Appease your taste buds with Delicious Veg Biryani & Khichadi

Since quite some time, I had been thinking of posting something that is of different genre from my previous ones. Last month, my parents left to our home town for a couple of days and I had cook food for myself. I did some goggling to find some good recipes and relied on it completely. For my good luck it turned out great! Following is the recipe of Veg-Biryani & Rice and Moong Dal Khichadi.

Recipe of Veg-Biryani

Ingredients: • 1-1/2 cups Uncooked Rice • 2 pinches Saffron (dissolved in a little water) • 2 Onions (sliced) • 2 tbsp Cashew nuts (broken into pieces) • 2 tbsp Raisins • 3 Tomatoes (finely chopped) • 2 Capsicums (sliced) • 2 cups (mixed boiled vegetables i.e. chopped cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green peas) • 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves (chopped) • A little Milk • 4 tbsp Ghee • Salt to taste

To be ground into a paste: • 6 Garlic Cloves • 25 mm piece of Ginger • 3 Cardamoms • 4 Green Chilies • 3 Cloves • 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds • 2 sticks Cinnamon • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder • 1/2 tsp Chili Powder • 2 Onions • 6 Mint leaves

How to make Veg-Biryani: • Boil the rice in a vessel containing adequate water, cook and drain excess water. • Add the saffron liquid and salt to the cooked rice. Mix well. • Heat the ghee and add the onions. Fry until brown. • Remove the onions and in the same ghee, add the cashew nuts and raisins. • Fry for a few seconds. Remove and keep aside for garnishing. • Add the prepared paste and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. • Add the tomatoes and capsicum and fry again for 2 to 3 minutes. • Add the boiled vegetables and coriander and cook for a while. • Put 2 tablespoons of ghee at the bottom of a baking bowl. • Make layers of the rice and vegetables, beginning and ending with rice. • Sprinkle a little milk on top. • Cover and bake in a hot oven at 200 degree C for 15 to 20 minutes. • Garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins and serve hot.

 

Rice and Moong Dal Khichadi

Ingredients 2 cups basmati rice 1/2 cup moong dal 2-3 finely chopped green chilies 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 finely chopped medium size tomato 2 finely chopped medium size onions 5-6 curry leaves 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp asafetida 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder 3-4 tbsp desi ghee 6 cups water salt to taste   Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method 1. Soak moong dal and rice for 15 minutes. 2. Heat ghee in pressure cooker 3. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and allow spluttering. 4. Now add asafetida and curry leaves and green chilies. Then add onions. 5. Saute onions till translucent. 6. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. 7. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are mashed. 8. Add the powdered masalas. 9. When ghee starts leaving sides, add the soaked rice and moong dal and water. Add salt to taste and stir in half the chopped coriander. 10. Cover and pressure cook (3 whistles)   The consistency should be slightly liquidy.   Garnish with remaining coriander. Serve hot with one tsp of ghee on top.