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!

 

Aloo Methi/Fenugreek and Potato

Aloo Methi

One of my fondest memories is Amma’s Aloo Methi. No matter how much I try I cannot make it like her.

Here also I was not satisfied with the taste.

Aloo Methi

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups potato peeled, cut in cubes
• 4 cups fresh methi /fenugreek (methi) leaves
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1 tblspn ginger, chopped
• 2 red chillies, dry broken into pieces
• 1 tsp green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tsp dhania/ coriander powder
• ½ tsp haldi
• ¼   tsp hing/asafoetida
• 4 tblspn oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
• Add garlic, ginger, red chillies, stir.
• Add the potatoes and stir add salt mix well and cook covered for about 5 minutes till potatoes are almost done.
• Add the fenugreek leaves, coriander powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Cook covered for 10 minutes on a low flame.
• Serve hot.

 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45

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!

 

Corn n Rice with Greens cooked North East Indian Style~Indian State Meghalaya

Corn n Rice with Greens cooked North East Indian Style~Indian State Meghalaya

At Meghalaya today! So what are you going to eat for....

The people of Meghalaya, like the other indigenous communities, have their typical cooking pattern, according to the availability of food stuffs in Meghalaya. Moreover, the Meghalaya cuisine can be divided into three distinctive styles: Garo, Khasi and Jaintia.

However inspite of their differences in the cooking styles of the tribes the main Meghalaya food comprises of rice along with fish or meat preparations. The food crops of Meghalaya are rice and maize, rice being the staple food. 

 Fruits like oranges, guava, pineapples, bananas, lemon, etc form an important part of the food in Meghalaya and are grown here.

The people of Meghalaya have a varied diet from rice and maize,  millet, tapioca, etc. Besides, the people of Meghalaya rear goats, pig, ducks, and fowls and consume their meat they also eat the meat of bison, deer, wild pigs, etc. Fish, crabs, eels, prawns, dry fishes also form a major part of the food in Meghalaya.

The people of Meghalaya practice 'jhum' cultivation; and the yields are a part of diet.

Don’t be surprised if you see  the people of Meghalaya are chewing Betel leaf and unripe betel nut. Like in the mainland  people  prefer having betel leaf, along with dried tobacco and lime.

In Meghalaya, a special kind of beer is prepared from fermented rice. The rice beer is prepared by fermenting the rice, and then distilling it. The use of rice-beer is most prevalent during the various religious ceremonies.

Thus, it is evident that the Meghalayan food is a typical Meghalaya cuisine with its own innovations and delicacies. 

Coing down to my experiences cooking for Meghalaya...

Kandya- che-Appe

One recipe that had caught my eye long ago was on Priya’s Blog at Now Serving was Baked Pakoda.

And the wonder of wonders I followed her instructions the only place I deviated was( when I the kids got hungry and wanted immediate feeding ) I had to get out my appe patra also know  as gunpangala or paniyaram tava. 

They disappeared as fast as they appeared on the plate. Barely managed the pics.

Here is the original recipe.

Thus ends the story of baked pakaoda which turned into Kandya-che -Appe as my niece called them!!
Thanks Priya this one rocks!!

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes by Aipi and Priya

Kalyani's Valentine Fest-Served with love

Sangeetha's Show me your Hits

Archana

Potato and Spinach Kabab?

W hat do you when you have potatoes, that ane not too big to be called small potatoes and not too small to be called baby potatoes?

What do you do when you have palak that has about given up on you?

Cook them together right?

 That is exactly what I have done here. Since I am not too sure about the classification of this dish I have called it Kabab?

Spring Onion Stir Fry or Kanda Path Bhaji

I am finding it difficult to post anything! Is this the writer’s block or that I still have to read 200 posts that are lying in my reader?

  One break and so many posts I just cannot seem to catch-up.

Should remind myself next time I take a break.

Anyway here is a simple stir fry that I make out of spring onions often. Not only is it tasty it is also ready in a jiffy.  J

Dhavi Bhaji

DHAVI BHAJI

  Here in Goa this leafy vegetable is called “Dhavi Bhaji” I googled a bit and found  and found this a list of Goa’s top ten nutritious monsoon vegetables by Dr. Nandakumar Kamat as eminent Goan Personality. He has listed “Dhavi Bhaji” as   “Fifth is the white amaranthus locally known as ‘dhavi bhaji’.”

The only problem with it has a lot of sand and needs to be washed in lots of running water.

After picking, chopping and washing the leaves (the tender stalks I have preserved to make a salad) only. I panicked a bit as I had not planned on any other vegetable and if this was rejected I would have s crisis. But I was needlessly worried it got an enthusiastic response.

Traditionally it is made in a phodni of little ginger, onions, toor daal and coconut but I twisted it a bit made it like my Granny made it and a little like my MIL

Ingredients:

For 3 bunches of leaves  

2 onions

1 tomato

2 cloves garlic

2 green chillies

A tsp rava

Salt

Oil

Mustard

Haldi/turmeric

Red chilli powder

Method:

1.       Heat oil in a kadhai ,splutter the mustard

2.        Add haldi/turmeric, chilli powder and green chillies and garlic crushed.

3.       Immediately add the onions stir and add the leafy vegetables.

4.       Let it reduce a bit then add the tomatoes and salt.

5.       Stir again sprinkle the rave mix and steam for 2 minutes under cover.

6.       Generally I do not remove the lid immediately I let the vegetable cool under the cover and then transfer to the serving bowl.

Reposting Franky or Wraps

The basic wrap(no salads at all)

Since we were supposed to visit friends and I had to cook only for my FIL.

 I cannot cook for one person and hence the Peas Palak that I had made was too much for him and for the rest of us to finish in the evening. As I did not want to throw it out I made "Franky"(basically I am reposting Franky)  as we called it in the past. Now I would prefer to call it "Wrap" but the name "Franky" is stuck with the kids and hence we and  so franky it is!

You can use the Hara Bhara Kabab Recipe and make the same cutlets. Only today ground the peas palak with green chillies and added 1 1/2  cup of rolled oats to the dough to make the dough into a smooth and not too free flowing. The cutlets I made are longish and I rolled them in oats. The shallow cutlets are wrapped in chappati smeared with cheese spread and tomato sauce. 

 The only photographs I had taken were when Akanksha, my younger daughter was eating there are no salads in it. You can add tomatoes, onions and capsicum. They taste better!!

Longish cutlets ready for the fry pan

My younger daughter's wrap getting ready(no salad lots of ketchup)

P.S. You can also use green chutney and tamarind chutney as a spread.

Garlic chutney and dates chutney.
I am sending this entry to Priya's Priyas's Easy N Tasty Recipes  Cooking With Whole Foods - Oats and Kiran of Sumudra's Cooking with Whole Foods(CWF)

I am sending this entry to http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com/

Muddi Palaya( Golaa Bhaji)

'Muddi pallaya' and rice or 'bhakri' i.e. jowar roti was a favourite among us siblings. My kids also like Muddi pallaya. The method I had to relearn, as my kids liked more of Savita Mami's pallaya. I tried it often but since I am a slow learner I tend to forget the ingredients and the process. Hence this essay.

Mami made it out of Palak, methi and Pundi Pallaya –this is a sour vegetable. Her instructions were if no pundi pallaya is available use tamarind.

I have after a lot of trial and error discovered that the pallaya tastes better if you use the daal to thicken the vegetable. The easiest way I have found is to cook more daal and add till the whole thing thickens to one homogeneous mass.

Wash and cut the green leafy vegetables.
Cook toor daal.
Put in the vegetables and cook covered.
Add the cooked daal and tamarind if you are not using some sour leafy vegetable you can also add jaggary.
Grind together green chilli, jeera, asafoetida, coriander and garlic.
Add to mixture add salt.
In oil add mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves, dry chillies, urid daal, jeera, methi seeds and garlic and pour over the cooked vegetable. Mix and serve.

P.S. take care that your methi seeds do not blacken as this will make your vegetable bitter.