Aloo Biryani w/ Raita

The biryani recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking, I change very few things here and there...

Ingredients for potato dumplings:

• 3 medium (1 pound) potatoes, peeled and cooked
• 1/2 cup besan
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• handfull fresh cilantro, chopped
• vegetable oil, to deep fry

Ingredients for rice:

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed till water runs clear
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup whole, raw cashews
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 inches of cinnamon stick
• 6 cardamom pods, split open
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

To assemble potato dumplings:

Mash potatoes in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except the vegetable oil. Divide into approximately 10 - 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball and flatten slightly. Set aside.

Heat oil in medium frying pan and drop dumplings into hot oil, frying, turning once, until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To make rice:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cashews, fry 10 - 20 seconds till golden. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add raisins to pan, fry 20 - 30 seconds until raisins plump up. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add cumin seed, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to hot oil and sizzle 15 - 30 seconds. Mix in onions; stir-fry 3 - 4 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Add rice, stir gently, and add 2 1/2 cups cold water and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring once; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered, 5 - 6 minutes, until almost all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Divide partially cooked rice in half. Mix paprika into one half and turmeric into another. Set aside.

To assemble:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray a large casserole with cooking spray. Spread turmeric rice evenly in casserole. Arrange dumplings as second layer. Top with paprika rice as third layer. Sprinkle in a bi of water, cover, and bake 40 - 45 minutes until rice has finished cooking. Serve with roasted cashews and raisins.

For raita I combined fat-free yogurt with a few grated radishes (my new favorite addition,) some spring onions, cilantro, tomatos, salt, pepper, and water for the right consistency. I fry a bit of mustard seeds in oil and add that to finish.

And no recipe for the vanilla jamun's... Just a picture ;)

Curried Rice, Baked Curry Chicken & Bell Pepper Apple Salad

This Curried Rice and Bell Pepper Salad were inspired by a couple recipes I found in the Penzey's spice catalog. If you haven't heard of or tried Penzey's spices, I encourage you to do so! It's high quality, the prices are extremely competitive, and the selection is great. I do a large order about twice a year. They add new spices and mixes on a regular basis, and tend to throw a free spice in with each order. It's always nice to get the new catalog and read through all the recipes, and they also have a magazine. Here's a couple recipes adapted from the catalogs along with a Baked Chicken I threw together to go along...

Curried Rice:

• 2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas (recipe called for 1 carrot, diced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons biryani masala (recipe called for Penzey's Maharajah Curry Powder, I didn't have this so I did the biryani along with a pinch of saffron)
• pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (recipe called for whole cumin)
• 1/4 teaspoon kala jeera
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add the onion and cook 3 - 4 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. When seeds begin to pop, add the brown sugar and spices. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice and cook for about a minute. Add the nuts and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. If the rice doesn't seem cooked near this point, add a bit more water to finish. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Baked Curry Chicken:

• 2 - 3 whole chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chunked
• 1 tomato, chunked
• 1/2 cup cream or half & half
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, cut into smaller pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon clove powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Preheat oven to 400ºF and place chicken in a baking dish with a lid. In a food processor, grind together the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, covered, until chicken is cooked through.

Bell Pepper Apple Salad:

• 1 bell pepper (any color) sliced into think strips (recipe called for 2 carrots grated)
• 1 tart apple, peeled and grated (recipe called for 1/2 cucumber grated)
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper)
• cilantro to garnish

Toss together all the ingredients except cilantro and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

It's been said that we create our own happiness... that it is simply a decision we make or a state of mind... But there are those of us who are unable to find that state of mind regardless of what decision we've made. We search for that perfect balance, and until that balance is found, "living" is nearly impossible.

I've found that, regardless of my circumstances, there is always going to be something missing. My inability to focus on the moment because I cannot let go of what is missing is crushing. It's a trade-off ... One need leads to another creating a seemingly endless void. I do not see a solution and feel I must make peace with this part of me.

"Finding happiness is like finding yourself. You don't find happiness, you make happiness. You choose happiness. Self-actualization is a process of discovering who you are, who you want to be and paving the way to happiness by doing what brings YOU the most meaning and contentment to your life over the long run." - David Leonhardt

Cooking At Moms: Vegetable Biryani, Butter Chicken & Raita

This time around, I made a much simpler lunch/dinner at mom's. I tried out Aartee's One Pot Biryani which turned out to be almost too easy for how good it was! I didn't use chicken, instead I used some mixed, frozen veggies. I also made Butter Chicken and Raita, which consisted of a bunch of spring onions, loads of cilantro, some mint, salt, sugar and black pepper. I also had some pita breads on hand, because I feel you can't eat Butter Chicken without some sort of bread.

I also tried Bong Mom's Condensed Milk Pound Cake with Chocolate Swirls. I mixed the chocolate swirls with some condensed milk that was leftover in the can and although my cake seemed to sink in the middle, it turned into a dense, pudding consistency and the taste was amazing. We couldn't stop eating it!

Later that day, Chelsea was found eating the left over remnants of butter chicken with cold, hardened bread... She really can't get enough of her favorite Butter Chicken :)



~ Any housewife, no matter how large her family, can always get some time to be alone by doing the dishes ~

~ To be content with little is difficult, to be content with much, impossible ~

~ Life lived to satisfy yourself never satisfies anybody ~

Cooking at Moms: Rajma, Navratan Korma, Jeera Ajwain Pulao, Channa Chaat

While cooking, my cousin says to me "I don't smell curry" ... Even I get overwhelmed sometimes trying to explain this misconception to people. Thankfully, I made him read the "about" page over at Beyond Curries. "Where's the curry powder" ... Damn it, there is no curry powder! And if there was, you'd be sorry I used it! And be happy it doesn't smell like the local Indian restaurant, cuz their food isn't that great anyway! I get such skeptical looks from people trying to explain this. Ok, on to what I made...

Jeera Ajwain Pulao (Simple, just some Cumin and Ajwain seeds fried up in some oil and then cooked with some Basmati rice.)

Naan (Yeah, I used frozen... I was lazy, it was good :)

Rajma (Made using Rajma, Butter Beans & Black Eyed Peas)

Navratan Korma

Samosa's (Frozen again!)

Tamarind Chutney

Sooji Halwa

Channa Chaat (My newest recipe created after combining and changing a few other recipes) ... And check out the health benefits of consuming Chickpeas!

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled, then chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons chaat masala
• 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon cilantro chutney
• 1/2 cup tamarind chutney
• 3 tablespoons pani puri concentrate
• salt, to taste
• cilantro & sev to garnish

In a large bowl combine chickpeas, potatoes, green chili, onion, lemon juice, garam masala, cayenne, chaat masala and dried mint. Add cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney, pani puri concentrate and salt. Garnish with cilantro and sev and serve :)

One thing I found that helped a lot was to have most of the prep work done before heading to my moms. Everything was pre-measured. The rajma was already pressure cooked. The rice was completely done. I had the vegetables for the korma washed and cut up. I had everything that had to be ground already done and all the spices pre-measured. This made it much easier when I got to my moms to simply cook everything without any prep work or measuring. There was very little mess to clean up and I had more time to relax.


~ " Peter knows how far he can go before I knock him to Kingdom come, and that's just my husband Mrs. Shah" - Annie, East Is East ~
~ "... They may be half-bred but at least they're not friggin' inbred like them two monstrosities... Who the frig do you think you are, coming in here telling me my house isn't good enough for your daughters... Well your daughters aren't good enough for my sons, or my house and if I hear another word against my family I will stick that fanny over your bastard head!" - Ella, East Is East ~

Fruit & Nut "Pilaf"

Whenever my mom would make a flavored rice dish to go along with dinner she would call it a "pilaf, " and this got me to wondering what the origins of the word "pilaf" were. According to Wikipedia, Pilaf is borrowed directly from Turkish but that all these terms (poloپلو , polao, pilau, pilav, pilaff, plov, pilafi or pulao) ultimately derive from classical Persian. Check out this link for more on that.

So, this is a simple rice dish that can be served along side fish or chicken. It's versatile and the rice can be cooked in chicken, vegetable broth, or just plain, salted water. After the rice is cooked, I stir in some fried fruits, nuts, vegetables, whatever I think will go well with what I am serving. This time I was making some baked salmon which I had flavored with onion, garlic, and parsley and potatoes that were roasted with the same flavors. I simply used McCormick's California Style Onion Powder & McCormick's Salt Free Garlic & Herb. I got the idea for the rice from a dinner I had at TGIFriday's which had a Mexican style Chicken breast served along side "slow-cooked coconut jasmine rice with diced pineapple, onion, red pepper, cilantro and green onion." Here's how I made the rice...

• 1 cup Jasmine rice, rinsed, soaked, cooked (in any broth you desire) and cooled
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup nuts (cashews, pistachio's)
• 1/2 cup raisins (golden)
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped, fresh pineapple
• 1/4 cup dried coconut
• 2 - 3 tablespoons clarified butter or butter

Heat the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the nuts and raisins and coconut and fry until golden. Add the pineapple and rice and heat through.

~ Where life is colorful and varied, religion can be austere or unimportant... Where life is appallingly monotonous, religion must be emotional, dramatic and intense... Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull. - C. Northcote Parkinson ~

Pad Thai, Fried Rice & Dates Pickle

I got the inspiration to make some Pad Thai & Fried Rice after seeing Mriganayani's post. I basically followed her recipe, but I couldn't figure out why my rice turned out so white! I didn't have baby corns for the Pad Thai, so I omitted. I used Mae Ploy Pad Thai Sauce... It's so easy to make that way :) It's funny, my daughter picked up a piece of fried tofu and asked what it was. I knew if I told her it was tofu she wouldn't even touch it again, so I told her it was "Chinese chicken." =)) She bought it and ate it up!

I didn't have this with the Pad Thai, of course, but I thought I'd share it because it was a really nice, quick and tasty pickle. The recipe is from Spicy Chilly and is so sweet and spicy! I really enjoyed it... I decided next time I would reduce the oil just a bit and cut the dates into smaller pieces. I might even add an extra green chili :P

~ If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember... You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think, but the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you - Winnie the Poo ~

Mriganayani's Bhel Puri & Award

Here I am sharing a recipe for Bhel Puri I found on Mriganayani which I made with the previously tried recipe for Tomato Rice and Raita. I always loved getting Bhel Puri in the restaurants but now I will make it more often right at home because it was so easy and tasted just as good.

And I wanted to thank Rohini (Curries and Spices) for sharing her Yummylicious Food Blog award with me... I'd like to pass this to all my fellow food bloggers :)

~ "... the mistake of assuming that 'absence of evidence' of a scientific nature is 'evidence of absence' - Huston Smith ~

~ "God is defined by Jesus but not confined to Jesus" - Huston Smith ~

Sweet Rice for EFM Variety Rice Series

This use to be my favorite breakfast when I would stay at my auntie's house...I looked so forward to Sunday morning's and this rare treat! I have added raisins, cinnamon, and nuts before but this is the way I ate this growing up.

 Simple, without many ingredients, but a favorite of mine!

I am sending this to EFM - Variety Rice Series hosted by SriLekha.

Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup starchy white rice
• 1/4 cup stick butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• salt to taste
• brown sugar to sprinkle

Method:

Bring water, rice & salt to a boil. Reduce heat, stir and cover, simmering for 10 minutes. Stir once more, replace lid and simmer 10 more minutes. At this point, stir in the rest of ingredients until blended. Sprinkle with brown sugar and enjoy!

Mriganayani's Spicy Tomato Rice & Raitha... and award :)

Here's an easy and delicious tomato rice recipe from Mriganayani ... but the best part, I found, was the raita! Both recipes are keepers :)

And a big thanks to Suma for passing along the Diamond Friends Award :) I am passing this along to all the bloggers who are so supportive of me and my blog and who take time to leave the comments that really make my day!

Tomato Rasam & Coriander Rice

Both of these recipes were adapted from Chandra Padmanabhan's Southern Spice.

Ingredients for Rasam:

• 1/4 cup pigeon peas
• 6 medium tomatoes, pureed
• 2 - 3 teaspoons rasam powder
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
• salt to taste

To Temper:

• 2 teaspoons ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

1. Wash dal and drain. Place in a pressure cooker with 1 cup water and cook under pressure for 5 minutes... ( I just cooked it on the stove top with a couple cups water until done.)
2. Open cooker, add extra water and whisk to make 2 cups of dal.
3. Combine tomato puree, rasam powder, asafoetida and salt in a pan an d simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
   
4. Add dal and bring to a boil. Lower heat, simmer until rasam froths up and remove from heat.
5. Heat ghee for tempering in a small pan over moderate heat and add remaining ingredients. When mustard seeds start sputtering, stir contents into pan of rasam.
6. Serve hot with plain rice (of course I thought it would be good with coriander rice :)

Ingredients for Coriander Rice:

• 1 cup long grain rice (I used Jasmine)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped mixed vegetables
• salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste:

• 3 -4 green chilies
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped coriander leaves ( I just used a bunch)

Tempering:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon urad dal (I forgot to add)
• 1 teaspoon chana dal (also forgot to add)
• 1 sprig curry leaves (nope, forgot to add this too :D

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons halved cashew nuts

Method:

1. Cook rice and spread on a platter to cool
2. Place 1/4 cup water in a pan and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and boil till tender and dry. (I just used frozen veggies and let them thaw, I never boiled them)
3. Heat ghee for garnish in a pan over moderate heat. Add cashew nuts and fry till golden. Drain and set aside. (I just used some canned, salted nuts, so I skipped the frying)
4. Heat oil for tempering in the same pan and add remaining ingredients for tempering. When mustard seeds start to sputter, add spice paste and sautee for 1 - 2 minutes.
5. Gently mix in rice, vegetables, and salt and heat through.
6. Garnish with cashew nuts and serve hot or at room temperature.
   

Viji's Spring Onion Rice

The other night I made some of Viji's Spring Onion Rice and LOVED IT! My daughter and I ate enough to serve four people, and she asked for it again the next night. I went ahead and made it, but I had to go without the spring onions. It still turned out amazing. I used frozen mixed veggies for ease. I am really glad I had some of Viji's SIMP powder in my freezer!!! It comes in handy and tastes SO good! Thanks Viji for sharing your awesome recipes :)

~ The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of - Blaise Pascal ~

Coconut Chicken & Rice

I tell my boyfriend that chicken is nothing but a vegetable with feathers...so he'll eat when I cook it ;) I have made this before but decided to try Viji's SIMP in it...it rocks!!! It made the sauce extra thick and creamy...thanks Viji :) I usually make the rice to go along with it to use up the rest of the can of coconut milk.

For Chicken:

• 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (1 cup for this recipe)
• 2 tbs. oil
• 4 red chilies
• 1 onion, chopped
• 12 curry leaves
• 2 tbs. chopped ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 green chilies, sliced lengthwise in half
• 2 tbs. dried coconut
• 2 pounds chicken, cubed
• 2 tbs. Viji's SIMP
  
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• cilantro for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in skillet, sautee onion & red chilies till onion turns golden brown. Add curry leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies & coconut for a minute. Add SIMP & turmeric, fry for a minute or so...then add chicken for a few more minutes. At this point, add coconut milk and enough water to cook (I added about 1/3 cup). When chicken is done and sauce is thick, garnish with cilantro & serve.

For Rice:

• rest of the can of coconut milk (should be about 1 cup)
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tbs. dried coconut
• 2 tbs. oil
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 6 green cardamom, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• salt
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 3 red chilies
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup water

Method:

Dry roast coconut till golden, remove to small bowl. Heat oil, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & chilies and cook about 1 minute. Add rice, coconut milk, turmeric, garam masala & water. Cook. Garnish with roasted coconut.

~ Prayer without work is beggary; Work without prayer is slavery ~

Sweet Rice

This use to be my favorite breakfast when I would stay at my auntie's house...I looked so forward to Sunday morning's and this rare treat! I have added raisins, cinnamon, and nuts before but this is the way I ate this growing up.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup starchy white rice
• 1/4 cup stick butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• salt to taste
• brown sugar to sprinkle
  

Method:

Bring water, rice & salt to a boil. Reduce heat, stir and cover, simmering for 10 minutes. Stir once more, replace lid and simmer 10 more minutes. At this point, stir in the rest of ingredients until blended. Sprinkle with brown sugar and enjoy!

~ Children need models more than they need critics ~