Zafrani (Saffron) pulao

This is again from the nawabi kitchens of hyderabad.

1. Warm roast saffron and dissolve in lukewarm milk
2. Soak basmati rice for half an hour.
3. In a pan, add oil, and add the dry spices (Jeera, Bay leaf, dalchini, laung, elaichi)
4. Add cashewnuts and raisins
5. As soon as the cashewnuts turn a shade of brown, add onions and ginger garlic paste
6. Add dhania and pudina after the onions are golden brown
7. Add biriyani masala or dhania powder
8. Add salt
9. Add water (1 3/4 cup of water) and cook till 3/4 done
10. Add fried onions and butter (Optional)
11. Add pomegranate seeds (optional)
12. Add the saffron mixture
13. Cook till the rice is done

Mirchi Ka Salan (Hyderabadi recipe)

This dish has quite a few ingredients - pretty much all spices used in Indian cooking. I will just run you through the recipe without listing the ingredients. Mirch ka salan goes very well with biryani and pulao.

1. Roast groundnuts and sesame seeds in a little oil. Add dry coconut powder, and blend all the ingredients using some water.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add masala patta (bay leaf), dalchini, cloves, and cardamom
3. Add mustard seeds
4. When the mustard seeds stop splutttering, add red chillies, hing, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, and kadi patta
5. Add onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till golden brown
6. Add water, yoghurt, and mix well
7. Add a little tamarind paste, salt, red chilli powder, and sugar
8. Add the peanut-sesame-coconut paste
9. Take long green chillies, split them in the middle, and add them to the gravy
10. Simmer on low flame for 15 min.

Pongal

Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 cup moong dal
Water - 5-51/2 cups
Ghee - 4-5 tbsp
Kadi patta (curry leaves) - 10 leaves
Pepper pods - 5-6
Pepper powder - to taste
Salt - To taste
Procedure

1. Cook the dal and rice in the pressure cooker for 4 whistles
2. After the pressure cooker cools, remove lid, and mix in the salt and pepper
3. In a vessel heat 4 tbsp of Ghee. Add cashewnuts, and fry till golden brown. Add the pepper pods, and curry leaves
4. Add the seasoning made in Ghee to the rice, and mix well

Groundnut powder

Ingredients
Roasted and peeled groundnuts - 1/4 kilo
Red chillies - to taste (depending on the variety) I use Kashmiri mirch 14 nos
Copra - 1/4 cup
10-15 leaves kadi patta fried in a little oil
Garlic - 4 cloves
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

Procedure

Blend all the ingredients to a coarse powder in a mixer

Curry leaf (karbevu, karbevina) powder

Ingredients:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin) seeds - 1 tsp
Hing (Asafetida) - 1 pinch (1/4 tsp). Replace with three cloves garlic if you want to
Fenugreek (methi seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Roasted gram (chana) - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 cups. Dry leaves in the sun for faster cooking
Red chillies - 6 (or to taste). Depends on the variety of chilli
Salt- to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure
1. Heat oil in a kadai.
2. Add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, reduce the flame to low.
3. Add Jeera, fenugreek seeds, Hing and roast for 30 seconds
4. Add chillies, Chana dal and roasted gram. Roast till dal is golden brown.
5. Add the leaves and stir for about two minutes or until you feel that they are dry.
6. Add salt

Blend to a coarse texture in a blender.

Aloo achari recipe (Kashmiri)

One of my favorite recipes. This is supposed to be a Kashmiri recipe, although I am not very sure of its origins.
The dish takes around an hour to make if you have to start from scratch.

• Potatoes (2 big, or half kg baby potatoes): If you have big ones, slice them into one inch strips as you see in potato wedges. If you have small, baby, potatoes, peel them. The peeling is optional. Cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker for three whistles. Deep fry the cooked potatoes till they are golden brown. Keep aside.
• Masala: Coarsely grind the following together: Red chilli (to taste), Mustard seeds (1/2 tsp), Fennel (1 tsp), Fenugreek/methi seeds (5-6 grains), Kasuri methi (1 tsp), coriander seeds (1-2 tsp)
• Vegetables: Cut onions and garlic very fine. Grate 1" ginger. Puree 2 tomatoes in a blender (grinder).
• Other spices: Cumin/Jeera (1 tsp), Kalonji/Onion seeds (1 tsp) - optional
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt- To taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a kadai till smoking hot, and lower the flame
2. Add zeera and kalonji
3. When zeera stops spluttering, add the masala and fry for around a minute
4. Raise the flame, and add onions
5. Fry onions till golden brown, and add ginger and garlic
6. Saute on high flame for around 30 seconds
7. Add tomato puree
8. Cook till the tomato paste separates from the oil
9. Add potatoes, water, and salt
10. Cover, and simmer for ten minutes
11. If you like your curry slightly thicker, make a paste of 1 tablespoon bean (chickpea flour) and add it to the curry before you let it simmer

Goes well with both rotis and rice.