A vegetable pulao that will give any mutton biriani a run for its money.

Basmati rice - 3 cups
Slices bread - 4
Cubed vegetables - 4 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cloves - 10
Green cardamoms - 6
Small stick cinnamon - 4
Salt - 2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Tomatoes chopped - 6

Grind together

Almonds - 20
Cloves garlic - 10
Grated ginger - 2 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoon
Aniseeds - 1 tablespoon
Mint leaves - 10 – 12
Bunch green coriander - 1

Wash and soak the rice for half an hour. Drain. Spread on a try to dry.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut into cubes. Deep fry in oil till golden. Remove on a paper so the extra oil can drain. Reserve.

Vegetables include cauliflower, french beans, carrot and peas. You may add any vegetable of your choice.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a thick bottomed degchi. Season with the whole garam masala, slightly bruised. When they turn a shade darker, add the rice; fry till it looks parched. Add hot water, double the amount of rice and 13/4 tablespoon. Salt. Cover and cook on a low heat till the rice is done and the water evaporated. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a karahi and add the vegatables. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add a little salt. Cover and cook over a low heat till done. Do not add water. The vegetables will cook in its own juice.

Heat the remaining ghee or oil in a pan and fry the onions till a light brown. Add the green chilli, saute a bit, add the ground masala and chilli paste. Stir fry till the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy and well mixed with the masala.

Mix the vegetables into the masala and stir till the masala coats the vegetables. Add to the rice. Toss gently till everything is uniformly mixed.

Serve hot garnished with fried bread crontons. All it needs is a raita to complete the meal.

Just let your guests taste this. You’ll be flooded with requests for the recipe.

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts - 2 tablespoon
Raisin - 2 tablespoon
Udad dal - 1/2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 8 – 10
Cloves - 4
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Green Cardamoms - 4
Dry red chillies, broken - 4
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Salt - 11/2 tablespoon

Pick, wash and soak rice for half an hour. Heat the ghee and lightly fry the cashes and raisins. Remove and reserve.

Heat the same ghee in a non – stick degchi. Add the udad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, whole garam masala, broken red chillies and coconut, fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and fry for another few minutes till the rice is well coated with ghee.

Heat the milk and add to the rice along with the salt. Cover when it comes to a boil. When the water reaches the level of the rice and you find holes appearing on the surface, lower heat and put on a tawa underneath. Cook till the rice is done.

Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve hot garnished with fried cashewnuts and raisins. Serve with a raita.

It is the Yakhni or stock that gives the pulao its subtle taste. The spices cooked slowly in water release their own flavours which in turn flavours the rice.

Yakhni

Water - 2 lt
Ginger, grated - 2.5 cm
Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
Caraway seeds - 1 tablespoon
aniseeds - 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Pepper corns - 5
Cloves - 5
Green cardamoms - 5
Stick cinnamom - 4
Black cardamoms - 2
Dry red chillis - 2
Salt - to taste

Fish

Fish - 500 gm
garam masala powder - 1 tablespoon
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 tablespoon
Large bread slices - 2
Oil for frying silver warq as needed.

Rice

Basmati rice - 500 gm
Ghee - 100 gm
Large onions - 2 finely and evenly sliced
Almonds - 15
Pistachios - 20
Pinch of saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup of hot milk.

Yakhni

Crush the spices a little and the loosely in a muslin cloth. Add to the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over a low fire till reduced to half, that is 1 litre. The water will look brownish.

Fish

Steam and debone the fish. Mash and add all the remaining ingredients except oil and warq. Knead to a smooth paste. Make small balls and deep fry till golden. Wrap a few balls in silver warq. Keep aside.

Rice

Wash the rice, spread on a tray to dry. Blanch the almonds and pistas, clean the sultanas.

Heat the ghee in a degchi and fry the onions, on medium heat, stirring till golden. Remove on to a piece of paper. So that extra fat can drain. Keep aside.

Fry the rice in the same ghee till opaque about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the yakhni heated and cover. Let cook on a low heat till the rice is almost done.

Add the fried onion, almonds pistachies, sultanas, Fish balls (except the silver coated ones) and saffron milk. Stir very carefully so that the rice and fish balls do not break. Reduce heat and shake the degchi occasionally till the rice is cooked.

Serve hot, garnished with the silver warq coated fish balls.

Variation

Prepare mince meat balls the same way and prepare meat moti pulao.

When you’re tired of eating heavy birianis serve this light pulao instead.
Basmati rice - 500 gm
Mutton from the ribes - 1 kg
Milk - 1 lt
Ghee - 1/3 cup
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 4
Green cardamoms - 4
Stick cinnamon - 5 cm
Black cardamoms - 3
Kewra water - 1 tablespoon
Pinch of saffron
Tie in a muslin - 2 bay leaves
aniseed - 2 tablespoon
Pepper corns - 1 tablespoon
Any ginger powder - 1 tablespoon
Black cardamoms - 2

Garnish

Sliced hard – boiled eggs, apple wedges, a handful of grapes. Wash, drain and spread the rice to dry.

Pressure cook the mutton in milk and the spice tied in the muslin for 7 – 8 minutes. Let the cooker cool on its own. Squeeze the muslin bundle to extract maximum flavour and discard. Strain. The stock should measure 1 litre. If less, add water.

Heat oil in the cooker. Season with the bay leaves and whole garam masala. When these change colour, add the rice and fry till it looks opaque. Add the meat hot stock, salt and saffron mixed in Kewra water. Bring to full pressure and cook for 4 minutes.

Open cooker immediately. Fluff up the rice and serve hot, garnished with the egg slices and fruits. Dry fruits can also be added.

This also makes an unusual and interesting dessert.

Rice - 11/2 cups
Walnuts, broken - 1/4 cup
Banana Sliced - 1
Pineapple cubes - 1/2 cup
Orange, peeled and
divided into segements - 1
Cherries - 10
Green grapes - 10
Black grapes - 10
Fresh lettuce leaves

Dressing

Fresh orange juice - 1/3 cup
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Castor sugar - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
Egg yolks - 2
Cream - 1 cup

Cook the rice till done. Strain and cool. Combine all the ingredients and chill.

Dressing

Combine the orange juice, lime juice, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove and cool slightly; add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Cook over a very low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cool. Whip the cream and fold in.

Serve on individual plates lined with lettuce cups. Top each serving with the dressing. Garnish with one cherry, green grape and black grape each.

This make ahead salad is simple to prepare. Yet special enough for guests.
Chicken

Chicken - 1 kg
Water - 21/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Pepper - 1 tablespoon
Green capsicum - 1
Red capsicum - 1
Refined oil - 1 tablespoon
Juice of lime - 1
Mustard powder - 1/2 tablespoon

Rice

Refined oil - 2 tbsp
Rice - 1 cup
Curry powder - 2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup
Lime juice - 1/4 cup
Lettuce leaves
Roasted cashewnuts - 10
Raisins - 15

Cut up the chiken in pieces. Pressure cook with the water, salt and pepper for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve stock. Debone and cut up the chicken flesh in bite sized pieces.

Deseed and dice both the capsicums. Add to cooked chicken alongwith 1 tbsp oil, lime juice, mustard powder and little salt. Cover and chill to blend flavours.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan, saute the rice and curry powder for 2 minutes. Add the stock, heated and 1/2 tsp. salt.Cover and cook on low heat till the rice is done and liquid absorbed.

Spoon the rice in a large bowl white still hot. Fold in the mayonnaise and lime juice. Cover and chill to blend flavours.

Line a salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Just before serving mix the chicken and rice together. Spoon the rice salad onto a platter.

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts and raisins.

This makes a lovely accompaniment to cold roast chicken or meat.

Brown rice - 90 gm
Salt - to taste
Almonds, chopped
and toasted - 50 gm
Capsicum, cored,
seeded and diced - 1
Spring onions,
finely chopped - 3
Sticks celery,
chopped - 11/2
Button mushrooms
sliced - 4
French dressing - 4 tablespoon
Finely chopped
parsley - 2 tablespoon

French Dressing

Olive oil or refined oil - 4 tablespoon
Vinegar - 2 tablespoon
Lime Juice - 1 tablespoon
Mustard sauce - 1/2 tablespoon
Honey - 2 tablespoon
Salt and pepper - to taste
Clove garlic, chopped
(optional) - 1
Cook rice in boiling, salted water till done. Do not overcook; the grains must remain separate. Rinse and drain well. Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss thoroughly. Chill. At the time of serving transfer to a shallow dish.
Dressing
Put all the ingredients in a screw topped jar. Shake well before use.
Note
Use a combination of red and green capsicum for better visual effect. You may also add tomato and peas. This salad can be made and kept.

Almost a mini meal, this is actually a modified version of the classic favourite Hungarian Gonlash.

Large tomatoes - 4
Onions - 400 gm
Capsicum - 1
Refined oil - 4 tablespoon
Minced mutton - 1/2 kg
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
cornflour - 1 tablespoon
thick and 1/2 cup cooked rice - 2 tablespoon
Paprika or kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Stock or water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt and pepper - to taste.

Chop and puree the tomatoes in a blender. Strain. Finely chop the capsicum and onions.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the onions and fry till brown. Add the minced meat and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the cornflour and stir fry; there should be no lumps.

Add all the ingredients except the curd and rice. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Open cooker and stir in the curd and rice. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from fire and serve hot with garlic bread.