Haleem - Using Shan Haleem Mix

Ingredients:
1 Packet Shan Haleem Mix (This mix comes with lentil mixture and spice mixture)
1/4 kg beef / mutton
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 big onion chopped
1 big tomato chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
Ghee & Oil
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 cardamom
2 cloves

Method:
In a pressure cooker, add the mutton/ beef with water
Add ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp salt
Pressure cook for 20 minutes until the meat is well done
Let the meat cool down
Shred the meat

In another pressure cooker, cook the lentil mixture with water which comes with Shan haleem mix for 15-20 minutes until done.
When the lentil is cooked, pulse/blend the lentil until its mashed well.

In a pan, add Ghee and oil
Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves to flavor the oil
Add onion and sauté till golden brown
Add tomato
Add 2 tbsp spice mixture which comes with Shan Haleem Mix
Add the shredded meat
Add the mashed lentil
Add lemon juice

Garnish with fried onions, cilantro, lemon and sliced ginger

Eggplant Katta - Side dish for Biriyani

Ingredients:
1 kg small eggplants sliced
2 big onions chopped
2 big tomatoes chopped
4-5 cloves garlic chopped
3/4 cup Tamarind pulp
3/4 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Oil to fry the eggplant

Method:
Sprinkle salt on the eggplant
Shallow fry the eggplant and set aside
In a pan, add oil, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds
Add onion and sauté and then add garlic
Add tomatoes and sauté
Add all the spices
Add tamarind pulp
Add the cooked eggplant
Add 1/4 water and let it cook for 2 minutes
Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the oil comes on the top

Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:
1 kg mutton chopped
5 cups Basmati Rice
5-6 Big red onions sliced
4 big tomatoes chopped
10-12 green chillies whole
1 cup plain yogurt
11/2 tbsp chilly powder
10 tsp ginger-garlic paste (For each cup rice add 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste)
1 handful/1 cup cilantro/corriander leaveschopped
1 handful/ 1cup mint leaves chopped
3/4 tsp salt  (for mutton)
5 * 3/4 tsp salt for Rice (For each cup rice add 3/4 tsp salt)
1/2 cup Ghee
1/4 cup Oil
8-9 cardamom
4-5 cloves
1 big cinnamon stick broken
8 cups Water (measurement : For (1 cup rice = 1 1/2 cups water) + extra 1/2 cup)
For 5 cups  rice, you will need 7 1/2 cups water + 1/2 cup extra, therefore 8 cups water :)
juice from 2 small lemons

Method:
In a cooker, add ghee and oil
Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and let it flavor the oil for few seconds
Add Onions and sauté till its golden brown
Add Green chillies and tomato
Add chilly powder
Add 3/4 tsp salt for mutton
Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for few minutes
Add Yogurt and mutton
Add cilantro and mint leaves and lemon juice
Add water if needed
Pressure cook for 20 minutes or till the meat is done in a medium heat

Soak the rice in water for 5 minutes.
Once the gravy is done, remove the meat in a bigger pot and measure the gravy.
If the gravy comes to 8 cups water its good enough, usually it does not. So measure the gravy and add water for the remaining measurement.

Add the measured gravy to the pot
Add salt for rice (5 * 3/4 tsp)
When the water is boiling, add rice
Close the pot and transfer the pot to the oven set at 250 deg. C at 20 minutes.
If the rice is not done, keep in the oven for 5 more minutes.

Tip: If water is not enough, add 1/2 cup warm milk and close the pot.
Raita:
Mix 1 cup yogurt with 1 big onion sliced
wash the sliced onion in cold water to remove the onion smell
add salt and lemon juice
add chopped cilantro and 3-4 chopped green chillies
Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Greek Salad

Ingredients:
1 Red bell pepper
1 Orange Bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
3 English Cucumbers
1 Red Onion sliced thinly and washed in cold water so the onion smell goes away
1 cup romaine lettuce chopped
1 big Eggplant chopped into bite sze chunks
1/2 cup kalamato olives or Green olives
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp Italian dressing

Method:
In a pan, pour some oil and fry the eggplants for 2 minutes
Place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil
Chop all the vegetables and add to a bowl
Add the eggplants
Add dressing and mix well
Add feta cheese and toss

Dal Tadka

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup masoor dal (red split lentils)
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 onion sliced
cilantro leaves
2-3 green chillies
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilly powder
11/2cup water
salt to taste


Method:
In a pressure cooker add masoor dal, 1/2 onion chopped
Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt
Add water and pressure cook for 7 minutes on medium heat so that the dal is not mashed completely

In a pan add oil and ghee
When its hot, add cumin seeds, garlic and sliced onions
saute till its brown and add chopped green chillies
Add this mixture to the pressure cooked dal and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro

Beef Taco

Ingredients:
1 box taco shells
1/2 kg ground beef
1 big onion chopped
1 big tomato chopped
1 packet Old El Paso Taco seasoning mix
1/2 tsp chilly powder (Optional)
1/2 cup water
Cilantro
Oil
For Garnishing you will need:
Chopped lettuce leaves (in strips)
Cooked corn niblets
Old El Paso Taco Sauce

Method:
Pour oil in a pot
Add onions and sauté them until translucent
Add the chopped tomato
Add taco seasoning mix and some chilly powder
Add water and let it cook on medium heat for 10 mins
Add cilantro

In the oven toast the taco shells
Scoop the meat into the shells
Garnish with taco sauce, corn and lettuce.

Fish Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
For Marinade:
1/2 kg any thick fish fillet(Hammour/cat fish/red snapper/slamon)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Juice from 1 big lemon
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp oil

For Gravy:
Oil
2 big onions chopped
1 big tomato chopped
1/2 bell pepper (capsicum) sliced very thin
2 tbsp methi leaves
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
less than 1/4 tsp red coloring powder
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cream
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish

Method:
Cut the fish into cubes and clean
Marinade the fish with the above marinade spices
After 30 minutes, place them in a broiler pan and pour some oil on top to broil
Set the oven to broil and bake it for 10-12 minutes until well done.
Keep them aside

For gravy, sauté 1 big onion chopped and 1 tomato chopped in oil.
Add methi leaves, ginger-garlic paste, chilly powder and salt
Let it cool and grind it into a paste

In a pan, add oil
Sautee the other chopped onion
Add the paste and let it simmer for 1 minute
Add the red coloring powder (optional)
Add the cooked fish to the gravy and add lemon and mix it well without breaking the fish.
Add bellpepper, do not over cook the bell pepper.  Let it simmer for 1/2 minute.
Add the cream
Garnish with cilantro