INSTANT WHITE PULAO

This recipe is very easy to make and tastes delicious. Very few ingredients are used, but nothing minimalist about its flavour.  When had with a spicy gravy, it becomes as a rich delish meal. Anytime, without any prior planning and preparation, anyone can make it. So, I called it "Instant Pulao".

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup long grain Basmati Rice
1 Medium sized Onion (sliced thin)
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
3 Green Cardamoms (whole)
2" Cinnamon Stick (broken roughly)
2 cloves (whole)
5-6 whole Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Ginger paste
2 tbsps whole Cashew nuts
1 tbsp Raisins
2 Cups of Hot Water
2 tbsps Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1/2 tsp Salt

METHOD:
Wash and soak rice for half an hour. Drain water from it and let it smear with ginger paste. Set aside.

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. After a couple of seconds, add bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamons, cloves, black peppercorns and cashew nuts. Stir for a few seconds. Then add sliced onions, fry till it turns golden brown.

Now add rice and raisins in it. Saute for another two minutes. After that add 2 cups of hot water and salt in it. Uncover, till it starts boiling.

Now stir well and cover the lid. Lower heat to medium low for perfectly 15 minutes. Please dont keep opening the lid from time to time. After 15  minutes, switched off gas burner and keeps as it is for another a minute.

Fluff with a fork and serve hot with any spicy curry dish or raita.

TIPS: You may add chicken or vegetable stock, instead of water. It increases flavor.
          Adding little milk with water, makes it rich.

Linking to: Nithubala's healthy-food-for-healthy-kids-event @ Latha's A Peek into My Kitchen

NOLEN GURER PAYESH / RICE PUDDING WITH DATE PALM MOLASSES

Memories of Winter, Poush Sankranti can not be celebrated without this delicious and traditional Bengali dessert. It is very popular during festive occassions. Everyone loves to relish the smell and taste of this nolen gur. It is very easy to cook and tastes undoubtedly great....

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Whole Milk
2 Cups Half & Half Milk
1/2 Cup Kala Jeera Rice (or Gobindo Bhog)
2 Bay leaves
1 lb Date Palm Molasses/Jaggery (Nolen Gur)
1 tsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
4 pods of Green Cardamoms (Crushed)
1/3 Cup Cashews and Raisins


METHOD:

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water from it and let it dry for few minutes. Smear the rice with 1/2 tsp clarified butter. Keep aside.

Heat 1/2 tsp clarified butter in a pan, fry cashews and raisins for few seconds and set aside. Now crush the date palm molasses and keep aside.

Pour whole milk and half & half in a deep bottomed sauce pan. Let it boil on medium heat. When it starts boiling, add rice and bay leaves in it and stir continuously for 15-20 minutes, otherwise it may burn from bottom. After 15-20 minutes rice is cooked nicely and the milk is reduced in half.

Now add raisins and cardamoms in it. Mix well and put off heat. Let it keep as it is for 3-4 minutes, then add molasses in it. By stirring mix well.

Serve cold. Garnish with cashews and raisins.

TIPS: If  'Kala Jeera Rice/Govinda Bhog' is not available, you may use Basmati Rice.

CRISPY & CRUNCHY FISH FRY

The actual version of fish fry is always made by 'bhetki fillet'. But Bhetki is not available here, so instead of that we may use Cod, Tilapia or any white fish fillet. It tastes great as an appetizer or side dish accompaning with main menu. This fish fry is available from road side street food corner to five star hotel, everywhere in Kolkata. From outside it is crispy and crunchy, but inside is tender with soft and spicy fish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 fillet of Tilapia (0.5 lb)
1 flake of Garlic (Grated)
1/3 tsp Ginger paste
1 tbsp grated Onion
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Green Chilli paste
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp Lemon juice
A pinch of Garam Masala
1 Egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Cut fish fillet into 4 slices. Mix onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli paste. Cover the fish slices with the layer of this paste. Then add black pepper powder, cumin powder, lemon juice, salt and garam masala in it. Marinate well and keep it in refrigerator for overnight.


Whisk 1 egg in a flat bowl to a smooth consistency. Pour bread crumbs mixed with little salt in a flat dish.


Heat enough oil for deep frying in a wok. Dip each fish slice in the whisked egg and roll it in bread crumb gently.

When oil is enough heated, slide the fish slices in it. Fry the fish slices on low flame, till both sides are nicely browned and crispy.


Serve hot with onion rings and mustard sauce.

PALAK PANEER / COTTAGE CHEESE IN SPINACH GRAVY

It is a highly nutritious and delicious dish, basically from North India. But now it is common to every Indians. Has a very good blend of flavour, taste and texture.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb (454 gm) Spinach (Washed and cut into big pieces)
14 OZ (397 gm) Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
5-6 Green Chillies
15 flakes of Garlic (finely chopped)
2" Ginger (finely chopped)
1 large Onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (or according to taste)
2 tbsps Cilantro paste
1 cup Yogurt (Sour Curd)
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 tbsps Sour Cream
2 tbsps Butter
2 tbsps Oil
1 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Heat water in a vessel. When it starts to boil, add spinach. Cook it for 2 minutes. Separate spinach from water. Blend spinach and green chillies together and make a smooth paste.

Cut cottage cheese into 1" cubes. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry lightly the cottage cheese cubes till golden and keep aside.

Heat butter in the same frying pan. Add cumin seeds. When it starts to crackle, add asafoetida, chopped garlic and ginger in it. Fry for 20 seconds. Now add chopped onions and fry till it gets translucent.

After that add yogurt, followed by turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder in it. Fry for 2 minutes. Now add spinach-green chilli paste, salt and cilantro paste in it. Mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

When spinach puree starts to boil, add Cottage cheese and shahi garam masala in it. Cook another 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Lastly, add lemon juice and sour cream in it. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with naan, roti or steamed basmati rice by garnishing cream on it.

TIPS: Firm tofu can be used instead of cottage cheese, as a non dairy substitute.

SIMPLE MUTTON BIRYANI

In traditional way, there are two kinds of biryani. Kachhi yakhnni biryani and the other way which I described here, is Pakki yakhnni biryani. Here meat and rice seperately cooked before being layered. All ingredients are cooked before baking. I tried to simplify this recipe, but it tastes really delectable.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb Mutton/Goat meat, cut in small pieces with bones (preferably ribs)
2 lb long grain Basmati rice (washed and soaked for half an hour)
2-3 large Onions (sliced)
3 large Tomatoes (chopped)
4 large Potatoes (peeled & halfed)
4 tbsps Ginger paste
1 1/2 tbsps Garlic paste
1 cup Plain Yoghurt
1 cup Oil
2 tbsps Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1 Pkt Shan Bombay Biriyani Mix
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Put all mutton pieces, 2 cups of warm water and 1 tbsp salt in a pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. After three whistle, remove the cooker from heat and allow to cool naturally. Seperate mutton pieces from the mutton stock. Keep aside seperately.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil for about 5 minutes. Fry the potatoes lightly. Remove the potatoes from the oil and keep aside. Add Onions in the remaining oil and fry till it turns golden brown. Add tomatoes and little salt, fry till oil seperates. Now add meat, potatoes, ginger paste, garlic paste, yoghurt and Shan Bombay Biriyani mix. Mix well. Fry for another 15-20 minutes till oil seperates. After that add seperated mutton stock in it. Cook on low heat. When the gravy becomes thick and mutton is tender, remove from heat.

Heat 2 litres of water in a vessel. When water starts boiling, add rice in it. Add 2 tsp salt in it. When rice is get cooked approximately 75%, remove the vessel from heat and drain rice. Keep it aside.

Preheat the oven to 225 F for 10 minutes. Grease large baking dish with few drops of clarified butter and spread 1/3 of rice in it. Now spread half of the cooked mutton-potato with gravy on it. Spread another layer of rice on the top followed by the rest of mutton-potato gravy. Finally cover the mutton with last portion of rice. Sprinkle the remaining clarified butter on the top of the rice. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and put it in oven for 40 minutes. After that mix well.

Garnish with boiled eggs. Serve hot specially with raita.

TIPS: You may use micro-oven for baking. You can microwave for 10 minutes, 50% Microwave power.

Enjoy this biryani! Your comments are vital, so don't forget to give feedback in comments........thanks.

Sending this to Sara's Event Cooking with Love Series, hosted at Torviewtoronto

 

Linking to: Pari's 'Only'-Recipes From The Royal Kitchens @ Divya's culinary journey

 

Linking to: Virtual Eid Potluck party  @ My Culinary Adventures





EGGLESS PINEAPPLE MOUSSE

Pineapple mousse is a delicious, fluffy and creamy dessert. It is very easy to make and refreshing too.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Can Crushed Pineapple (1 lb 4 OZ / 567gm)

2 Pkts of 2.9 OZ (82gm) Lemon flavoured Gelatin/Jello (2.9OZ * 2)

10-12 nos. Pineapple Chunks (Canned)

14 OZ (396gm) Condensed Milk

8 OZ (226gm) Whipped Cream

1 Cup Water

METHOD:

Heat 1 cup of water in a small sauce pan. When it starts to boil, switch off the oven. Pour the water in a large glass bowl and add 2 pkts of gelatin/jello in it. Stir for 1 minute till jello desolves and refrigerate the bowl for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, take out the bowl from refrigerator, stir well for another minute. Now add condensed milk and crushed pineapple in it. Beat well for 8-10 minutes till it get smooth. Again put the bowl in refrigerator for half an hour.

Now gently mix whipped cream in it. Place the whole mixture in a flat serving bowl. Spread the pineapple chunks on the upper layer by covering whipped cream.

Refrigerate the whole mixture for 6-8 hours untill it firms. Serve cool in Squares or wedges.

KADHAI PANEER

Very easy and simple North Indian recipe, generally made by whole spices. It is a nice blend of bell peppers, cardamoms and dry fenugreek leaves. Tastes simply delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Red or Orange Bell Pepper
2 tsp Coriander seeds
3 whole Red Chillies
3 green chillies cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder
2 tsp finely chopped Garlic
2 tsp finely chopped Ginger
3 chopped Tomatoes
1 large Onion (sliced)
1 1/2 tbsps Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
1 1/2" Cinnamon stick
3 Green Cardamoms
1 tsp roasted Cumin seeds (Coarsely pounded)
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro
3 tbsps Oil
1 tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut cottage cheese into 1 1/2" long pieces. Cut red and green bell pappers into strips.

Coarsely pound coriander seeds, red chillies, cinnamon, cardamoms and roasted cumin seeds. Keep this dry grinded spices aside.

Heat oil in a wok on medium heat. State the paneer pieces for 2 minutes and drain all the pieces on kitchen paper towel.

In the same oil, add chopped garlic and ginger, followed by onion slices. Fry till onions turn into traslucent.

Add chopped tomatoes, dry grinded spices and salt. Continue frying till spices leave oil. Now add bell peppers, stir about 2 minutes.

Add cottage cheese, dry mango powder and butter in it. Rub dry fenugreek leaves within two palms, make dust and add in it. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes till all spices coat on cottage cheese very well. Now add Chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Serve hot with naan or tandoori roti.

TIPS: The crunchiness and colours of bell peppers should not change.

           This is a semi-dry dish, no water used here.
           I used fresh homemade paneer for softness and better taste.