Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients
Mushrooms    2 cups (sliced)
Green chillies  6
Rice               2 and 1/2 cups
Cilantro         few strands
Onions          1 and half
Tomatoes      2
Oil to Saute and Salt to taste

Spices
few Bay leaves
Cinnammon Sticks  2
Cloves   4-5
Whole Cardomoms  2
Kasoor Methi   1 tsp
Rosemary    few

Shan Biryani Mix   1/2 pkt (u can add 1 f.pkt to ur spice)
Corriander powder  2 tbsp
Nutmeg powder  1 tsp

Procedure
--> Wash and slice monterey button mushrooms, keep it aside. U can even wash rice and keep it aside the same time. No need to soak as i'm sharing easy recipe.
--> Take enough oil  to saute onions in a wide pan.
--> Add first 6 spices once the oil is heated up.
--> Now Add chopped chillies, onions and salt. once the onions turns transparent, add the tomatoes. Let them cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are well done.
--> Add the sliced mushrooms, now u can close the lid and let it cook for atleast 10-15 mins.
--> Then add the rest of 3 spices, stir well, let it cook for another 2 mins.
--> Once everything done, Add the sauteed mixture to the washed rice, pour water as u put regularly for rice. and cook altogether until it is done. I prefer Rice Cooker, as it is easy and no obligations :)
--> Once the rice is almost about to finish, add few tsps of milk and stir it altogether. At last sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve it hot with either raitha or Hot and sweet sauce.

Carrot Halwa

this would be all-time favourite. easy to prepare. ofcourse everyone knows... just wanted to share.

       Take 1/4 cup of butter in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins. Take out the roasted cashews and raisins and keep them aside. Now, Fry the 1 cup of grated carrot in the same pan. Pour 3/4th cup of milk and let it cook until it gets thick. Add 1/2 tsp Cardomom powder. Now, add 3/4 th cup of sugar and mix it altogether.
Add the roasted cashews/raisins, mix it altogether one more time and serve it hot...

Palak Paneer

Paneer  (Indian cheese) is a good source of protein for vegetarians. Very easy to prepare freshly even at home just by curdling heated milk with lemon juice. Today,  i would like to share yummy most popular Palak Paneer recipe. Here are the Ingredients :

Spinach     2 bunches

Onion        1

Tomatoes  2

Ginger-Garlic

Green chillies 3

Red Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

few Kasoor Methi   few leaves(dried fenugreek leaves)
nut meg powder    1/4 tsp  (goes good with spinach especially)
salt to taste

Whole Spices :
Cinnamonn sticks  2
cloves       3
cardomom  2

Cooking Procedure :
(1)  Wash and Boil the Spinach in a deep vessel with 'Open lid'. Cooking spinach with open lid helps preventing discoloration. It takes about 5 mins to cook spinach in boiled water. Now, keep that aside.
(2)  Take oil in a wide pan (needed to saute onions). Add the whole spices and let them roast.
(3)  Now, add the chopped onions; add required salt to cook the onions fast n nice.
(4)  Add chopped tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook completely without any chunks. Add Nutmeg powder and kasoor methi.
PS : everything should be cooked with open lid. u can reduce the flame if the ingredients are burning.
(5)  Meanwhile, get ready with paneer. (I just buy paneer and cut it into small cubes)
Now, blend the cooked spinach in a blender.
(6)  Add the spinach puree to the sautee onion-tomato gravy and stir it well.
(7)  Now add the paneer cubes and let it cook for atleast 5 mins on simmer.
(8)  Now, you can add heavy cream if you want. I just added few tbspns of soymilk for nice flavour.
(9)  thats it, sprinkle cilantro, switch off the flame and serve it hot with rotis/rice :)

Yummy yummy Palak paneer ready..