Mom's Famous Lamb Biryani Recipe

Mom's Famous Lamb Biryani

Ever since I met Joel, I have developed an uncanny obsession for all things Indian food. I've tried more than I ever imagined I would and I haven't found one I don't like yet!The problem has been deciding which one my favorite is.Every time I share a new recipe, I call it my favorite.... Then I share another one and it becomes my new favorite! Well, I'm back at it again today. Lamb biryani is by far one of my absolute favorites. It's the equivalent of the Thanksgiving turkey of meals. I've had it maybe a dozen times since I've been married to my husband for the last ten years.I look forward to it on every holiday and even my kids BEG for lam biryani!The problem is my mother in law lives a few hundred miles away and her lamb biryani is THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD. If there was an award for amazing biryani she would have it! Her biryani can cure illnesses, make the world go round, and give us world peace! Ok, maybe that's a little much but come on guys.Try it out and see what you think![amd-yrecipe-recipe:38]

Serve with raita or some delicious coconut green beans!

Quick and Easy Samosas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealFlavorRealFast #CollectiveBias

This week has given us a little taste of the beautiful weather North Carolina has to offer. We wake up in the morning and it's already warm outside. The last thing we want to do on these warm days is heat up the oven. Instead, we go straight outside and turn on the grill.Today, we grilled up a gorgeous piece of Smithfield Marinated Pork. We love using their pork because you can create real flavor real fast! They use 100% pork and none of that nasty added stuff.* It's perfect for a midweek meal because it hardly takes any time at all to cook!It was so easy to cook and it smelled heavenly. It hardly took anytime at all for it to reach the right temperature and then we brought it inside to put together our samosas.The best part of these quick samosas is that you can fill them with anything! My families favorite is meat and potato. They're filling and perfect for any meal!Traditional samosas take a bit of time from your day. You have to make the dough from scratch, wait for it to rise, and then start the rest of the process. Not today. We made it easy by using a tortilla!

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:21]Head over to your local Walmart and pick up your own Smithfield Marinated Pork. They have so many options on the types of marinades you want to fit everyones tastebuds. You can use them to whip up your own homemade samosas or eat them on their own!They've taken all the work out of it by marinading it for you! All you need to do is sauté it, roast it, or even throw it on the grill! Our family loves to grill up our Smithfield Marinated Pork and then use the left overs in our samosas the next day! Seriously delicious meals two days in a row!

*FDA has determined that there is no significant different between milk derived from rBST-treated and non rBST-treated cows 

Simple Keema Curry Recipe

Keema Curry Recipe

If I were to choose one Indian dish I would consider my favorite to cook and eat, I'd have to say keema curry. It's such a simple dish to make and I haven't met a friend that didn't like it.Most of our friends have been initiated into our almost Indian family with this meal. It's full of vibrant flavors and who doesn't like meat and potatoes. For real.. It's so good.This dish is perfect for those busy school weeks too! All you need to do is prep all of your ingredients and let it simmer in a pot while your kids get homework done or you take a few minutes to put your feet up after a long day.If you're feeling extra fancy or you want an on the go dinner, you can make keema stuffed parathas! Follow the paratha recipe and replace the mixture with the recipe below. Voila, dinner you can hold in your hand.It doesn't matter how you choose to eat this, it's so good!

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20+ Easy Indian Recipes

Are you looking for a few new recipes to try? Check out my round up and see all of my favorite Indian recipes!

Over the years, I've become increasingly obsessed with Indian food. My husband and I got together and he showed me just how amazing Indian food could be. Then I decided to learn how to make it.The journey to being able to make Indian food was hard! I'll never forget the first dish I made. I decided to surprise my husband with chicken curry one night. He called on his way home from work, asking what I was making for dinner. I told him and you could hear how excited he was right away.I spent all day getting the ingredients, finding a good recipe online, and prepping the dish.When he got home, he expected to instantly smell delicious chicken curry when he opened the door. You could even see him inhale as he walked in. However, his face didn't show the excitement I was hoping for. He looked confused.He walked over to the pot simmering on the stove and turned his head.As we sat down for dinner he took a bite and oh so graciously asked what I used to make it. He said it didn't taste like his moms and he was curious if I used the right spices... First of all, my wonderful and amazing husband has learned over the years to never compare your wife's cooking to his mothers!No one wants to hear that after she spent hours cooking, but over the years I realized just how right on he was!I found an American version of chicken curry and even used a curry powder I found at a local grocery store. I used the wrong type of chicken, the wrong spices, and it took 20 minutes compared to the hours of simmering traditional chicken curry needs.The simple answer is you need to find a delicious traditional recipe if you're looking to taste authentic Indian recipes.

20+ Of My Favorite Indian Recipes

I want to make it easy for you and to prevent you from finding disappointing Indian recipes online! Here are a few of my favorite Indian recipes that have been passed down to me from my in laws. They're delicious and simple to make!

Simple Indian Dinners

Almond Chicken CurryChicken Tikka MasalaBaked Tandoori ChickenSamosa Hand PiesTraditional Butter Chicken RecipeLahori Fish FryKarahi ChickenSimple Pav Bhaji (Vegetarian)Keema Curry

Sweet Indian Desserts

Indian DonutsVermicelli KheerMango Lassi SmoothieChai Spiced Donuts

Tasty Indian Side Dishes

Cumin Salad DressingGarlic NaanHyderabadi CabbageCoconut Green BeansCoconut Chana MasalaKhichidi Lemon RicePappu

Which one is your favorite?

Don't forget to PIN this round up for later!

Samosa Hand Pies Recipe

Are you looking for a quick and simple snack? You're in the right place! These samosa hand pies are delicious and simple to make!

The Perfect On The Go Snack

Over the last few years my day to day routine has become extremely chaotic. There are so many pieces to the puzzle throughout the day. I can't just pick up and go whenever I feel like it. Now, I have to plan out the whole day and decide on how many diapers I need, how many changes of clothes for the "uh-oh moments," and of course snacks.Snacks are one of the most important things... according to my three boys!If I don't bring a quick on the go snack, they end up "starving" and begging me to buy every snack they see.I'm sure those of you with kids in school, multiples like us, or working parents fully understand! The moment you pick them up they're hungry! They're looking to see what goodie you brought them.Or maybe you're trying to find a quick snack in between sports practices or ballet?

Simple Samosa Hand Pies

I've got you covered! I have the perfect on the go snack! You can whip up a delicious batch of Samosa Hand Pies! These little pockets of goodness are so easy to make and they're a fun twist on your every day meals.Our family is obsessed with samosas! They're traditionally served as an appetizer and look more like triangle pockets. It's also our go to appetizer every time we go out to an Indian restaurant with the kids! The only problem we ran into with traditional samosas is that they were a little tricky as an on the go snack.These little samosa hand pies are the perfect on the go meal! You can make them smaller like we did today or larger for a tasty lunch.The filling is what makes these little beauties so amazing. You can fill them up with meat and veggies or just veggies! Either way they're tasty!One of our favorite things to serve our Samosa Hand Pies with is cilantro chutney. YUM.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:8]

What's your favorite on the go snack?

Summer Recipes

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Summer is almost here! My favorite season in the Pacific Northwest is definitely the summers! It's perfect outside! My family and I have been soaking it up. We had a Mother's Day Tea, which was the cutest thing ever! We went to the funnest park around! Then of course some good old thumb sucking.  The other reason I love summers is that it's the perfect time to host dinner parties! My husband and I love inviting people over to indulge in some delicious Indian food.Most of our friends have always either loved Indian food or super excited to try it. I quickly stumbled upon a routine for our get togethers. I have a list of dishes I will make if people have never tried Indian food, tried it and loved it, vegetarians, and spicy food addicts. Here are a few party menus for you to try on your next early summer party!Never tried Indian food before? Here are a few dishes for you!Keema CurryChicken KeemaNaanDo you LOVE Indian food and can't wait for more? Here you go!Chicken CurryChicken Tikka MasalaParathasButter ChickenAny vegetarians in the house?Delicious DalGreek YogurtHyderabadi CabbagePotato MasalaWhat are your favorite Indian dishes? 

Samosa Recipe

Are you ready for one of the best appetizers you will ever have in your life? I hope so because this is the recipe for samosas! I made them for my family last night and I was barely able to take a picture of the finished project because my cousins and husband kept sneaking in and eating them!I made meat and potato samosas, but you can stuff them with anything that sounds good to you!

Meat and Potato Samosas

Ingredients:

Dough-3 cups of flour2 tbs semolina flour1/2 tsp salt1/4 cup of vegetable oil1/2 cup of warm waterFilling-1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)1 tsp salt1 1/2 tbs cumin powder1 tsp turmeric1/2 diced onion2 tsp chili powdervegetable oil2 tbs ginger/garlic paste1 1/2 tbs garam masala5 large potatoes1 cup peas

Directions:

Peel and boil your potatoes until tender. Strainthem and set them aside to cool.In a separate pan heat you oil on a medium/low temperature. When the oil is warm, add your onions. Cook your onions until they are a nice golden brown color.Add in the turmeric, cumin powder, chili powder, ginger/garlic paste, and garam masala and cook for two minutes. Add in your ground turkey. If you are using any other meat, besides ground turkey, brown/strain your meat first and then add it at this step.When your meat has cooked, add in your salt and peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add in your potatoes, mix, and cool.As your filling is cooling, you can start on your dough.Add your dry ingredients into a bowl (salt, flour, and semolina flour). Mix and add your oil.This is where you will get your hands a little dirty. Slowly add your water, a little bit at a time. While you are adding your water, you will mix it with your hands. Make sure all of your dry ingredients are mixed into your dough and start kneading. Knead until your dough until it starts looking like the picture below and has become more elastic.Separate your dough into six balls. Roll them into a circle. Take one dough ball and roll it out into a large circle. It needs to be very thin.Cut your dough in half.Pick up one piece and wet the edges.Fold the straight edges so they overlap and press together. This allows you to have a triangular pocket to stuff your filling inside.Spoon your filling inside. Continue to push your filling down so you can make sure it is nice and full. If your dough starts to break, touch it with a bit of water and pinch it together.Take the top half and fold it over.Then take your other top half and fold it over. Pinch the seam so there are no holes or openings. If there are any holes, your filling will come out during the frying process.Take a deep pot and fill it with enough oil to fully cover you samosas. Do not heat your oil until you are done putting your samosas together because your oil can burn. Heat your oil on medium high. Test our oil by putting a small piece of dough in. It should instantly start bubbling and sizzling.Add your samosas in three at a time. Turn them over after 20 seconds. Take them out when they are a nice golden color.You can serve these with a nice cilantro chutney! Watch out because these things fly off the plates at our house and everyone LOVES them!