Health & Nutrition – Sanjeev Kapoor

BARLEY & CRUNCHY NUT SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup barley (jau)

½ cup peanuts (moongphali), roasted

Salt to taste

2 large cucumbers, seeded, cut into small pieces

2 large tomatoes, seeded, cut into small pieces

2 inch stalk celery, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

5-6 black peppercorns (kali mirch), crushed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

4 large lettuce leaves

Ingredients
Soak barley in three cups of water for six hours. Drain and pressure cook with three cups of water and salt till almost done. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl combine barley, cucumbers, tomatoes, peanuts, celery, coriander leaves, salt, crushed peppercorns and lemon juice and toss well.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter, transfer the tossed salad onto the lettuce bed and serve immediately.

CHICKEN BIRYANI WITH BROWN RICE

Ingredients

800 grams chicken, cut into1½ inch pieces on the bone

1½ cups brown rice, soaked for 2 hours and drained

Salt to taste

2 one-inch cinnamon sticks

5-6 cloves

3-4 green cardamoms

2 tbsps oil

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 inch ginger piece, roughly chopped

5-6 garlic cloves

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

3-4 tbsps green chutney

½ cup yogurt

½ tsp garam masala powder + to sprinkle

5-6 saffron threads

¼ cup milk

1 cup fried onions

2 tbsps desi ghee

A few rose petals

A few drops rose water

A few drops kewra water

A few fresh mint leaves + a sprig for garnish

Whole wheat flour dough as required

Method :

Heat sufficient water in a deep non stick pan, add rice, salt, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and cook.          Heat 2 tbsps. oil in another non stick pan, add chicken, turmeric powder and salt and sauté.
Grind ginger, garlic and onion and add to the chicken and mix. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add green chutney, adjust salt and mix well. Add yogurt and mix. Add garam masala powder and mix again. Take saffron and milk in a small bowl and heat in a microwave oven for ½ minute. Add fried onions to chicken and mix and cook till slightly dry. When the rice is almost done strain it into a bowl. Add desi ghee and mix and spread the rice over the chicken. Sprinkle rose petals, saffron milk, rose water, kewra Jal, garam masala powder, a few fresh torn mint leaves. Cover the pan and seal with dough. Cook under Dum for 10-12 minutes on low heat.

You can even keep the pan over a hot tawa and cook till done.

Serve hot garnished with fresh mint sprig.