Soya Chunks Pulao

Ingredients:

Soya chunks – soaked in warm water for 15 mins

Vegetables – Potato, Carrot, Green peas

Ginger-garlic-green chili paste

Bay leaf, Cloves, Cinnamon

Oil / ghee

Mustard and Cumin seeds

Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Cumin powder (1tsp), Biryani/Pulao masala, Turmeric powder and salt

Basmati rice – soak for min ½ hr and steam it with little oil and salt

Instructions:

• ·         Squeeze the water out of soaked soya chunks
• ·         Mix 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp Cumin powder, Chili powder, biryani masala and salt (as per your preference) – add this mixture to the soya chunks, let the chunks get coated completely
• ·         Heat oil/ ghee in a wok, add dry spices, mustard and cumin seeds
• ·         Add ginger-garlic-green chili paste – sauté
• ·         Add the chopped vegetables – stir fry for few mins
• ·         Add the masala coated soya chunks to the wok, stir fry the ingredients for a while
• ·         Add little water if required and cook covered for 5 to 10 mins so that the raw smell of masalas vanish and the veggies and soya is cooked and spongy
• ·         Atlast add the steamed basmati rice, mix it well, cook covered for few mins
• ·         Squeeze half lemon juice to the rice, mix and serve hot

Mushroom Biryani (south Indian style)

Ingredients:

Button Mushrooms – wash and cut into 4 pieces

Carrot – 1

Capsicum – 1 small

Onion – 1 big

Garlic cloves – 5 chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped

Green chilies – chopped

Spices – Bay leaves, Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, star aniseed, Saunf, Jeera and mustard seeds

Tomato – 1 big chopped

Mint and coriander leaves – same quantity, chopped

Basmati / Pulao rice – soaked for 30 mins

Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Garam masala / Biryani Masala, salt

Instructions:

• ·         Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add all spices and after a min or two add chopped onion
• ·         Also add Ginger, Garlic, Green chilies, Capsicum and Carrot – sauté
• ·         Add mint and coriander leaves, Cook it for few minutes and add chopped tomato – sauté
• ·         Once the tomato is cooked add Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Garam masala / Biryani Masala and salt – mix well and cook it for few mins
• ·         Now add Mushroom – mix well and cook for few mins
• ·         Now add soaked rice, mix well and fry in high flame while sauting it continuously
• ·         Then add enough quantity water, check for salt and cover with cooker lid
• ·         Leave it for 2 whistles and once steam is out open the cooker add half lemon juice stir it well and serve hot

Aloo Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes – 8 to 10

Bay leaves – 2 and other spices

Mustard seeds

Onion – chopped

Cherry Tomatoes – 5 to 6 (cut into halves)

Ginger – Garlic paste

Fresh Green Peas – 2 hands full

Fresh Mint leaves – handful

Turmeric powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Biryani Masala and Salt

Dalda / Ghee / Oil

Basmati Rice (soak for ½ hr before cooking)

Lemon juice

Coriander leaves

Steps:

• ·         First of all I steamed the washed baby potatoes with little water in microwave at Mid-High for 5 mins
• ·         After steaming I tried to peel off the potato skin but I couldn’t completely do it so just did how much ever I could and left the rest of them with the skin which actually gave the sweet taste after its cooked. So keep the skin on.
• ·         Heat the cooker, add 3 tbsp dalda, bay leaves and spices, mustard seeds and when it splitters add chopped onions
• ·         When its slightly brown in colour add ginger-garlic paste and green peas – sauté
• ·         When the raw ginger garlic smell subsides, add the tomatoes – sauté for few minutes, add all the masalas and salt – mix well
• ·         Now add the steamed potatoes, mint leaves and fry for few mins by stirring continuously inbetween
• ·         Add the soaked Basmati rice – fry till the masalas blend well with the rice
• ·         Now add required quantity of water and cover the lid of the cooker – wait for 2 whistles
• ·         Once the cooker’s pressure is down add chopped coriander leaves and dash of lemon juice – mix well and serve hot with Raita and Papad.

This is my favorite combination for Sunday Brunch… 

Veg Briyani

Ingredients:
Vegetables - Carrot, Beans, Potato, Cabbage, Capsicum, Beetroot, Green Peas, Tomato, Onions, Green chilies.
Can also add Cauliflower, Paneer, Soya Chunks, etc.,
Coriander and Mint Leaves

Fried Crispy Onions - 5 to 6
Fried Dry grapes
Basmati rice boiled in water with Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves and Salt (drain excess water and keep aside)
Ginger garlic paste
Biryani Masala, Turmeric powder and Chili powder

Steps:

- Heat ghee / Oil in a Kadai
- Add 2 chopped onion, ginger garlic paste and saute well
- Add all the chopped vegetables - saute for few mins
- Add the masalas, chopped corinader and mint leaves, salt - cover and cook well till the vegetables are done.
- Once they are done, add the boiled basmati rice and fried crispy onions and dry grapes to it - Mix well.
- Keep the container on hot tawa for 10 to 15 mins before serving hot and steaming.

Serve with Raita......

Chicken Dum Briyani By Priyanka Pinth

Ingredients:

To Marinate:
Chicken - 1/2 kg, Curd / Yogurt, turmeric powder, chicken masala or briyani masala, chili powder, ginger garlic paste.
(marinate overnight or atleast for 2 hours)

Other Ingredients:
Basmati rice
Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves
Dry grapes - fried in oil
Crispy Fried onions (Dry chopped onions in sunlight and then fry in oil) - 5 to 6 big onions
Onion - 2 chopped
Coriander leaves and Mint leaves (optional)
Ghee / Oil
Salt

Steps:

• Add water to the Basmati rice along with Bay leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves and salt - cook it in a open vessel. Drain the excess water once done and keep it aside.
• Heat kadai, add ghee or oil and fry onions till cooked well
• Add the marinated chicken pieces along with the marinade and let it fry-cook well along with coriander and mint leaves.
• Cover and cook till the chicken is cooked
• In a seperate vessel add 1/3rd of cooked basmati rice, add half of the chicken on it, add 1/2 of the fried onions and half of fried dry grapes, layer another 1/3rd of cooked basmati rice, rest of the chicken and then the last 1/3rd rice and above it the remaining fried onions and fried dry grapes.
• Cover the lid of the vessel and place it over a hot tawa - to make dum biryani.

Serve hot and steaming with Raita......

Vegetable Briyani

Hello Friends....

This is a simple, easy and less time consuming yet very tasty recipe. In vegetable briyani you can use vegetables like potato, carrot, beans, soya chunks, cauliflower, green peas,

etc.,

Feeling yummy already? Well here is the recipe. Always keep Briyani / Pulao masala handy. I used potatoes, cauliflower and green peas in the attached photograph.

Now, chop the vegetable you have got. If you have soya chunks then soak it for a while in water and squeeze out the water after 15 minutes. Also chop a small onion, green chillis and a tomato (all 3 are optional). Keep ready - ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, lemon, briyani and garam masala ready along with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt which are mandatory. Wash the needed quantity rice, strain the water and keep it aside.

Now, heat the cooker and add oil with a spoonful of dalda/ghee if available. when it melts add mustard seeds, and when it splitters add onions, green chillis and g-g paste. Mix well and add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder (as per requirement), mix well and add the tomatoes, veggies and chunks. While continuously stirring the ingredients in the cooker, add salt, briyani masala and a little garam masala. After 2 minutes add the washed rice and cook along other ingredients for 5 minutes, so that the masala is mixed well and the rice is fried a little in the oil. Then add water to it. According to my calculation, water should be till one inch above the rice and the other ingredients. Mix once and taste the water if we can feel the taste of salt. If yes you are good to go, close the cooker lid. Else, add little more salt and close the lid. Wait for 3-4 whistles which indicates that the Briyani is done.

Congrats !

Now, when you open the cooker lid once all the steam is out, add chopped coriander leaves and squeeze half a lemon and mix the whole rice so that lemon juice is mixed all over to give you the best taste. (I served it with Egg Curry)

Happy Eating....!