Paneer Biryani - Pulav Style!

Paneer Biryani - Pulav Style, simple and quick!

Today was rainy and dull, wanted something quick to boost my sleepy spirits! Here goes, Paneer Pulav, such a simple recipe and perfect every time. I had added a carrot and a handful of peas, which you can keep or skip when you make. You could adapt the same recipe with other vegetables, baby mushroom (you can add it whole - no chopping) or Chicken.

I used no tomatoes in this recipe. If you have a pack of fried onions, you could skip it as well. Kids loved the carrots and called it carrot coins :)

Here goes, do try and let me know!

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250gms (cubed to bite size)
Onion - 2 small chopped
Carrot - 1 sliced as rings
Peas - handful
Curd - 2 Tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tandoori masala - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Chilli Powder - to taste
salt to taste
Oil - 2 Tbsp
whole spices (Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, sombhu, cardamom, cloves)
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups

Method:

1. Soak Basmati rice in water
2. In a bowl add curd, turmeric powder, tandoori masala, garam masala, chilli powder, salt and beat to mix
3. Mix in the paneer, the curd mix, the chopped carrots and peas
4. In a cooker/rice cooker/pan add the oil, add chopped onions and fry till brown.
5. Remove onions in a plate.  
6. Add the whole spices and let the spices release the fragrance in the same oil
7. Add the paneer/veg mix in the oil, let it cook for a minute. 
8. Add soaked rice, and water.
9. Adjust salt to taste and lemon juice
10. Finally add the fried onions and let it cook for 20 minutes in low flame. 

My notes!

If you are in short of time, you could do it in pressure cooker and cook to one whistle (Just add 3 and a half cups of water for 2 cups basmati rice)

If you have more time, cook till step 7, and layer it with cooked Basmati rice. I add 5 cups of water if I am cooking the rice separately and would drain excess water in a sieve. It might take about 10 minutes more than this recipe, considering the cooking time of rice. 

Green prawns fry

Green Prawn Fry - Prawns mixed in a green sauce and shallow fried.

Prawns are my favorite kind of seafood - No bones and easy cleaning. I learnt to clean prawn myself only after I really had to. Back in Chennai it is usually cleaned in the fish market. It was the same picking up the pre packed cleaned ones in supermarkets. In London, however, I sort of felt it was a bit off-taste in the prepacked ones. I sort of felt it lacked flavor. In Leeds market, the prawns come as cleaned or with shell and I think both taste yumm. 

Here is a slight tweak to the usual prawn recipes. 

Do try and let me know!

Ingredients:

Prawn - Cleaned, shell removed - 200 gms

Green Chillies - 3

Pudina - half a bunch

coriander leaves - half a bunch

corn flour - 1 tbsp

Sombu - 1 tsp

Curry leaves to taste

oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Make a paste of Mint leaves (pudina), green chillies, coriander leaves, few curry leaves
2. Add cleaned prawn, one tablespoon corn flour and mix well
3. Let it marinate for 10 minutes
4. In a kadai heat oil and sombu and curry leaves
5. Add marinated prawns and let them curl
6. Serve hot!

My notes:

You could also grill this prawn recipe. Sometimes, I add onions, capsicum as well along, marinate, and grill them in skewers.

Kari Kulzhambu aka Mutton Kurma

Kari Kulzhambu aka Mutton Kurma

Mutton Kurma - Mutton cooked with rich cashew coconut gravy and potatoes, best served with idly, Dosai, Chapathi, or rice! 

Most weekends at my mom's home start with a hot steaming plate of idly with this Mutton Kurma for breakfast. Well, I would be mostly waking up on the aroma of this gravy only! Lunch would be again this mutton gravy with steamed rice and chicken or mutton dry fry for the side. Well, I should say the Mutton gravy will taste awesome even with a little mango pickle. If there by any chance the Mutton Kurma is left over, it will be again happily there for dinner with hot piping dosa or Chapathi. Really it tastes great with anything! Best part, you don't easily get bored of its taste!!!

Even those who don't prefer eating mutton will surely enjoy eating this gravy. This recipe is my mom's specialty.

Do try and let me know your feedback!!!

Ingredients:

For pressure cooking:

Mutton - 3/4kgs

tomato - 1 chopped
Potato - 1 chopped

Ginger Garlic Onion Paste - 3 tbsp

salt to taste

For Grinding finely

Coconut - 1

Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
Red chilies - 3
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Whole Black pepper - 1 tsp
Saunf/Sombu - 1 tsp

For Frying:
Onion - 3 chopped
Green Chillies - 2 slit
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Whole spices
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1 green cardamom
1-inch pattai
Cooking oil

Method:
1. Wash mutton clean until there are no traces of blood. The fatty white parts of the mutton should be retained for taste. If you would prefer having lesser fat, you can remove it partly.
2. Pressure cook the mutton with chopped tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Depending on the age of the meat, it would be tender. I usually let it cook for 10 whistles in the cooker. If the meat is not tender, cook it again till it is soft. The meat should not be chewy
3. Once cooked, place the cooker to release the pressure on its own. Meanwhile, grind the coconut, cashew nuts, and poppy seeds. Make it to a fine paste.  Add the spices under grinding and make it to a smooth paste
4. In a kadai, add one tablespoon cooking oil, add the whole spices listed in the ingredients, let it release the fragrance. Now, add chopped onions and green chilies. when it is golden in color, add the cooked mutton with the liquid. You could strain a cup of the stock and use it as a soup. Add enough soup to keep your preferred consistency
5. Add the ground coconut mixture to the kadai once it starts boiling.
6. Add salt to taste
7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves for an extra zesty flavor.

My Notes!
If you have someone who doesn't like mutton, you could add more potatoes along with the mutton. It gives a fantastic combo. The mutton cooked with potatoes will also give you a thicker gravy. You can omit the potatoes as well!
I have always loved this gravy and would be ready to have it anytime. Have tried it for potlucks with friends and they were absolutely delighted with the Kari Kolambu taste :) Hope you have fun making it as I did!