Zaika - e - Basmati - Khaas

I throughly enjoyed Master chef aired in Star plus.My fav contanstant were Zebi Zubair and Radhika.I thought these two ladies will be in the finals,but two didnt come to finals.Radhika just missed it and zebi got elimated before semi finals.I liked all the dishes cooked by Zebi Zubair.Few days back i tried her Zaika-e-basmati-khaas (actually it was a team effort).

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 3 cups
Green Cardamom 3

Black Cardamom 4

Black Peppercorns 4
Salt to taste

Curd 1/2 cup

Amul Butter 1 tbspCumin seeds 1tsp

French Beans (boiled and finely chopped) 1tbsp

Cauliflower stem (boiled and finely chopped) 1 cup

Cabbage 1/2 cup chopped finely

Carrot chopped finely 1 cup

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tspRed chilli powder 1tspOil for deep frying

Onion (finely sliced) 1

Mint leaves (shredded) 10 nos

Method:
For Koftas

Mix together corn flour with cabbage,carrot,beans,cauliflower,ginger garlic paste,red chilly powder and salt.Mix throughly and shape into koftas.Heat oil and deep fry koftas.Take them on a tissue and keep aside.

In the same oil fry onions and keep aside.

In a deep pan, boil 1½ cups of water with green cardamom, black cardamom and peppercorns for 5-7 minutes. Add salt, boil for two more minutes and keep aside.
In a bowl, whisk the curd with an equal amount of water.
In a deep vessel, heat butter and add cumin seeds. When cumin crackles, add spice water and curd water and bring to a boil. Mix in rice and some more salt if required. Boil the rice on a high flame and when rice is just undercooked, reduce the flame, cover the vessel and cook till done.

Serve the koftas on a bed of the prepared rice, sprinkled over with fried onions and mint leaves.

Murg Pulao

This is another recipe from Nita mehta Microwave cooking book.I have blogged about chicken biryani before and this one is quite different to what i have blogged and it is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Chicken cut into pcs 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Turmeric powder 1/2tsp

Red chillies dried 3

Onions chopped 2

Ginger chopped 2tsp

Garlic 12-14 flakes

Cumin seeds 1tsp

Fennel seeds 2tsp

Cinnamon 1’’stick

Black cardamom 2

Cloves 3

Pepper 8

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.For the paste grind all the ingredients together,using some water.

Mix chicken and the prepared paste in a big micro proof dih.Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.

Add rice along with the water.Add salt and haldi.Cover and microwave for 13 minutes.

Separate the grains with a fork.Serve after 5 minutes.

Alu Tahari

Tahari or Tahri is the name given to the vegetarian version of the Biryani and is very popular in Pakistani and Indian homes. In Bangladesh, Tehri refers to Biryani prepared by adding the meat to the rice, as opposed to traditional Biryani where the rice is added to the meat.---info from Wikipedia.

I got this recipe from a pakistani tv show.This biryani calls for very less ingredients.When you don't have veggies at home or when you are lazy to cook a elaborate meal this is the ideal choice,just serve this biryani with raita of your choice.Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 2 cups (soaked for 1 hour)
Potatoes 4 (medium size) chopped into big pcs
Onions 2 chopped
Peas 1/4 cup (i used frozen peas,fresh peas can also be used)
Coriander powder 2 tbsp
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil 4 tbsp

Method:-

In a thick bottom vessel take oil.When hot add onions and fry till brown in colour.
Add chopped potatoes,coriander powder,red chilly powder,ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder.Mix throughly,cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add peas and rice.
Now add enough water for the rice to cook.I used 1 1/2 cup of water for 1 cup of rice.The amount of water depends on the rice used.
Serve hot with raita of your choice.

Hariyali Pulao

Here in UAE we get only one telugu channel.Back home when i went last saw many telugu channels airing cooking programs.I hardly used to watch Gemini and that is the only channel which i am forced to watch here.Every day at 10.30 local time they air a cooking program.I always jot down the recipes and do them on fridays.Last friday i did this pulao.This pulao is a mixture of mint and coriender leaves along with sabut masala.I served it with dhaniya chicken and mint raita.

Here goes the recipe:-

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice

Onions chopped 1

Potatoes chopped 2

Green chillies silted 2

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Shahi zeera 1 tsp

Bay leaves 2

Japatri

Elachi big 1

Cinammon 1'' pc

Cloves 3

Oil 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Make a paste of the below ingredients:-

Pudina/mint fresh 1 cup

Coriender leaves fres 1/2 cup

Method:-

Heat oil,add all the sabut garam masala.Fry till you get the nice aroma.

Add onions and green chillies.Fry till onion are pink in colour.

Add pudina and coriender paste.Saute till oil comes out.

Then add washed and drained rice.Mix thoroughly.

Add 1 1/2 glass water and salt as per taste.When water starts boiling add rice.

When rice starts dancing put the flame in medium and cover the vessel.

Check for the water,if you find water is less,add hot water to the rice.

When cooked,leave if for 5 mintues before serving.Serve it your choice of curry and raita.

Can find mint raita here

Chicken biryani

I have blogged about biryani before here.This is another type of biryani which i make quite often and this biryani calls for more ingredients.



Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 kg (soaked for 30 minutes)

For marination

Chicken 1/2 kg
Fried Onions 2
Green chillies 3
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Curd 1 cup
Cloves 2
Cinnamon small pc 2
Mace/Javithri 2 pcs
Green cardamom 2
Black cardamom 2
Bay leaves 2
Pepper 10 (whole)
Shahi zeera/black cumin 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Juice of 1 lime
Coriander leaves few
Mint leaves few
Salt as per taste
Oil 6-7 tbsp

Marinate all the above for atleast an hour.I usually keep the marination for a night and make biryani the following day.

Method:-

Take the marinated chicken in a deep and heavy bottom vessel.Press the chicken with spatula so that is even.Keep side.

Drain the soaked rice and keep aside.

Take 5 cups of water in a bowl.Put it on fire and add 2 tbsp oil and salt.Check the taste of water,if it is salty then the amount of salt added is right.

When water reaches boiling point,add the drained rice.

This is where care has to be taken that rice is not fully cooked.The rice for biryani should be half cooked.When the grains in the water start dancing check the rice.When the grain in taken between thumb and the second finger,if the grain is crushed then the rice is half cooked.Take the rice in a sieve and drain all the water.

Now spread rice on the top of chicken marination.Sprinkle fried onions,mint and coriander leaves.Lastly sprinkle saffron water.Food colour can be replaced with saffron.

Cover the vessel with a clean wet kitchen towel and place a tight lid over it.The steam should not escape.

Cook on high flame for 5 minutes and then on a low flame for 25 minutes.Don't open immediately,let is set for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with mirch ka salan and raita of your choice.

My girl is getting impatient with my photo session.

PS:-The quantity of masala i have taken are according to our taste,if you want the biryani to be more spicy,masala can be increased.The masala i used are according to the taste buds of a 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old kid.

PS:-To get cripsy onions,sprinkle 1 tbsp of cornflour/rice flour to the sliced onions just before frying.

PS:-I added my recipe list to my blog

Hyderabadi Dum Gosh Biryani

Eddited to add the new pictures

Warning:- Post is very lengthy but worth reading and making it.

When we think of biryani the first thing we get in our mind is the famous dum biryani of hyderabad.Apart from pearls hyderabad is famous for its dum biryani.Biryani is of two types pakki and kacchi gosh biryani.Pakki biryani is where mutton/chicken is cooked and layered with half cooked rice and kacchi gosh is where raw mutton/chicken is layered with half cooked rice.

Both of these types are cooked in dum i.e. bowl in which the mutton and rice are layered and sealed with chapathi dough and hot charcoal is placed above that and the flame should be kept at low so that the mutton and the rice is cooked in this slow process. We must ensure that vapours do not escape. Sealing with the dough is a cumbersome process, so I use aliminum foil to seal it and don’t use charcoal. I have been cooking this biryani every Friday since last 5 years, one can only close to the art of mastering biryani by preparing it regularly.

Learnt this biryani from a aunty in Muscat (oman) who is from Hyderabad. Had many disaster with this like once forgot to add oil,didn’t add salt, didn’t add lemon. Now I can say with convection that I have come close to perfecting the art of preparing Dum biryani.This is my mom’s and m-law favourite biryani.

The taste of biryani depends upon the rice used.I use Pakistani basmati rice, which is one its kind.

Before I start writing recipe, I am happy to share with you all that I made century with this post.And thank you all for your encouraging comments and your support has helped me to reach here.Now coming to the recipe.

Ingredients:-

For the rice
Basmathi rice 1/2 kg
Cinammon 3 pcs
Cloves 4
Shahi zeera 1 tbsp
Green chillies 4
Big elachi 1
Small elachi 2
Pudina 1/2-1 cup
Soak rice with all the above ingredients for 2-3 hours.

For mutton/chicken/lamb
Mutton 1/2 kg
Onions 4
Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp
Curd 2 cups
Cinammon 2
Cloves 3
Shahi zeera 1/2 tbsp
Japatri little
Lemon 1 big
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Elachi small 1
Pudina 1/2 cup
Green chillies 2 slited
Salt as per taste

For layers:-
Lemon 1/2
Garam masala 1 tsp
Saffron a pinch Milk 1/2 cup Oil 1/2 cup
Coriender 1 cup
Fried onions

Method:-

Step 1
*Chop onions and deep fry onions.Keep half of the onions aside.
*Mix all the above ingredients and half of the onions and marinate for 2-3 hours preferably over night. (I usually soak it at night and next day i prepare biryani)
*Soak safforn in the milk for 2-3 hours.

Step 2*Cook soak rice and add salt.Cook till rice is half cooked.
*Drain all the water in a strainer

Step 3*In a thick bottom vessel spread 2 tbsp of oil.Spread half of the marinated mutton.
*Spread half of the rice.Squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice,sprinkle garam masala,2tbsp of oil.
*Then spread rest of the mutton followed by rest of the rice.Squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice,rest of the garam masala and 2 tbsp of oil.

*Now spread fried onions over the rice and sprinkle safforn soaked milk.
*Then spread coriender leaves. Step 4
*Cover the vessel with aliminum foil and put it on the stove.

*Firstly put on high flame for 30 sec and reduce to low flame and cook exactly for 30 minutes.
*Once switch off the flame,don't open.Let it stand for another 10-12 minutes.

This is best served with mirchi salan and raita.Mirchi salan recipe is here.

Note: Oil which is used to deep fry onions can be used in the layers.

Vapours should not escape, the foil should be very tight and if possible place a container with water above the foil so that vapours doesn't escape.

enjoy biryani.................................

Egg Biryani

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 2 cups

Water 3 1/2 cups

Eggs (boiled) 4

Onion 1

Green chillies 5

Cinnamon (small) 2

Cloves 3

Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Pudina few

Coriander leaves few

Oil 6-8 tsp

Salt as per the taste

Method:-
1.Heat oil in a pan add cloves,cinnamon,ginger garlic paste.Saute for 2sec.

2.Add onions,green chillies and salt.Saute for 2 mins, then add pudina leaves and cook for 1 min.

3.Cut boiled eggs into half (8 pieces).Add eggs and carefully saute so that eggs doesn't break.

4.Add the above mixture to the rice and add water.

5.Microwave high for 10-12 minutes.Serve hot.

This Biryani goes to the Egg event hosted at Here I cook