Mirchi Ka Salan, A popular Hyderabadi curry recipe served as a side dish with Hyderabadi Briyani.

Ingredients:

1 Large tomato(finely chopped)

6-8 Green chilli (thick and large)-Wash and slit the green chillies Remove the seeds & white pitch (Wear gloves for sensitive skin.).

For Dry Roasted and Ground Masala

2 Onions (finely chopped)
1/2 cup Sesame seeds (Til)

1/4 cup Groundnut (Pali-skins removed after roast)
1/2 cup Coconut powder

1 tbsp Cumin seeds (zeera)

1 tbsp Mustard seeds (rai)

2-3 Dried red chilli

1/2 tbsp  Red chili powder

1/2 Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste

1/2 cup Tamarind Juice(Imli ka khata)

6-8 Curry leaves

Coriander leaves  fine chopped.

1/2 cup oil
salt to taste

Method

In a large non-stick saucepan/Khadhai  at medium heat, Add  sesame seeds, groundnut, coconut powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds one by one separatly and fry without oil for 1 minute-or till slightly darker in color and then grind to a fine smooth paste keep aside.

Then Add onion without oil and fry till they are slightly golden in colour and grind to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil and fry the green chilli untill they turn white, keep aside.

Then in a large cooking bowl add oil at mediume heat, add 1 tbsp cuming seed, 1 tbsp mustard seeds,stir until the seeds crackle.

After few seconds add dried red chilli and curry leaves for few seconds immediately add tomato stir for 5 minute add ginger & garlic paste, stir for few seconds

Add red chili powder,turmeric powder, stir for few seconds.

Then add the paste & mix it well  and add tamarind juice  leave it for low heat till the thin layer of oil appears on the bottom surface.

Stir often to prevent burning,if required,sprinkle a little water from time to time prevent the masala from burning.

Now add salt to taste,stir often to prevent masala burning,Do not cook on a high heat,simmer heat and add the fried green chillies, coriander leaves cover the pan leave for 20-25 minutes untill the oil appears on the bottom surface & cook until the raw smell of onion/tomatoes/tamarind evaporates..

This dish should have thick gravy so ideally,water is not added while cooking if however,you find it getting too dry,1/2 cup of warm water can be added to it.

Remove pan from heat and  serve dish with Naans,Paranthas,Biryani.....

Hyderabad Veg Dum Biryani

A Vegetable Biryani Recipe post was amongst one of the few recipes that I wanted to post from a long time.  One of my favorite food is the biryani. My mom makes the best biryanis and I have seen her many times cooking biryani with a lot of love and care. You really have to cook the biryani with a lot of love and care. There should be no hurry and cooking a biryani takes up some time. Yet it is worth it. It is one of the most grand, noble and delectable recipe from India.
The biryanis which I have seen my mom making at home have always been cooked on dum. When I saw on the internet, that food bloggers have recipes for pressure cooked biryanis, I was amazed as well as shocked. How can one cook a biryani in a pressure cooker. For a biryani to be a biryani….. it has to be cooked on dum. The biryanis which are pressure cooked, do not remain a biryani anymore….. atleast they should not be called biryani.
An authentic vegetable biryani is always slow cooked on dum. This cooking on dum gives the biriyani its uniqueness and originality. This is how the biryani has the beautiful medley of the aromas, flavors and tastes caused by the blending of the ingredients used in making it. Now what is dum cooking or dum pukht?
Dum Pukht is a technique of cooking in steam by not allowing the steam to pass. Dum Pukht literally means choking off the steam. The food is kept in a sealed container – usually clay pots (also known as handi in India) which are sealed tightly with wheat flour dough. This does not allow the steam to pass. The food gets cooked in its own steam and juices on a slow fire infusing the flavors and aroma of its own herbs and spices in the food. Nutrients are not lost in this process and thus the food is nutritious too.
This tradition of dum pukht orginated in Persia where the dish was prepared, sealed and then buried in hot sand to mature. Dum Pukht is part of the Avadhi/Awadhi Cuisine which is from the city of Lucknow – Uttar Pradesh. Nowadays Dum Pukht is also used in Hyderabadi, Mughlai and Punjabi cuisines. Some of the popular dum recipes are : Dum Aloo, Handi Veg Biryani, Dum Chicken biryani, Phaldari Kofta.
This Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani Recipe is one of the best biryani I have made so far. I have also cooked my mom’s version and that too comes out great. I will also post her recipe one day. There is also the Lucknowi Biryani, Mughlai Biryani, Kashmiri Biryani. They all have their own tastes and flavor.
This Vegetable Biryani recipe is light, mild and delicious. In fact, it came out so well and tasted lip smackingly yum……. that I went for a second helping of it. The rice grains were fluffy, cooked well and separate. The subtle flavors of the garam masala, onions and curd were so infused in the vegetables. Each bite of the vegetable had the taste, flavor and aroma of the masala as well as the unique taste of the vegetable. All I can say is that each bite of this hyderabadi dum vegetable biryani recipe was heavenly.
As far as the ingredients are concerned, its best to use all the ingredients as mentioned below. Personally, I did not have mace, so i was not able to use it. And for the almonds, I was too lazy to blanch, peel and slice the almonds, so I have not added the almonds.
This biryani recipe post is my most lengthy post till now with maximum pictures. I have included step by step recipe details with pictures for this post. I just did not want to write a simple post with just one or two pictures for this beautiful dish. I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I enjoyed and also, that these pictures inspire you to cook not only the biryani but any recipe.



Ingredients to make this awesome Hyderabad Veg Biryani:
The Rice:
1 and half cup basmati rice
2 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
2 cloves
1 cinnamon of 1 inch
1 bay leaf
2 mace strands
3 cups water
salt
The Vegetable Gravy:
1/2 medium sized cauliflower, florets removed
1 medium sized carrot, diced
1 medium sized potato, cubed
1 cup of chopped french beans
1/2 cup frozen/fresh peas
1 and half onion, finely sliced
1 green chili, slit
2 tbsp julienned ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 green cardamom
2 black cardamoms
2 cloves
1 cinnamon of 1 inch
1 bay leaf
2 mace strands
1oo gms whisked curd
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder/cayenne pepper
2 tbsp cashewnuts
1 tbsp sultanas/raisins
2 tbsp almonds, blanched, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp ghee
salt
Herbs and Spices for the assembling:
1/2 cup chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
100 gms whisked curd
a few saffron strands
1 tbsp milk
Method to make the Hyderabad Veg Biryani:
Cooking the Rice:
Pick and clean the rice in running water. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
Now you can microwave or pressure cook the rice. You have to cook the rice till its 3/4th done. The rice should not be fully cooked but almost cooked.
In a pressure cooker or a microwave cooker, add the pre-soaked rice, all the spices mentioned above, salt.
Cook till the rice till is almost done.
I microwaved the rice and cooked it for 9 minutes at full power. Fluff the rice and keep it separate.
Making the Vegetable Gravy:
Traditionally biryani were made in clay pots, known as handis. If you have a clay pot, you could use it. I did not have a clay pot or handi. But I have a pressure cooker shaped like a handi, so I used it. If you have a handi shaped pot made up of aluminium, you could use it also.
Heat ghee in the handi.
Add all whole garam masala: cardamoms, mace, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves. Fry the garam masala till they crackle.
Now add the onions. Fry the onions till golden brown.
Add the green chilli, ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute.
Add the turmeric and red chili powder.
Give the mixture a stir.
Now add the vegetables and stir for a minute.
Add the curd/yoghurt.
Stir and then add 3/4 cup water plus salt. Stir the mixture well.
If using a pressure cooker for cooking the veggies, then cover the cooker with a lid and pressure cook for 2 minutes.
If not using a pressure cooker, then bring the entire vegetable mixture to a boil. Then simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the dry fruits – almonds, raisins and cashew nuts to the vegetable gravy.
Check the salt. Add more if required.
Assembling the Biryani and slow cooking it on Dum:
Warm the milk. Add saffron to it. Let this saffron-milk mixture cool. Add the curd to this mixture and mix well.
In the same handi with the cooked vegetables, sprinkle half each of saffron-flavored curd/yoghurt, mint and coriander leaves.
Now spread half of the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining saffron-flavored curd/yoghurt, mint and coriander leaves.
Spread the remaining rice.
Sprinkle rose water. This is optional and you could skip it.
Place a moist cloth on top.
Cover with a lid.
Then seal with wheat flour dough. I was too lazy to make the wheat dough, so I kept a heavy weight on the lid.
This is one technique that you could use for dum cooking if you do not have the wheat flour dough.
Place the sealed handi on the gas stove at low fire.
Cook for 20-25 minutes more. If you think and feel, that you do not want the base to get burnt while cooking the biryani… there is a technique for avoiding this disaster.
Right at the beginning, before dum cooking the biryani……. take a tava/griddle and heat it on medium flame. Now keep the sealed handi on the tava. Keep the flame to the lowest and cook for 20-25 minutes.
For the first 15 minutes, I dum cooked the biryani on direct low flame and for the last 10 minutes, I placed the handi on the tava and cooked on a low flame.
You could also preheat the oven to 190 degree celsius and then bake the biryani in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Please remember to use an oven proof utensil like the pyrex ones for baking in the oven. You will have to assemble the biryani as mentioned above in the oven proof utensil and then bake it.
While serving, make sure you equally serve the vegetables as well as rice. Here are a few pictures of the layers seen inside the handi.
Serve the yummy veg biryani with your choice of raita, onion-mint salad-kuchumber, mango pickle, roasted papad.
Other accompaniments for this Hyderabad Veg Biryani would be Mirchon ka Salan…. the way the Biryani is traditionally served in Hyderabad.

Caulifower Manchurian

Caulifower Manchurian is made from Cauliflower florets also known as Gobhi. Its supposed to be a Chinese recipe, but with everything here that gets indianised, this recipe has also got indianised. I have never heard of the chinese making caulifower manchurian. Anyways, this recipe is a popular recipe and here are the details
Ingredients you will need for the Caulifower Manchurian:

1 medium cauliflower
1 small bunch finely chopped spring onion
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp pepper powder
2 green chillies
1 tbsp soya sauce or more if desired
1/4 cup refined flour, maida or all purpose flour
3 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups water
salt or ajinomoto
Method to make the Gobhi Manchurian:
Firstly clean and break the Cauliflower in big florettes. Boil water with salt and keep the florettes in the salted water for 15 minutes. You can also boil the cauliflower for 3-4 minutes in plenty of salted water.
Drain and dry on a clean cloth.
Make a batter out of refined flour and 2 tablespoon cornflour. Add 1/4 tsp each of ginger, garlic and pepper powder along with salt to taste.
Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
In the remaining oil, add the remaining ginger, garlic and slit green chillies and fry for a minute.
Add the salt and spring onions.
Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Add 1 tablespoon cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Make sure there are no lumps.
Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Keep on stirring the gravy while adding the cornflour paste.
Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add the fried florettes and the soya sauce.
Boil for two more minutes and remove.
Serve hot with noodles or rice.
Tips for the Caulifower Manchurian:
This recipe is for gravied manchurian. You can make dry manchurian by not adding water. Instead of water you add the fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornflour on the florettes and stir fry for 2 minutes. Serve hot with chilli-garlic sauce or tomato sauce. The dry caulifower manchurian can be served as a starter or a side vegetable.
Fry the caulifower florettes in oil which is neither too hot nor warm.
You can substitute dry red chillies instead of green chillies. Just crush them and use.
You could also use fine strips of capsicum in the recipe.
Ajinomoto can be completely avoided in the recipe or used sparingly.
If you like the taste of red chilli sauce or tomato sauce, you could use these sauces too.

Batata Vada

The ingredients for the Batata Vada:
For the Potato Filling you will need:

4 medium sized Potatoes
10-12 curry leaves
2 tsp skinned spilt urad dal (Black Gram)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
1 chopped green chilly
2 inch piece ginger chopped finely
a few chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
oil for frying
salt
For the Besan (Gram Flour) batter you will need:
1 and 1/2 cup gram flour
salt
water
2 tbsp rice flour (optional)
Method of making the potato bondas:
1: Firstly boil the potatoes till cooked thoroughly. Then mash them well. There should be no lumps.
2: In a pan, take some oil. When the oil gets hot, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add the cumin seeds, the curry leaves, chopped ginger, chopped chilly, asafoetida and cilantro.
3: Fry till the spices are well cooked. Don’t burn. Add the turmeric powder. Then add the mashed potatoes and salt. Blend the potatoes with the spice mixture. Let this mixture simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Don’t cover the pan. This potato mixture should be dry. Keep on stirring the pan in a minute or so, so that the filling does not stick to the pan.
4: Now take the gram-flour, add salt to it. You can also add a pinch of red chilly powder to it. I added rice flour to this batter as rice flour makes the coating crisp while frying. You can completely omit adding rice flour. With water make a slightly thick batter.
5: Make equal sized medium balls of the potato mixture. Flatten them a little as it helps to deep fry them easily.

6: Dip each ball in the besan batter. Coat the ball evenly with the gram flour batter.
7: In a hot oil in a deep fry pan, add the potato balls coated with gram flour paste. Fry them till golden brown

Masala Toast Sandwich

This recipe is for the Bombay Masala Toast Sandwich. Here the Masala is made from boiled and mashed potatoes , which are tempered with spices. Easy to make, especially if you have leftover boiled or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients to make 4 Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches:
For the green chutney:

1 cup coriander leaves
1/ 4 cup mint leaves
1 green chili
salt
For the potato filling:
2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 onion – chopped finely
1/2 tomato –  chopped finely
1 small green chilly –  chopped finely
1/2 sprig of curry leaves – optional
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
a few chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)
Other ingredients:
8 slices of bread – brown or white
a few thin round slices of onions, tomatoes, capsicum
Amul Butter or any other brand of Butter
Sandwich Masala or Chaat Masala

Method to make the Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches:

■Method to make the green chutney
1.Grind the ingredients for the green chutney with little water to a smooth paste. If this chutney remains, then you can use it as a dip for pakoras, samosas, or even serve it as a side dish with pulaos or biryanis
■Method to make the potato filling

1.In a pan, heat some oil. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
2.Add cumin seeds. Then add onions. Fry the onions till transparent.
3.Now add the tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes till they become soft and are cooked.
4.Add the chopped green chilli. Add the all the spice powders mentioned above. Mix them well.
5.Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt. Mix the stuffing really well. Keep on stirring on a low flame so that the mixture does not stick to the pan.
6.Cook for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool before you start using it for the sandwich.
■For making the sandwiches
1.Trim the edges of the bread
2.Apply amul butter evenly on the bread.
3.Now apply the green chutney on the bread.
4.Take the potato mixture and apply it on this bread. Keep  one or two onion, tomato and capsicum rings on this mixture. Sprinkle some sandwich masala or chat masala.
5.Now cover this potato laden bread with another slice of bread, to which both butter and chutney has been applied.
6.In a sandwich toaster or grill, toast or grill the sandwich till browned from both sides.
7.Remove and apply some butter on top of the sandwich. The butter melts. Ah….. melted butter on hot sandwich.
8.Its crisp from outside and spicy and soft from inside. Serve the sandwich hot with the green chutney and tomato ketchup.

Bread Halwa Recipe
Cooking Time: 30 mts
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves 6-7 persons
.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup – 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1 loaf bread
6-8 cardamoms (elachi)
2 tbsps almonds (badam)
2 tbsps cashewnuts
1 lt milk (low fat)
1 ¼ cup sugar (increase or decrease as per your taste)
1 Tear the bread into bit sized pieces. Heat three fourth cup of ghee in a cooking vessel and add the bread pieces and fry them till they turn a golden brown.
2 Grind elachi, almonds and cashewnuts (leave a few toasted almonds and cashewnuts aside for garnish) to a fine paste.
3 Meanwhile boil the milk, add sugar and keep stirring it till it blends into the milk. Add the fried bread pieces and the remaining ghee to this mixture.
4 Let it simmer till the bread pieces turn soft and cook in the milk mixture. Combine the nuts paste. Garnish with the toasted almonds and cashewnuts.
4 Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled and serve. It tastes good both warm and cold.

Soya Chunks Vegetable Pulao Recipe
Recipe source: Own experiment
Prep & Cooking: 45 mts, soaking of rice: 15 mts
Serves 6 persons
.
Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice – washed and soaked in water for 15 mts
1 cup dried soya chunks – washed and boiled in water till soft
2-3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp shah jeera
2 bay leaves
2 big onions finely sliced
1 tbsp grated ginger
3-4 green chillies slit length wise
1 cup chopped mixed vegetables like beans, green peas, carrots or potatoes
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
3-4 tbsps of fresh mint leaves (pudina)
3 cups of freshly extracted coconut milk
2 ½ cups water
2-3 tbsps lemon juice
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
3-4 bread slices (cubed and lightly fried in ghee) – optional
8-10 cashewnuts (lightly roasted in ghee till golden brown)
For Masala Powder (lightly dry roast in a pan and grind to a fine pwd)
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2” cinnamom stick
3-4 pepper corns
1/4 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 dry red chillis
1 Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add shah jeera and bay leaves and stir for a few seconds till the jeera splutters. Add the sliced onions, grated ginger and green chillis. Saute the onions till they turn pink.
2 Add the mixed vegetables and on medium heat, let them cook. Add salt and keep covered for 4-5 mts.
3 Add turmeric pwd, masala pwd and combine well. Stir fry for a minute.
4 Add the cooked soya chunks and keep covered for 2 mts. Add the mint leaves and combine.
5 Add the coconut milk, let it come to a boil, reduce heat and add the water. Bring to a boil again.
6 Add the drained basmati rice and mix well. Add salt, if required, at this stage. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook covered with lid.
7 Finally, once the rice and vegetables are cooked, add the lemon juice, fried bread cubes, fried cashewnuts and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8 Serve with raita, mixed vegetable curry or chicken curry.


Note:
The above spices measurements can be categorised as medium spice. You can increase the use of green chillis, cloves, pepper and dry red chillis, if you want a spicer pulao. I have used less spice to suit my toddler’s palate. If you dont have a coconut on hand, replace the coconut milk with water, but the flavor of pulao will differ.

Chicken Biryani restaurant style


Ingredients: (serves about 18-20 as main meal)

6 lbs chicken, skinless and cut into big pieces
pomegranate arils, nuts, chopped cilantro/coriander for garnish (Optional)


for marinade:

2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 cup strained yogurt/Greek yogurt
salt
2 tablespoon lemon juice


To cook the chicken:

3/4 cup oil
10 small green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
8 cloves
3 sticks of cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
5-6 medium onions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon chopped hot green pepper
salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup tomato paste


to combine:

1 cup thick strained yogurt/Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper/chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/2 cup alubokhara/dried plums (substitute: prunes)
1/2 cup sliced/chopped toasted almonds
Note: If you do not want to make a completely homemade combination of spices, you can use store bought Biryani Spice Mix, available at the Indian Groceries instead of the the spices in the “to combine” list. I usually use Shan Sindhi Biryani Masala.

For caramelized onions:

4 medium  onions, sliced in to very thin half moons
1.5 tablespoons ghee
a pinch of sugar


For the rice:

12 cups Basmati rice
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons garam masala
salt


for layering:

cooked chicken
partially cooked rice
caramelized onions
finely chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
2 teaspoons good quality saffron
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup ghee. melted
food color (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kewra/screw pine (optional)
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)




Preparation:

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Rub the lemon juice and salt on the pieces and let them sit for about 15 minutes.
Combine all the other in ingredients of the marinade and whisk. Place the salted chicken in the marinade and toss. ( I usually use a large ziploc bag and put everything together in it and give it a good shake). Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 2 hours. Overnight really works better.

Heat the 3/4 cup oil in a large pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves to the oil; when the spices sizzles and when they are fragrant, add the cumin and the peppercorn. When the cumin starts to sizzle, add the onions and cook till they start turning brown. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and save the marinade. Add the chicken to the pan and cook till the chicken is light brown on both sides. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and the tomatoes. Toss everything together. Add salt and turmeric and chili peppers and cook till the chicken is completely cooked and the oil starts separating from the sauce. While cooking slowly add the marinade. The chicken should be cooked and there should be about 4 cups of sauce left in the pan.


Caramelizing the onions:

Heat ghee in a pan; add a pinch of sugar and the onions and fry them slowly at low to medium heat till they are caramelized, crisped and dark brown. Once they are uniformly brown , drain on thick layer of kitchen paper, so that extra oil is soaked. As they cool down, the onions will become crispy. Set aside.


Cooking the Rice:

Note: The rice is going to be only partially cooked. The cooking of the rice will be completed when the meat is layered with the partially cooked rice and steamed/baked again.

Wash the rice till water runs clear. Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain. Use 2 cups of water for every cup of rice. (Since I had cooked in a big quantity, I had to cook the rice in 3 containers.) Bring the water to a boil; add salt, oil, garam masala and rice. Cook till the rice is about 3/4 cooked. They will look long and segmented and whitish in some parts. To test, take a grain in between two fingers. If the rice breaks in about 3 parts, the rice is cooked just right. It is very important not to overcook the rice. Drain immediately and spread the rice in a tray/plate for the remaining water to dry off – for about 15 minutes.


Combining yogurt and spices and the chicken:

Whisk the yogurt till smooth and creamy. Combine all the spices and the dried plum and the nuts with the yogurt evenly. Add this mix to the cooked chicken and toss well to combine. DO NOT COOK. Set aside and get ready to layer the rice, chicken spices and the final cooking.


Layering/Final Cooking:

Combine the saffron in warm milk and let it rest for about 10 minutes; the milk will turn deep yellow. If you are using orange food color, use a couple of drops in the milk.

Divide the caramelized onions, so you have about a few tablespoons left for final garnish of the finished dish.

You will need a thick bottomed deep pot with a very tight fitting lid. If you want to cook in the oven, use a an oven safe deep dish.

Coat the bottom of the pot with ghee. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce from the cooked chicken. The bottom most layer has to be the sauce to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Next will be a layer of rice. Do not make a thick layer; it should be about 2 cups of rice for each layer. Over the rice layer, spoon some of the sauce and the chicken and gently spread it out evenly. Add some of the caramelized onions, top a tablespoon of chopped cilantro, and a tablespoon of ghee. Next drizzle some of the saffron milk. Cover this layer with another layer of rice. Keep going with the rice, meat/sauce, caramelized onion, cilantro/coriander, ghee and saffron milk sequence. The top most layer has to be rice.

(Since I had a big quantity, I used 2 big pots to cook the Biryani)

After the final layer of rice is done, use the back of a wooden spoon and make several (about 6) holes from the top layer to the bottom of the top. This allows the stream to distribute and cook evenly. Drizzle the rest of the saffron milk on the top. Drizzle a few drops of screw pine/kewra and/or rose water. Cover the pot tightly. (If the cover if not tight enough, use aluminum foil to tightly cover the pot and use the pot over over that.

If cooking on the stove top:

Leave the pot on the stove top at the lowest heat and cook for about 30-40 minutes.

If cooking in the oven:

Cook in the oven at 350 degree F for about 30-40 minutes.

Serve warm/hot as a mail meal.

Chicken Kolhapuri


Ingredients:(will serve about 6)

2.5 lbs chicken, skin removed and cut into 1-2″  ( Feel free to use any kind of chicken pieces)
1/4 cup oil
For marinating:

2 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 tablespoon red chili powder (more or less)
2-3  tablespoons Spice Mix/Goda Masala or Kala Masala Mix (Recipe Below) – May use the store bought powder too.
salt


For the main Sauce:

3 large onions, sliced into thin half moons
4 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
3″ fresh ginger, grated or thinly sliced
1/2 can coconut milk (about 7 oz/200ml)
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, tender stalks and leaves
2 tablespoons fresh or dried coconut
3/4 cup tomato paste + 1/2 cup water




Spice Mix (Goda Masala or Kala Masala Mix):

Light fry in oil:

1 tablespoon white poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
3 tablespoons coriander/dhania seeds
1.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek/methi seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorn
6 dry red chilli pepper (more or less as per your spice tolerance)
4 cloves
4 small  green cardamom
2″ cinnamon stick
A pinch of hing/asafoetida
Dry Roast:

2 tablespoons dried coconut
1 teaspoon sesame seed




Preparation:


Preparing the Spice Mix/Goda or Kala Masala mix:

Heat very little oil in a pan and very lightly fry the ingredients mentioned in the “Light Fry”at low heat for a couple of minutes. Switch off the heat when they get fragrant. Do take care and watch like a hawk, for they will burn very quick.

Dry roast the coconut and sesame seeds for a couple of minutes, till the coconut is very light brown.

Blend in a spice grinder or coffee grinder all the ingredients of the “light fry” and “dry roast” in a powder.

Note: This spice mix is not exactly the kala/goda masala mix. I did not have all the ingredients that the authentic mix asks for; this was pretty close. If you do not have all the ingredients, just skip them. The taste of the curry might vary a bit but it is still going to be good if not 100% traditional.




Marinating Chicken:

Marinate chicken with yogurt, turmeric, salt, chili powder and spice mix for at least an hour (I left mine overnight).


Cooking the curry:

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and brown them in the heated oil on both sides. they should be light brown; does not need to be evenly brown. Save the marinade.

Remove the chicken pieces and save the leftover oil.

Making the Sauce/Kolhapuri sauce

Heat 3/4 cup oil  and fry the onions, ginger, garlic, sugar and salt till the onions are brown and starts to caramelize. Switch off the heat and transfer half of the onion mix from the pan to a blender or food processor along with the fresh cilantro, coconut, tomato paste, water and the left over marinade and blend till smooth.

In the remaining half of the fried onions in the pan, add the chicken and toss them and cook them for about 10 minutes at medium to high heat. If the spices stick at the bottom of the pan, do not worry. Just sprinkle some water and scrape it off .

Add half of the mix from the blender to the chicken and the leftover oil from frying the chicken if you have any) in the pan and stir everything gently. Cook/simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes at medium to high heat. When you see the sauce reducing pour out the rest of the blended ingredients in to the pan. Gently stir everything together for them to combine. Cover and cook at low to medium heat till the chicken pieces are tender.

Uncover and increase the heat. Add the coconut milk. Cook till the oil separates (you will see the sauce sizzling and bubbling and the little wells of oil on the sides and the top layer) for about 15  minutes.  There should a considerable amount of sauce/gravy left; it is going to be a thick sauce which readily coats a spoon.

The flavor of this dish matures with time. Let it sit overnight if you can before you serve it.

Serve hot with Basmati rice or Indian Flat Breads.

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)



Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

2 lbs chicken , washed, patted dry and cut into small pieces – (feel free to use chicken with or without bones, chicken thighs or a combination of breast and thighs)
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
oil/butter/ghee to baste while grilling
For marinade:

3/4 cup plain yogurt, strained/hung or use 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1.5 tablespoon mustard oil, or any other cooking oil to substitute
1.5 tablespoon ginger paste
1/2 tablespoon garlic paste


Note:  You can make the sauce right when you are making this dish or use 2 cups of the Makhani Masala (without the cream added to it) if you have it already frozen and stored.

For the sauce:

2.5 inch fresh ginger, made into a paste
8-10 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
2-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit
4 tablespoon melted butter
4 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1 black cardamom
1 teaspoon methi/fenugreek seeds
3-3.5 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon red chili powder or to taste
10 almonds, soaked, peeled and made into a paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream


Preparation:

Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marination.

Combine strained yogurt, red chili powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight works better.

Put the chicken on  skewers and cook on a grill or a preheated oven  at 400°F,  for about 10 minutes while turning them over mid way. Cook until done. Do not overcook, as the chicken will dry out and get fibrous. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil a couple of times while cooking.

(The chicken may be grilled on a skillet/cast iron pan/grill pan on the stove top  too. Heat the skillet/stove top grill pan and coat it with oil. Place the skewers and cook while turning them around and basting with oil and marinade until done, for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.)

[ If you are using the pre made makhani masala, it should be about 2 cups in quantity]

Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes  or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook for five  to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste would have reduced in quantity.

Add tomato puree, red chili powder, and salt.Cook at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.

Add 2.5 cups of hot water to the pan, add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.

Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.

Nutty Jam Cake
Adapted from Rombauer Jam Cake Recipe, 101 Cookbooks


Ingredients:

1  cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour or hazelnut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter or oil
1/2 – 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, adjust to taste
2 eggs
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 cup raspberry or blackberry jam/preserve or any jam/preserve
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
almond flakes to decorate


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 7-inch tube or round cake pan or bundt pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the nut flour and gently stir it in.

Whisk  butter/oil and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in yogurt. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until barely blended. Stir in jam/preserve and nuts. Pour into greased and floured pan. Generously sprinkle the almond flakes on the cake.

Bake until done, about 30 minutes. Cool, turn it over and cool completely before slicing.

If you can, let the cake mature for at least a day before you eat it. The spices sets in and infuses as it gets older and tastes way better than just baked.

Curried Chicken in Cardamom Infused Coconut Sauce


I remember the time when back in India many moons back we used to live in a joint family. My grandparents, uncles, aunts  & cousins all lived in a big house, ate all together in one long dining table. Sunday afternoon lunches were always beautiful times when everyone was home, relaxed & talking for hours over food. Even tho’ I might have been only about 6 or 7 years old, I still  remember that one of the dishes used to be mutton curry or chicken curry. The hot steaming curry, used to be placed at the  center of the table, & all us little kids eyed it with utmost enthusiasm, while waiting for our turns.


Later years during grade school we all moved in to nuclear families but still stayed near to one another. We also still had Sunday afternoons Mutton curry, & sometimes Chicken curry which my mom would make. Now away from my own country and relatives, Thanksgiving time always reminds me of the long dining table and all of us sitting together to have food, and discuss our week and most of all the good times we had together as a big loving family.

Everytime the aroma of the dish fills the air…it is reminder to me to be thankful for everything, my family & friends, and every memory I cherish…not just for a day but everyday.





Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts Boneless, Skinless & cubed in to 1″ pieces
2 Medium sized Potatoes Peeled & Cubed
2 medium Onions Cut into half and sliced thinly into half moons
2″  piece of Ginger peeled and ground into paste
5 cloves of Garlic mashed
1/2  Cup Tomato Puree mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Turmeric
3 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (Optional)
4 Cloves
8 Small Green Cardamoms
2″ Cinnamon stick
3/4 Cup of Coconut Milk
5-6 Tablespoons of Oil
Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro
Preparation:

Grind the seeds of 8 Green Cardamoms and mix it with the Coconut Milk and Keep aside.

Heat Oil in a deep Pan. Add the Cloves, & Cinnamom Sticks. When they start to sizzle, add the sliced Onions & the sugar. Fry till they are glazed & slightly brown.

Add the cubed chicken, salt, Turmeric & Chilli Powder & fry the Chicken tossing them often till they are light brown on almost all the sides.

Add the Potatoes, mashed Garlic,  the ginger paste, & Tomato Puree fry at medium heat till the oil starts to bubble up and the mix leaves the sides of the pan. Be careful to scrape off the bottom of the pan often to prevent it from burning. If you feel the bottom is sticking too often, feel free to add few spoons of water.

Add the coconut milk with cardamom & cover & cook till the chicken pieces are tender.

Switch off the heat & garnish with chopped cilantro.

Green Chicken With Coconut-Coriander 

Sauce

Over the weekend, we had invited some of our friends for lunch. I also wanted to take some food to a friend. I had to decide what to make for lunch very quickly. While searching for recipes, I found this recipe, which I had copied down from aayi’s notebook. I gave it a try and loved the taste of it. I served it dry, but this can also be served as a gravy by adding some water and thinning the sauce down.

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken (I used boneless tender breast pieces)

1 tea spn coriander seeds

1 cup onion

5-6 green chillies

6-7 cloves

1″ cinnamon

2-3 cardamom

1 tea spn shah jeera

1/2 cup coconut (I used desiccated coconut)

4-5 peppers

1 cup coriander leaves

1 tea spn ginger-garlic paste

1/4 cup tomatoes

Oil

Salt

Method:

Heat oil and add 1/2 cup onion, green chillies for few minutes. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander seeds, shah jeera, coconut, pepper and fry till a nice aroma comes out.

Grind all with coriander leaves. Add the paste to chicken pieces and keep aside for 15-20mins.

Heat a little oil and fry remaining onion, ginger-garlic paste till onions become slightly brownish. Add tomatoes, salt fry for a min. Add chicken along with all the paste. Cook till done.

Serves : 4-5

Preparation time : 40mins

Prawns In Spicy Coconut Sauce (Sungta 

Sukke/Dhoddak)

The specialty of Konkani seafood dishes is – they are almost always quite spicy and made with coconut. A drizzle of coconut oil on top of these, with hot rice tastes heavenly. I can’t stress enough on how much I miss these dishes here. Being from coastal area, we always got very fresh fish and relished these spicy dishes made at home. Don’t know why I don’t make these often here.

Last week I was talking to my friend Hema over the phone. Like every time that we talk, she mentioned that she had a spicy sungta sukke that day. Ohh, just the name of it, made the Konkani girl in me crave for it. I kept thinking about it for next two days. Then finally gave up and asked her to give me her recipe. This is what she gave me, I tried on Sunday. We had awesome lunch.

Well, Hema’s recipe is slightly different than what aayi uses for dhoddak. We usually don’t use coriander and teppal/tirphal in same dish. Here is my aayi’s version. Also, I have rarely seen the usage of non-fried coriander seeds in aayi’s cooking. But for once, I wanted to try the recipe as it is, without modifying. It came out really well.

Ingredients:

1 lb (0.45kgs) prawns

2 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut

9-10 red chillies (if you can handle more, increase it)

1/2 tea spn coriander seeds

3-4 teppal/tirphal

2-3 kokum pieces

Salt

Method:

Grind the coconut with red chillies, coriander seeds to a very smooth paste. Do not add too much water (This needs a good Indian mixer). When it has become very smooth, add teppal and run the mixer for just couple of seconds. (Note: teppal should never be ground. It will entirely spoil the dish. This step is just to bring out the aroma, but not for grinding it).

In a thick bottomed pan, mix the paste with prawns, kokum, salt. Cook it on a low heat till prawns are done.

Serve as a side dish with rice. A little coconut oil drizzled on it tastes great.

Serves : 3-4

Preparation time : 20 mins

ALOO PANEER SANDWICH

Indian Cooking Recipe : Aloo Paneer Sandwich

Ingredients :
4 bread slices
1potato, boiled
7-8 paneer pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 green cillies
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp chat masala
Salt to taste
Method :
Smash the potatoes, cut the paneer to smaller piece and mix the above ingredients well (except bread).
Place the mixture between two slices of bread, add some butter and toast it in a toaster.
Tasty sandwich is ready.