MOONG PALAK PANEER BIRYANI

Hello everyone 

Biryani is a tempting treat for all who love rice dishes. Even I am too fond of biryani , especially veg version. This time thought to try something different , so tried moong palak paneer biryani. It is full of protein , iron and fibre to fulfill our nutrient needs with deliciousness. It is as spicy as hyderabadi biryani and so tempting to lure any biryani lover.  Though my way of cooking don't call for too much oil or butter hence this one is also one of the low calorie and healthy biryani compared to regular ones. This is also simple to cook and don't need any special utensil or technique, even then you can get quiet authentic taste. Step wise recipe is given below hope you all will definitely give it a try.

MOONG PALAK PANEER BIRYANI 

Serves: 4-5

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

2 cup soaked whole moong dal
2 cup spinach , finely chopped
2 cup cottage cheese ( paneer), cubed
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4-5 green chillies , slitted
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 big tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp Kashmiri red chili
1 1/2 tbsp biryani masala powder
Oil
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

For veggie tempering:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaves

For rice:

3 cup basmati or biryani rice, soaked for at least 30 mins

water

1 tsp salt

1 star anise

1 black cardamom

4 green cardamom 

4 cloves

2 inches piece cinnamon 

1 inch piece mace
2 bay leaves

For layering:

1/4 cup milk

 1 cup mint and corianderleaves, chopped

1 tsp Kewda essence or rose water

2 tsp ghee 

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk or red and yellow edible colors 

1 big onion, thinly sliced and deep fried till golden brown 

Fried dry fruits ( almonds, cashew, raisins) for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and fry onion till brown for layering .Fry dry fruits in the same oil and drain on a tissue paper. Keep aside for later use. 

Now add ghee and oil in same wok and add all veggie tempering spices and saute till aromatic, then add thinly sliced onions .

 Saute till nice golden, add ginger garlic paste and green chilies ,saute for 2 mins.

 Add all dry spice powder and saute for a minute. 

Add moong and salt, saute for 3-4 mins. Now cover to cook till moong is cooked till done but still crunchy. 

Now add chopped spinach and saute for few minutes till spinach srinks. Add chopped or pureed tomatoes and saute till raw smell of tomatoes goes off .

 Now add paneer cubes , adjust salt and saute for 2-3 mins on high flame to evaporate all extra moisture. switch off the flame and keep aside till layering.

In the mean while start preparing rice too. Boil enough water in a heavy bottom vessel, add all whole spices and salt in it. Add drained rice. 

Let it cook till 80% done but not completely soft. Drain rice in a sieve or colander , may be some liquid will drain. You can use this in your veggies or for kneading dough.

* Don't overcook otherwise you will end up with veggie khichadi. Use water as per requirement, as different rice needs different quantity of water. I don't add too much water to drain but it should be enough to boil your rice till right consistency.

Now for layering, first of all make layer of round sliced tomatoes in the base of the vessel. It will prevent veggies from burning while put on dum.

 Now divide veggies and rice in two to three equal parts. Spread one layer of veggies then spread some of mint leaves all over it then sprinkle, red color or saffron strands soaked in milk. 

Now spread next part of rice on it evenly so that it cover whole veggies.Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk on it, then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of Kewda or rose water ,spread half of fried or grilled brown onions and some of mint leaves on it. Similarly make another layer of veggies on it and rice layer. 

Finally pour 2 tsp ghee all over it. You can make 2-3 layers of each veggies and rice, as per your convenience and quantity. 

* Reserve some fried onions for garnishing while serving.

Finally cover it well with an aluminum foil so that it can be put on dum. You can also seal it with dough.

Now keep a tawa on low flame and put this biryani pot on it and dum it for 25-30 mins. 

Switch of the flame and let it rest for at least 10-15 mins so that all the flavours and aroma of spices and essences get infused in whole dish. 

Then open the lid and flip biryani with fork or skewer to get nice fluffy rice. Garnish with fried onions and dry fruits.

Your aromatic,easy, yummy and flavourful biryani is ready to be served with tomato onion raita.

* Add some water to moong while cooking, if needed.

* Always try to cook rice and veggies simultaneously so that you will get nice fluffy biryani. Never cook rice too early otherwise it may stick. If it's not possible to cook both at a time then first cook veggies then go to rice. Or add a little ghee in rice and keep aside open to stop further cooking .

* Never mix biryani with spatula, always use a fork or best to flip it by tossing.

* If you ran out of fresh mint leaves then can use crushed dry mint also.

It's a one pot meal that none of the biryani lover can refuse. Its aroma is sufficient to bring you to the dinning room. 

This can be a hit dish for any get together or family party. You need not to serve too many dishes with it only simple raita is enough to accompany it.

Hope you will definitely give it a try, it might be looking a long recipe but believe me it will not take your much effort and time . 

At last you will never regret for trying it, it's a must try recipe for all biryani lovers.

Please stop by and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

LEMON RICE

Hello everyone

South Indian flavours are my all time favorite. That's why I often used to prepare South Indian delicacies at my home and everyone loves it a lot. Today I was not in mood of cooking but some thing must be needed for our dinner. Then idea strikes to make lemon rice as I had lots of cooked rice from lunch and these will be perfect for preparing lemon rice in no time. As everyone have their own way of preparing the same dish, so here is mine version of lemon rice which never let me down in flavours. I can relish on these lemonish beauty any time.
Recipe is given below, hope you all will love to try it.

LEMON RICE

Serves: 3-4
Time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients

3- 4 cups cooked rice
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)
1 tbsp Chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
1/4 cup peanuts ( optional)
2-3 springs curry leaves
3-4 dry red chilies
2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder ( completely optional, I added to spice up)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice ( adjust as per taste)
Salt to taste
Oil


Method:

Heat oil in a wok, add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let it crackle then add peanuts and fry for 2-3 mins. Then add Chana dal and fry till light golden . Add urad dal and saute for few seconds, till light golden. Now add both chilies and curry leaves. Saute for a minute then add turmeric powder. Just stir for a second and lemon juice followed by rice, black pepper and salt. Mix everything well and saute for 2-3 minutes to incorporate all the flavours in rice. Serve hot with any raita or as it is. It needs nothing to accompany as is full of aroma and flavour.

** Always try to add pre cooked rice ,  cooked atleast 3-4 hrs earlier. This will give nice fluffy rice.

* Don't add both dal together to fry as urad dal burns quickly. So follow the steps religiously.

* After adding lemon juice, immediately add rice as cooking of lemon juice may turn it little bitter.

* Adjust chilies and lemon juice as per taste.

Enjoy this super easy rice dish and satisfy your hunger in a yummy way. This will be best for lunch, dinner, breakfast or even for tiffin too.

Do try this simplest recipe and let me know your experience. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

SPANISH RICE

Hello everyone

Rice is a grain which is used worldwide with different taste and texture. And today I am going to share one of such rice dish which is not from Indian cuisine. As we know Spanish dishes are not so spicy yet full of flavours. Once I came across a recipe of Spanish rice preparation, from that very day I thought to give it a try some day and luckily today made it. And viola it turned out super delicious beyond my expectations. So thought to why not share this tempting recipe with you all. There are no lots of ingredients or utensils needed to prepare it .But Believe me , you will never regret, atleast give it a try once and you will fall in love with it. Recipe adopted from Home Cooking.

Stepwise recipe is given below, do try and don't forget to share your experience with me.

SPANISH RICE

Serves: 4-5

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 cups long grain aged rice ( preferably basmati rice), washed and soaked for atleast 30 mins

2 big onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic , finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp oregano

2-3 big tomatoes, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Method: 

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions followed by garlic. Saute till transparent then add drained rice and Saute till rice become little golden. 

Now add tomatoes and oregano. Saute for 2 mins and add 4 cups water ( depend on quality of rice). Add salt and let it boil on high flame. Now cook till top of rice starts looking dry. 

Now lower the flame to minimum and cover rice with lid. Let it simmer for another 5 mins and put off the flame. 

Let it rest for 5 mins then open lid and mix the rice  lightly with a fork or knife. Again cover with lid and let it rest for another 10 mins.

 Now garnish with spring onions and serve hot with your choice of raita /curry/ chutney .

* Always use fork or knife to mix your rice to avoid breaking it.

* You can also use vegetable/ chicken stock instead of plain water to enhance its flavour. But then use salt accordingly as stocks are high in salt content.

Your super delicious aromatic rice is ready in no time to please your guests and family members.

Even kids too like this rice. You can prepare it for their tiffin or for any lazy day lunch/dinner.

So enjoy this easy peasy super yum treat and don't forget to remember me . Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

AWADHI VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Hello everyone 

Biryani is a tempting treat for all who love rice dishes. Even I am too fond of biryani , especially veg version. This time thought to try something different , so tried Awadhi biryani. It is not as spicy as hyderabadi biryani yet so tempting to lure any biryani lover.Though my way of cooking don't call for too much oil or butter hence this one is also one of the low calorie biryani compared to regular ones. This is also simple to cook and don't need any special utensil or technique, even then you can get quiet authentic taste. Step wise recipe is given below hope you all will definitely give it a try.

Recipe adopted from Pankaj Bhadouria.

AWADHI VEGETABLE BIRYANI 

Serves: 4-5

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup green peas

1 large carrot, chopped 

1/2 cup beans, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 big onion, sliced

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp black pepper powder 

3/4 cup thick yogurt ( curd), beaten

Salt to taste

Oil

1 tsp ghee

For veggie tempering:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 inch piece mace

For rice:

3 cup basmati or biryani rice, soaked for at least 30 mins

water

1 tsp salt

1 star anise

1 black cardamom

4 green cardamom 

4 cloves

2 inches piece cinnamon 

2 bay leaves

1 inch piece mace

For layering:

1/4 cup milk

 Handful mint leaves

1 tsp Kewda essence or rose water

2 tsp ghee 

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk or red and yellow edible colors 

1 big onion, thinly sliced and deep fried till golden brown 

Fried dry fruits ( almonds, cashew, raisins) for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and fry onion till brown for layering .Fry dry fruits in the same oil and drain on a tissue paper. Keep aside for later use. 

Now add ghee and oil in same wok and add all veggie tempering spices and saute till aromatic, then add thinly sliced onions .

 Saute till nice golden, add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. 

Add all chopped veggies and saute for 3-4 mins. Now add salt and black pepper powder. Mix well and add beaten curd.

 Again mix well and cook stirring constantly till it start boiling. Now cover and let the veggies cook till done but still crunchy. 

Switch off the flame and veggies are ready for layering.

In the mean while start preparing rice too. Boil enough water in a heavy bottom vessel, add all whole spices and salt in it. Add drained rice. 

Let it cook till 80% done but not completely soft. Drain rice in a sieve or colander , may be some liquid will drain. You can use this in your veggies or for kneading dough.

* Don't overcook otherwise you will end up with veggie khichadi. Use water as per requirement, as different rice needs different quantity of water. I don't add too much water to drain but it should be enough to boil your rice till right consistency.

Now for layering, divide veggies and rice in two to three equal parts. Spread one layer of veggies then spread some of mint leaves all over it then sprinkle, red color or saffron strands soaked in milk. 

Now spread next part of rice on it evenly so that it cover whole veggies.Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk on it, then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of Kewda or rose water ,spread half of fried or grilled brown onions and some of mint leaves on it. Similarly make another layer of veggies on it and rice layer. 

Finally pour 2 tsp ghee all over it. You can make 2-3 layers of each veggies and rice, as per your convenience and quantity. 

* Reserve some fried onions for garnishing while serving.

Finally cover it well with an aluminum foil so that it can be put on dum. You can also seal it with dough.

Now keep a tawa on low flame and put this biryani pot on it and dum it for 20-25 mins. 

Switch of the flame and let it rest for at least 10-15 mins so that all the flavours and aroma of spices and essences get infused in whole dish. 

Then open the lid and flip biryani with fork or skewer to get nice fluffy rice. Garnish with fried onions and dry fruits.

Your aromatic,easy, yummy and flavour full biryani is ready to be served with tomato onion raita.

* Always try to cook rice and veggies simultaneously so that you will get nice fluffy biryani. Never cook rice too early otherwise it may stick. If it's not possible to cook both at a time then first cook veggies then go to rice.

*** I accidentally added 2 tsp of white vinegar on rice while layering and believe me it doesn't smell or taste like vinegar after dum and gave much fluffier rice at the end. You can also try my this mistake and get much delicious outcome😁😁. 

* Never mix biryani with spatula, always use a fork or best to flip it by tossing.

* If you ran out of fresh mint leaves then can use crushed dry mint also.

It's a one pot meal that none of the biryani lover can refuse. Its aroma is sufficient to bring you to the dinning room. 

This can be a hit dish for any get together or family party. You need not to serve too many dishes with it only simple raita is enough to accompany it.

Hope you will definitely give it a try, it might be looking a long recipe but believe me it will not take your much effort and time . 

At last you will never regret for trying it, it's a must try recipe for all biryani lovers.

Please stop by and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

CHANA DAL PULAO

Hello everyone 

Some times we don't feel like to prepare a huge dinner/lunch spread but also don't want to serve khichadi or Dalia then this one is a perfect fuss free one pot healthy meal for everyone in your family, as kids too love this tempting combo of Chana dal and rice. To serve a full meal with goodness of protein and carbs with new variation, you can try this without much effort and full of flavours.

It is so healthy and easy recipe that anyone can try without fail, at the same time super yummy too. You should must give it a try if you too have fussy eaters like mine, believe me you will never regret.

Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you will like it and definitely give it a try.

CHANA DAL PULAO

Serves: 4-5

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Chana dal, soaked in hot water for 1 hr

2 cup basmati or any aged rice, soaked in normal water for 1/2 -1 hr

2 medium onion,finely chopped 

2-3 green chilies, slitted

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste

Oil

Dry fruits of your choice ( cashews, raisins, almonds etc), I skipped as my kids don't like.

For tempering:

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves

4 green cardamom 

1 inch piece cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

Method:

First of all Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel, add dry fruits ( if using)and fry till little golden , remove on a tissue paper and keep them aside for later use.

 Now add all spices of tempering section in the same oil and saute till everything crackled and become aromatic. Be careful while sautéing so not to burn spices. Now add green chillies and chopped onions, saute till nice golden then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. 

Now add Chana dal , turmeric powder and some salt. Fry it for 3-4 mins and then add 1/4 cup water and cover to cook. Stir occasionally to avoid burning . When Chana dal is 70-80% cooked ( if needed you can add more water to cook dal) and all extra water from pan is evaporated ,add rice and fry for 2-3 mins .

Then add remaining water of rice and 2 1/2 - 3 cup of more water( depending on variety of rice) i.e. Double the amount of rice and dal. Add salt and Let it cook at high flame, when it starts looking little dry on top then lower the flame and cover with lid. Let it simmer for 5 mins. Then switch off the flame. 

Flip it with fork or knife to make fluffy pulao.

 Let it sit for 5- 10 mins covered, then open the lid and add fried dry fruits  to it and mix with light hand gently and serve with raita and mint chutney.

 Your easy, yummy and super healthy pulao is ready to be served with gravy dish or with simple raita and chutney. It taste best even if taken as it is, it doesn't need any thing else to go with. A simple one pot meal loved by everyone.

** I soaked rice in exact 2 cup of water to spare me with any indecision of how much water to be added for cooking rice. As we know 2:1 water rice ratio is needed to cook nice fluffy rice, but when we soak it then it already absorb some water and then our ratio gets disturb. So avoid this situation I soaked in exact amount of water and then used the same in cooking too. This will ensure you to get nicely cooked fluffy rice. 

** Make sure to cook dal first before adding rice to it. As both have different cooking time and if added together then dal may remain uncooked at the end.

*You can use any veggies also as per your choice and availability. But then taste may change.

* If you love dry fruits then must add to get much richer flavours in your pulao.

* You can also add dry spice powder while frying dal to make more spicy pulao, I skipped as wanted mild one.

** Don't skip soaking of dal and rice, as it ensure even and quick cooking . And to get nice fluffy end result must soak for mentioned time and at adequate temp.

Hope you all will like this super healthy and yummy rice dish, so please drop down your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....