Vegetable Biryani

Who doesn't love a big plate of hot, spicy, delicious Biryani on a cold evening? It's one those comfort foods that you crave after a busy day, but hearing "Biryani" often means a long time in the kitchen. Not at all! 

This version of Veg Biryani I'm sharing takes less than an hour of cooking but tastes no less amazing than the traditional slow cooked method.

Here it is, my version of VEGETABLE BIRYANI:

Ingredients: 1 cup long grain Basmati Rice, 1 onion sliced thin, 1 carrot chopped, 1 potato chopped, 1 capsicum chopped, handful of beans chopped, handful of Cauliflower florets, 1/2 cup yogurt/curds, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric powder, few chillies as desired, 2 tbsp cashews, 1 tbsp ghee, few cinnamon sticks, few cloves, few peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, salt to taste, 3 tbsps milk, 5/6 strands saffron, handful of chopped mint leaves and coriander.

Make: 

1. Cook the rice in a little water than usual, so it's just undercooked. Keep aside. At the same time in another small dish soak the saffron in the milk (warm milk is better to release saffron flavour).

2. While rice is cooking, in a heavy bottom pan, add a little ghee and saute chilli, ginger garlic paste. Add in cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppercorns. Mix well then add in tumeric powder and garam masala. Finally add in the yogurt/curds. Mix well.

3. Add in all of the chopped vegetables except capsicum (as it will cook too fast and loose crunch). Add salt, mix and cover so veggies marinate while cooking in low flame, for about 10 minutes.

4. While veggies are cooking, in a separate pan, add ghee and sautee sliced onions. When onions are turning brown, add cashews and fry until everything is golden brown. Keep aside. Lightly fry the capsicum in the same pan and keep aside.

5. From the pan with veggies cooking, take out half of the vegetables, add in a layer of rice then place vegetables back on top as another layer. Lightly mix but try to keep layers.

6. Pour the saffron soaked milk all around then add chopped mint and coriander leaves. Finally garnish with the fried onion and cashews. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Serve hot with Salan or Raita. 

For a variation, try the Paneer Veg Biryani version. All the same as above, just one extra step of pan frying Paneer cubes marinated in yogurt/curds and garam masala. Add pan fried Paneer on top of the Biryani and serve. 

Methi Pulao - Fenugreek Fried Rice

Fenugreek or Methi leaves are healthy herbs loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vit C and Iron. The upside is, it tastes fantastic too with its unique flavour and aroma.

It's this beautiful flavour and aroma that makes Methi Pulao a delicious treat, that's so easy to create too!

Here it is, my version of METHI PULAO:

Ingredients: 1 bunch of Fenugreek leaves washed and chopped finely, handful green peas, 1 onion chopped, some cashews (can be omitted), a few chillies as per taste, 1 tsp urid daal, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala, small cinnamon stick, 1 cup cooked and cooled rice, salt to taste, a bit of oil and ghee.

Make: 

1. Cook the rice and let it cool so that it is fluffy and not sticky.

2. In a pan, saute in a little oil and ghee, the urid daal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cashews, chillies and garlic. Add onion, cinnamon stick and turmeric powder. 

3. Next add in the chopped Fenugreek leaves and peas. Add salt and garam masala, mix well and cover. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and lower the flame.

4. Add in the cooled rice and toss gently to combine well. Take care not to mix heavily. Turn off flame, cover and rest for a few minutes before serving hot with Raita.

Vegetable Pulao

Rice main dishes are one of most popular in South India. There's a sense of comfort associated with varieties of rice creations and there's no denying that when it comes to rice, the possibilities are almost endless! 

One of the most well known is the humble Vegetable Pulao - there's nothing much fancy about it but certainly is most loved by rice lovers all over the Indian subcontinent. Packed with goodness from fresh vegetables and the comfort of spices and rice, it's a beautiful combination.

Here's my quick and easy version of the famous Vegetable Pulao.

 Ingredients: 1 cup cooked basmati rice, 1 cup chopped vegetables (such as carrots, beans, peas), 1 onion sliced thin, handful of curry leaves. For masala - 4 or 5 cloves, 1 small piece of cinnamon stick, 4 or 5 peppercorns, 1 or 2 fresh chillies, 1 spoon chopped ginger, half a bunch of fresh coriander, a few fresh mint leaves, 1 spoon of coconut. For tempering - 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.

Make: In a wide base non stick pan, temper the cumin seeds and mustard seeds in the olive oil. Once it starts to splatter, add in the sliced onions and curry leaves. Saute then add all the chopped vegetables and let it cook in the open pan. Meanwhile prepare the fresh masala by adding all of the above masala ingredients into a mixer and grind to a paste using as much water as required. Add the masala paste into the pan with cooking vegetables and mix well. Add the cooked rice, salt to taste, mix well and simmer with the lid closed for about 5 minutes. 

Serve hot with raita or yogurt. Enjoy!