Tamarind Rice ( Puliyogare/ Pulihara/ Puliyodhare)

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi All!

Since the Ganesh Chaturthi and Gowri Pooja came around mid-week, it was a bit crazy and hectic. The mid-week storm, gusty winds and rainy day played truant but did not dampen my spirit. I was happy to find Plantain leaves (Keli Paan), Betel Leaves (Padi Paan) at Indian stores. I found a good bunch of sweet smelling Pink Carnations and Daisies in alluring shades of burgundy, yellow and purple. The fresh flowers adorning nooks and crannies of the pooja corner, scent of floral Agarbattis certainly added a sparkle to the festive atmosphere.

Now, I am not big on sweets neither is the husband. So, I decided to make a simple dish for the festival. It also was a good opportunity to replenish my Puliyogare Gojju stock which was almost over. In India, I never made Puliyogare from scratch and relied on the small North Karnataka store in Rajajinagar near a friend's house which supplies the best Gojju in Bangalore in my opinion. I never knew that the Gojju is available as a ready mix, until my friends Mom introduced me to the store. In US, the small packet of store bought MTR Puliyogare mix seemed a bit bland and more sweet and I enjoy my food when its spicy. Surprisingly, it didn't pique my interest and that's when I decided to make my own Puliyogare Gojju mix. For the longest time, I used Coconut powder (unsweetened) but now have begun using scraped pieces of Copra which are easily available at Indian stores.

I make a small batch of this mix and it comes handy for 5-6 meals. My Ma uses Black Sesame seeds and I use White seeds since I had them handy. The black seeds enable the dark brown color for Gojju. On weekdays when I don't have the energy to cook, I turn to this Gojju for serving a nourishing meal. The good thing is both of us are big fans of Puliyogare, so more reasons to enjoy this dish. Its an extremely portable dish and is our favorite for lunch box.

~ Puliyogare ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Puliyogare Masala Powder -

Copra (grated) or Coconut powder (unsweetened) - 4 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

White/ Black Sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Black Pepper corns - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - Just a pinch

Red Chillies (split into two) [Byadgi variety] - 8

*** Dry roast all of the above one by one and then allow to cool.

Grind to a fine powder ***

For Seasoning -

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprig

Red Chillies (split into two) [Byadgi variety] - 2-3

Coconut oil - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Puliyogare Gojju -

Tamarind pulp (very thick) - 1 cup

Jaggery (scraped into bits) - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Puliyogare Masala powder

Seasoning Ingredients

Salt

Method:

To Make Puliyogare Gojju -

Microwave Peanuts for 3 minutes till they get toasty. Allow to cool till they attain a  crunchy texture. 

In a bowl, add warm water and soak the tamarind for 10 minutes. Extract the thick pulp and remove any fibre, residue from the pulp.

Heat oil and season with mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Red Chillies and Curry leaves. Add the Peanuts now and saute. Be careful and step back as they splutter rapidly once added in hot oil.

Add the Tamarind pulp now, add jaggery bits. The consistency will be thick like a sauce, bring to a boil. Adjust salt, add turmeric and red chilli powder. Once its par-cooked, add the powder mix. The powder absorbs the mixture quickly and the whole mass will come together like a thick chutney. Once oil oozes out, turn off flame. Store in an air-tight non-reactive jar for future use. It has a shelf life of 1 to 1 and 1/2 month.

To Make Puliyogare -

Cook Rice of choice. Heat a pan with little coconut oil, add the rice and mix well. Add the Gojju and mix well (2 tbsp of Gojju mix for 1 cup of cooked rice with 2 tbsp of coconut oil). Add salt only if required. A perfect tasting  Puliyogare is tangy, salty and sweet. Serve warm as a meal on its own.

Note - The Tamarind affects the quality of Gojju made. I use dark variety of Tamarind (the round blob variety) which I get from India. If the Tamarind has impurities, get rid of them before use, else the impurities will seep in, spoiling the Gojju mix. Use Copra if available instead of Coconut powder.

Prawn Rice with Coconut Milk | Goan Kolambi Bhaat

Recently, at our local grocery, I found small Prawns in the seafood section. Its a rare discovery considering that the usually sell the slightly bigger, plump ones which I don't fancy. I made Goan version of Prawn Rice with Coconut Milk. The taste was awesome and I relished it to the core. In US, Prawns are popularly referred to as Shrimps and they sell different varieties - the shelled ones, cooked ones, semi-seasoned ones, de-veined and peeled ones.

I grew up in a community of a seafood lovers and was probably the only vegetarian amongst my friends for the longest time. Shrimps are expensive in India (atleast while I was growing up) and for every birthday party there was Shrimp Rice with Peas. Since I was the only vegetarian I had limited choices but I often wondered why my friends were crazy after Shrimp Rice. They would perpetually haggle and argue over who got more shrimps on their plate. I now know why they did that.  :-)

In GSB Konkani, Shrimps are known as Sungat and Kolambi in Marathi. Few of my favorite Shrimp recipes are Sungta Phanna Upkari (a spicy broth of shrimps cooked in onions and red chillies, Prawn Balchao (a spicy Goan pickle made with Shrimps in a vinegar based sauce), Prawn Koliwada (deep fried spicy Prawns cooked Koliwada style), Shrimp Dangar (a Goan shallow fried cutlet made with Shrimps) and Kolambi Bhaat (Prawn Rice cooked in coconut milk).

One can substitute coconut milk with water, but the taste is a distant departure from the original one. This recipe is from my Maushi from Mapusa, Goa. The days you find a bunch of big Prawns from the fish market, fret not. Just chop them up once cooked. In addition, she adds Tomatoes and Peas which I avoided. A dash of Goan Garam Masala gives the red color. If you omit it, you will get a pale jade like green shade for the rice.

~ Kolambi Bhaat ~

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Shrimp (peeled, deveined and cleaned) - 15-20

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Lime juice - 1/2 tsp

Sea Salt/ Rock Salt

*** Marinate the cleaned Shrimp in all of the above and set

aside for an hour *** 

Rice (Long grain Basmati) - 1 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Coconut Milk - 1 and 1/2 cup

Red Onion (finely chopped) - 1 cup

Peas (cooked) [optional] - 1/2 cup

Tomato (finely chopped) [optional] - 1/2 cup

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Cloves - 3

Star Anise - 1

Goan Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green Chillies paste - 1 tsp

Coconut oil 

Salt

 

Method:

Wash and rinse the Basmati rice. Soak in filtered water for 1/2 hour. Peel, devein and clean the Shrimps with sea salt to get rid of the smell. Pat dry and transfer to a zip lock bag. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and lime juice. Refrigerate for an hour.

In a non-stick pan, heat few spoons of coconut oil. Season with whole spices of Cinnamon, Cloves and Star Anise. Add very finely chopped onions and saute them till they turn reddish pink and wilt down. Add grated coconut now and roast it well. This process takes around 10 minutes. The flame should be on low-to-medium.

Add the ginger paste, green chilli paste and garlic paste now and saute till the raw flavor goes off. Add a hint of Turmeric powder for a golden glow. Add Goan Garam Masala powder and mix well. Add Peas and Tomatoes now and saute well. Fry this paste till the oil oozes off and it becomes semi-dry. Add the marinated shrimps now and toss to have an even coating of masala on the shrimp. Add Rice and toast it well, till you get a nutty aroma. Add 1/2 cup of water to coconut milk and mix well. Add this to rice and masala, mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, till completely done. Fluff it gently with a fork and leave undisturbed with lid on for 5-8 minutes. Serve warm with Raita.

Note - Sprinkle sea salt on shrimps, mix well and rinse them thoroughly with water. This helps to get rid of the sea smell and you can proceed with cooking thereafter.

Raw Jackfruit Biryani (Kadgi Biryani/ Kathal Biryani) - 1.0

Recently, I bought a small bag of precooked raw jackfruit (young and tender) on a whim from the Indian grocery store and made an impromptu Biryani out of it. My husband loves the meaty texture of jackfruit and I love jackfruit in any form! I added lot of ingredients to the precooked jackfruit as a marinade which took the jackfruit taste few notches up.

This recipe is inspired from our cousin's wife's Chicken Biryani recipe which I will be posting soon. Taking inspiration from her I added little bit of tenderiser powder to soften the jackfruit pieces, not required for vegetables as much for meat, the flavour was nice, succulent and soft. Instead of layering the rice and gravy curry, I mixed them to mingle the delicate flavours and we both liked the change. Not to mention, Mace and Nutmeg add the extra zing which every Biryani dish requires. This is a good Biryani for vegetarians who do not eat meat yet wish to relish the flavour of Biryani.

~ Kadgi Biryani ~
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 mnts (rice) + 30 mnts (assembly)

Ingredients:
Onions (sliced) - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 2
Tomatoes (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Nutmeg (grated) - 1/2 tsp
Saffron water - 2 tbsp
Oil
Salt

For Raw Jackfruit marinade -
(Precook Raw Jackfruit with salt and turmeric water, cool and then use with marinade)
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 cup
Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Mace (Javithri crushed) - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Biryani Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Meat tenderiser powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Mix all of it and refrigerate till use.

For cooking rice -
Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cup
Star Anise - 1
Black Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon sticks - 2 of 2"
Cloves - 2
Cook rice with 1: 1 and 1/2 water, 1 tbsp oil and salt

Method:

Jackfruit marinade - Precook the jackfruit pieces in turmeric powder and salt water and drain water. Do not throw the water away. Keep aside. Allow to cool. Add all the ingredients of the marinade to the jackfruit pieces in a bowl, mix well and refrigerate till use. Add oil as it keeps the jackfruit pieces moist.
Cooking Rice - Wash rice. If possible soak the rice in salt water and oil for 1/2 and hour before use. Cook with whole spices in 1:1 and 1/2 cups of water. Cook till rice is half done. I cook in an electric rice cooker which gives me precise granularity. Once done, spread rice on a plate and allow to cool.
Jackfruit gravy and mixing rice - In a deep bottomed pan (the same will be made to prepare Biryani so use your judgement), heat few spoons of oil/ ghee. Once oil is hot enough, add bay leaves and add onions. Sweat them in oil till they turn light yellow and are fried. Pick half of fried onion and keep aside. In that add the jackfruit marinade and saute till completely cooked and the gravy is thick and not watery. This takes around 20 minutes. Mix the cooked rice now and give a good stir. Sprinkle the other half of cooked onions, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and saffron water. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Serve hot with Raita or Mirchi Ka Saalan.

Coconut Rice (Nucchi/ Kanee Phanna)

Coconut Rice is a very simple, coconut-rich recipe enjoyed by all in my family. Its a one pot meal and serves any meal plan and menu. In India, the rice which you get at local Kirana stores are anything ranging from long grain, short grain to short broken ones. This recipe calls for the use of the broken variety of rice (Kanee in Konkani). Mom painstakingly separated them with a Siever or Sifter (Channi) when we were kids to make this dish for us. Surprisingly, now you get them at local groceries in India as well and can be bought in bulk. This broken rice is known as Kanee in Konkani. I can't find broken rice here in Indian stores so used my stash of Sona Masoori rice for this recipe. Growing up, this was my favorite breakfast item. Its also a very portable food item for work, school or outdoor picnics.

This dish is popularly known as Nucchi or Kanee Phanna in GSB Konkani and Nucchi in Kannada. There are also variations in practice with respect to the seasoning and the variety of rice used. One can also add Peanuts (Kadale) for extra crunch, Chana Dal for enhanced texture. The entire seasoning is done with Coconut oil in the original recipe. Fenugreek seeds, the innocuous element in this recipe renders a unique aroma to the fluffy rice grains and is also soothing on the tummy. I prefer having a warm bowl of this seasoned rice with Raw Mango Pickle liqueur and a drizzle of warm Coconut oil.

~  Nucchi ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Broken Rice or any available variety - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 cup

Peanuts (optional) - 2 tablespoon

For Seasoning -

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 2-4

Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1/4 teaspoon

Urad Dal (split) - 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut oil

Green Chilli (split lengthwise) -2

Hot water - 1/4 less than 1 cup

Salt

Method:

In a deep dish non-sick pan, heat coconut oil. Once the oil is sizzling hot, temper with a seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add split urad dal, green chilli and peanuts. Saute on low flame. Add rice (pre-washed and rinsed) now and less than double the quantity of hot water [rice:water - 1: 1 and 1/2 proportion]. Add enough salt. Mix gently and bring to boil. Simmer on low flame for 20-25 minutes or till the rice gets cooked completely. Turn off flame and fluff it with a fork. Leave aside undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then, garnish with fresh coconut. Serve warm with pickle liqueur and a drizzle of coconut oil.

Mixed Vegetable Curry (Gajbaje)

In my ancestral place, any Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is incomplete without the staple dish - Gajbaje. It's a simple, nutritious dish with all the possible vegetables which you can think of. Primarily the vegetables which crop up in early September are used in abundance, hence more of gourds and pumpkins. This dish is also made in Goa, sometimes cooked with Sichuan Pepper (Teppal or Tirphal) or without it and is known as Khatkhate. In GSB Konkani parlance, its known as Gajbaje. This is a one pot dish and is quite easy to make.

Gajbaje is also making an appearance in wedding menus, important celebrations and family festive events. My Dad asked me if I am planning to make Gajbaje for Ganpati lunch, hence the idea struck me. This is his favorite dish and he enjoys the one made by my Mom for obvious reasons. Mom makes use of atleast 5 vegetables to make this dish - Ridge Gourd, Pumpkin, Raw Plantain, Potato, Yam, Radish, Ladies Finger, Bottle Gourd, etc. I made use of all Fall vegetables - Butternut Squash, Yellow Squash, Corn on the cob and Bottle Gourd. The buttery flavour of Butternut Squash bowled me over. I like to munch on this nutritious dish just on its own slurping it hot from a big bowl. I plan on making on many such One Pot dishes during winter like Valval, Undhiyo, Khatkhate (with Tirfhal).

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Vegetables (assorted) - 5-7 cups
** Primarily early Fall veggies - Corn, Butternut Squash,
Yellow Squash, Corn on the cob, Yam, Bottle Gourd, etc***
Grated coconut - 3 cups
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 5-10
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon
Salt

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 6-7
Oil/Ghee

Method:
Chop all the vegetables into 1/2" bite sized pieces. Bring them to boil in a huge pot with water good enough to immerse the vegetables, add little salt. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame. Cover with a lid and cook till partially done. On the side, roast red chillies in little oil separately for 2 minutes. Allow to cool. Grind to a coarse paste with grated coconut and tamarind. Add this paste to the cooked vegetables. Allow the gravy to cook along with the vegetables and cover with a lid. Adjust salt, add jaggery and water as desired. Cook till done and turn off flame. In a separate pan, heat ghee/oil, add mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the curry, mix gently and cover with a lid. Serve hot as a side dish.

Note - Do not peel the skin of the vegetables. Retain some skin, otherwise vegetables will dissolve and disintegrate in the curry even before consumption. This curry is semi-dry but not too dry, hence do not make it too watery. I made a huge batch, reduce the quantity by half for a smaller batch.

Paneer Biryani 2.0 (With Green Masala)

We both love Paneer Biryani. I had tried lot of variations earlier but liked this one of all. The richness and spices of Green Masala mesh well with the bland flavour of Paneer. Good for large get together and feeding a big crowd. I am glad that I can make fairly good and consistently tasty Biryani now after many trails and experimentation with different procedures and cooking mediums. The Biryani tastes better the next day when the spices are well absorbed.

Cooking time: 3o minutes
Preparation tim: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Rice (Basmati) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Cottage Cheese ~ Pre-fried Paneer - 2 cups
Onions (sliced) - 4 cups
Tomatoes (chopped) - 2 cups
Cinnamon stick - 2"
Cardamom - 2-3
Cloves - 3-5
Garam Masala powder - 2 tablespoon
Nutmeg Powder - 1 teaspoon
Saffron strands crushed soaked in 3-4 tablespoon of Milk
Ghee
Salt

Green Masala -
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Green Chillies - 3-4
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup
Khus-Khus - 1 teaspoon

Biryani Masala - Around 1 & 1/2 tablespoon
For the Biryani Masala -
Fennel seeds (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Mace - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamom - 2
Caraway seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cloves - 3-4
Nutmeg (grated) - 1 whole - 1/2 for rice assembly + 1/2 for spice powder

Method:
1. Wash and soak Rice in water for 1/2 half an hour before preparation. Under cook the rice with 1:1 1/2 proportion of rice and water respectively. For 1 and 1/2 cup Rice, I used 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Cook with salt and few spoons of oil. Once done, spread on a tray and allow to cool.
2. Grind all the ingredients of Biryani Masala to a fine smooth dry powder and keep aside.
3. Grind all the ingredients of Green Masala with little water and keep aside.
4. In a deep dish pan, heat few spoons of ghee, add the spices - Cloves, Cinnamon sticks and Cardamom. Once they proliferate in size, add Onions and saute till they turn translucent. Add chopped Tomatoes as well. Once they are completely cooked, add the Green Masala and cook till its no longer raw and changes its color from bright green to mossy green. Once done, add the spice powder and cook to a collective consistency. Adjust salt and add 1/2 teaspoon on grated nutmeg powder. Add pre-fried Paneer at this stage and cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid covered. Turn off the flame.
5. Assembly: Take a deep dish Pasta pot or stock pot, heat few spoons of ghee to coat the bottom of the pot. This entire procedure needs the gas on low flame. Add a layer of cooked rice. Sprinkle Nutmeg powder and Garam Masala powder. Add a layer of cooked curry. Again top it with Rice-Nutmeg powder-Garam Masala powder and curry. Once you reach the final layer up and above, add few spoons of ghee on top of the Biryani. Sprinkle Nutmeg powder and Garam Masala powder. Pour the Saffron milk and cover the lid. Seal off the lid on the sides with a dough. Cook for 3-5 minutes maximum since the Rice and Curry is already cooked. Serve hot with a side scoop of Biryani. Supplement with Raita of Choice or Mirchi Ka Saalan.

Ivy Gourd Rice (Tendli Bhaat)

Iyy Gourd Rice goes well for Lunch box and you get the wholesome combination of vegetables and rice in a pot. That is the beauty of One Pot Dish, a single dish with rice and vegetables holds good for a yummy meal.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Rice (Basmati rice) - 1 cup

Ivy Gourd (Tendli/ Tendley) - chopped - 2 cups

Onion (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt

Turmeric powder

Red Chilli Powder

Oil/ Ghee

Masala -

Coconut powder - 1/2 cup

Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon

Clove - 2-3

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Whole Black Pepper Corns - 3-5

Red Chillies - 2

Garnish (optional) - chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

Wash and cook Rice in water and keep aside. In a deep dish pan, heat few spoons of Ghee/ Oil, once the pan heats up, add Cumin seeds, they begin to proliferate in size, add chopped Onions and saute till they wilt in size. Add a hint of Turmeric powder and Red Chilli powder and chopped Ivy Gourds. Adjust salt and add enough water to immerse the gourds, bring to boil and simmer covered on a low flame for 10 or till the gourds are completely cooked.

On the side, grind the masala ingredients to a fine powder with no water. Add this to the cooked Ivy Gourd and allow water to evaporate completely. Add cooked Rice now and gently stir. Turn off flame and serve hot with a garnish of chopped Coriander leaves.

Mom's Vegetable Pulao

Mom's Vegetable Pulao - this is one recipe which I consider precious. Mom made this ever since we were kids and we loved this simple Pulao recipe. Since I am miles away from my dear mother, this is my way of connecting to her actions, thoughts, inspiration, moods and moments. I have been a Mommy's Little Gal all through my life and needless to say she means a lot to me. She was delighted that I rejoiced the flavour of her all-time favorite recipe.

I have tried to balance the ratio of spices so that none overpower each other and yet blend to bring out the uniqueness. I love the light green hue and the beautiful flavour which goes well with any tangy Raita of choice.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Vegetables (chopped into 1/2" chops - Carrots, Beans, Cauliflower florets) - 2 and 1/2 cups

Salt

Oil/Ghee

For Green Masala -

Cloves - 3-4

Cinnamon - 1" inch piece

Whole Black Pepper - 3-5

Cardamom - 2

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger - Garlic (minced) - 1 and 1/2 tablespoon

Star Anise - 1

Poppy seeds (Khus-Khus) - 1/2 teaspoon

Onions (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves (minced) - 1/2 cup

Fennel seeds (Saunf) - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

For Seasoning Pulao -

Onions (quartered) - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/3 teaspoon

Cashew Nuts (chopped into bite sized bits) - 1/2 cup

Method:

Wash rice in water multiple times till the water is clear and clean. Soak in water for 1/2 before use. Cook rice separately with 1: 1 and 1/2 proportion and once done, separate grains with a fork on a big tray to cool. Pressure cook vegetables separately with little salt, keep aside.

In a pan, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, lightly saute the Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper, Poppy seeds, Star Anise and Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies. Take care not to burn the spices else the Pulao gets the burnt aroma which is awful. Once sauted, add chopped Onions and keep aside. On a very low flame, separately saute Fennel seeds and Cumin seeds (their cook point is lower and hence are prone to burning), set aside and allow to cool. Grind both together along with little or no water to a smooth paste, also add Coriander leaves and sauted Onions while grinding. Keep the paste aside.

In a big thick bottomed pan, saute the onions which are quartered with little oil/ghee, once transparent and pinkish in hue add the ground Green Masala. Add the cooked vegetables at this stage. Let the consistency be a collective mass. Add the cooked rice at this stage. Mix gently and take care not to break the rice. Pour few spoons of ghee finally on top and cook on low-to-medium flame with a covered lid for 5-8 minutes. Serve hot with Raita of choice.

Paneer Dum Biryani 1.0 (With Yogurt)

After having learnt the basic approach to cooking Biryani; I know love to experiment with different mediums and vegetables, meat, condiments to take the flavour to the next level. I chose a one-pot--dish to satisfy the hunger within stipulated time. I prefer Biryani over weekends, makes cooking easier and a wholesome home cooked dish full of flavour, vegetables or meat with few hours of labor.

I thought of Paneer Biryani which is easy and convenient. I clubbed it with Shan Pilaf-Biryani masala and cooked Paneer in Yogurt which offered good texture. I twisted the flavour at few places to create Hyderabadi style Dum Biryani with spices, condiments which complement Paneer. So I placed weight on the Biryani stock-pot and sealed the sides with foil to prevent the steam from escaping. The Biryani was just perfect.

Preparation time: 60 minutes including cooking time for Rice
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 6-10 servings

Ingredients:
Cooking Rice:
Basmati Rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Oil - a teaspoon
Salt - As per taste

Paneer Gravy:
Paneer (pre-fried) - 200 gms
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1+1 = 2 tablespoon
Tomato (chopped) - 1 cup
Red Onions (thinly sliced) - 3 cups
Yogurt - 2 tablespoon
Cloves - 3-4
Cardamom - 1

Black Cardamon (Badi Elaichi) - 1
Cinnamon stick (Flat Indian variety) - 1 stick (browen into bits)
Ghee - 3 tablespoon
Salt - as per taste
Shan Pilaf-Biryani Masala - 2 tablespoon or Home made Biryani masala recipe

Biryani Masala: Grind to powder - Yields 2 tablespoon
Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Black Cumin seeds or Shahjeera - 1/2 teaspoon

Mace (Javitri) - 2

Poppy seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon stick (Flat Indian variety) - 1

Cardamom - 2

Black Cardamon (Badi Elaichi) - 1

Caraway seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cloves - 3-4

Nutmeg (grated) - 1/3rd of a Nutmeg

Red Food color (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon
Saffron (crushed in milk) - few strands

Milk - 3-5 tablespoon
Garam Masala powder - 2 teaspoon
Nutmeg (grated) - 1

Method:
1. Cooking Rice - Wash Basmati rice multiple times till the water is clear. Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour if possible. Cook rice in water with 1:1 1/2 proportion, with one teaspoon oil and salt. Once rice is done, spread on a long tray and separate with a fork if the need be. The drier the freshly cooked rice, the better.

Also, soak Saffron strands in some warm milk and set aside. Crush them lightly with pestle and mortar to get the heavenly color in milk.
2. Paneer Gravy - Heat a tablespoon of Ghee in a deep dish pan; saute cloves, cardamon and cinnamon sticks in them till the ghee turns fragrant. Saute onions till they wilt and are soft. Add Tomatoes, mash them to get a good dry consistency. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and saute well. Once the gravy is well fried, and oil oozes out, add the Biryani masala, Paneer pieces and saute to get an even consistency (I had pre-fried Paneer in little ghee and set it aside after thawing to room temperature). Turn off the flame, mix in the yogurt well and set aside.
3. Assembly - Take a deep dish stock pot. Transfer on low flame (this is key, do not turn flame to medium or high) and add a spoon of ghee, allow to melt. Add a layer of 1/3rd of cooked rice and paneer gravy. Mix the rice and Paneer well. Sprinkle Garam masala powder and some grated nutmeg on top of the layer. Add another layer of 2nd portion of cooked rice, sprinkle nutmeg powder and garam masala powder again. Add the last portion of cooked rice, sprinkle red food color on top of it. Slather few spoons of ghee, add crushed saffron milk. Cover the lid tightly and place some weight, much better if you can seal the sides for 5-7 minutes with a wheat flour dough or foil. Turn off flame after 5-7 minutes. Take a side scoop of Biryani and enjoy with Mirchi Ka Saalan or Raita of choice.

Verdict: The taste of Biryani was awesome and restaurant style. More often than not Biryani has a dry texture, to combat that I ensured the Paneer pieces get coated with Yogurt. Also the Saffron Milk hydrates the Rice while getting cooked on Dum thereby keeping the rice moist. Since I layered rice in different colors of white rice, yellow rice and red rice, it came out visually rich and appealing. This is a high-calorie recipe. For better taste and flavour, do not compromise on ghee.

Rice And Vegetables (Bisi Bele Bhaat)

"Yene maganey?"
"Namgey Bisi Bele bath beyku"

(What kiddo?

I want Bisi Bele bath)

Sweet memories of the Silicon city of the south. I can never forget the good old flavours I have captured in my heart from the great city of career and dreams - Bangalore. It is a potpourri of different cultures yet has managed to preserve the old and has smoothly ushered into the new. Sometimes I wonder where on the world can you find such unique distinctness of culture, diversity, opportunities and cuisines.
When I moved to Bangalore, my survival was dependent on the various Darshinis and Sagars dotting the city space. "Shanti Sagar" the famous chain was one such food joint near my apartment. Mornings were exclusively was Times of India and Bisi Bele Bath and Filter Coffee from Shanti Sagar. Best part about Shanti Sagar is that apart from sit-in spaces they also have stand-and-eat spaces outside their joints which enables office goers and rush-travellers to get a quick bite of their "tiffin" before they head out for a busy day. Maa makes amazing Bisi Bele Bath and the taste of this dish fondly reminds me of green shammi tress, cool mornings, filter coffee and time well spent at this career mecca for millions - Bangalore.

I tried this recipe from Mandhu's Vantalu and it turned out quite nice. Thanks Madhu.

Recipe Source: Madhu's Vantalu
Serves: 6 individuals

Ingredients:
Toor Dal: 3/4 cup
Rice: 1 cup
Water: 8 cups or more
Salt: as per taste
Ghee: 2 tablespoon
Bisi Bele Bath powder: 3 tablespoon

Vegetables -
French Beans: 10-15 - chopped to 1" pieces
Carrot: 3 - chopped to 1/2 " pieces
Onion: 1 - chopped to 1" pieces
Potato" 2 - chopped to 1" pieces

Tempering -
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 3-4
Cashew nuts: 3-4 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1 t easpoon

Method:
Boil 8 cups of water in a deep dish pan and add salt, turmeric and toor dal which preferably could be pre-soaked for atleast 15 minutes. Once par-boiled, add carrot and beans and bring to boil. This whole process takes around 20 minutes.
Wash rice thoroughly and add to this. Add desired amount of salt and bring to boil. Lower the flame thereafter.
On a separate pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds begin to pop, add onions and cashew nuts. I had chopped cashew nuts to small pieces because they render a good flavour once done so. Fry till onions turn transparent and cashew nuts turn crunchy.
Give the Bath a gentle stir, once done add the tempered mixture and turn off the flame. Mix well. Serve with hot melted ghee and boondi. They also taste great with Vodee/ Vadams and Appalams.