The other day, I slid over snow that now has morphed into rock solid ice, right outside of my side of my side garage door that we now use to take the dogs out. I tried to grab hold of an imaginary post but all my hands could grasp was frozen air. My head straight away went to the glass sliding door next to the said garage door and said hello. The reply was painful, as if the door wanted to use that moment to complain that it has been stuck, and neglected.
picture courtesy viral images on Facebook 😀
Can’t blame it though. Everyone here is complaining. The roofs’ are complaining, the roads are complaining, the newspapers are complaining, the cars are complaining….you get the picture.
Not mine. Facebook again.
Everyone in Massachusetts is complaining against the newest residents of this state.
A Facebook viral picture
Mr L8H planned for a short trip to a city called Gloucester which is famous for its fishing port. The night before we learned the city is under siege and the Mayor has suggested all residents stay indoors as the day is sunny and will aid the snow workers in cleaning the city before the Sunday storm. Oh well.
When it snows, you stay on Facebook
Hot and spicy food is the order of the day. Biriyanis are always a super hit in my house. Today’s biriyani gets a special mention as it’s very close to my heart. I picked up the recipe from a women’s magazine long time ago. That was the time when all they wrote about was recipes, beauty and raising kids, unlike today when all they write about is recipes, beauty and raising kid. It was also as a student, when my culinary skills were limited to scribbling down fancy recipes in a neat recipe notebook with crafty penmanship, that often translated into nasty kitchen catastrophes when tested in practical settings.
Thankfully, I have left those major cooking calamity days far behind, for most part that is.
- 2 cups long grained basmati rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 cups water
- 6-8 florets of cauliflower
- ½ cup green peas
- ½ cup carrots cubed to ¼ inch pieces
- ½ cup french green beans, rinsed, trimmed and quartered
- 1 large potato
- ½ cup ghee
- 1 large onion sliced fine
- ½ tsp shahi jeera
- Whole spices: 1 black cardamom, 3 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp powdered kasoori methi
- 6-8
- ½ cup whipped hung curd/Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup warm milk
- 1 full pinch saffron strands
- 2-3 drops kewda essence (or biriyani essence)
- 1 tsp rose water
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- ½ cup cilantro chopped fine
- 2 tbsp mint leaves chopped fine
- Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
- In half cup warm milk, add kewda essence,rose water and soak the saffron strands
- Boil 8 cups water with 1 tsp salt. Peel the potato, wash and put it in boiling water. Switch off the flame, cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. After that, pick the potato, keep aside, and bring the water back to boil. Add cloves,cardamom and bay leaves. Add rice and cook till ¾ done. Drain and spread it out to dry a bit.
- In ½ cup ghee, fry half of the sliced onions till brown. Using a slotted spoon, strain the onions and transfer onto a paper towel. Spread evenly to dry.
- Reduce the ghee to about 2 tbs, add shahi jeera, black cardamom and bay leaves. Reserve the rest of the ghee.
- Add rest of the onions, fry till golden, then put in ginger and garlic paste. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the vegetables. Saute well.
- Next, add whole spices, red chili powder, turmeric powder, green chilies.
- Cook till oil floats on top.
- Spoon in yogurt, one spoon at a time, till it's all added. Keep the flame low, let the yogurt mix. Cook on low for five minutes, stirring gently every once in a while.
- Add water, bring to a boil, add the potato, cover and cook for 10 minutes on the low till done.
- In reserved ghee, saute the nuts.
- Layer the vegetables at the bottom of a heavy pan (I used dutch oven).
- Layer with rice on top.
- Spread a layer of cilantro and mint.
- Add the dry fruits on top.
- Gently pour the saffron milk on one side.
- Cover with a tight lid, seal the edges with dough.
- Cook on low for 10 minutes (dum).
- Serve garnished with fried brown onions with a side of raita
Note: At step 8 you can add 1heaped tsp of red chili flakes to make it really hot. That’s how I like it. But that’s optional so didn’t add it in the main recipe.
You also check out the recipe of Hyderabadi dum biriyani. While the cooking method is almost identical, the two biriyanis taste very different. Enjoy!
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