This is another recipe sent to me by my pachi (aayi’s sister). I hardly buy shrimp here as we are not big fans of the huge fresh shrimp or the frozen ones that are available in small sizes. I am yet to find small fresh ones – probably I need to check out Asian markets sometime. So this recipe stayed in my inbox for a long time. Finally last week, I prepared this. I wasn’t sure how Ishaan – who had never tasted shrimp before or V – who is not fan of any seafood biryanis, would take it. But both of them loved it. So I am going to make this again soon. The potato slices at the bottom give a great taste to it.
I loved the biryani masala used in this. So I made a big batch and refrigerated it. I have used this masala for other biryanis also, it turns out great.
For rice: 10-15 medium size shrimp 2 sliced potatoes 2 cups basmati rice 4cups water 4 cloves 2 cardamoms 3-4 Pepper 1 bay leaf 1" cinnamon 2-3 tbl spn chopped coriander leaves 1 tbl spn fried cashews (optional) Salt
For gravy: 1 and half cup chopped onion 1 tea spn ginger garlic paste 1 cup tomato 1 tea spn chilli powder A pinch turmeric
Biryani masala: 1 tea spn Cumin 1" cinnamon 4 Pepper 2 cardamom A small piece nutmeg 2 mace (japatri) 3 cloves 2-3 red chillies 1 bay leaf 1 tea spn coriander 1/2 tea spn fenugreek(methi) seeds 1 black cardamom (I did not use this)
Method: Roast the biryani masala ingredients and powder it. Heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, bay leaf, rice and fry. Add 4 cups hot water and prepare rice. To sliced potato add turmeric, red chilly powder. Heat oil add ginger garlic paste and cut onions and tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric, biryani powder and fry. Add prawns and one cup water and cook till done. Now gravy is ready. Add oil in thick bottomed pan. Arrange the potato slices in the pan. Add one layer of rice. Add gravy, add fried onions. Again add rice, gravy, and fried onions in layers. For garnishing add fried onions, fried cashew nuts and cut coriander leaves. Cook for 15mins.
Serve hot.
Serves : 4 Preparation time : 45mins
Pictorial:
Although I love cooking, I am not very enthusiastic about making sweets. Even when I make them, I hardly eat any. Now that Ishaan is also not a fan, I have lost complete interest. So when I get some questions about sweets, I have hard time answering them. When I started making this, I was worried if I would get sugar syrup right. But there turned out great.
Ingredients: 2 cups almonds 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1 tbl spn ghee (optional, gives a great aroma) 1/2 tea spn cardamom powder
Method: Dry roast the almonds and powder them. (I like to use the almonds with their skin. You can also blanch them, peel and then powder). Apply some ghee to a plate (I used a rectangular cake pan). In the pan, take sugar, water and let it cook till the syrup is of one string consistency. Now add the almond powder, ghee. Mix and cook for few minutes till the mix thickens a bit. Take off the heat and cardamom powder. Mix well. Spread the mix on the plate. Let it cool for few minutes. Then cut into desired shape.
Preparation time : 40mins
Pictorial:
