Crab meat

Mughlai Biryani Recipe:
A regal dish, Mughlai Biryani is fit for a king and was probably eaten by many too! This makes the perfect one-dish meal for when you have company. It combines ingredients typical to the Mughlai style of cooking.
Ingredients:
* For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 2″ pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
* 4 large onions sliced thin
* 2 tsps garlic paste
* 2 tsps ginger paste
* 1/2 cup almonds
* 6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* 1″ stick of cinnamon
* 5 cloves
* 3 pods cardamom
* 8 peppercorns
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
* 1 tsp garam masala
* 1 cup yoghurt
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 cup chicken/ beef stock
* 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
* 2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
* Salt to taste
* For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
* Hot water
* Salt to taste
* 3 drops orange food coloring (optional)
* 3 drops green food coloring (optional)
Method:
* Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
* Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
* Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice – at least 4″ over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized – golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
* Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
* Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
* Add all the spice powders – coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
* Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).
* Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well.
* Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.
* If you are using the food coloring, divide the rice into 3 equal portions and put into separate dishes. Add the orange food coloring to one portion of the rice and the green food coloring to another portion of the rice. Leave the third portion white. With each portion, mix the rice till all the grains are well colored. Keep aside for 10 minutes after which you can mix all 3 portions of rice together in a bowl for use in the next step.
* Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string.
* Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.
* Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.
* While Mughlai Biryani tastes great by itself, add a raita like Chatpata Channa Raita (chickpeas in hot-sour yoghurt) and Enoy.

Kashmiri Biriyani Recipe:
1. Chicken – ½ kg
2. Basmati rice – ½ kg (cooked)
3. Curd – 1 cup
4. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp or to taste
5. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
6. Garam masala – 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
8. Saffron – ¼ tsp
9. Bay leaf – 2
10. Cardamoms – 3
11. Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
12. Cloves – 4
13. Cashwenuts – 10
14. Coriander leaves – ¼ cup (roughly chopped)
15. Mint leaves – ¼ cup (roughly chopped)
16. Salt – to taste
17. Ghee – ¼ cup
Method:
1.Marinate the chicken with curd, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt for 1 hour.
2.Cook the basmati rice with salt, till half done and drain the water and keep it aside.
3.Soak the saffron strands in1 tbsp warm milk and keep it aside.
4.Take a pan and heat with ghee.
5.Add cashewnuts, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.Sauté for few mins.
6.Then add marinated chicken pieces and garam masala.
7.Mix well and fry well till the curd is absorbed.
8.Add enough water and cook till the chicken pieces are tender.
9.Now divide the cooked rice into two portions.
10.Mix saffron milk with one portion of rice.
11.Add half of the chicken gravy to it.
12.Sprinkle half of the mint and coriander leaves.
13.Cover with cooked basmati rice and remaining chicken gravy and remaining coriander and mint leaves.
14.Now close with a lid and cook on low flame for 30 mins.Remove from heat.
Kashmir chicken biriyani is ready to eat.
Serve with pickle or raitha.

Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe:
Ingredients
1 kg: Meat
750 gm: Semi cooked rice
Sautéed brown onions to taste
tbsp: Ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp: Red chilli paste
1 tbsp: Green chilli paste
½ tbsp: Cardamom powder
3-4 sticks:
Cinnamon
1 tbsp: Cumin seeds
4-5: Cloves
2 tbsp: Lemon juice
250 gm: Curd
4 tbsp: Clarified butter
A pinch: Mace
Mint leaves to taste
1 tsp: Saffron
½ cup: Water
1 tbsp: Salt
½ cup: Oil
Method:
1. Clean the meat.
2. Now in a pan add meat, salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, green chilli paste, sautéed brown onions, cardamom powder, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves, mace, mint leaves and lemon juice. Mix it well.
3. Add curd, clarified butter, semi cooked rice, saffron, water and oil and mix it well.
4. Now apply sticky dough on the sides of the pan.
5. Cover with lid to seal it and cook for about 25 minutes.
6. Hyderabadi Biryani is ready to eat.
7. Garnish with boiled eggs, sliced carrot and cucumber.
8. Serve hot.

Kofta Biryani (Meat ball biryani) Recipe:
You can make the Koftas in Kofta Biryani with chicken, lamb or beef. Serve this delicious, hearty dish with a green salad and raita of your choice.
Ingredients:
* 500 gms Basmati rice
* For the Kofta curry: 1 kg lamb/ beef or chicken mince
* 3 large onions chopped very fine
* 2 tbsps garlic paste
* 1 tbsp ginger paste
* 2 tbsps garam masala (to make your own, see recipe below)
* 3 tbsps tomato ketchup
* 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped fine

* Salt to taste
* 4 large tomatoes cubed
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1 bsp gaam masala
* 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
* 5 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
* 2 tbsps garlic paste
* 1 tbsp ginger paste
* To garnish: 1 large onion sliced finely
* 1 tbsp saffron strands
* 3 tbsps warm milk
* 3-4 tbsps fresh chopped coriander
Method:
* Wash the rice. Soak it in warm water for 30 minutes. Cook the rice till amost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
* Put the minced lamb/ beef/ chicken, 2 of the chopped onions, 2 tbsps garlic paste, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 2 tbsps garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves in a lage bowl and mix well.
* Form the mixture into equal sized balls and keep on a plate.
* Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion in it till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
* In the same oil, add the remaining (finely chopped) onions. Fry till they are light brown then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute. Add all the spices – coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric – and fry for 2-3 minutes.
* Add the tomatoes and mix well. Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.
* Add 1 cup of warm water to the masala and season with salt to taste. Gently add the meatballs now. Do not stir for at least the next 5 minutes.
* Stir gently so as not to break the meatballs.
* Cook uncovered till the meatballs are done. There should not be more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups of gravy left at the end of this stage, so dry it as required.
* Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 tbsps of warm milk.
* Take a large, deep baking dish/ ovenproof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and Koftas as follows: rice – Koftas – rice. End with a layer of rice.
* Pour the saffron infused milk all over the top of the last layer of rice.
* Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped corainder leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
* Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
* Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.

Prawn biriyani Recipe:
Ingredients:
1. Prawns – 500 g
2. Basmati rice – 3 cup
3. Ghee – 5 tsp
4. Onion big – 1 sliced
5. Tomato medium – 1 chopped
6. Green chillies – 5
7. Ginger – 2 inch
8. Garlic – 4 pods
9. Cashew nuts -10
10. Coconut milk – 1 cup
11. Coriander leaves – ½ cup
12. Pudhina leaves – ½ cup
13. Water – 5 cups
14. Cardamom – 2
15. Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
16. Jaji flower – 1
17. Anasi flower – 1
18. Cloves – 3
Method:
1.First clean and wash the prawns. Drain all the water and keep it aside.
2.Next make a paste with green chillies, ginger and garlic.
3.Take a pressure cooker and heat with 5 tsp of ghee.
4.Then add cardamom, cloves, anasi flower, jaji flower, cashew nuts and cinnamon.
5.Fry for few seconds. Then add onions and sauté for 2 mins.
6.Then add tomato pieces, prawns, salt and paste.
7.Sauté until the raw smell disappears.
8.Now add washed basmati rice and combine well.
9.Then add coconut milk, water, coriander leaves and pudhina leaves.
10.Then combine well and close the pressure cooker.
11.Now pressure cook for 2 whistles and switch off the stove.
Now prawn biriyani is ready.
Serve with salad and raitha.

Sindhi Biryani Recipe:
Ingredients
* 1-1 1/2 kg mutton
* 1 kg basmati rice (soaked in water for atleast 1/2 an hour)
* 1/2 kg potato (cut into large chunks)
* 1/2 kg tomato (chopped)
* 250 g yogurt
* 1 teaspoon red chili powder
* 4 teaspoons salt
* 3 medium onions
* 2 teaspoons garlic paste (Lehsan)
* 2 teaspoons ginger (Adrak)
* 8 green cardamoms (Chhoti Ilaichi)
* 4 black cardamom pods (Bari Ilaichi)
* 10 cloves (Laung)
* 10 pieces black pepper (Kali Mirch)
* 1 teaspoon cumin seed (Zeera)
* 1 cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
* 2 bay leaves (Tez Patta)
* 250 g oil
* 6 green chilies
* 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (Dhaniya)
* 2 tablespoons mint leaves (Podina)
* 2 pinches yellow food coloring
* 10-15 prunes (Aaloobukharay)
* 3 teaspoons salt
* 3 bay leaves
* 3 cinnamon sticks
* 2 black cardamom pods
Method:
1.Slice the onion and fry it in oil until it is light brown. Take out 1/4 of it and keep aside
2.Add Garlic (Lehsan), Ginger (Adrak), tomatoes, prunes (Aaloobukharay), salt, chili powder, cloves, cardamoms, Black Pepper, (Kali Mirch), Cumin Seeds (Zeera), and cinnamon to the remaining fried onions.
3.Fry this until the tomatoes are tender and the water is dry.
4.Then add meat, yogurt and water (if desired) and cook on medium heat until the meat is tender and the water has evaporated.
5.On other side boil the potatoes until they’re half cooked.
6.Now, add green chillies, mint, coriander leaves, and the half boiled potatoes to the meat. Simmer for 2, 3 minutes. Your meat curry is done.
7.Boil the rice with salt, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and black cardamom and drain the water off when the rice is half done.
8.Layer the curry with the rice in a pot in one on one layers. Sprinkle the food color, fried onions, and chopped mint leaves on top of the last layer.
9.Close the lid tightly making sure no steam passes out of the pot and cook on low heat until the rice is done.
10.Gently mix it before serving.
11.Serve with Raita.