Tehari (Stir fried Rice)

A gastronome like me has many foodie dreams. These dreams are never-ending and the more my  grub-dreams are fulfilled, the more dreams they seem to spark off. It's like a chain reaction - one meal cooked leads to ideas or wishes for another, and then the other leads to a few more.


This blog testifies my unconditional devotion and compassion towards grub. A good part of my life revolves around food - thinking about it, writing about it, and taking pictures of it. Then planning meals, grocery shopping, and cooking meals for family. My love for food is also food for love. Craving eatables, tasting flavourful feasts, and gorging on homely servings, for me, is the best part of life.

Take me anywhere in this world and on the top of the agenda would be to try the regional cuisine of that area...

Speaking of regional areas, here is one such recipe that is typical of U.P. 


Serves 8.

1. 5 cups of washed rice
2. Salt, 5 tsp or to taste
3. Mustard seeds
4. Heeng
5. Cumin seeds
6. Oil
7. Peas
8. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
9. Red chili powder, 2 tsp or to taste
10. Coriander powder, 4-5tsp

Directions:
1. Heat a non-stick wok.
2. Add oil, mustard seeds, and heeng.
3. When the mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds.
4. Add about 2 tsp turmeric powder and then raw rice.
5. Mix well.
6. Cook for about 5 mins on medium high heat stirring continuously.
7. Add coriander powder, red chili powder and mix again.
8. Add peas and cook for another 5-7mins.
9. In a rice cooker, add water and this stir fried rice.
10. Add salt.
11. Steam rice until fully done.

Serve warm as a one-pot meal or with a side of tomato soup.

A morsel of this for me? I'm sorry. Nothing less than a full-fledged serving. Thank you. Luckily enough, this was my first carb intake in three days. Dieting is not easy - I tell you!

On this note, I'd like to express my gratefulness to have so many sources, inspirations, cuisines, as well as whims to throw together all kinds of recipes and fire up my stove. It keeps me going. One steady and strong inspiration and source of recipes has been my Mom. Just like this one. Thanks, Mom!

Tawa Pulao (Spicy Pan Fried Vegetable Rice)

Tawa Pulao (Tawa:Pan, Pulao:Fried Rice) is Mumbai street food. This dish was unheard of to me until I started blogging. The recipe can be found in abundance in the blog world as well as this specific food blog. Pao Bhaji masala, as a key ingredient in a rice dish, was something new to me yet seemed to strike a chord. Being a Delhite, I had never had this dish in my life. But from the sounds of it, the dish was tempting both to cook and to eat.

I think this dish is a perfect, wholesome, vegetarian, one-pot dish with all sorts of nutrition packed together. A treat, especially for those fond of rice. Try it for yourself and devour the results.

Serves 8.

Ingredients:
1. Pao Bhaji masala, 8 tsp
2. Kitchen King masala, 4 tsp
3. Garam masala, 3 tsp
4. Onions, 3 (medium size), sliced
5. Potatoes 2, chopped and diced.
6. Bay leaves 3-4
7. A pinch of heeng
8. Oil
9. Carrots, 3, peeled and diced.
10. Peas, 1/2 cup
11. Green beans, 1 -2cup.
12. Lemon juice, to taste
13. Steamed Rice, 4 cups
14. Red chili powder, 1-2 tsp
15. Garlic, 3-4 pods, minced
16. Ginger, 2 inch, minced
17. 1 tomato, chopped

Instructions:
1. Heat a non-stick pan or wok.
2. Add oil and bay leaves
3. In a few minutes, add the minced garlic-ginger and sliced onions.
4. Caramelize on medium high heat.
5. Add in potatoes and mix well.
6. Add kitchen king masala, pao bhaji masala and cook on high heat until the oil starts to leave the potatoes and spice mix.
7. Next add the carrots and cover and cook until the veggies are all dente.
8. Add peas, green beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, red chili powder, and garam masala.
9. Mix well and cover and cook for another 5 mins on low-medium heat.
10. Divide the cooked vegetables into parts and rice into parts (can be done mentally). For each portion of rice, add one portion of the vegetables. Then mix everything together. It will help you get a even mixture of veggies and spices in the rice. (Alternatively, line a layer of rice in a pan then a layer of veggies and alternate until done.)

Serve warm with mint cucumber raita.

Thanks to the bloggers who inspired me to try this recipe!

Chinese Fried Rice

As my reader, you must be aware of my love for Asian food. Here's another recipe that is an ubiquitous Chinese dish that will never lose its charm. Eat this one by itself or with a side of Manchurian. Add cooked chicken or only vegetables. This dish can be prepared in many forms. All forms lead to the words - Yummy in my Tummy! :-)

No prep needed. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1. Eggs, 2, whisked
2. Oil
3.  Steamed white rice, 2 cups
4. Soya sauce, to taste. You can use oyster sauce as an alternative.
5. Red onion, 1/2, finely chopped
6. Spring onion, 4, chopped
7. Broccoli, 5-6 florets, chopped
8. Green pepper (capsicum), 1, finely chopped
9. 1/2 cup appx frozen veg (chopped carrot, corn kernels, green peas)
10. Vinegar, a couple of tablespoons
11. Red chili and garlic sauce about 1.5 tbsp

Instructions:
1. Cook rice with 2 tsp salt and oil. You can also use leftover cooled rice.
2. Set aside and let it cool.
3. Heat a wok.
4. Add oil then red onion.
5. Let it brown. This will take appx 8 mins.
6. Throw in the whisked eggs and mix quickly. This will make something like scrambled eggs in the wok.
7. Then add soya sauce.
8. Add broccoli and other vegetables (green pepper and frozen veg).
9. Cook for about 5 mins.
10. Add vinegar and chili-garlic sauce.
11. Throw in the spring onions and mix.
12. Add the rice and mix again.
13. Check the flavours and add more soya sauce and vinegar as per taste.

Serve warm by itself. This will be a wholesome hearty meal.

Tips:
1. You can add fresh bean sprouts at the end for a nice crunch.
2. Apparently using sesame oil imparts more flavour to the rice (but I have not tried this myself)
3. Cooking the eggs, onion, and vegetables separately and assembling them together at the end with rice is supposedly a better method of cooking this recipe.

Vangi Bhaath (South Indian Rice Pilaf with Eggplants)

I was looking for a new recipe. I had eggplants and wanted to try to use it differently. I had heard of Vangi Bhath from my friend and decided to give it a try. This time, I made the spice mix at home and now have a ton to use in the future. But I swear I won't make the spice mix again! It felt like a lot of work and my grinder died in the process :(
This is one expensive Vangi Bhath lol

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups steamed white rice, cooled.
2. 1 brinjal/eggplant/baigan cut in wedges
3. 6 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
4. 1 fist of cashewnuts
5. Oil
6. 1 cup and 1 tbsp chana dal (split yellowgram)
7. 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp urad dal (white lentils)
8. Salt to taste
9. 4-5 Dried red chili
10. 1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp Heeng
11. 1 thai chili, minced
12. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
13. Pulp of a small ball of tamarind.
14. 8-10 tsp Coriander powder
15. 3-4 cloves
16. 3 1 inch cinnamon sticks
17. 1 tbsp poppy seeds
18. 1 tbsp jaggery
19. 1 tsp, mustard seeds

Instructions:
1. Dry roast 1 cup chana dal, 3/4 cup urad dal, cinnamon sticks, cloves, poppy seeds, 3 dried red chili.
2. Set aside and let it cool.
3. Heat oil in a wok and fry 3 sprigs of curry leaves until crisp.
4. Grind the above dry roasted ingredients with crisp curry leaves, coriander powder, 1/2 tsp heeng, 1 tsp salt. Set aside this spice mix.
5. In a wok, heat oil and then add mustard seeds.
6. When it splutters. add 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal, 3 sprigs of curry leaves, 1/4 tsp heeng, thai chili, 1/2 dried red chili, cashewnuts and fry until the lentils turn golden brown.
7. Next add turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind pulp, and eggplants and cover and cook until al-dente.
8. Add 1 tsp spice mix and steamed rice.
9. Mix and cook on low heat for 5-10 mins.

Serve with cucumber raita and garlic papad.

Source: Monsoon Spice.

Pilaf/Pulav

1. 2 cups rice
2. Salt to taste. I added appx 2 tsp
3. 2 tsp ghee
4. 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red chili powder
5. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
6. 1 heaping tsp coriander powder
7. 1 tsp MDH biryani masala
8. 3/4 diced green bell pepper
9. 1 cup frozen vegetables
10. 1 tsp garam masala

Instructions:
1. Wash rice.
2. Add all ingredients above and cook in a rice cooker.

Voila. A one meal dish is ready!
Serve with a side of cucumber or yogurt. This is perfect comfort food. Exactly what I need when I am running a busy schedule or traveling! Like now, and the reason for my intermittent posts.

Bisi Bele Bhath

Bisi Bele Bath is a one-pot south Indian delicacy. It is nothing but rice and lentils together. To be brutally honest, it is not the most photogenic dish. It's the most delicious dish!


For me, the Bisi Bele Bath at the restaurant tastes better. There is nothing wrong with this recipe though. I might be biased about my cooking?




Ingredients:
1. 1 mace
2. 4-6 cloves
3. 1 tbsp chana dal
4. 1 tbsp urad dal
5. 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
6. 3 tbsp poppy seeds
7. 1 inch cinamon
8. 10-12 dried red chili
9. 2 tsp coriander powder
10. 3 sprigs of curry leaves
11. 2 small tomatoes.
12. 2 large onions, chopped
13. oil
14. 3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
15. 1/2 red green pepper, chopped
16. green beans, 1 cup, frozen
17. turmeric powder
18. toovar dal, 2 cups
19. 2 cups white rice, steamed
20. salt to taste
21. tamarind pulp
22. mustard seeds
23. peanuts (optional)
24. heeng
25. Jaggery, 1 tsp

Instructions:
1. Dry roast ingredients 1-8.
2. Grind the dry roasted ingredients with coriander powder. This will give you the spice mix. You can also add dried coconut, shredded.
3. Boil dal with turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker.
4. When the cooker opens, add tamarind pulp and jaggery. You can also add red chili powder depending on how hot you like it.
5. Heat oil in a wok and fry onions.
6. Add red bell pepper, tomatoes, and curry leaves to this. Cook till al dente.
7. Mix this and green beans to the dal and boil the dal.
8. To the dal, add 6 tsp of the spice mix and rice.
9. Heat ghee in a wok and add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
10. Add heeng to the ghee and then add peanuts and temper it in the dal

Serve hot with some salad.


This recipe was adapted from here.
Tried and Tested.

Vegetable Biryani

Holi Hai!

How best to celebrate Holi but with colours? Given that I am a neat freak, my splash of colours went my plate rather than my clothes! After all, Vegetable Biryani is well worth it when it comes to cooking for festivals. This is an authentic veg biryani recipe and not the phoney pilaf versions sold at some fake Indian restaurants.

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. You will be well rewarded for your endevaour with the results. Thanks to my college chum Nidhi and blogger buddy Prathu for being my inspiration for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1. Safrron, 4-5 strands
2. cloves, 8
3. cardamom, 8
4. black cardamom (badi elaichi) 2
5. bay leaf, 1
6. yogurt 2 cups, whisked.
7. Salt to taste
8. .5 tsp red chili powder
9. Ghee or clarified butter, 2 tsp
10. oil, 4-5 tsp
11. cinnamon or dalchini, 2 1-inces sticks
12. Veg biryani masala, appx 4-5 tsp
13. veg biryani paste, 4-5 tsp
14. onions, 2, sliced.
15. tomato, 1 chopped in bite size pieces.
16. red bell pepper or shimla mirch, 1, chopped
17. cauliflower, florets abt 15
18. green beans, 1 cup, chopped
19. peas, 1 cup
20, carrots, 1 cup.
21. cashewnuts, a handful
22. rice, 2.5 cups
23. garlic, 2 pods, minced
24. ginger, 2 inches long, minced
25. potatoes, 2, diced
26. fresh curry leaves, 3 twigs
27. whole peppercorns, 4

Instructions:
1. Wash rice and in a rice cooker, add rice, water, bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, peppercorns, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom,2 black cardamom, salt, oil, saffron and let it cook.
2. When done, set it aside and let is cook.
3. In a big bowl, marinate potato, cauliflower in whisked yogurt.
4. In a big wok, heat ghee.
5. Add 4 cardamom, 4 cloves, 1inch cinnamon, cashewnuts,curry leaves, onion, garlic, ginger and fry until the onion turns golden brown.
6. Add the marinated vegetables in yogurt and then add veg biryani masala and paste.
7. cook until the potatoes turn golden brown and slightly coated with the spices.
8. Add red bell pepper, peas, carrots, green beans, some water and mix well.
9. Cook until all vegetables are al-dente and adjust seasoning as per taste. Add salt and mix.
10. In an oven safe dish, line it with aluminium foil.
11. Add a layer of rice then the cooked vegetables, alternate layers of rice and vegetables in this oven safe dish.
12. Cover with foil and put it in a pre-heated oven at 350 deg for 5 mins.
13. Mix well and cook for another 5 mins.

Serve warm

Khichdi (Rice and Lentil Stew)

Khichdi is sheer comfort food. Easy to digest and packed with  great nutritional value, this dish tastes scrumptious. Khichdi is a smooth mixture of rice and dal, tempered in a flavoured oil. Khichdi is packed with protien as the main ingredient of this dish is lentil. The goodness of turmeric, the crunchiness of mustard and cumin seeds, the hotness of red chili powder, and the kick from our very own heeng, make this dish a simple yet enjoyable delicacy all over India.


Serves 2. No preparation required.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of moong dal
2. .5 cup rice.
3. 3-4 cups water
4. 2-3 dried red chili
5. .5 tsp heeng
6. Salt to taste
7. .5 tsp red chili powder.
8. 1 tsp turmeric powder
9. 1 tsp mustard seeds
10. 1 tsp cumin seeds
11. Oil or ghee

Instructions:
1. Wash moong dal and rice.
2. In a cooker, add water, rice, dal, salt, turmeric powder.
3. Allow 3 whistles to blow.
4. When the cooker opens, heat oil in a ladle.
5. Add red chili, mustard powder and heat till the seeds crackle.
6 Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle
7. Add heeng, red chili powder.
8. Add the tempering to the pressure cooker.

Serve warm with yogurt, fresh cut red onion, hot pickes, mashed potatoes (bharta), and papad.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Biryani is my favourite dish. Whenever I go out, I try to order Biryani. I have always yearned to cook Biryani the right away. My several endeavours never met the mark I would have liked. I tried to coax my friend's mom who is from Pakistan to teach me how to cook Biryani but lost the battle :) I wondered what people did that made this dish taste so delicious!

Recently, I got back in touch with one of my college friends who married a sweet guy from Hyderabad. While chatting away with her and catching up, she mentioned she cooks Hyderabadi cuisine. I jumped at the opportunity and urged she give me the recipe for Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani. What could be better? She did!! Thanks, Nidhi. This dish took dinner by storm.  Mr. Husband said it tasted like the ones at the restaurant! This time I hit the right note!


I tweaked the recipe to my taste, convenience, and ready availability of ingredients. Maybe I can call it my recipe based on my friend's. :)

Ingredients:
1. 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2. 3 pods of garlic, shredded
3. Ginger, a 2 inch piece, shredded
4. Cinnamon sticks 4
5. Cloves 4-6
6. 1 Bay leaf
7. 4-6 cardamom, whole
8. Salt to taste.
9. Oil
10. Yogurt, 2-3 tablespoons

11. Chicken malasa, 4-6 tsp

12. 1 tsp chili powder
13. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
14. 1 tsp garam masala
15. 2 onions, thinly sliced.
16. 2 cup rice

Instructions:
1. Cut and wash chicken breast pieces

2. Put chicken in a bowl and add yogurt, turmeric powder, 2-3 tsp chicken masala, salt (I added 1 tbsp) and mix well.

3. Leave it to marinate.
4. Heat a wok and add oil, 2-4 cardamom, 2-4 cloves, 2 pieces of Cinnamon stick, then add onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, 2-3 tsp chicken masala and fry till the onions turn golden brown.
5. Add the marinated chicken in this and a little bit of water.
6. Boil until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.
7. In the meantime, wash rice and place it in a rice cooker. To the rice add water, oil, bay leaf, 2-4 cardamom, 2-4 cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1-2 cinnamon stick. Cook the rice until fully done.
8. Line an oven safe dish with aluminum foil. Add a layer of the cooked rice. Then top it with a layer of cooked chicken, then top it with a layer of rice and so on.
9. Cover the oven safe dish with aluminum foil
10. Cook in the oven at 350 deg c for 5 mins.
11. Mix the rice and then cook for 5 more mins in the oven at the same temp.


Serve warm with Raita and Salad

Vagharelu Bhaat (Gujju style fried rice)

Hola, everyone! I know it's been a long time since I posted. However, a new motivation to post regularly has struck me.

I was recently married into a Gujju family. My husband's family speak a different language - entirely Greek to me. His food and cuisine is also alien. As a new bride in the family, I am anxious to learn and adjust in the new family. Since my parents-in-law are planning to visit us in the near future, I've decided to take a stunt on Gujju cooking.

I have decided to play it safe and start my way bottom up. I googled Gujarati recipes and stumbled upon Cardamom's gujju dishes and also this site. I realized that Gujju food is more or less a variant of North Indian minus a few exceptions. Gujju dishes are distinct with a bittersweet flavour.

Vagharela bhaat seemed to be the best bet in terms of level of difficulty. Vagherla rice is nothing but Desi Style Fried Rice cooked with both salt and sugar. As much of a struggle it is to pronounce the word 'Vagherla', the cooking part was a piece of cake! It turned out tasty and that's all that matters, right? ;)


Ingredients:
1. Oil
2. Mustard Seeds
3. Heeng
4. Onion, finely chopped
5. Tomato, finely chopped
6. Curry leaves
7. Sugar
8. Salt
9. Turmeric powder
10. Lemon juice
11. Coriander leaves, freshly cut
12. Red chili powder
13. Garlic, chopped
14. Green chili, finely chopped.
15. Cooked, cold white rice.

Instructions:
1. In a non stick pan, heat oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter
3. Add a pinch of heeng and throw in the onions, garlic, and green chili.
4. Fry until translucent
5. Add turmeric powder, salt, sugar, tomatoes, coriander leaves and rice.
6. mix well.
7. Cook for another few minutes then add lemon juice.

Serve warm with Raita.


I'm so excited about trying my hand over this new cuisine that I ordered my first cook book ever - Tarla Dalal's Complete Gujarati Cookbook! So, Keep reading :)

Desi style Fried Rice

Indian fried rice is a popular Indian dish. Often served with Tandoori chicken, it's a hit meal of all times.
Cooked with Basmati rice, Indian herbs and spices, and lots of vegetables, Desi style fried rice is indeed a mélange of rich colors, and features bold and blissful combinations.

Although I despise Fried rice for health reasons, the taste is compelling and hard to stay away from, even for me. Mr. Husband suggested I take time off from my healthy eating obsession this weekend.

So, here comes the tasty Desi style Fried rice that will tickle your taste buds and satiate your appetite.


Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cooked Basmati rice.
2. 2 cups frozen vegetables.
3. Mustard seeds
4. Cumin seeds
5. Oil, 2 tablespoons
6. Coriander powder, 3 teaspoons
7. Salt to taste
8. Red chili powder
9. Bay leaf, 1
10. Red chili, dried 1.
11. Turmeric powder

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a non stick pan
2. Add bay leaf, one dried red chili, and mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
3. Add cumin seeds and allow it to brown.
4. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder.
5. Add cooked rice, salt and mix.
6. Add vegetables and cover. Cook for 15-20mins on low heat

Serve warm with raita, chutney, or by itself.

Eat Healthy, Live healthy: Brown rice pilaf

Some of you may remember that I undertook to eat healthy a while ago. I know, I know, I swayed. But now I am getting more serious about healthy eating and healthy living. I read health blogs, wake up early and go to the gym, and have been watching my diet. Indian cooking typically is pretty rich and it's easy to end up using high fat ingredients such as ghee (butter) to add flavour. I have been training myself to eat brown rice for an year now. I would cheat and mix brown rice with white. But I today made a major shift by preparing rice pilaf with only brown rice.

Brown rice is also known as hulled rice. It was supposedly eaten by the poor in the olden days and white rice was consumed by the elite. In the modern world, brown rice is eaten by the health conscious because it is a natural grain that remains unbleached. Although many types of brown rice contain more fat than white rice, the main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk are removed, and white rice is produced. Several vitamins and dietary minerals are lost in this removal and the subsequent polishing process.

Brown rice needs more water and takes a longer cooking time. Some people find it difficult to eat brown rice because of the texture and taste. A colleague suggested adding olive oil and salt in the water while cooking olive oil. This was my first experiment while cooking brown rice so I was more concerned about how it turns out rather than noting the recipe. Please excuse me for that. Here are the vague memories while cooking this dish:

Ingredients:
1. Red pepper, sliced and diced
2. Fresh curry leaves
3. Red onion, chopped finely
4. Ripe tomato, chopped
5. Turmeric powder
6. Salt to taste
7. Frozen mixed vegetables
8. Mustard seeds
9. Cumin seeds
10. Ginger
11. Garlic
12. Garam masala
13. Red chili powder
14. Water
15. Olive Oil
16. Brown rice, washed and soaked for half an hour.

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add mustard seeds. When the splutter, add cumin seeds.
3. Add garlic, ginger, onion, curry leaves. Saute.
4. Add tomato.
5. Add frozen vegetables and red pepper.
6. When al dente, add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chili powder.
7. Add water to make a spicy and flavoured vegetable broth. Add salt.
8. Add brown rice and cook until done.

Serve hot with Raita.

Sharmi and CFK
Tongue Ticklers and Red and Green

Fried rice

Fried rice used to be my favorite lunch. Over the years, I have become more conscious of my diet, my figure, and my health which is why I moved away from it. Nonetheless, I enjoy it once in a while. For the past one week, I had been cooking Parantha (Indian bread with curries (sabzi) for my dad. So I figured I deserve rice today.

No preparation required. Serves 3.




Ingredients
1. 1.5 cup basmati white rice
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5. 2 big black cardamom
6. 1 bay leaf
7. few cashewnuts
8. 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
9. 3 teaspoons coriander powder
10. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
11/ 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
12. Salt to taste, I added 3 teaspoons in all
13. 1 cup frozen vegetables

Instructions:
1. Cook white rice in a rice cooker with water, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few drops of oil. The oil ensures that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the vessel. Once the riced is cooked, turn it gently, then leave it covered for a while.
2. In a big vessel, heat olive oil. You can use ghee but it wont be as healthy.
3. Add bay leaf and mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter
4. Add cumin seeds
5. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, black cardamom, cashewnuts, coriander powder and stir fry for a few minutes
6. Add the steamed rice and mix with the spices
7. Add frozen vegetables and rice and leave it covered for 10 minutes on low flame.

Eat with raita (yogurt) or just by itself.

Kheer - Rice pudding

Kheer is an Indian dessert. It is made of milk and rice and popular in North India. Usually, white rice is used for preparing Kheer. Many people like to use Basmati (long, slender, variety) rice but my mom uses the fat, small variety of white rice which is equally tasty, more economical and my personal favorite.

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup rice
2. 1 litre milk
3. Half cup sugar
4. Crushed cardamom
5. Strands of Saffron -10
6. Soaked almond, cut into small pieces - 10
7. Raisins
8. peeled and cut salted pistachios.

Directions:
1. Add milk and rice in a big pot and keep stirring on medium heat until rice is cooked and starts to break.
2. Add sugar, cardamom, saffron, almonds and lower the heat. Keep stirring occasionally for another 10-15 mins until sugar is dissolved and pudding starts to thickem
3. Garnish and serve cold or hot.

Biryani

Biryani, biriani, or beriani (Nastaliq script: بریانی; Devanagari script: बिरयानी; Bengali script: িবিরয়ানी) is a family of primarily South Asian dishes made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually basmati), meat/vegetables and yogurt. It was spread through out the Middle East and South Asia (and Southeast Asia to an extent) by Muslim travellers and merchants, and is very popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". There are many kinds of biryanis and each kind has a uniqueness about it. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.

This is a brilliant dish to make for friends because you can leave it to cook for an hour, and end up with the complete meal in one dish. Choose a light accompaniment, like a green salad, because it’s quite filling. I tend to use canned chickpeas, but if you want to use dried you’ll need to get organised the day before, to soak them in cold water overnight then, next day, simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

No preparation required.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Red pepper chopped
2. 1 yellow pepper chopped
3. 2 small onions chopped
4. 3 teaspoons coriander powder
5. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves washed and finely chopped
7. 1 teaspoon olive oil
8. 8 pieces of skinless boneless chicken thighs
9. 2 green chillies sliced and chopped with seeds intact
10. 3 cloves of garlic minced
11. 1 cup soaked chickpeas
12. 1 cup basmati rice
13. 1 big lemon juice
14. 11/2 cups of chicken stock

Directions:

1. Preheat a non-stick casserole in the oven to 400 degrees Farenheight
2. Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
3. Add 8 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and toss till brown.
4. Remove the chicken thighs from pan and set aside.
5. In the pan, fry chopped onions, red and yellow peppers till the ends turn brown.
6. Add chopped fresh coriander, minced garlic, 1 cup of soaked chickpeas, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoon coriander powder, and mix.
7. Add 3 cups of chicken stock, rice and lemon juice
8. Bring to boil
9. Transfer the contents of the pan into the pre-heated casserole.
10. Spread the cooked chicken over the rice mixture and cover.
11. Put the non-stick casserole back in the oven and bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees Farenheight.