Mutton Biryani

Ingredients:

4 blsp ghee
1.8 kilo mutton cut into big pieces
1 kilo rice soak in water for 15 mins and strain
6 big or 8 medium sized onions chopped lengthwise
2 tomatoes choppped
8 long green chillies
2 tblsp ginger garlic paste
2 to 3 tblsp chilli pwd (chilli pwd to taste as per spice tolerance)
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
10 alu bukhara (dried plums)
1 pinch saffron grind with sugar and soak in half glass milk
10 cloves
1 finger size cinnamon stick
6 to 8 cardamom whole

Garnish:

1 tblsp ghee
1 onion
Cashewnuts & raisins

Method:

Fry 1 onion in ghee till brown, remove from pan and add cashew and raisins and roast till golden and remove and keep aside.
Fry the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and the remaining chopped onions in ghee till soft, add whole green chillies and fry for 2 mins, Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute, add chilli pwd and fry for 2 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the mix is pasty. Add washed mutton chops, salt to taste and mint leaves and cook till almost done. Now add aloo bukhara and coriander leaves. (I do not pressure cook the meat but that's an option too).
Cook rice in lots of water with salt and oil till al dente but not fully cooked and strain water.
Place pan on tawa, layer pan with mutton masala, add rice over it and press down, add half the saffron milk and fried cashewnuts and raisins. Pour another layer of mutton masala and repeat the process with rice.
Tie the lid of pan with towel and keep on low flame for 10 mins. Switch off flame and do not open the pan for 10 mins atleast.
Serve with fried onions as garnish and blow me kisses ;)

Kori/ Marvai/ Crab Sukka

Ingredients:

1 chicken
1 onion
Curry leaves

Dry masala to be lightly roasted and ground in mixie  -
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tblsp uncooked raw rice
6 long chilli
4 short chilli
15 peppercorns
1 inch cinnamon stick

Wet masala -
6 to 8 garlic flakes
1 tsp jeera
3 tblsp coconut

Seasoning -
1 onion
2 green chillies

Method-

Fry the chicken in a little oil so that it retains its juices. Add onion to the oil and fry till almost brown and add curry leaves and the lightly browned chicken as well as the 'Dry masala'. when chicken is cooked, add the 'Wet masala'.
Heat oil on high flame and add roughly choppped onions and green chilllies. Fry for about 2 mins and add to the dish just before serving.

Shireen Sequira's Raagi Manni

Ragi Manni | Ragi Falooda (Finger Millet Pudding)
Prep time: 5-6 hours (soaking time) | Cooking time: 20 mins | Yield: 9" round dish or 8-10 ramekins

Cup measure used 1 cup = 240ml

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole finger millet (ragi grains, not flour)
• 2 tablespoons raw rice (white rice)
• 1-1/2 cups freshly grated coconut  (to extract 1 cup thick coconut milk + 1 cup thin coconut milk)
• 150-200 grams (approx 1 to 1-1/2 cup loosely packed) grated (or finely powdered) jaggery
• 4-5 cardamom pods, husked and powdered
• 1 tablespoon broken cashew nuts + extra to garnish
• Pinch of salt
• 2-3 teaspoons ghee for smearing (use oil for dairy free version)

Method:

1. Wash the ragi and rice in 2-3 changes of water and soak together in plenty of water for at least 2 hours. 

2. Drain the water and grind the grains with approx 1/2 cup of water to a thick (slightly coarse) paste with a texture of rava/sand. If it is too fine then the husk will slip through the sieve, too coarse and you have underutilized the ragi.

3. Strain the mixture through a tea strainer or thin muslin cloth placed over a deep bowl. Rinse the mixer jar with approx 1/2 cup water and add this to the strainer. Reserve the husk (ground mixture) and grind it once again by adding another 1/2 cup of water and this time strain it through a finer sieve as the husk will be finely ground. Once all the 'milk' has been extracted from the ragi, discard the husk.
4. Cover the bowl and keep it undisturbed for at least 3 hours for the sediment (ragi paste) to settle. After 3 hours carefully strain off the clear liquid at the top of the bowl taking care to see that the sediment doesn't get mixed up. Discard the clear liquid.
5. To extract the coconut milk, grind the grated coconut to a coarse paste using 1/2 cup of hot water. Transfer contents to a bowl lined with thin muslin cloth and squeeze till you get thick milk. You need 1 cup of thick milk. Transfer the coconut back to the grinder and add another 1 cup of warm water to it and grind it fine. Repeat the process to get another cup of thin milk. We need a total of 2 cups of coconut milk.
6. Before you begin the process check if everything is ready (ingredients). Grease a 9" steel thali (plate with tall sides) with ghee. You may also use approx 8-10 ramekins of 150ml each. Reserve 2 teaspoons of ghee to grease your palms while spreading out the manni. Give this process your undivided attention.
7. Lightly grease a heavy based pan or non stick kadhai with ghee (skip this if for dairy free version). Place the ragi paste, coconut milk, 150 grams jaggery, pinch of salt and cardamom powder and stir to mix. Check the sweetness and increase it if you wish.
7. Place the pan over a medium-low heat and stir continuously ensuring that there are no lumps. Continue to cook until the mixture, turns glossy and begins to leave the sides of the pan. This could take about 18-20 mins so have patience. Watch out for the mixture sticking to the base as it could burn easily.
8. When the mixture completely leaves the sides of the pan and looks like a big lump, pour it into the prepared thali, quickly grease your whole palm with the reserved ghee and pat down the mixture evenly and smoothen the surface - do this quickly and use as much ghee as is required.
9. Place the thali on a wire rack to cool down completely. Once cooled, run a knife greased with ghee to make square or diagonal shapes.
10. Garnish with nuts and serve. This dish tastes wonderful when chilled.