WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

PIPING HOT VEGETABLE BIRYANI & GRILLED INDIAN CHICKEN KEBABS

At the onset of summer we love to fire up our grill for weekend dinners.  This post is one of many involving some of the most amazing meals and recipe ideas my husband and I tweaked and made our own throughout the course of our union.  A new recipe we are working on is as a fusion of our cultures, Tandoori  Fried Chicken with Curry Mash potatoes (stay tuned—subscribe for an update on this).

In the meantime,  this first post is our recipe for Piping Hot Vegetable Biryani and Grilled Indian Chicken Kebabs.

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Cook Time 30 mins
Prep Time 20 mins
Serves 3-4

To Make The Rice You'll Need:
3/4 cups basmati rice
 1 teaspoon light butter (we use light butter with Canola Oil)
 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
 1 cinnamon stick, cut in half
 1/4 teaspoon cumin
 1/4 teaspoon coriander
 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
 1 1/2 cups water
 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or use 1 chicken bouillon cube in place of the 1   teaspoon of kosher salt, if you are not a strict vegetarian)

The Vegetables:
 1 tablespoon light butter (we use light butter with Canola Oil)
 1/4 small onion (red or yellow), thinly sliced
 2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic paste)
 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger (or ginger paste)
 1/4 teaspoons coriander 
 1/4 teaspoon cumin 
 3/4 teaspoon cardamom 
 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
 1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
 1 cup cauliflower cut into florets
 1 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 2/3 cup water

Directions
 To make the rice: Place the rice in a bowl and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear (1-2 mins). Drain and set aside.
 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, cinnamon stick you broke into two, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until toasted and fragrant. Approximately 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted, for approximately 1 minute. Add the water and salt (or 1 chicken bouillon cube) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pot,  until the rice is tender, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
 Now it's time to make the vegetables. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the almonds, coriander, cumin, and cardamom and cook, stirring, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the green beans, cauliflower, carrots if using them. And add the salt. Raise the heat to high, pour in the water, and cook, covered, for 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and most of the water has evaporated, approximately 1-2 minutes more.
 Add the rice to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste and enjoy!

GRILLED INDIAN CHICKEN KEBABS

Cook Time 10 mins

Prep Time 15 mins

Serves 6-8


To Make The Grilled Indian Chicken Kebabs You'll Need:
2 pounds lean ground chicken
1 large chopped red onion
1/2 cup fresh finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh finely chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon green curry paste
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
2 teaspoons  salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional for a smoked flavor, if you don't like a smoky flavor omit)
Cooking spray for grill 



Directions
In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, onions, mint, cilantro, ginger, green curry paste. Season with cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, salt, and liquid smoke (this is optional for a smoked flavor). Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Mold handfuls of the chicken mixture, about 1 cup, to form sausages around skewers. Make sure the meat is spread to an even thickness. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill.
Preheat grill for high heat.  Spray grates with cooking spray and place kebabs on the grill.   Cook for 10 minutes, or until well done, turning as needed to brown evenly.