Shrimp/ Prawn Stir Fry

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Shrimp/Prawns- 45-50 pieces, medium sized

Green Chillies- 4-5, finely chopped

Garlic Cloves- 6-8, finely chopped

Coriander- 1 full bunch, finely chopped

Red Chilli pwd- 1 tsp

Dhaniya pwd- 1tsp

Turmeric- ¼ tsp

Ketchup/Tomato Sauce- 1-2 tbsp

Cooking Oil- 1tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Peel the tail shells and wash the prawns thoroughly.
• Take a skillet and fry the prawns don’t add oil at this stage, allow the prawns to cook in the water that comes out of the pieces and wait until the entire water evaporates approx 5-6mins.
• Now add oil and turmeric and stir-fry on a medium flame for about 5 mins until the prawns becomes tender.
• Add chopped green chillies and garlic and fry for 2mins then add red chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd and salt and sauté the contents.
• Finally add the chopped coriander and ketchup and mix well.
• Garlic, Coriander and Ketchup make this recipe all the more flavorsome.
• Yummy Prawn stir fry is ready!!! It could be savored as an appetizer or makes a good combo when served with Pulao/ Fried Rice/ Plain White Rice.

Tomato Egg Rice

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Basmati Rice/ Sona Masoori- 3 cups

Eggs- 4-5

Onions- 1 large, chopped

Tomato- 1 ½ cup, chopped

Green Chillies-2-3, slit and cut

Cardamom/Elaichi- 1-2 pods

Cloves/Lavang- 2-3

Cinnamon stick/Patta- 1-2, 1-inch sticks

Bay Leaves-2

Ginger garlic paste- ½ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- ¼ tsp

Garam Masala pwd (Preferably homemade)- 2 tsp

Red Chilli pwd- 1 tsp

Turmeric pwd- ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 2 tbsp

Method

• Cook the rice and keep it aside.
  
• Take a skillet and add 2 tsp oil and add 5 eggs and sprinkle ½ tsp chilli pwd and salt to taste and scramble the eggs and keep this aside.
  
• Heat oil in a cooking vessel add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and when it starts spluttering add onions and green chillies and cook until it turns transparent.
  
• Add turmeric pwd, ginger garlic paste, salt and sauté well.
  
• Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for about 4-5mins and then add chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd and garam masala and stir the contents.
  
• Add scrambled eggs to this tomato mixture and sauté it and cook on a low flame for 1-2 mins.
  
• Add this tomato and scrambled egg mixture to the cooked rice and mix it well.
  
• Garnish with coriander and Serve it with Raitha.
  

Vegetable Kurma

Prep & Cooking Time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Onion- 2 cups, chopped

Potato- 1 medium, boiled and diced

Carrot- ¼ cup, chopped

Green Chillies- 2-3, slit and cut

Green Peas- ¼ cup

Green Beans- ¼ cup

Cashew/ Kaju pwd- 1 ½ tsp

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp

Dhaniya pwd- 1 tsp

Sugar- ½ tsp

Chilli pwd- ½ tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil/Clarified butter- 3 tbsp

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 ½ cup chopped onions and fry until it turns transparent.
  
• Blend this onion mixture into a fine paste by adding ½ cup water and keep it aside.
  
• Now heat 2 tbsp oil/clarified butter in a cooking vessel and add the remaining ½ cup chopped onion, green chillies and fry for 2-3 mins, followed by turmeric pwd, ginger garlic paste and salt as needed.
  
• Add potato, beans, carrot, peas and any other vegetables of your choice and cook for 5-7 mins until the veggies become tender.
  
• Now add the onion paste and sauté the contents, add 1-2 cups water based on the consistency of the gravy.
  
• Then add chilli pwd, dhaniya pwd, cashew pwd and sugar and stir the contents, allow it to cook for 2-3 mins.
  

Vegetable Kurma is ready!!! Serve it with Pulao or Roti.

Kheema Kofta (Minced Meat Patties)

Prep and Cooking Time: 40-45 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Kheema (minced meat) – ¼ kg

Egg- 1

Onion - 1 large, finely chopped

Green Chillies - 2 or 3, chopped

Coriander -1-2 tbsp, Chopped

Cashews (Kaju) - 5-6

Coconut pwd- 2 tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli pwd - 1 ½ tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - ½ tsp

Garam Masala pwd - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Method

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the finely chopped onions and green chillies then sauté the contents and leave it until the onions turn transparent.
  
• Add turmeric pwd, ginger garlic paste and sauté for another 2 mins.
  
• Then add the washed kheema and mix it well and leave it for a while until all the kheema water evaporates this eliminates the raw odor from the kheema.
  
• Add Red Chilli pwd , Garam Masala and sauté the mixture.
  
• Add 1/2 cup water then pressure cook over high heat until the cooker whistles, then lower the flame and allow it to cook for 10mins. Turn off the heat.
  
• Blend the cashews into a fine powder and to this add coconut powder and cooked kheema and grind them to obtain a fine consistency. Do not add water.
  
• Now take the kheema mixture and make small round patties of uniform size
  
• Beat 1 egg into a bowl and add turmeric pwd, chilli pwd and salt to taste
  
• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan and dip the patties in the egg batter and fry until the patties turn golden brown.
  
• Kheema Kofta with Ketchup and Pudina Chutney/Mint Chutney serves as an appetizer; or they can be savored along with Rice and Pappu Charu/ Lentil Soup.
  

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

As the name indicates it is an authentic hyderabadi style biryani with a delightful flavor. It is prepared in layers of chicken, rice, curd and aromatic spices.

Prep & Cooking Time: 40-45 mins

Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 4 cups

Boneless Chicken- 500 gms

Onions- 3 large, chopped

Green Chillies- 7-8, slit and cut

Red Chilli pwd- 2 tsp

Turmeric pwd- ¾ tsp

Saffron- ¼ tsp

Lime Juice- ¼ cup

Milk- ¼ cup

Garam Masala pwd (preferably homemade)- 2 tsp

Dhaniya pwd- 1 tsp

Bay Leaves- 2

Cardamom/Elaichi- 3-4 pods

Cloves/Lavang- 3-4

Cinnamon stick/Patta- 2-3, 1-inch sticks

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp

Yogurt (Curd) – 3 cups

Mint Leaves/ Pudina – ½ cup

Coriander Leaves- ½ cup, chopped

Salt to taste

Cooking Oil- 1-2 cups

Method

Marinating: Take a container and add the chicken pieces, green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, salt, garam masala pwd, dhaniya pwd, ginger garlic paste, curd and mix the contents and allow it to marinate for a minimum of 1-2 hrs.

• Heat 1-2 cups of oil in a pan and deep fry the grated onion until they turn crispy and golden brown and keep it aside.
  
• Soak the saffron in milk and keep it aside. This adds color to the biryani, it is optional.
  
• Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a cooking vessel and add cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and bay leaves once they start spluttering add about 10-15 cups water and salt to taste.
  
• When the water comes to a boiling point add washed basmati rice and semi cook the rice for not more than 2-3 mins by stirring occasionally.
  
• Do not cook the rice completely, the rice should be slightly grainy and the grain should be easily breakable. At this stage drain the water from the rice.

Layering the Biryani

• Grease a dish with oil/ghee and arrange the entire marinated chicken at the bottom, then add a layer of some cooked rice, sprinkle some fried onions, 2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp oil/ghee and 2 tsp saffron milk
  
• Repeat this for two more layers by adding rice followed by other ingredients as mentioned above.
  
• Close the container with an air tight lid and seal the lid with aluminium foil.
  
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the container in the oven and allow it to cook for nearly 40-45 mins. Remove the container and check if the chicken is cooked and the marinade mixture is not liquidy.
  
• Alternative: Cooking can be done over a low flame too. Seal the lid with dough and cook for about 40-45 mins and ensure that the chicken is tender and well cooked.
  

Delicious Mouth-watering Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is ready. Serve Biryani with mirchi ka salan or Raitha along with onion and lime slices.