Spinach Chickpeas Biryani
We are huge biryani fans. I usually try to make different kinds for variety and keeping it exciting. This Spinach Chickpeas Biryani is something I make often. It is full of nutrition and tastes delicious. I usually make this on weekdays, which means this has to be a quick dish or atleast something that does not need hands-on time. This works perfectly, with all the shortcuts I manage to take.
Pictorial:
Spinach, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillies
Grind to a smooth paste with just little water
Pressure cook chickpeas
Cook basmati rice with black cardamom, cloves, cinnamom, salt
Fry onions
Add tomato (I used green tomatoes, use any kind)
Add the paste
Fry till the oil separates
Add chickpeas, carrots
Add the rice on top, then saffron milk
Cook on very low heat for 30mis
Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice 1 cup chickpeas 1 cup spinach 1/2 cup coriander leaves 4 green chillies 2 cloves garlic 1″ ginger Few strands saffron + 2 tbl spn milk 2 tea spns biryani masala 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup onions 1/2 cup tomatoes 3 cloves 2″ cinnamon 2 black cardamoms (or green cardamom) Salt Method: Wash rice and add 3 cups water (little less than needed to completely cook rice), salt, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom. Grind together spinach, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic and little water. Heat oil and fry onions. Add tomatoes (I used green tomatoes, use any kind), salt. Now add the biryani masala, fry for few minutes. Add the paste, fry till the raw smell goes away. Now add the cooked chickpeas, carrots, cook it down to a thick gravy. Cover the gravy with cooked rice. Add the saffron to warm milk and mix it to get the bright color. Spoon the milk on top of rice. Cook on low for 30mins. Switch off heat and leave it undisturbed for another 15mins. Serve hot with raita. Serves :4-5 Preparation time: 90mins Notes : You can layer it in multiple layers of rice and chickpeas gravy. I just layer the rice on top of gravy to save time. Add a layer of fried onions on top for extra crunch. Any biryani masala is ok, here is a homemade version . Instead of cooking on stovetop, it can be finished in oven. I just prefer stovetop cooking.
Mooga Khichdi
This green moong sweetdish – Mooga Khichdi is a traditional Konkani dish specifically prepared for the festival of Sankranti . Mooga Khichdi is also called Moog Shijayile, literally means cooked moong.
Mooga Khichdi is prepared during Sankranti and a little of it kept on the window for the birds to eat. It is believed that Sankrant Purush(God of this festival) comes in the form of a crow to eat the food. This is a classic example of Konkanis worshipping, feeding the animals, birds surrounding us. After it is offered to god, this Mooga Khichdi is consumed.
This Mooga Khichdi is flavored just with ghee and cardamom. When it is being cooked, the delicious aroma of the dish fills the entire house. Based on the quality of jaggery used, this can become very dry or very juicy/wet. Aayi usually prepares the moong dal khichdi – mooga dali khichdi for Sankranti instead of this since that was the sweet made in her maternal home. Both have their own deliciousness.
Ingredients: 1 cup green moong 1 cup jaggery 1/2 cup coconut 1 tbl spn ghee 5-6 cardamom
Method: Cook green moong in pressure cooker till it is cooked through. If the moong is very old, make sure to soak it in water for 1 hr. Heat ghee and add moong, jaggery, coconut. Cover the lid and cook till jaggery is melted. Mix well and take off heat. Add powdered cardamom. Mix well.
Serves : 3-4 Preparation time : 20 mins
