Multicoloured mixed vegetable raita Soya granules Biryani

Soya granules Biryani Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes.

Ingredients

1. 1 ½ cup basmati rice
2. 1 cup of soya granules soaked in milk
3. 3 – 4 tablespoons of ghee
4. 1 inch stick cinnamon
5. 2 – 3 green cardamoms
6. 3 – 4 cloves
7. ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
8. ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
9. 3 medium chopped onions
10. 1 tbsp garlic paste
11. 1 tbsp coriander powder
12. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
13. 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
14. 3 – 4 large chopped tomatoes
15. salt to taste
16. 1 cup parboiled green peas
17. 2 – 3 chopped green chillies
18. 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
19. 1 tsp garam masala powder
20. 2-3 onions sliced and fried
21. fresh mint leaves for garnishing
22. rose petals for garnishing
23. 1 chopped tomato for garnishing
24. a few strands of kesar soaked in 2 tbsp of milk

Method

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan, add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, caraway seeds, and cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add chopped onions and continue to sauté. 
2. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and a little water to onions and continue to sauté. 
3. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and tomatoes. Mix and sauté. Add salt and mix.
4. Add soaked soya granules, green peas and green chillies. Cover and cook. 
5. Boil soaked rice till three fourth done. Drain. 
6. Add chopped coriander leaves and half a teaspoon of garam masala powder to the soya granules gravy and mix well. 
7. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Take an earthenware pot (mitti ki handi). Put a layer of half the parboiled rice over which layer half the fried onions, mint leaves, rose petals and saffron dissolved in milk. 
8. Sprinkle some garam masala powder and pour the soya granules in gravy. Again put layers of the remaining rice, fried onions, mint leaves, rose petals, saffron milk and garam masala powder. 
9. Cook in the oven at 175°C for fifteen minutes. Serve hot with raita.

Multicoloured mixed vegetable raitaAn extremely easy raita recipe. All you have to do is remember the 6 Cs, cucumber, carrot, corn, capsicum, curd, cherry and one more ingredient – tomato. If you can lay your hands on pomegranate seeds, it is a great addition to this recipe. Just mix all these colourful ingredients together, increasing and decreasing quantities based on how you want to taste and you have a recipe that is tasty and looks perfect and colourful on your Holi feast table.

Green peas kheerFor dessert here is a recipe that adds colour to your table as well as nutrition.

Ingredients

1. I cup shelled green peas
2. 1 ½ liters milk
3. I cup sugar
4. I tsp powdered green cardamom
5. 7 – 10 pistachio nuts
6. 20 – 25 crushed green cardamom
7. 20 – 25 raisins
8. ½ cup ghee

Method

1. Boil green peas until tender. Refresh in cold water and grind to a fine paste
2. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan, add the green peas paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from stove and keep aside.
4. Boil milk and add to the cooked green peas paste. Bring to a boil.
5. Cook on a slow flame for about fifteen to twenty minutes or until the milk is reduced to half.
6. Add sugar, raisins, green cardamom powder and sliced pistas.
7. Cook for about 8 – 10 minutes on a slow flame stirring constantly.
8. Serve chilled.