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.