Biryani

Can be made in Chicken, Beef, Mutton, Fish or Vegetarian types. A mix of eastern spices like cardamom, cumin, turmeric and bay leaves combined with marinated meat/vegetable cooked in basmati rice, this Mughal era dish is a treat for your palette!

Recipe

Ingredients (Marinade):
½ kg chicken
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1¼ tablespoons ginger garlic paste (1 inch ginger & 4 garlic cloves crushed)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
½ to 1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Other ingredients:
1 bay leaf
4 green cardamoms
6 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 star anise
¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 strand mace
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoon ghee or Oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
¼ to ½ cup mint leaves, chopped fine (about 15 leaves)
1 green chili (slit or chopped)
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 cups water
¾ teaspoon salt (to stir in water)

Instructions

Preparation:

1. To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp salt, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice & red chili powder.
2. Mix up well and taste the marinade. Add more salt and spice if needed.
3. Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade & mix well. Cover and set aside for about 1 hour.
4. Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins.

How to make chicken biryani:

1. Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
2. Add whole spices - bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cumin & mace.
3. When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions & fry them evenly, stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
4. Add chicken & sauté until pale for 5 mins on medium heat.
5. Cover & cook on a low flame until the chicken is cooked or tender. Sauté to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
6. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Add ¼ cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, 1 slit green chili, ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder & 1 teaspoon garam masala.

Layer:

1. Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom.
2. Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
3. To a separate bowl, pour 3 cups water. If cooking in a pot use 3 ½ cups water.
4. Add ½ to ¾ tsp salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty.
5. Pour 2 cups of this water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice.
6. Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons mint leaves. Optionally add 2 tablespoons fried onions & saffron soaked milk if using.
7. Pot method: Cover and cook on a low flame until the chicken biryani is done to your liking. If the rice is still undercooked, pour ¼ to ½ cup boiling water and cook further. When done, it has to be fully cooked yet remain grainy.
8. Cooker method: Set flame to medium high, cover & place the whistle. Cook for 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further.
9. Rest until the pressure settles. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork.

Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from the bottom layer.
Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies.

Lahori Chikar Chole

Traditional chickpea curry from Lahore, cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and a rich blend of spices. Best served with naan or steamed rice.

Ingredients:
2 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight)
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
2-3 green chilies, chopped
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook soaked chickpeas until tender.
2. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, then fry onions until golden brown.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, and spices; cook until oil separates.
4. Add cooked chickpeas, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Adjust salt.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Masoor Daal

Red lentils cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices until soft and creamy. A nutritious and hearty staple dish in Pakistani homes.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils (masoor daal)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander for garnish

Instructions:

1. Rinse lentils and boil in 3 cups of water until soft.
2. Heat oil, fry cumin seeds, then onions until golden.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt; cook until tomatoes soften.
4. Add cooked lentils, simmer 5-10 minutes, adjust consistency with water if needed.
5. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with coriander before serving.

Gajar Ka Halwa

Sweet dessert made from grated carrots, milk, sugar, ghee, and cardamom. Slowly cooked to a soft, rich consistency and garnished with nuts.

Ingredients:
500g carrots, grated
500ml milk
100g sugar
2 tbsp ghee
4-5 green cardamoms, crushed
Nuts for garnish (almonds, cashews)

Instructions:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add grated carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add milk and cook on low heat until carrots are soft and milk evaporates.
3. Add sugar and cardamom; continue cooking until mixture thickens.
4. Garnish with nuts and serve warm.