Narali Bhaat (Sweet Coconut Rice)

Ingredient:

• Basmati Rice: 1 Cup
• Sugar: 1 Cup
• Freshly Grated Coconut: 1/2 Cup
• Cardamom Pods: 3-4
• Cloves: 3-4
• Saffron: 3-4 Strings
• Nutmeg Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Cashews: 5-6 (Cut into 2-3 pieces)
• Raisins: 5-6
• Yellow Food Color: 2-3 Drops (Optional)
• Ghee: 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash rice and soak in water for 1/2 hour. Then drain water and keep aside.


2. Heat ghee in a kadhai or pot. Then add cloves, cardamoms, cashew and raisins. Fry them very well.


3. Then add rice and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add grated coconut, mix well.


4. Then add 2 and half cups of hot water, food color, saffron and nutmeg powder. Mix well and let it cook for a while.


5. When rice is 90 % done, add sugar and mix well. Cover the pot with lid and let it cook till rice is cooked well.


6. Serve this rice when it's hot.

This is my entry for Easy Craft's Mixed/Flavoured Rice Variety and Suganya's AFAM: Coconut events.

Bengali Khichuri for Arusuvai

For Arusuvai Friendship Chain Manasi send me two homemade powders. One is curry powder which is for 'Chavli Curry' from Nupur's : One Hot Stove blog and second is Masale Bhat powder which is for 'Masala Bhat' from Ashwini's: Food For Thought blog. Thanks Manasi for sending me these lovely powders. I made Katachi Aamati with Nupur's Masala and now I am making Khichuri with Ashwini's Masala. This is also Ashwini's recipe. I made two small changes. Instead of yellow moong daal, I used moong daal with skin & instead of Garam Masala, I used Ashwini's Masala Bhat's Masala.

To read this recipe in Marathi Click Here

Ingredients
Basmati Rice: 1/2 Cup
Moong Daal with Skin: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Vegetables (Potato, Carrots, Cauliflower etc): 1 Cup
Ginger Paste: 3/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Bay Leaves: 2
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 & 1/2 tsp
Masale Bhat's Masala: 1 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Water
Oil

Procedure

1. Dry roast moong daal untill golden brown. Let it cool.

2. Wash rice with water 2-3 times. Drain water and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. When they sizzle add finely chopped onion. Fry onions till golden brown. Then add ginger paste. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Then add vegetables, rice & daal. Then add turmeric, chilli & coriander powder. Mix all these ingredients very well for 3-4 minutes.

5. Then add 2 Cups hot water & salt to taste. Stir all ingredients very well. Bring water to boil. Then cover the pot with lid and cook until done. If required add extra hot water.

6. When daal & rice are cooked, heat oil in small kadhai & add Masala. Fry this masala for 15- 30 seconds. Add this masala & ghee to the khichuri. Mix well this khichuri. Cover pot with lid again & remove pot from heat. Keep this pot covered with lid for 4-5 minutes.

7. Serve this hot Khichuri with fried eggplant or any other sabji.

Thank you Manasi again for sending me those lovely spices. Now to continue this Arusuvai Friendship Chain I will send 2 secret ingredients to Hima and Roopa.

This is my entry for Sandeepa's RCI: Bengal Event and Pavani's MBP April : One Pot Wonder Event

Masale Bhath ( Maharashtrian Spicy Rice)

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice
1 small Potato - diced
1 small Brinjal - diced
1/4 th cup diced Carrot
1/4 th cup Green Peas
1 medium Onion - sliced
few Curry leaves
4-5 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Coriander
2 - 1/2 cup Water

Masala powder:
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
3-4 Cloves
2-3 dry Red Chillies
1 1 inch Cinnamon stick
1/4 cup dry shredded coconut

Procedure:
1. Wash rice, soak rice in water for half an hour. Then drain the rice.
2. Heat small kadhai. Fry all ingredients given in Masala Powder one by one. Let it cool.
3. Pound all these ingredients to a fine dry powder.
4. Heat oil in kadhai. Add cumin seeds & allow it to cracker. Then add curry leaves.
5. Add sliced onion. Fry onion till it becomes golden brown.
6. Add masala & ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
7. Then add diced potato, brinjal, carrot & peas. Fry these vegtables for 2-3 mins.
8. Then add rice. Stir it for 5-6 mins.
9. Add boiled water then add salt to taste & spoon full of ghee.
10. Cover the lid & keep stirring in between.
11. Your rice will be ready in 10 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve this rice with any raita, pickle or papad.

Moong Daal Khichadi

Ingredients:
1/2 spit moong daal with skin
1/2 cup rice
3 cup water
1 tbs ghee
turmeric powder
salt to taste

For Tampering:
1 tbs oil
1 dried red chilli ( cut into pieces)
1 tsp. mustard seeds.
Pinch of asafoetida powder

Procedure:
1. Soak moong daal & rice in a water for 1 hr.
2. Drain & discard water.
3. Heat ghee in heavy large pan. Add termeric powder.
4. Add daal & rice to the pan. Stir it well for 4-5 mins.
5. Then add hot water & salt to taste.
6. Cover & simmer over low heat till rice & daal is cooked properly.
7. Once rice is done prepare tampering by adding mustard seeds, red chiili, asafoetida powder.
8. Serve Khichadi when it hot, pour tampering mixter on Khichadi.

Note - This khichadi taste good with Pickle & roasted papad.

Veg. Hyderabadi Biryani

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of Basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
200 GMS. Potatoes, peeled & diced
200 GMS. Carrots, peeled & diced
50 GMS. Cashewnuts
50 GMS. Almonds, soaked & peeled
25 gms. Raisins
25 gms. Glazed Cherries
100 GMS. Onions, thinly sliced
4 nos. Green chilies, thinly sliced
1 tsp. each of Ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Red chili powder
1 cup Curd
1 tsp. Saffron
2 tbsp. Milk
1/3 cup chopped Mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped Coriander leaves
6 Green cardamoms
2 Black cardamoms
6 Cloves
1 stick of Cinnamon divided into four
3 Bay leaves
A pinch of Mace
Rose water as required
120 GMS. Ghee (clarified butter)
Salt according to taste
A little bit of kneaded wheat dough to seal the edges of the pan

Procedure:
1. Put the soaked rice in a pan and add 3 cups of water. To it add 3 Green cardamoms, 1 Black cardamoms,3 Cloves, 2 divided sticks of Cinnamon, and 1 Bay leaf. Bring the rice to a boil and cook until the rice is done. Drain and keep aside.
2. Beat the curd in a bowl and divide into two equal portions.
3. Dissolve saffron in warm milk and add it to one portion of the curd mixture.
4. Heat Ghee(clarified butter) in a pan, add the remaining Green cardamoms, Black cardamoms, Cloves, Cinnamon, Bay leaf , Mace and sauté over medium heat until it begins to crackle.
5. Add onions, sauté until golden brown, add green chilies, ginger, garlic and sauté for a minute. Then add turmeric and chili powder, stir, add the chopped vegetables and stir for a minute.
6. Now add the remaining portion of plain curd, stir, add 2/3 cup water, and bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
7. Once the vegetables are done add the dry fruits and nuts.

To proceed :
1. In the pan with the cooked vegetables, sprinkle little saffron- curd mixture, mint and coriander.
2. Then spread half the rice and again sprinkle the remaining saffron-curd mixture, mint and coriander and top it with the remaining rice. Place a moist cloth on top, cover the lid and seal with wheat dough.
3. Put the sealed pan in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Take out & SERVE HOT.

Chiken Biryani

Ingredients:
Rice (Basmati) 300 gms.
Chicken pieces 600 gms.
Whole garam masala 2tbsp.
Sliced onions 1 cup
Chopped garlic 2 tbsps.
Chopped ginger 2 tbsps.
Red chili powder 3 tsps.
Coriander powder 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder 2 tsps.
Bay leaf 2 nos.
Chopped tomato ¾ cup
Chopped green coriander 1 tbsp.
Curd (yogurt) 1 cup
Saffron ½ gm.
Garam masala powder 3tsp.
Milk ½ cup
Butter 50 gms.
Golden fried sliced onions¾ cup
Ginger julienne's 1 tbsp.
Oil 3 tbsps.

Procedure:
1. Pick, wash and soak rice in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Boil water, add ½ of the Whole Garam Masala , bayleaf and salt and boil rice till ¾th done. Drain rice and keep aside.
3. Mix salt, ½ of the red chili powder, ½ of the choppedginger, ½ of the chopped garlic, 1 tsp. Garam MasalaPowder, ½ of the turmeric powder and Curd/Yogurt. Mixwell and put chicken pieces in this for an hour.
4. Heat oil in a Patila or a thick bottomed pan. Add remaining Whole Garam masala .Let it crackle. Add Slicedonions and sauté’ until light golden brown.
5. Then add remaining chopped ginger, chopped garlic,coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, 1 tsp.Garam Masala powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook forabout 5 minutes. Add marinated chicken and cook tillchicken is tender.
6. Dissolve saffron in warm milk and keep aside.
7. Arrange alternate layers of chicken and rice. Sprinklesaffron dissolved in milk, remaining Garam Masalapowder, ginger julienne's, mint leaves, golden fried slicedonions and butter in between the layers and on top. Makesure that you end with the rice layer topped with saffronand spices.
8. Cover and seal with aluminum foil or Roti dough. Cook