Mrs Ayyers Vegetable Biryani With Tempered Onion Cucumber Raita Recipes

Steps:

• Line a colander with cheesecloth or muslin. Place a large bowl under the colander. Place yogurt in colander and let sit at room temperature for about four hours or cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard the liquid that has drained into the bowl and proceed with the recipe. Add the onion, cucumber, lemon juice, mint and cilantro and mix well.

Steps:

• Lay the lamb pieces in the bottom of a flat copper dish or Dutch oven. Add papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chile powder, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods. Mix the spices into the meat with your hands.
• Heat 1-inch of refined peanut oil or sunflower oil in a saute pan to 360 degrees F. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry until light golden and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Reserve the oil. Crush the fried onions onto meat and mix with hands. Add yogurt and mix again. Add lemon juice, fresh herbs, and 2 tablespoons of the oil that is leftover from the onions. Cover and refrigerate for 40 to 45 minutes, for the flavor to develop.
• While the meat is marinating, par boil the rice as if it were pasta in a 6 cups of salted boiling water. When the rice is still crunchy in the middle, remove from the heat and strain, reserving the cooking liquid. In a small bowl, mix the ghee with 2 cups of the water from the boiling rice and pour over the rice. Add the saffron and milk mixture to the rice and pour over the meat mixture. Place a lid over the dish, but do not remove it until completely cooked. Cook in a preheated 350 degree F, oven for 40 minutes. Serve with Nan bread and salad.

Steps:

• Rinse the rice, cover with cold water in a bowl and soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a large pot over medium until it melts, 30 to 45 seconds. Add bay leaf, star anise, cloves, cardamom and green chiles and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and fry, stirring often, until they start turning golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add ginger and garlic and continue frying and stirring until the raw smell dissipates, about 1 minute. Add turmeric and red chile powder and stir for 30 seconds to toast (don't let them burn). Add tomato and 2 tablespoons water. Add half of cilantro and mint. Continue stirring until the tomato starts to break down, about 5 minutes.
• Add the carrot, potato, cauliflower, green peas, green beans, yogurt and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the ingredients are incorporated.
• Drain the rice and add to the pot, along with the lemon juice and garam masala. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Add the vegetable stock and stir. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.
• Uncover and stir. Add the rest of the cilantro and mint and the lemon slices. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the pot stand for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and cashews if you like.