Corn Dum Biryani

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb Basmati rice
1 oz ginger
1 oz garlic
50 ml corn oil
12 oz onion, chopped
10 oz potato, chopped
4 oz French beans, chopped
8 oz cauliflower, chopped
4 oz bell peppers, chopped
2 oz salt
1/2 oz red chilli powder
1 oz  Khada masala – a mix of bay leaves (tej patta), cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and black pepper seeds
2/3 oz powder masala – a mix of cumin powder, jaipatri, cinnamon and cardamom powders
8 oz sweet corn kernels (chunks)
1/2 lb yoghurt
1.75 oz ghee

For the Garnish:
1 slice each of onion, tomato, lime
1 sprig coriander leaves, finely chopped

Preparation:
Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Parboil the rice and set aside.
Make a paste of the ginger and garlic and set aside.

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan; add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté. Add the chopped vegetables (onion, potato, French beans, cauliflower and capsicum) and sauté for three minutes. Add the salt, chilli powder, khada masala, powder masala, sweet corn kernels and yoghurt.
Bring it to a boil such that it forms a gravy.
Add the sweet corn kernels to the gravy. Mix well and add the parboiled rice to the gravy. Spread the ghee on the rice.
Place the biryani on Dum for about 30 minutes. Garnish with slices of onion, tomato and lime and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Mango Creme Brulee

MANGO CREME BRULEE

PREPARATION TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 40 minutes
SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Granulated Sugar
5 Egg Yolks
475 ml Heavy Cream
3 ml Mango Essence
Pulp of 2 Large Mangoes
1.5 oz Granulated Sugar to Sprinkle

PREPARATION & METHOD:
1. Heat oven to 300 F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place eight 5 oz baking dishes in a large roasting pan.

2. Cook the pulp of the mangoes and reduce it to one-third. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. In a mixing bowl beat the sugar and egg yolk until the mixture forms a ribbon trail on itself when the whisk is lifted.

4. Gradually beat in the heavy cream.

5. Put the mixture in a large, heavy saucepan. Place pan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon.

6. Without allowing the mixture to boil thicken it more. Remove pan from the heat and beat the creme for a minute or two.

7. Stir in the mango essence and pulp.

8. Strain the creme and divide evenly among baking dishes.

9. Place the pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dishes. Bake until creme are just set ( it will take approximately 25 minutes and they should tremble slightly in the center when shaken).

10. Place them in a refrigerator to chill for two hours.

11. Remove serving dishes from the refrigerator and sprinkle 1 tsp granulated sugar over each custard. Now pass the flame of a torch in a circular motion two inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.