Mutton Biryani

Trying to get back to blog after a long break due to lack of time. Anyway wanted to start with a family favorite Mutton Biryani.We used less spice for my son's sake, you can increase spice if you like it spicier.

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 Mutton Biryani

Ingredients :

1 Kg Mutton
2 Medium Potatoes

2 medium onions
5 Tbsp Curd
2 medium tomatoes

2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

2 Tbsp Jeera (Cumin)powder
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder

2 Tsp Dhaniya (Coriander)Powder

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Shahi Jeera

2 Bay leaves
5 Cloves
2 Big Elaichi

4 - 1 Inch Dalchini(Cinnamon stick )
6-7 Pepper corns

2 Tbsp Kasoori Methi
3 Tbsp oil

Salt to taste
5 Cups Basmati Rice

Curd Chutney:
1 Cup Curd
1 Medium onion
1 Medium Tomato
2 Green Chilli
Salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Cut onion,tomato,greenchilles and add to curd, add salt and water. Mix well and serve.

Marinate :

Add mutton,curd,ginger garlic paste,.tomatoes,cumin powder,coriander powder,red chili powder,tumeric powder,shahi jeera,bay leaves, cloves,elaichi,cinnamon,pepper corns in  a pressure cooker and marinate for 30 min.

Cur onions into long pieces and fry in oil till light brown.

Add fried onion and kasoori methi, salt , 3 tbsp of hot oil into the mutton marinate and then marinate for another 1.5 hr. You can marinate for more hours if you like.

Lightly fry potatoes in oil and keep it aside.

Method :

After 1.5 hrs, cook mutton in pressure cooker on high flame for first 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame and cook mutton on slow flame for 45 minutes till about 5 whistles and mutton is tender.

In the meanwhile , cook 5 cups of basmati rice in a container full of water till half done . Once half done, drain water from rice.

 Open the pressure cooker and layer the rice and potatoes on top of mutton ,  add 2 tbsp of Ghee (Clarified butter) on top ,cover it tightly with a lid and cook on small flame till 45 mins.

Once done, take out the biryani into a container and mix it.

Serve hot with Curd Chutney.

Bhagara Baingan

Bhagara Baingan is a quintessntial Shaadi curry of Hyderabad. No Hyderabadi shaadi is complete withotu serving this dish.I love this curry and over the years I have made the process quite simplified and quick. It actually tastes better the next day

Bhagara Baingan

Ingredients :

8 -10 small round Brinjal/Baingan
2 Medium Onions
3 Tbsp of Peanuts
2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

1.5 Inch Ginger

5-6 cloves of Garlic

1 Tsp Whole Jeera
1 Tbsp whole Dhaniya
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder

1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

2 Bay leaf

4 Cloves

1 Inch Dalchini/Cinnamon

1/2 Inch small round of Tamarind

3 Tbsp oil

2 Cups of water
6 Curry Leaves

Salt to taste

Method 

Make a + cut on the Brinjals leaving the end intact so the whole brinjal stays together.

Soak Tamarind in 1 cup of water for half an hr and take the juice out.

Dry Roast peanuts, poppy seeds ,Dhania and Jeera seeds separately.  Dry roast onions till brown.

Grind Poppy seeds in a dry grinder into fine powder. Add roasted Dhania, Jeera and grind into fine powder. Add peanuts, Onion, Red chilli powder, garama masala powder, Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic ,and little water , make into a fine paste.

Take a pan , put int 3 tbsp oil, little turmeric powder and add brinjals and roast them a little till they change color. Take them out of the pan.

Now in the remaining oil, Add Bayleaf , Cloves, Dalchini , Curry Leaves and saute a little. Put in the paste and saute till the paste leaves oil. Once you see oil coming out of the paste, add tamarind water, 2 cups of water , salt and let the curry paste come to a boil. After 5 minutes, put in the brinjal and cook till the brinjals are tender.

Serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Other Indian Recipes - Chicken with Coriander

I wanted to try chicken a little bit differently and thought of cooking it with Mint,Coriander leaves and onion paste which we call in Telugu as Pachchi Masala.

I did not have mint , so just did with coriander but anyway turned out good. I love potatoes in a non veg curry , the gravy makes it so tasty that I leave chicken aside and just eat potatoes.

Chicken with coriander curry

Ingredients :

1 Kg Chicken
2 Medium Potatoes

2 Handfuls of Coriander leaves

2 medium onions

3 Green Chillies

2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Tsp Jeera (Cumin)powder

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli powder

11/2 Tsp Dhaniya (Coriander)Powder

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Whole Jeera (Cumin)

2 Bay leaves

5 Cloves

1 Inch Dalchini(Cinnamon stick )
 6-7 pepper corns

2 Tomatoes

3 Tbsp oil for gravy

1 Cups of water

Salt to taste

Masala Paste :

Make a fine paste of onions, coriander leaves, green chilli. Cut potatoes into halves.

Method :

Take a pan, add 1 tbsp oil, Add whole Jeera,Bay eaf, Cinnamon,cloves,pepper corns. Add chicken pieces ,turmeric and roast them till all the water dies up. Add the paste , Red chilli powder, Jeera powder, Dhaniya powder ,potatoes and roast it till the oil separates. Add tomatoes , 1 cup water, salt and let it cook till the gravy thickens and chicken is cooked well.

Serve with rice or roti.

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Blackeyed Peas Curry (Bobbarlu)

I like balckeyed peas very much. It tastes so good even with only a good  tadka. It can be served as a snack or a curry with Rotis.

It is very hot in NC and since my son likes water very much, so we frequent Carowinds. As I knew we would be back by dinner time,  I wanted the curry to be ready by the time we reach home. So I tried Blackeyed peas.It did not require any soaking ,was cooked perfect, Not mushy , held it's shape even after 6 hrs cooking.

Blackeyed Peas

Ingredients :

1.5 Cup Black Eyed Peas  ( Does not require soaking)
1/2 Medium Onion

6 Small Green Chillies

1 Tsp Chopped Ginger

1/4 Tsp Turmeric

1 Small Tomato

2 Tsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Jeera

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds

Salt to taste

4 cups water

Method :

In a microwaveable bowl, put Oil, Jeera,Onion,Tomato and Microwave for 3 minutes on high.

To the slow cooker ceramic pot add Black eyed peas,Chopped Ginger,Whole Green Chillies,Turmeric, above microwaved masala, Salt, Water. Cook for 6 hrs on high.

Note : If you are adding ginger paste instead of Chopped ginger, Cook it in Microwave along with other ingredients.

Serve hot with rotis

Other Indian Recipes - Red Gram Dal with Spring onions( Ulliporaka Erra Pappu)

This dish with Red gram dal with spring onions is from Nanda Mausi who used to take of our child and cook for us. She introduced this Maharashtrian dish along with many others ,We liked it so much that this became a weekly affair for us.

My Camera gave way and I could not get the picture. Will upload it some time later.  

Red Gram Dal with Spring onions( Ulliporaka Erra Pappu)

Ingredients :

1 Cup Red gram dal

2 Spring onion bunches

1 Tbsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 Tsp whole Jeera

4 whole Green Chillies

1 Tsp chopped Ginger

1 Tsp chopped Garlic

1/4 Tsp  Turmeric

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

2.5 cups water

Method:

Soak the Red gram dal for an hour. Chop Green chillies. Chop and clean Green Onion bunches along with onion.

In a Pan put oil, mustrad and jerra seeds, chopped ginger,garlic and green chilli.Add chopped green onion ,turmeric and stir fry for a minute or two.Add dal,garam masala and fry for a minute. Add water, salt and let it cook till dal is cooked but not too mushy.

Serve with Rice. You can make it little dry by reducing the water and can be served with Roti.

My experiments with Slow cooker series - Chana Dal with Lauki ( Anapakaya Chenaga pappu)

One more traditional Hyderabadi dal. Cooked in slow cooker and it turned out well.Dal always turn out better in slow cooker.Chana dal will be well cooked but not mashed.

  

Chana Dal with Lauki

Ingredients :

1 Cup Chana Dal

1 Medium Onion

1 small Lauki/Bottle Gourd/Anapakaya

1 Tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala(Optional)

1/4 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tomato

1 Tbsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Jeera

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves

Salt to taste

2.5 cups water

Method :

In a microwaveable bowl, put oil, jeera,mustard seeds,curry leaves, onion,ginger garlic paste,red chilli ,turmeric ,garam masala Microwave for 2 minutes on high.

To the slow cooker ceramic pot add Chana Dal, Lauki, Tomato,above microwaved masala, salt, water. Cook for 4 hrs on high.

Serve hot with rice.

Kids Food - Chicken Burger

As every kid my Kid too is a fan of chicken burgers and nuggets which we get in Mac D. I wanted to make it little healthier,so here is my junk food burger which is not so junk. I just do the chicken patties and let my son assemble it himself which he likes to do.

Chicken Burger
Ingredients:
Ground Chicken - 1/4 Lb
Mint - 10-12 Leaves
Coriander Leaves - Handful leaves
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/4 Tsp
Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 Tsp or to taste
2 Tbsp Chopped Onion
Green Chilli - Optional if you want it spicy
Salt to taste
Butter / Oil- 3 Tbsp
Burger Buns as required
Lettuce leave,cheese optional


Method :
Finely chop green chilli,mint and coriander leaves.

Take Ground chicken in bowl, add onion, ginger garlic paste, mint ,coriander leaves,black pepper, green chillies and salt. Mix them well . Take small rounds and make them into flat patties.

Take a pan , Put butter or Oil and put the chicken patties and shallow fry them well on both sides till they are well done.

Put a little bit of butter and warm the butter buns lightly before assembling the chicken burgers.

Note : I freeze these cooked chicken patties for up to two weeks. When I need them, I usually just roast them again on the pan or grill them in oven.