Chicken and Rice Soup

My sister mailed me this recipe when my boys were unwell. It is a very popular Korean dish. It is very simple and healthy with no spices and no oil. To make it even more healthy, I added loads of veggies in it. Also I did not use a whole chicken, but chicken breasts. And while serving, I did not separate the chicken from the soup. My boys ate this without any complains!! This is my first soup post!!!!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast: 1 pack
Rice: 1 cup
Garlic: 1 cup
Veggies: 1 cup cubed (carrots, peas, beans, cauliflower, potatoes)
Eggs: 2
Spring Onion: 3
Salt and Pepper: as per taste

Method:
1. Wash the rice and soak it for an hour.
2. Clean the chicken and trim off the fat.
3. Place the chicken in a large pot, and add around 8 to 10 cups of water.
4. Add 1 cup garlic and boil for 15 minutes on a high flame. Then turn down the heat, cover and cook for 15 more minutes.
5. Drain the rice, and it to the chicken. Also add the veggies.
6. Remove any fat floating on the top with a spoon.
7. Boil covered for 20 more minutes.
8. Meanwhile, chop the spring onion stalks and beat the two eggs.
9. Once the chicken is tender and falling off the bones, season with salt and pepper.
10. Add the Spring onion, and the eggs, stir and cook for 3 more minutes.
11. Serve hot and enjoy.

Dal Makhani

Its been a long time since I blogged. My boys keep me on my toes all day long, so blogging becomes a bit difficult. I decided to start with Dal Makhani, an all time favourite with everyone. I found the perfect recipe on Malabar Spices . Only difference is that I did not use canned tomatoes, only fresh ones. The end result was just great. My entire family loved it.

Ingredients:

To pressure cook:

Split Black Gram (Urad dal): 1 cup

Bengal Gram (Channa dal): 2tbsp

Red Kidney Beans (Rajma): 1/4th cup

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Ghee: 1 tsp

For the seasoning:

Green Chillies: 3

Garlic: 1 1/2 tbsp chopped

Onion: 1 1/2 cup chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Tomatoes: 5 medium

Tomato Paste: 2 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder: 2tsp

Kasuri Methi Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Oil: 2-3 tsp

Butter: 2-3 tsp

For garnishing:

Butter: 2tbsp

Fresh Cream: 1/2 cup

Corriander leaves: a handful

Method:

1. Soak the black gram dal, bengal dal and red kidney beans overnight. in lots of water.
2. Rinse the dal properly and pressure cook with ghee and the ginger garlic paste. Cook till the dal is mushy.
3. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Fry the onion, garlic and green chillies, till the onion is translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute a bit more.
4. Then add the tomatoes and salt and saute till the tomatoes are cooked. To this, add tomato paste, red chilli powder and garam masala and cook.
5. Next add the cooked dal, some salt and water and simmer constantly over a low flame for around 20 minutes. 
6. When the dal seems cooked, add the kasuri methi (it should be crushed in the palms to release the flavours better)
7. Garnish with butter, cream and corriander leaves.

Veg Handi Biryani

Wishing everyone a Belated Happy New Year!!!
Got this awesome recipe book set as a gift from my mom. "Tasty Eating for Healthy Living" by Sanjeev Kapoor. It is a set of five books. I made Veg Handi Biryani from Volume Four.  I just made one change to the original recipe. I added paneer and capsicum as well.The dish turned out very good. My boys ate it happily which means that it was good. :) It is a very good dish for fussy eaters.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1 1/2 cups
Carrot: 1 cut in cubes
Cauliflower: 1/4 medium separated into florets
French beans: 10-15
Green Peas: 1/2 cup
Capsicum: 1 medium
Paneer: 200 gms
Onions: 4 medium
Saffron: a few threads
Kewra: a few drops
Salt to taste
Green Cardamoms: 2-3
Black Cardamom: 1
Cloves: 2-3
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1
Oil: 3 tsp
Caraway seeds: 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Yogurt: 3/4 cup
Tomatoes: 2 chopped
Coriander leaves: for garnishing
Mint leaves: for garnishing
Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Chop one onion and slice the others.
2. Soak the saffron in kewra water.
3. Boil the rice in four cups of salted water with the green cardamon, black cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves, until 3/4th done. Drain and spread the rice on a cotton cloth. This way all the grains of rice will be separate from each other. 
4. Boil the carrot, cauliflower, french beans and green peas together in three cups of salted water till 3/4th done. Drain and refresh under running water.
5. Heat half the oil and saute the sliced onions till golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel.
6. Heat the remaining oil. Add the caraway seeds, and when they change colour, add the chopped onion and saute till golden.
7. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir well. 
8. Next add the coriander and turmeric powder, and the yogurt, and mix well.
9. Then add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat till the oil separates from the masala.
10. Add the boiled vegetables, capsicum and paneer and mix well.
11. Arrange alternate layers of the vegetables and rice in a handi. Sprinkle saffron flavoured kewra water, coriander leaves, mint leaves, sauteed onion slices and ghee over every rice layer. Make sure you end with the rice layer topped with the garnishes.
12. Cover and seal with aluminium foil or roti dough. 
13. Keep the handi on a tawa and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
14. Serve hot with raita or dal and papad.