Egg Fried Rice -with choice of veggies and protien

                                            

 Ingredients:

4-5 cups cooked rice, made from about 1 cup of raw rice (cooked and cooled so the grains are separate, preferably left over rice) 

3 Eggs

6 Shrimp, 1 chicken tenderloin (this can be replaced with any choice of meats or skip all together)

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)

1 tsp of garlic based seasoning that you have

1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)

6 tsp of soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar or juice of 1/4 lemon

1.5 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 cup french cut beans 

1/4 red onion chopped in long pieces

1 Jalapeno cut into long strips

2 - 3 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp chili sauce

1/2 tsp pepper powder

salt to taste (Soy sauce is salty, so use accordingly)

Directions:

Marinate shrimp and chicken in garlic seasoning, 2 tsp soy sauce, vinegar, ginger garlic paste, chili powder and salt, set it aside for 30 mins. (You can modify how you want to marinate)

Air fry shrimp, chicken, red onions and jalapenos at 400 degrees for 5 mins (or saute in wok on high heat in a tsp of oil for 5 mins) and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan or large wok add chopped garlic, once garlic is fragrant add cabbage, carrots, french cut beans and suate until half cooked. 

Move the veggies to the side and make space in the center, add 1 tbsp of oil and add 3 eggs along with salt and pepper and stir till the eggs are semi cooked.

 Mix all the veggies together with eggs, also add the fried shrimp, chicken, onions, jalapenos to the wok. Add rice and mix it all well. Add soy sauce, chili sauce and salt. Adjust the last three ingredients to taste. 

Enjoy fried rice loaded with veggies and protein of choice. 

Eggplant Pulao --Vankaya pulao in Instant pot

serves 5

Time 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant chopped into small pieces.

3 cups Basmati rice

1/4 large onion chopped in large pieces

4 green chilies

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

3/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 red chili broken 

Handful of cilantro chopped

1/4 cup oil

salt to taste

4.5 to 5 cups of warm water.

Directions:

Wash rice till water runs clear and soak.

Set the instant pot on saute mode.

Heat oil, add mustard, cumin and red chili. 

Add cashews followed by onions and green chilies. 

saute for a minute.

Add chopped eggplant and cook until it is tender.

Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add turmeric, chili powder, salt, garam masala and saute for couple more minutes.

Drain the water from the soaked rice and add to eggplant mixture.

Stir for a minute, add cilantro and cancel the saute mode on instant pot. 

Add warm water, close lid and set on pressure cook for 6 minutes. 

After the pressure is released naturally remove lid and gently stir. 

Enjoy with raita!!!

Chekkara Pongali

Happy New Year 2011.
Welcomed the New Year with a traditional south Indian sweet.
Rice and Moong Dal are cooked in jaggery syrup and garnished with raisins, cashews and almonds for this melt in the mouth dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice

¼ cup moong dal

2 cups milk

1 – 1 ½ cup jaggery (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp ghee

Cashews, Almonds and Raisins for garnishing

Pinch of cardamom powder

Procedure:
Pressure cook rice and moong dal in two cups of milk and one cup of water.

Melt jaggery in a cup of water.

Add cooked rice and dal to the jaggery syrup and simmer, add 1 tbsp of ghee.

Shallow fry raisins, almonds and cashews in the remaining ghee and add it to the pongal.

Add cardamom powder.

Remove from flame and serve it warm.

Quick n Easy Veg Pulao

Pulao is a very common dish in our house. Since we have unlimited variations of making pulao, though made often we do not need to repeat the same recipe for a long long time.

For this Sunday’s lunch I made a very simple and quick veg pulao which is wholesome and delicious, with a side of baked salmon, raita and sambhar.

Ingredients:
3 cups basmati rice
1 pack frozen mixed vegetables
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp pulao masala (4 cloves, 1” cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp coriander ground into a fine powder)
3 green chilies
½ cup of chopped cilantro
2 red chilies
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in pressure cooker or any other heavy bottomed vessel, add red chilies followed by green chilies and frozen vegetables. Sauté for 5 to10 minutes.

Add ginger garlic paste, pulao masala and salt. Sauté for couple more minutes.

Add washed and well drained basmati rice and stir gently for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add cilantro.

Add required amount of water and cook till the rice is done.

Tips: Water has to be one and half to two cups for each cup of rice, depending on how you are cooking. In case of pressure cooking one and half cups of water for every cup of rice is plenty.

Enjoy it with a side of raita which is extremely simple. Add finely chopped onions and cilantro to fresh yogurt with a dash of salt. Tomatoes can be added too.

Recipe for Baked Salmon

Recipe for sambhar will be posted soon :)

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani! I consider it as the king of all biryanis. Tender pieces of mutton marinated and cooked in fine blend of spices, curd and ginger garlic. Layered between rice with delicate aroma of spices mint and cilantro and steamed to perfection.

There are many versions of this recipe with little variations. I did follow the recipes earlier where you half cook rice, drain the water and then layer rice and mutton in a heavy bottomed vessel stick the lid with dough so that the steam does not escape. I always ended up with many utensils to clean and the job just seemed daunting. I made few changes where all you need is a pressure cooker and a rice cooker. A simplified version of the recipe yet tastes just as fabulous.



For Rice:
4 cups basmati rice
4 cloves
2 cardamoms
2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 tsp shajeera
1 tsp ghee
Handful of mint and coriander leaves
6 – 7 cups of water
Salt to taste

For Mutton:
2 lbs mutton
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup curd
1 tsp garam masala *
6 green chilies
2 tsp ghee
2 tbsp oil
Handful of chopped mint and cilantro
Salt to taste

Others:
2 onions sliced and fried till crisp
Saffron or food color mixed in ¼ cup of milk
Handful of chopped mint and cilantro
Juice of one lemon

*for garam masala: 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 cardamoms
Powder them in a coffee grinder.

Marinate mutton along with all the ingredients under For mutton: 2 – 3 hours in the refrigerator.

In a rice cooker add everything under For Rice: and set it on cook.

Place the mutton in a pressure cooker large enough to make the whole biryani.

Pressure cook until the mutton is tender.

Once the rice is cooked spread it to cool and discard the spices.

If the mutton in the pressure cooker has excessive water evaporate a little but make sure there is enough moisture.

Layer rice on top of mutton in 3 to 4 layers with fried onions and fresh mint and cilantro in between the layers.

Also pour a little milk with saffron on each layer.

Dot it with 2 – 3 tsp of ghee on the top.

Pressure cook on low for 20 – 25 minutes.

When ready to serve sprinkle the lemon juice and gently mix the rice and mutton.

This wholesome dish will entice your taste buds without doubt.

Chicken Fried Rice

2 Cups Basmati Rice
3 Eggs
¼ lb Boneless Chiken
½ Cup finely chopped Carrot
½ Cup finely chopped Green Beans
½ Cup finely chopped Spring Onions
3 tsp Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilli Paste
½ tsp Pepper
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt to taste
Soy Sauce to Taste

Cook Rice and spread it on a plate to cool so that the grains are separate.

Marinate chicken with a little of ginger, garlic, chilli paste, salt, pepper and soy sauce.

In a kadai add a tsp of oil and on medium flame fry the marinated chicken, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes, remove and set aside.

Add couple tsp of oil and ginger, garlic, chilli paste, salt, pepper and mix them together, to that add eggs and stir continuously until they are set, do not let them over cook, remove and set aside.

Now add the rest of the oil and the rest of ginger, garlic, chilli paste, salt, pepper and all the veggies and stir on high flame, they should be just cooked but still be crisp, now add the chicken and egg and stir for couple more minutes.

To this add rice and butter and stir till the rice is heated through, add salt and soy sauce to taste.

Yummy Chicken Fried Rice is ready!

It goes well with Sweet and Sour chicken which is going to be my next post.