Mrs Ayyers Vegetable Biryani With Tempered Onion Cucumber Raita Recipes

COOL CUCUMBER RAITA

Steps:

• Put the yogurt, cilantro, cumin, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, into a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth and green. Pour it into a bowl and fold in the cucumber and mint. Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving and drizzle with a little olive oil.

BUTTERNUT BIRYANI WITH CUCUMBER RAITA

Steps:

• Pour 425ml boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry briefly over a high heat so they start to soften. Add the rice and squash and stir for a few mins. Tip in the cumin and coriander then stir in the mushrooms and their water with the bouillon.
• Cover the pan and simmer for 20 mins until the rice is tender. Meanwhile mix the cucumber and yogurt with the mint to make a raita. Stir the coriander and almonds into the rice when it is ready and serve with the raita and a few extra leaves of mint or coriander.

VEGETABLE BIRYANI WITH GREEN RAITA

Steps:

• Tip the rice into a pan of boiling water and cook for 12 mins until only half cooked. Drain, but reserve the water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan that has a lid, and fry the onion over a medium heat until golden. If it starts to catch, cover with the lid.
• Tip in the carrots and cauliflower, and continue cooking, covered, for 5 mins. Stir in the curry powder, cinnamon and cumin seeds, the ginger and garlic. Stir well. Tip in the rice, add 2 tbsp of the yogurt and pour in 300ml of the reserved rice water mixed with the bouillon powder. Stir in the cashews and peas. Cover and cook for 10 mins over a gentle heat until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Add half the mint and half the coriander, then leave to rest for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, make a raita by stirring the remaining mint and coriander into the remaining yogurt, then add 1 tbsp cold water to loosen - you can whizz together with a hand blender if you want a green raita. Spoon into small bowls to serve alongside the biryani.

CHICKEN BIRYANI WITH CUCUMBER RAITA

Steps:

• To make the Raita, blend together the cucumber, onion, garlic, ginger, mint, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and add yogurt. Stir together until smooth, and then refrigerate.
• We want to create brown butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat for ~15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a light brown colour. Set aside.
• In a large non-stick skilled, add 2/3 of the brown butter over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until browned, then remove and set aside.
• Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until onion is very soft, stirring occasionally.
• Add your ground chili, chili flakes, ground black pepper, ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground cardamom, salt, and tomatoes. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat to a low setting, and add yogurt, mint, and the cinnamon stick. Cook covered until ingredients are very soft and tomatoes mixed inches Stir occasionally, allow 30-45 minutes for this step. Add a small amount of water if the mixture is sticking to your skillet.
• Wash rice and set aside to drain in a colander until needed.
• Add the chicken breast cubes and mix in the sauce to coat it, then cover and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In a large skillet or pot, heat the remaining browned butter, then add onion and cook until golden. Add ground cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ground ginger, and rice (drained earlier) Mix until the rice is well coated.
• Heat chicken bouillon and salt in a pot to boiling, then pour into the rice mixture, stirring well.
• Add the chicken mixture and potatoes to the rice, and carefully mix together.
• Heat to a boil, and then cover, turning heat to very low. Allow 20 minutes to cook rice.Serve immediately with Raita (Naan is also a good addition to the meal).