Mushroom Biriyani

It was in Phnom Penh that I had mushroom biriyani for the first time at the Masala Dosa Street Kitchen

Delicious, delightfully light. Back home in the Netherlands, I started experimenting to get the same taste. I only had one hint: coconut milk to  get the rice light and fluffy. This is my version after many experiments.

 Ingredients

o     225 gr. Basmati rice o    350 ml. water o   1 tablespoon sunflower oil or coconut oil o   1 bay leaf o   1 star anise o   2 black cardamoms o   ½ teaspoon cumin seed o   ½ teaspoon chili powder o   1 medium onion sliced thinly

o   1 teaspoon ginger paste o   1 teaspoon garlic paste o   1 or 2 green chilies, to taste o   1 teaspoon garam masala o   1 small strand mace o   200 gr. chestnut mushrooms o   200 gr. shitake o   165 ml. coconut milk o   2 tablespoons coriander, chopped o   Salt to taste

Directions

1. Wash the rice and soak in 350 ml water for 20 minutes.
2. Cut onions, make the ginger and garlic paste.
3. Slice the mushrooms.
4. Heat the oil.
5. Fry the bay leaf, star anise, cumin seed, cardamom.
6. Add onions and fry till slightly colored.
7. Add garlic and ginger paste.
8. Add mushroom and the other spices. Fry about 5 minutes.
9. Add coconut milk, stir well and bring to boil.
10. Add salt.
11. Add rice with water.
12. Bring to boil and simmer for about 12 minutes. Turn of the heat and rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serving Tip:

Serve with vegan mint-cucumber raita and spinach.

 

Ginger Coconut Rice Cookies

To continue with the range of gluten free and soy free rice cookies, this is the variation with coconut and ginger.

Ingredients 

o   125 gr. plant based butter

o   80 gr. white caster sugar

o   150 gr. glutinous rice flour

  o   about 1 tablespoon almond milk 

o   60 gr. shredded coconut, lightly toasted 

o   6-8 balls of stem ginger (candied ginger balls), chopped finely

o   1 tablespoon of ginger syrup (from the jar of the stem ginger)

 Directions

o   Mix the ingredients for the cookies to a dough, if it is to dry add a few drops of sunflower oil and water. Cover the dough with foil and cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

o   Preheat the oven to 175°C.

o   Line two big baking trays

o   Roll out the dough into a slice of about 0,5 cm thick

o   Use a glass of 7,5 cm (or if you have cookie moulds) to cut out the cookies and place them carefully on a baking tray

o   Bake in about 15-20 minutes

o   Let them cool

  

Matcha Rice Cookies

I wanted to make special sweet treat for a friend who suffers from lots of different allergies and decided to veganize an old recipe for lavender cookies, and also made a variation with matcha and lime.

Ingredients 

For the cookies

o   250 gr. plant based butter

o   180 gr. white caster sugar

o   350 gr. glutinous rice flour

o   about 1 tablespoon almond milk (water is fine as well but the almond milk gives it a richer flavor)

 For the frosting

o   4 tablespoons of icing sugar

o   1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

o   1/4 teaspoon matcha powder

 

Directions

o   Mix the ingredients for the cookies to a dough, if it is to dry add a few drops of sunflower oil and water. Cover the dough with foil and cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

o   Preheat the oven to 175°C.

o   Line two big baking trays

o   Roll out the dough into a slice of about 0,5 cm thick

o   Use a glass of 7,5 cm (or if you have cookie moulds) to cut out the cookies and place them carefully on a baking tray

o   Bake in about 15-20 minutes

o   Let them cool

Frosting 

Mix lime juice with the matcha powder and icing sugar until you have a spreadable frosting. I keep a little fluid so I can brush it on the cookies. Brush the cookies with the icing and while still sticky, sprinkle with lavender sugar.

 

 

Lavender Rice Cookies

I wanted to make special sweet treat for a friend who suffers from lots of different allergies and decided to veganize an old recipe for lavender cookies, and also made a variation with matcha and lime.

Ingredients 

For the cookies

o   250 gr. plant based butter

o   180 gr. white caster sugar

o   350 gr. glutinous rice flour

o   1 tablespoon bio lavender (ground, finely or roughly up to your taste)

 For the frosting

o   4 tablespoons of icing sugar

o   A dash of rosewater

o   A dash of water

 

For the lavender sugar

o   2 tablespoons fine sugar

o   1 teaspoon lavender (roughly ground)

Directions

o   Mix the ingredients for the cookies to a dough, if it is to dry add a few drops of sunflower oil and water. Cover the dough with foil and cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

o   Preheat the oven to 175°C.

o   Line two big baking trays

o   Roll out the dough into a slice of about 0,5 cm thick

o   Use a glass of 7,5 cm (or if you have cookie moulds) to cut out the cookies and place them carefully on a baking tray

o   Bake in about 15-20 minutes

o   Let them cool

Frosting and lavender sugar

Mix rosewater and water with the icing sugar until you have a spreadable frosting. I keep a little fluid so I can brush it on the cookies. Mix the sugar and lavender. Brush the cookies with the icing and while still sticky, sprinkle with lavender sugar.

Variations

o   Replace the lavender by cardamom or lemon zest or in wintertime with pumpkin spice.