Beef Pilau

To serve 2-3:

250gm beef pieces with bone.
Clean the meat, wash and then put it in a pan or pressure cooker.
Add 4-5 cups of water, 1 tsp ginger/garlic paste, 2 tsp salt, some crushed pepper,
1 grated onion and 1 grated tomato.
If you're using a pressure cooker, mutton/lamb should be ready in about 25 mins.
If boiling in an open pan, it might take a little over an hour...so you will have to keep adding enough water to keep the meat completely immersed in the water at all times.
Beef generally takes longer to cook than mutton/lamb.

Once the meat is ready and tender, drain it and set aside.
Reserve the soup for cooking the rice. For every cup of rice, you will need 1 and a quarter cup of liquid.
So check how many cups of rice you have, and adjust the liquid accordingly. If there is too much soup, reduce some. If there is too little, compensate by adding water.

Now for the pilau, you will need:

300gm rice, washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour.

On a small saucer, keep these spices ready:
1 level tbsp whole cumin
1/2 tsp whole pepper
2 sticks of cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamom

Also, you will need
2 onions, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin/coriander powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground roasted cumin powder
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garlic paste
a bit of chopped coriander

Ok, now we're all set to start cooking!

Take a pan and put it on your stove. Remember that the rice will double after cooking, plus the meat and potatoes that will go in there, you will need to have enough space in the pan. Turn on the heat and once the pan is hot, add the oil and butter.

Then add the spices you had placed on the saucer. Cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, cloves.

Once they splutter in the oil, add your chopped onions. Fry them until they are transluscent, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the potatoes followed by the turmeric and cumin/coriander powder.

Let these fry for a few minutes, then add the garlic paste and a bit of chopped coriander.
The aroma should by now be brilliant. Add in the boiled meat now. Stir together for a few minutes, then add the stock/soup and some salt. Let the stock simmer and taste for the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness. If it feels just right, it means you have too little. Remember that the rice will need some salt too, so let the salt be enough that you can taste it to be a bit more than you would want. Not too much of course!

Once the water starts boiling, drain your rice (which should have been pre-soaked for about half an hour) and add this rice to the stock. Sprinkle a bit of coriander on this, and stir a little. Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking it whilst covered until the water diminishes, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly.

Once you find there is very little water left in the rice, reduce the heat to the lowest point possible. Seal your pan by using a tight lid or wetting a kitchen towel and placing it over the pan then
Turn on the heat and once the pan is hot, add the oil and butter.

Then add the spices you had placed on the saucer. Cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, cloves.

Once they splutter in the oil, add your chopped onions. Fry them until they are transluscent, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the potatoes followed by the turmeric and cumin/coriander powder.

Let these fry for a few minutes, then add the garlic paste and a bit of chopped coriander.

The aroma should by now be brilliant. Add in the boiled meat now. Stir together for a few minutes, then add the stock/soup and some salt. Let the stock simmer and taste for the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness. If it feels just right, it means you have too little. Remember that the rice will need some salt too, so let the salt be enough that you can taste it to be a bit more than you would want. Not too much of course!

Once the water starts boiling, drain your rice (which should have been pre-soaked for about half an hour) and add this rice to the stock. Sprinkle a bit of coriander on this, and stir a little. Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking it whilst covered until the water diminishes, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly.

Once you find there is very little water left in the rice, reduce the heat to the lowest point possible. Seal your pan by using a tight lid or wetting a kitchen towel and placing it over the pan then placing a lid on top of it.

Leave the rice to continue steaming on very low heat for a good 10 mins. Switch off, and serve! :)

Mushroom Rice

Ingredients
Rice 3Cups
Mushrooms 10
Spring Onions 1cup chopped
Bay leaves 2
Potato medium 2 cut into small squares
Green chilies 1 cut in to small pieces
Tomato I small chopped
Oil 2 Tbl Spoon
Water 1 ½ cups
Chile powder 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil in the pan and add the spring onions and let it stew for a while then add the rest of the ingredients except the rice.
Meantime soak the rice in the water for 20 minutes.
Stew the ingredients for a few minutes.
Add the chili powder and the salt mix well.
Now add the water and bring it to boil.
When the water boils add the soaked rice mix well and cover the pan with a lid.
Once the water evaporates for the rice reduce the heat to the lowest as possible and cover the pan with the tea towel and close it with a lid. Leave it for good 10 minutes and remove from the heat.
Enjoy the meal :)

Afghani Pulao

Ingredients

Chicken 1 kg without skin, cut into 8-10 pieces
Rice 3 cups
Oil ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp
Onion ½ kg
Carrot 1, grated or julienned
raisins (half a handful)...soak them for a while n then fry with carrots in a little butter
Salt to taste
All spice 3 tbsp (cumin, cloves, black pepper, cardamon, n cinnamon) grinded
White vinegar 2 tbsp (to boil with rice)

Method
Chop onions finely and fry in hot oil till golden brown. Add chicken, ginger/garlic paste and salt, fry for 5-6 minutes
Add 1 cup of water and cook on low flame till the chicken is tender.
In a big pan boil water and salt , when boiling add the rice and vinegar and boil until the rice is ¾ done.
Drain the rice.
Now grind the all spice roughly-

Arrange the boiled rice in the pan, pour the chicken over the rice, sprinkle with grinded all spice now add another layer of rice, sprinkle with all spice. Cover and put on low flame for a few minutes
When the pilau is ready garnish with the fried carrots n raisins. Enjoy!

n have this pulao with dahi n special chatni...
recipie...red chili n garlic spicy chutni

whole red chillies(round)20
safiad zeera...1 table spoon... See More
lil water
3 table spoons black vineger
salt to taste
garlic 6 medium cloves...
grind them in a mixy.... n its ready...
u can also add finely chopped small onion n 4 to 5 table spoon of this blended chutni mix them togethern have with pulau

chinese Rice with Capsicum/Pepper Steak

RECIPE:

Steak
1 kg rump steak, cut into strips, then boiled for about 15mins in a pressure cooker with some ginger/garlic, 2-3 cups water, salt/pepper, 1 tbsp of vinegar and a tbsp of oil. Drain and set aside. Reserve the stock.
3-4 large peppers/capsicum, cut into thick strips (preferably assorted colours)
2 grated medium sized onions
2-3 spring onions chopped finely
1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 green chillis chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with water into a paste
Soya sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a wok, add the onions and fry until soft and transluscent. Add the ginger garlic and fry for a minute, then add the green chillis and the capsicum strips. Stir fry for about 3 mins, and add the tomato paste and salt. Cook for about 2 more minutes, then add the stock. Cover and simmer until the capsicum is softened, then add the beef strips and the cornflour paste. Mix together, and let it simmer for another 5 mins, then splash on soya sauce and turn off the stove.


Rice
4 cups long grain rice, soaked for 15-20 mins
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tsp each ginger/garlic paste
1 cubed capsicum (or you can chop a lil from each colour)
2 grated carrots
2 tbsp sweet corn
Salt to taste
Soya sauce
5 cups boiling hot water

Method:
Heat the oil in a deep pan. Add onions followed by ginger garlic, then the carrots. Stir fry for a while, then add the capsicum and sweet corn. Add the drained rice, and stir fry for a couple mins, then add the hot water and salt. Let it cook on medium heat until rice is almost cooked and not much water left. Splash on some soya sauce, cover and put in oven or on dum for about 10 mins

Chicken Pulao

Serves: 6 people.

• Preparation Time: 20 minutes.


• Cooking Time: 30 minutes.


Ingredients:

2 Cups Rice (450 grams rice, Pakistani basmati)
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pcs,
10 cloves,
2 teaspoons black peppercorns,
2 inch piece cinnamon stick,
2 tablespoons coriander seeds,
6 large black cardamoms,
1 teaspoon cumin, white,
1 small onion, coarsely chopped,
5 garlic cloves,
2 inch piece ginger cut into pieces,
1/2 cup ghee or oil, 1
large onions skinned and thinly sliced,
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds,
1 teaspoon ginger paste,
1 teaspoon garlic paste.


Instructions:


1. Wash chicken thoroughly under cold water tap. Place the meat, 5 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, 3 cardamoms, white cumin, 4 cups water, onion, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt in a large heavy based saucepan.


2. Bring it to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes until the meat is tender.


3. Meanwhile, put the rice in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under running cold tap until the water runs clear. Soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and let it stand for a minute or two.


4. Strain the meat and the spices. Reserve the stock. Discard the spices by taking out the meat pieces from it.


5. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stirring frequently, fry to a golden color.


6. Add 5 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms and 1 teaspoon black cumin, stir fry for few seconds.


7. Add meat, ginger and garlic. Stirring frequently, fry this over medium heat for 5 minutes until the meat turns to a golden color.


8. While the meat is cooking, measure the stock, it should be 3 1/2 cups. If it is less, add more water to make it to require. Boil the stock, add 1 teaspoon salt and rice in it and parboil for 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning with salt.


9. Carefully add the browned meat mixture into the rice and stir gently to mix. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to very low and cook for another 10-15 minutes until rice is tender. Fluff up the rice with a fork and then transfer it into to a serving dish.

Sindhi Biryani

Ingredients:
1 kilogram mutton or chicken,
750 grams rice, basmati,
500 grams potatoes,
500 grams tomatoes, diced,
250 grams yogurt ,
1 teaspoon red chili powder,
As per taste salt,
2 medium onion sliced,
3 tablespoon garlic (crushed),
2 teaspoon ginger (crushed),
10 whole green cardamoms,
4 whole black cardamoms (bari Iliachi),
10 cloves,
10 pieces black pepper,
1 inch piece cinnamon stick,
1 teaspoon zeera,
2 bay leaves (taze patta),
10 whole dried plums (aaloo bukharay),
some ghee or cooking oil,
6 pieces green chillies,
2 tablespoon coriander leaves, fresh,
2 tablespoon mint leaves,
1 or 2 drops kewra,
3 drops yellow food color,
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala,
1/2 cup ghee or oil.


Instructions:


1. Marinate meat with garlic, ginger, salt, chili powder and garam masala for half an hour.


2. Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in a heavy based sauce pan and fry onions for 5-10 minutes to a golden brown. Remove onions from oil and stir into the yogurt. Rub this yogurt all over the marinated chicken cover and put in a cool place for at least an hour.


3. Reheat the oil, add the meat along with the marinade and all of the whole spices, and stirring frequently, fry the meat 5-10 minutes. Add 12 cup water, cover and cook over low heat. When meat is half cooked, add potatoes and cook over low heat.


4. While the meat is cooking, prepare spice water. In a small saucepan, put 1 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon black pepper corn, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cloves, 2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons aniseeds, 12 teaspoon ground nut meg, 12 teaspoon mace, 12 teaspoon sandal bura (optional), 3-4 large cardamoms, 1 tablespoon green cardamoms, 3 bay leaves. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook until the mixture reduced to 3/4 cup.


5. Wash and soak rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil rice with 2-3 teaspoon of salt and plenty of water. When rice is 12 cooked drain water, add 14 cup oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice from sticking. Keep rice to one side.


6. In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of meat, tomatoes, and dried plums on top, repeating this until the meat and rice have been used up. Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice. Pour spiced water and kewra over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food color with a little water and sprinkle over the rice.


7. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes to produce steam, then lower the heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.


8. Once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. Remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer to a serving dish.


9. Serve with Raita and green salad

Veggie Pilau

Ingredients
(serves  3-4 people)                         

300gm rice (1 and a half cups), washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour

 On a small saucer, keep these spices ready:
1 level tbsp whole jeera/cumin
1/2 tsp whole pepper
2 sticks of taj/cinammon
2 cloves
2 cardamom/elchi

Also, you will need
2 onions, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin/coriander powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground roasted cumin powder
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garlic paste
a bit of chopped coriander
half cup peas (half boiled)
2 carrots, diced (half boiled)
2 tbsp chopped capsicum (optional)
3 tbsp sweet corn
water or stock, warm (for every cup of rice, you will need 1 and quarter cups of water)

Ok, now we're all set to start cooking!

Take a pan and put it on your stove. Remember that the rice will double after cooking, plus the veggies and potatoes that will go in there, you will need to have enough space in the pan. Turn on the heat and once the pan is hot, add the oil and butter.

Then add the spices you had placed on the saucer. Cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, cloves.

Once they splutter in the oil, add your chopped onions. Fry them until they
transluscent, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the potatoes followed by the turmeric and cumin/coriander powder.

Let these fry for a few minutes, then add the garlic paste, carrots, peas and sweet corn, followed by a bit of chopped coriander.

The aroma should by now be brilliant. Stir together for a few minutes, then add the stock/water and some salt. Let the stock simmer and taste for the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness. If it feels just right, it means you have too little. Remember that the rice will need some salt too, so let the salt be enough that you can taste it to be a bit more than you would want. Not too much of course!

Once the water starts boiling, drain your rice (which should have been pre-soaked for about half an hour) and add this rice to the stock. Sprinkle a bit of coriander on this, and stir a little. Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking it whilst covered until the water diminishes, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly.

Once you find there is very little water left in the rice, reduce the heat to the lowest point possible. Seal your pan by using a tight lid or wetting a kitchen towel and placing it over the pan then placing a lid on top of it.

Leave the rice to continue steaming on very low heat for a good 10 mins. Switch off, and serve! :)

Hyderabadi mutton Biriyani

Ingredients                                      

Meat:
1 kg Lamb/mutton – cut into pieces, with bones
1 tsp meat tenderiser – marinate your meat with this for an hour plus 1 tsp each ginger garlic paste

Then add:
1-2 green chilli – chopped
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Black cumin
small handful of chopped Coriander
small handful of chopped Mint
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
5 Onions – sliced and fried (use half in marination and half later during layering)
1 tsp Black pepper
Whole garam masala - mace, bay leaf, black cardamon, 1 green cardamom, cloves
Lemon – juice half
2 and ½ cups yogurt
half cup oil
Let this marinate for at least 2 hrs or more if possible


Rice:
3 mugs Rice – soaked for 30min
Water
Oil - for rice
Salt – for rice
any whole spices of your choice for added flavour, like cinnamon stick, cardamon pods and cloves
milk with half tsp soaked saffron

Boil the water with salt and oil and the whole spices, then add the soaked rice. When the rice is about 40% cooked, remove half of it, drain and set aside...then continue boiling the remaining rice until it is about halfway or 50% cooked. Drain and set aside.

Directions for layering:

In a thick bottomed vessel pour a bit of ghee and spread the marinated meat. On top of this spread the 40% cooked rice followed by some of the remaining crushed fried onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves and lemon juice. Spread the 50% done rice over this, then sprinkle the milk with saffron and a bit of ghee or oil. Seal the vessel with a damp cloth to keep the steam intact. Cook on high flame for 10-15minutes, till the steam escape fcrom the sides. Transfer the vessel to a hot tava (flat roti pan) to prevent the biryani from burning and continue cooking till the steam escapes from the sides. Lower the heat to minimum and cook for 45 minutes.

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Recipe            

Marination: 4 hrs Prep & Cooking: 1 hr

Serves 6-7 persons

.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely
2 large onions, finely sliced
2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp saffron
1/2 cup luke warm milk
salt to taste
2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil
For marination:
3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt
8-10 green chillis, make a small slit in them
1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
3/4 tbsp coriander pwd
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
3/4 cup pudina leaves (mint leaves)
juice of 1 lemon
1 3/4 tsps salt
Biryani masala, make pwd:
8 cloves
1″ cinnamon stick
4 elaichi/cardamom
3/4 tsp shah jeera
12 pepper corns
Ingredients to cook rice:
4 cups Basmati rice
6 cloves
3 cardamoms
1″ cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
1 marathi mogga
1 star anise
10 mint leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tbsps salt
water as required

1 Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala pwd. Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs. While the chicken is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation.
2 Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
3 Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.
4 Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.
5 Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
6 Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramalized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.
7 Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mts. Remove the vessel from the stove and place a iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 mts.
8 After 10 mts, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.