MUTTON BIRYANI (PRESSURE COOKED)

Pressure Cooker Mutton Biryani Recipe

Serves 4-5 persons

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1/2 kg mutton, washed and drained
• 1 cup thick buttermilk
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamon 
• 1/2″ cinnamon stick
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 3/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
• 1 tsp coriander pwd
• very small pinch of nutmeg pwd
• little less than 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsps ghee + 1 tbsp oil
• Biryani masala, make pwd:
• 3 cloves
• 1″ cinnamon stick
• 1 elaichi
• pinch of shah jeera
• pinch of jeera/cumin seeds
• small piece of mace
• 1/2 star anise
• For marinade:
• juice of half lemon
• 1 1/2 tbsps curd
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 3-4 whole green chillis without stalks
• 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd
• 1/2 tsp coriander pwd
• few mint leaves

METHOD

• Marinate the mutton with the ingredients called for ‘marinade’. Keep aside for 20 mins. While the mutton is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation.
• Wash Basmati rice. No need to soak in water.Slice onions
• Chop tomato
• Pick mint leaves and chop the coriander leaves
• Prepare biryani masala pwd
• Beat curd to form thick buttermilk
• Heat 1 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker vessel, add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, elaichi and saute for a few secs. Add sliced onions, saute for 7-8 mins. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and coriander-mint leaves and saute further for another 5 mins.
• Add turmeric powdered and red chilli pwd, saute for another 2 mts. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for 3-4 mins. 
• Add the marinated mutton along with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Pressure cook mutton till it is almost cooked, upto 3 whistles. 
• Turn off heat and cool. Remove lid and you will find that it will appear like a thick gravy. If the gravy appears very watery, cook further without lid till it form thick gravy.
• Turn on the heat again, add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of thick buttermilk. Add the biryani masala and nutmeg pwd. 
• Add salt (remember we have added 1/2 tsp of salt to the mutton marinade, so add salt accordingly).
• Add the drained basmati rice and combine. 
• Pressure cook upto 2 whistles and turn off heat. 
• Once pressure is off, remove lid, pour a tbsp of ghee and combine carefully. Serve hot with raita.

Note: 

You can alternately cook the biryani in a rice cooker. After the mutton is cooked in a pressure cooker, remove the contents to a rice cooker and follow the rest of the above procedure. You can follow the same recipe using chicken instead of mutton. If using chicken, add 1/2 cup water instead of 1 cup and cook up to 2 whistles while preparing the gravy otherwise the chicken will become mushy.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake

Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake

                                                      Ingredients

3 - cups cooked chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
(boneless chicken breasts , I grill my chicken in olive oil in the oven)
2 - pkts cream of chicken soup
1 ¼ - cups milk
½ cup peas
1 - 12 oz - package wide egg noodles, cooked al dente
2 - cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 - tablespoons melted butter
Breadcrumb Topping  *

                                           Method

1. In a large bowl or an un greased baking dish, mix together cut up chicken, soup, milk, melted butter and peas.
2. Add pre cooked noodles & 1 cup cheese; stir to coat.
3.  Add to dish. Top with the additional 1 cup cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. If using the breadcrumb topping add the topping after the 30 minute cooking time and continue to bake for a additional 5 - 10 minutes.

Bread Crumb Topping:

.Mix together the breadcrumbs  with 2 tbsp butter and sprinkle with the cheese on top. 

Chicken Vindaloo

CHICKEN VINDALOO

Since This is quite a hot and fiery dish, I was waiting for a good time to cook it Since My Husband and Daughter are away on their half yearly Karate Camp, I decided to go for this for my Mom and friend who love spices. You can always adjust the spice to your taste but some dishes taste good only when made very hot.


According to Wikipedia,
The term Vindaloo, derivative of the Portuguese “vinho de alho”, and also called Vindalho or Vindallo, refers to a popular Indian dish. It was first brought to Goa by the Portuguese and became a Goan meal often served during special occasions. The traditional Portuguese dish was made with pork preserved in red wine or red wine vinegar and stewed with garlic, but later received the Goan treatment of adding plentiful amounts of spice and dried chilis. Restaurants often serve this dish with chicken or lamb sometimes mixed with potatoes. Traditional vindaloos do not include potatoes, the discrepancy arising because the word “aloo” means “potato” in Hindi.

                                                                      

                                  
                               Ingredients

1/4 kg chicken
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp vinegar (I used distilled vinegar)
1 tsp chilli powder or 4-5 red chillies (increase the amount of chilies if required)
3-4 strands coriander leaves
Oil
Salt
                                                                        Method

• Grind together ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds to a smooth paste. Apply this paste and salt to the chicken.
• Heat oil and fry onions on a low heat till the onions turn dark brown and crispy.
• Take them out on a clean kitchen towel to remove all the extra oil. Grind to a paste along with vinegar. This is the dark paste that gives the colour to the dish
• Add this to the chicken(Add a little water if gravy is too thick). Leave it aside for 30mins.
• Heat a little oil in thick bottomed pan. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade. Cook till chicken is tender and gravy is thickened. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Serves : 2

Methi Pulao

METHI PULAO

                                                                 Ingredients

Fenugreek/Methi – 2 bunch (approx  250 g)
Rice- 2 cups
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Tomato – 1, med. diced
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies – to taste, finely chopped
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Coriander Powder (Dhaniya) – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Water – 4 cups

                                                                   Method

1. Chop the roots and the thick stems off the bunch of Fenugreek Leaves.
2. Wash well and finely chop the rest.
3. Sprinkle a generous amount of Salt on the leaves, mix and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Wash the Rice well and soak in some Water and keep aside for 20 minutes.
5. In a pan (that has a tight fitting lid), heat Oil on medium heat.
6. Once the Oil is hot, add in the Cumin Seeds and allow them to change color.
7. Add in Green Chillies and Tomatoes, Turmeric Powder.
8. Squeeze out the water from the Fenugreek Leaves and put them in the pan.
9. Add in Coriander Powder and Red Chili Powder.
10. Cook for a couple of minutes.
11. Drain the water from the Rice and add the Rice to the Methi Leaves.
12. Cook for 2 minutes.
13. Add the Water and mix well.
14. Check on the Salt, add in needed.
15. Increase the heat, and allow the Rice to cook till most of the Water has evaporated and you can see the Rice come up to the surface.
16. Mix, lower heat, preferably to simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
17. After 15 minutes, open cover, turn off the heat, mix/fluff gently.
18. Cover and allow the Rice to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
19. Serve hot with Raita and pickle.
Tips:
1. Kasturi Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves can be substituted (approx 1 cup).
2. If Dried Fenugreek leaves are being used, there is not required to salt and soak the leaves. Add directly to the pan.

Methi Potatoes

Thursday is typically a Vegetarian fare at our house. Since my daughter is away who happens to be a hardcore omnivorous. I decided to cook up an easy and tasty meal for the other members of my Family. I had lovely fresh Fenugreek Leaves so decided to go overboard and make Methi Pulao and Methi Aloo . Fenugreek Rice or Methi Pulao is a very simple yet delicious rice dish that can be had all by itself or be served with other dishes also Methi Aloo Potatoes cooked in Methi or Fenugreek Leaves)



                                                              METHI ALOO

                                                                      Ingredients

• Potatoes – 4 medium, peeled and cubed
• Fenugreek Leaves – 1 bunch fresh or 1/2 pkt frozen
• Oil – 1 Tbsp
• Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
• Garlic – 3 cloves, finely chopped
• Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
• Coriander Powder – 1/2 Tbsp
• Red Chili Powder – to taste
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

                                                                          Method

1. Wash Fenugreek Leaves well (2 to 3 times) in a tub of water and chop.
2. Place leaves in a medium bowl and sprinkle salt on them. Mix well and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat Oil in a medium pan.
4. Add Onions, Green Chilies and Garlic. Mix well and cook until Onions are translucent (approx 3 minutes).
5. Add Potatoes and Salt, mix well and cook 7 -10 minutes (until potatoes are almost cooked).
6. Squeeze out all the water from the Fenugreek Leaves and add it to the Potatoes. Mix well.
7. Add Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder and Turmeric Powder. Mix well, cover and cook for approx 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked.
8. Turn off stove and add Tomatoes. Mix well, cover and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pepper Chicken Roast (Kerala Style)

Pepper Chicken Roast (Kerala Style)

This recipe is given to me by my SouthIndian friend. I have had it many times at her house and its absolutely delicious and a must try. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
• 1 cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 7-8 whole pepper corns
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3-4 green chillies slit
• 1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper pwd
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsps oil
• Roast and make a paste:
• 5-6 curry Leaves
• 3 shallots or a small onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 10-12 pepper corns
• 3/4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds: sauf
• 3 cloves
• 2 cardamoms
• 1″ cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

METHOD

• Heat one and a half tbsps of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and pepper corns and saute for a few secs. Add the curry leaves and saute till crisp.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till transparent, approx 5-6 mins. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 mins. Add turmeric pwd and pepper pwd and combine well. Add the chicken and cook on high for 4 mins. Reduce flame, add salt, place lid and simmer till chicken is almost cooked.
• Heat half a tbsp of oil in another cooking vessel, add curry leaves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and saute for 3 mins on low flame. Next add the sliced shallots and saute for 2 mins. Add the grated coconut and saute on low flame for 4 mts. Turn off heat and cool. Grind to a paste without adding water.
• Add this paste to the three fourth cooked chicken and combine well. Add few tbsps of water if the curry is too dry. Otherwise there is no need to add water. Place lid and cook for 5 mins. Now increase flame, and toss the contents for 2-3 mins. Lastly sprinkle some kasuri methi, combine well and turn off heat.
• Serve hot with rotis or rice.

NO BAKE MANGO CHEESECAKE

Creating something and sharing it here is such an intrinsic part of my life that I miss it when it doesn’t happen on a regular basis. But life comes in the way of best laid plans. I have been working on something which hopefully I will be able to share with you in my next post. All thanks to my beloved Daughter whose love and passion for eating never dies....

I’m so excited and thrilled to share this cheesecake recipe with you all, I wanted to make a dessert without gelatine as some of my Vegetarian friends requested , I have used Agar Agar also known as China Grass here instead of gelatin and the result has been stupendous! The texture, smooth, silky and marvelous yet having a definitive shape and structure, just like how a good cheesecake ought to be. You had to be there to see me in order to fathom how excited I was when I jumped and shouted with glee just as I gently lifted this beautiful cheesecake, a cheesecake which had form was revealed. Mango cheesecake was ideed a success! 
Now I know how to make perfect cheesecakes without gelatin. Three cheers to that!

Fresh Alphonso mangoes indeed proved useful. I had to make this cheese cake which had been on my mind ever since the mango season .There were a few requests from readers for a cheesecake with easily and locally available ingredients as cream cheese is not something that is widely available in India. I do however use Philadelphia cream cheese that is available locally but slightly steep. I was looking for an easy economical substitute. 

Am I glad that I made this? You bet! This is going to be a constant fixture during every mango season in my home, a part of every celebration and maybe next year I’m going to welcome the mango season with this cheesecake with this incredibly wonderful vegetarian dessert.


Mango Cheesecake Recipe
This is a cheesecake which is just about sweet. If you like your desserts sweeter then increase the sugar by about 1/4 cup. You might also have to do this if your mangoes are less sweeter. Use a deep dish 8” round springform pan or loose bottom pan or a 9” regular round pan for this recipe.

Ingredients:

For Crust:

• 160 gm (1 1/2 cups) digestive biscuits or any other fairly plain sweet biscuits, crushed
• 100 gm (1/2 cup) butter (preferably salted butter), chopped
• For Filling:
• 160 gm (1 cup) fine sugar or powdered sugar or castor sugar
• 800 gm (3 cups) thick full cream yogurt(Amul Dahi)Liquid drained.
• 400 gm (2 cups) paneer or cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 10 gm (10 tbsp) Chinagrass or Agar Agar 
• 2 mangoes (1 cup), peeled, chopped and pureed
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Mango Glaze:

• 1 mango (1/2 cup), peeled, chopped and pureed
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Method:

• Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth lined colander over a container and allow to drain overnight to get half the quantity ( 400 gm or 1 1/2 cups) thick yogurt.

Prepare the crust:

• Place all the biscuits in a sealed plastic bag (Zip loc) and with a rolling pin beat until the biscuits are powdered. Once this is done put the biscuits in a large mixing bowl. Put in the butter and with the help of a food processor or with your hands rub the butter into the biscuits until the mixture is well mixed like breadcrumbs. Alternatively you can blend the biscuits in a food processor until fine, drop in the butter and process again until the mixture is properly blended.
• Remove the mixture and press it evenly into the base of an 8” deep round spring form pan or any pan with a removable bottom or a 9” regular round pan. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Prepare the filling:

• Break the china grass into small pieces and soak in 1 1/2 cups water for about 10 minutes until it becomes soft.
• In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or blender place the strained yogurt and paneer or cottage cheese and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer this to a mixing bowl.
• In a sauce pan, heat the mango puree over a medium flame. Do not allow this to boil.
• In another saucepan place the china grass and water mixture and stir on low heat until it melts completely, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not allow this to boil.
• After the china grass melts completely, pour the hot china grass solution into the hot mango puree, stirring all the while.
• Slowly add the mango mixture into the yogurt and cheese mixture, stir in the sugar and vanilla extract and beat well with a wire whisk until well blended.
• Pour this mixture over the prepared crust, level with a spoon and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.

For the Mango Glaze:

• Place all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the flame and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Allow to come to room temperature and then spread the glaze over the cheesecake with a spoon. Allow the glaze to set over the cheesecake for 2 to 3 hours or more before slicing it. Allow the cheesecake to set for an hour or so before spreading the glaze over it.
• 
  
• * If using cottage cheese make sure the water is completely drained and the cheese is dry to get a perfectly set cheesecake. Try and use paneer blended into a puree for this recipe.
• *A few notes about cooking with chinagrass or agar agar.
• China grass or Agar Agar gives a smooth, glossy finish. Vegetarians prefer to use it over gelatin. China grass, if used properly sets easily at room temperature.
• China grass needs to be broken into pieces and softened by soaking in water for atleast 5 minutes.
• Heat china grass on a low flame for it to melt completely.
• The dissolved china grass liquid should be immediately mixed with another portion of hot mixture. Remember that both the mixing agents need to be hot for the china grass to set properly. If either of them is cold, then the dessert wont set properly.
• If the china grass solidifies before you add it into another mixture, then reheat until it melts completely and use as required.