Vegetable Dum Biryani

Almost any kind of rice dish is comfort food for an Indian. My son, born and raised American, definitely has India in his blood ;-) because he is most definitely a rice eater. A quick 20 minute meal tonight called for Vegetable Biryani. Loads of vegetables and spices and white rice make for the perfect comfort food. 

Vegetable Biryani

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (6 Servings):

1. 1 cup long-grain Basmati rice
2. 1 small red onion
3. 2 cups vegetables (I used shredded carrots, green beans, shelled edamame and shiitake mushrooms)
4. 2 tsp ground Cumin
5. 2 tsp ground Coriander
6. 1 tbsp Garam Masala, or to taste
7. Salt and Pepper, to taste 
8. Hot Sauce, or any Spicy Indian Pickle

Directions:

Dum Biryani

In a deep stock pot, add 1/2 cup water and red onion. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the other vegetables and all dry spices (save 1 tsp Garam masala). Once the vegetables are tender, rinse rice in tap water to get rid of any dust and add to the pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Then, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until rice is tender (~10 min). Turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining garam masala over the rice and replace the lid. Add a weight (a few cans of beans) to the lid and let sit for 5-7 min. This is the 'dum' phase - literally it means adding strength. What it does is allow all the flavors to blend, allows the rice to absorb any remaining water and the whole dish becomes fluffy. 

He's 100% a Sawhney kid. Loves his rice, just like Nanu!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 155 (Fat Calories 5)
Total Fat 0.6 g; Carbohydrates 33.7 g; Fiber 2.6 g; Sugars 2.9 g; Protein 4.6 g

*Nutrition Facts Added March 25, 2013 (Using 1 cup peas, 1/2 cup carrots and 1/2 cup Corn).

Indian Hummus

I recently saw a clip from HLN TV where Julienna Hever demonstrated an Indian Hummus Dip. I thought that was a cool idea and finally decided to make it today. It turned out great!! The recipe is freely available on the internet, so I've posted it here. The credit of course, goes to Julieanna.

Indian Hummus

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 can of Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), drained & Rinsed
2. Juice of 1 lemon (~3-4 tbsps)
3. 2 tbsp Tahini (Sesame butter), drain the oil on top.
4. 1 tbsp Maple syrup
5. 1/2 tsp Turmeric
6. 1 tsp Curry Powder (or Garam Masala)
7. 1 clove of Garlic (1 tsp minced)
8. Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
9. 1/2 cup Water
10. 1 cup Raisins (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything together and blend until smooth. Julieanna's original recipe called for 1 cup raisins to be mixed in the hummus after it was smooth. I didn't use any today. Also, I used Penzey's Sweet Curry powder since I have a small jar at home, but once that runs out, I'll be using Garam Masala to replace it. I had it tonight with some sliced cucumbers and will be enjoying the rest of it through the week with a bunch of other stuff. Love the fact that its homemade and hasn't been sitting on the refrigerated shelf @ Kroger's!! :)

Tacos de Papa

Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos) is a great breakfast dish and is often served in Tex Mex cuisine as a Breakfast Taco.  Having lived in Austin TX, I really miss breakfast tacos. This morning I had some Red potatoes that were were to sprouting shoots in the next day or so and I knew I wanted to use them. Here's what I came up with. 

Tacos de Papa

Ingredients:

1. 6-8 red potatoes, diced into small chunks
2. 1 tsp minced Garlic
3. 1 tbsp Onion flakes
4. 1-2 tsp Cumin
5. 1-2 tsp Taco seasoning
6. Salt and Pepper, to taste
7. Salsa, to taste
8. 2-4 Tortillas (I prefer corn, but all I had today were flour!).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes and all spices, and add a splash of water. Toss everything together until spices are evenly distributed. Spray a baking sheet with a thin film of cooking spray and spread potatoes in a single layer. Bake uncovered until golden brown; you may need to toss them a couple of times in between. Warm tortillas by wrapping in aluminum foil and placing in the oven along with the potatoes for the last couple of minutes. Once potatoes are done, remove from oven, and wrap in warm tortillas with a little bit of salsa. Yum! 

Notes & Options:

* These potatoes can also be eaten as a side-dish with whatever else you may be having for dinner. ** Toss these crispy potatoes into a salad instead of croutons, for some no-fat crispy croutons. *** If you don't want the oven on in this heat, you can easily make this in a skillet, except the potatoes don't get as crispy as they do in an oven and sometimes get a little mushy. **** Eat these potatoes with some Tofu Scramble if you're looking to add some protein to the meal.