India is filled with so many different versions of rice cooked with vegetables. There is one called tairi in UP which is more like a pulao. Its rice infused with vegetables and cooked without any spicy ground paste. Then there is kashmiri pulao which contains sweet elements like pomegranate seeds and kesar milk. Finally the well-known Hyderabadi Dum Biryani which is heavy due to the addition of curds and spices. In South India, we have masala bhath which also contains the known elements of pulao along with freshly ground coconut.

When it comes to making lunch on a Sunday I prefer these one-pot dishes like Pulao, Biryani or Khichdi. They are filling and delicious. Sometimes we also enjoy Mayank’s yummy dal chawal which is actually comfort food for the entire family.

The biryani I made yesterday for our Sunday lunch is one I learnt from my friend and neighbor Cecilia. Its called ‘red biryani’ as it does come out quite red. Mine was orange as I added a little less of the secret ingredient. I didnt want to make it too spicy for the kids. Whats the secret ingredient? Well, its this amazing sambar powder she makes at home. I happen to have a pouch of it which I carefully hide in my kitchen and use for special dishes like this one.

Ingredients :

• 2 teaspoons Butter
• 2-3 teaspoons refined oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1.5 cups finely chopped mixed vegetables (capsicum, carrot, beans, peas)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 7-8 cloves of garlic
• 2 green chillies
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• Few pods of cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons sambar powder
• 1 lemon
• salt

Procedure :

1. Soak rice for 5 minutes and wash till milkiness goes away.
2. Heat butter with a teaspoon of oil in a cooker. Saute onion till translucent.
3. Add whole spices like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
4. Grind green chillies with ginger, garlic with a pinch of salt. Fry this masala in the oil.
5. Add tomatoes and cook till they leave oil from the sides.
6. Add finely chopped vegetables, potatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes on medium heat.
7. Mash the vegetables and add 2 teaspoons of oil more, if necessary.
8. Add finely chopped pudina leaves and coriander leaves.
9. Add turmeric powder and sambar powder.
10. Mix in the washed rice. Add salt as per taste (approximately one teaspoon per cup of rice will be required).
11. Add water to the rice in the ratio 2:1. That means 2 cups of water for every cup of rice.
12. Add juice of one lime.
13. Cover the lid of the cooker and allow it to cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes.
14. Take the cooker off the heat and cover it with a wet cloth.
15. Serve piping hot with mixed vegetable raita.

I think the catch in this dish is in capturing aromas released by the whole spices at a low temperature for a prolonged duration. If you add spices in hot oil the flavor is immediately lost and the rice doesnt have a chance to absorb it to the best extent possible. However, here the ‘dum’ or cooking over mild pressure for a long time ensures the flavor reaches into the rice.

Kheera Raita

Besides, I love one pot-meals. They are easy to serve and manage. You dont need to run trips to the kitchen in order to get everything out. You dont need to check who needs to be served what . You also dont have much leftover management to be done. There is just one main dish with a side dish and you are sorted! Anyway, my reasons are different. I am sure thats not why the Nawabs liked it

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 cup chopped Vegetables (par-boiled):
• Beans, Capsicum , Carrots (red and orange), peas,  cauliflower pieces
• Puree of 3 tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• Pinch of Turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon Everest Shahi Biryani masala (optional)
• 1 cup curds
• Whole Spices :  cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, star anise, mace strings

Procedure:

1. Cook Basmati rice till 75% done. Spread it on a plate and let it cool down.
2. Heat Ghee. Add whole spices, chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and saute well.
3. Add tomato puree, salt, turmeric powder and everest Shahi Biryani powder. Cook till oil separates.
4. Add curds and stir continuously. Add capsicum pieces and par-boiled vegetables. Mix well.
5. Grease a handi (or a pot). Spread a layer of rice on it. Now add a layer of vegetables.
6. Alternate till the pot is full. Cover with aluminum foil and place the handi on a pan / tawa.
7. Allow it to cook on sim for 30-40 mins.

Cooking on Dum

Kheera Raita:

Grate a cucumber. Strain a cup of curds into it. Mix salt, roasted jeera powder and red chilly powder.

Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve chilled.

Today was one eventful and memorable day for me. A few of us living in the neighborhood, started a photography club. Its just four of us but all sharing the passion for good food and snaps.

Today was our first meeting, the venue was my place. I started off in the morning with laying the table with my crockery, glazed papers, table cloths and other accessories usually used by me in food photography. The time we had was limited but I’m glad we managed to cover all topics we had set for ourselves.

I made a Chinese fusion pulao for the occasion. It is one of the simplest and most fragrant forms of rice. I have been meaning to share it with everyone for a long time now. Today seemed like a good opportunity to make it. I was running out of time and needed something quick to whisk.

We started the session which a brief introduction to the basic terms of photography. Shubhada was our food stylist for the day. She managed to make the pulao really attractive by adding lots of colorful veggies that simply stand out in the plate. Anu made a couple of carrot flowers in almost no time.

We then set out to find the best place to shoot. Anu suggested an evenly lit area of the terrace. I liked the idea too because that way auto exposure works best. After taking some shots we got into editing. We picked a couple of snaps and analyzed the histogram indicating the tones in the picture. By the end of the session we could appreciate the difference that basic editing of histogram can make to regular shots.

Here is the picture that we used for editing:

Photographed By : Anuradha Johari Food Stylist : Shubhada N

Now for what Chinese fusion pulao really is. Its a dish that uses all ingredients typically used in Chinese cuisine but is made like an Indian Pulao. Its the simplest dish that you can make when you are tired. Unlike a regular pulao it doesnt need too much chopping and churning. The ingredients are basic and procedure is simple.

This Pulao also happens to be really fragrant because of :

1) A whole lot of Garlic

2) Maggie Tastemaker

3) Jeera rice

each of the above ingredients is a flavorful compound in itself so we can imagine what the combination results in: an aroma that spreads in the neighborhood.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 whole Garlic
• 3-4 beans
• 1/2 piece carrot
• 1.5 cups of Jeera rice
• Few Pepper corns
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper powder
• 1 Maggie Tastemaker cube

Procedure :

1. Finely chop the beans and carrot. Crush the garlic and pepper corns.
2. Heat olive oil in a wok.
3. Add garlic and saute it for a minute. Do not allow it to change color.
4. Now add crushed pepper and pepper powder.
5. Now Saute the chopped carrot and beans for a few minutes.
6. Mix tastemaker cube in 1/2 cup of water till it dissolves completely.
7. Add this mixture to the vegetables. Cook for another minute.
8. Now add the washed jeera rice and stir fry for some more time.
9. Add water (about 1.5 – 2 times the quantity of rice) and cook till rice is tender.

Please note:

1. The Maggie tastemaker already contains salt. If you take larger quantity of rice you might need to add some salt. Please be careful while doing so.
2. Instead of Jeera rice you can use the small-grained Chinese rice for equally good results.
3. Maggie Tastemaker contains MSG and is not recommended for babies less than a year old.