My Indian Recipes

Difficulty Rating 3 (Pressure cooker needed, Grinding required) Rice – 2 cups, cooked Spinach -1 bunch, chopped (or about 1 ½ cup frozen)  Carrot – 1 large, peeled and cubed  Onion – 1 small, diced  Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp.  Oil – as needed  Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp.  Turmeric – ½ tsp.  Green chili slit – 1, or to taste (optional)  Bay leaf – 1  Salt – to taste (about 2 tsp.)  For the masala: Cinnamon – 1 inch  Cloves – 3  Cardamom (elachi) – 3  Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp.  Peppercorns – 7  1. Grind all of the masla ingredients into a powder and keep aside.  2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf.  3. Once they pop, add the spice powder and fry for a minute.  4. Add the onion and fry until transparent.  5. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir.  6. Add the carrot and potato and cook until the pot...

Difficulty Rating 2: Special Ingredients needed 1 cup Basmati Rice 1 cup Mixed Vegetables (such as beans, carrots, peas, potato, green bean) 1 small onion chopped 4 Green chillies 1 ¾ cups Thick canned coconut milk (found in the international section of any grocery store) 2 Tbsp Cumin seeds 4 large cloves Garlic finely chopped 1 in Piece Ginger finely chopped 1 in Piece 3 Bay leaves 4 Cardamom/Elachi 4 cloves Salt to taste Oil 1.        Slightly steam the vegetables so that they are at least 80% cooked 2.        Wash the rice and soak it for 10 minutes. 3.        Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and fry. 4.        Add ginger and garlic and fry but do not allow it to brown. 5.        Add onions, green chillies and salt and stir fry until the onions are golden. 6.    ...

Difficulty Rating 3 (length of time for preperation) Here is a link to another great biryani recipe.   www.sailusfood.com/2010/04/19/egg-biryani .  It's not to difficult and if you follow the recipe here, it should turn out great.

Difficulty Rating 1 1½ cup rice 1 cup   moong dal 2 TBsp  ghee or oil 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp  black peppercorn (optional) 1 tsp salt ½ cup cashews (dry roasted) 7 cups water 2 cups milk (or water if you prefer) 1. In a medium to large pot, heat the ghee or oil on medium heat. Add and roast cumin seeds, peppercorns (you can also add a few curry leaves if you like) until they splutter.   2.  Add moong dal and toast to a golden color, constantly mixing.  3. Stir in the rice. Pour water and milk and stir in salt. Cover the pot with lid and cook on high heat. Wiat for the water to begin to boil and then, remove the lid. Mix once and partially cover with a lid, leaving a gap for water vapor to escape. 4. In about 5 minutes everything will start to come together and double in volume. Turn off the heat, and stir in the cashews. Close the lid fully and let everything sit for about 10 minutes so that the rice and dal can absorb t...

Difficulty Rating 4 (Difficult prep etc.) This dish is a traditional favorite from my husband's home town.  I don't have my own recipe for this one but I highly recommend this one  http://www.vahrehvah.com/Hyderabadi+Chicken+Biryani:3144 . It is relatively easy compared to many biryani recipes and it is also very authentic.  It's really worth the work.

Difficulty Rating 1 1 ½ cups Basmati rice 2 Tbsp Oil 1 (2 in) cinnamon stick 2 Green cardamom 2 Cloves 1 Tbsp Cumin seed 1 tsp salt, or to taste 3 cups Water 1 small Onion, thinly sliced 1. Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes. 2. Heat the oil. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute 3. Add the onion. Cook the onion until golden brown (about 10 minutes). 4. Drain the water from the rice, and put into the rice cooker with the water and the spices. Cover and cook until done 5. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Difficulty Rating 3 (Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed) 3 cups Rrice Bunch Coriander leaves 3-4 Green chillies 2 tsp Coconut, shredded 3 medium Onions (sliced fine) ½ Onion (chopped) Few sticks Cinammon Few Cardommom seeds Few Cloves 1 ½ tsp Red chilli powder Salt to taste 2 cloves Garlic 1 in Ginger Ghee or melted butter for frying 1 cup Cauliflower flowerets. Some Mixed frozen vegetables like beans, carrots and green peas. 1. Cook the 3 cups of rice in your rice cooker as you would normally do. 2. Grind together the 1/2 onion, coconut, garlic, ginger and coriander in the blender, to make a smooth paste. Keep aside. 3. Fry the onions in the ghee or melted butter. Also add the cloves, cinnamon and cardommom. 4. When onions are browned properly, add the red chilli powder and fry for 30-45 seconds. 5. Now add all the vegetables, including the cauliflower and sprinkle some water on it. 6. Keep covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked. K...

Difficulty Rating 4 (Special Ingredients needed, Pressure cooker needed) 1 cup Rice ½ cup Moog Dahl 2 in piece Grated Ginger 1 Green chili finely chopped (optional) 1 tsp Peppercorns ½ tsp Jeera (cumin seeds) Few Cashews chopped 1 Tbsp Ghee (or oil) 4 cups Water Salt to taste (about 2 tsp) 1. In a pressure cooker add rice, dahl, water and salt and cook for 4-5 long whistles. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook covered in a pan until the rice is done. 2. Heat ghee (or oil). Add all of the remaining ingredients. Cook until the cashews brown (be careful the burn quickly). 3. Mix the oil mixture with the rice/dahl mixture. 4. Serve hot. (This is good with Peanut chutney or tomato puchera.)

Difficulty Rating 4 (Grinding required, Special Ingredients needed, Pressure cooker needed) 1 cup Rice ½ cup Moong dahl 3 cups Water 1 sm piece Cinnamon 2 Cardamoms 2 Cloves ½ tsp Black peppercorns 2 Onions diced 4-5 Green chilies Few Curry leaves (optional) 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste Salt to taste (about 1 ½ tsp) Pinch Turmeric Oil Sm bunch Cilantro chopped (optional) 1. Combine the rice, dahl and water in a pressure cooker. 2. Heat the oil. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black peppercorns until they splutter. 3. Add the turmeric, curry leaves, chili and onion and fry until golden. Add the ginger garlic paste. 4. Add this to the pressure cooker and cook for about 5 whistles. 5. Garnish with cilantro. 6. Serve with Sambar, Curd (plain yogurt) or Indian pickle.

Difficulty Rating 1 1/3 cup Oil 2 Onions diced 1 tsp Ginger 1 clove Garlic ½ tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Chili powder 1 ½ tsp Salt 2 cups Tomato diced 2 ¼ cups Basmati rice 3 cups Water 1. Heat the oil 2. Add the onions until golden. 3. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric chili powder and salt and stir. 4. Add the tomato and cook until they break up. 5. Add the rice and stir. 6. Add the water. 7. Cover and cook stirring occasionally. 8. Serve with hard boiled eggs.

Difficulty Rating 2 (Special Ingredients needed) 5 rice cups (about ¾ cup) Basmati rice 1 Onion diced 1 can Coconut milk (found in the international section of the grocery store) (optional) 5 Cloves 5 Cardamom (elaichi) 2 in Cinnamon 5 Bay leaves (optional) 2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste Sm handful Cashews 4 Green chilies slit (optional) 2 tsp Salt Handful Coriander leaves (optional) Handful Mint leaves (optional) 2 Tbsp Oil 1 Tbsp Butter Pinch Turmeric 1. Heat oil and butter. Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves until they splutter. 2. Add cashews and green chili until the cashews brown (be careful, they burn easily). 3. Add the onion until golden. 4. Add ginger garlic paste, coriander, mint and turmeric. 5. Put all in the rice cooker with rice, 6 ½ rice cups water and 1 rice cup coconut milk and salt. (If you do not use the coconut milk, use 7 ½ rice cups of water.) 6. Cook in the rice cooker until done. 7. Serve with any curry for special occasions.

Difficulty Rating 1 2 cups Rice (uncooked) 4 Tbsp Lemon juice Salt to taste (about 1 ½ tsp) 6 Tbsp Oil ½ tsp Mustard Seeds 15 Curry leaves (optional) ¼ cup Peanuts 4 Green chilies ½ tsp Turmeric 1. Cook the rice. 2. Heat the Oil. Add the mustard seeds, peanuts and turmeric and fry until the peanuts are brown (be careful they burn quickly). 3. Add chilies, curry leaves and add lemon juice and salt. 4. Mix with the rice. 5. Serve with hard boiled eggs.