Jun 4, 2013

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani  is a delectable recipe  made with southern flavors. Ask anyone who doesn't love biryani !! This one of many recipes enjoyed by all and it is a celebrating recipe with exquisite taste.

The recipe below is partly borrowed from my maternal side. Tender pieces of mutton are crammed with different kinds of spices and marinated in yogurt sauce. It is flavored with various aromatic ingredients, and the highlighting aspect of this recipe is the combination of meat and rice cooked in coconut milk along with different condiments

When I made this dish, I couldn't wait to taste hot piping meat which just falls off from the bone. Meat is cooked tender and its juices are retained because of yogurt and the texture and taste of rice is so rich due to coconut milk. 


Ingredients

1 kg Mutton (with bones it tastes better)
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
Small piece of Ginger, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 Cloves
 3 Cardamom
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1 star Anise
3 Mace | javitri
1 Onion, thinly sliced
3 cups Basmati rice
2 cups Coconut Milk
2 cups of water
salt
2 tsp Oil

For marinade
1 cup yogurt
4 Green Chilies, slit length wise
4- 6 sprigs of Mint, roughly chopped
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Lime
Salt

Method

  • Ina large mixing bowl, marinade mutton in yogurt, green chilies, mint, coriander, pepper powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, juice of 1/2 lime and salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes


  • In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, mace, ginger and garlic

  • Next, add onion and fry until it turns transparent

  • Add marinated meat and fry for 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 15 - 20 minutes

  • After pressure cooker has cooled, add 2 cups of water and 3 cups of coconut milk. Bring it to boil


  • Adjust salt as per taste and add washed basmati rice

  • Pressure cook upto 2 whistles


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Rasmalai

Rasmalai  is an Indian dessert sweet made from Panner (or Indian cottage cheese) with its origins from eastern part of India. This is a milk based recipe and it is made from full fat milk. First, panner dumplings are cooked in sugar syrup and later soaked in flavored milk. 

I have always enjoyed making this dessert and make it often for get together or any festive occasions. This is a divine and a celebrating recipe. It is also served in marriages or any auspicious functions. 



Ingredients

For making panner (cheese) 
2 ltr Full fat milk (vitamin D)
1 cup White vinegar

For sugar syrup
1 ltr Water
2 cups sugar (approx)

For flavored milk
1 ltr full fat milk
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
Few strands of saffron

Method

Making panner
  • Boil milk in a pot. When it starts to boil , add white vinegar and turn off heat


  • The milk solids starts floating at the top. Using a cheese cloth drain excess water. Wash cheese once with cold water and again squeeze out excess water


  • Now, knead the cheese and divide it into equal portions about 1 inch or 2 inches. Roll each portion into balls. Wet your hands while rolling cheese balls to avoid cracks
Making syrup
  • While rolling cheese balls, boil water and sugar in a pressure cooker

  • Add the cheese balls in sugar syrup. Pressure cook upto 2 whistles (if you dont have a pressure cooker, then use a pot and cover it with a lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes)

Making flavored milk
  • When rolling cheese balls, also boil milk in a pot stirring often
  • Add sugar and cardamom powder
  • When milk starts to boil, turn heat to medium-low heat
Making panner disks (Final stage in making rasmalai)
  • After pressure cooker has cooled, using a spoon and a laddle, squeeze sugar syrup from each paneer and put it in milk


  • The add saffron strands to milk. Pistachos and almonds can also be added
  • Refrigerate for atleast 2 hours
  • Serve chilled

Tip --
  • While kneading dough, some recipes also add maida or all purpose flour for consistency



Vegetable Sandwich

This is a healthy Indian sandwich toasted with fresh vegetables and green chutney. 

I have started making these sandwiches quite often for evening snacks. My dad used to make these sandwiches when there was leftover mint or coriander chutney which my my mom made it for idly or dosa.

 This sandwich is a popular street food in Mumbai. It is layered with different kinds of vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, carrots and also paneer. Sometimes even boiled vegetables like potatoes are also stuffed. 


Ingredients

8 Slices of Bread (brown / white)
Green chutney
1 Cucumber, thinly sliced
2 Tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 Onion, thinly sliced
Ghee / Olive oil / Butter

Method

  • Spread little ghee/ oil or butter on every slice of bread
  • Spread a tsp of green chutney evenly on first 4 slices of bread

  • Layer cumber, tomato and onions on first 4 slices of bread and top it with remaining 4 slices of bread

  • Toast it evenly on both sides
  • Serve it with ketchup or mint| sweet chutney

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Carrot Sandwich

Simple sandwich loaded with ton of flavors, perfect for a evening snack. Its fabulous with whole wheat bread's crunchiness when toasted with butter. This sandwich is definitely a total winner.




Ingredients

6 Slices of Whole wheat bread
4 tsp Butter or Olive oil

For the filling
4 Carrots, shredded
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, Finely chopped
2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt
2 tsp Oil

Method

  • In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil, add mustard seeds and green chilies
  • Add onions and saute until it turns transparent

  • Add tomatoes, saute for a minute

  • Add shredded carrots and turmeric powder. Saute for 5-8 minutes

  • Adjust salt as per taste. Mix well
  • Now spread little butter on bread slices. Add 3-4 tsp of seasoned carrot filling and spread it evenly and top it with remaining slice of bread

  • Using a toaster, toast bread evenly on both sides
  • Serve it with your choice of sauce or chutney

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Vegetable Sandwich 

Jun 3, 2013

Mutton Gojju

In my house, Sunday's lunch is incomplete without having a meaty meal. On one weekend, I made mutton gojju for lunch served it with mutton biryani and for adding  first mutton recipe my lunch repertoire. 
This recipe is loaded with moist meaty chunks of mutton cooked in onions, green chilies  and coconut cream. 


Ingredients

250 gms Mutton, cut into bite size pieces
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 Green chilies, finely chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, finley chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 scoop of Coconut Cream / 1/2 cup of Coconut milk
salt 
3 tsp oil

 For marinade -
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method

  • Marinade mutton with red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes

  • In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add garlic, green chilies and onions. Saute until onions turn transparent

  • Then add mutton. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes
  • Add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes

  • Add 1 cup of water and coconut cream

  • Adjust salt as per taste. Pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes 
  • Serve hot with steamed rice, chapathi or biryani 

Baby Corn Kurma

Baby corn Kurma is a festive dish prepared with baby corns in a thick, spicy and creamy sauce of tomatoes, onions, cashew nuts and coconut. It is a comfort food served with parathas and flavored steamed rice. 

This is an experimental recipe which I tried it for the first time and turned out to be delightful and scrumptious dish. I had bought baby corns for Manchurian which I always make, but this time I wanted to make something different, so I decided to make spicy baby corn gravy for chapathi. The recipe has 2 kinds of masala - first masala is made with onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and garlic. This forms the base for the gravy. Second masala is made with coconut, cashew nut along with different aromatic spices which gives both smooth and creamy text for the base. 

This recipe has many steps, but its worth trying it !!


Ingredients

250 gms Baby corn, cubed
1 Bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
Salt
3 tsp Oil

For masala 1 -
1 Onion, diced
1 Tomato, diced
3 Green Chilies
2-3 cloves of garlic
small piece of ginger

For Masala 2 -
10 - 15 Cashew nuts, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1/2 cup Coconut
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 small piece of cinnamon
2 Cloves

Method

  • For Masala 1 - In a pan, heat a tsp of oil, add onions. Saute until it turns transparent. Then make a paste of fried onions, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilies


  • For Masala 2- Make a fine paste of cashew nuts, coconut, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Add water if required. 


  • In a pot, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add onion-tomato-chili paste. Saute until raw smell goes out

  • Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix well
                                       

  • Add baby corns and bell pepper. Evenly spread masala over baby corn. Saute for 2 minutes

  • Add coconut-cashew nut paste and add 1 cup of water (you can always adjust amount of water depending up on how much gravy is required)
  • Adjust salt as per taste and simmer for 5- 8 minutes

  • Serve hot with chapathi or steamed rice or paratha

Tip-
  • Instead of baby corn, paneer can be substituted