Thursday 11 April 2013

Shredded Raw Mango Pickle



Ingredients:

Raw Mango (Peeled and grated) – 1 large
Chilli Powder – 2 teaspoons (or to taste)
Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Fenugreek seeds (methi) – ¼ teaspoon
Hing (asafetida) – ¼ inch piece or ¼ teaspoon if you are using powdered
Mustard seeds – 1.5 teaspoon
Oil – 3 tablespoons (sesame oil is preferred; you can use oil of your choice)
 
Ingredients for the shredded Mango Pickle


Method:
Roast the fenugreek seeds on a dry pan and fry the hing in oil. Cool both and grind to fine powder and set aside.

Heat oil in the pan (use a thick kadai if possible) and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the grated mango to the oil. Keep frying the mango till oil starts to ooze out on the sides and the mango is softened. Add turmeric and chilli powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and the powdered hing and fenugreek. Stir for 2 minutes. Your pickle is ready to eat!


Shredded Mango pickle

Note: Since this is a ready-to-eat pickle, it will remain without spoiling for about a month. In case you want it to last longer, you can refrigerate it.

For a winter delight, buy and grate raw mango in summer and freeze it in an airtight bag in the freezer, then you can make this pickle all year around.

Coriander Rice (feeds four)

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1.5 cups
Coriander - 1 bunch (destalked and washed)
Coconut - 1/2 (grated)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (peeled and washed)
Green Chillies - 2 
Ghee - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
For the cooked Tomato Raita

Tomatoes - 4 (washed and finely chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 (washed and diced)
Oil - 1.5 tablespoon
Mustard seeds  -1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Asafetida (hing) - 1 pinch
Curd - 2 cups
Salt to taste

Coriander Rice

Cooked Tomato Raita


Cook the basmati rice as per the instructions on the packet. Get together the coconut, ginger, green chillies, coriander and salt and grind to a semi smooth paste. Mix with rice along with the ghee. Serve with cooked tomato raita. 


For the raita, heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds and once they crackle, add the urad dal, fry till golden brown. Then add chopped chillies and tomatoes. Cook for 8-10 minutes , add the pinch of asafetida and salt. Let it cool before adding it to the curd. Stir well  before serving.

Coriander rice with cooked Tomato Raita

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani (Feeds 4)

Gravy
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 2 pods
Onion – 2 large
Tomatoes – 2 large
Cream/curd/coconut milk – 2-3 tablespoons
Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
Chilly Powder – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Cloves – 2-3
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece stick
Bay leaf – 2-3
Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon 
Vegetables
Beans (Diced) – 20

Carrots (Peeled and Diced) – 2 large
Peas (Shelled) – 1 cup
Cauliflower (diced) – 1 cup
Fried onions
2 onions large sliced long and thin
Other ingredients

Rice – 1.5 cups basmati
Oil for frying and cooking
Ghee - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Coriander(destalked and finely chopped) - 3 tablespoons
Mint (destalked and finely chopped) – 1 tablespoon

Method of preparation: Normally I make this in three parts, four if you consider the rice used. Cook good quality Basmati rice in the cooker. Follow the instructions on the packet carefully to ensure that the rice comes out white and fluffy. The normal rule of thumb for basmati rice is to use and one and quarter measure of water to one measure of rice.

The next step would be to prepare the vegetables and either cook them in the Microwave on high for 6 minutes with a little salt or if you do not have a microwave, steam the vegetables without water. Make sure that they are not cooked till they are too soft or soggy.


Fry the onion slices in oil till they are golden and crisp. Keep aside. Process or grind the tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger to a rough paste. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pan add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Fry for a minute and then add the onion-tomato-garlic-ginger mix. Cook for 7-8 minutes and then add the Dhaniya powder, chilly powder and turmeric. Cook till the oil starts to come out on the sides and then add the salt and garam masala and cook for one more minute. Add Cream/curd/coconut milk and cook till mixture has a creamy texture.

Vegetable Biryani

Onion Tomato Raita
Assembling the Biryani: Take a large flat vessel (it should fit into the cooker for steaming or in case you are microwaving, it should be suitable for that). Spread a layer of rice(one third), sprinkle some of the ghee. Then add one third of the gravy on top, spread over the rice. Spread on third of the steamed vegetables. Then crush lightly with hand and add one third of the crispy onions. Sprinkle with one third of the chopped mint and coriander. Then start the next layer and then the next in the same sequence. Once you are done, cover the vessel with a lid and pressure cook for a 5-8 minutes without the whistle. In case you are microwaving then do it on high for 3 minutes.

Serve hot with a simple onion, tomato, coriander and green chilly raita.