Vegetable Dum Biryani

Ingredients
Rice: 2 Cups
Water: 4 Cups
Potato: 3
Onions:2
Paneer / Tofu : 1 small cup.
Greenpeas:1 Cup
Carrots: 1 Cup
Cauliflower: 1 Cup
Beans: 1 Cup
Greenchillies: 5 or 6
Cardamom: 1 Teaspoon
Cinnamon: 1 Teaspoon
Cloves: 1/2 Teaspoon
Caraway Seeds: 1 Teaspoon
Cashewnuts: 1 Teaspooon
Ginger-Garlic Paste: 2 Teaspoons
Ghee: 2 Teaspoons
Oil: 3 Teaspoons
Bay Leaves: 2
Mace: 1/2 Teaspoon
Mareti Bud: 1/2 Teaspoon
Nutmeg: 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves: 1 Bunch
Shahjeera: 1 Teaspoon
Mint Leaves: 1 Bunch
Curd / Yogurt : 2 Cups
Food Colour: Turmeric water for yellow color and saffron water for orange.
Fried onions : 1 cup
Salt to taste.

(Check Fudtionary for meanings if you have doubt with the words in orange colour.)

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Once oil is hot add in fennel seeds and all whole spices and allow them to fry till the raw flavor is gone, then add onions and cook until they get light golden color, now add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder and mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

At this point add  tomatoes, chili powder, garam masala and cook till tomatoes gets soft, add  in yogurt/curd, coriander leaves, mint leaves, biryani masala (My fav masala is Banne Nawaab's Biryani Masala) and mix well. Now add potato cubes and sprinkle 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook till potatos are 3/4th cooked. Then add carrots, green pepper, green peas, cauliflower, paneer/tofu and cook till all the veggies are half cooked
and add salt to taste and mix. 

Add soaked and drained rice in boiling water and cook till  rice is 3/4th done. After rice is 3/4th cooked, drain off all the excess water from boiled rice and keep drained rice aside. Now take half of the vegetables in a plate and in the remaining vegetables add some of the boiled rice as a layer and spread that evenly. Now add drops of saffron water, some crushed cashew nuts, chopped mint and coriander leaves and sprinkle some turmeric water for color and then add fried onions, repeat the same process for the remaining vegetables and rice and cover it with a lid.

Now you can either leave it on a low flame if cooking on a stove for 15minutes or can preheat the oven to 350F and place it in the oven for 5-6minutes and serve hot with raitha and mirchi ka salaan (http://tastebuds-tabu.blogspot.com/2011/02/mirchi-ka-salan.html) and Raitha.

*You can also cover the pot with aluminum foil and place it in a thick bottomed water vessel to avoid burning and cover it with the lid. 
*Carefully fold the foil and seal it around the lid so that steam doesn’t escape when cooking.

Coconut-Milk Rice (Kobbari Annam)

Ingredients
Rice: 2 Cups
Coconut Milk : 4 Cups
Potato: 3
Onions: 2 
Greenpeas:1 Cup 
Greenchillies: 5 or 6 
Cardamom: 1 Teaspoon 
Cinnamon: 1 Teaspoon 
Cloves:1/2 Teaspoon 
Cashewnuts: 1 Teaspooon 
Ginger-Garlic Paste: 2 Teaspoons 
Ghee: 2 Teaspoons
Oil: 3 Teaspoons 
Coriander Leaves: 1 Bunch
Salt to taste.

(Check Fudtionary for meanings if you have doubt with the words in orange colour.)

Method
First put a pan on the stove and put some ghee and add Cashewnuts,Cardamom,Cinnamon and Cloves.

Now after they turn little brown add potatoes,onions,green chillies and greenpeas.After they turn golden brown,add ginger-garlic paste and add some oil and cook for 2 minutes.

Now add washed rice to the vegetables and fry for 2 to 3 minutes and add cocnut milk to the rice and close it with a lid.

When the rice starts boiling and when the bubbles are visible add salt and close it with a lid,wait till the rice becomes soft.You can also put the rice in a pressure cooker after adding salt.(2 Whistles)

Transfer it to a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with potato-soya masala curry.(http://tastebuds-tabu.blogspot.com/2009/11/potato-soya-masala-curry.html)

* You can also use electric rice cooker to cook the rice after adding salt.

Traditional Vegetable Biryani (Pulao)

Ingredients
Rice: 2 Cups
Water: 4 Cups
Potato: 3
Onions: 3
Greenpeas:1 Cup
Carrots: 1 Cup
Cauliflower: 1 Cup
Beans: 1 Cup
Greenchillies: 5 or 6
Cardamom: 1 Teaspoon
Cinnamon: 1 Teaspoon
Cloves: 1/2 Teaspoon
Caraway Seeds: 1 Teaspoon
Cashewnuts: 1 Teaspooon
Ginger-Garlic Paste: 2 Teaspoons
Ghee: 2 Teaspoons
Oil: 3 Teaspoons
Bay Leaves: 2
Mace: 1/2 Teaspoon
Mareti Bud: 1/2 Teaspoon
Nutmeg: 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Leaves: 1 Bunch
Salt to taste.

(Check Fudtionary for meanings if you have doubt with the words in orange colour.)
Method
First put a pan on the stove and put some ghee and add cashewnuts,cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,caraway seeds,bay leaves,mace,mareti and nutmeg.

Now after they turn little brown add all the vegetables including greenpeas.After they turn golden brown,add ginger-garlic paste and add some oil and cook for 2 minutes.

Now add washed rice to the vegetables and fry for 2 to 3 minutes and add enough water to the rice and close it with a lid.

When the rice starts boiling and when the water bubbles are visible add salt and close it with a lid,wait till the rice becomes soft.You can also put the rice in a pressure cooker after adding salt.(2 Whistles)

Transfer it to a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with potato-soya masala curry.(http://tastebuds-tabu.blogspot.com/2009/11/potato-soya-masala-curry.html)

* You can also use electric rice cooker to cook the rice after adding salt.

Onion Rice (Ullipaya Annam)

Ingredients
Rice*: 1 Cup
Water: 2 Cups
Onions: 2
Potato's*: 2
Carrot's*: 2
Beans*: 5 or 6 Cutes Pieces
Green Peas*: 1/4 Cup
Tomato*: 1
Split Bengal Gram: 1 Teaspoon
Split Black Gram: 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Teaspoon
Redchillies: 2
Turmeric: 1 Teaspoon
Redchillie Powder: 2 Teaspoons
Oil: 3 Teaspoons
Salt to taste.

(Check Fudtionary for meanings if you have doubt with the words in orange colour.)

Method
   First wash the rice and add water,cuted potato's,carrot's,beans.Now place this in a pressure cooker and wait for 3 or 4 whistles and switch off the stove.

   Now put a pan on the stove and put some oil and add mustard seeds,bengal gram,black gram,redchillies.

   After they stop sputtering add onions,after they turn golden brown add tomato's to it and cook for 3 minutes.

   Now add the boiled rice and vegetables to the onions and add turmeric,salt,redchillie powder and litle oil.

   Serve hot with curd.

Note: Whatever you cook in the pressure cooker you should add some little water in the cooker first and then place any bowl/vessel.If you are cooking directly in the pressure cooker itself,then no need to add extra water to the cooker.

* All the vegetables except onions are optional without these also tastes good.
*No need to cook rice again if  already you have cooked rice which remained extra in the lunch or dinner.
*  You can also add soya chunks.
* You can also use electric rice cooker to cook the rice.

Lemon Rice ( Pulihaara)

Ingredients
Rice : 1 Glass
Water : 2 Glass
Lemon juice/Tamarind juice*: 4 or 5 Teaspoons
Mustard Seeds : 2 Teaspoons
Split Black Gram : 3 Teaspoons
Split Bengal Gram : 3 Teaspoons
Fenugreek Seeds: 1/2 Teaspoon
Green Chillies : 3
Red Chillies : 3
Curry Leaves : 2 Stems of Leaves
Ground Nuts : 2 Teaspoons
Turmeric : 1 Teaspoon
Sugar : 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil : 2 Teaspoons
Salt to taste.

(Check Fudtionary for meanings if you have doubt with the words in orange colour.)

Method
Boil the rice and keep it aside,now put a pan on the stove and add some oil and add all the above ingredients except (Turmeric,Lemon/Tamarind Juice,Salt and Rice).

Now add the roasted ingredients to the rice and add salt,sugar,lemon/thick tamarind juice,turmeric to the rice and mix well.

Serve Hot.

* If you are using tamarind juice then take thick juice from it and let it boil with the ingredients for 2 mins and then add to rice.(This is optional)
** You can also use electric rice cooker to cook the rice .

Plain Rice (Annam)

Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2cups of water.

Method
1. Add water to washed rice and place it in the separator of a pressure cooker or directly in the cooker and close it.
2. Place the weight on the cooker when the steam comes out freely from the chimney.
3. Cook the rice in the cooker for 3 or 4whistles, until it is done.
4. Serve hot.

Note: Whatever you cook in the pressure cooker you should add some little water in the cooker first and then place any bowl/vessel.If you are cooking directly in the pressure cooker itself,then no need to add extra water to the cooker.


** You can also use electric rice cooker to cook the rice.