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

Fish biryani

Fish Biryani is something which feels weird but its super delicious to eat. Especially hen the weather is cold and you want to eat something hot.

I called it biryani but it is actually fish Pulao, because it is not cooked in the over for the second half.  I am making the whole dish on stove top

Fish biryani ( rice cooked with lightly fried fish)

Fish biryani/ fish pulao

Ingredients for marinade

1. 12 oz of your fav white fish cut into 1-1.5 inch wide pieces (I used Swai)
2. 2 tablespoons each of corn starch, lemon juice
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, garlic powder

Ingredients

1. 2 cups basmati rice
2. 3 tablespoons oil divided
3. 1 medium large onion sliced thin
4. 1 medium large tomato sliced thin
5. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, dried fenugreek leaves
8. 2 dried red chillies or 2 green chillies slit
9. 1/2 cup plain yogurt beaten

marinate the fish with the marinade ingredients for 1-2 hours.

In a  pan heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry the fish 4 minutes on each side . drain and set aside. Add the remaining oil add the cumin and dried red chillies (if using) and fry till cumin splutter. Add onions and fry till they become dark brown. Drain and reserve some onions. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies if using and fry for a minute. Add the spices and mix well. Add tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Add the beaten yogurt and 4.5 cups of water (normally the ratio is 1:1.5 cups of rice: water. But this basmati I am using is taking more water hence I am adding 2:4.5 cups rice:water). Stir well. add half of your fried fish pieces and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until almost done. Spread the saved fried onions and the remaining fish and lemon juice. Simmer further for 7-8 minutes. Serve hot with cucumber, carrot and onion rings. 

I served it with my tri-color carrots I got from Trader joes today

Tri colored carrot

Lamb with lentils and Saffron Pulao

I started searching for lamb dishes with beans and the dish I finally made has a little Persian touch to it and is definitely one of the best lentil dishes I have every eaten. This dish has lentils and lima beans . The original recipe called for Sultanas (I am guessing these are Lima beans...I have seen them somewhere ) . But anyway since I couldn't find Sultana beans I used canned Lima beans and the dish turned out to be great.
                   And I made Saffron Pulao to serve this lamb dish with. This is a bit different from the Saffron Rice I make. And this is equally delicious. So please enjoy a great dinner

Lamb with Lentils (Lamb meat with spicy lentils and beans)

Lamb with beans and lentils

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb or goat cut into medium bite size pieces
2. 1/2 cup lentils
3. 1/2 can lima beans drained
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
6. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon each of salt and chilly powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 tablespoons oil
9. 1 medium onion chopped
10. 1 big or 2 small green chillies slit
11. cilantro for garnishing

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add green chillies, cinnamon and bay leaf and fry for a minute. Add lamb and fry for 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the spices and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for 3-4 whistles. At the same time in another pot add the lentils with 2 cups of water and cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.

               Let all the steam from the pressure cooker escape, open it and add the lentils and lima beans to the pot. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or Saffron Pulao

Saffron Pulao (Rice cooked with Saffron)

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes.
2. 1/2 teaspoon saffron crushed
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup milk
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 1/2 cup sliced red onions

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become golden brown. Add the milk and water and salt and bring to a boil. Add saffron and drained rice and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Serve

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

Bagara Khana, Aalu Gosht aur Tomato ka Khatta

Today was one of those auspicious days when I make special dishes and give offerings (FATEHA) to God. It used to feel so good on such days back home when I was with my parents. But now that I am the head of the house hold it just creates more work for me. Not that I am complaining but I am just saying.
                This Bagara Khana  or Pulao  as it was known in my household is pretty simple and delicious rice dish. And I also made Gulab Jamun today of which Ras Gul hogaya tha - the sugar syrup in which these balls of milk powder are supposed to be floating was totally absorbed by the balls. So the Ras i.e the syrup Gul hogaya i.e disappeared. There is this particular hindi song which is coming to my mind. Enjoy it here

Bagara Khana (Indian style spicy rice)



Simple Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small red onion sliced thin
2. 2 cups basmati rice
3. 3 tablespoons oil
4. 2 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon
5. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 2 big or 4 green chillies sliced

In a heavy bottomed deep pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they turn brown. Add sliced green chillies, cloves and cinnamon and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add 3-31/2 cups of water and salt and bring it to a boil. Add washed basmati rice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and set the heat to medium low and cook covered for 20 minutes or until rice is done. Stir occasionally. Enjoy hot with Aalu gosht and Tomato ka khatta

Aalu Gosht (Spicy Potato and lamb curry)

Aalu gosht (Potato lamb)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb lamb with bones cut into cubes
2. 2 large potatos peeled and cubed into 1 inch
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 medium onion sliced
6. 2 green chillies sliced

In the pressure cooker, add the oil and fry the onions till they change color. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add Gosht i.e the lamb pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add all the ingredients except potatoes and 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 whistles. Once the steam escapes open the cooker add the potato pieces and cook for 1 more whistle. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till all the excess water evaporates. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Tamatar ka Khatta (Tomato and tamarind soup)

Tamatar ka Khatta

Ingredients:

1. 2 large tomatoes sliced
2. 2 cups juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, and sugar
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 small onion sliced
6. 1 large or 2 small green chillies

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add sliced chillies and fry couple of minutes more. Add tomato pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Gulab Jamun (Balls made of milk, fried and soaked in sugar syrup)

Gulab Jamun