Vegetable biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 2 small, thinly sliced
Tomato - 1, chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Paneer - 1/4 cup, small cubed
Carrot - 1 big, cubed
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Cloves -  3-4
Cardamom - 3
Star anise - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon  - 2 -3(1" sticks)
Peppercorns - 3-4
Cilantro - 3-4 tbsp , chopped
Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews- 2 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Ghee/ oil - 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water - 4 cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil/ghee in a pan. Fry the cashews and raisins and keep aside. Then shallow fry the paneer cubes till it turns golden brown on the sides. Drain and keep aside.
3. Add a tbsp more of oil/ghee to the pan and fry half of the sliced onions till it turns golden brown. Keep aside.
4. Now add a tbsp of oil/ghee to a bigger pan . Add in the whole spices(Cloves, cardamom,star anise,bay leaves, cinnamon and peppercorns) and fry for a minute. Add the remaining onion and fry till golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
5. Now add the tomato pieces and saute till it turns mushy. Add the garam masala powder , red chilly powder and salt. Saute for a minute.
6. Mix in the carrots and cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes.
7. Now add the drained rice and mix well for a minute. Then add the peas and some of the chopped cilantro.
8. Add water and required salt to this . The water should be a bit salty. Cover and cook on medium -high heat for about 15 minutes or till the rice is fully cooked.
9. When the rice is cooked, just fluff the rice with a fork. Then gently mix in the fried onion, paneer cubes, remaining chopped cilantro, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot with raita or pickles!

Curd rice/Thayir sadam

 Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Butter - 2 tsp
Carrot - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Green chilly - 2 , finely chopped
Ginger - 2 tsp, finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp, chopped
Salt to taste

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Wash and pressure cook rice in 2 cups water for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool down a bit. Then add butter and curd and mash up the rice. Then add milk and mash it again.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and urad dal. Wen the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Pour this into rice.
3. Add the chopped carrots, ginger, green chilly, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well everything well.

Serve with pickle!

Egg biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Egg - 6

Onion - 2 medium, thinly sliced

Tomato - 1 , chopped

Cashew - 2-3 tbsp

Raisins - 2-3 tbsp

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 2 ( 1" pieces)

Bay leaves - 1

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1"piece

Garlic - 2- 3 pods

Green chilly - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder  - 1 tsp

Garam masala/ Biryani masala - 1 tsp

Coconut milk - 3/4 - 1 cup 

Mint / coriander leaves 

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - 4 cups
Cilantro leaves  for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for about half an hour.
2. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and fennel seeds. When the fennel seeds splutter, add the drained rice and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add water and salt . Cover and cook on medium heat till the water is absorbed and rice is 3/4th cooked.
3.  Take a saucepan and place the eggs. Cover the eggs with water and boil for 10 -12 minutes on medium-high. Switch off the flame and let it sit for 5 minutes. Wash the eggs in cold water and remove the shells.
4. Heat a tbsp of oil in another pan, fry the cashews and raisin and keep aside. Then fry half of the sliced onion till golden brown. Keep aside.
5. Grind together ginger,garlic and green chilly to a coarse paste.
6. Heat a tbsp of oil and fry the remaining onions till golden brown. Then  add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala/biryani masala and salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add tomato and cook till mushy.
8. Add the coconut milk and the hard boiled eggs  and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium-low flame till the gray becomes semi-thick.
9. Arrange the rice and egg masala in layers in a heavy bottom pan.  Garnish with few cashews, raisins, fried onions and coriander leaves in-between the layers.
10. Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 5-8 minutes. Or you can bake this for 10 minutes at 350 deg F.

Serve with raita!!

Easy Paneer biryani

Ingredients:

Paneer- 250gm

Onion - 2 big, thinly sliced

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Cashews - 10 - 12

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Ghee/Oil - 3 tbsp

For the Marinade 
Curd - 1/3 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp  
Salt to taste  
Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup each,chopped 

For the seasoning 
Cinnamon - 1' stick
Cloves - 2-3  
Cardamom - 1
Star Anise - 1
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp  

Method
1. In a thick bottomed kadai, add 2 tbsp oil/ghee and fry the onions in it till dark brown and crispy.You could also deep fry the same. Keep aside. 
2. Return the pan to heat and add remaining 1 tbsp oil/ghee and fry the cashews and raisins for 2 minutes. Keep aside.

3.Wash and soak the rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.

4.Cut paneer into small cubes and shallow fry it. Marinate the fried paneer in ingredients mentioned under marinade along with half of the fried onions. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5.In a kadai add oil+ghee and saute the whole garam masala followed by shahjeera.

6.Add the marinated paneer along with the marinade and cook for 5-7 minutes.

7.Mix in the coconut milk and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.  

8.Drain the rice and mix in carefully trying not to break the grains.Add in salt to taste and  1/2 tsp of garam masala.
9.Add 2 cups of water and let it boil.Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.The water should be fully absorbed by now. 

10.Switch off the flame and leave it undisturbed for another 15 minutes.  
11.Now fluff the rice with a fork. Mix in the rest of the fried onions, fried cashews and raisins.

Serve hot with raita.

Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice- 1 cup
2. Peas - 1/2 cup
3. Onion - 1 medium , sliced thinly
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
5. Water  - 2 cups
6. Salt to taste

For seasoning

Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1' stick
Cloves - 2-3
Cardamom - 1
Star Anise - 1
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in water for about 30 min.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan , and add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds starts to splutter, add onion.
3. Fry till onion turns brown. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute .
4. Now add peas and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the soaked basmati rice, water and salt. Transfer it into a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles.
6. Once the pressure is released and the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork.Serve hot.

Vegetable fried rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water -  2 cups
Onion - 1/2 cup, finely sliced
Vegetables - 1 cup (I used carrot, beans, sweet corn, peas)
Green chillies - 1-2, cut length-wise
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Soya sauce - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 10
Raisin - 15-20
Salt to taste
Ghee/ Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for about 15-20 min.
2. Take a heavy bottom pan and put a tbsp of ghee. Drain the rice and fry for a minute in the ghee. Add water and salt . Cook till the water is fully absorbed and rice is soft.
3. Take another heavy bottom pan. Put 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins and keep aside.
4. In the same pan , add 1 tbsp of ghee. Add all the vegetables and fry till soft. It would be better to fry the carrots and beans first and then add sweet corn and peas. Keep aside these vegetables.
5. Bring the same pan back to heat and add another tbsp of ghee. Add the onions and fry till it turns golden brown .
6. Now add the fried veggies and fry for a minute. Then add soya sauce and salt and mix well.
7. Add the rice and mix well. Serve hot.

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients:

Mushroom - 250gm
Onion - 2 big, thinly sliced
Rice - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

For the Marinade
Curd - 1/3 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp  
Salt to taste  
Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup each,chopped
 
For the seasoning
Oil+Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1' stick
Cloves - 2-3  
Cardamom - 1
Star Anise - 1
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp  

Method
 
1. In a thick bottomed kadai, add 2 tbsp oil and fry the onions in it till dark brown and crispy.You could also deep fry the same.

2.Wash and soak the rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.


3.Marinate the mushrooms in ingredients mentioned under marinade along with half of the fried onions. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
 

4.In a kadai add oil+ghee and saute the whole garam masala followed by shahjeera.

5.Add the marinated mushrooms along with the marinade and cook for 5-7 minutes or till the mushrooms start shrinking.
 

6.Mix in the coconut milk and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.  

7.Drain the rice(reserve the water) and mix in carefully trying not to break the grains.Add in salt to taste and  1/2 tsp of garam masala.
 

8.Add the water in which the rice was soaked and let it boil.Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.The water should be fully absorbed by now. 

9.Switch off the flame and leave it undisturbed for another 15 minutes.  

10.Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.Mix in the rest of the fried onions and serve.

Source : Divyascookbook

Ghee Rice

Ingredients

 Basmati rice - 2 cups
 Onion - 1 big , finely sliced
 Ghee - 4 tbsp
 Cardamom - 2
 Cloves - 5
 Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces( 1 inch each)
 Star anise - 1
 Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
 Bay leaf - 2
 Cashew nuts - 10
 Raisins - 15
 Fried onion  - 1/4 cup
 Salt to taste
 Thin Coconut milk - 2 cups
 Water -  2 cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain the rice and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel . Add cashews and saute till golden brown. Add raisins and saute for few seconds. Keep both cashews and raisins aside.
3. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in the same vessel. Once hot add cinnamon, cardamon, cloves,star anise, bay leaf and fennel seeds. When they splutter, add onion and saute till it turns golden.
4. Add the drained rice and saute it for for another 4-5 minutes. Then add water, coconut milk and salt.Cover and bring to boil.
5. Reduce the flame to low and cook till all the water gets absorbed completely and rice is soft.
6. Garnish with cashews, raisins and fried onion.