It has been a long time… 10 months without blogging… but it has been 10 amazing months, because you see, I have an adorable help in my kitchen… In Spanish, to give birth is said dar la luz, litterally “give … Continue reading
(la traduction en français arrive sous peu…)The name “biryani” come from the Persian word beryān/biryan which means “fried” or “roasted“. There are many kinds of biryanis and it is a festive dish both in Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines. The origin of biryani in India comes from the Moghol dynasty (originally from Persia) who brought many delicate and eleborated dishes to the already rich Indian cuisine. Biryani is made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice, meat or vegetables and yogurt. Unlike pulao in which all ingredients are cooked together, the main components of biryani are cooked separately, then layered and finally slowly cooked in the oven.
2 dl milk
2 cardamom pods, crushed
a pinch of Saffron strands
1 teaspoon rose water
150g (1cup) Basmati rice
2 cups spiced water
a few saffron strands
1/2 teaspon salt
1 tablespoon Ghee (or neutral oil, such as sunflower)
1 medium onions,chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
½ cup green peas
salt to taste
¼ cup yogurt
½ cup spiced water
200g paneer, cubed
1 tablespoon Ghee (or neutral oil, such as sunflower)
1 medium onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1cm ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon ghee (or neutral oil, such as sunflower)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
3 tablespoons cashews
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh peppermint leaves
2 cups wholemeal flour
Water to knead the dough (about 1/3 cup)
Method:
1. Prepare the spiced water: put the water and the spices indicated under “spiced water” in a pot and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Drain and keep aside.
2. Prepare the spiced milk: put the milk, cardamom pods and saffron in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool, remove the cardamom pods and add the rosewater.
3.Prepare the paneer:Heat the ghee in a pan, add the onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes, add the spices. Fry for 2-3 more minutes. Add the paneer. Stir well to coat it with the spice and fry for a few minutes. Keep aside.
4. Prepare the vegetable: Put the ghee in a pan, add the onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes, add the spices. Fry for 2-3 more minutes. Add the vegetable, season with salt and pepper and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 cup of spiced water and the yogurt. Simmer until the vegetable are nearly cooked (about 10-15 minutes).
5. Prepare the garnish layer: Heat the ghee in a pan, add the onions and fry them until golden brown. Add the cashew and almonds. Fry for 2 more minutes. Keep aside and add the chopped herbs.
6. Prepare the rice: Rinse the rice until the water is clear. Put in a pot and add 2 cups of spiced water and 1/2 a teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let is stand for 10 more minutes.If there is water that has not been absorbed, drain it.
7. Prepare the chapatti dough: slowly add a little water to the flour until combined. Knead for 2 minutes. Keep aside.
8. Layering the biryani: Preheat the oven to 210°C. Spread one layer of rice in a pot. Sprinkle about 2-3 teaspoons of spiced water and 2-3 teaspoons of spiced milk on the rice.
Add the vegetables, spreading them evenly. Cover with one thin layer of rice, sprinkling about 2-3 teaspoons of spiced water and 2-3 teaspoons of spiced milk on the rice.
Add the paneer, spreading it evenly. Add a thin layer of rice, sprinkling about 2-3 teaspoons of spiced water and 2-3 teaspoons of spiced milk on the rice.
Add the garnish ingredients and finally, top it with a final layer of rice. Sprinkle with about 2-3 teaspoons of spiced water and 2-3 teaspoons of spiced milk on the rice
Take 1/3 of the dough and roll it in a 1 cm diameter log. Place it around the edge of the pot. Roll the rest of the dough in a circle, a bit bigger than the diameter of your pot. Cover the pot with it, pressing the edges on the log, so that it is well sealed.
Put in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.Then, reduce heat to 180°C and cook for 20 more minutes.
When serving, cut off the bread lid and stir the biryani with a spoon to combine all the flavours.
notes:
1. If you are short of time, you can prepare steps 1 to 5 the day before and keep all the items in the refrigerator.
2. It is not necessary to seal with a chapatti. You can seal the pot with a tight lid or with foil, tightly wrapped around the pot.
3. You can add cauliflower and/or other veggies. Similarly, paneer can be omitted or replaced by boiled eggs.
(en français, plus bas)
I once read that the perfect salad should be a blend of different flavours and different textures… It is a very simple advice that I always keep in mind when choosing the ingredients for a salad.
Take this peach and quinoa salad for example: there is the sweetness of peach and their smooth texture, contrasting nicely with the slight crunch of the quinoa and the real crunch of the walnuts… But there is also the slightly bitter taste of arugula and spinach and a little hint of tanginess added by the redcurrants… Added to these are the vibrant yellow, red and green colours and you will have a feast for the palate and the eyes! I bet it is pretty healthy, too and call it a great addition to any summer table!
note to my dear readers: Life can sometimes be so hectic. Days are so short for all the things that have to be done… These days, my time for blogging and blog hopping has reduced significantly and I am very sad about it. I hope you won’t mind too much! I am looking forward to having more time to visit and comment on my favourite blogs, soon.
Hugs and love from your always Sweet Artichoke
ingredients for 4 servings:
1 cup red quinoa
100g baby spinach leaves
100g arugula
3 peaches, cut into 8-12 slices
2 tablespoons walnuts or pecan nuts, coarsely chopped
30g dry salted cheese (I used Sbrinz, aSwiss cheese, that can be replaced by Parmeggiano cheese)
1 tablespoon red currants
dressing:
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon jerez or balsamico vinegar
Method:
Rinse the quinoa. Cook according to instructions on the paquet. For me: cook in twice its volume of water for 10 minutes.Then,cover with liand let it rest for 10 more minutes. Season with salt. Keep aside.
Wash the peaches. Slice them into thin slices (about 8 to 10 slices per peach) and put them in a big salad bowl.
Rinse the spinach and arugula and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put them in the bowl. Add the red currants and walnuts.
Season with salt and pepper, add the olive oil and vinegar. Toss well.
Before serving, sprinkle with shavings of cheese.
I am sending this peach & quinoa salad to Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, who is hosting this month Veggie/Fruit a Month and has chosen to put the spotlight on peaches! A veggie/fruit a month is an event started by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan’s Recipes.
J’ai lu il y a quelque temps de ça que la salade idéale devrait être à la fois un mélange de différentes saveurs et textures… C’est un conseil très simple que j’essaie toujours de garder à l’esprit lorsque je choisis les ingrédients d’une salade.
Prenons cette salade de pêche et quinoa par exemple: il y a de la douceur de la pêche et sa texture lisse, qui contraste agréablement avec le léger croquant des graines de quinoa et le croustillant des noix … il y a aussi le goût légèrement amer de la roquette et des épinards et un léger goût acidulé ajoutés par les groseilles … Ajoutons à cela des couleurs vives et joyeuses: jaune, rouge et vert et on obtient un régal pour le palais et les yeux! Je pense qu’elle est en plus assez saine, qu’on peut donc considérer qu’elle est parfaite sur toute table estivale!
Ingrédients pour 4 personnes:
1 tasse de quinoa rouge
100g de petites feuilles d’épinards
100g de roquette
3 pêches, coupées en 8-12 tranches
2 cuillères à soupe de noix ou noix de pécan hachées grossièrement
30g fromage sec salé (j’ai utilisé du Sbrinz, un fromage suisse, qui peut être remplacé par du Parmesan)
1 cuillère à soupe de groseilles rouges
vinaigrette:
sel et poivre
3 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive
1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre balsamique ou de xérès
Préparation:
Rincer le quinoa. Cuire selon les instructions sur le paquet. Pour moi: le faire cuire dans deux fois son volume d’eau pendant 10 minutes.Puis, couvrir avec un couvercle et laisser reposer pendant 10 minutes. Assaisonner avec du sel. Mettre de côté.
Laver les pêches, les couper en fines tranches (environ 8 à 10 tranches par pêche) et les mettre dans un grand saladier.
Rincer les épinards et la roquette et les éponger avec du papier absorbant. Les mettres dans le saladier. Ajouter les groseilles et les noix.
Assaisonner avec du sel et du poivre, puis ajouter l’huile d’olive et le vinaigre. Bien mélanger.
Avant de servir, parsemer de copeaux de fromage.
