Mushroom Biryani

Off lately, biryani is becoming a sunday treat for us. After trying out various method, I'm stick to the traditional way of cooking in low flame with tight sealed for about 60-90 minutes gives biryani a nice aromatic flavour.  

Ingredients:
8-9 Mushrooms cut into slices
2 cups Basmati Rice
1 Onion sliced
2 Tomato finely chopped
2 Bay leaf
1 cup Coconut milk
1 tsp Sindhi biryani masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Ghee or Oil
2 tsp Lemon juice
Salt - to taste
few Coriander leaves finely chopped
few Mint leaves finely chopped
7-8 paneer cubes
2 bread cut into cubes

Paste :
1 tsp Fennel seeds
2 inch Cinnamon stick
4 Cloves
4-5 Green chilies
1 inch Ginger
2 Garlic

Sealing:
wheat flour dough(Wheat flour depends on the size of pan I used 2 cups of wheat flour and water to make a dough)

• Soak the rice in water for 30 mins. Grind the ginger, garlic, green chilies, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds to fine paste by adding little water.
• Heat ghee or Oil in a heavy saucepan. Add bay leaf and fry for a minute. Add sliced onion and fry till it turns into golden brown in color.
• Add ground paste, biryani masala, turmeric and fry till raw smell goes off.
• Add chopped tomatoes and salt cover and cook for 2-3 mins or until the tomatoes are smashed Stir occasionally.
• Add Mushroom pieces and fry until it becomes soft  Add Chopped Coriander and Mint leaves and cook until it is combine.
• Then add soaked basmati rice and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till the water evaporates from the rice. 
• Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk(for biryani water measurement is 1 cup rice =1 1/2 cups of water)salt and lemon juice.
• Cover the lid and seal the dough thoroughly around the pan and cook in low medium flame for 60-90mins.
• Meanwhile, shallow fry the bread cubes and paneer cubes.Once the biryani is cooked granish it with paneer and bread cubes.

Serve with raita.

Beetroot Basmati Rice

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup Basmati rice
2 Beetroots Chopped Long slice
1 Onion Chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
2-3 Green chilies
small inch of Cinnamon
3-4 Cloves
2 Green Cardamom
4-5 Black peppercorns
1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Black Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin-Coriender powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/4 tsp Red chili powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat a 4-5 tbsp oil in a pressure pan, add whole cinnamom,cardamom,cloves,black cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and saute it.
Add Onions,green chilies and ginger-garlic paste saute it until golden. Now, add turmeric, red chili,cumin-coriender, garam masala powder and mix well. let masala blend together. Add beetroot,rice and water(For 2 1/2 cups of rice to 4 1/2 cups of water) bring it to boil on medium-high flame for 5 mins and close the lid of pressure pan and cook for 7-10 mins in low flame.
Serve with any raita/yogurt.

Masala Baath - A Maharashtrian rice

Masala baath is similar to Vangi baath made but little variation without adding tamarind.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups Basmati rice
2-3  Long purple Brinjals
Salt to taste
5-6 Whole dry red chillies
2 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 cup grated Dry coconut
1 tsp Cumin seeds
4 tbsp Oil
5-6 Cloves 
2-3 Green cardamoms
2 Bay leaves 
1 tsp Turmeric powder
10-12 roasted Cashewnuts

Wash and soak rice in water for 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
Soak the brinjal cubes in water with which a pinch of salt and piece of tamarind pulp has been added.
Roast whole red chillies, coriander seeds, grated dry coconut and cumin seeds and then grind into a fine paste by adding little water.
Heat oil in a Sauce pan. Add cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add ground masala, cook for 2-3 mins on medium heat, stirring continuously.
Add Chopped brinjal and turmeric powder, cook further for 4-5mins.
 Add rice and mix gently. Add 3 cups of boiling water and add salt.
Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low flame and cover the lid and cook until rice is done and all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and serve hot with any raita.

Tri-lentils Khichdi with Bell Pepper Raita

Khichdi
Ingredients:
2 cups rice (Basmati or sona masuri)
1/3 cup bengal gram
1/3 cup split green gram
1/3 cup split pigeon peas
2-3 cardamoms
4 cloves
5-6 peppercorns
1 small onion finely chopped
1"  ginger finely chopped

3-4 green chilies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
cilantro for garnish
Tempering:
Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Few curry leaves

 

Soak the rice and lentils in water for 15 mins and wash and strain the water and keep aside.Crush the cardamoms, peppercorns and cloves and keep aside.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.Add mustard seeds when it splutter add cumin seeds and curry leaves. add chopped onion and saute for a min. add green chilies and ginger saute until the onion turn to light golden.
Now, add the crushed spices and turmeric powder and saute it for a min.
Add rice and 6-7 cups of water (depending upon how mashy and soft you want) and season with salt.
Cover the pressure cooker lid and put its weight and cook in medium flame for 10-12 mins or until its done.

Bell Pepper Raita
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yogurt beaten
2 small green bell pepper finely chopped
salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Tempering:
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1 red chilies
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

 

In a bowl beat the yogurt add salt and temper it and keep aside.
Heat a oil in a small sauce pan and fry the bell pepper until light golden and soft. Let it cool before adding to yogurt mix. lastly garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Black gram dal rice

One more recipe from the cookbook Dakshin.Normally, Black gram is used for tempering or making idlis when I read this sounded unique but it is easy,simple and tasty recipe. This rice recipe goes well with Mango Raita

Ingredients:
2 cup Soan masoori rice
2 tbsp cashewnuts
2 green chilies
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp black gram
1 tsp bengal gram
2 red chilies
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
Masala
2 tbsp Black gram
1 1/2 tspblack peppercorns
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp copra grated

 

In a pan roast all the ingredients from masala list and grind to fine powder. keep aside
Now, heat a oil in saucepan add mustard seeds,when it splutters add black gram, bengal gram,cashewnuts, green chilies, red chilies, curry leaves and saute for a min. Add rice, salt and ground masala powder. Mix well and serve hot.

Besi Bele Bath

One of the famous dish that every South Indian will have. Besibelebath is mix of rice and lentils with hot spices. Poha/Thick rice flakes can be added instead of rice.

Ingredients:
2 cup Sona Masoori rice
1 cup Toor dal
Lemon sized piece of Tamarind pulp
1 small Onion chopped
1 Red/Green pepper chopped
1 cup mixed Beans and Carrot chopped
3 baby pototoes or 1big regular potato chopped
1/2 cup green peas(optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil
Paste:
3 tbsp Coriender seeds
3 tsp Bengal gram
1'' inch long Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
4 Cloves
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/3 cup Coconut grated
7-8 Red chilies
1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder
Masala:
3 tbsp Fried gram dal
3 tsp uncooked rice
1 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
Tempering:
4 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp Bengal gram
1 1/2 tsp Balck gram
2 Red chilies
Few Curry leaves

Pressure cook toor dal and rice with water.soak the tamarind pulp in water for 20 mins and starin the juice.
In a sauce pan roast all the Paste ingredients except coconut and grind to fine paste
In a heavy sauce pan, dry roast the ingredients from masala and grind to powder. keep aside
Heat the oil in a hevay sauce pan. add mustard seeds when it splutters add cumin,begal gram, black gram, red chilies, and curry leaves and saute for a min. Add onions and saute until it is light golden. Now add chopped bell pepper,beans, carrots, potato and green peas and saute it. when vegetables are partly cooked add tamarind juice, salt to taste and turmeric, mix well and cover the lid and cook in a medium flame for 4 mins.
Once vegetables are soft add ground paste and cook for few mins. Now simmer on a low heat add cooked rice-dal mix well make sure no lumps form. Cook until well blended. Lastly, add the dry masala mix well remove from heat. Serve with Bhondi or Chips.

Mustard seeds rice with Onion-tomato in yogurt

I recently bought the Cookbook "Dakshin" Vegetarian cuisine from south by Chandra Padmanabhan. A authentic south Indian recipes rasam, kuzhambu,kootu,rice dishes with colorful and appealing photographs added in our little library.The book is well written with easy to follow and incredibly delicious taste. I would recommend this book for all those south indian recipe lovers.Here is one of the recipe I tried out.

Ingredients:
2 cup sona masoori rice
3 tbsp peanuts
salt to taste
 Paste
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup grated coconut
6 red chilies
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp asafoetida
a small lemon size tamarind pulp
water to grind
 Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp black gram dal
1 1/2  tsp bengal gram dal
2 red chilies
curry leaves

Cook rice and keep aside
Paste: blend all the ingedients to fine paste
Heat 6-7 tsp of oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it splutter add black gram dal, bengal gram dal, red chilies and curry leaves peanuts. saute it for 2 mins. Now add the ground paste. saute unitl the raw smell disappears. Lastly, add the cooked rice and salt to taste. mix well.

Onion- Tomato in Yogurt:
1 Small chopped Onion
1 Chopped tomato
2 green chilies
cilantro for granishing
1 1/2 cup mix of buttermilk and yogurt
 Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chillies
few curry leaves

In a bowl mix the onion, tomato, green chilies and yogurt. add salt to taste and temper it.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked rice
2 cups grated coconut
Salt to taste
Oil
Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 tsp Channa Dal
Small inch Cinnanon
2 Cardamom
3-4 Cloves
4-5 Peppercorns
3-4 Red chilies
2 green chilies
6-7 Curry leaves
5-6 Cashewnuts

Heat a pan add mustard seeds,when it splutters add urad dal, channa dal, cashewnuts,whole masala(cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,peppercorns) red chilies, green chilies slit, curry leaves.
When the Chasewnuts turns light golden brown add grated coconut and saute it till aroma comes.
Now, add salt and rice mix well.

Sourly Mango rice

Mango reminds me of my mischievous summer childhood days at grandpa's place. We had a huge mango tree at backyard. When all mangoes are pluck from trees, grandma used to distribute to neighborhood and we cousins were the ones to deliver. It was like any other Indian festive. (Like distributing ellu-bella). Relatives who never showed for year ,were visiting at this time.
This time of the year is also synonymous with pickles. Grandma used to make varieties of recipes out of this mango. There was less usage of tamarind in the kitchen. It was bliss to mix hot white rice and ghee/ coconut oil, a foodie delight.
Here is the recipe, most commonly prepared on Ugadi(South Indian new year) Mango rice.

Ingrdients:
2 cups cooked rice(cook 2 cup of rice with 3 cups of water) cool it.
1 grated mango
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
oil
Cilantro for garnishing

Tempering ingredients :
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
4-5 curry leaves
2-3 red chilies
3-4 green chilies
1 tsp peanuts
1 tsp cashew nuts

Heat a pan add tempering ingredients as on the list. Once the nuts are golden brown add grated mango sauté it, add turmeric powder and salt mix well and close the lid leave it till the mango are smashed.
Now, add rice and mix well. garnish with cilantro.
You can also make another type. Grind the coconut, red chilies and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds without adding water and mix with mango and rice.

Tangy Tomato Rice

Tomato rice is my favourite dish and you can make it in different ways.I remembered when I was in middle school my friend Praju used to get delicious tomato rice made by her aunt.
It was so tasty that everytime she brings that we used to exchange it.
Now, Tomato rice has become my Lazy time recipe. Whenever I feel bit lazy to cook and want to avoid eating out,I 'll go for this Tangy Tomato Rice

Ingredients:
2 cup of Basmati rice- soaked for 30 mins (2 cups rice0 add 3 cups of water)
3-4 Big tomatos
1big onion
1 cup of chopped mint leaves
1 small piece ginger
1 garlic clove (make ginger and garlic paste)
2-3 Green Chilies
Whole Garam Masala (1 small piece cinnamon, 3-4 Cloves,2-3 Caradamon, 1-2 bay leaves,1-2 marati moggu, 3-5 peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds)
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 red chili powder
Salt to taste
Oil

How to make:
Heat a pan/pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and whole garam masala when it sluppters add cut onions, green chilies and ginger garlic paste and saute till it turns to light brown. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, redchili powder,garam masala powder and coriander powder and saute it.
Now, add tomato and chooped mint leaves and cook it until the tomatos are fully cooked and water is fully drained.
Add rice saute it and add salt and cover the lid and cook for about 7-10 mins.
Serve with raita or kadhi.

Dill Rice

Ingredients:
1 Cup basmati rice(washed and soak in water for 30 mins)
1/2 - 3/4 bunch of Dill leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup of peas
1 Onion
1 -2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp cumin seeds
1-2 bay leaves
salt

Dry masala:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriender seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2" cinnamon stick
5-7 cloves
10-12 balck pepper corns
1-2 cardamoms

 

How to prepare:
Roast all the ingredients for dry masala and powder them in a blender and keep aside.
heat a oil in a pan add cumin seeds and bay leaves and allow it to sluptter,add onions saute till it is light brown.
Add turmeric powder, dry masala saute it.
Now, add dill leaves and peas and drain out the excess water from the soaked rice and add it to the pan and saute for a min.
pour 1.5 cup water, salt and mix well. Bring it to boil and then cook covered on medium heat for about 10 mins or until done.
Serve with raita(yogurt, chopped onions, cucumber and salt.)

Tamrind rice (Puliyogare)

Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked rice
1 cup tamarind juice
big piece of Jaggery

Seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Channa dal
1 tsp Seasme seeds
2- 3 red chillies
1 handful of peanuts
Few curry leaves

Masala:
1 tsp Urad Dal
1 tsp channa dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp seasme seeds
3-4 red chilies
2-4 pepper corns
small cup of grated dry coconut
How to make Puliyogare Rice:
Roast all the masala ingredients and make a fine powder
Roast the coconut.
Mix the roasted coconut and powder.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, red chillies, urad dal channa dal, peanuts and curry leaves
Add the tamarind juice and jaggery.
Mix salt and allow it to boil.
Add the powdered masala and boil till it turns thick.
Mix it with the cooked rice.
Serve hot.

Mint Rice (Pudina Pulao)

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Boiled rice

1 big Onion

1 big Tomato

Small Cup of Peas

1 Big Potato

4 - 5 stems of Mint

1 - 2 Garlic cloves

Small Slice of Ginger

2-4 green chilies

Grated Coconut (Optional)

1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder or depending on your taste.

1-2 Dry bay leaves

1-2 small sticks of cinnamon

1-2 whole caradamon

2 marathi moggu

1-2 Ainsle seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt

4 tsp oil

Method:

Grind the mint, garlic, ginger, red chilies and coconut with little water.

Heat a Pan add oil, Cumin seeds and all other whole items(from Bay leaves to fennel seeds in the ingredients list) add the sliced onions once the onion turns light brown color, add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder & red chili powder and mix well.

Once the all masala are mix with onions then add sliced potato, green peas and tomato add salt and close the lid of the pan and wait the potato is cooked.

Now, add the ground paste and cook for 4-5 mins and add the rice, mix well.

Serve with Raita( Yogurt with chopped onions, cucumber and pinch of chat masala, red chilies powder & salt to taste).