Slow cooked biryani

Rice

1 tbsp ghee

1" cinnamon

1 cardamom

1 clove

2 1/2 cups basmati rice

1/2 tsp salt

water

Heat 1 tbsp ghee add cinnamon, cardamom, clove and saute rice till transparent then add water and salt. Cook rice till it is half cooked. Add about 1/2" water above the rice and cook in the rice cooker and remove the rice right away when it is done.

Can also cook the rice in 1" water above the rice and in about 10 minutes drain the water from the rice.

meat

2 1/2 lbs beef, mutton or chicken with bones cut into cubes

1 cup onion

2 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp curry leaves

2 tbsp masala powder (see below)

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

10 green chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1 cup coriander leaves

5 cardamom

2" cinnamon stick

1/2 cup ghee

1 cup water

1/4 cup coconut grated

10 cashews

Fry to garnish

2 tbsp raisins fried in ghee

2 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp cashews

2 onions cut into rings

1/2 cup oil

Fry raisins in ghee and leave aside. Fry cashews till golden brown and leave aside. Fry onions till golden brown and crispy and leave aside.

Grind cinnamon and cardamom to a powder and add for more flavour. Marinate the meat for about 15 minutes with all the spices.

Can use the same oil used for frying raisins and onion (if there is more than 1/2 cup oil remove the excess). Add ghee to the oil and saute the onions then add tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, marinated meat, chillie cut into small pieces. Add water and cook covered till the meat is well cooked.

Grind coconut and cashews into a paste add to the meat towards the end and cook the meat till the paste blends and the gravy is thick. There should be about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of thick gravy.

In a big pan layer meat with gravy, rice, coriander leaves, meat with gravy then rice and coriander leaves again. Cook in low heat for 20 minutes covered tight with a floured pastry to seal the lid.

It is optional to add egg yellow food colouring powder. To put colouring make holes with a wooden spoon then pour the colouring mixed with some water into the holes.

The rice will be fully cooked.

For the floured pastry mix a smooth pliable dough with flour and water. Here are some pictures of how to seal the pan.

Before slow cooking.

After slow cooking the pastry would have expanded and changed colour.

masala powder

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp saffron

1 tbsp split channa dal

Roast and grind to powder, this masala powder is used for beef, mutton and chicken.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Palm leaf plates

I received these palm leaf plates to review on our Eid festival, which was exciting as I had so many dishes to keep on the plates and see if they hold up well. I love these and would certainly recommend it to anyone. They are friendly to the environment, sturdy and beautiful. These plates are made using Adaka palm leaves from forest floors are washed, hand stretched, flattened and heat pressed into shapes and dried in the sun.

Here are few dishes I served

Yellow stock rice with Roasted chicken and potatoes

Light fruit cake, date cake and cookies

Jaggery coconut flan

Can be washed and reused if you want :)

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Corn soup

1/2 cup chopped chicken without bones

3 cups water

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 onion quartered

1/2 tbsp peppercorns or 1/4 tsp pepper powdered

2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1 can cream style corn

1/2 cup carrots grated

shiitake mushrooms diced optional

1 tbsp corn flour or corn starch dissolved in cold water

1 egg white beaten

1 green onion chopped

salt

pepper

Boil chicken with water, pepper, 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste, onion, unchopped parsley and salt in medium heat until chicken is cooked or pressure cooker. Strain and reserve the stock and chicken.

Put chicken stock, corn, carrots, ginger garlic paste, chopped green onions; reserve some for garnish, salt, pepper and boil. Mix corn starch to thicken the soup keep mixing and slowly add the egg white while mixing. Cut the cooked chicken smaller and add to the soup stir gently. Adjust salt, pepper and garnish green onions.

Chicken manchurian

Chicken manchurian is similar to cauliflower manchurian, can eat both the manchurians before the sauce as a snack, pakoras and bajjis.

1 cup chicken boneless

batter

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

cold water to make a thick batter

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp garlic paste

1" ginger grated

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp md sauce or chillie sauce

1 tsp pepper

oil to deep fry

sauce

3 tbsp oil

1 onion

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/3 cup md sauce or chillie sauce

1/2 tsp chillie powder optional

3 tbsp soya sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

3/4 tsp brown sugar

1 bunch spring onion separate the white and green parts

1 tsp cornstarch mix with little cold water

salt

Cut chicken breast into small parts and put into the mixed batter. Deep fry the chicken with the batter and keep aside, make sure chicken is cooked if it is getting dark sooner lower the heat.

To make the sauce heat oil, add onions, ginger garlic paste, white parts of the spring onion, sauces, spices and cook in medium heat. Add the cornstarch then the fried chicken toss with the sauce in low heat add green onions and adjust salt.

Fried chicken with rice crispy

6 chicken legs

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

batter

2 tbsp flour

1 egg

salt

pepper

water

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup rice crispy cereal crushed slightly

oil to fry

Parboil the chicken with spices till the water evaporates.

In a bowl combine all the ingredients with some water to make a batter to coat the chicken.

Crush the cereal with the breadcrumbs and keep aside. Dip the parboiled chicken in the batter, coat with breadcrumb cereal mixture and fry in high heat, reduce the heat if it is becoming brown fast.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Biryani with lime

A simple healthy meal, I accompanied raita and meat sambal.

2 cups basmati rice

1/2 tsp salt

water

Soak the rice with salt and leave for 1/2 hour.

1 1/2 cups chicken cut

1 tsp oil

pinch turmeric

pinch cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tomato

1 onion

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

cinnamon

cardamom

dry lime or loomi

Heat oil saute the onions, add spices and tomato keep stirring till it becomes a sauce. Add the meat and 2 cups water.

1 carrot grated

fried onion

cashew

raisins

Mix the meat. Add dry lime, cinnamon, cardamom, drained rice to the meat and don't mix. When it is boiling add the grated carrot cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. The lid needs to be sealed without holes on the top.

Layered pastry

This is a layered pastry traditionally called Aduku roti. We make this baked pastry during Ramadan, as it is a filling and delicious to have after breaking fast. 

For the outer pastry

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder
1 egg beaten with little water
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

This dough recipe can be used to make savoury snack patties.

Knead everything together using little water as possible to make a soft dough. Cover the dough with a clingfilm and leave it in the fridge for 1/2 hour before using.

For the inside pancake/ crepe

1 cup flour

1 egg (reserve a tbsp for egg wash)

1/4 tsp salt

water as needed

Mix all the ingredients and make a thick pourable batter. 

This batter can be used to make savoury rolls or sweet coconut filled pancakes.

For chicken filling

1 cup of chicken without bones cut small

1/2 cup of potatoes cooked and mashed

1 to 2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp onion

1/2 tbsp curry leaves optional

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp ginger grated

2 tbsp tomato optional if using tomato sauce

2 tbsp spicy tomato sauce or 1/2 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

1/4 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp salt

Cut the chicken into small pieces and mix the spices together and leave aside for about 10 minutes.

Heat oil, and sauté the onion and curry leaves. Then add tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and the chicken with the spices and vinegar if using and stir fry.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from heat, and add the sauce and cooked mashed potatoes.

Mix well and leave it to cool before using the filling.

Any other spicy filling can be used such as fish filling or sweet and spicy sambal filling or meat filling.

To make the pastry

Roll the outer dough thin about 1/4" and put it in a deep dish with the sides over hanging. We will be using the over hanging dough to wrap the pastry and make a parcel. 

Then lay a pancake or crepe and then the filling. Continue to alternate the pancake and filling up to the top and end with a pancake. Then fold the tops to cover.

Place this on a baking pan with the folded part on the bottom of the baking pan. The baking dish doesn't need to be buttered, it depends on the type of baking dish you are using.

Apply egg wash by using the reserved egg from the pancake. If you want you can mix a tsp of milk with the egg, and apply to the top and side of the layered pastry and bake at 375F for 25 to 30 minutes.

The pastry will be golden in colour and a little puffed.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Chicken curry

Red chicken curry

1 tbsp oil

1 onion diced

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 tomato diced

1 green chillie diced

few curry leaves

1 inch cinnamon

2 cardamom

2 cups chicken with bone cut into pieces

1 tbsp chillie powder

1/4 tbsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tbsp salt

1/4 tbsp tandoori paste

1/2 tbsp coconut powder or 1 tbsp yogurt

1/4 cup water

Heat oil and let onions cook, put a dash of salt it makes the onions become soft. Add ginger garlic paste, tomato, green chillie, curry leaves, all the spices and chicken. When it is all combined add water with the coconut powder. Cook for about half hour covered. When chicken is cooked garnish with coriander leaves.