Favorite Recipe: (BRIYANI)

Preparation Time : 20 minutesCooking Time : 40-45 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice -3 cups

Water -5 cups (3 * 1cups)

Onion -3 nos (medium sized)

Tomato -1 no (medium sized)

Carrot -2 nos (medium sized)

Beans -15-20 nos

Potato -2 nos (medium sized)

Green Peas - cup (I used frozen ones)

Mint leaves -10 sprigs

Coriander leaves -10 sprigs

Green Chilly -2 nos

Ginger Garlic paste -1 tbsp

Lemon juice - a lemon's

Cinnamon stick -1 inch piece

Cloves -4 nos

Cardamom -3 nos

Bay leaf -2 leaves

Chilly powder -1 tsp

Coriander powder -2 tsp

Turmeric powder - tsp

Biriyani masala -1 tsp

Garam masala -1 tsp

Ghee -As needed

Salt -As needed

The Way:1. Rinse the rice and soak it in water2. Cut the vegetables - onion, tomato, carrot, beans & potato into thin slices3. Defrost the green peas4. Separate the mint leaves from the sprigs5. Chop the coriander leaves & green chillies6. Heat little ghee in a pan. Add the sliced carrot, beans & potato and fry for a few minutes. This is for the veggies to remain intact & not break when we add rice. Keep this aside7. Heat ghee in the same pan. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom (remove the pods & add the seeds inside), bay leaves (crush them before adding) and saute8. When the combined aroma of the spices start coming, add the sliced onions. Saute the onions till they become soft & oil separates from them9. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off10. Now add tomatoes & green chillies and saute till the tomatoes become soft11. Add the ghee tossed vegetables, green peas & half the mint leaves12. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, biriyani masala & salt. Add one cup of water and mix well13. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are almost done14. Once the vegetables are soft and cooked, add rice and the remaining 4 cups of water15. Add garam masala, lemon juice, coriander leaves & remaining mint leaves and mix well16. Now taste the mix for salt and hotness. Adjust to your taste buds accordingly17. Cover the pan and cook in medium fire for 15 minutes18. After 15 minutes check if the rice is done and water has evaporated completely. Else reduce the flame further and cook for another 5-10 minutes (It took me 5 extra minutes)19. You can see that the rice has neither stuck to the bottom of the pan & nor has broken down. Long beautiful grains of basmati rice gives the biriyani a rich look20. Once the rice is done, off the flame and leave the pan in the heat of the stove till you serveNotes: Rice : Water ratio of 1:1 works perfectly well for me. I use India Gate basmati rice for making this biriyani

FESTIVE BRIYANI

Ingredients : Basmathi rice - 1 cup Onions - 2 diced Fresh thick curds - 1 / 2 cup Salt - as required Mixed diced vegetables - 2 cups Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tbl. sps. Green chillies - 3 Coriander powder - 1 / 2 sp Cumin powder - 1 / 2 sp Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 sp Black pepper powder - 1 / 2 sp Ginger garlic paste - 1 / 4 sp Tomatoes - 2 diced Ghee and oil - as required

Method :

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Boil in water till half cooked. Then drain water completely, and allow it to cool. Beat curds and mix coriander powder, cimin powder, slit green chillies, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder and coriander leaves.Keep aside for 25 minutes. Then heat ghee and oil together and fry onions, tomatoes and then other vegetables. Sprinkle little water and allow the vegetables to cook till soft. Mix in, marinated curds, salt and cooked rice. Reduce flame and keep under dhum till moisture is absorbed. [ or bake in hot oven for 10 minutes covered with foil.

MACRONI

300 gm macaroni - I used shell shaped1 tbsp oil1 tsp ginger paste1 tsp garlic paste2 large onion, sliced3 green chillies, slit1 large tomato, chopped1/2 tsp chilli powder1/2 tsp turmeric powder1 tbsp coriander powder1/2 tsp fennel seeds1-1/2 cup mixed vegetables - I used frozen vegetables1/2 tsp garam masalaSalt to taste

Method:

Cook the macaroni till al dente. Drain and run through cold water so that the macaroni stays seperate, Keep aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan. Once hot, add the pastes and saute till raw smell goes. Add the onions and chillies with a pinch of salt and saute till well cooked. Add the tomatoes and cook till smashed. Now add the coriander, chilli and turmeric powder and cook till the raw smell is gone. Switch off the flame and allow to cool.

Grind the onion masala with little water to make a paste. Reheat the saucepan, add the ground masala and the mixed vegetables and cook for 5 minutes on low flame. Adjust the salt at this time. Add the cooked macaroni, give it a nice stir till the masala wraps the macaroni completely. Sprinkle the garam masala on top. Close the lid tight and leave it on low flame for 10 minutes for the flavors to mix.

Serve warm!!!