quick and easy recipes

Vegetable biryani

Vegetable biryani is a popular rice dish that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It typically consists of a mixture of basmati rice, vegetables, and aromatic spices such as cumin, cardamom, and saffron. Here is a simple recipe for vegetable biryani:

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice

4 cups water

2 tablespoons ghee or oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and cauliflower)

1/2 cup yogurt

A few strands of saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk

Handful of chopped cilantro and mint leaves

Instructions:

Rinse the rice in cold water and soak it in water for 30 minutes.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until golden brown.

Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute.

Add the cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt. Sauté for a few seconds.

Add the mixed vegetables and sauté for a few minutes.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pot. Sauté for a minute.

Add the yogurt and mix well.

Add 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the water has been absorbed.

Fluff the rice with a fork and sprinkle the saffron milk and chopped cilantro and mint leaves over it.

Serve hot with raita or chutney. Enjoy your delicious vegetable biryani!

Egg biriyani

Egg biriyani is a dish that typically consists of long-grain rice that has been cooked with a variety of aromatic spices and herbs, along with boiled eggs. The dish is popular in South Asian cuisine and can be found in many Indian and Pakistani restaurants around the world.

To make egg biriyani, start by boiling eggs and setting them aside. Then, cook long-grain rice in a pot with water and spices such as cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves. In a separate pan, cook onions, garlic, and ginger until softened. Then, add tomatoes and spices such as turmeric, coriander, and chili powder. Mix the rice and tomato mixture together and add boiled eggs on top. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with raita or a yogurt-based sauce.

Kerala Fish Biriyani

Kerala Fish Biriyani is a popular dish in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is a delicious and aromatic rice dish that is made with a variety of spices, vegetables, and fish. The dish is typically prepared by layering cooked rice with a spicy fish curry and garnishing it with fried onions, cashew nuts, and raisins.

To make Kerala Fish Biriyani, you will need the following ingredients:

500 grams of Basmati rice

1 kg of fish (any firm white fish like kingfish, seer fish, or snapper)

2 large onions, thinly sliced

3 tomatoes, chopped

3 green chilies, slit lengthwise

2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

2 teaspoons of red chili powder

2 teaspoons of coriander powder

1 teaspoon of cumin powder

1 teaspoon of garam masala powder

1/2 cup of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of ghee

Salt, to taste

1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves

1/4 cup of fried onions

1/4 cup of cashew nuts

1/4 cup of raisins

Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions:

Rinse the rice in water and soak it for 30 minutes.

In a large pan, heat the ghee and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Remove the onions and set them aside.

In the same pan, add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for a few minutes.

Add the fish pieces and coconut milk. Season with salt and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

In a separate pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked rice, salt, and cook until the rice is half done.

Drain the rice and layer it with the fish curry in a large pot. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

Garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins, and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Enjoy your delicious Kerala Fish Biriyani!

Pidi is a popular Kerala-style rice

Pidi is a popular Kerala-style rice dumpling that is typically made with rice flour and grated coconut. Here's a recipe for making Pidi:

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice flour

1 cup of grated coconut

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of water

Banana leaves for steaming

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, grated coconut, cumin seeds, and salt.

Add water to the mixture and mix well to form a smooth dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Cut the banana leaves into small pieces (about 4-5 inches) and wash them clean.

Take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a cylindrical shape (about 2 inches long) on a banana leaf piece. Repeat the same with the remaining dough and banana leaves.

Place the rolled dough on a steamer and steam it for about 15-20 minutes.

Once the Pidi is cooked, remove it from the steamer and serve it hot with a side dish of your choice.

Enjoy your delicious Pidi!