Vegetable Biriyani

Strangely I am not a big fan of Biriyani but Kundan is, so I prepare it once in a while and this time I have captured it for the blog. Biriyani basically refers to rice dish prepared with roasted vegetables or meat and a rich blend of spices. This dish was invented during the period of mughal empires and now is fondly relished largely in south asia. There are umpteen biriyani varieties each having its own origin and flavour; this one is quite a simple version of biriyani that I tried this time.

Serves:  2

Preparation Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Basmati rice – 2 cups

2.    Tomato - 3

3.    Carrot – 2

4.    Broccoli or Cauliflower – ½ head

5.     Onion – 1 + 3

6.    Green chilies – 4

7.     Coriander – ½ of a bunch finely chopped

8.    Meal maker – 1 cup

9.    Biriyani masala powder – 2 tbsp

10. Butter – 1 tbsp

11.  Oil - for deep frying onion to make barista + 2 tbsp

12. Cloves – 3

13. Cardamom – 2

14. Bay leaf – 1

15.  Marathi moggu – 2

16. Star anise – 1

17. Cinnamon – 2 “ piece

18.Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

              19. Salt as required

              20. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak basmati rice in the water required to cook (I use 1: 1.5 proportion)

Step 2: Thinly slice 3 onions and deep fry them in oil, this is called barista and is a major flavour of any biriyani.

Step 3: Chop other vegetables and keep ready.

Step 4: Boil salted water and add the soy chunks to it; after 3 minutes squeeze out the water and keep it aside.

Step 5: Heat 2tbsp of oil in the pressure cooker, temper with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, Marathi moggu, bay leaf and then sauté ginger garlic paste, onion and some coriander in it.

Step 6:  Add other vegetables in the cooker and add to it the prepared soy chunks or meal maker.

Step 7: Add biriyani masala, turmeric, some more coriander leaves, butter and mix well.

Step 8: Drain and add the soaked rice, season with required salt and fry for 2 minutes.

Step 9: Pour in the rice soaked water, add half the barista and some coriander leaves. Close the cooker lid and let it cook for two whistles.

Step 10: When the pressure subsides, open the cooker, garnish with crisp barista and fresh coriander leaves.

Step 11: Serve hot with the classic onion raita combination.

Potato Moong Salad

Potato salad is quite filling and so can easily be substituted for a meal. It is considered to have lower GI if eaten boiled, not mashed and cool; hence is a good choice for people who want to lose weight. It is very wholesome with carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients.

Serves:  2

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  5 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Potatoes – 2

2.    Moong sprouts – 1 cup

3.    Tomato – 1

4.    Onion – 1

5.     Green chili – 1

6.    Pepper crushed – ¼ tsp

7.     Salt as per taste

8.    Lemon – ½

9.    Olive oil – ½ tbsp

10.            Coriander chopped – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

Step 1: Boil the potatoes with salt, peel and cube them.

Step 2: Steam the sprouts with a pinch of salt.

Step 3: Chop the onion, tomato, green chili finely.

Step 4: Take all of these in a mixing bowl, sprinkle enough salt, crushed pepper; drizzle olive oil and juice of half a lemon and toss them well.

Step 5: Check and adjust taste before serving normal temperature or chilled.

Neer Mor Saadam

Coming from a village in Tamil Nadu, I am very much acquainted with pazhayathu or pazhanjaadam or neer  mor saadam. Though it is not a regular summer practice at our home, we did relish it often during the scorching summer while on vacation to our native. But now, knowing its benefits I have made this as our summer breakfast at least thrice a week. It cools the body, acts as a wonderful probiotic, very light and yet nutritious, completely medicinal yet tastes heavenly (of course, you need to have a taste for it.)

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: NA

Ingredients:

1.      Steamed rice – 2 cups (Should not be hot or warm)

2.    Water – 1 lt

3. Salt – 1 tbsp (Body requires more salt and water to fight summer)

4.    Butter milk – ½ cup

Ø Preferably a mud pot to soak in.

Ø To accompany peeled raw shallots (madras vengayam or sambar vengayam) are the best, though green chilies or yoghurt chilies or the like would go well.

Method:

Step 1: Take the clean mud pot and put the steamed rice into it. The rice should not be hot.

Step 2: Add a litre of water, butter milk and enough salt.

Step 3: Mix well and leave it closed overnight.

Step 4: In the morning, stir well and serve with onion or chilies.

TIPS:

*My mom adds citrus leaves and curry leaves to give it an awesome flavour. Sometimes I fancy it with lemon rinds.

*My mom’s aunt makes tempering to it with mustard, asafoetida, yoghurt chilies, and crushed garlic with peel.

*Some people add chopped onion and chilies to it so that they don’t have to take them separately; I prefer them freshly bitten (oru kadi, oru kudi ;) that’s the classic way to have the dish)