Vegetable Biryani & Karimeen Pollichathu

350 g basmati rice . washed and soaked for 20 minutes
120 g ghee
5 g whole garammasala ( 4 cloves , 4 cardamoms and 4 cinnamon sticks )
100 g onions , chopped fine
8 green chillies , slit lengthwise
50 g ginger - garlic paste
10 g chilli powder
Salt to taste
100 g potatoes , peeled and cubed
100 g carrots , cubed
100 g French beans , diced

75 g green peas , shelled
5 cm ginger , juliennes
A few strands of saffron , soaked in a little milk
20 g mint leaves , chopped
20 g coriander leaves , chopped
A pinch of cardamom - mace powder

Heat a little ghee in a pan. Add half of the whole garammasala, saute until it begins to crackle.

Add the onions and brown them , add half of the green chillies , ginger paste , chilli powder and salt. Saute for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables and stir fry for a while till they are well coated with the masala.

Add enough water and cook till done.

Bring plenty of water to a boil. Add salt the remaining whole garammasala. Add rice and cook till three - fourths done. Drain out the water.

T ake the pan with the cooked vegetables . Sprinkle half of the ginger juliennes , green chillies and half of the saffron milk , mint leaves and coriander leaves. Spread half of the rice over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining juliennes , saffron milk , mint leaves and coriander leaves.

Then spread the remaining rice over.

Place a moist cloth on top, cover with a lid and seal withattadough.

Put the sealedhandiondum( seal lid with atta dough ) on low heat or in apre- heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Break the seal , shift the rice from top of thehandiand remove the vegetables to make a bed of vegetables in a rice dish, spread the rice on top . Serve hot withraita.

Nutritional value of each serving - 677.7kcal
Proteins : 10.2 g

1 heaped teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon vinegar
Salt to taste

1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder
10 small red onion ( shallots / sambar onion ) sliced
3 - 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
3 springs curry leaves
1 cup ( 100 ml ) thick coconut milk extracted from coconut or dilute 25 g coconut milk powder with 100 ml water
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 inch piece ginger , chopped fine

1 plantain leaf , washed and dried

Clean the fish and make gashes on both sides. Rub with the marinade and keep aside for half an hour.

Make a paste red chilli powder , turmeric, pepper and coriander powder with a little water .

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the onions, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves for 5- 8 minutes or till golden color and a nice aroma. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and add the masala paste and sauté on a low heat till the masala starts leaving the sides of the pan.

Add marinated fish and coconut milk. Add sautéed onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Simmer on low heat until fish is coated with thick gravy. The gravy should not be watery.

Carefully remove the fish and place it on the banana leaf. Don’t let it break. Spread the thick gravy on top the fish .

Wrap the fish with the banana leaf and tie it securely with cotton thread or vazhanaaru.

Microwave for a minute or two; or keep in a non stick pan, cover and cook for a minute or two till a delectable aroma emerges.

Serve hot with rice / kutharichoru / appam.

Recipe credit - India Today