1,000 Indian Recipes (289 page)

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cup coarsely chopped mixed raw nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts

2 tablespoons melted ghee, or 1 tablespoon each ghee and peanut oil

2 (1-inch) sticks cinnamon

6 whole cloves

5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

3 to 4 cups washed and chopped mixed fresh vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, and peas

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

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teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the rice. Meanwhile, soak the saffron in milk 30 minutes or longer. Place the nuts in a small skillet and dry-roast them over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan, until golden, about 3 minutes. Reserve.

2.
Heat the ghee (or ghee and oil) in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, about 7 minutes. Mix in the ginger-garlic paste and green chile peppers and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3.
Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, and cook until most of it is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To assemble the biryani, baste the bottom of a clear oven-safe dish with some of the juices from the vegetables and spread half the rice in the pan. Layer all the vegetables over the rice and top with the lime juice, cilantro, and mint. Then spread the remaining half of the rice over the vegetables.

5.
Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice and cover well with aluminum foil. Bake the rice until the grains are soft and the flavors are well-blended, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, fluff the rice lightly with a fork, garnish with the roasted nuts and cardamom seeds, and serve.

Layered Rice with Fragrant Mixed Nuts and Saffron

Dry-Fruit ki Biryani

Makes 4 to 6 servings

In India, a country where nuts are very expensive, this dish signals elegance and sophisticated special-occasion cooking. In America, we can enjoy it more often. Just remember that all nuts are rich in fat, so eat in moderation. Here, I do not soak the rice; instead I fry it until it is lightly golden and then I cook it.

1
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teaspoons
Mughlai Garam Masala with Nutmeg and Mace
, or garam masala

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teaspoon saffron threads

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cup light cream, half and half, or whole milk

1
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cups
Crispy Fried Onions

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cup
Crispy Fried Fresh Ginger

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, and pine nuts

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cup raisins

1
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cups basmati rice, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

2
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cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon coarsely ground green cardamom seeds

1.
Prepare the garam masala. Soak the saffron in the cream or milk about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fried onions and ginger.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat and cook the nuts and the raisins, stirring, until the nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add the garam masala; it should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the rice and cook over high heat, stirring carefully by shaking the pan, until lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

3.
Add the water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan (partially at first until the foam subsides, and then snugly), and cook until most of the water has been absorbed but the rice is not yet fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

4.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To assemble the biryani, lightly grease the bottom of a clear oven-safe dish with some ghee (or butter or oil) and spread half the rice in the dish. Layer the roasted nuts and raisins over the rice, then spread the remaining half of the rice over the nuts.

5.
Drizzle the saffron cream over the rice, garnish with the fried onions and ginger, and cover well with aluminum foil. Bake the rice until the grains are soft and the flavors well-blended, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, fluff the top of the rice lightly with a fork, making sure that some of the nuts are visible, sprinkle the cardamom seeds on top, and serve.

Hyderabadi Layered Rice with Cooked Chicken

Pukki Murgh Biryani

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This outstanding
biryani
from my friend Yasmin AliKhan is as much a work of art as it is an object for greedy consumption. It takes a fair amount of time and assembly, and, if you are like Yasmin's mother and aunt, this dish takes much more—love, precise monitoring of heat, consistency of ground spices, and perfect layering of every element. Needless to say, the dish is worth prefecting.

This is a one-pot meal to be served with yogurt only, so make a generous allowance for each person.

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recipe
Hyderabadi Chicken Curry

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teaspoon saffron threads

2 tablespoons milk (any kind)

1 cup
Crispy Fried Onions

1
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cups basmati rice, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

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teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1.
Prepare the chicken. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the saffron in the milk, 30 minutes or longer. Prepare the fried onions.

2.
In a medium bowl, soak the rice in the water and salt, 30 minutes or longer. Drain over a bowl and save the drained water. Put the drained water in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Mix in the rice and cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, until most of the water has been absorbed but the rice is not yet fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain the rice and discard the water (or use it for soups).

3.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To assemble the biryani, baste the bottom of a large oven-safe dish with a spoonful or two of the sauce from the chicken dish and spread half the rice in the dish. Layer all the chicken over the rice. Top with the lime juice, cilantro, and mint, then spread the remaining rice over the chicken.

4.
Drizzle the saffron milk on top, scatter the crispy onions on the rice, and cover well with aluminum foil. Bake until the chicken literally falls off the bone, the rice grains are soft, and the flavors are well-blended, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, fluff the top of the rice lightly with a fork, sprinkle the cardamom seeds on top, and serve hot.

Hyderabadi Layered Rice with Marinated Chicken

Kacchi Murgh Biryani

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here, marinated chicken is cooked along with the rice instead of separately, as is common for most other
biryanis
. This dish, replete with all the mouthwatering Hyderabadi flavors, is another terrific 1-pot party dish.

4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

8 to 10 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems +
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cup finely chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 (2- to 2
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-pound) chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces (discard back and wings)

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teaspoon saffron threads

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cup milk (any kind)

1
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cups basmati rice, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water