Kabuli Chana Biryani

 

Kabuli Chana Biryani

 Hubby dear went to Pune and brought some readymade masalas. One of them was a Biryani masala. I had forgotten all about it till I had the girls reorganising the kitchen shelves. That is when we discovered the packet of masala.

Now the girls are crazy about Biryani, okay anything other than the normal food of chapatti, veggie, rice and dal. So they started their regular ‘wear mamma down’ procedure. 

In case you do not know then it starts like,

” Mamma you do not make anything these days!”

“See,” the other one will say, “when Papa went to Pune and bought this masala. It’s still lying here. It will expire soon huh!”

“Make no. Please.”

Then the regular,” I will help.” The help many times is just in eating, as by the time they get up everything is cooked and on the table!

I know all this but still end up making what they want me to make. One such dish was this Biryani, actually it was a fast one. Took me just 1 hour and 15 minutes as it needed marinating for one hour.  Can actually cut down on the marinating time buy doing it earlier evening the taste will be much much better.

When I made it I shared it on face book as baked Biryani actually only the last bit is baked.

I took these pictures in the morning thinking I will get better pictures later. My mistake, it was on face book , Apeksha tagged  to it, so I had already advertised what I had made, sab kaam tamam by the time I came back in the evening!

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kabuli chana/white chick peas, soaked overnight and boiled
• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
• 1 ½ tblspn Biryani masala
• 2 onions, ground
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 5 tblspn oil
• A pinch of hing/asafoetida
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ cup curd
• A few springs of dhania/ coriander leaves
• A few springs of pudina/mint
• 2 green chillies
• Salt to taste
• 2 tblspn ghee

Method:

• Drain the chana and reserve the water.
• Measure the reserved water and make it 1 ½ cup adding more water.
• Add to the rice, check the seasoning and cook on low flame till the water is absorbed and the rice is ¾ done.
• Cool and fluff the rice.
• Grind 1 onion, the coriander leaves, mint green chillies, ginger garlic paste.
• Add to the chana along with the curd and 1 tblspn of the Biryani masala. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai/wok add the other onion fry till the raw smell goes away.
• Add the tomato puree, hing/asafoetida and fry till brown.
• Add the rest of the Biryani masala, the marinated kabuli chana, salt and stir well and cook covered for 5 minutes.
• Take an oven proof casserole and smear it with 1 tsp ghee.
• Spread a layer of rice, and then spread the kabuli chana layer. Repeat let the last layer be the rice.
• Pour the ghee on top.
• Cover the whole thing with and aluminium foil and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
• Peel the aluminium foil just before serving.

 

Kabuli Chana Biryani

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom Biryani

This is a myth buster Biryani!

My myths buster Biryani. There are 2 myths bust here.  One is that you need basmati rice to make Biryani and second you need coriander leaves to make Biryani!

This year we brought mushrooms, wild mushrooms that are available only in the rainy season. These mushrooms are prized and available only for a short period in Sharavan and are all over by the time its Nagpanchami. I have already written about the mushroom tonak and fried mushrooms also known as Almi Fry.

But this time Apeksha, in line with her name wanted something different, a Biryani!

 For people who are aware of the way it pours here, in Goa, it will not be a surprise if I said I had very few vegetables and no coriander in the house.  I did not have any basmati rice also so I was very reluctant.

 But then when Apeksha wants something she can be very pervasive.  So I ended up making the Biryani in the mud pot that I had picked up from a restaurant. Thanks Sanjeev Anna and Vaani Vaini for the pot. It brought us back the memories of the time we spent together.

To make the Biryani you will need this long list of ingredients don’t worry the list is long but all the ingredients’ are in your pantry. These are the only pictures I have of this Biryani never expected I will be posting this one ever!

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups or 500 grms rice

  

  Mushroom Biryani

• 4 ½ cups water
• 3 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 inch of ginger
• 5 medium onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 ½ tsp of jeera
• 2 masala cardamoms
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 5-6 pepper corn
• 2-3 strands of mace or jaipatri
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 petals of star anise or dagad phool
• 2 green chillies
• 2 red chillies
• Turmeric
• ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• Few strands of saffron
• ½ cup milk
• Oil
• 3 tblspn ghee

Method:

• Wash and drain the rice. Set aside.
• Heat a steel katori switch off the gas and drop the saffron strands in it. The saffron strands will shrivel up. Let the katori cool before you crush some of the strands then add the milk. Set aside.
• Slice 2 onions lengthwise and keep them on a paper napkin.  Then deep fry them in sufficient oil. Drain and set aside.
• Now fry the cashew nuts and set them aside. You can also fry raisins but since they are not appreciated at home I don’t.

Rice for the Biryani:

• To the rice add the black cardamom or masala elicihi and star anise. Add the water, salt to taste and bring to boil.
• Cook till the rice is ¾ done or till all the water evaporates.
• Let the rice cool fully before fluffing it with a fork.

Masala for the Biryani:

• Grind the rest of the onions, ginger , garlic,  coriander seeds, jeera, cloves, pepper, mace, green cardamom, ½ the cinnamon, green chillies, red chillies, turmeric, red chilli powder( if using) to a fine paste. Set aside.
• Grind the tomatoes to a puree.
• In the oil that you have fried the onions and cashew nuts tip in the ground masala paste.fry till the oil oozes out.
• Add the tomato puree fry till the oil oozes out.
• Add the mushrooms mix well and cook covered till the mushrooms are done.

To assemble the Biryani:

• In the vessel that you are assembling the Biryani (generally its same vessel in which I cook the rice)
• Pour 1 tbsp ghee into the vessel and spread half of the rice at the bottom followed by the mushroom gravy spread rest of the rice as the top layer and drop 2 tbsp ghee.
• Pour the saffron milk on top.
• Seal the mouth of the vessel with a tight fitting lid. Seal the lid with some dough and place the vessel on the tawa.
• Heat the whole contraption for 15-20 minutes. After which you are free to open the seal and serve delicious fragrant Biryani.
• Serve with onion raita.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Methi Matar Biryani~ A vegetarian biryani with a difference

Methi Matar Biryani

This week in the blogging marathon I am taking you on a food trail in Biryani, Vegetarian Biryani!  This time I am  trying to improvise on these recipes which are basically  loved at home, but the" something different" that is wanted can be, hopefully addressed with these delicious  offerings.

When I was researching for paella and Biryani the theme that I have chosen this week I began my search with Wikipedia (I start there and end there.) I have discovered many many more that will find their way to the table hopefully soon….

Here is what I gathered…

Biryani the much love Indian dish has its origins shrouded in mystery.

Biryani’s origins are generally attributed to Mughals and Muslim traders. But there is one theory that says that there are references to a “fried rice ´aromatic with spices in the ancient texts such as Yagnavalkya Smriti and was enjoyed by the ruling class. Traditional Bengali cuisine also steams fish in the method that is now known as “dum “in an earthen pot.

So what is the Difference between Biryani and Pulao?

According to Wikipedia,”Pulao is another mixed rice dish popular in Indian cuisine. Although some of its varieties are associated with Persian influence in north India, it is also mentioned in ancient Indian texts such as Yagnavalkya Smriti. Opinions differ on the differences between pulao and Biryani, and whether there is a difference between the two at all.

According to the British-era author Abdul Halim Sharar, the Biryani has a stronger taste of curried rice due to a higher amount of spices. Pratibha Karan states that while the terms are often applied arbitrarily, the main distinction is that a Biryani comprises two layers of rice with a layer of meat (or vegetables) in the middle; the pulao is not layered. According to Holly Shaffer, based on her observations in Lucknow, in pulao, the rice and meat are cooked separately and then mixed before the dum cooking; in Biryani, the soaked rice is fried and then cooked with the meat and stronger spices.”

There are two kinds of Biryani : Kacchi or raw Biryani and Pakki or cooked Biryani!

Wait I do not expect you to eat the Biryani raw it’s just that in the  kacchi  Biryani  raw marinated meat is layered with raw rice before being cooked together. The pot is usually sealed (typically with wheat dough) to allow cooking in its own steam and not opened till ready to serve.

In pakki Biryani the cooked meat and cooked rice are layered.  

 A non-vegetarian Biryani may be made with chicken, mutton and sea food among types of meat.

 So how do the vegetarians enjoy Biryani?  We cook with vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, peas etc, rice, and masala. Ovo vegetarians will love egg Biryani.

However according to Sanjeev Kapoor, the Chef,” Though it is more common to link up any biryani with meat or chicken, it is a great revelation that Indian veg recipes, or Indian biryani veg recipes are not uncommon at all.

Let us see why and how. Vegetables add their beautiful flavour to aromatic rice and with a variety of spices and sometimes with a drizzle of fragrant ghee, a lovely dish is turned out. There are many variations and we will very quickly go through a simple one here.”

Here are some of the Biryani that I have made in the past.

Masoor Biryani, Zatpat Corn Biryani,Mutta Biryani or Egg Biryani, Biryani, Egg Biryani, Hydrabadi Dum Biryani !

 But do  join me in the feast that is to follow the next 3 days in my place.

This was the last biryani I made, I did not expect anyone to like this Biryani as it has methi and mattar or fenugreek leaves and green peas, two ingredients not much appreciated. 

The original recipe called for corn kernels that are boiled but as I did not have them in hand I used the green peas. 

Did I say I did not expect anyone to like this Biryani? Yes, I did not but it was so very loved as the aroma of the spices used are is so delicious I completely forgot to use the fried onion.

These pics are taken in the night so I need to remake the recipe again to share better pictures.

Methi Matar Biryani

Methi Matar Biryani

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Here

Ingredients:

• 1   cup basmati rice
• ½ tblspn ghee
• ¼ tsp jeera
• 1 bay leaf
•  1 masala elichi/black cardamom
• 1 ½ cup water
• Salt to taste
• 2 onions, sliced fine
• Oil to fry

To make a paste:

• 2 onions, diced
• ½ cup coconut, grated
• 1   inch ginger
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp sauf /fennel seeds
• 1 tsp khus khus/ poppy seeds
• 2 laung/cloves
• 3-4 kali mirich/pepper
•  ½ tsp dhania/coriander   powder
• ½ tsp jeera /cumin powder
• A pinch of shahi jeera

Other Ingredients:

• 1 tblspn oil
• 1 bay leaf
•  1 masala elichi/black cardamom
• ¼ tsp jeera
• 1 tomato, pureed
• ¼ cup curd/yogurt, whipped
• 1 cup green peas
• ½ cup methi/fenugreek leaves
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and drain the rice on a kitchen towel.
• Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed pan and sauté till fragrant the jeera, bay leaf, masala elichi.
• Stir fry the washed rice till you get a nice aroma.
• Add the water and the salt.
• Cook the rice.
•  Fry two sliced onions and set aside. 
•  Make a paste of ingredients under make a paste.
•  Heat in a thick-bottomed kadhai/wok and sauté till fragrant the ground paste and sauté till golden brown.
• Add the tomato puree and sauté till the oil oozes out.
• Add   yogurt, salt, ½ cup chopped fenugreek leaves and peas   and mix well. 

To assemble the biryani:

• Spread half the cooked rice in a layer in a thick-bottomed pan.
• Spread half the fenugreek-peas mixture.
• Repeat the layers once more and top with the fried onions.
• Cover the pan with aluminium foil and place it on a hot tawa.
• Cook over low heat for about ten minutes. 
• Serve hot with raita. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!