Rose Phirni or Firni

Phirni or Firni is a traditional Indian dessert, made using rice flour, milk and sugar. It is generally served in an earthenware and served chilled. The recipe I am sharing is of Rose Phirni. Here is what you need :

Ingredients :
500 ml milk
1.5 tbsp rice flour.
125 gms sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
few drops of Rose essence
Red color ( optional)

Method :

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once the milk starts to boil, take 2 tbsp hot milk in a mixing bowl and mix the rice flour. Combine both and the mixture should be smooth and lump free.
2. Now add this mixture to the milk. Cook until milk thickens. Keep stirring. Now add sugar, cardamom powder, rose essence. Add the colour if required.
3. Simmer for 2 mins more then switch off the gas.
4. Pour the mixture over the serving bowls. Keep in the refrigerator and let it cool for at least one hour. Serve chilled.

Egg Biryani

On weekends we usually cook non-vegetarian food for me and dad only. So, today I thought of making Egg Biryani. Beautiful and delicious it was for sure. Each separate grain of rice had the best flavours I could give. Luscious eggs just made the best partner. Here is a recipe for you to enjoy your Weekend.

Ingredients :

Rice : 1 cup
Eggs : 4
Onions : 2 ( fried julienned)
Onions : 2 (for the masala)
Tomato : 2, chopped

Green Chillies : 1 , slit into half

Ginger- Garlic paste : 1 Tbsp

Turmeric : 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1/2 tsp

Cardamom, Cloves : 1 tsp

Garam Masala : 2 Tbsp

Biryani Masala : 2 Tbsp

Ghee : 4 Tbsp

Coriander & Mint : A fistful

Salt as per required.

saffron : 1 tsp. ( soaked in milk)

Food color :  Red ( optional)

Pre- Preparation

1. Soak the rice for at least 1 hour, before starting. After that, boil 1 litre of water on the gas, add the cardamom and cloves . Once it starts boiling, add the soaked rice and cook it for 10 mins. Once it has half cooked, drain the rice and lay it over a wide plate to cool down. This also allows te rice to stay separate. In one bowl, take some rice, add little bit of red food coloring and mix well. Pour the saffron Milk mixture in rest of the rice and keep it aside.

2. Meanwhile, hard boil 4 eggs. and keep them aside after peeling the shell.

3. Thinly slice the onion and keep it under the sun for at least 1 hour before deep frying them. As they are done drying, deep fry till nice and golden brown and lay them over a kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.

Method :

1. In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee, add the chopped onions , ginger garlic paste , tomatoes and green chillies. Fry them nicely, till the fat slowly separates from the masala. 

2. Add garam masala  and biryani masala. Mix well, add the turmeric & red chilli powder. Now add the eggs. (Do NOT cut the eggs now, cut them while serving)keep them whole. Mix gently and let the eggs soak in the masala. Add half of the Mint and Coriander.

3. Remove the eggs from the pot. Now, make the first layer of rice. Now gently put the eggs. Now cover it up with the remaining. Add a dollop of ghee, add the rest of the Mint & Coriander . Cover the pot with foil, and cook for 10 min on low flame.

3. After 10 mins, open the foil, serve the Biryani on a big plate, garnish with lots of Mint & Coriander and lots of fried onions. Serve piping hot with chilled Onion or Boondi Raita, or you can even give it a twist by serving this Biryani with lovely Roated Beetroot & Garlic Raita ( Link : http://mykitchencronicles.blogspot.in/2015/01/roasted-beetroot-garlic-raita.html )

Pickled Vegetables

I love the Pickling process. It is easy and earns out good quality Pickle, that is a great accompaniment to anything that we cook. Including our desi dishes. This season seems to be perfect for Pickling. And so I am taking the advantage by making some carrot cucumber and onion Pickle.

Ingredients :
1 cup each of your favorite vegetable. (I love Carrots, Cucumbers and Onions.) you can use Reddish, Cauli, Broccoli, Beetroot etc.
1 Tbsp of Fresh or dried spices/Herbs ( I used Pepper and Star Anise)
4-5 cloves of garlic
2-3 Green Chilli
1 cup of your favorite Vinegar. I like using Apple Cider. So I used 1/2 cup of Apple Cider and 1/2 cup of White Vinegar.
1 cup of Filtered Water
1 Tbsp of salt
1 Tbsp of Sugar.

Method :

1.Cut the vegetables into desired shape. Rinse in under a tap of cold water and the  pat dry them with a kitchen towel. Make sure they are completely dried.
2. In a sauce pan, add all of the water and the vinegar, salt and sugar and let it simmer till the sugar dissolves. As the sugar dissolves, keep this vinegar mixture to cool down thoroughly.
3. Meanwhile, in a sterilized jar, put all the vegetables, spices and herb, and garlic, chillies and try to push it down. It might seem that there is no space for the brine. But don't worry you'll will get enough space for the brine.
4. As the vinegar mixture cools down, portable it into the jar till all the vegetables are submerged. Don't worry even if the bride is filled till the rim of the jar.
5. Put the lid on, make sure it is tight, and flip it upside down so that the brine spreads completely in the jar.
6. Keep this jar in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks to get better tasting Pickle. 3 weeks will give best results.
7. Add this pickle into your Salad, Sandwiches or as a side dish with your roast Chicken or eat it as it is.

Sun Dried Tomatoes Made at Home.

Sun dried Tomatoes in olive oil add a gourmet touch to your regular Salads, Sandwiches or breads. But when you buy it in a gourmet store the price is exorbitant. But then it's so easy to make SDT's at home. Yes!! And they can be made in large quantity and better than what we get in stores.
We are blessed with good scorching and blistering sun this season, so make good use of this and make tons of Sun Dried Tomatoes.

Ingredients
500 gms good quality ripe yet firm tomatoes.
1 Tbsp Basil / Thyme
2 Tbsp Salt
Olive oil
Garlic 5-6

Method:

1. Wash the tomatoes and pat dry using the kitchen towel.
2. Cut the tomatoes into slices. Lay the tomatoes on a tray.
3. Sprinkle Salt, Basil /Thyme
4. Let it sun bath/Sun dry for 2 days alteast. At night, cover the tray with a dry muslin cloth to avoid any insects to sit on the tomatoes.
5. Let the tomatoes dry completely, yet be quit firm. If dried too much they might turn hard and rubbery.
6. After 2 days of drying, keep these tomatoes in a air tight jar add the garlic cloves , add oil just till the tomatoes are submerged .
7. Use these sundried tomatoes in your favorite Salad, Sandwiches or even on pizzas or Foccacia.
Enjoy!!

Note : Sun Dried Tomatoes with olive oil, can last upto 4-6 weeks. It depends upon the storage conditions. Make sure you keep it in the refrigerator after use. 

Thai Green Papaya Salad or Som Tum

I loveeeeeee Thai food. The combination of sweet, sour and spicy makes it perfect. Som Tum is famous raw Papaya Salad. It's a famous Street food delicacy. This salad is great on its own, esp during summers, when you don't feel like eating daily meals. Som Tum is also a accompaniment to sticky rice, that's how the Thai people eat. And this can be made without a mortor and pestle.

All you need is :

1 small green raw Papaya, finally  julienned or chopped into matchstick like pieces.
1/2 cup roughly torn spinach
1 cup or more cherry tomatoes,
1 cucumber cut into rings
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
3 spring onions, finally chopped
1 clove garlic, minced1 fresh
red Chilli and Green chilli diagonally sliced. 
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil.
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup fresh coriander

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, take finely Minced Garlic, soy sauce, red and green Chilli, vegetable oil and sugar. Mix well till all the ingredients are emulsified.
2. In a salad bowl, add the shredded Papaya, torn spinach, Tomato, cucumber, carrots onions. Now add the dressing and give it a toss using your hands. Make sure the dressing is coated properly.
3. Lay the salad over a big plate, top it off with crushed peanuts and sprinkle coriander.

Enjoy!!!