Sanoli's Kitchen

Saturday, March 30, 2013

HYDERABADI VEGETABLE DUM BIRYANI


 
South vs North Challenge is a concept and brain-child of our sweet friend Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian Food. Truelly a great going event where she divided this Indian Cuisine in two geographical parts: North Indian Cuisine and South Indian Cuisine. Food-bloggers have been placed in this event on the basis from where they belong to.  A member from North team and a member from South team respectively will challenge the opposite team members with an authentic recipe from their respective zone and opposite team have to publish the same on their space within a month. Wish to join in SNC, no further delay, just mail to divya.pramil@gmail.com
 
This month Swasthi Blank of Indian Healthy Recipes of South team challenged North team Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani and Kirti Choudhary Kardam of North team challenged South team Chana Dal Halwa/Barfi.

Today I am feeling so happy to complete SNC's 6th challenge. This vegetable dum biryani (Hyderabadi) was amongst such a delectable recipe which I wanted to post from a long time. A delightful and flavorsome biryani rice recipe cooked in Hyderabadi style with full of chopped veggies, and the combination of aromatic spices are really great and unique way to show your culinary skills to your family and guests. This biryani recipe is toothsome, mild and light. The blending of Mughlai and Telengana cuisines in the kitchen of Nizam, historic ruler of the Hyderabad State, resulted in the creation of Hyderabadi Biryani. Caremelized onions and yogurt released a very nice flavor in it. The preparation involves effort and time, but this effort is totally worth it.

INGREDIENTS:
250 ml Thick Plain Yogurt
1 tbsps Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder
1&1/4 tsp Biryani Masala (I used Shan Bombay Biryani Mix)
4 tbsps Clarified Butter or Oil
Few Strands of Saffron
30 ml Hot Milk (to soak the saffron strands)

FOR COOKING RICE:
1 Cup Aged Basmati Rice
1/4 tsp Shahi Jeera (caraway seeds)
5 Cups Water
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

DRY SPICES:
2" Cinnamon Stick
1-2 Black Cardamoms
4 Green Cardamoms
6 Cloves
2 Big Strands of Mace
1 Star Anise (I didn't use it, due to non-availablity in local market)
1/2 tsp Shahi Jeera (caraway seeds)
1 Bay Leaf

NUTS: (AS PER YOUR DESIRE)
15 nos. of Almonds
2 tbsps Raisins
10 nos. of Pistachios
20-25 Cashew Nuts

FRIED ONIONS:
1 Large Onion, cut in thin slices and deep fried till it turns into brown. How we can make more flavorful and perfect fried onions, CHECK HERE.

VEGGIES:
10 Medium sized Cauliflower Florets
2 Medium carrot (chopped)
1 Large Boiled Potato, cut in cubes (peel the skin and boil till 3/4th done)
A Handful of Green Peas
1&1/2 tbsps Finely Chopped Mint Leaves
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits

METHOD:
1. Heat clarified butter or oil in a pan or wok. Saute dry fruits in it for 2 minutes.


2. Remove from wok and drain on a paper towel, set aside.

3. In the same oil / clarified butter, add cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, mace, star anise and bay leaf in it. Saute for a minute, till a nice aroma comes out.

4. Add caraway seeds / shah jeera and saute.

5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.

6. Add potato pieces and fry for 2 minutes, followed by adding all veggies in it and fry for another 3 minutes.

7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, biryani masala and salt in it. Fry for a minute.

8. Pour 100 ml yogurt. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes.

9. Cook uncovered till the moisture in the yogurt evaporates.

10. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies in it. Fold nicely. Keep it aside.

11. In a large vessel, bring 5 cups of water to boil. Add oil, caraway seeds (shah jeera) and salt in it.

12. Now add rice in it.

13. Cook rice till it is 70% done. Drain off the excess water and set aside.

14. Soak the saffron strands in 30 ml warm milk. Keep it aside.

DUM PROCESS ON STOVE TOP:

In step 10 we had keep a side pan with veggies, transfer half of it to a dum biryani utensil or pressure pan. Set aside half of the veggies. Add nuts, raisins and fried onions. Pour the half of the leftover yogurt (not to that one that is set aside). Mix well and check the salt level. Begin to heat on a low flame.

Layer half of the rice on it.

Next layer the veggies that was set aside before. Add fried onions in it.

Layer rice again.

Add nuts, mint and coriander leaves.

Begin to heat an heavy bottom tawa and proceed. Pour saffron milk on the top.

Cover the utensil with alluminium foil tightly.

Place the lid and a heavy object on the lid. Move this pan on the hot tawa.

Cook on medium flame on 5 minutes and set the flame to low. Cook this way for 5 more minutes.


DUM PROCESS ON MICROOVEN (CONVECTION METHOD):

Divide the cooked veggies in two parts. Take a microoven safe bowl, add half of the veggies and remaining part of yogurt in it. Micro for 1 minutes.

Add nuts, raisins and fried onions in it. Layer with half portion of rice.

Layer the remaining veggies that was set aside before. Add fried onions.

Layer rice again.

Add nuts, chopped mint and coriander leaves.

Sprinkle saffron milk on the top. Place lid now.

Preheat microoven at 180 C. Place bowl inside oven now and cook for 20 minutes. Switch off the oven and keep it as it inside oven for another 5 minutes.

Delectable vegetable biryani is now ready to serve. Serve hot with any curry and raita.

NOTE: Cooking time and water may vary with each kind of rice. So if you feel that rice is still hard at the end of the process, do add little more water and cook in dum few more minutes on the lowest heat.

Thanks a lot Swasthi for this yummilicious recipe. Every one of my family enjoyed and relished it too much. Thanks Divya for giving me this opportunity.

Sending to

Sending to: "Spotlight: Show Your Best Creation" @ Cuisine Delights

Friday, March 22, 2013

APPY WATERMELON JUICE

Yesterday evening, I made a pitcher of sweet, refreshing watermelon juice to keep me and my family hydrated. Watermelon is an absolutely Summer fruit and can quench thrist on these hot days. The tangy and fizzy watermelon juice with little twist, can be served as a Summer drink or as a cocktail mixer. This recipe is easy to prepare and ended up being super delicious and if you have any left over watermelon in your refrigerator, you should really try this!!


INGREDIENTS:
2 Wedges of Watermelon
1/2 Apple (deseeded)
2 tbsps Sugar / Honey
1/4 tsp Black Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder (freshly pounded)

METHOD:

Refrigerate watermelon wedges for atleast two hours before use. Take out the chunks of watermelon from these two wedges. Deseed and it measures 3 cups of watermelon chunks. Keep it aside. Peel apple and cut it in tiny pieces. Set aside.

Blend watermelon chunks with sugar, black salt and black pepper powder to make a smooth pulp.

Pour equally in two serving glasses.

Place chopped apple on the top of the juice. Sprinkle little black salt and black pepper powder on the top of the glasses. Serve immediately.

Serves: 2
 
Sending to: Nayna's Event: Let's Cook for Kids
Sending to: Sizzling Tastebud's "Summer Splash "


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

PICNIC CHICKEN CURRY

Last month we went for a picnic and there we all enjoyed this luscious chicken curry. So, I adopted this toothsome recipe from our last picnic. With the use of very nominal spices, tastes truelly awesome! It takes only 25 minutes to cook on slow heat, a semi dry gravy, rich with tomato-onion. A stimulating chicken curry which will be ever memorable!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg Chicken, cut into medium sized pieces
4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cut each into halves
400 gm Onion (chopped)
1 Whole Garlic
4 Medium Tomatoes (chopped)
75 gm Ginger
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1&1/2" Cinnamon
2-3 Green Cardamoms
3-4 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
10-12 Green Chillies (as per taste), cut in slits
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
1/2 Cup Oil (Preferably Mustard Oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash chicken with luke warm water nicely. Drain water and set aside.

Grind garlic and ginger together to make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Marinate potato pieces with little turmeric and salt. Heat oil in a wok, add potatoes in it. Fry till potatoes turn golden. Drain oil and remove potatoes from the wok, set aside.
 
Temper with bay leaves, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves in the same oil. When a nice aroma comes out, add chopped onions in it.

Fry till it gets translucent.

Add ginger-garlic paste now. Fry for another a minute or two on medium heat.
 
Now add tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt in it. Fry for 4-5 minutes, till spices leave oil.

Add chicken now.

Mix up nicely.

Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes. Keep stirring occassionally.

Add fried potatoes now.
 
Fold thoroughly. Again cover and cook for another 10-12 minutes, till chicken and potato tender. Stir occassionally.

Add chopped coriander leaves now. Fold well. Remove from heat now.

Serve hot with roti, paratha, naan or plain rice. Enjoy this luscious chicken with full of flavour!
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

MINT COCONUT CHUTNEY

This time mint and coconut are abundantly available in local market. Fresh bunch of mint I bought to make this 'mint coconut chutney'. It is a popular great green chutney or Indian dip, very refreshing, tastes sublime!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR GRINDING:
3/4 Cup Fresh Mint Leaves (washed)
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
5-6 Green Chillies (according to taste)
A Small Quantity of Tamarind (I used 1 tsp)
1 tbsp Bengal Gram Lentil (roasted)
1/3" Ginger
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING:
1 tsp Urad Dal
3/4 tsp Mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
8 Curry Leaves
1 Whole Dry Red Chilli
1 tsp Oil

METHOD:
Saute mint leaves in a pan on medium flame for 2 minutes. Grind coconut, green chillies, gram lentil, tamarind salt and cumin seeds with little water for a minute. Now put mint leaves, ginger, turmeric and salt in it. Grind for another a minute till everything blend nicely.

Heat oil in a pan. Add asafoetida and mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. switch off heat now. Pour this seasoning over the blended mixture. Store it in a airtight container and refrigerate for several days. Serve with idlis, upma, uthappam, dosas or any kind of snacks; a good side dish with biryani or pulao too. Enjoy this toothsome chutney!!!

Monday, March 18, 2013

STEAMED EGG (BHAPA DIM)

This is an authentic bengali gravy 'mustard-coconut paste' which I mix-matched with boiled eggs and made it in microoven. I love eggs so much, that explore me to make it in different ways and each tastes better than the other. A mouthwatering and very flavorful recipe, simple and healthy dish, just try it. Tastes great!


INGREDIENTS:
2 Hard Boiled Eggs (preferably duck's eggs)
1&1/2 tbsps Hanged Curd (plain yogurt)
1 tbsp Mustard Paste
3 Finely Chopped Green Chillies (according to taste)
1/2 of a Small Coconut (pounded)
3-4 tbsps Mustard Oil (first heated till smokey, then cooled down)
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt as per taste

METHOD:

Shell the eggs and cut each egg into halves. Keep it aside.

In a microoven safe bowl, combine coconut paste, mustard paste, sour curd, lemon juice, chopped green chillies, cilantro, mustard oil, sugar and salt. Add 2 tbsps water in it. Mix everything nicely.

Now place egg pieces on it. Egg yolk side should touch the gravy.

Cover it with a lid. Micro it on 100% MW power for 3 minutes. Open the lid, turn the reverse side of egg pieces (now yolks are on the top).

Again micro for a minute of 100% MW power. Switched off. Keep it as it is inside the oven for 2 more minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice, pulao as  you like.

Enjoy this luscious steamed egg.

TIPS: Those who don't have microoven, just cook it in wok or non-
          stick pan, it comes out perfectly.