Handi Dum Biryani

HANDI DUM BIRYANI


Whats handi? Handi is a earthen pot that is used to cook or store water. The quality of handi so unique that even stale old bread will taste good in it. The porous earthen clay gives it all the aroma and taste and not only that,the shape in which it is made. That will help tp balance the heat throughout and circulate all the aroma and spices equally amougst all the things in the handi.

Handi is not easily available everywhere we are. We can definately substitute it to a dutch oven or a ceramic soup pot for our creation. Truely making Biryani is a creation as layers of gravy and aromatic rice fill the pot and slow cooked for hours to get the perfect most satisfying taste we all waited for!

Ingredients
 
Vegetables


carrots,beans,cauliflower, potato,peas ,paneer are some vegetables you can use for this recipe,.

peel, wash and cut the vegetables in fairly big size and eaqual size.

The masalas required for the gravy

Fried onion paste 1/2cup

Milk 1/2cup

salt

tumeric

garlic paste 3tbsp(approx 6-7 garlic pods crushed)

ginger paste 1tsp

green chillies chopped fine 5-6

chilli powder 2tsp

jeera powder 1tsp

corriander powder 2tbsp

garam masala 2tsp

heat oil in a kadai, add the jeera seeds,and vegetables, next add all the masalas one by one along with the milk and cook the vegetables until they are 3/4th done.


Rice:2cups

This is a very important stage in this recipe.

Choose excellent quality Basmati rice.( I like lal quila basmati rice)

wash the rice in cold running water for about 4-5times,

saok the rice in 2cups of cold water for about 30mins.

In a pan,add jeera,bay leaf,elaichi ,clove and add the soaked rice along with the water . add some salt for the rice and cook the rice until the water is evaporated. This will leave the rice 3/4th done.

Assembling :

In a pot or a wide open oven proof vessel with a lid, arrange the gravy in the bottom.

laye the rice on top

do the same until all the rice and gravy is utilised.

garnish the top layer with

safrron dissolved in 2tbsp warm milk

fried onions 1/2cup

corriander leaves finely chopped 1cup

chopped dry fruits (optional)

tomatoes (optional)

cover it tightly with the lid,

add 2 or 3 layers of alluminium foil over the lid.

In a preheated oven 325 place the covered pot in the middle rack.If you don't have a oven,place a tawa on medium flame and place the pot over the tawa.

slow cook for about 45mins,

rest it for 1/2hr

serve,with any raita,pickle and papad.



Authentic  Handi Dum Biryani is ready!

Bindi Masala(fried okra )

This is one of our favorite vegetable,not until recent times I learnt how to make it crunchy and not sticky. Okra has a sticky gooey nature and it tends to make the experience of eating it not very exicting. My mom taught me the right way and ever since then I started making Okra very often.

Bhindi Masala

Ingredients:

Bhindi /okra 1pound
onions grated 1 cup
garlic paste 1tbsp
tumric powder 1/2tsp
chilli powder 1tsp
corrinader powder 1tsp
roasted jeera powder 1tsp
hing a pinch
garam masala powder 1tsp
oil
salt to taste
saunf 1tsp
whole jeera 1tsp
green chillies slited 4/5
 
Method:

wash and dry the okra. cut the okra in diagonals,
In a saute pan, add some oil. fry the onions & garlic till golden brown. (don;t burn the garlic).
add in all the dry masala powder including the salt.
mix this well for 2mins.
now add the vegetable to the fried masala.
reduce the flame and cook open until they its fully cooked and crisp,and now finally
Heat some oil again in a kadai, add jeera ,saunf and chillies. fry and then add to the cooked vegetable .
Serving suggestions:
serve hot with
roti ,paratha ,kadi & rice

Spicy Lemongrass Rasam (soup)

Lemongrass is an excellent herb,but not very familiar . Mostly used in chineese & thai cooking became popular with its lovely lemony flavour without the sourness.its great in clearing the sinuses and has other medicinal qualties to it. I once loved a bowl of soup which had distinctive flavour of lemon grass and thought why not experiment with it ,thus was born the spicy lemongrass rasam!

Spicy lemongrass Rasam

Ingredients

Tomato Puree 1/2cup

lemongrass diced 1/2cup

ginger crushed 1tbsp

salt for seasoning

sugar 1/2tsp

grind into a powder

1/2tsp of jeera/cumin seeds

1/2tsp whole peppercons

1/2tsp corriander seeds

1/2tsp chilliflakes

for tempering

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp ghee

Method

In a vessel,add the ginger & lemongrass with 1/2cup of water and allow it to boil for atleast 5mins

Now retain the water and discard the lemongrass & ginger.

with this water add the tomato puree with some water to a diluted consistency and season with salt,sugar and the ground powder.

allow it to slowly froth and switch off the flame

temper it with mustard seeds and serve piping hot.

add some curry leaves for garnish (optional)