Bagara Rice | Hyderabadi Bagara Rice Recipe

Bagara Rice or Bagara Chawal or Bagara Annam is a simple Hyderabadi rice recipe which can be prepared in a jiffy with not much of extra work.'Bagar meaning tempering, is basically an easy peasy plain Biryani recipe without any vegetables and masala powders.Bagara rice is also a popular rice dish in weddings or functions in Hyderabad apart from the famous Vegetable Dum Biriyani.

This Bagara Rice pairs up beautifully with spicy curries like Bagara Baingan , Mirchi ka Salan , Kala Chana masala or any spicy gravy.It is ideal to prepare these kind of simple rice varieties when you are making elaborate menu during parties as it is quick to prepare and reduces the effort.

Check out other Hyderabadi specials in my blog:

• Bagara Baingan
• Mirchi ka Salan 
• Vegetable Dum Biriyani

Hyderabadi Bagara Rice Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:40 mins

Cuisine: Hyderabadi - Indian | Category: Rice | Pulav

Ingredients:

1 heaped cup Basmati Rice

1 big Onion, finely sliced

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
12-15 Cashew nuts ,split into halves(optional)
8-10 Mint leaves(optional)

3/4" Cinnamon

3-4 Cloves

2-3 Green Cardamom

1-2 Bay leaves

1 tsp Shahjeera (black cumin seeds)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ghee

Method:

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins.Do not wash more than twice as it looses its fragrance.
• Heat oil and ghee in a thick kadai/pan(or cooker) and fry cashew nuts until they turn golden in color and remove them and keep aside.In the same oil add shahi jeera and let them crackle.
• Add cloves,green cardamom,cinnamon and bay leaves and fry them for a minute.Slighly open the cardamom pods before adding so that they do not splutter.
• Add  thinly sliced onions and fry until they become translucent and then add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
• Add drained basmati rice and fry well for a couple of minutes until its dry,do this step carefully as the rice might get broken.
• Add 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil and add salt and mint leaves and cover it and let it simmer for 12-15 mins until done.If you are preparing it in cooker,pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer it for 5-7 mins.
• When the pressure drops,gently fluff it up using a fork and add fried cashew  nuts and mix.
• Garnish with fried onions(optional) and cashew nuts.

Serve it hot with Bagara Baingan | Mirchi ka Salan | Kala Chana masala or any spicy gravy and raitha,papad.I served it with Kala Vatana Curry.

Notes:

1. Mint leaves are optional in the recipe.I usually add it if I have them otherwise I ignore adding them.
2. This is a mild spiced rice recipe which pairs well with any spicy curry.
3. You can add vegetables like carrots,peas,potatoes,beans,capsicum and make vegetable pulao following the same recipe.
4. The addition of ghee enhances the flavor of rice and pulaos,hence do not skip it.
5. You can add 1-2 green chillies,slit along with onions.However it is optional.

 

 

 

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Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe

Mirchi Ka Salan is a Hyderabadi special recipe which is usually paired with Hyderbadi Dum Biriyani and gets featured in most of the weddings and functions in Andhra.The spiciness of green chillies is slightly neutralized with the slight sweet and creamy rich gravy made up of groundnuts,sesame seeds and fried onions.I have mentioned few pointers to reduce the spicyness of chillies in the notes and recipe,please do follow them.

Bagara Baingan is another recipe which is prepared in a similar manner and is absolutely our family favorite.You can check out my recipe for lip smacking Bagara Baingan here,I suggest you to try it once and I am sure you would definitely thank me as you tried it.Trust me it is really delicious and a perfect party recipe.

Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe :

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

12-15 big light Green peppers(bajji variety/poblano)

2 big Onions sliced

1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2-3 tbsp Tamarind pulp

a pinch of Turmeric powder

a pinch of Sugar

1 tsp powdered Jaggery(optional)

1 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander
5-6 Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3 tbsp Oil

salt

To roast and grind:

1/4 cup Groundnuts(roasted and peeled)

2 tsp white Sesame seeds

2 tbsp grated dry Coconut

1 tsp Roasted gram(optional)

5-6 Red chillies(or red chilli powder)

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 Cloves

1" Cinnamon

1-2 green Cardamom pods

Method:

• Wash and slit the green chillies(poblano peppers) and remove the veins and seeds of it.
• Bring water to a boil with some salt and add the green chillies and blanch for a minute and drain them.I really can't judge the spiciness of chillies even though they are light green in variety,some times they turn out very spicy for me.So I do blanch my green chillies to reduce the heat from chillies,if you like spicy food you can avoid this step.This process not only reduces the heat it also helps in consuming less oil while shallow frying.
• Heat oil,fry half the portion of sliced onions(add a pinch of sugar while frying) and fry until they turn pink.
• Add ginger-garlic paste to it and fry for a minute and cool the mixture.
• Dry roast sesame seeds,dry grated coconut and ground nuts separately.Peel the skin of the groundnuts and keep them aside.
• Dry roast all the spices cloves,cinnamon,cardamom,coriander seeds,cumin seeds and red chillies separately until light brown in color and cool them and then grind it to a fine powder.
• Add roasted ground nuts,sesame seeds and grated dry coconut and grind again.
• Add the fried onion mixture, jaggery,tamarind pulp and grind it again to a smooth mixture.Add water if needed while grinding to get a smooth velvety paste.
• Heat 1tbsp oil in a wide bottomed pan and add the slit poblano peppers and fry for 2 minutes,cover it with a plate and pour water over it and cook for 5-6 minutes until the peppers are slightly soft,remove the peppers and keep them aside.
• In the same pan add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds and then add the remaining sliced onions(1 onion) and fry until they turn pink.Add curry leaves to it and fry again.
• Add the ground spice mixture,turmeric powder and salt and fry until the mixture leaves the oil,add 1 cup of water(adjust the water according to the required consistency) and let it come to a boil.The gravy thickens as it sits for a while so make the gravy slightly thin.
• Add fried peppers and mix and cover it and cook for 7-8 mins until thick.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve Mirchi ka Salan with Veg Biryani / Jeera Rice/ Steamed Rice or Roti/Naan/Kulcha.

Notes:

1. Use light colored chillies which are used for preparing mirch bajjis as they are not spicy.
2. Remove the seeds from the peppers which will reduce the spicyness of chillies and I also prefer to blanch them which removes any extra spicyness in the chillies.
3. You can even use wide strips of capsicum or colored bell peppers instead of poblano peppers in the recipe and follow the same recipe.
4. The gravy thickens a bit when it sits for long.If it becomes very thick add some water and boil it again during serving.
5. You can add 1 tsp poppy seeds along with the sesame seeds in the recipe.
6. Another famous Hyderabadi recipe Bagara Baingan is also prepared in a similar way.You can just replace peppers with the small slit brinjals in the recipe.

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Vegetable Dum Biriyani... using ready made Biriyani paste

Vegetable Biriyani is a perfect feast for any occasion or a party.Even though it takes a lot of time to prepare this,the final dish is all worth the effort that you took in making it.Biriyani tastes the best when it is freshly made at home,but sometimes I try using ready made masala paste in order to ease the process in making it when I don't have much time to prepare fresh masala which involves lots of frying and grinding process.If you would have checked my earlier post I need not to mention that there was a reason behind making this yummy vegetable biriyani.Anyways if you have not seen my earlier post,I prepared this for my marriage anniversary last week and is the last dish from my anniversary menu.

Ingredients:

1 carrot,sliced into 1" pieces
1 potato,sliced into 1" pieces
10-12 french beans,chopped into 1" pieces
10-12 cauliflower florets
1/4 cup green peas,fresh/frozen
1 capsicum,sliced into 1"pieces
2 big onions,thinly sliced
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
2 tbsp biriyani paste,I used MTR biriyani masala
8-10 cashewnuts
1/4 cup curd,beaten till smooth
few strands of saffron
1 tbsp milk to soak saffron
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
2 tsp butter
2 tsp oil

To make rice:
1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
1 " cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 Black cardamom
1 biriyani leaf
1/2 tsp royal cumin seeds(shajeera)
salt to taste
1 tsp Butter



Method:

Step 1 To make rice:

• Wash and soak rice for 10-12 mins and drain the rice and keep it aside.
• Heat 1 tsp butter in a deep pan and add cinnamon,shajeera,cloves,cardamom,biriyani leaf and fry for half a minute and add rice and fry for a minute.
• Add 2 and 1/2 cups of water and enough salt to it and bring it to a boil and simmer it and close the lid and cook it until the rice is done.
• After the rice is completely cooled make the rice fluffy with a fork and keep it aside.

Step 2 To caramelize Onions and cashews:

• Heat 1 tsp butter in a pan add cashewnuts and fry until brown and keep it aside.Throw in the sliced onions and fry for some time.
• Add a pinch of sugar to it and let it caramelize until brown.keep it aside.

Step 3 Saffron milk:

Heat the milk and dissolve the saffron in it and let it stand for 15 mins.

Step 4 To make the vegetable gravy :

• Heat 1 tsp butter and 2 tsp oil and add ginger garlic paste and fry for half a minute.Add the chopped vegetables(other than capsicum) one by one and fry until crisp.
• Add capsicum and fry for a minute and biriyani paste and fry for some time.Add some water(about 2 tbsp water) and salt required for the vegetables(remember you added enough salt even for rice) and keep it aside.

Step 5 To assemble the Biriyani:

• Preheat the oven @ 160 deg for 10 mins.
• Grease a flat oven proof glass bowl with butter and place a layer of half portion vegetables and then continue by a layer of half portion fluffed up rice.Pour half the caramelized onions, beaten curds over it and some saffron milk and repeat doing the same process for one more layer of vegetables,rice,fried onions,fried cashew nuts,curds and saffron milk.
• Cover it with a aluminum foil and place it in oven and bake for 20-25 mins.

Slightly mix the biriyani and serve it hot with raitha and some gravy.


I am sending this entry for "EFM-Variety Rice Series" event hosted at Me and My Kitchen.

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Bagara Baingan | Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan

Bagara Baingan recipe with step by step photos.This recipe is so special for me as it always reminds the complements that I receives from my brother when I had prepared this dish for him last year.We had visited my brother n sil during Chirstmas last year and we had spent almost 3 weeks together.We had a great time shopping,eating,exploring Singapore.Everytime I cook I always get appreciation from my family,but impressing my brother is a big deal for me as he himself is a great cook and can whip out some amazing dishes.He actually liked this curry which I made and I was so happy to see my brother's response just for a change instead of his usual criticism.He liked it a lot and told me with a big smile on his face " why don't you start a restaurant??".uuuumph..thats a great complement right??

Now coming to the recipe,everyone has their own version with slight variations.I have tried so many versions and finally settled on this one because of its amazing taste.I always prepare this with jolaga rotti(jowar rotti) as it pairs very nicely.Sometimes I prefer this with the BILAVALIGE(rice flour rotti) or normal wheat flour roti.This will be definitely a hit in the parties too.

Here is how to make bagara baingan recipe with step by step photos.

Bagara Baingan Recipe:

Serves 3-4 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Main course-Side dish

Ingredients:

10-12 small Black Brinjals(slit with a cross)

2 Onions sliced

3/4" Ginger

4-5 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

a sprig of Curry leaves

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp Tamarind pulp(extracted using hot water)

a pinch of Sugar

2 tsp powdered Jaggery(optional)

1 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander leaves

2 tbsp Oil

Salt,to taste

To grind:

1/4 cup Groundnuts

2 tsp white Sesame seeds

2 tbsp grated Dry coconut

1 tsp Fried gram, optional

4-5 Red chilies

1 tbsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 Cloves

1" Cinnamon

1-2 green Cardamom(elaichi)

Method:

• Heat oil,fry half the portion of sliced onions(add a pinch of sugar while frying),add ginger and garlic to it and fry for a minute and cool the mixture.

• Dry roast all the spices- coriander seeds,cumin seeds,cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and red chilies together and remove them and keep them aside.Dry roast ground nuts until brown in color and then add sesame seeds,dry coconut and fry for a bit.You can use the groundnuts with skin or you can remove the skin.

• Grind all the roasted spices with groundnuts,sesame seeds, dry coconut and fried gram to a fine powder and then add the fried onion mixture and grind it again to a smooth mixture.

• Heat oil in a wide bottomed pan and add the slit brinjal and fry for 2 minutes,cover it with a plate and pour water over it and cook for 12-15 minutes until the brinjals are completely soft,remove the brinjals and keep them aside.
• In the same pan heat oil and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds and then add the remaining onions and curry leaves and fry until pink,add the ground mixture,turmeric,salt and fry nicely until the mixture leaves the oil.

• Add the jaggery and tamarind pulp and 3/4 cup of water(according to the required consistency) and let it come to a boil.
• Now add fried brinjals and mix.Cover it and cook for 7-8 mins until thick.

• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Jolaga rotti(jowar rotti)/ plain akki rotti(rice flour roti)/ Roti/Chapathi.

Notes:

1. You can add few baby potatoes or potatoes cut into wedges and fry them along with the brinjals.
2. You can even use fresh coconut instead of dry coconut in the recipe.
3. Shallots can be replaced instead of the sliced onions while frying for the gravy.

Technorati Tags: bagara baingan recipe,hyderabadi bagara baingan,brinjal curry,brinjal recipes,south indian brinjal varieties,andhra recipes,south indian,side dish for rice,side dish for rotis,party recipes

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