Grains, Recipes

Vegetable Biryani

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Vegetable Biryani

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Serves: 4

This dish comes from city of Hyderabad (in State of Telangana), Southern part of India..
Ingredients
For fried shallots and marinade:
  • 1 lb. shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or melted butter or canola oil
  • ¼ cup yogurt
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 lb. paneer, cut into 1 inch dice
  • 1 red onion, cut into 1 inch dice
  • 10 to 12 cauliflower florets
  • ½ of green pepper cut into 1 inch dice
  • ½ of red pepper cut into 1 inch dice
  • 2 carrots cut into 1 inch dice
  • 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish
Dough lid (optional):
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup or more water
Rice:
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or butter or canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Biryani:
  • 1 teaspoon saffron threads
  • ½ cup warm cooking water of rice
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or melted butter
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon rose water (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. Make fried shallots: Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter or oil in a large non-stick skillet until shimmering. Add shallots and let it cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. This takes about 9 to 10 minutes. Let shallots cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. While shallots are cooling, mix yogurt, salt, lemon juice, remaining oil or ghee or butter, ginger, garlic and dry spices into medium mixing bowl. Add vegetables and paneer except peas. Stir with yogurt and spices to coat them with marinade.
  3. Once shallots are cooled, reserve one third in a small bowl. Add remaining shallots to vegetables and paneer. Stir the mixture and let it stand for 30 minutes or so.
  4. While vegetables are marinating, make dough lid. Mix flour and water in a medium mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Make a ball and roll into ¼ inch thick rope which can be wrapped around the lid of large size Dutch oven. Cover the dough lid with kitchen towel.
  5. Make rice: Rinse rice in cold water until water runs clear and drain excess water. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large sauce pan. Wrap whole spices into a piece of cheese cloth and tie with a kitchen twain. Add to sauce pan along with oil or butter or ghee, salt, nutmeg and caraway seeds. Stir in rice. Bring rice to simmer and cook only half way, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the spice bundle and reserve ½ cup cooking liquid.
  6. Assemble biryani: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine saffron and pinch of sugar or salt into a mortar, and with a pestle make it into fine powder. Transfer to a measuring cup. Pour warm cooking water from rice over it and mix until saffron is almost dissolved. Spray large Dutch oven with non-stick spray to avoid paneer sticking to bottom. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee or butter in a large Dutch oven. Spoon half of vegetable mixture over it and spread it in even layer. With a skimmer or a fine sieve drain excess liquid from rice and spread half of rice over vegetables. Top with half of remaining ghee or butter, shallots, garam masala, saffron water, rose water and cilantro. Repeat the same layering once more. Cover with lid and wrap the dough lid on top of it. Press the dough to tightly seal it. Bake the biryani for 15 to 20 minutes or until the dough lid is golden brown. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Remove dough lid, uncover lid, top with green peas and cilantro. Serve immediately with cucumber raita.

 

 

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Quick Vegetable Biryani

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Cook time: 

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Serves: 4

This recipe can be made with leftover rice.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 cup assorted vegetables
  • ¼ cup frozen green peas
  • 2 teaspoons ghee or butter
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole gloves
  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cardamom pods
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Heat ghee or butter with oil on a medium high in a frying pan or a wok until simmering. Add cumin and mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium. Sprinkle saffron threads over oil while crushing them with your fingertips. Sauté saffron in fat until fat picks up color, about 30 seconds. Next add whole spices with bay leaf and sauté for 30 seconds.
  2. Add onions and sauté those until edges are brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and green chili, and sauté those for 1 minute. Next add garam masala and paprika or chili powder and sauté those for 30 seconds.
  3. Increase heat to high. Add vegetables and stir fry those for 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables soft but still crunchy. Add cooked rice and season with salt. Stir fry rice with vegetables until coated with spices, about 1 to 2 minutes. Next add peas and stir to combine with rice. Lower the heat to low. Cover the pan or wok with a lid and let everything cook together to blend all the flavors for 2 to 3 minutes. Before serving garnish with cilantro. Serve warm with cucumber raita.

 

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Grains, Recipes

Khichdi

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Plain Khichdi

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Serves: 4

This simple meal of grain and dal is a staple of Gujarati meal. In most Gujarati households, you will find Khichdi with dinner. It can be prepared many ways, even with vegetables, making it a one pot meal.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rice
  • ¾ cup toover dal (split pigeon peas) or mung dal (with or without skin)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 4 cups of water
Directions
  1. Wash rice and dal together in a bowl until water is clear. Add 4 cups of water to cover rice and dal. Let it soak for 1 to 2 hours. (Soaking is optional).
  2. Pour rice and dal along with water into a medium Dutch oven or a soup pot. Add turmeric and season with salt. Stir everything and cover pot with a lid. Let Khichdi cook for 40 to 45 minutes or until rice and dal are tender.
  3. To cook khichdi in an Instant pot: Follow step 1. Transfer dal and rice to pot insert. Add turmeric and season with salt. Stir everything and cover pot with a lid. Set instant pot to pressure cook setting and set time for 15 minutes. For unsoaked rice and dal increase time to 20 minutes. Once cooking is over release steam and follow step 4.
  4. Serve hot with yogurt or plain chass (lassi) or vaghareli chass.

 

 

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Vaghareli Khichdi

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 recipe plain Khichdi
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 6 to 7 curry leaves
Directions
  1. Follow step 1 of plain Khichdi.
  2. In a medium Dutch oven or a soup pot, heat oil and ghee over medium heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let it sizzle. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle as well. Add remaining Vaghar ingredients and stir contents of pot. Follow step 2 and 4 of plain Khichdi.
  3. To cook in an Instant pot: Follow step 1. Set instant pot to saute setting. Once inner pot is hot, heat oil and ghee until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let it sizzle. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle as well. Add remaining Vaghar ingredients and dal and rice with water. Stir the contents of pot and cover instant pot. Set it to pressure cook for 15 minutes. Increase time to 20 minutes for unsoaked rice and dal. Once cooking is over, release steam and follow step 4 of plain Khichdi.

 
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Mixed Grain Khichdi

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup each quinoa, pearl barley, and cracked wheat (or millet)
  • ½ cup split pigeon peas (toover dal)
  • 2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 whole cloves
  • One inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 7 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper (or to taste), finely diced
  • 3 cups of water or more
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Combine quinoa, barley, cracked wheat and pigeon peas and rinse in a two to three of changes of water. Let it soak in 2 ½ cups water for at least 30 minutes (soaking is optional).
  2. In a medium Dutch oven or a soup pot, over medium-high heat, heat ghee and oil until it shimmers. Add mustard seeds and let it sizzle. Add curry leaves, all the dry spices and sauté until fragrant, for 30 seconds. Add the grain mixture along with water. Add green chili and ginger. Mix the contents of pot and season with salt. Add more water if necessary so that contents of pot are covered with water.
  3. Turn the heat up and bring contents of pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until all the liquid have absorbed and grains and dal are tender. Add more water if necessary.
  4. To cook in an Instant Pot: Follow step 1. Set instant pot to saute setting. Once inner pot is hot, heat ghee and oil until it shimmers. Add mustard seeds and let it sizzle. Add curry leaves, all the dry spices and sauté until fragrant, for 30 seconds. Add the grain mixture along with water. Add green chili and ginger. Mix the contents of pot and season with salt. Add more water if necessary so that contents of pot are covered with water. Cover instant pot and set it to pressure cook for 20 minutes. For unsoaked grains and dal set for 30 minutes. Release steam once cooking is over and follow step 4.
  5. Serve warm with plain chass (lassi) or vaghareli chass.

 
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Slow Cooker Vegetable Khichdi

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Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 2 cups rice
  • 1 ½ cups toover dal (split pigeon peas) or mung dal (with or without skin)
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 3 to 4 cloves
  • 2 1-inch pieces of cinnamon stick
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 9 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 small onion, small diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 1 small potato, medium diced
  • 1 small carrot, medium diced
  • 2 to 3 cauliflower florets cut into bite size pieces
  • ½ cup frozen peas
Directions
  1. Wash rice and dal together in a bowl until water is clear. Transfer dal and rice to a 3-quart slow cooker pot and add 4 cups of water. Add turmeric and season with salt.
  2. In a separate frying pan, heat oil and ghee over medium heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek seeds and let it sizzle. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle as well. Next add curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black pepper and chili powder. Add onions and sauté them until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute. Add all the vegetables except peas and sauté for a minute. Pour everything on top of slow cooker pot.
  3. Stir the contents of pot, cover and cook on high for six hours. For the last half an hour add peas.
  4. Before serving check the seasoning. Serve hot with yogurt or plain chass(lassi) or vaghareli chass.
Notes
In this recipe you can use any vegetables (about 3 cups) you like. You can adjust the quantity of recipe depending on size of your slow cooker. The left overs can be frozen.

 
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Sabudana ni Khichdi

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Serves: 6

Many Indians keep fast during certain days. On those days they avoid eating foods with pronounced flavor which are called tamasic (bitter, sour, pungent, salty and dry) like garlic, asafetida, tamarind etc. They adhere to strict vegetarian diet which is sattvic (simple) like fruits, potatoes (root vegetables), rajgara (amaranth), singoda (chestnuts), sabudana (tapioca).
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cup sabudana (tapioca pearls)
  • 1 medium size potato, cut into ¼ inch dice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil or more
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, finely diced
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • ½ cup plain yogurt, for serving
Directions
  1. Transfer sabudana to a mixing bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak in water for at least two hours or overnight. (it should be almost double in size).
  2. In a wok or frying pan heat oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add curry leaves and green chili. Sauté them until almost dry. Add ginger and potatoes. Add couple of tablespoons water and season potato with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir potatoes to cover them with spices. Cover wok or pan and let potato cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally so that potato does not stick to bottom.
  3. Uncover wok or frying pan. Let water evaporate if any left in wok or pan. Drain sabudana (if there is excess water) and gently separate the pearls with a fork. Add sabudana to wok or pan and immediately stir them so that they do not clump together. If khichdi looks dry add more oil, a tablespoon at a time. Season khichdi with salt, sugar and stir. Cover wok or pan for not more than 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Immediately serve with plain yogurt.

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