Dum Mutton Biryani

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. Wow! 4 years of married bliss. Since we had no plans to go out (hubby was working the entire day) - I wanted to make it special. Well, we decided to make this biryani - something that I had cooked for him the very first time ever...... when we were the bestest of friends. We had store bought pastries for dessert.

Ingredients

For Marinade and cooking the meat

2 pounds mutton (goat meat/lamb meat)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup cilantro chopped

9 flakes garlic

7 to 8 green chilis - you can add more to make it spicy

1 inch ginger piece

1 onion - thinly sliced

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon salt

For Curry

5 medium onions - thinly sliced

2 tomatoes - pureed

2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

2 tablespoons dhania jeera powder

1 tablespoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon tandoori masala

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 cup oil

salt to taste

For Rice

2 cups basmati rice

a pinch of saffron strands (roughly around 10 to 11 strands)

2 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter

8 to 9 cloves

6 green cardamoms

2 inch cinnamon stick

2 bay laves

1 star anise

2 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)

salt to taste

For garnish (optional - but, looks good)

thinly sliced onion - fried till brown

mint leaves - fried

cashews - fried

raisins - fried

Method

Cooking the meat

Clean the mutton pieces well. Grind to a paste the cilantro, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add the ground masala to the yogurt and with salt and mix well. Add the mutton pieces to this mixture and let it sit for about 2 hours. The more you leave to marinate the better. I left it in the refrigerator overnight.

In a pressure cooker add the oil. When it gets hot, add the 1 sliced onion and fry till golden brown. To this add the marinated meat and mix well. Do not add any water. Cook it on pressure till about 4 whistles. Let the meat sit in there.

Cooking the curry

In a Karahi add the half cup oil. Then add the sliced onions and fry till they are golden brown. To this add the pureed tomato and the ginger garlic paste. fry this mixture well, till it leaves the sides of the pan. Add the dhania jeera powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and tandoori masala and mix well. Do not add water - we need this gravy to be thick. To this add the mutton pieces from the cooker. Add all the juices too - you may see some water here as cooked meat oozes some water. Mix everything well, add salt to taste and bring this mixture to a boil. Then cover it and let it simmer on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.

Cooking the rice

Wash the basmati rice well and then soak it in water for about an hour. For 2 cups of rice - add about 5 cups of water. Add salt to taste and let it cook. Keep checking as this should be about 3/4th cooked and not cooked through. When its 3/4th cooked - drain out the extra water. Take about 4 tablesppons of rice in a plate and add the saffron strands to it. Mix the rice around so that it gets the color from the saffron. Be careful to do this gently as we do not want the rice to break. Add this saffron rice back to the entire rice bowl and mix it around gently.

In a small karahi add the ghee. When it gets hot, get it off the heat and add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and let it simmer in the ghee.

Making layers & cooking on dum (in its own steam)

In a flat bottom utensil star making layers. First add some curry and make a think layer on the bottom - then add the rice on top of it - to this add some of the ghee and the whole spice mix - add the curry with some pieces on top- make sure to cover all the rice - then add a layer of rice, followed by the ghee and spice mix and followed by the meat curry. Make about 2 to 3 such layers and remember the last/top layer should be rice. Cover it with a lid and seal the lid with some wheat flour dough - this is done so that no steam escapes and the whole biryani is cooked in its own steam. Keep a tava/flat griddle on the stove and on top of it this utensil with the layers and let it cook on a medium/low flame for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Serving & Garnishing

When you are ready to serve, open the lid and mix the layers very gently. Top it with the fired onions, mint leaves, cashews and raisins and serve with raita. You can make some extra curry and serve it on the side with the biryani too.

Alu (Batata) Ras Bhaji & Puri

For Bhaji

Ingredients

2 medium sized potatoes - cut into bite size pieces

1 medium onion - finely chopped

2 dried red chillies

1 tomato - chopped OR 4 kokums

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

2 tablespoons oil

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder

salt to taste

chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

In a saucepan add oil - when it heats up, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn transparent. Then add the tomatoes OR the kokum and add 2 cups of water. Add turmeric, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Add the chopped potatoes and salt to taste. Close the lid and let the mixture boil. Once it boils - lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked. Add more water if required - this water tastes good with the puris. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with puris.

For Puri

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour

4 teaspoons oil

pinch of salt

water to knead into a hard dough

oil for deep frying

Method

Once the puri dough s knead - let it rest for 15 minutes. Make small round balls and roll into small tortillas - about 4 inches diameter. Deep fry in hot oil till they turn a golden color. A good puri will fluff up.

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless chicken pieces - cubed

5 tablespoons oil

3 medium onions - finely chopped

salt to taste

For Vindaloo Masala

4 teaspoons kashmiri chilli powder

2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

6 to 8 garlic cloves - finely chopped OR 2 tablespoons of garlic paste

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vinegar

Method

In a bowl - mix all the ingredients for the vindaloo masala. Mix very well - do not add water. Leave it aside. Use part of the masala to marinate the chicken pieces in and let it stay for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a kadhai - add the oil and when it gets hot, add the onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Then add the remaining vindaloo masala and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water. To this add the marinated chicken pieces. Mix well and let it cook. Generally cooks in 20 to 30 minutes. The gravy should be a thick consistency as in the picture. Add water only if required. Check salt and add if needed.

Serve with Naan or Neer Dosa - If serving with rice the gravy needs to be a little less thick.

This is a dish generally prepared with lamb. If using lamb, cook it in a pressure cooker for upto 3 whistles - lamb cooks faster in a pressure cooker.

Chicken Pakoda

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts - boneless - cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons corn flour/corn starch

1 tablespoon rice flour

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chilli powder

salt to taste

pepper powder

1 egg - beaten

oil - for deep frying

Method

Clean the chicken and pat dry all the pieces. To this add the garlic powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Let it sit and marinate for at least an hour. Now add the egg and let it coat all the pieces. Add the corn flour and rice flour. Mix well.

In a karahi - heat oil. Fry the chicken pieces till you get a nice golden brown crust.

Serve with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

I love this as a side dish with dal & rice.

Sarson ka Saag aur Makke di Roti

The other day when we went to get our groceries - we found some frozen mustard greens. Mom said - chalo lets make it. This has been my moms all time favourite - so, it was fun cooking it for her.

Ingredients

For Saag

1 cup mustard greens - I found frozen mustard greens

1/2 cup spinach leaves - frozen

You can make it with fresh mustard leaves and fresh sipnach too. I took 2:1 ratio

1 onion - roughly chopped

6 cloves of garlic - halved

2 inch ginger piece - roughly chopped

2 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter

1 teaspoon jeera/cumin

2 dried red chillis

3 to 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped

1 onion - finely chopped

2 tablespoons makke ka atta/maize flour (finely ground cornmeal - the one used to make tortillas)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder

1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder

1/2 teaspon amchur/dried mango powder

salt to taste

For Makke di Roti

2 cups makke ka atta/maize flour (finely ground cornmeal - the one used to make tortillas)

1/2 teaspoon salt

water to knead atta (hot water makes the dough nice and soft)

Method

For Saag

In a pressure cooker - cook the mustard greens, spinach, roughly chopped onion, halved garlic and chopped ginger and about 1 cup of water for upto 5 whistles. Once the pressure is released - blend the mixture into a coarse paste. Let it sit for sometime.

In a karahi - add the ghee/clarified butter. Once it gets hot add the cumin and the red green chillis. Once they splutter - add the finely chopped garlic. Stir well and then immediately add the finely chopped onions. Be careful not to burn the garlic - else the saag will turn bitter. Fry well till the onions turn golden brown. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, amchur powder and mix well. Then add the maize flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the blended greens to the karahi and mix well so that the onion and masala mixture is incorporated well with the blended greens. Add salt according to taste. Cover and let it cook on medium flame for about 10 minute. The mixture splutters a lot so be careful to cover the vessel well.

Serve it hot with makke ki roti and a dollap of butter

For Makke di Roti

Mix the makke ka atta/maize flour and salt - add some hot water and knead the dough. Add enough water to make a pliable dough - the dough shoud not be soft. Once the dough is knead - it should be used immediately. Make about 7 to 8 balls. Place a plastic sheet on the platform - I used a ziploc quart freezer bag - Place a dough ball on it and roll with your fingers - pressing the dough to form a disc about 1/8th inch thick. Put some water on your fingers to avoid the dough sticking and breaking. On a heated griddle - put the roti and cook on both sides till brown specks appear. Remove from heat and spread some ghee on top of the roti.

It tastes good with saag, baingan bharta or just with jaggery.