Cooking With Satyajeet

It is said that Biryani is India's most preferred take-out or order at home dish. This has to do with the general notion that biryani is very difficult to make and must be ordered from a restaurant to save the hassle. Even those who do make it at home reserve it for very special occasions.       Here we will be learning a relative quick and easy way of making Biryani but with vegetables. There basically two types of Biryani i.e. Kacchi & Pakki. In Kacchi Biryani, layers of marinated meat or vegetables with alternating layers of partially cooked rice and condiments are steamed and cooking happens by the ingredient's own moisture for at least an hour. A yoghurt based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot provides additional moisture and flavor. Potatoes are in the bottom most layer (borrowed from Iranian cuisine) and provide moisture for cooking.      In pakki Biryani which we shall be making, the meat or in this case vegetable and rice are partially cooked separately wit

  Chettinadu is the land of  the Chettiars who are the mercantile, weaving & agricultural people to the south of India mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Nattukotai Chettiars or Nagarathars. In addition to the traditional Southern Indian Staples like Coconut, Legumes & Pulses, during their centuries of participation in the spice trade, the people of Chetiinad added many spices to their cuisine like Indonesian Nutmeg, Ceylon Cinnamon, Madagascar Cloves, Tellicherry Pepper and sometime even blue Ginger from Vietnam & Laos. Chettiars were traditionally vegetarian, and to this day, their traditional & festive feast remain vegetarian. Centuries over centuries of delicately mixing & layering spices, we got the our beloved Chettinad Spices Mix which can be used in a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.    I always recommend getting the choicest whole spices from your trusted market and making all kinds of gr

This is additional blog Post to Complement other Recipes that may use Green & Red Chutneys in them and the recipes for the chutneys have been outsourced to this article. The Classic India Green & Red Chutney or "Tikhi" & "Mithi" chutney are used as finishing ingredient in many Indian Dishes, Street & Fast Food items.  I myself use them in many recipes and so I am sharing my own versions of these classics. Prep Time: 10 mins (for Both Red & Green Chutney) Cook Time: 15 mins (For Red Chutney) Ingredients: This recipe makes about 150g of each chutney. For Red Chutney: Tamarind Paste - 1 Table Spoon Jaggery - 75gms Salt to taste Pinch of Red Chilli Powder Pinch of Cumin Powder For Green Chutney: Coriander - 50 gms Tomatoes - 100 gms Mint Leaves - 5-10 Green Chilies - 2 Pinch of Salt Pinch of Asafoetida Pinch of Cumin Procedure: For the Green Chutney all you  have to do is grind all the ingredients in to a corase paste. Check the level of salt once be

  Every Tea Lover in India has their own version of masala tea. Using a premade spice mix is also a very popular rand easy way to make masala tea.  Ingredients and Proportions: The general ingredients are as follows: Fennel Seeds - 1 Tbsp Green Cardamom - 1 Tsp  Black Pepper - 1 Tsp Cinnamon Sticks -1 inch stick Cloves - 5 pieces Dried Ginger - 2 inch Piece Saffron - 1 inch Salt - 1 pinch Tea Masala is made in two major variations that one for winter & one summer. I will tell you what to change in each version at the end but first lets play taste maker !! Procedure: The procedure after calculating & collecting all of the above ingredients in required mentioned proportions is quite simple. We have to dry roast the ingredients in a pan just enough to relieve them of their moisture. Dry roasting also helps in releasing the flavorful essential oils in the spices and makes them easy to grind. Try not to over roast the ingredients as this depletes the essential oils in them and you w

  Paav Bhaji is that food which takes the flavors of Mumbai to the world. It has many variations & Garnishes but essentially it is spicy gravy of mashed potatoes & vegetables cooked in butter. It is a bit funny that a dish so uniquely Indian has half the ingredients that the Portuguese brought with them from the Americas including the quintessential Paav which originates from the Portuguese word Pao for bread. This dish has some healthy versions cooked in homes across India but with a common ingredient that is none other than the heart of it all, the Paav Bhaji Masala. I always recommend getting the choicest whole spices from your trusted market and making all kinds of ground spices at home to ensure purity and desired taste. So lets learn how to make the Paav Bhaji Masala in under 15 minutes. Ingredients and Proportions: I perfected the recipe after numerous unsuccessful attempts. I wish to share my recipe with you today hoping the taste will make you go wow.  As I have mentio