Quick and Easy Vegetable Briyani

Quick and Easy Vegetable Pulao with Pomegranate Raita

2nd Friday Aadhi Velli Menu of the day

Naivedyam was Arisi Paruppu Payasam @ Rice Kheer @ Rice Dhall Payasam and Paruppu Vada

For lunch one pot dish @ Vegetable Pulao with pomegranate raita and pappad

Ingredients
3 cups of basmathi rice - soak for 30mins
4 cups of water
1 small carrot - cubed
1 cup of cauliflower - cut
1/2 half of capsicum - cube - I used yellow to add some colours to my briyani
6-8 beans - chopped
1 big white onion
1 big tomato
3-4 green chilly
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tbs of coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tbs of fennel powder
1/2 tbs of cumin powder
salt to taste
1 lime juice
more coriander leaves -for garnishing

Spices for pulao
1 small cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamon
2-star anise
1/2 tsp  cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds


Method

1.  Wash and soak basmathi rice for 30mins. Later drain the rice, safe the water for later.
2.  Cut all the vegetables to cube size.  Set aside
3.  In a thick bottomed pot,( I used pressure cooker), heat some ghee
4.  Once hot, add the spices and fry till aromatic.
5.  Next add in the onions and fry till soft.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, tomato, curry leaves and coriander leaves, stir well for a few more mins
6.  Add in the vegetables, mix well and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
7.  Add in both fennel and cumin powders, mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.
8.  Add in the drained rice, stir well, pour in the water, salt to season, lime juice, mix well and cook.


Enjoy

Kushka

Kushka ||குஸ்கா

Kushka is a simple yet flavourful rice dish. It's briyani dish without using any meat. and a South Indian speciality.  Within this they are a few variants of cooking, some one with water only, some a combo of coconut milk or milk with water and some with chicken/meat stock.

This is a lunch meal that goes well together with kurma and raita.  For this kushka I paired it with bhindi ka salan and pomegranate raita.

I used basmathi. I also used the rice cooker to the rice instead of a pressure cooker. Lets look at the ingredients.

Note : 1 cup of basmathi rice liquid to be at 1.5 cups.


Kushka

Ingredients

3 cups of basmathi - washed and soaked for 20mins. and drain
4.5 cups of water
2 red onion - slice finely
5-6 green chilly - slit into 2
1 big tomato - chopped finely
2 medium sized bay leave
2 small stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
3 cardamon
3 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of yogurt - whisked
4 tbs of ghee
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilly powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
a handful of mint leaves
a handful coriander leaves - chopped coarsely

Garnishing - Mint leaves and fried onion.

Method

1.  In a pot heat ghee. Add in bay leave, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon, cloves and fennel seeds.  Fry for a few minutes till aromatic.

2.  Add in sliced onions.  Saute with a little salt till soft and brown.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, fry till raw smell is gone.

3.  Add in chilly and all the powders and cook till mix well, stir for a few more minutes.  Add half of the mint and coriander leaves. Mix well and add in tomato.  Cook till the tomato is homogeneous and well mix into a combined paste.

4.  Add in yogurt and mixed well.  Stir in rice, stir well add in water and salt to taste, top up with the balance of coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook till it is done.

Serve with some home made fried onion and mint leaves.  Serve hot.

Chicken Hyderabadi Briyani

Late post  of Kiren's birthday lunch treat - Chicken Hyderabadi Briyani

The first time I prepared this briyani was long before I started blogging, actually when we first move to Doha.  You have to marinate the chicken and set aside for a short while.  Prepare the rice separately.  Put them together and cook and you get a nice aromatic briyani.

Typically Malaysian briyani's  comes with in a set of briyani rice, chicken/mutton/beef either as a thick gravy and side dish like raita or acar buah- @ fruit pickle

So when I was cooking this briyani, I keep thinking that I need a gravy to go with.  But you will surprise there enough gravy once you get it all done.

I cant remember whose recipe I had used previously, but this time I used Chef Sanjay Tumma of Vahrehvah.com

My portion consists of 1kg of chicken thigh drumstick part which I cut into two ending up with 12 pieces altogether.

As for the rice I used 3 cups about 480gm - it was more than enough for 3 of us for lunch.

Ingredients Required
3 cups of basmati rice or any long grain rice
1kg of chicken - cut into medium size
6 pc - peppercorn
3tbs oil/ghee
1.5 tbs of lime juice - I used lemon instead
1 tsp - coriander powder
1 tsp - cumin powder
2 bay leaves
4-6  green chilly  - slit diagonally
3-4 of cloves
3-4 of green cardamon
2 small sized cinnamon
2 large fried onion
Salt to taste
2 black cardamon - I did not use this
4-5 tbs chopped coriander leaves
1-2 tbs of mint leaves -
3-4 tbs of ginger garlic paste
2-3 pcs of mace
2.5 cups of yogurt
1tsp of tumeric
pinch of saffron soaked in 1tbs of hot water and let it dissolved


Preparation Method

1.  Put all ingredients except rice, fried onions and safron.  Set aside some coriander leaves and mint leaves for rice   Mix well and set aside to marinate.

2. Wash and soaked basmati rice for 1/2hour.  This will ensure the rice be long and fluffy..

3.  In a pot, add some oil  to the boiling water and salt to taste.  The right amount of salt will give you a good taste of the briyani,  You will it is the the right amount of salt is when you taste the water it is salty.   Add ingredients like whole cardamon, cloves and cinnamon, if desired.

Rice being cooked

4.  Add in the soaked rice into the boiling water and half cooked the rice.  To know what is half cooked rice is when the rice is boiling about 50% done.  The grain of rice is crushed but not fully cooked - that is perfect for the rice.

Strained rice before adding to marinated chicken

5.  How to cooked the briyani - In a deep, thick based bottom, lay the marinated chicken, lay evenly and spread well.  Next spread in the half cooked rice. Spread evenly.  Sprinkle the remainder coriander and mint leaves, fried onions and sprinkle the saffron liquid.  Cover the briyani tightly and cooked over medium heat for about 20 mins and the remainder 10 mins on low fire.

Rice spread over marinated chicken with the remainder fried onions and herbs

Note : This is a tip from my friend, on how to avoid the meat from the sticking to the bottom of the pan (thats what happened to me though not to much), place a tray of water over the stove and then putting over the pot in the tray - in the other word - bain marie 

The final product served with onion raita

Chicken Hyderabadi Briyani

Enjoy

** Sathiarani**