Veg Biryani Recipe | How to Make Veg Biryani at Home from Scratch

Veg Biryani | How to Make Veg Biryani #Recipe

Biryani is a flavourful, spicy and aromatic rice dish that is much loved in India. This is one dish that is said to have found its roots in India during the Mughal rule. There are many versions of Biryani in India like Awadhi Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, etc.. While non-vegetarian Biryanis are more famous, vegetarians like me can indulge in veg biryani like the one I am sharing today.

Making Biryani at home from scratch was a dream for me. Reading all the recipes online made it look so daunting and time-consuming that, for a long long time I didn't even give making it from scratch a thought. And, it is a fact that making a pot of biryani at home is a time-consuming process. But, once you have made the perfect biryani on your own, the feeling you will experience will be no less than that of conquering a battle. Period.

When I make it at home, I just wholeheartedly make this. There are 2 reasons - one is that it will take about 1½ to 2 hours to make biryani from scratch. Gathering all the ingredients, cooking rice, preparing gravy, preparing fresh herbs for layers and onion crisps for topping - there is quite a lot to do. I don't have more than that much time to prepare a onetime meal. Secondly, I do not want to diminish my appetite by having some snacks before having biryani. Trust me on this - a biryani tastes best when you are really hungry!

A heap of homemade biryani, raita and some onion slices - that's enough for a hearty and filling meal.

My best tips if you want to try this recipe will be:

• Read the recipe several times before starting out. 
• Get all the steps clear in your mind. 
• Check if you have all the ingredients handy in your pantry. 
• Lastly, make it when you have at least 3 leisure hours at hand. You can't make a good biryani in a hurry!

Making good biryani has its own learning curve. You have to make it a couple of times to get the hang of getting it perfect every time. The first time I made it, I largely followed this recipe. In my next several attempts, I made my own additions and changes to bring you this recipe today. Do check the notes for some extra tips.

I must add here this was the first thing I shot to share on the blog after the long blogging break I took after having my baby. It was already evening by the time this biryani was ready and baby M was taking a nap. On an impulse, I set the dish and took out my camera and clicked away!

Without much ado, let's hop over to the recipe of veg biriyani now.

Inspired from here

Veg Biryani Recipe | How to Make Veg Biryani at Home from Scratch

For the rice:

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice (I used Fortune Biryani rice – these are extra-long grains of basmati, specially meant for biryani)
2 tbsp ghee
2 clove
1” cinnamon stick
2 green cardamoms
Small piece of mace
1 black cardamom
10 saffron strands soaked in 1 tsp milk and rubbed in a pestle mortar.

Process:

1. Thoroughly wash and drain the rice. Soak it in fresh water for about half an hour.

2. Boil about 8 cups of water in a large vessel to cook the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add all the whole spices. Drain water from the soaked rice and add the rice to the boiling water. Cook the rice uncovered till they are half cooked.

3. When about half cooked, drain the rice in a colander and pour cold water over it to stop the process of cooking. When all the water is drained, pour the ghee over the rice.

4. Take about ½ cup of cooked rice and add rubbed saffron to it. Keep it separately until needed.

For the vegetable layering:

Ingredients

Veggies:
½ cup fresh beans, chopped
½ cup green peas
½ cup cauliflower florets
1 cup carrot, peeled and chopped
½ cup paneer cubes
Handful of cashew nut halves

Gravy:
2 tablespoon broken cashew nuts
1 tablespoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, boiled and made into a paste
1 bay leaf
1 piece of cinnamon
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
2 teaspoon ginger paste
2 green chilli chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
3 medium tomatoes, blanched and pureed
¼ tsp asafetida
½ tsp turmeric
2 teaspoons chilli powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ cup full-fat yoghurt
1 teaspoon biryani masala (I use Eastern Biryani Masala)
Salt to taste

Process:

1. In a pressure cooker, add the chopped veggies. Add about 1 cup water and cooked it for 1 whistle. Switch off the gas immediately and put the cooker under running tap water to cool it down. Open and drain the veggies. Reserve the water in which the veggies were cooked. Alternately, you can half cook the veggies in a pan of boiling water.

2. Soak the cashew, khus khus for half an hour in warm water. Grind it into a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.

3. In a large pan or Khadai heat oil. Add the bay leaf, asafetida, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the chopped chillies, ginger and garlic paste. Add cashew nut half and fry them till light brown and toasted. Stir and add the onion paste. Fry the paste for 5-7 minutes, till it starts looking brown.

4. When onion paste looks cooked add cashew and khus paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes and add pureed tomatoes. Stir well and cook for 5-7 minutes.

5. Take the pan away from heat and add the beaten yoghurt and still constantly to prevent the gravy from curdling. Take the pan back on heat and add rest of the spices. Stir and now add the half cooked veggies and paneer pieces. Add the reserved vegetable stock, stir and cover the pan. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. When done, oil will separate from the sides of the gravy. Set aside.

Layering and Topping:

For layering
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup mint leaves (see notes)
2 tablespoons ghee

Toppings:

Ingredients
1 large onion
Oil for deep frying

Process:

1. Peel the onion and cut into 2 halves. Slice them very thin.

2. Heat oil in a Kadhai for frying the onions. Fry them in batches till they are dark brown and crisp; do not overcrowd the Kadhai. Drain the fried onion on paper towel. You can make these fried onions in advance.

When all these things are ready, you are ready to layer the biryani. (See Notes) Take a large baking dish and depending on its depth, you can go for 2 or more layers. Grease the dish and add 1/4th of the rice followed by chopped coriander and mint. Add ½ of the gravy followed by rice, coriander, mint again. Add rice followed by rest of the gravy. Top it with remaining rice. Sprinkle the reserved saffron rice on top and drizzle ghee over the rice.

Cover the baking dish with an aluminium foil and bake in an oven preheated at 180 C for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and let the biryani sit in the hot oven another 10 minutes.

When serving the biryani, top with the fried onions. Serve it hot with raita or yoghurt.

Notes:

1. It just takes a few minutes for half cooked rice to get fully cooked, so keep an eye. Overcooked rice will give a mushy and stick biryani. The rice should have a slight crunch.

2. Adding whole spices while cooking rice makes them more fragrant.

3. I cook the veggies in a pressure cooker to make the process faster. However, if you are sceptic about putting a hot cooker under cold tap water, cook the veggies in a pan of boiling water till they are half cooked.

4. I like to have 2-3 layers in my biryani. However, if you like you can place 1/2 of the rice, then the entire gravy and top it again with rice.

5. It is best to keep everything ready and layer the biryani about an hour before serving. The chopped fresh mint in the layering tends to go bitter if left for longer. If you need to layer in advance, I suggest skipping the mint entirely in layers. You can, however, use mint as garnish right before serving.

You can also check out this Sweet Pineapple Raita recipe that goes very well with Veg Biryani.

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!

The Sixth - The Legend of Karna by Karan Vir - Karna Trilogy Part 1

The Sixth - The Legend of Karna by Karan Vir - Karna Trilogy Part 1

When I got the opportunity to choose a book from a list of titles by leadstartcorp to review, I was instantly interested in this title The Sixth - The Legend of Karna by Karan Vir. Readers who have followed by blog will know that I have a special liking for books based on Indian mythology. This book is not entirely mythological, but a blend of two stories from two eras, running parallel and culminating into something interesting for the readers. This is the debut book of the author and is supposedly Book 1 of his Karna Trilogy.

Karan vir Oberoi is the main protagonist of the novel. He is a real estate tycoon living in New York. But, something has not been right in his life of late. He is experiencing recurring dreams of an ancient warrior clad in golden armor and golden earrings. There is a sense of déjà vu, and he feels as if the warrior wants to tell him something. Even though he tries hard to make some sense of his dreams - he ends up being entirely baffled by it. His business associates also see a difference in his attitude and swings in his mood at work. When Karan's mother comes to know about these dreams, she advises him to go back to his roots- India, to get the answers he is seeking. Amidst all these, there is someone who is plotting against Karan and hatching plans to assassinate him. Karan however, miraculously survives the attempt and heads to India where his destiny awaits him.

Running parallel to Karan's life is Karna's story. He is the one he dreams about. We all know about Suryaputra Karna, the unsung hero of Mahabharata. He was Kunti's first born and was eventually treated as the 'Sixth' Pandava at the end of his eventful life. Hence, the author has aptly named the first book of his Karna Trilogy as 'The Sixth'. Karna was known to be benevolent king; he defied social customs and traditions to achieve immortal glory by his virtues and skills. He became the king of Anga and the most trusted man of Duryodhana, the crown prince of Hastinapur. We all know how his association with Duryodhana ultimately sealed his fate.

All of you who have grown up watching the legendary serial Mahabharata on Doodarshan will probably agree that when you think of Karna from Mahabharata, the face of actor Pankaj Dheer will come floating in your mind. Since, then many other versions of the epic have been aired on various channels, but I never had the chance of watching any of those (and I am glad about it). So, the face of Karna in my mind stays the one I saw in my childhood days. But, after reading this novel, a new face of Karna has surfaced in my mind. Thanks to the liberal use of sketches and graphics throughout the novel.

Even though I am not very good at spotting typos, a couple of them did come to my attention. That is something that can be done away with by the editing team.

The premise of the book sounds promising. While most of us already know about Karna, it is interesting how the author tries to amalgamate Karna's story into Karan's life. However, as a reader I did feel the flow of the story could be better. There were parts that could be elaborated, for example - the part where Karan braves a terrorist attack while on a business trip and saves his business partner. His journey in India also seemed to be rushed upon. Also, I really couldn't gauge the character of 'KPS' as he made fleeting entries here and there in the story in the style of a Bollywood villain. May be the author has intended it that way. But, somehow it didn't work for me. Since the story will span three volumes; there are too many unanswered questions when the first part of the trilogy ends. That does rouse the curiosity of the readers and all that can be done is, wait for the next book of the series to be released.

I am looking forward to the next book of the series as I am curious to know what happens next in Karan's life.

I received this book for Leadstart publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Shrikhand Recipe | Creamy Saffron Cardamom Yogurt | How to Make Shrikhand from Scratch

Shrikhand | Creamy Saffron Cardamom Yogurt #recipe

Shrikhand is the Indian flavoured thick yogurt. It is typically flavoured with cardamom and saffron. But, you can get as creative as you like. Flavoured yogurts are a rage these days, specially fruit flavoured ones. But, for me when it comes to flavoured yogurt, it has to be the traditional Indian Shrikhand. Although it is eaten throughout the country these days, it is said to be native to the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

I don't like the ready to eat shrikhand you get in most supermarket aisles - they are made too sweet and seem to have some artificial flavor. The good news is that it is so easy to make Shrikhand at home. Serve it with your regular meal or make it as a dessert for a party menu - it will shine on both occassions.  It is good for your gut and a must-have in these hot summer days.



It is just that you have to plan it advance as you are going to need hung yogurt/curd for making it. If you can get your hands on Greek yogurt, you can whip this up in no time.

Looking for some other dessert ideas with yogurt check out, Mango Shrikhand (Amarakhand), Mango Yogurt Delight, Misti Doi and Blueberry Fool.

Making hung yogurt/curd is pretty easy too - but, it takes some time.

Here is how you can make hung curd. 

Line a sieve with muslin cloth and pour your regular yogurt over it. Cover with a lid and leave it in your fridge for 3-4 hours- overnight is even better. The whey from the yogurt will drain out slowly leaving behind a thick creamy hung yogurt/curd. If you have 2 cups of yogurt you will get about 3/4 or at most 1 cup hung curd.

Shrikhand Recipe | How to Make Shrikhand from Scratch

Ingredients:

450 ml hung curd ( made from 1 liter of regular full fat homemade curd)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar ( adjust to taste - you may like it more or less sweet)
3-4 cardamom pods, finely powdered
10 saffron strands, soaked in 1 tsp milk and rubbed in a pestle and mortar.
Chopped pistachios and flaked almonds for garnishing.

Process:

1. In a large bowl add the hung curd, sugar, powdered cardamom and rubbed saffron. Using a whisk, mix everything together till all the ingredients are well blended and the yogurt is smooth and creamy.

2. Pour into individual serving bowls. Garnish with chopped pistachio and flakes almonds. Let it rest in refrigerator and take it out at the time of serving. Serve chilled.

Notes:

1. You can also pass the yogurt mixture through a sieve for best results. But, it will be a bit messy with a couple of more utensils to wash.

2. Do not using a electric blender to mix it as it tends to liquefy the yogurt. You can however use an electric whisk to make things easier.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Book Review | Fables from India – A Collection of Short Stories by Uday Mane

The blurb says:

A King's negligence costs the Prince his eyes. How will the King make amends?

 A farmer is torn between resurrecting his wife and upholding his duties. What will infuence his choice? 

A jester lives two lives - Masked for others. Unmasked for himself. His masked side brings happiness to everyone. But what brings happiness to his unmasked side? 

A magnificent tree bears fruits of different kinds, but the King wants it to be cut down to serve justice. How will the tree defend itself? 

An orphan boy is in search of the world's bestselling book. Will he eventually find it? 

A dog struggles to uncurl his tail. Will he break the curse that curled his tail in the first place? 

A young boy and his pet lamb are separated from each other. Will their friendship stand the test of 
time? 

Set in the ancient times, Fables from India, is a collection of 22 profound and unheard stories from a country known for its storytelling.

I received this book from Leadstart Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Fables from India by Uday Mane felt like I was reading some folk tales – simple, short, easy to understand and with a moral message. To give you an idea – the stories in this book are like those in Panchatantra.

Do you know what exactly are fables?

Wikipedia says --

Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized (given human qualities, such as the ability to speak human language) and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly as a pithy maxim.

This is the kind of book I would like to keep aside for my son to read when he grows up and takes to reading. Having said that, I must add that if you are into reading serious and complex short stories this book might not appeal to you. The stories are way too simple and straightforward for adding some depth to the characters or for adding some unexpected twists and turns to mundane plots. But, if you are like me - who read slow and ponder over what you have read, you may well revisit your moral science lessons and see how well you are applying them in your life now.

The book can do well if it is targeted to young readers between the ages of 8-12 years. Adults may read out these stories to their kids for some moral lessons.

There are 22 fables in the book are about kings, queens, common people, animals, life, death, and magic. Some of the ones I liked reading includes – "The Farmer and the Magic Objects" in which a husband seeks to resurrect his dead wife, "The Sacred Tree of Khamur" in which a tree speaks to appeal to a king to change his verdict, "A Night for the Demon" where a queen leaves her husband every fifteen days to spend a night in the jungle, "At Heaven’s Gate" where a child asks God why he took away his father from him. There were some more stories with profound messages and were a pleasure to read, but there were a couple of them which I couldn’t appreciate much - like The Jungle laws and Langu’s Calling.

One thing that didn’t work for me after reading this book was the title of the book. When I saw the title – Fables from India, I was really hoping for some profound stories from the land known for its story telling. But, I was a bit disappointed there. More than half of the stories didn’t seem to have any connection with India, or even ancient India as a matter of fact. Some seemed to be from Persia or Middle East, while some felt to be universal. So, I think the book could have been better named.

Overall, a light read that you can read or read out to your kid as bedtime stories.

Book Review - Half Pants Full Pants by Anand Suspi

“This is a book about childhood, best enjoyed after you have left it behind.”

What the renowned filmmaker RR Balki has to say about the book:

"After Malgudi Days, I could never imagine that somebody could create another childhood classic for adults to regain their innocence even for a few hours. Suspi’s tales would have made R K Narayan smile. Oh! That beautiful Kannadiga gene!"

'Half Pants Full Pants' by Anand Suspi is an endearing read. It is the author’s debut novel where he recounts his real-life childhood tales from Shimoga, a then sleepy town in the state of Karnataka.

This book was sent to me by paperboatdrinks (Hector Beverages) and was with me for over 2 months before I picked it up to read. Well, as the adage goes – better late than never; I am so glad to have read it. Reading it was such an amazing experience. As I turned pages after pages of this book, I often got transported to my own childhood days and to my own stories. A wave of nostalgia often hit me and I wished if I could relive my childhood again. It is perhaps our lives' biggest irony - when we are kids, all we want to be is grow up and when we do, we wish we could travel back in time and enjoy the pleasures of childhood again.

There are altogether 38 stories in the book – some from the half pant days and other from the full pant days of the author. And each one succeeds in evoking a sense of nostalgia in the readers. In some way of the other most of us – from the pre-internet and gadget-free childhood days, will be able to relate to these real-life childhood tales of the author in some ways or the other.

The first story in the book revolves around a popular idea that did the rounds in my school days too – when a coin in put on railway track and a train passes over it, it turns into magnet! Back then, I didn’t have any mean to check it. The author being the son of a railway employee had the opportunity to find out the truth of the idea first hand. But, instead of a magnet what he got was a 5 paisa badly shaped chapati!

The author has had a fair share of adventures in his childhood. Some of them are exclusive to him – how many of us can boast of driving a train? I guess none of us can boast of that. But, there are so many other anecdotes - on fighting mosquitoes to imagining self to be some sort of detective (most of us must have been thorough that phase after reading famous five books), to climbing trees, saving pocket money, to delving deep into philanthropy, to detesting gourds (same-pinch), and so on. One thing that is sure this book will do to you - it will make your revisit your childhood.

Thank you Anand Suspi for crafting a book of your childhood tales; and thank you paperboats for publishing it so that it could reach the readers.

Highly recommended. You can buy it on Amazon or Flipkart. It makes for a great gift to friends and family.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!