quick and easy meals

Shrimp/prawn biriyani

Shrimp/prawn biriyani is a popular dish in South Asian cuisine that combines aromatic spices, long-grain basmati rice, and succulent shrimp/prawns. Here's a recipe to make shrimp/prawn biriyani:

Ingredients:

500 grams of peeled and deveined shrimp/prawns

2 cups of basmati rice

3 onions, sliced thinly

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste

1 cup of plain yogurt

2 teaspoons of biriyani masala

1 teaspoon of red chili powder

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of cumin powder

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons of ghee or oil

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions:

Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, and sauté for a minute until fragrant.

Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomatoes, biriyani masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Add the shrimp/prawns and cook for 5 minutes until they turn pink.

Add the plain yogurt and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.

Add the soaked basmati rice to the pot and mix well with the gravy. Pour 4 cups of water into the pot and bring it to a boil.

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Your delicious shrimp/prawn biriyani is ready to serve!

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is a popular South Asian rice dish that is made with a combination of long-grain rice, spices, and chicken. It is a one-pot meal that is flavorful and aromatic, and it is often served with raita or yogurt.

To make Chicken Biryani, first, marinate chicken in a mixture of yogurt, spices, and lemon juice for a few hours. Then, cook rice separately and set it aside. Next, heat oil in a large pot and add whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves. Add sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. Add the marinated chicken and cook until it is fully cooked. Layer the cooked rice over the chicken, sprinkle some fried onions, saffron milk, and chopped cilantro. Cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes.

Once the Biryani is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes and then serve it with raita or salad.

Ghee rice

Ghee rice, also known as NeyChoru in South India, is a delicious rice dish that is popular in many parts of the country. Here's a simple recipe for making ghee rice at home:

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati rice

3 tablespoons of ghee

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-inch piece of ginger, grated

1 cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of salt

4 cups of water

Instructions:

Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes.

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add ghee and let it melt.

Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute.

Drain the rice and add it to the pot. Stir to coat the rice with ghee and spices.

Add salt and water to the pot. Stir to combine.

Increase the heat to high and bring the water to a boil.

Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.

Enjoy your delicious ghee rice!

Chicken Pulav is a popular Indian rice

Chicken Pulav is a popular Indian rice dish that is made with marinated chicken pieces, aromatic spices, and basmati rice. Here is a recipe for Chicken Pulav:

Ingredients:

500 grams of basmati rice

1 kg chicken, cut into pieces

2 onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

3-4 green chilies, slit

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2-3 bay leaves

2-3 cinnamon sticks

4-5 cardamom pods

4-5 cloves

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

Salt to taste

4-5 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons ghee

2 cups water

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions:

Wash the basmati rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and cloves. Saute for a few seconds.

Add sliced onions and green chilies and saute until the onions turn golden brown.

Add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute for a minute.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft.

Add chicken pieces and cook until they turn slightly brown.

Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt to taste. Mix well.

Add soaked rice and saute for a few minutes.

Add 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of ghee. Mix well.

Cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes on low flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Your Chicken Pulav is now ready to serve. Enjoy!