Rajasthani Gatta Pulao

This is one of the very different pulao recipes. First of it has Gatte which are pieces of fried chick pea flour which have been boiled. Its is very different and quite awesome. My little fella just loved it and asked if he can pick up some form the rice and eat them, by themselves. That is a good sign.

Here is the original recipe

Rajasthani Gatte Pulao (Rice with Gatta and spices)

Rajasthani Gatta Pulao

Gatta (Boiled chick pea flour logs)
Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chick pea Flour (Besan)
2. 1/4 teaspoon each of  Asafetida,Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder 
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of Salt, Cumin Seeds , baking soda
4. 1/4 cup Yogurt
5. 2 tablespoons oil 
6. 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
7. Water, If Needed

Add asafetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, cumin,  baking soda, yogurt, oil, Kasuri methi and knead into a stiff dough. Use water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into logs roll (wet your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to your palms)
Boil enough water in a pan. Add rolls to the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
Drain and set aside

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Basmati Rice, Cooked with salt
2. 1 teaspoon each of Cumin 
3. 2 tablespoon Oil+ 1 teaspoon oil
4. 1 Onion, Sliced 
5. 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt. 
7. Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
8. 2 tablespoons each of Peanuts, raisins
9. 1 medium carrot grated wide
10.  2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan. Add onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Drain and set aide.
Heat the remaining  oil in the and add cumin and bay leaf and let them splutter. Add peanuts and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add shredded carrot and mix well. Add raisins and mix.
Add cooked gattas and fry them for about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked rice, fried onions, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt, and mix well. Cook covered on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander and enjoy With Raita and Ground meat curry

Methi gosht pulao

Today, I got a bunch of fresh methi and was going to make Methi Gosht but instead I made Methi Gosht Pulao but if you want to make a vegetarian version just skip the lamb. The pulao is super delicious.

Methi Pulao (Rice cooked with Fenugreek seeds)

Methi Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups fresh methi leaves washed
2. 2 cups basmati rice
3. 1 medium onion sliced
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1/4 cup green peas
7. 1 cup coconut milk
8. 1 bay leaf
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, fennel seeds
10. 2 cardamom 
11. 3/4 teaspoon salt
12. 2 green chillies
13. 21/2 cups water
14. 1 cup lamb chopped into very small pieces (optional)

In a pan heat the oil and add the bay leaves, cumin, fennel seeds and cardamom and fry for a minute. Add the onions and fry till they start becoming dark brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add meat if using and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add green chillies and fry for a minute. Add peas and fenugreek seeds and stir. Add the coconut milk and water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice and lower the heat and cook for 20 minute or until the rice is cooked. Garnish with fried cashews if desired and serve

Egg biryani

                                                   

Its been such a gloomy weather lately, winter just landed with a thud. We haven't seen the sun in 10 days. Its been raining non stop...man it feels more awful as I right it LOL

So...I was craving something hot and spicy and for some reason I wanted Egg Biryani...to top it of, I never had egg biryani in my life. But the recipe I followed helped me make the most delicious rice dish I ever tasted. It will be a regular in my house for sure.

Oh...and the pink spots on the eggs in my dish is because the previous day I used my cutting board to cut beetroot and even though I washed it, the color was still there and it colored my eggs when I peeled and put them on the cutting board

Egg Biryani (Spicy rice with boiled eggs)

Egg Biryani

                                             

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup of  basmati rice
2. 2 tbsp oil
3. A small bunch of  coriander leaves (cilantro)
4. A small bunch of  mint leaves
5. 2 green chillies
6. 2-3 cloves of  garlic
7. 2" piece of  ginger
8. 1.5 cups of  large onions, sliced thin
9. 1 cup  tomato finely chopped
10. 1/2 tsp of  red chilli powder (adjust to taste), cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder
11. 1 cups of  thick coconut milk (optional)
12. 1 teaspoon  biryani masala or Hyderabadi Hara masala 
13. 1 tsp of  ginger garlic paste (freshly made is best)
14. 6 eggs hard boiled
15. 1/4 cup of  cashew nuts and more coriander leaves and mint leaves, for garnish

Hard boil the eggs and keep aside.
In a pan and heat 2 tablespoon oil. Add the cashew nuts and fry until golden. Drain and set aside.

 To the same pan, add half of the sliced onions. Fry until golden, drain and set aside. Add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add it to a rice cooker and cook it.

 Grind together - coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic with salt.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the rest of the onions until brown. Add the ground paste and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Or add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and the Hyderabadi hara masala and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the spices and powders - coriander, turmeric, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, chilli powder. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and cook for 10 more minutes on low flame. Mix the masala well. Add the rice and mix well and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Garnish with the fried onions, cashew and cilantro and the boiled eggs. Enjoy steaming hot

Peas Pulao with Sweet and Spicy Soya Chunks

Meal maker or Soya Wadi is one of hubby dear's favourite thing. My  mom used to make it very very seldom. I guess she didn't like it so she didn't make it. After coming to USA mainly out of necessity for some variety I started making it more often. And the curry I made today is one of the most tastiest dishes I have ever made with soya chunks. And it goes very well with Peas Pulao

Peas Pulao (Rice with green peas)

Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice
2. 2 cups chicken stock (optional)
3. 2 cups water
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1/2-3/4 cup fresh peas shelled

Wash the rice and set aside in some water. Bring to boil the water and chicken stock or double the amount of water and salt and add rice and peas to it and simmer till rice gets cooked 15-20 minutes. Or cook in a rice cooker. Peas Pulao is ready

Sweet and Spicy Soya Chunks (Dried Soya nuggets cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce)

Sweet and Spicy Soya Chunks

Ingredients:

1. 11/2-2 cups soya chunks
2. 3 cups water
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, cumin powder

Pulao with Chicken Curry

Sunday is a day for special dishes. And usually meat dishes. In those olden days, before kids, I used to make some special breakfast as well as something special for lunch. But with kids now I only have time to make one special thing either for breakfast or for lunch. This time it was lunch and I went back to my basics.
         I made the very basic pulao and Chicken curry. Yet again this chicken curry has a million variations and this is my version. Hope you will make it and like it too

Pulao
Chicken Curry (Chicken curry with Indian spices)

Bone-in Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry Azeema Style

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken cut into 12 pieces
2. 1 large onion sliced fine
3. 2-3 green chillies sliced
4. 1 cup plain yogurt
5. 3 tablespoons oil
6. 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger-garlic paste
7. 3 cloves and an inch of cinnamon pounded a bit
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9. Cilantro for garnish

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add green chillies, cloves and cinnamon and ginger garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes and flip. Add the rest of the ingredients into yogurt and beat well. Add this to chicken and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook for 20 minutes or till chicken gets cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Use leftover to make Lima Beans and Chicken Pulao

Lima beans Chicken Pulao and Raita

Summer if finally here and I am lovin' it. It was also summer in many of the cartoon shoes  (wuw shoes on my mind!!!) Shows my daughter watches and in one of such shows' the characters went on a picture. So my little sweetie wanted to go to. Hence I had to whip up something super fast in about an hour which is fun and easy and delicious to eat. SO the one put wonder Pulao, Pilaf, Palao whatever you call it.
        I had some leftover chicken so I am using it and I am out of the usual veggies you use in a fried rice- peas and carrots. But I recently got a can of Lima beans and I decided to use them. And believe me you, these lima beans elavated the taste of the rice to a whole new yummy level.
         Since I was going out at about 6.30 PM and the food will be eaten in less than an hour I also made some yogurt side to go with the rice. You can skip it if you are going out on a hot afternoon

Lima beans Chicken Pulao (Rice with Lima beans and chicken)

Lima Beans Chicken Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice cooked with 3 cups water
2. 2 cups left over chicken curry or store bought rotiserrie chicken shredded and deboned
3. 1 can medium sized lima beans (drained and washed)
4. 1/2 cup chicken broth or use water
5. 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
6. 1/2-2/3 teaspoon salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper or regular pepper fresh ground
8. 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed

Cook the rice in a rice cooker and let it cool a bit. In a pot heat the chicken broth or water and add the rinsed lima beans and cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except rice and lemon juice and stir. Reduce the heat to medium low and add rice and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro stir again and cover and cook for 3 more minutes. Cut the heat and add lemon juice and stir to combine. Serve hot or at room temeprature

Dahi Raita: Add one green chillie finely chopped if you want it a bit spicy

Also try my other one pot wonders

1. Zeera Rice
2. Vegetable Zeera Rice
3. Plain Pulao
4. Soya Chunk Pulao
5. Armenian Narenj Pulao