Thursday, May 21, 2009

Cabbage bangaladumpa kura/ Cabbage Potato Curry


Buy smaller young cabbage, rather buying very large cabbage. Younger cabbage needs no water and tastes good with this particular curry

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1 small no. (shred finely, soak these in water until needed)

Potato - 2 no. (skin removed and cut into small chunks)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1/2 no. (chopped)
Green chillies - 2 no. (slit lengthwise)

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Home-made masala powder - 1 tsp (scroll down to see)
Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Oil - 3 tbsp

Proceed:

1) Heat a kadai, add oil when it is hot add green chillies and onions and fry until light brown.

2) Add potato pieces and gg paste and fry for 5 mins on medium-low heat, keep it covered.

3) Mix well and lay on top finely shredded cabbage (squeeze the water out and add), cook these until it leaves lots of water, by covering with lid at all times.

(make sure it is not burning underneath).

4) Now, add turmeric, chilli powder and salt to taste on top of cabbage, keep it covered and cook until potato pieces are 3/4 th cooked.

5) Add masala powder and coriander leaves, mix well and cook until potato pieces are fully cooked.

Serve with Plain white Rice or Roti, Ghee, Yoghurt and Capsicum Chutney on side.

Tip:

Please do not add any water to this dish, as it leaves lots of water.

Note:

Please follow the temperature and cooking procedure carefully.

I use Anjali Cutter for this, for fine shredding. If you don't, then use only knife not food processor. Some how food processor didn't work for this.

Home-made Masala powder:

3 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp Poppy seeds, 6 Cardamom, 6 Whole Cloves, 1 inch Cinnamon stick - Grind these in coffee grinder into smooth powder.

Left over Twist:


© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Hyderabadi Qeema Biriyani


Thanks Samina! yet again for your lovely dish. This one is excellent and became my family favorite. Check out the other recipe I tried from her Channa pulao with Spinach. for vegetarian version.

Good for picnic or for unexpected guests or just treat your self :-)

Ingredients:


1) For Curry:

Diced Lamb - 1/2 kg
(read tips)

Cut these into small pieces, but bigger than minced (in other words moti keema). Wash well, keep these in cooker bowl add 1/2 tsp salt and required water. Pressure cook for 20 mins. When the pressure is down, drain the liquid out while adding to the curry.

Onions - 2 large (slice thinly)

Oil - 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Whole Tomato - 3 large (chopped)

Water - 1/2 cup

For Garnish:

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (cut them with scissors or finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - handful (chopped finely)
Mint leaves - handful (chopped finely)

Proceed for Curry:

1) Now heat a flat deep nonstick pan, add oil once heated fry the onions in batches until golden color (reserve the first batch for layer).

2) Add gg paste, fry for few mins.

3) Add strained keema to it, fry for 3 mins.

4) Add all powders and fry.

5) Add tomato pieces, cook until mushy.

6) Add water and cook until all the water has evaporated by keeping the lid on. Switch off and keep it covered for 5 mins.

7) To this, garnish with above ingredients.


2) For Rice:

Basmati Rice - 1/2 kg or 2 cups

Water - 4 cups
Whole Garam Masala - { 1 tsp Shahjeera, Whole Cloves - 8 no., Cardamom - 8 no., Black Pepper - 10 no., Bay leaf - 5 no., Cinnamon stick - 1 inch}
Salt - 3 tsp
Green Chillies - 4 no. (remove the stem and slit lengthways, with out tearing apart)

Proceed for Par-boiled Rice:

Bring water to boil in a deep dish, along with all other ingredients, except rice. Once it comes to boiling point add washed basmati rice to it, cover and reduce it to simmer until rice is cooked 3/4 th (we do dum, so cook only 75 %). Once finished, drain the water out in stainer completely (me does in Jalleda, once the rice drained out, I keep the stainer in an angle, this way the water comes out very easily) spread out in flat dish or pallem. Remove the chilli bit and add it to garnish curry.


3) For layering:

Colored Yoghurt - 125 g Yoghurt + Yellow Food Color - 1/2 tsp (mix this well)
Mace Nutmeg Powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp extra
Colored Milk - 1/4 tsp yellow color + little milk (mix these both)
Lemon - 1 no. (take juice)

Proceed for final touch:

1) Grease the deep flat dish with butter all around.

2) Add half the cooked rice.

3) Add another layer of entire curry.

4) Add reserved fried onion on top.

5) Add all the colored Yoghurt.

6) Add 1/2 tsp of mace nutmeg powder.

7) Add all the lemon juice.

8) Add the remaining rice on top.

9) Add remaining 1/2 tsp mace nutmeg powder on top.

10) Top it up colored milk on top.

11) Keep the lid on tightly, and do dum on simmer heat for atleast 30 - 35 mins.

12) Once finished mix it lightly all through and serve.

Serve with Kachumber or Raita.

Tips:

Please Read my tips for dum in my Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani recipe. Before even you start the dish.

Meat = we need smaller pieces but not too fine, so that they are firm to bite.

I buy Nutmeg Powder in packets, no need to grate. It is quite easy.

Meanings:

Mace = Javithri

Nutmeg = Jaiphal = Jajjikaya (in Telugu)

© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu