Vegan Nihari with Soy Curls

The word Nihari brings so many memories from past. Its perfect breakfast dish since Nihar means Morning but here , who has time to cook this in the morning so I made it for diner and made a sin by eating with rice, generally its goes with paratha. Its a time consuming dish originally since its cooked overnight so the meat cooks perfect and the marrow comes out from the bones make it rich and buttery. But since I am making it with soy curls , it was very fast and done in under 20 minutes. Since I am using ready made Nihari masala , roasting and cooling the masala process also saved the time. I have used soy curls , you can use tofu, soy chunks, paneer too.

Ingredients :

1/3 cup dry soy curls which will be cup and more after hydrated 

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

salt as per taste

2 tbsp. Nihari masala - more if you like spicy

few thin julienned cut ginger slices

3 onions 

Powder masala for soy curls

salt as per taste

1 tbsp. red Kashmiri chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tbsp. Nihari masala

Method :

Soak the soy curls in hot water for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes take as much water you can take out from soy curls and dry it.

Marinate soy curls in spice mixture and air fry it for 400 F for 10 minutes.

To give more crunchy texture, I broiled it for 3 minutes. 

Take it out.

Meanwhile in a pan, add oil, and brown the onions.

Take 2 tbsp. onion out for sprinkle at the time of serving. 

Add ginger garlic paste in brown onions which are in pan. 

Add Nihari Spice mix and mix it. 

Add water and cook on high flame to get the boil.

Add soy curls and cook on medium flame for 10 for 15 minutes. 

As per your preference you can decide how thin or thick gravy you want. 

Before serving, add lemon juice in it and mix it

Garnish with brown onion and ginger and serve it with Roomali roti, Paratha or make a sin and have it with Rice.

Kashmiri Corn Methi without Chaman (Paneer)

This recipe is from Kashmir so it doesn't have that much spices since Kashmiri people don't use that much spices since its not available there but with minimum spices also Kashmiri dishes are very delicious and tempting. This is their most famous Methi Chaman - Methi means Fenugreek leaves and Chaman means Paneer but instead of paneer I have used Corn , you can use paneer, tofu in it. Just fry the paneer , tofu in pinch of hing and once done frying , keep it in water again with hing in it and add it when I mentioned to add corn. It will be same restaurant quality dish at home in no time. You can serve it with paratha or roti or rice. 

Ingredients :

1 bunch pluck, washed and finely chopped methi leaves

1 medium size onion

10 pieces of Cashews

pinch of Turmeric powder

pinch of Red chili powder

1 tbsp. Fennel seed powder (sauf Powder)

1 tbsp.  each chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies

salt as per taste

1/4 cup corn , boiled in hot water with salt and hing

2 tbsp. beaten curd / coconut yogurt / vegan yogurt

1 tbsp. oil

Method :

Keep methi leaves pluck, washed and finely chopped. take  out all the water from it. 

In a pan, add one cup of water, add chopped onion and cashews in it and boiled for 10 minutes.

Cool it down completely and then if it has the water in it , with the same water make a fine puree of it. If water is gone, add more water to make a fine paste.

Add oil in the pan. 

Add ginger, garlic and chili and sauté for a minute or two till it cooks. Add chopped methi and cook till its almost dry and cooked.

Add the puree and mix it with methi. Cashews has tendency to stick to the bottom so continuously stir it. If you think your gravy is too thick, add little water and cook it. 

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, fennel seed powder and mix it.

Remember we don't want too yellow or red  in color so not more than pinch of these both spices. Just more of Fennel seed powder.

Add corn and mix it again.

Add beaten curd and cook it till its nicely mix in. 

Keep on stirring when all masala are cooked, its ready.

Serve warm with paratha, rice or roti , naan.

Seitan "Beef" and Potato curry

When you are craving that mutton curry you used to have it in childhood but not anymore so what do you do ? just think about it and do nothing , no! Made the vegan version out of it, I have this seitan products which is texture wise beef when its soaked in the water so made this traditional non veg curry but totally vegan and enjoy it with rice and roti. 

Ingredients : 

1 cup of Soy Beef pieces - Soaked and take the water out of it
1  Big onion, finely chopped

1 Big Tomato , finely chopped
2 Big spoon of Tomato puree
1 tbsp. Red chili Powder
1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp. Cumin coriander powder
1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 Potato - cut in cubes
Salt as per taste
Whole Spices - Few Black Peppercorns, One big stick of Cinnamon, Dry red chili
Finely Chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp. Oil

Method : 

Before you start , soak the dry seitan pieces in hot water for 5 minutes, make sure its covered in the water , after 5 minutes removed from water and with both hands take the water out of it. 

Now take the deep pan and add oil in it.

Add whole spices and sauté till peppercorns are jumping from joy , while meeting the hot oil.

Add onions in it and cook till its brown (not pink). Add tomatoes and cook till oil separates.

Add tomato puree ,  ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute till raw smells from the paste will go.

Then add powder masala ,salt  and mix it and add Beef Pieces and potatoes.

Add enough water to cook potatoes and make thick gravy.

When its done, means potatoes are fully cooked, shut the gas off and sprinkle coriander leaves.

Enjoy with hot fluffy rice or fluffy roti.

Jackfruit Meatball Biryani

I just love my biryani, any chance I get , I make biryani and enjoy it, with it spicy dal , Raita, Kachumber or as it is. 

I wanted to make this since so long when I got my packet of jackfruit meatballs. And Finally made it, its so easy and flavorful , you can thaw the balls first and then add it in the masala so masala goes inside. If you short on time , just defrost it for one or two minutes in microwave and its fine too. If you like you can cut the meatballs in half too so you can enjoy it better . 

Ingredients :

4 to 6 thawed jackfruit meatballs or any your favorite one

2 cup basmati rice - soaked

2 tbsp. Oil / vegan butter / ghee 

1 onion thinly sliced

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

2-3 green chilies slit

1 bay leaves

2 tbsp. sindhi biryani masala

2 pods of Cardamom 

few cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, badi eaichi (all the whole spices)

2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1 tbsp. red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1 cup  Vegan yogurt or regular yogurt

salt as per taste

1/4 cup fresh mint and coriander leaves

Method :

Thawed the meatballs first and if you want cut in half or leave it as it is. 

Heat the heavy bottom pan and add water , twice the quantity of the rice, 1 tbsp., oil , salt , star anise in it. 

Once water boils, add rice and cook till its 70% done.

Take the rice out and discard star anise from it.

Now in the same pan, add oil, then add all the whole spices and cook it for few seconds. 

Then add onions and cook it , till its brown. Take 1/4 onions out so you can put it on top of the rice at the end.

Add ginger , garlic paste, green chili and cook for 1 more minute. 

Add meatballs  in it and  mix it. Add all the powder masala, yogurt, little water  and salt for the masala, remember we have salt in rice.

Now cook the meatballs till its cooked 70% , take one bowlful of masala out.

Now Layered masala, rice, mint and coriander leaves, masala, rice and mint and coriander leaves. 

Cover it tightly and cook it on low flame till its cooked 100% and all the water is evaporated.

When its done, shut off the gas. 

Leave it untouched for 10 minutes , you don't want to break the rice.

Sprinkle some more coriander  and mint leaves and fried onions on top.

Serve warm biryani with cucumber raita or dal or as it is. 

I had it with spicy dal and onion.