Awadhi Mutton Biryani

Awadhi Mutton Biryani
Ingredients
For garam masala:
1 cinnamon stick
8  cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp pepper corns
1 star anise
2 mace
2 brown cardamom
2 green cardamom

Method
For garam masala:
Dry roast all the ingredients. Grind them in a masala grinder.

For marinating the mutton
Ingredients
1kg mutton
1/2 cup curd
2-3 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp Cashew nut paste
Garam masala powder made at home
Salt to taste

Method
For mutton marination:
Take the mutton and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Then add cashew nut paste, garam masala powder , curd and mix  it. Cover it and keep it aside for 1 hour.

For cooking the rice
Ingredients
1 kg basmati rice
salt to taste
Method
Wash and soak the rice in water for 1/2 an hour. Add the salt and cook the rice till done. It rice should be cooked 75 %  and the rest will cook in dum.

For cooking the biryani
Ingredients
Marinated mutton
Cooked rice
1 cups milk
4 tbsp ghee
2 onions sliced and browned
Saffron
1/2 tsp  Kewar and rose essence
Mint and Coriander leaves  chopped for garnishing

Method
Add 3 tbsp ghee in the handi. Transfer the marinated meat from the bowl to the handi.Now stir and cook the meat for a few minutes.
Cover with the lid and simmer the meat  till done.
Now take another handi and  layer the mutton with cooked rice and then again with mutton and cooked rice. Now take milk, saffron, 1 tbsp ghee and the essence. And warm it up a bit. Spread  the milk on top of the last
layered rice. Garnish it with mint, coriander and brown onions.
Cover the handi with the lid and weight it down with something heavy. Keep the flame low.
Cook for about half an hour. Serve it hot with salad.

Tanzanian Coconut Rice - Wali wa Nazi and Tanzanian Fish Curry - Mchuzi wa Samaki

Searching for new recipes and cooking it in my kitchen has become an obsession for me. I found this Rice and Fish curry recipe on the net from East Africa ..... So I thought of cooking it and it is so similar to our Indian curry...

Tanzanian Coconut Rice - Wali wa Nazi
Ingredients
2 Cups Basmati rice
2 cups Coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Peas
1/4 cup Carrot chopped

Method
In a big pot mix the coconut milk, water, peas and carrots and salt, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and boil the rice on a high flame. Then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or till the rice has cooked. Serve with Fish Curry - Mchuzi wa Samaki

Tanzanian Fish Curry  - Mchuzi wa Samaki
Ingredients
6 medium size Tilapia fish  cleaned and washed
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Oil
2  Onions chopped
2 Tomatoes chopped
3 tbsp a Tomato purée
2 green Chilli  chopped
1 tbsp  Garlic crushed
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
2 tsp Curry powder - recipe given below
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Coriander leaves chopped
1 tbsp Coriander leaves for garnishing
1 tbsp Lime juice 

Method
Pat dry the fish with paper towel, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let them rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oil over medium low heat and add the onions and green chillies. Sauté them till the onions are golden in colour. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder. Stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. Stir well and cook for about 3 minutes. Add water and  coriander leaves mix well. At this point, add some salt and pepper to the sauce. Mix well.Place the fish over the sauce, cover the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the fish is completely cooked.Turn off the heat and drizzle the lemon juice over the fish. Then turn the fish very carefully on the other side. Garnished it with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Tanzanian Coconut Rice - Wali wa Nazi

African Curry Powder
Ingredients
1 tsp Ginger powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
2 tbsp Coriander powder
2 tbsp Cumin Powder
1 tbsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Red Chilli powder
Method
Mix all the ingredients together , store it in a bottle.

Prawn Palau

Prawn Palau

Ingredients 

250 grams Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes

1 cup prawns cleaned

2 Onions sliced

1 Tomato Chopped

2 Green chilies slit

1 tsp Garlic crushed

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

2 tsp Curry powder

2 tbsp Oil

2 Cloves

1 Anistar 

1 small Cinnamon stick

2 Cardomon

6 Pepper corn

2 tbsp broken Kaju

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped

Method

Take oil in a pot and heat it up.  Add cloves, peppercorn, cardomon, anistar  and cinnamon in the oil. Sauté for few seconds. Add onions, garlic and kaju. Once the onions turn light brown in colour add sugar. Add the tomatoes and cook for few minutes. Add the prawns, salt, turmeric powder, curry powder. Cook the prawns  for 2 minutes. Add the soaked rice. Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Cook the Palau till the rice is cooked. Add coriander leaves for garnishing.  

Vegetarian Egg Nargisi Kofta Curry served with Vegetable Palau rice....

Vegetarian Egg Nargisi Kofta Curry served with Vegetable Palau rice....

Vegetarian Egg Nargisi Kofta Curry

Preparation time: 45 minutes 

Cooking time : 1 hour 

 For kofta

Ingredients 

4 Raw Banana Boiled and mashed

1/2 cup Chickpeas flour/ Besan 

1 Cup mango pulp OR Butter Milk with 1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1 1/2 tbsp Corn flour

1/2 tsp Chilli paste

Oil to fry

Method

Take a bowl. Add the besan, salt, turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp ginger paste, 1/4 tsp chilli paste and Mango pulp OR butter milk. Make a batter out of it. Take a non stick pan and cook the batter on a low flame, stirring it continuously. Once the batter dries up and becomes into a dry paste, keep it aside. Take the raw mashed bananas and add garam masala powder,corn flour,  salt, 1/4 tsp ginger paste and 1/4 tsp chilli paste. Mix it well. Now take the besan and make lemon size equal balls from it. Take the mashed banana and make bigger balls of equal portions. Take one mashed banana ball and flatten the ball a bit. Make a cavity and add the besan ball in the cavity. Roll up the mashed banana around the besan ball and try to give a egg shape. Repeat the same process for the remaining balls. Take a pan. Add oil in it. Let the oil heat. Add the vegetarian egg kofta till brown. Keep them aside. 

For the gravy

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Ghee / Oil 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

1/2 tsp Chilly powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp Curry powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp Kaju paste 

1 cup water 

1/4 cup yogurt

1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves for Garnishing

Method 

Heat ghee or oil in a pot. Add the ginger and sauté it for few seconds. Add a little water.Add the kaju paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add all spices, salt,tomato puree and curd, cook it for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 water and cook it for further 15 minutes on simmer. The gravy should be thick. 15 minutes before serving cut the koftas in the centre into two halves.Add the koftas to the gravy.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vegetable Palau

Preparation time : 30 minutes 

Cooking time : 45 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 cup Basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes 

2 tbsp ghee

2 of each whole spice (Cardomom, Cloves) crushed

4 Pepper corn crushed

1" inch Cinnamon stick crushed

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 Green Chillies chopped

1/2 tsp Ginger grated

1 cup of Mix Vegetables chopped ( Carrot,  Peas, Cauliflower)

1/2 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste

Method 

Take a pot. Add ghee. Let is heat, add bay leaves and cumin seeds. Let the seeds crackle. Add the whole spices crushed. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the vegetables. Stir the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add salt and sugar. Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Let the water boil for 5 minutes. Add the rice. Stir the rice. Cook the rice till the rice has absorbed all the water. Once done serve it with the gravy... 

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani
For the Garam Masala
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Shahi Jeera
2 small sticks Cinnamon
4 green cardamom
4 cloves
5 Pepper corns
A piece of mace
Method
Grind the Masala into powder

For marination of the Meat
Ingredients
1 kg Mutton cut in to big cubes
1/2 cup Curd
4 green chillies paste
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp coriander  powder
1/2 tbsp cumin  powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
2 Onion slice and Fried
1/2 cup  Coriander leaves chopped
3/4 cup Pudina leaves chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp Ghee
4 tbsp of Raw papaya grated
Method
Marinate the mutton with the above ingredients for 2 to 3 hours.

For the Rice
Ingredients
750 grams  Basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes
2 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1″ Cinnamon stick
1 Bay leaf
4  Pepper
1 Mace
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Shahi jeera
5 glasses of Water
Method
Add water in a big vessel. Add the above ingredients except rice. Let it boil. Add the rice and half cook the rice. Drain the rice and keep the water. Divided the rice in to two parts.

For Garnishing
Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped Coriander leaves
1/4 cup Pudina leaves
1 cup Saffron milk ( Add a pinch of Saffron to 1 cup hot milk)
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 cup Fried Onions
Boil eggs cut into half

For Layering
Method
Add the marinated  mutton in the  pan.  Add drained water( reserved  water from cooked rice). Add the half of rice on the top of the mutton. Spread some fried onion, some chopped pudina and  coriander leaves and a tbsp of ghee. Add rest of the rice on it and spread rest of the fried onion, saffron milk , chopped coriander and pudina  leaves and ghee. Now  seal the edges with roti dough or use a  piece of foil paper and seal the top. Cook the biryani for 45 minutes to a hour on low heat. Hyderabadi dum biryani is ready. Serve it with boil eggs and raita.

Pakistani Mutton Biriyani

Pakistani Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients 

1 kg Mutton

1 kg Basmati Rice 

2 big onions sliced

1 tomato chopped 

1 1/2 tbsp garlic, ginger and chilli paste 

1 tbsp Briyani masala powder ( 1/4 tsp ( Saha jeera ) cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp coriander powder, 2 green cardomom, 1 small stick Cinnamon, 4 cloves, 8 to 10 pepper, 1/2 nutmeg, 2 whole red chillies, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves) to grind

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

6 dry plums

1/2 cup curd

1/2 cup milk

2 pinch saffron

Pinch of kesar colour

Salt to taste

3 tbsp ghee

Chopped mint and coriander leaves for garnishing 

1/4 cup of mix dry fruits ( Kaju, raisins and almond flakes)

1/2 tsp Kewra essence 

2 boiled eggs

1/4 cup pomegranate 

For the salad cut 1 tomato, 1 onion, 1 cucumber into to slice. Slit 2 green chillies, slice 1 lime.

Method

Marinate the mutton with curd, ginger, garlic, chilli paste, biriyani masala powder, salt, turmeric powder for a hour. Take the rice an soak for 30 minutes. Take a pan add 1 1/2 tbsp ghee and fry the onions till golden brown.  Take  1/2  of the onions and keep it aside. Let the rest of the onions be in the pan. Add the marinated Mutton and tomato. Let it cook in its own juice. Cook the soaked rice. Add salt to taste and 1/2 tsp ghee in the rice and mix it. Once the mutton is cooked and the gravy has reduce, take mutton of the gas. Take 1/2 cup milk. Warm the milk and add saffron and Kewra essence. Divided the rice into two parts. Add 1/2 milk to one part of the rice and mix it.  Now add colour to the remaining milk. Add the the milk to the other remaining rice and mix it. Cut the eggs in to two and keep it aside. Take a platter. Add the White rice on the plate. Create a   space in between the rice. Add the mutton in the centre. Now spread the coloured rice on the top. Sprinkle the brown onions on top. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee and fry the dry fruits and spread it on the rice. Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves. Now mix the salad and sprinkle salt on it. Garnish the biriyani with the salad, lime , green chillies, pomegranate seeds and eggs.