Rice

Lamb Biryani/Chicken Biryani

A rice based dish made from spices, onions, tomatoes, yohurt minly made with lamb, chicken or vegetables.
It is a celebration dish-so maily served at parties.Can be served with Dal (Use same recipe as Dhan Shak Dal), raita. This recipe serves 4

Ingredients

4 large brown onions

2 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

2 green chillies

6oo grams of chicken or lamb cut in large pieces

1 and a half cup thick fresh greek yoghurt

1 Large bunch fresh mint leaves chopped

1 packet Biryani Masala or use 2 heaped dsp (available from any Indian grocery store)

2 dsp ghee

2 and 1/2 cups Basmati rice-washed and soaked for 30 minutes

2 pieces Mace

1 stick cinnamon

2 green cardamon

2 large black cardmons (optional)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black jeera (cumin) also called shahjeera

1 chicken soup cube or 2 cups chicken stock

1 large pinch saffron thread-soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk (to infuse flavour and colour)

Method

Fry 2 onions to soft brown stage

Marinate the chicken or meat with the onions,yoghurt, biryani masala, green chillies and half the mint leaves overnight

Fry the other 2 onions to crisp brown and keep aside for garnishing

In a large deep pan add the ghee and fry the meat or chicken pieces, stirring all the time.

Add some hot water and cook on slow heat till the meat/chicken is cooked.

Add salt to taste.This should have a nice thick gravy.

Keep aside.

In a micro wave proof dish (large size) add the rice, stock, (or chicken cube) with the full spices, half the saffron milk and salt to taste

Adjust the water according to your microwave instructions to cook rice.

Once the rice is cooked (takes 20 minutes in my mircrowave) allow it to stand without stirring for 15 minutes.

Remove all the full spices gently from the top

In a large dish, layer the chicken or meat with the rice, adding the crisp brown fried onions and mint leaves in every layer. The top layer should be the rice, add the last of the onions and sprinkle the remaining saffron milk on it.

Add 3/4 cup hot water to this, cover it up tightly and cook on a very slow heat for 30 to 40 minutes

Serve the Biryani with Spicy Dal (Dhan shak dal is great with this dish) or Raita

Fried Rice –Chinese Fried Rice

An easy to make dish, eat it on its own, with any Chinese dish or try it with Dhan Shak dal. Yes! I said Dhan Shak dal-it’s really delicious! I have used chicken and egg in this recipe, but if you are a vegetarian then skip both these. Also use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock -to make the rice. Best is to cook the rice a day before or minimum 5 /6 hours beofe serving.

Ingredients:


3 cups Basmati Rice or Jasmine rice cooked in chicken stock and cooled
2 chicken thigh pieces diced
1 egg
1 small green capsicum diced in small pieces
1 red capsicum diced in small pieces
3 stalks shallots or green onions chopped diagonally in small pieces
1 brown onion diced in medium pieces
4 tsp. light soy sauce
½ cup Peanut or vegetable oil.
1 dash Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. minced ginger
Salt
1 tsp. white pepper powder
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. Oyster sauce (optional)


Method
Cook the rice a day before in chicken or vegetable stock with 2 tsp. of soy sauce, 1 pinch of salt and ½ tsp. white pepper powder.
Let the rice cool down, then refrigerate.
Dice the chicken in small pieces and marinate it with ginger and garlic paste, 1 tsp. soy sauce, a dash of Tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. white pepper powder.
The next day, remove the rice and chicken and let them come to room temperature.
Dice the vegetables and keep aside.
In a bowl beat an egg with a pinch of salt.
In a non-stick skillet or wok add some peanut oil, add the diced chicken and cook the chicken till done.
Keep the chicken aside.
In the same skillet add a little oil and pour the beaten egg to make an omelette.
Remove the omelette and chop it into small pieces and keep aside.
Add some more oil in the pan and stir fry the diced vegetables for 4 minutes.
Add the chicken and egg omelette back in the pan.
Make a well in the centre of the pan, add more oil, and then add the cooked rice.
Add sesame oil and oyster sauce.
Stir well and add a sprinkling of water and cover the pan.
Let it steam for 5 minutes then serve hot garnished with some more spring onions.


Note: You can use prawns instead of chicken or a combination of both. Also you can add some Chinese sausages.

Khichadee,(Khichree, Kichree, Kitchri)

Yellow rice cooked with Lentils

This is a rice dish made with red lentils (red masoor Dal),server with Kheema or Fish Sauce (saus)
or if convalescing, with plain yogurt as it is a light nutritious meal

I make it in the microwave

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati Rice
1/2 cup Red lentils (masoor Dal)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tblsp soft brown fried onion
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Bay leaf
2 cardamon pods or a large pinch of cardamom powder
2 tsp oil or ghee
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Clean and soak the lentils in warm water for at least 1 hr
Clean the rice (8 to 9 times) in cold water or  until the water is clear
Put rice in microwave proof dish
Add water to rice-measure by putting your finger on top of the rice (don't poke the rice)
The water level should be one notch of the finger and a little (about an inch and a half high)
Keep the rice soaked in water for 10 minutes.

Remove water from the lentils and add to the rice
Add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook on high for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes stir and cook for another 10 minutes

Remove the rice from the microwave and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Do not mix the rice at this stage
Serve hot sprinkled with coriander leaves or with Kheema (Spicy mince stew) and Papads (poppadoms) and Kachuber (salad)

Nasi Goreng

Indonesian Fried Rice

Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian Fried Rice dish, where the egg omelette is not mixed in the rice but used as a garnish. One important flavor added to this dish is “Kecap Manis” (pronounced as ketchup maynis) a thick sweet and dark, syrupy soy sauce, available in most super markets in the Asian foods section. Other ingredients are spring onions, chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Add your favorite meat, prawns or chicken if you like. I made a vegetarian version as I served it with Chicken Satay and Beef Mince Rendang. I used Jasmine Rice which is a shorter grain and mainly used for Asian dishes.

 Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups Jasmine rice

4 tbsp. Oil-peanut or vegetable

1 tbsp. Soy sauce

1 tbsp. Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)

1 tsp. ground ginger paste

1 tsp. ground garlic paste

2 tsp. chili paste or chilli sauce

3 chopped green onions or shallots

1 coarsely chopped brown onion

1 tsp. sesame oil (optional

Salt to taste

Method

In a microwave dish wash 2 cups rice, add 2 and a half cups water with a dash of soy sauce and cook for 5 minutes on high, then stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove from microwave and let the rice cool down, then fluff them with a fork to separate.

In a frying pan add 2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil, heat it on a medium flame and make an egg omelette with 3 lightly beaten eggs and a pinch of salt. Chop the omelette in long slices and keep aside for garnishing.

In the same pan add 2 tbsp. oil and add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and chilly paste and both the sauces. Add the rice and stir fry them til they are nice and hot. Add sesame oil. Taste the rice and add salt if needed. Serve the rice garnished with the sliced egg omelette.

White Rice

Again this is a microwave recipe. Have this rice with curries or plain yogurt if convalescing

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp soft brown fried onion
1 Bay leaf
2 cardamon pods or a large pinch of cardamom powder
2 tsp oil or ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

Clean the rice (8 to 9 times) in cold water or until the water is clear
Put rice in microwave proof dish
Add water to rice-measure by putting your finger on top of the rice (don't poke the rice)
The water level should be one notch of the finger  (about an inch)
Keep the rice soaked in water for 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Cook on high for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes stir and cook for another 10 minutes
Remove the rice from the microwave and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
Do not mix the rice at this stage
Serve hot.

Parsi Fried Brown Rice

Dhanshak Rice

(eaten with  Dhan Shak / Dhansakh /Dhansak Dal. A hearty Sunday lunch in most Parsi homes served with Kachumber (see salads) and mince kababs (see mince recipes)

Ingredients:

2 cups rice
2 chopped red or brown onions
2 tsp sugar
1 Bay leaf
4 cardamon pods
6 cloves
1 tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp Salt
1 cube of chicken stock (optional)
2 tblsp of ghee or vegetable oil

Method:

Wash the rice till water is clear. Soak the rice for about 20 /30 minutes.
In a big wide pan, add ghee or oil and fry the onions till golden brown.
Remove the onion with oil/ghee in a separate small dish and in the same pan add some sugar and caramelize it till it is brown
Add a cup of hot water and melt the sugar.Add the fried onions with the ghee/oil back in the pan.
To that, add the rice after draining the water.Stir for about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the spices and stir for a minute. Then add  about 3 and 1/2 cups of warm water, the chicken soup cube and  salt.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the temperature  and cook the rice for about 15 minutes or till cooked.

Allow the rice to rest for 15 minutes before serving
Garnish with crispy fried brown onions

Note: Sometimes I skip the sugar and add 1 dsp of soy sauce. This makes the rice brown too and adds another dimention to the taste


















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