One Pot Soya Chunks Biryani

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 3/4 Cup
• Soya chunks - 1/2 Cup
• Ginger - 1/2 Tbsp (Finely Chopped)
• Garlic - 1 Tbsp (Finely Chopped)
• Green Chill - 1 (slit)
• Onion - 1/2 large (Finely Sliced)
• Tomato - 1 small
• Potato - 1 medium
• Salt - 1 tsp (adjust per taste)
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Biryani Masala -1 tsp
• Curd | Yogurt - 1 Tbsp 
• Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp (Chopped)
• Mint leaves - 2 Tbsp (Chopped)
• Ghee - 1/2 tsp (optional)  

       To Temper

•  Oil - 7-8 Tbsp
• Cinnamon- 1 inch
•  Cardamon - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• star anise -1

Instructions:

• First Wash and soak the rice and soya chunks in separate bowls. Both of them should be soaked for atleast 15 minutes. 

• Now heat a cooker pan with oil, add the ingredients under "To Temper" in given order. After 1 minute, add the ginger, garlic, green chilli, onion and saute until the onion changes to golden brown. Then add the tomato, salt and saute until the tomato turns mushy.

•   Turn the flame to low - medium and then all the powders (garam masala, red chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin,biryani masala) and give a stir.

• Now add the coriander leaves and mint leaves along with curd and give a stir. And then add the soya chunks to the mixture. Before adding soya chunks, squeeze out the excess water.

•  Finally, add the rice and 1 cup of water. Mix everything together. Close the lid of the cooker and cook for 1 whistle or until the rice is done.

• Wait till the pressure subsides, then open the lid and optionally sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of ghee and transfer to the serving bowl.

• Enjoy hot with raita.

Prawn Biryani

Ingredients:

• 300 Gram Prawns/shrimp (shelled, cleaned and washed)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ginger and garlic paste
• 1/2 cup Onion paste
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Onions (oil to pan fry), fried
• 1 cup Rice (boiled till almost done)
• Few saffron strands
• 2 tsp Ghee

Step By Step Instructions:

Marinate Shrimp
      In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients well.  Add the shrimp, mix. Cover and allow it to marinate for 30 mins.

Cooking Shrimp

     Heat 3 tbsps of oil in heavy bottom pan. (we will slow cook the biryani in same pot, so choose the one with tight fitting lid). Then, add onions and fry until just starts picking up golden colour

Add bay leaf and sliced tomatoes and sauté on high heat for another minute.

Then, add marinated shrimp and and mix. Cook on high heat for minute and then low heat for 3 minutes. Do not add any water and do not over cook the prawns

Add coriander leaves and mint leaves and mix. cook for another 30 seconds

Cooking Rice
In a large pot, add enough water.  Add bay leaves, oil, lemon juice, shazeera and salt. Bring it to a boil.

Add rice to the boiling water and cook until the rice is 70% done.


Layering The Prawn Biryani

Now, top the prawns with fried onions.

When the rice is 70% done, using a large colander or slotted spoon take out the rice and layer it evenly over the prawns layer.

Sprinkle the melted ghee and saffron water over the rice layer.

Cover the pot with the tight fitting lid. Place the pot over a high flame and cook for 5-7 minutes. Place hot tava/griddle below the pot and keep it for “Dum’(slow cook) exactly for another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Open the lid, dish out yummy hot prawn biryani and serve with raita of your choice:

simple crab curry

Ingredients:

• 2 Crabs , cut into pieces (around 500 gm)
• 2 Potatoes , cut into halves
• 2 Onion (paste)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic (paste)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Ginger (paste)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• Salt , to taste
• 2 tablespoons Homemade tomato puree
• 2 Green Chillies
• 2 green Cardamom
• 2 Cloves
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 3 tablespoons Mustard oil

Method:

• clean the crab with warm water and marinate with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder for 25 minutes.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the crab pieces on a medium flame covering with a lid. Once it is crisp and nicely cooked, take out the fried crab pieces and keep aside.

• In the same pan, add some more oil, heat it on medium flame. Add the potato with salt, turmeric and let it cook till the potatoes become a little soft for 5-7 minutes. Once it is done, take it out and keep aside.

• In the same pan, add cinnamon stick, clove and cardamom into the oil. Once they start sizzling, add onion paste and keep on stirring until it is cooked properly. This will take about 2 minutes.

• After 3 minutes, add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for another minute or two. Next, add all the dry spices including turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt . Mix them well.

• After a minute, add tomato puree, green chillies and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. At this stage, add 1/4 cup of water to avoid burning of the spices.

• Finally, add fried potatoes and crab pieces and mix everything properly.

• Add required water (approximately 1/2 cup) and allow it to boil at medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Once done, switch off the gas and it is ready to be served.

                        Serve simple Crab Curry along with Steamed Rice .

simple mutton curry

Ingredients:

1 kg Mutton
1/2 kg Onion
as per taste Salt
3 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 Green chilli
9-10  tbsp Mustard oil
2 Bay leaf
1 inch Cinnamon
4 Green cardamom
1 Black cardamom
4 Cloves
4-5 Black pepper
1 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 Medium sized Potatoes
2 tsp Ginger and Garlic paste
1 tsp meat masala
1 tsp garam masala
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

 First marinate the mutton with turmeric, salt, mustard oil for 1 hour.

 Heat a pressure cooker add mustard oil, then add bay leaf,green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon   & sliced onion, fry it til it is golden brown.

Then Add Ginger and Garlic paste and cook the masala until the raw smell goes out.

Then Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cook it for a second.

Next add Cumin powder,Coriander powder, garam masala,meat masala and  cook it for sometimes

Once you see oil is getting separated form the masala then add mutton to the cooker. Add salt to taste.Give it a good mix so that the mutton is well coated with the masala.

Cover it cook it for next 20 minutes. Give it a occasional stir in between to avoid the masala sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Next, add the potatoes to the cooker. Mix it well.

Add warm water as you want the thickness of the gravy should be . Give it a good mix.

Cover the lid and pressure cook it. It takes around 2 whistle but you are the best judge of your cooker so cook it accordingly.

Once it is cooked, allow it to rest for some time, so that the steam can escape.

Open the lid of the cooker and Mix it well and add chopped  coriander leaves. simple mutton curry is ready to be served now,enjoy it steamed rice .

Banana malpua

Ingredients:

1.5 cup all purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup semonila (sooji)
1 cup sugar
2 cup milk (boiled)
1 tsp green cardamom powder 
25 gm mixed dry fruits
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 ripe banana mashed
cooking ghee or oil for deep frying

Methods:

Take maida in a bowl,add semolina and sugar in it. mix well.

Add milk in it,make sure you are adding little in one time,mix the batter for atleast  2-3 min  so that no lumps  are formed.

Then add ripe banana in the batter and mix well.

Add chopped dry fruits, cardamom powder and fennel seeds to the batter and give a stir .

Keep the batter aside for atleast 45 minutes.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan.

Drop a little batter in the oil to check the temperature of oil.

Then put a spatula full of batter in the middle of  the hot oil and  do not spread the batter.

Fry it in low flame for 2-3 minutes,then flip to fry the other side.

Drain it out to extract excess oil.

Repeat the same process for the remaining batter.

Put some chopped dry fruits on it ,and serve hot or cold .

Rice kheer

INGREDIENTS :

¼  cup basmati rice

1 litre full fat milk or whole milk or full cream milk - 4 cups
6 tablespoons sugar or add as required
½  teaspoon cardamom powder or 5 to 6 green cardamoms powdered in mortar-pestle(choti elaichi powder)
1 pinch saffron strands (kesar)
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced cashews (kaju)
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced unsalted pistachios
1 tablespoon raisins (kishmish)

Instructions:

Preparation for rice kheer

Rinse ¼  cup basmati rice a couple of times till the water runs clear of the starch.
Then soak the rice in enough water for 15 to 20 mins.

Making rice kheer

Meanwhile, when the rice grains are soaking, take 1 litre full fat milk in a heavy wide pan or saucepan or kadai.

Keep the pan on a low to medium-low flame. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not stick at the bottom of the pan.

Let the milk come to a boil.

Take 1 tablespoon milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let the milk become warm. Then add a few saffron strands in the milk. Keep aside.

After the milk begins to boil, drain all the water from the rice and add it to the hot boiling milk. mix very well.

Simmer and cook rice on a low flame. No need to cover the pan when the rice is cooking.

Cook the rice grains till they are 50% done or half-cooked.

Then add 5 to 6 tbsp sugar or add as required. mix the sugar in the milk.

Continue to cook rice on a low to medium-low flame. Do stir at intervals. simmer till the rice is almost cooked.

Flavoring the rice kheer

Then add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder. add blanched & peeled sliced almonds and chopped cashews and sliced pistachios. mix well.

Then add the saffron dissolved milk.

Again mix and continue to cook on a low flame till the rice kheer thickens and the rice grains have completely cooked.

Switch off the flame when the rice grains are completely cooked. The kheer will also thicken. On cooling rice kheer thickens more. Scrape milk solids from sides and add to kheer.

Lastly add 1 tablespoon raisins(optional). At this step you can add 1 tablespoons rose water

Pour the rice kheer in  serving bowls. You can serve the rice kheer, warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftover rice kheer.

chicken manchurian

Ingredients:

250 gm boneless chicken, cubed
2 green onion...
3 green chilies, deseeded
1 egg, lightly beaten
black pepper according to taste
salt to taste
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp cornflour
oil for frying

For Sauce

2 cups chicken stock
5 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp red chili sauce
1 tbsp cornflour mixed in little water
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
black pepper per taste
salt per taste

Chicken Manchurian Directions

1 Place chicken in a large bowl. Add vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper, mix them well.
2 Marinate this chicken mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3 Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
4 Now add cornflour and beaten egg to the marinated chicken.
5 Toss to coat evenly.
6 Now fry chicken pieces in the hot oil till crispy and golden.
7 Remove from the oil and absorbent on kitchen paper.
8 Now heat 1 tsp oil in a deep wok.
9 Add Ginger garlic paste.
10 Cook and saute for 2 minutes then add green chilies.
11 Cook for 1 minute.
12 Now add chicken stock.
13 Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
14 Now add chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar.
15 Cook adn stir for 2-3 minutes.
16 Dissolve cornflour in water.
17 Add cornflour mixture and stirring constantly till sauce is thickened.
18 Put the chicken pieces and cook 2 for minutes until heated thorough.
19 Garnish with green onion,carrot .

20 Chicken Manchurian is ready now.
21 Serve hot with fried rice.

pressure cooker Chicken Biryani

Ingredients
Chicken Bone-in pieces 8
Basmati Rice 1 1/2 cups soaked for 30 minutes into cold water
Fried Onion 1 cup
Ginger 1/2 " long piece
Garlic 3 to 4 cloves
Yoghurt 1 cup
Tomato 1 large chopped
Green chilies 4 to 5 or as per taste
Fresh Mint leaves 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves chopped 1/2 cup
Turmeric 1/2 teaspoon
Cloves 5 to 6
Cinnamon stick 1" long stick
Green Cardamom pods 5 to 6
Black cardamom 2
Shah Jeera 1 tablespoon
Vegetable oil 3 tablespoons
Salt as per taste

Steps to Prepare
In a small grinder add Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies, Mint Leaves, Coriander leaves and 1 tablespoon of water and grind to make a fine paste.
Take a bowl add the Mint cilantro paste to it, add Yogurt, Salt, Turmeric, Tomato, Fried Onion and mix well. Now add the chicken pieces to the mixture and marinate with the mixture.
Take a pan and heat 3 tablespoons of oil into the pan. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and cover it for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes open the lid, now you can see lots of water came from the chicken.
Evaporate all the excess water and stir fry till oil comes out from the chicken. Turn off the heat.
Now heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Pressure Cooker and add Cloves 5 to 6, Green cardamom pods 5 to 6, Cinnamon stick 1" long stick , Black cardamom 2, Shah Jeera 1 tablespoon and some salt and fry till a nice aroma comes from the whole spices.
Now add the soaked rice to the Cooker and fry for a minute. Add the chicken pieces to the Pressure Cooker.
Add 1 & 3/4 cup of water into the Pressure Cooker. Pressure cook the Biryani for 2 whistle on High heat. Turn off the oven and let the pressure release itself .
When all the pressure is released by itself, open the lid and your Biryani is ready to serve. Enjoy it with raita.

Tawa Chicken

Ingredients :

250gms -chicken
1 large onion - finely chopped
1 capsicum - finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes or tomato puree
   1/2 cup yogurt - beaten
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp carom seeds(ajwain)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
 Juice of half a lime
Salt as required
Chopped coriander leaves and mint for garnishing
2 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp oil

Directions :

Take chicken in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,salt and little kasuri methi, mix well and leave it to marinate for 30-40 minutes.
Heat butter on a tawa, when it melts add marinated chicken and saute it well for 6-8 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
To the same tawa add oil and heat it. Add cumin and carom seeds. When they splutter add chopped onions and saute till they turn golden.
Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, chopped capsicum and stir well and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
Now add red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, yogurt and salt, stir it and cook for a minute.
Now add tomato puree and cook it further stirring in between till the tomato puree is cooked enough. This may take around 4-5 minutes.
Now mix fried chicken and saute it well for another 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala powder, lemon juice and kasuri methi and stir well. Saute for another 2 minutes.
Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander and mint leaves.

Easy chicken pulao

Ingredient :

Chicken -500gm

Basmati rice -2 cup (long grain)

Onion -2(finely sliced)

Green chilli  -3(slit)

Ginger paste -1/2 tsp

Garlic paste -1/2 tsp

Tomato -1 (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves -2 tsp(chopped)

Mint leaves -10

Water -3 cups

Refined oil -4 tsp

Ghee -2 tsp

Salt to taste

Marinade:

1/2 cup thick curd

2-3 green chillis (slit)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander leaves

8 mint leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 lemon juice

Garam Masala:

cloves -8

cinnamon -2 stick

elaichi -4

star anise -1

mace -pinch

nutmeg powder -pinch

bay leaves -2

Method:

1.Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for marination for 15 min.while the chicken is marinating,work on the rest of preparation.

2.Heat a deep  pan into it add oil and ghee then add all the garam masala ingredients and saute it for 1 min.

3.Add sliced onions and green chillis and saute for 5 mins till onions turns transparent.add ginger garlic  paste and saute further for 3 min.add chopped tomato,mint and coriander leaves and saute it.

4.add the chicken along with marinade and combine well.cook on high for 2 min,reduce flame ,placelid and cook for 15 min,it shold not be completely dry.

5.add water and bring it to boil.adjust salt,reduce flame and add the strained basmati rice.add 5 mint leaves and 1 tsp coriander leaves and place the lid and cook on low flame till the rice and chicken are cooked.this could take approx 15 min.turn off heat and do not remove the lid for 10 min.

6.Remove lid,add 1/2 ghee and combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

poi chingudi sukhua (dried prawn)charchadi

INGREDIENTS

Poi shag (Basella leaf/Malabar Spinach) – 250 gms
Red pumpkin – 100 gms
Potato – 1 (Medium size)
Dried prawn fish(chingudi sukhua)
Green chili – 3 (slit)
Dried Red chili (Whole) – 1
Panch phoran – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – a big pinch
Mustard paste-3 tsp
Garlic- 4-5 cloves
Salt to taste
Mustard oil – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

1.Clean and cut the poi shag.

2.Clean dried prawns by washing it .
3.Cut potato and red pumpkin into cube size.
4.Heat a pan add oil and then add the dried prawn and to it turmeric powder and a little amount of salt and fry it and keep aside.
5.Heat mustard oil  in a deep frying pan on medium heat,add 2 tsp mustard oil,panch phoran and red chili. Saute on medium heat until crackle.
6.Add potato cubes and big pinch of salt and fry light golden color.
7.Add Red pumpkin and cook until tender, add green chili,mustard paste and turmeric powder,and garlic cloves and mix well and add litter amount of water into it and cook for 3-4 minutes with lid.
8.Now add chopped poi shag,dried prawn salt

and some water and stir it and put the lid and cook till potato and pumpkin are done, cook for 7 minutes.

9.Serve hot with steamed white Rice.

Dahi Elish

Ingredients:

Elish(Hilsa fish) – 500 gms (cut into round pieces)
White Mustard seeds – 2 tsp
Black mustard seeds – 2 tsp
poppy seed -1tsp
Garlic – 10-12 flakes
Green chillies – 5 (slit)
Turmeric powder – 3 tsp
Mustard oil – 50 ml
Salt to taste
Water – as per requirement
Curd – 1 cup (beaten)

Procedure:

Clean the Hilsa fish pieces,add turmeric powder and salt  and keep aside

.

Make a smooth paste of mustard seeds (both black and white ) along with poppy seeds ,2 green chillies, garlic and salt.

Once the paste is prepared add 1 cup curd to it and marinate this paste all-over the clean fish pieces for at least 30 minutes.

Heat mustard oil in pan and add the marinated fish pieces along with some water and remaining green chillies, to cook the fish and then close lid and cook the fish till tender.

Another alternative to preparing this is transferring the fish in a closed lid container and then steam it.

PAN PIZZA

Ingredients:

For The Pizza Base:
1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
salt to taste
2tsp oil(or butter)

For The Topping:

2 tsp oil
1 cup sliced coloured capsicum
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup boneless chicken cut into small pieces
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs(easily available in super market)
1/2 tsp dry red chilli flakes
salt to taste

pizza Sauce:

ready made available in any grocery shop
     or you can have substitute
 8 tbsp tomato ketchup
 3 tsp chili sauce
 3 tsp grated garlic
and the main ingredient for pizza is 1 cup grated processed cheese
Method:

For the topping
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the chicken pieces, onions and capsicum and saute it   for 2 minutes.
Add the mixed herbs, chili flakes and salt and saute on a low flame for 2 minute. then Keep aside.

For the pizza base:

Combine the dry yeast, baking soda,sugar and 1½ tbsp of warm water in a bowl, mix well and cover with a lid and keep aside for 5 minutes.
Combine the flour, yeast-baking powder mixture and salt in a deep bowl and knead into a soft dough using warm water and dough should be soft.
Cover with a lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Roll a portion of the dough as we make chapati but it should not be thinner like chapati.
Heat a non-stick tava, grease it with little butter or oil, place the rolled roti on it, cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 2 minutes using little butter, turnover and cook again on a slow flame for 2 minutes.and keep aside.now your pizza base is ready .

topping:

Place a pizza base on a clean, dry surface, spread 3 tbsp of  ready made pizza sauce or the sauce we have made ,evenly over it.
Put a portion of the topping and spread it evenly.
Finally sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese evenly over it.
Place the pizza on a hot greased tava , cover it with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till the pizza is crisp and the cheese melts completely.Now your pizza is ready,Serve immediately.