Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable biryani is a traditional mughlai main course item loaded with chopped vegetables, spices, saffron and dry fruits. On normal days, you can make it as a one-pot meal. Even as ingredients like capsicum and coriander spread their aroma, whiffs of saffron and other spices rise above all and pamper your senses.

Ingredients

For The Rice

1 1/2 cups long grained rice (basmati) , soaked and drained
1 bayleaf (tejpatta)
25 mm (1”) piece cinnamon (dalchini)
1 clove (laung / lavang)
1 cardamom (elaichi)
salt to taste

For The Vegetable Gravy

1 1/2 cups chopped and boiled mixed vegetables(carrots , peas , cauliflower , french beans and potatoes)
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup paneer (cottage cheese) cubes
salt to taste
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of sugar

Other Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh curds (dahi)
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander (dhania)
a few drops of edible saffron colour
2 tbsp ghee

Method 

For the rice

Combine 4½ cups of water, bayleaf, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, rice and salt in a deep non-stick pan, cover with a lid and cook on a medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes or till the rice is cooked.

Strain the rice using a strainer and keep aside.

For the vegetable gravy

When the seeds crackle, add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.
Add the ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes and 2 tbsp of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the mixed vegetables, paneer, salt and milk and cook on a medium flame for another 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Add the sugar, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 more minute.

How to proceed

Add the prepared rice mixture and mix well.
Transfer ½ of the rice mixture in a handi and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.
Add all the prepared vegetable gravy on it and spread it evenly.
Top it with the remaining ½ of the rice mixture and spread it evenly.
Pour the ghee evenly over it and cover it with a lid.
Place the handi on a non-stick tava (griddle) and cook on a slow flame for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Tips

Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds.

Combine the curds, coriander and saffron colour in a bowl and mix well.

Just before serving, turn upside down on a serving plate, garnish with fried onions, cashewnuts and raisins and serve hot.

Blueberry Cheesecake

A firm cheesecake finished with a sweet blueberry topping, this is a truly satisfying experience. It is quite exotic and different from other cheesecakes that make use of biscuits as a base—as this cheesecake uses soft luscious vanilla sponge. 

• Ingredients

• 125 grams crumbled digestive biscuits
• 75 grams soft butter
• 300 grams cream cheese
• 60 grams icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 250 ml double cream
• 1 x 284 grams jar blueberry spread/ jam

• Method

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whiz again to make the mixture clump.

Press this mixture into a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.

Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.

Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, unmould it and spread the black cherry over the top.

Chocolate Mousse

When you haven't got time for overnight setting in the fridge or you don't want to use raw eggs, this mousse is perfect. In fact, at all times, constraints or not, it is chocaliciously gorgeous.

Ingredients

150 grams mini marshmallows
50 grams soft butter (unsalted)
250 grams good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) chopped into small pieces
60 ml hot water 
280 ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence

Method

Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
Put the saucepan over heat, though keep it fairly gentle, to melt the contents, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick, and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.
Pour or scrape into 4 glasses or ramekins, about 175ml / ¾ cup each in capacity, or 6 smaller (125ml / ½ cup) ones, and chill until you want to eat. The sooner the better!

Thai Red Curry (veg)

I am pretty sure you must have tasted the Thai Red Curry atleast once or must have heard about it. It is easy to make and delicious to taste. Hope you like it as much as i do.

Ingredients

for the thai red curry paste:
2 thai chillies or bird's eye chilies
2 dry red chillies
½ inch galangal, or you could use ginger.
4-5 small garlic cloves or 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves
2 shallots
2-3 medium kaffir lime leaves
2 lemon grass stalks
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp soya sauce or as required
½ tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp coconut milk

for the thai red curry:
3 cups of chopped and steamed or lightly boiled mix vegetables (keep the stock for adding to the curry later)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1.5 to 2 tbsp sesame oil or coconut oil
1.5 to 2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tbsp chopped thai basil leaves, or you can use normal basil leaves.
salt, according to your taste.

Method

preparing the thai red curry paste:

take all the all the ingredients mentioned for the thai red paste.
put them in a grinder and make a semi fine or fine paste. keep aside.

preparing the thai red curry:
rinse and chop the veggies.
steam or cook the vegetables till they are almost done.
strain the vegetable stock from the vegetables. keep both the stock and the steamed or lightly boiled vegetables ready.
In a pan, heat the sesame oil or coconut oil. add the shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes. now add thai red curry paste.
saute this mixture for a couple of minutes.
now add ½ cup coconut milk to this paste.
mix the coconut milk with the rest of the red curry paste.
add the vegetable stock and mix everything.
bring the curry to boil.
now add the boiled vegetables.
add the rest of the coconut milk.
add salt and simmer for 10-12 minutes. now add thai basil leaves and just simmer for a minute.
garnish the veg thai red curry with that basil leaves.
serve the veg red thai curry with lemon grass rice or plain steamed rice.