Kashmiri Pulao

This is a very mild and colourful pulao. It looks very pretty with the pomegranate, of course a party friendly dish. Serve this pulao with some spicy gravies like these.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Milk - 1/2cup
Water -1 cup
Few raisins, cashew and almonds
Pomegranate seeds - 2 tablespoons
Onion-1
Green chilly-1
Frozen Green peas - 1/4cup 
Bay leaf-2
Cloves-2
Elaichi-1
Grated Ginger & garlic- 2teaspoons
Few Cinnamon Stick pieces
Ghee - 1teaspoon
Oil-1tablespoon
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
Chop the onion into fine pieces. Slit the green chilly.
Coarsely chop the almonds and cashews.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole garam masala and let them splutter. Then add in the nuts and raisin. Fry them and add the grated ginger-garlic, followed by onion and green chilly pieces.
Sauté till the onions become transparent, then add the green peas with enough salt.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the soaked rice(after draining all the water).

Add 1/2 cup of milk and a cup of water..

Close the pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 7 minutes and put off the flame. Open the cooker once the pressure has gone completely and add the ghee and pomegranate.

Fluff the rice gently, and serve hot with your choice of gravy..

We had it with the quick brinjal gravy posted earlier. :)

Recipe Inspiration : Here

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Mushroom & Mealmaker Biriyani

Having a spouse who is fond of Biriyani, am exploring all possible combinations of making vegetable biriyani!:) I was about to make Mushroom Biriyani, and had a handful of musrooms only..added some meal maker chunks with the mushrooms, and the result was a delicious combo! :P:P

Ingredients
Basmati Rice -11/4cups
Onion-1
Green Chilly-1
Few mint leaves,curry leaves and cilantro
One small Tomato
Coconut milk powder-1tablespoon
Oil+Ghee -4tablespoons

To Marinate
Button Mushrooms-6
Meal maker/Soya Wadi - 12
Few mint leaves,curry leaves and cilantro
Biriyani Masala -11/2tablespoons
Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon
Chilli powder-1teaspoon
Coriander powder-1teaspoon
Curd-2tablespoons
Salt

Grind Coarsely
Small piece of ginger
5 garlic cloves
3" Cinnamon Stick
One Elaichi
2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf

Method
The method is just like making Dum biriyani, instead of baking it in oven, this cooked in the pressure cooker.

Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.

Add the meal makers in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and wash with cold water. Squeeze out the excess water and keep aside.

Wash and dice the mushrooms.

Grind the ingredients given under "grind coarsely".

Combine the ingredients given under "to marinate" table with the coarsely ground masala,mix well and keep aside for (at least) 20minutes.

Slice the onions,green chilly and tomato.

Heat oil +ghee in a pressure cooker. Add in the onions,green chillies and fry for a few minutes.
Then add the tomato and mint,curry and cilantro leaves. Fry till the onions become brown and the tomatoes turn mushy.

Now add the marinated masala, reduce the flame to low, cover the cooker (without putting the whistle) and cook for 6-7 minutes. Stir it in between to avoid the burning, till the masala cooks nicely and the oil oozes out.

Add the coconut milk powder, rice with 11/2cups of water, adjust the salt and close the pressure cooker. Increase the flame to medium and cook for 7 minutes. Switch off the stove and remove the cooker from stove top and let it cool. Open the cooker, fluff the biriyani gently.

Aromatic and delicious Mushroom & Mealmaker Biriyani is ready to serve. I assure you, your kitchen/house will be filled with the nice biriyani aroma while cooking this biriyani! :) Enjoy it with simple raitha or your choice of side dishes.

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Sending this & the following recipes to Reva's "Royal Feast -Biriyani" event.

Christmas Delicacy event happening at Julie's "Erivum Puliyum"


Dum Biriyani

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Tomato Biriyani

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Mint Pulao

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Mini Soya Chunks & Veggie Biriyani

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Dum Biriyani

Biriyani is my hubby's favorite food..in the sense, he can have the same for more than one time! He doesn't touch any other stuff for the next meal, even if I serve after making some changes. Somehow he will find it and the lunch box will come back as it was in the morning! Biriyani is the excpetion, Usually I make it for dinner and the next day lunch.

Its been a real long time I prepared biriyani in this method. Yesterday when I pinged him regarding the dinner suggestions, his choice was this Dum Biriyani. Without second thought, i started off to the kitchen! :)

Ingredients
Onion-1
Toamto-2
Cashew-7
Bay leaf-1
Few Mint leaves & Cilantro
Clove-1
Cinnamon stick-1"piece
Olive Oil-3 tablespoons
Food color-fewdrops

Basmati rice-11/2cups
Ghee-1teaspoon
Bay leaf-1
Cumin seeds-1/2teaspoon
Few Mint leaves & Cilantro
Cinnamon stick-1"piece
Salt


To Marinate
Big chunks of Veggies -1cup ( I used a carrot,few beans, 3 florets of broccoli & Cauliflower, half of a small potato and a hand full of frozen peas)
Ginger-garlic paste -1tablespoon
Green chilly-1
Curd-1/2cup
Chilli powder-1teaspoon
Coriander powder-1teaspoon
Biriyani Masala-11/2tablespoon
Bay leaves-1
Elaichi-1
Cinnamon stick-1"piece
Cloves-2
Fennel Seeds-1teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon
Mint leaves & Cilantro
Salt
Olive oil-1tablespoon

Method
Combine all the ingredients given under "to marinate" and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.

Cut the onions, one tomato and green chilly.

Heat oil in a pan, add the whole garam masalas followed by cashews. Once they turn golden add in the onion-g.chilly,and tomato. Cook till the tomatoes become mushy.

Add the marinated veggies,cover n cook for 3-4 minutes and keep aside.

Heat 4 cups of water in wide pan. Bring it to a rolling boil, add the cumin seeds,whole garam masalas, salt and mint-cilantro leaves. Drain the water from the soaked rice and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain the rice and add a teaspoon of ghee to it and mix well.

Pre heat the oven to 400F. Grease a baking dish and spread a layer of rice.Sprinkle some biriyani masala on top. Now add the half cooked veggies and spread it evenly.

Sprinkle mint-cilantro leaves, sliced tomato, then layer the remaining rice. Mix the food color with a spoon of milk and sprinkle it on top. Cover the pan tightly with the foil and bake it for 45-50 minutes.

Take the rice from the oven ,mix it gently and enjoy with raitha.

Dum biriyani with raitha!

Sending this recipe to Reva's "Royal Feast -Biriyani" event.

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Mini Soya chunks& Veggie Biriyani

Ingredients
Biriyani Rice(Seeraka chamba)-2 cups
Mini Soya chunks - 1/2cup
Carrot-2
Beans-10
Onion-1
Tomato-2
Green Chilli-1
Hand full of Mint leaves
Few curry leaves, Cilantro
Biriyani masala-2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder-1teaspoon
Coriander powder-11/2 teaspoons
Cumin Seeds-1teaspoon
Salt
Oil

To grind
Ginger-11/2" piece
garlic-5 cloves
Elaichi-1
Cloves-2
Bay leaf-1
Cinnamon Stick-3" piece

Method
Wash and chop the carrots & beans into small pieces. Cut the onion-green chilli into thin lengthwise strips. Cut the tomatoes into fine pieces.

Wash and soak the rice for at least 20 minutes.

Grind the ginger -garlic, whole garam masala with little water to a fine paste and keep it aside.

Soak the soya chunks in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Rinse them in cold water and squeeze out the excess water.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add cumin seeds followed by onion and g.chilli. Fry till the onion becomes transparent, then add in the mint leaves,curry leaves, spice paste and cook for few minutes. Add the tomato pieces,cook till it becomes mushy.

Add the veggies and soya chunks, turmeric powder,chilli & coriander powders, biriyani masala and enough salt. Cover it and cook on medium heat till the oil oozes out. Add the rice and 3 cups of water.

Mix everything together, add the cilantro leaves, check the salt and close the pressure cooker. Cook for one whistle and put off the flame.

Open the cooker after it cools down completely and puff the rice gently.

Aromatic and spicy biriyani is ready to serve. Enjoy it with side dish of your choice.

Sending this recipe to Reva's "Royal Feast -Biriyani" event.

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Tomato Biriyani

Ingredients
Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Tomato - 3 (or) 4
Half of a medium size onion
Green chilli -1
Mint leaves,Cilantro
Ginger-garlic paste -1spoon
Curd - 3spoons
Chilli powder - 1spoon
Coriander powder -1/2spoon
Biriyani masala powder-2spoons
Cloves-2
Cinnamon Stick-2" piece
Elaichi -1
Fennel seeds- 1/2spoon
Cumin seeds-1/2spoon
Ghee -1spoon
Oil -1spoon
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.
Chop the onions,tomato and green chilli.
Heat the oil+ghee..make the tempering with cloves.elaichi,cinnamon stick,fennel and cumin seeds.
Add the onions,green chillies and fry for a while. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes.
Add the tomatoes..fry for a minute.
Add the chilli,coriander,biriyani masala's and curd,mint ,cilantro,salt. Cook on low heat till the oil oozes out.


Add the rice , 1 1/4 cup of water and pressure cook for one whistle and switch off the stove. Remove the cooker from stove and let it cool.

Open the cooker and mix the rice without breaking the grains.Tomato biriyani is ready..serve hot with raitha.

Sending this recipe to Reva's "Royal Feast -Biriyani" event.

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