Chhole Pulao | Chickpea Pilaf [Video]

Chhole Pulao is a spicy rice main made with chickpeas or kabuli chana. This vegan and gluten-free rice is made by cooking fragrant Basmati rice with a spicy tomato based masala and boiled chickpeas.

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Chhole Pulao - a combination of two of my favorite dishes - chhole and pulao, now encompassed into one dish! Growing up, this was our Sunday lunch (mostly). My mom made her famous Pulao and Chhole on Sundays and on special occasions. It was a family favorite. The idea of combining both and making one dish originated from Instagram. A long time ago, one of my favorite Instagrammers, thegutlessfoodie posted her meal of a Chhole Pulao, albeit without chickpeas in there. I loved the idea and took on to making this dish. It has been a success. 

This Chhole Pulao simply put, is made by cooking a dry version of our regular Chhole or chickpea curry and mixing in cooked Basmati rice. It is an easy to make meal and it can be prepped well in advance. You can cook the chickpeas a few days ago and store them in the fridge, for an even easier approach, just buy canned chickpeas. The Basmati rice also can be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge. You can also make it with leftover rice, any variety you have. I personally like cooking the masala fresh, because it really doesn't take much time, but you can also make this in advance and on the day of the meal, just combine the three.

For the past two weeks, I have been stressed with very little time at my hands to cook a meal. It is at times like this, that recipes like Chhole Pulao come very handy. As far as I prep everything on the weekend, the weekdays seem easier.

Since the Chhole Pulao is a carb-heavy dish, so it ends up satiating you. I call it comfort food. Chhole Pulao is a plant-based meal that fits well into the Vegan lifestyle. It can be served as a main dish at festivities and celebrations. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Chhole Pulao Recipe | Chickpea Pilaf Recipe

Chhole Pulao is a spicy rice main made with chickpeas or kabuli chana. This vegan and gluten-free rice is made by cooking fragrant Basmati rice with a spicy tomato based masala and boiled chickpeas. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpeas, boiled
0.75 cup raw Basmati Rice
0.75 cup Tomato Puree
2 Onions
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Tbsp Chhole Masla
1 tsp Coriander Powder
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the Basmati rice 4-5 times until the water runs clear. Soak the Basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, boil 1.25 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Cover and cook on low heat until the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Heat oil in a large kadhai and add in the cumin seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds splutters, add in the sliced onions. Fry until the onions are golden.
5. Add in the ginger-garlic paste. Saute until fragrant.
6. Add in the chhole masala and the coriander powder and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add in the tomato puree and cook on low heat until the liquid evaporates and the masala thickens.
8. Add salt to taste and mix well.
9. Add the cooked Basmati rice. You can also use any leftover rice instead of Basmati rice.
10. Mix well until completely combined. You can adjust seasoning at this stage.
11. Sprinkle kasuri methi and mix well.
12. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
13. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Methi Rice

Tava Pulao

Chana Masala

Read more ...

Lauki Kofta Biryani Recipe | How to make kofta biryani [Video]

Lauki Kofta Biryani is a spiced vegan rice dish made with fried dumplings of bottle gourd (lauki), spices, mixed vegetables and fragrant long basmati rice.  Perfect for Sunday lunch!

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Wanna know a secret?

We NEVER eat biryani in restaurants!

At least, I may once in a blue moon, but Raj absolutely detests biryani from restaurants. But whip it up at home and he'll enjoy it. We are yet to find a restaurant biryani that hits all the right buttons for us. We usually find that restaurant biryanis are high on spice and low on flavor, either have no vegetables or have undercooked vegetables and like all takeout, extremely greasy. No wonder he abhors it, which is quite surprising for a lot of friends. Bangalore is almost Biryani Town, with at least 2-3 biryani outlets on every main road and here, there are people who won't even look at one.

So, once in a while, just to treat ourselves, I put on my chef's hat and cook up a biryani that suits our tastebuds and our sensitive tummies. I add spices for flavor but reduce the chilli powder, so we still taste flavor, but not get burned by the heat. I always add a lot of vegetables, because I simply love the different textures. And a Biryani isn't a Biryani for me if it is not made with fragrant Basmati rice. 

The story of this Vegan Lauki Kofta Biryani, goes back a few months, when I was irritated with Raj for being fussy during vegetable shopping. He kept rejecting all my choices of vegetables for the week, that I lost it and made him shop what he wanted for the whole week. In came the lauki or bottle gourd, one of my least favorite of the veggies. I'm not sure even he likes it. But there it was staring at me from my fridge for a week. And finally on a Sunday, when I was in a good mood, I decided this lauki deserved to be finally eaten and this Lauki Kofta Biryani was born. And since, I've made it multiple times and we've all had a hearty sunday lunch.

Lauki Kofta Biryani, as the name suggests, contains koftas or fried dumplings made from grated lauki. The water from the grated lauki is squeezed out and a few spice mixes are added for flavor. I added chickpea flour or besan and corn flour as the binding agent to make the koftas. You can add potatoes or breadcrumbs or even grated paneer. I've tried with Paneer and it gave me these amazing rich and chewy koftas. You can either shallow fry the koftas, pan fry the koftas or even deep fry them. If your kofta feels crumbly after cooking, add it to the biryani only while serving, instead of cooking it in the masala.

I added a lot of boiled vegetables to the Biryani, but you can skip it and let only the kofta shine. If you want to add vegetables, you can add cauliflower, beans, carrots, green peas, potato, or broccoli. Cut them chunky and cook them to your liking. I like my beans completely cooked, while my cauliflower still crunchy. 

Use aged Basmati rice to get the best results. I always cook my biryani rice with spices for added flavor, but if you don't have whole spices, you can give them a miss. Or if you want a change, you can also cook the rice with saffron for a richer feel. 

The masala made with onions and tomatoes is what imparts flavor to the biryani. A Biryani does take more oil than a pulao, don't skimp on it too much, it will impact the flavor. The oil is what ensures that the rice takes on the flavor of the masala. I used store bough biryani masala, you can grind whole spices to make your own too. 

Lauki Kofta Biryani can be prepped in advance too. The rice can be cooked a few days before and so can the masala. Vegetables too can be boiled in advance. I would only suggest making the koftas fresh.

Biryani tastes best when served with raita or salan. You can try this Boondi Raita to go with the Biryani,

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Lauki Kofta Biryani

Lauki Kofta Biryani is a spiced vegan rice dish made with fried dumplings of bottle gourd (lauki), spices, mixed vegetables and fragrant long basmati rice.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     90 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the Lauki Kodta

1 Bottlegourd
3-4 Tbsp Besan (chickpea flour)
1 Tbsp Cornflour
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

For the Biryani

1 cup Basmati Rice
2 medium Onions, sliced
1 cup Tomato Puree
2 cups mixed boiled Vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, beans)
0.5 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
0.5 cup Mint leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Biryani Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Shah Jeera (Caraway seeds)
1 Tbsp Dagad Phool (black stone flower)
2 Cloves
1 Green Cardamom
1 Black Cardamom
1 Bay leaf
0.5" Cinnamon
4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 4 to 5 times until the water runs clear. Soak in 2 cups water and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, boil 1.5 cups water in a pan and add 0.25 tsp salt, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bayleaf and cinnamon to the water. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
3. Drain the rice and add to the water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.
4. Allow to cool uncovered.
5. To make the kofta, peel, cut and deseed the bottle gourd. Grate or shred the bottle gourd.
6. Add a little salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, squeeze out the water from the bottle gourd.
8. Take the squeezed bottle gourd in a bowl. Add in the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, corn flour and besan. Mix well until combined. If the batter feels wet, add more besan.
9. Heat oil for frying the koftas, you can either deep fry or shallow fry the koftas.
10. Shape the koftas and fry until browned and crisp. Remove from heat and keep aside.
11. Heat 4 Tbsp oil and add in shah jeera and dagad phool. Saute for 30 minutes.
12. Add in sliced onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
13. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
14. Add the tomato puree and cook on low-meidum heat for 6-8 minutes or until oil separates.
15. Add in the biryani masala and turmeric powder, mix well. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
16. Add in chopped coriander and mint leaves.
17. Add in the boiled vegetables and the kofta. Mix well until combined.
18. Add in the basmati rice and mix until completely combined.
19. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Soya Biryani

Jackfruit Biryani

Mushroom Biryani

Methi Rice

Ghee Rice

Corn Spinach Pulao

Raw Mango Rice

Mint Rice

Palak Rice

Read more ...

Mavinkayi Chitranna Recipe | Raw Mango Rice Recipe [Video]

Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is a vegan South Indian sour and spicy mango flavored rice made from tart raw mangoes and leftover rice. Mango Rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. Raw Mango Rice is also gluten free.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

A quick weeknight fix. That's exactly what this Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is.

We've had a week of thunderstorms here in Bangalore and it's been scary. I scare easy, but thunder has never scared me, but I have been pretty jumpy the last weekend. The sound was akin to the sky ripping apart and a few of these extremely loud ones even managed to wake me up. Although we've been swamped with unseasonal rains, I still believe it is Summer, because mangoes, you know. While Bangalore really doesn't have a season for most things, that is, you can find pumpkins and beets all year round, but Mangoes, come only once a year in Summer. So when Summer gives you mangoes, you make sure you make use of it to the fullest. Ripe, raw and everything in between. If you like Mangoes, as much as me, you may also enjoy these other Mango recipes:

AAM PANNA
INSTANT MANGO PICKLE
RAW MANGO GOJJU
HAGALKAI MAVINKAYI GOJJU
MANGO CHEESECAKE
FRUIT TART WITH MANGO CREAM
AAMRAS / MAVINKAYI SEEKARNE

I usually shop for the week on Saturday and then prep my veggies for the week ahead. Amidst the thunder and the crazy winds and the heavy downpour, I barely managed to get any meal prep done last weekend. So this Raw Mango Rice just pulled me through Monday. No prep really required, except may be cooking the rice.

Mavinkayi is the Kannada word for raw mangoes and Chitranna, well that's just colorful rice. In all other seasons, Chitranna is made using lemons or limes, but come Summer, tart raw mangoes are the preferred choice. Mavinkayi Chitranna is more of a South Indian fried rice in which leftover rice is tossed with a raw mangoes.

To make Mavinkayi Chitranna, use firm and tart raw mangoes. All green mangoes aren't raw, so pick carefully. Once you have the raw mangoes and some leftover rice, you are all sorted. To make the Raw Mango Rice, all we do is make a tempering of mustard seeds, a few lentils and then toss in grated raw mango along with turmeric and salt and allow the raw mango to cook down slightly. Then toss in the rice and add salt and mix well. Yes, it's as simple as that.

This tastes amazing with a side of Mango pickle, yes more mangoes, or a simple raita.

P.S. - This is a repost of a 2015 post. Only video is added and a few photos. Recipe remains the same.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Mavinkayi Chitranna Recipe | Raw Mango Rice Recipe

Mavinkayi Chitranna or Raw Mango Rice is a vegan South Indian sour and spicy mango flavored rice made from tart raw mangoes and leftover rice. Mango Rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. Raw Mango Rice is also gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Rice
0.5 cup Raw Mango, grated
2 Tbsp Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tbsp Urad Dal
1 Tbsp Chana Dal
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1-2 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp Water
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut to garnish
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
2. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the chana dal and the urad dal and saute until lightly browned.
3. Add in the peanuts and curry leaves and fry until the peanuts are browned.
4. dd in the grated raw mango, turmeric powder, salt and a little water and cook until the mango softens slightly.
5. Add in the rice and mix well.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut.
7. Serve hot.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Spinach Pulao

Ghee Rice

Mint Rice

Read more ...

Jeera Rice Recipe | How to make Jeera Rice [Video]

Jeera Rice or Cumin Rice is a simple flavorful rice main made by cooking Basmati rice with whole and ground cumin seeds. Jeera Rice is earthy, fragrant, healthy and delicious. It also fits into various diets - vegan, gluten-free and plant based with no or minimal alterations.

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I always considered December as the slowest month of the year at work. With everyone in the world looking forward to the holidays and doing their last minute holiday shopping, baking boozy cakes, and making travel plans. This year hasn't turned out to be that - Slow. Come December, and I've been busier than usual at work, and it may have something to do with the holidays. May be everyone wants to complete what they started before going off to enjoy some quality time with family. And that means we are all working twice as hard and scrambling to get stuff done at office. All in all, extremely exhausting and stressful. Add in all those pending treats from friends and dinners with family. It's led to me barely cooking on weekdays.

And when I am stressed out or busy, all I look forward to is comfort food. And my idea of comfort food is simple Indian food, especially, Rice. I hate to say this, but I think I secretly like rice. I spent a better part of my life, telling people how much I hate rice and how much I love wheat. If it was a battle of the cereals, my teenage self would have fought front and center of the wheat army. But now a days, I realize that although I eat wheat more regularly than rice, I tend to lean towards rice when I need comfort. And with such chaos at work, I've never needed more comfort. And this Jeera Rice is that and more. It is flavorful comfort food that is easy on your body and time.

This Jeera Rice is not hot nor heavy on the spices, but it is definitely not flavor less. It has loads of that earthy cumin flavor. Plus it has the fragrance of Basmati Rice. You can get all chefy on this recipe and add all sorts of whole spices, but I kept it simple. Of all the spices out there, Cumin has to be my favorite. I add cumin to my tadka all the time.

You can make Jeera Rice two ways, one by tempering leftover rice with cumin seeds and the other by cooking raw rice along with cumin seeds. This recipe is the latter. I made this Jeera Rice in a pressure cooker, you can also make it in a pan or in a rice cooker. Jeera rice is Vegan, gluten free and healthy. It can also fit into a plant based diet, by totally eliminating the oil in the recipe.

Jeera Rice is almost always accompanied by a flavorful Dal. There are several recipes of Dal on One Teaspoon Of Life that will go wonderfully with this Jeera Rice.

• Restaurant style Dal Fry
• Pancharangi Dal or Panchmel Dal
• Palak Dal
• Heerekai Tove
• Dal Makhani

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Jeera Rice Recipe

Jeera Rice is a vegan and gluten free rice main dish made by cooking basmati rice along with cumin seeds.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     50 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Basmati Rice
1.5 cups Water
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 Green Chilli, chopped
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 5-6 times until the water runs clean. Drain and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds.
3. Once they brown slightly, add in the chopped green chilli.
4. Add the basmati rice and mix until the oil coats the rice grains.
5. Add in the water and cumin powder.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 5-8 minutes after the pressure builds up.
8. Serve hot with dal.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Corn Spinach Pulao

Ghee Rice

Mint Rice

Read more ...

Mint Rice Recipe | How to make Pudina Rice | Pudina Pulao Recipe [Video]

Mint Rice or Pudina Pulao or Pudina Rice is a simple vegan one pot dish of fragrant Basmati rice cooked along with a fresh mint puree, vegetables and spices. Perfect for weeknights when you are short of time.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Monday blues came in early this week. I had a one day weekend. Just Sunday… Sigh! I technically had a Saturday, but that was spent attending an event at Office and all my usual Saturday stuff landed into my Sunday and I was left with no rest day.

Between my load of laundry and dusting the house, I have absolutely no idea where that Sunday just disappeared into thin air. Literally, I blinked and my weekend was over.

I’m a planner, at least I try to be most of the times. Not necessarily execute all that I planned but plan I do. My weekly meals are all well planned on Saturday. I buy all the groceries and vegetables over the weekend and chalk out a small menu on a post it and stick it onto my fridge. This way I don’t need to stress out on weekdays wondering what to cook next. I still fret around about what to cook, but that fretting is now limited to Saturdays. I also wash all my vegetables and fruits on the weekend and sometimes chop them and store them in the fridge to make my weeknights easier. With my erratic work schedule, I need all the prep I can do.

Guess what happens when the planner loses one day of prep time. She panics!!!

That’s when come out simple recipes that can be whipped up in a jiffy. And so I made this evergreen Mint Rice or Pudina Rice. I did not have to go out and buy anything. Well… at least not the hero of the dish – the Mint. I’ve spoken a lot about my little Mint patch many times before, so I won’t bore you with that once again. 

This Mint Rice requires no prep in advance at all. It also uses exactly 2 vessels – the blender or mixer and the pressure cooker. Just blend together the mint, coriander leaves, spices, ginger and garlic and cook it along with the rice and some optional vegetables in the pressure cooker. You can use your rice cooker or even a deep saucepan to make this Mint Rice.

I added potato, tomato and green peas. You can skip them or go ahead and add vegetables like green beans or broccoli. I assure you it will taste amazing. 

Mint Rice tastes great with mixed vegetable Raita or plain yoghurt.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Mint Rice | Pudina Rice | Pudina Pulao

Mint Rice is a one pot dish of rice cooked along with a mint puree, vegetables and spices.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     35 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped Mint leaves
0.5 cup chopped Coriander Leaves
0.75 cup Basmati Rice
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 Potato
0.25 cup Green Peas
1-2 Green Chilli
1 Tbsp chopped Ginger
1 Tbsp chopped Garlic
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
0.25 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Cloves
1" Cinnamon stick
1 Bay Leaf
0.5 Lime
3-4 tsp Oil
1.5 cups Water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice until the water runs clean. Drain and keep aside.
2. Slice the onions and chop the tomato. Peel and dice the potato.
3. In a blender or mixer, blend together the mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, cumin powder and juice of half a lime along with 1-2 Tbsp water to a smooth paste.
4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and the bay leaf.
5. Fry for 1 minute on medium heat or until fragrant.
6. Add the onions and fry until browned slightly.
7. Now add the green peas, potato and tomato and fry for 30 seconds.
8. Add the mint-coriander paste and mix well.
9. Add in the rice and mix well.
10. Add 1.25 cups of water, garam masala and salt to taste.
11. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 5-8 minutes after the pressure builds up.
12. Serve hot with raita.

Read more ...

Soya Biryani Recipe [Video]

Soya Biryani is a spicy vegan layered rice dish made with nutritious soya chunks, mixed vegetables and fragrant long grained Basmati Rice.

If you love Biryani, you have arrived at the right place. This Soya Biryani is meaty, spicy and fragrant and perfect when you crave carbs and something spicy. 

To be honest, I am not a Biryani fanatic like a lot of my friends. While a lot of my friends can eat biryani for every meal, I'm usually the one who refuses to accompany them and I'd rather settle for a simple meal of roti and a dry sabzi with lots of fresh coconut. But I enjoy the spicy indulgence occasionally, especially on a real bad work day or on Sundays, when I have all the time in the world to give to the Biryani.

This Biryani recipe is my go-to recipe. I've made it with raw jackfruit, with mixed vegetables and with mushrooms, changing it ever so slightly at times. When I have ghee at home, I use that instead of the oil. When in mood, I use sour yogurt instead of tomatoes. But I keep the spicy masala the same, for the simple reason, because it works!!

While there are good instant biryani recipes, to make the best Biryani, you need to give it love and time. You need to coax out the flavor of the spices by gently cooking them in oil. The tomatoes need to soften and come together with the spices. The birista or the fried brown onions needs their own time to crisp up and develop the flavor. While you may not miss much if you leave these steps out, but you will love it when you make it with patience.

This Biryani uses mini soy chunks as the main ingredient. Since soya chunks are porous and meaty, they absorb the flavors of the spices perfectly. Cook the soya nuggets or chunks as described on the packet or just soak them in hot water and squeeze out the water to use them. 

This Soya Biryani can be prepped in advance - the birista can be made much in advance and store it in a air tight jar until you need to use it, the vegetables can be parboiled the previous day, the rice can be washed and cooked the previous night as well. And if you know you are going to be stretched for time the day you want to make Biryani, make the masala - until you cook the tomatoes, in advance and store it in the fridge. The oil and salt will preserve the masala well. Add the vegetables and soya chunks on the day you want to make the biryani.

Biryani is best served with raita and if you like more spice, then salan.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Soya Biryani Recipe

Soya Biryani is a vegan layered spicy rice dish made with nutritious soya chunks and mixed vegetables cooked in a spicy tomato masala and fragrant basmati rice.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     90 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 cup raw Basmati Rice
0.75 cup mini Soya Chunks
1 small Carrot
5 green Beans
1 medium Potato
1 large Onion
2 medium Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
3 Tbsp fried Onions (Birista)
3.5 Tbsp Oil
0.5 cup Mint leaves (Pudina)
0.5 cup Coriander leaves (Dhania Patta)
1 tsp Caraway seeds (shah jeera)
2 Green Cardamom
3 Cloves
0.5" Cinnamon
0.5 tsp Stone Flower (Dagad phool)
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Bay leaf
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Coriander Powder
0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Biryani Powder or 1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 5-6 times until the water runs clear. Soak for 20-30 minutes.
2. In the mean while, chop the carrot, beans and potato into chunks and parboil them with a little salt.
3. Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 15 minutes and squeeze out the water once soft. Or cook the soya chunks as instructed on the packet.
4. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a pan and add a pinch of salt to it.
5. Drain the basmati rice and add to water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is almost done. Remove from heat and fluff the rice when slightly cool.
6. Roughly crush the green cardamom, cloves, stone flower, fennel seeds and cinnamon.
7. Heat 3 Tbsp oil and add the caraway seeds.
8. Add the roughly crushed spices and bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
9. Add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the onions are browned.
10. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.
11. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, biryani masala or garam masala powder and salt and mix well.
12. Cook on low heat until the tomatoes are soft. Adjust salt or spices as required.
13. Add the soya chunks, parboiled carrots, beans and potato. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
14. In a clean non stick kadhai, spread out half the cooked masala.
15. Layer half the basmati rice on the masala.
16. Top with half of the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and the fried onions (birista).
17. Sprinkle a little salt and add 0.5 tsp of oil.
18. Layer the remaning soya masala.
19. Layer the remaining rice.
20. Top with the remaining chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried onions.
21. Sprinkle a little salt and add the remaining oil.
22. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes.
23. Mix while serving. Serve hot with raita.

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