Narali Bhaat is a typical Maharashtrian prepartion. Naral means coconut and bhaat is rice in marathi. 2 cups Basmati rice 1 1/2 cup jaggery, crushed 1/2 fresh coconut, grated Few cashews Few pistachios 4-5 strings of saffron 1 tsp cardamom and jaiphal powder 1 tsp yellow food color 2 tbsp ghee 4 whole cloves 4 cups hot water 3-4 whole cardamoms

Wash and drain the rice half-an-hour before preparation. Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole cardamoms, cloves, rice and sauté for two to three minutes. Then add hot water, food color and cardamom and jaiphal powder. After the water dries add the jaggery, coconut, nuts and saffron. Stir well. Cook on low flame until jaggery melts and cover the "Narli Bhaat" with a lid and cook for five minutes. Serve hot.

Wash rice, keep it soaked for half an hour in water and cook it. Cool it. Mix grated coconut and jaggery and add it to cooked rice. Heat Butter (Ghee). Add rice mixture to it. Add dry fruits like cashews, almonds etc. (Optional). Mix well and add cardamom powder to it.

Grind together all the above ingredients, except the yogurt to form a smooth paste. Add the ground spices to the yogurt and mix well. Marinate the lamb pieces in this mixture for about 2 hours. Cooking the Lamb Fry the sliced onions in a few table spoons of little ghee, until they are golden brown. Add the the lamb marinade and mix thoroughly. Add about 1 pint of water over the lamb and heat and bring to boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook until the lamb is tender. Cooking the Rice Wash the rice in cold water. Wash it at least three times. Drain all the water out from the rice. Set aside for 20 minutes. In a pot add 3-4 tablespoons of ghee and sauté the drained rice until the rice grains separate and then start sticking together again. Remove from heat. Add salt to taste. Mix well. Set aside. Layering the Lamb Biryani 3 Medium onions, sliced thinly and fried to golden brown 1/2 cup of Sliced almonds, fried to golden brown 4 Tablespoons Golden raisins 1/2 tsp Saffron and 3 tablespoons warm Milk Mix the Saffron with the milk. Set aside. In a large ovenproof "Corning" container add a layer of rice followed by a layer of the cooked lamb along with a little sauce from the lamb. Now sprinkle the fried onions, almonds, raisins, and saffron mixture. Now add a layer of rice and lamb and again sprinkle the fried onions, almonds raisins and saffron mixture. Add the final layer of rice and again for the final time sprinkle the fried onions, almonds, raisins, and saffron mixture. Add about 3-4 tablespoons of melted ghee on top. Add enough water until you see the water level about a 1/2 inch higher than rice. Cover the saucepan well with a tight fitting lid. Or you can cover with aluminum foil. Put the pan inside the oven. Oven temperature should be over 450 F for 45 minutes. Garnish with a few mint sprigs.

Wash and drain the rice. Keep aside for 20 minutes. Heat the oil, on medium high. Add the cloves, bay leaf and cumin seeds and stir for a few seconds. Then add the rice and continue to sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Now add the peas and stir. After a few minutes you will notice that the rice starts to form clumps. Add the 4 cups of hot water and the salt (approx. 1 1/2-teaspoon). Increase the heat, and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, simmer on low and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to stand, still covered for 5 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Before serving fluff up the rice with a fork and lightly season with a little butter or oil.

1. Soak the dried lentils in warm water for 1/2 hour. They will double in quantity and be ready for cooking. 2. Wash and drain the rice. Soak for 20 minutes. 3. Heat the oil or ghee. Crush the garlic cloves and add to the hot oil. Sauté till light brown. 4. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick sauté for a minute. 5. Add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Caramelizing the onions sweetens them and adds a wonderful flavor to the recipe. 6. Add the lentils, rice, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Sauté for 5 to 8 minutes. 7. Add the salt; butter chopped coriander leaves and hot water. Mix well. 8. Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. 9. Serve hot and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Mint chutney is a good accompaniment.

Wet Masala Paste" 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger 1/2-cup onions finely chopped 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon red chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1/2 cup freshly ground coconut or use the unsweetened dry coconut Onion Almond Garnish 1-cup onions finely sliced 2 tablespoons golden raisins 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 5-6 tablespoons of oil In a medium skillet, on medium high, heat 5-6 tablespoons of oil; fry the onions till golden brown. Lower the heat. Now add the raisins and almonds and sauté till the almonds are lightly brown. Keep aside. This is the garnish. First Make the Garnish and Wet Masala Paste. Wash the rice, drain the water and let it sit with no water for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks. Sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add the "Wet-Masala Paste" and sauté till golden brown and until the oil starts to separate. Tired of sautéing.....…don't be.......a little elbow grease goes a long way ! That ‘s the trick to making your recipe turn out great. So don’t quit now. Now add the bell peppers, potatoes, peas and carrots, sauté for a few more minutes. Add the rice and salt mix well. Sauté for a few more minutes. Transfer into a Microwave able / Serving container. (Corning* or Anchor Hocking*) OR cook in the same pot. Add 5 (approx.) cups of water. Cook the rice until all the water has been absorbed. At this point, stir the rice and add half of the Onion-Almond-Garnish and mix it in. Cover the container and finish cooking. Remove and garnish with the remaining "Onion-Almond Garnish" and a few mint leaves. Serve hot with Mint Chutney and Raita. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1. Wash the rice in Luke warm water, drain completely and let it sit. 2. Heat the ghee or oil on medium heat, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds sauté for a minute, Add the rice and sauté till the rice starts to clump together. 3. Now add the hot water and the salt. Boil till almost all the water has evaporated. 4. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. The rice should be fluffy. 5. Serve hot with any curry. 6. Adding a dollop of butter on the hot rice will add a lot of flavor to it. It is not necessary but can be done.

1. Wash the rice in luke warm water, drain water and soak for 20 minutes. 2. Heat the ghee on medium heat, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds sauté for a minute. Add the rice and sauté till the rice starts to clump. 3. Now add the water, saffron and the salt. 4. Boil till almost all the water has evaporated, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. 5. The rice should be fluffy. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve hot.

Heat the oil, sauté cardamom, cinnamon & cloves until you can smell the flavor. Add the onion and sauté until light brown. Add the mint leaves, chilies, and tomatoes. Add the rice. Sauté the mixture lightly for a few minutes. Add salt. Add 1 cup hot water and 1 cup of tomato juice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Garnish with Mint leaves. Serve it hot.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter or oil over moderate heat. When the foam subsides for the butter, add the cloves, peppercorns, black pepper powder and bay leaf add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown. Add the rice, moong daal, salt and turmeric. Stir and toss the mixture gently. Reduce the heat to moderately low and stir gently for a minute. Pour in the boiling water and stir once. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice and Moong daal are cooked and tender and all the water has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat. Many people like to cook this in a pressure cooker or a rice cooker. Serve at once. Garnish with 1 teaspoon of ghee and some fresh coriander leaves.

Heat oil in a pot. Add asafoetida, black mustard seeds, curry leaves , chana daal, urad daal and red chilies. Once the black mustard seeds start to sputter and the daals are slightly light brown add the peanuts, lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder. Finally, add boiled rice and mix it well. Serve at room temperature.