Mutton Biryani - The easy way!

Ingredients:

Mutton 1 kg
Basmati rice  800 gms
Ghee 1 cup
Curd 2 cups
Onion 200 gms
Mint leaves 1 bunch
Ginger garlic paste 3 table spoons
Green Chillies 2 nos.
Tomatoes 2
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Lemon juice 4 tsp
Cloves 8
Cinnamon 3
Cardamom 6

METHOD:  Cut onion into thin slices and fry them until they are brown and crispy. Marinade the mutton with curd, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, tomatoes, half of the mint leaves, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.

Heat ghee and add half of the whole spices in a pressure cooker.  When they start to brown, add the marinated mutton and cook for 10 minutes. Add little water and pressure cook for another 10 minutes (or till the meat is tender).  In a bigger vessel, add sufficient water along with salt, mint leaves and whole spices and bring to a boil. Now add rice to the boiling water. When the rice is 3/4th cooked drain the water and keep rice aside.  Now take another large vessel, and lay one part of the rice, mutton gravy and sprinkle some lemon juice and fried onion. Repeat the same layers for the rest of the rice and mutton gravy. Tightly seal the vessel with kneaded wheat flour and keep it on medium flame for another 10 minutes.Yummy biryani is ready to serve.

POTATO AND SOYA PATTIES FOR BURGERS

Boil and mash 3 potatoes. To this add the soya granules soaked in water for half hour, finely chopped green chillies, chopped coriander leaves, cumin powder, salt, chilli powder, black pepper powder, boiled and mashed green peas, and corn flour.  Mix well and make flat patties and shallow fry.  Place it in between the burger buns along with tomatoes and onions and cheese slice or grated cheese. Now bake the burger in an oven at 180 degrees C, for 10 minutes.

FALOODA RABRI

Boil faluda (rice noodles) and keep aside. Layer a tall glass with first 2 tsp of Rooh afza, 2 tsp cold rabri, 1 tsp crushed ice, 2 tsp faluda, cashew and almond pieces and sabja seeds (sweet basil seeds). Repeat the same process untill the glass is full. Once full, garnish the glass with rooh afza and almond cashew pieces.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

Ingredients:
Chicken leg with the thigh:   2 nos.
Hung curd:  1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste:  1 tsp.
Garam masala powder:  1/2 tsp
Tandoori chicken powder: 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Salt as per taste,
Maida:  1 tbsp
Oil: 1 tbsp.
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp.

FIRST MARINATION:  Make slits to the chicken pieces and marinade with salt and lemon juice and allow it to set for 5 minutes.

SECOND MARINATION:  In a bowl mix curd, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, tandoori chicken powder, chaat masala, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Apply this mixture to the chicken pieces by adding maida and 1tsp oil. Keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for 5 hrs. Then grill the chicken pieces at 250 degrees C for 30 mins. Decorate it with kasoori methi, lemon juice and chaat masala and serve with onion rings.

MUTTER KACHAURI

Fry 1 cup boiled peas in 2 spoons of oil. To this add salt (as per taste), 1/4 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp chat masala powder. Stir for 2 minutes and keep aside. 

For the kachori dough, take 2 cups refined flour and add 1 tbsp ghee, salt, and ½ tsp baking soda and mix it.  Then add water and knead the dough. Take a small ball of the dough and spread like a poori without using any flour. Place 1 spoon of peas masala at the centre of the poori and close it by making a round shape. Fry the kachoris in hot oil and garnish with tomato sauce and sev.

FAIRY LEMON CUP CAKES

Sift 1 cup refined floor, 1/2 cup custard powder along with 1 tbsp baking powder and keep aside.  Combine 1 cup butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar with a beater by adding 1/2 tsp vanilla essence.  Then add the above refined floor and custard powder mixture to it.  Now whip the mixture by slowly adding 2 eggs.  Then add 2 tbsp lemon juice and rind of one lemon by grating.  If the mixture is hard add 2 tbsp milk and mix.  Grease the cup cake moulds and pour the mixture and bake in the oven over 200 degrees Celsius for 30 min.

Capsicum Chicken

Wash and clean 500 gms (chicken with bones). Marinade this chicken with 1 tsp vinegar, salt as per taste, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 3 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 cups fresh yogurt, 2 chopped green chillies, coriander and mint leaves. Keep aside for atleast 1 hr.
Heat 3 tsp oil in a pan, and add 4-5 slit green chillies, 3 medium sized capsicum cut in to large pieces and fry till capsicum is soft. Then add the marinated chicken and cook in high flame for 2 mins. Add 1/2 cup water and let it cook in medium flame with lid on for 1/2 or until gravy thickens.
Serve hot with rice or rotis.
Tip: To make the gravy more thicker and creamier add 4 tsp of cashew powder to the gravy.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE MACARONI

Ingredients:
Macaroni:  200 gms
Boneless chicken:  150 gms
Mushroom:  100 gms
Broccoli:  100 gms
Milk:  1 cup
Corn flour:  2 tsp
Red chilli flakes:  few
Grated cheese
Grated garlic:  1 tsp
Oregano:  1/2 tsp
Butter:  2 tbsp

Cook macaroni in boiling water for 10 min (till done) and keep aside.

In a pan, gently heat butter and add grated garlic and oregano. To this add  shredded boneless chicken pieces and fry till done.  Then add sliced mushroom and broccoli florets one after the other and fry untill soft. Now slowly add 1/2 cup of milk into the mixture keeping on a low flame. Now take another ½ cup of milk and mix cornflour and add in to the mixture very slowly. Season with salt. Allow  it cook for sometime. At this point, mix in the cooked macaroni along with red chilli flakes and allow it to cook until it gets thick in consistency.  Shift macaroni into a micro safe dish and add grated cheese. Microwave it for 5-6 min till cheese melts and gives a brownish color. Serve hot.

CHICKEN SEEKH KABAB

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken:  250 gms
Onion slices:   1/2 cup
Green chillies: 2 nos.
Coriander a bunch
Salt as per taste
Chilli powder :  1 tsp'
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Chaat powder:  1 tsp
Cashew nuts 10 nos
Bread crumbs: 2 tbsp
Oil for frying

In a pan add 2 tsp of vegetable oil and fry ½ cup onion slices till brown.  Let it cool and grind it.  Take 250 gm boneless chicken pieces and blend it into a smooth paste in a blender.  Now add the minced chicken, ground onion paste , chopped coriander, green chilies, salt, chili powder, garam masala, chat powder, cashew powder (approx. 10 nos. of cashew nuts), with bread crumbs in a bowl and mix it with hand. Oil the skewers and apply the seekh mix to skewers with gentle hand shaping them like a sausage. Fry with very little oil in a pan.

Serve hot with green chutney.