If you want to turn your comfort food experience into a guilt-free trip then Chef Manish Mehrotra has you sorted. He has shared with the Indulge readers two awesome recipes of biryani and tart that he has tweaked with the healthy addition of nutritive almonds. Cook them at home and surprise your siblings during this Rakhsha Bandhan.
Almond Mixed Grain Biryani
Ingredients: Barley washed and drained 1/2 cup | Brown rice, washed and drained 1/2 cup | Pearl Millet, washed and drained 1/2 cup | Ghee 2 tsp | Garlic, chopped 1 tsp | Ginger, chopped 1 tbsp | Green chilli, chopped 1 tsp | Baby carrots, diced 1/2 cup | Onion red, sliced 1/4 cup | Black pepper, crushed 1/2 tsp | Salt to taste | Vegetable stock 7 cups | Cumin seeds 1 tsp | Chopped coriander 1 ½ tsp | Chopped spring onion 1 ½ tsp | Almonds 1/4 cup
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Method
• Heat ghee in a large dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf. As it crackles add onion, green chilli, garlic & ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add carrots. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, until carrots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in all of the grains and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in stock; bring to a boil.
• Add almonds. Cover the pot, and put in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 degree celsius (check after 30 minutes; remove the lid and cook a little longer if grains need to be softer). Fold in chopped herbs.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Almond Halwa Tart
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients: Unsalted butter 100 gm | Castor sugar 60 gm | Khoya 120 gm | Almonds 300 gm | Desi ghee 90 gm | Mascarpone cheese 50 gm
Method:
• Cream unsalted butter and sugar together in the machine bowl of a planetary mixer with a paddle attachment, until thick and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and a bowl to cream butter and sugar.
• Add the flour and mix well. This pastry is for the tart base, refrigerate in the fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
• Grind the almonds to a slightly coarse powder.
• Heat desi ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add the almond powder and cook on slow heat.
• Cook till slightly brown, add the sugar and cook further 5-10 mins.
• Add the khoya and cook for 10-15 minutes. The almonds and khoya should bind together.
• Roll out the pastry into a 9-inch round and line an 8-inch tart shell with the rolled pastry.
• Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 15-20 mins till the pastry is fully cooked and golden in colour.
• Mix the almond halwa with mascarpone cheese and fill the tart with this mixture evenly.
• Garnish with sliced toasted almonds and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).