KEEMA BIRYANI

Yet another non-vegetarian dish from the holy city of Varanasi. Keema biryani was something I learnt from a chef. I tasted Keema biryani for the first time at "Dastarkhwan" and I was so in love with this particular biryani variety that I couldn't resist meeting the chef and asking him his signature dish. So here's the delectable Keem biryani for all..

Ingredients:

500 grams Minced meat (keema)
2 cups Basmati rice (soaked)
2 tablespoon Ghee
1 cup yogurt
1 large onion (sliced)
2 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
2 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 cup milk
50 grams butter (melted)
2 teaspoon rose water
3 teaspoon Benarasi Bhuna Masala
(2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 tablespoon cumin seeds, 8 cloves, 6 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 dried red chilli – all roasted and powdered)
1 bunch finely chopped mint
Water
A pinch of saffron (soaked in 2 tablespoon milk) –edible food colour can be used.

How to Make:

* Heat ghee in a pan, add onion and cook it on a medium flame.
* Add ginger paste, garlic paste and mix well.
* Add coriander powder and red chilli powder and let the spices get a nice colour.
* Add the keema to it and mix well.
* Add two cups of water, cover the pan and let the keema cook on a low flame for about 20 minutes.
* Once the keema is cooked, transfer it into another pan, add milk and butter and let it cook for another 5 minutes. The keema will have some thin gravy to it.
* In another pan, boil 4 cups of water and add the soaked rice and cook for 10 minutes. The rice should be half cooked.
*Once the rice is done, strain out the extra water and keep the rice aside.
* Take a large copper/iron pot and grease it well using some melted butter.
* Pour in half the keema, top it with some chopped mint and add a layer of rice. Add one teaspoon of the saffron mix.
* Pour in the rest of the keema and top with a layer of mint, rice and saffron mix.
* Cover the pot using aluminium foil let the biryani cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes.
* Your lipsmacking Keema Biryani is ready to eat

JEERA GOSHT

The best place to conduct experiments is the KITCHEN, at least it has been my laboratory. Jeera Gosht was an experiment that came out so well that it became a favourite at home. No long history of this recipe,(at least I am not aware of it) just an experiment...

Lamb meat 500 grams
2-4 garlic cloves (smashed)
2 tablespoon white oil
4 tablespoon onion paste
4 tablespoon garlic paste
1 ½ tablespoon ginger paste
6 tablespoon cumin (jeera) paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt, to taste
3 teaspoon red chilli paste
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
2 bay leaves
4-5 green cardamom
6-8  pepper corns
Water

 

HOW TO MAKE:

* Boil the lamb meat with the garlic cloves and a pinch of salt.
* Heat the oil in a pan; add the cardamom, pepper corns and bay leaves.
* Once the spices turn brown, add the garlic paste and ginger paste. Once the ginger and garlic paste is cooked well, add the onion paste.
* Add turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well. Add cumin paste and red chilli paste.
*Once the spices are done add the boiled lamb meat and mix it well.
* Add a cup of water to the pan, cover it and cook it for 10 minutes on a low flame.
* After 10 minutes, remove the cover and mix it well.
* Your Jeera Gosht is ready to serve, goes great with rotis and parathas.

 

 

Machhi Tamatar Ka Saalan (Fish and Tomato Curry)

Benaras (or Varanasi, as you call it) has forever been famous for its ghats, Vishwanath Temple, Benarasi saaris, paans and the Benaras Hindu University. Being a Hindu pilgrimage centre all you expect from the cuisine of Varanasi is some nice and good vegetarian food and some absolutely soul stirring sweets. But wait, there's something for the non vegetarians too. You may not get non-veg food so easily on the streets of Varanasi, but there are places where get some amazing non veg food.


Ingredients:

Rohu fish (Labeo) 500 grams (pin boned)

Ghee 1 tablespoon

2 medium Onions (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon ginger paste

2 teaspoon garlic paste

1 ½ cup Tomato puree

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

2 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoon Benarasi Bhuna Masala
(2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 tablespoon cumin seeds, 8 cloves, 6 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 dried red chilli – all roasted and powdered)

1 cup water

HOW TO MAKE:

* Marinate the pin boned fish with lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Keep it aside for about 45 minutes.

*In a pan heat the ghee, add garlic paste and ginger paste. Once the paste is nicely fried add the chopped onions.

* Add 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 teaspoon red chilli powder. Mix it well.

* Add the tomato puree and stir well.

* Add 2 teaspoon of the Benarasi bhun masala.

* Once the mixture starts boiling, add the marinated fish and mix it well with the spices.

* Add a cup of water, cover the pan and simmer the flame and let the fish cook for about 15 minutes.

* Add the black pepper powder and mix it well.

* Serve the saalan with piping hot rice and enjoy a Benarasi meal.