Soy Nugget And Vegetables Biryani

The minute I saw this at Valli's space, I knew I would be making it.. Soon.. So I did and did again. First thing that I loved about her Biyani was the color. It looked so vibrant. I used Kashmiri Chili powder to give my Biryani a similar color. How do you like it? How do you like it? The second thing was the big fat "Vat" that was used to make the biryani in such a large scale! Totally loved that gigantic "crater-sized" casserole! Man, the whole place must have smelled heavenly with all that fried spices. **Drool**. Last but not the least was the team effort that went into making this wonderful biryani. It must have been a memorable and fun excercise!

Anyways, scaling down the ingredients for a smaller crowd was a bit tedious especially when I am used to Imperial system and her recipe was per the Metric system! First time I tried, it was a bit nerve-wracking. If everything doesn't come together, Biryani will end up in a big disaster! Tricky business, that!! Second time I tried, I wrote it down. These 2 times there wasn't even a passing thought in my brain to use a bloody metric converter. My brain is a weird thing! Adoozy, if you ask me! Anywayz, I just went with the detailed pictures from her post as a guide and my so-called "cooking" experience. And both the times, it turned out Phenomenal! Sometimes, I just amaze myself!  He He.

Ingredients(For 6-8 Servings):

• 3 Cups Aged Basmati Rice, cleaned and soaked in cold water 30 minutes prior to cooking
• 1 to 1-1/2 Cups Nutrela Mini Soy Nuggets/Chunks, cooked as per packet directions
• 1 Pack Pearl Onions (~24#s), peeled and finely chopped
• 10-12#s String Beans, ends snipped and cut roughly cut
• 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced with skin on
• 1 Bunch Cilantro, cleaned and finely chopped
• 1 Bunch Mint Leaves, leaves separated and stem discarded
• 6 Large Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 1" Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• Whole Spices - 3 Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise, 1" Cinnamon Stick, 5 Cloves, 2-3 Kapok Bud/Marati Moggu
• 1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 3/4 Tbsp Chili Powder or less/more
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• Salt as needed
• 6 Cups Water (Usually 1 Rice: 2 Water Ratio works for me)

Procedure:

• Cook the Soy Nuggets in plenty of hot water as per the package directions.

• Drain it completely and squeeze out the excess moisture. While it is still warm marinate it in 1 Tsp of ginger-Garlic paste and little salt.

• Peel the pearl onions and chop it finely.Cut the Beans, Carrot, Potato. Set aside.

• Clean the Cilantro and finely chop it. Chop 3/4th of the Mint Leaves.

• Grind the ginger, garlic and remaining (1/4) mint leaves to a coarse paste. Set aside.

• In a thick, deep bottomed pan, add the Oil and Ghee. Fry the spices and add the chopped pearl onions. Saute until it is well and truly browned.

• Add the coarsely ground ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Throw in the chopped herbs saving some for garnish.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and let it shrink and lose shape.

• Add the marinated soy chunks, cut vegetables and give it a stir.

• Add all the powders and salt soon after adding the vegetables. Add 1/2 Cup water and lid the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes on low flame. 

• Completely drain the rice and add it along with green peas.

• Pour the water and stir gently without breaking the rice. Add more salt or spice at this stage.

• Lid the pan and cook on medium flame for 15-18 minutes.

• Switch off the stove and let the biryani "rest" atop the stove for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped herbs and a tsp of ghee. Stir gently and serve with Raita.

A few other Rice delicacies:

• The Art of Making "Dum" Biryani, With detailed pictures: Chicken "Dum" Biryani-

• Herbed Vegan Vegtable Fried Rice:

Enjoy! 
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Sprouted Green-Gram/Mung Bean Pulao

Here is a spectacular way to enjoy home-made bean sprouts.
What's on the plate?? Sprouted Bean Pulao, Bean Sprouts and Avocado Salad, Boiled Spiced Egg and Raita.

Learn how to sprout "Green-Gram" here:

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 Cups Homemade Green-Gram/Mung Bean Sprouts
• 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 Cups Basmati Rice, soaked for 30 minutes and cooked until firm but tender
• 2 Medium Yellow Onion, vertically slit
• 2-3 Medium Ripe Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 Cup Mint Leaves + Cilantro, Chopped
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• WholeSpices - 1 Bayleaf, 1/2 Cinnamon Stick,2 Cloves,1 Star Anise
• 1/2 Tbsp Garam Masala
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder or less/more
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Cracked Black Pepper, Optional
• Garam Masala
• Salt as needed
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter

Procedure:

• Wash the basmati rice in several changes of cold water.Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Chopped the Vegetables and set aside.

• In a deep and thick-bottomed pan, add the oil and Ghee. Add the spices and brown.Add the slit onions and saute until translucent.

• Follow-up with ginger garlic paste and the chopped tomatoes.

• Add all the Powders and the chopped herbs. Fry for a few minutes and add little water. Sprinkle salt as needed and stir to incorporate. 

•  Add the Sprouted bean and sprinkle a cup of  water. Add cracked pepper at this stage and stir.

• Lid the pan and cook for ~7-10 minutes on medium flame. This is to cook the sprouted bean slightly so it doesn't taste raw in the pulao. Check for seasonings. Add more salt or spice if needed at this stage. Switch off the stove.

•  Cool the rice by spreading it in a wide plate if you haven't already.

• Add the cooled  rice little by little and mix it with silicone/rubber spatula.

• The pulao shouldn't be too dry. Once the mixture-rice reaches a proper consistency, stop adding more rice. Note: There might be some white rice leftovers.

• Serve it with raita, sprout salad, boiled eggs or boiled masala eggs and tangy eggplant sides.

Enjoy! 
Note:

• Even though biryani and pulao are generally consumed along with Raita , there are also some regional special side-dishes that are also served. From where I hail from(Vellore District, TN) they usually eat it with tangy eggplant dish called "Arcot Serva/Serva". My mom either made that or made mouth-watering Spicy Stuffed Mini Eggplants to be enjoyed with Biyani.

Stuffed Mini Eggplants in Kadai Gravy: Recipe Here.

Tangy North-Arcot Serva: Oh so good North_Arcot Serva, guest-posted at Priya's

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Fenugreek Leaf And Vegetable Pulao "Methi Pulao"

Having grown up eating variety of rice-based dishes, I have to say Biryani, Pulao/Pilaf is the most preferred and much anticipated rice based dish. This week I will be posting a few Biyani, Pulao recipes.
Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Aged Basmati Rice
• 1 Bunch Fenugreek Leaves "Methi"
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
• 2 Medium Red Onion, slit vertically
• 2-3 Ripe Roma Tomatoes, roughly diced
• WholeSpices - 2 Bayleaf, 1/2 Cinnamon Stick,3-4 Cloves,1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds, 1/4 Tsp Fennel seeds
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 3-4 Green Chilies, poked at different places
• 3/4 Tbsp Chili POwder or less/more
• 1/2 Tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt as needed
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• 4 to 4.5 Cups Water (This totally varies from one brand of Basmati to another)

For the Side:

• 1 Recipe, Cucumber Onion Carrot Raita.

Procedure:

• Pluck the fenugreek leaves from the stem. Wash in several changes of cold water.Set aside.Wash the basmati rice in several changes of cold water.Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 30 minutes prior to cooking.

• In a deep and thick-bottomed pan, add the oil and Ghee. Add the spices and brown.

• dd the turmeric powder, slit onions and saute until the onions are translucent. 

• Follow-up with ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and cut green bell-pepper. Fry for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame.

• Add the cleaned fenugreek leaves and saute till it wilts slightly.

• Add the chopped tomatoes, chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala.

• Sprinkle little water and lid the pan. Cook for 7-8 minutes in a low flame.

• Drain the soaked rice completely. Add it to the pan along with the peas.

• Add the warm water. Season with salt and stir gently to mix. Lid the pan and cook for 15-18 minutes.

• Let it sit untouched for 15-20 minutes after the stove is switched off. Then mix gently with a silicone/rubber spatula so the cooked rice doesn't break.

• Serve warm with cold Cucumber Onion Carrot Raita.

Enjoy! 
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"Dum" Biryani, With detailed pictures

Last week I was caught up in the frenzy of many things -- The "Seasonal allergy" frenzy(Must have kick started from the day I stood under the Cherry Blossoms tree in Washington D.C), "Work related frenzy(it was a super busy week)", "Blogging Marathon" Frenzy and lastly the "Mega Million" Frenzy. So did you guys buy the lotto? Me and my hubby bought 10 tickets which led me day-dreaming about things that I would and wouldn't do if I won the $640 million lotto. And I definitely thought to myself that I would do my best not to self-destruct or go bankrupt like some of the lucky winners in the past. That bubble burst yesterday night after the lottery drawing time. He He. Its okay, there is always next time.

Before I go to the main topic of this post, I wanted to recap what I posted for BM#14-

• Day1: Andhra Pesarattu Stuffed With Upma and Ginger Chutney "Green Lentil Crepe"
• Day2: Plain Dosa/Sada Dosa "Rice and Black Gram Crepe"
• Day3: Thakkali Dosa "Tomato Dosa"
• Day4: Avocado Dosa + DC Cherry Blossoms
• Day5: Udipi Paan Polo/Neer Dosa With Cauliflower and Peas Kurma "Leaf Thin Crepe"
• Day6: Mom's Adai With Avial "Rice and mixed Lentil Crepe"
• Day7: Ragi Dosa With Spicy Onion Chutney "Finger Millet Crepe"

It took me a long time to ready this post..longer than it took for me to cook this dish.LoL..Mostly because of the # of pictures. It is indeed a photo-laden post. Why so many? Well, this dish deserves it. And I won't lie to you, this is not an easy breezy dish to make, mainly due to the "long winded" process. From the pictures you will understand why - a lot of industrious effort and considerable amount of love went into making this aromatic, tongue-tickling dish.

This Indian dish,Biryani, of "Persian origin" brought to India by Iranian merchants/travelers,  is a one pot wonder made with rice, vegetables (or) vegetable + meat/pultry/seafood combo, seasoned with a fragrant blend of spices and eaten along with Raita. Dum Biryani, a slow-cooked biryani with layers of rice and seasoned vegetables(+/- meat/chicken/seafood) is made in a pot that is completely sealed with a ring of wheat dough and cooked over indirect heat for about 30 minutes or so to promote even cooking. The flavor infusion is phenomenal when cooked this way and the end result is sure to hit all the right spots. As most of you know, India is a country well known for its spices and there isn't a dish that celebrates the harmonious blend of spices more than Biryani.

For making this Dum Biryani, you will need a good quality, thick bottomed casserole with lid, like my trusty 4-Qt All-Clad Casserole to prevent charring/burning at the bottom. While there are many dishes where charring is plus(Charred tacos, Charred Vagetables..I know there is a huge fan-following for charred dishes..), this dish is not one of them. Every grain of rice and the other ingredients should be moist, juicy, tender, succulent..you get the idea?? Please do me a favor and eat this Biryani with hands, just the way it was meant to be relished.

Sending this as a last minute entry to Indian Food Palooza. 

Ingredients(Serves 6-8):

• 3 Cups "Aged" Basmati Rice,cleaned and soaked in cold water 30 minutes prior to cooking( I used the brand "India Gate" 1-yr old aged rice)
• 8 Chicken Thighs, skinned and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 Medium Red Onion, peeled and vertically slit
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, cut into big chunks
• 10 Hot Green Chili, pierced at several places
• 2 Tbsp Ghee "Clarified Butter"
• 2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Bunch Cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Whole Milk
• 8 Stalk Mint,leaves picked and chopped
• Whole Spices: 5 Bay Leaf + 1/2 Stick Cinnamon + 1 Star Anise + 4 Cloves + 3 Cardamoms 
• Olive Oil
• Salt, as needed

For the Green "Ground Masala":

• 1 Small Bunch Cilantro, cleaned
• 1/2 Yellow Onion
• 2 Hot Green Chili

For the "Ground Spices":

• 3 Cloves
• 1 Cardamom
• Tiny piece of Cinnamon Stick
• 1/4 Of Star Anise

For the "Chicken Marinade"

• 3 Tbsp Thick Yogurt
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• A few grinds of Pepper
• 1 Tsp Lemon 

For "Lining the pan" 

• Wheat Flour
• Water to make a dough out of the wheat flour

Procedure:

• Marinate the cut and cleaned chicken with the ingredients under "Chicken Marinade". Marinate it anywhere from 4 hours to over-night.

• Finely grind the spices under "Ground Spices" using a mortar and pestle. Note: Grinding the spices intensifies the flavor.

• Cut, Chop the vegetables for the biryani.

• Clean and ready the ingredients for the "Green Ground Masala".

• Grind it to a fine puree with very less water.

• Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes. 

• Drain the rice completely. Spritz some oil in a non-stick pan and fry the rice "gently". Soaked rice are prone to breaking.

• In a deep casserole dish, add about half a gallon of water. Don't worry about exact measurements because the rice is getting cooked for 8-10 minutes and getting drained of that water. Add a few drops of oil and little salt to this water and bring to a roiling boil. Add the fried rice and cook with lid for about 8 minutes. Don't go beyond 10 minutes because we want the rice to be "under-cooked" for the time being.

• After 8-10 minutes of cooking, drain the rice immediately. Spread it on a wide plate and let it cool.At this point the rice is 60-70% cooked.

• Meanwhile, heat the oil and ghee in a wide non-stick pan. Then add the ground spices, whole spices and the small garlic cloves to the pan.

• Add the mint leaves, onions to the pan. Brown the onions. Please make sure the onions are well and truly browned.  It is very essential for a good biryani.

• Once the onions are browned, add the slit green chilies.

• Follow-up with the tomatoes. Lid the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes on a medium flame.

• Add the coriander powder and stir the mixture well.

• In goes the green ground masala. Sprinkle salt as needed.

• Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir well to coat it with the mixture in the pan.

• Add the milk. mix and let the chicken cook for about 15 minutes. Check for taste, add chili powder or salt if needed.

• Add a portion of the chicken mixture to thick-bottomed pan.

• Top it with the partially cooked rice.

• Keep alternating between the rice and chicken mixture. When finishing up, rice should be at the top. Garnish with chopped Cilantro and Mint. There are "two" ways to seal the pan: 1. Coat the rim with little oil, make a dough, roll and line around the rim. Lid the pan and seal it shut. 2. Lid the pan, smear with a little oil and seal it by lining the dough from outside. I went with #1.

• After the pan is sealed shut, add weight on top. Dum Technique:  Cook at low flame in indirect heat. I placed a cast-iron griddle/tava, then place the pan atop the tava. Add weights to the top(Optional). I placed my heavy mortar and pestle on the top. Cook at low flame for 25-30 minutes.

• Optional but highly desired: While the biryani is cooking on Dum, fry some thinly slit brown onions.

• Open the pan, garnish the biryani with fried onions and serve with Raita(Yogurt based dish) and boiled egg.

Enjoy!

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