Leftovers Biryani

February 10, 2026

Unfussy biryani made from leftover salan, on the stove top or the Instant Pot. Use any shorba or qorma wala salan that has a tomato onion masala base. See Notes section for a “salan” hack if you don’t have any on hand.

Credits

Recipe adapted from Mirchi Tales.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
500g	rice, basmati
1 tsp	salt
as needed / 675g	water (stove top vs instant pot)
28g / 2 T	oil
1	onion, medium, sliced thin
1	potato, gold, large, chopped
1	tomato, medium, chopped
2 cups	leftover salan
~2-3 T	Shan Special Bombay Biryani masala
2 T	yogurt
1	jalapeño, sliced
¼ cup	cilantro, fresh, chopped
2 T	mint, fresh, finely chopped

process

Stove top

The stove top version is unfussy from using leftover salan and also from only making 1 layer, in a wide, shallow paella pan (if you have one). If you don’t have such a pan, use whatever pot you have, and you can do multiple layers if you want.

wash rice thoroughly 4-5 times, and set to boil with 1 tsp salt in medium sized pot; cook until 80-90% done
heat a large, wide paella pan, add oil until shimmering, add onions to brown along with the potatoes
add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down
add half the jalapeño and all the Shan masala, sauté a few minutes to infuse oil with flavor and mix thoroughly
add salan, mix thoroughly
add yogurt; mix
cook gravy down until mostly “dry” and oil starts to separate, reduce heat to minimal
- gravy should taste a little too salty and overspiced at this stage
spread gravy out in an even layer
strain rice (should be about 85% done, but it’s not that deep), spread evenly on top of the gravy in a single layer
sprinkle cilantro, mint, and the rest of the jalapeño on top; cover with a tight-fitting lid, set to steam for ~15 minutes at lowest heat setting
fluff up and serve

Instant Pot

The instant pot version is even more unfussy, because there’s no layering whatsoever, it’s all cooked together, pulao style, and made in just one pot. No futzing about with getting the rice to 85% done, etc. Down side is that the rice will all be one color, not variegated like when it’s layered.

mode: sauté
temp: medium

wash rice thoroughly 4-5 times, set aside to soak for 30-60 minutes
when IP is hot, add oil, onions, salt; cook until onions start to brown
add tomatoes, potatoes, half the jalapeños, cook until they start to break down
add Shan masala, mix thoroughly and cook for 1-2 minutes
add salan, mix and cook down
add yogurt; mix
cook gravy down until mostly “dry” and oil starts to separate; turn off sauté mode
drain rice and add to instant pot, along with 675g water
- use your judgement; if your gravy is a bit wet (maybe you had to periodically deglaze with water), use slightly less water
sprinkle cilantro, mint, and remainder of the jalapeño on top, close the lid

pressure: high
time: 4 minutes
release: 5 minute natural release

open lid and fluff rice;
- if it looks a little wet, leave the lid off and let the rice air out after fluffing, periodically fluff again so the rice on the bottom has a chance to air out as well

notes

The Sukhi’s brand chicken curries from Costco make a great base here; mango coconut curry flavor works better than the tikka masala, as it’s more mildly spiced. One pouch is enough for this recipe (the Costco pack contains 2 pouches).
Any tomato-based salan will probably work; I’ve even made leftover biryani from an Italian chicken dish I’d made, so don’t be shy to experiment. The biryani masala is quite strong and will overpower most existing flavors.
can be made vegetarian easily
can also add goodies like dried plums when making the gravy

Biryani Masalay

There are other biryani mixes available, even from the same brand, and I’ve used several when making this recipe—but none of them give the perfect biryani flavor that I get from the Shan Special Bombay Biryani mix, so I stick with it.

If you have others on hand, use them at your own risk. Here are some of my notes below:

Shan regular biryani mix is…fine, but nothing really to write home about, it’s missing whatever gives the Special Bombay Biryani its chatpata zing
National brand is ok but heavier on the laal mirch, so use a more sparing hand
Lazizah was basically all mirch, so use a very light hand; also, very few other notes could be detected; do not recommend

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

better than takeout ○ chicken ○ comfort food ○ desi ○ freezer friendly ○ meat ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ rice ○ vegetarian

Biryani Pasta (Instant Pot)

February 9, 2026

This version contains the measurements and ingredients necessary to make biryani pasta in a 6qt or larger instant pot. These measurements (especially timing and water amounts) will not work for the stove top, although using common sense, you could easily adapt the recipe for stove top cooking.

Recipe tested in a 6qt standard and 7qt Rio Wide Instant Pot.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
1 lb / 500g	dry pasta
1 lb / 500g	chicken breast, raw, thin sliced^* (optional)
~1-2 T	olive oil
1	onion, medium, sliced
~2 T	Shan Special Bombay Biryani masala
~24oz	tomato sauce
36oz	water
to taste	salt; use more if using chicken
to taste	cheese, shredded
to taste	cilantro, chopped

^*see notes for how to add chicken

Process

mode: sauté
heat: medium

when IP is heated up on sauté mode, add olive oil and wait for it to heat up
add sliced onions and sauté until transluscent; no need to brown
add Shan masala and toast in oil for ~1-2 minutes, making sure there are no dry bits of masala and also that the masala doesn’t burn
if using raw chicken, add it now and mix well
add tomato or marinara sauce and mix well
IMPORTANT: pasta is not eaten like biryani, where the whole spices are expected to be picked out, so after the flavors of the spices have infused the tomato sauce mixture well, fish out as many of the whole spices as you can find.
- at this stage, mixture should taste over-spiced and salted
- add salt or more Shan masala conservatively, per taste; remember there’s salt in the Shan mix, too
add pasta
- if using spaghetti or other long shapes, break in half and layer in criss-cross pattern to fit in 6qt pot
add water; scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is sticking that will burn later

pressure: high
time: 8 minutes
release: manual

once pressure drops, open lid and add cheese and cilantro, stir to melt and combine
- can also add cheese individually in plates when serving

Notes

any pasta shape will work, I’ve used spaghetti, farfalle, rotini, penne, etc.
there are other biryani mixes available, even from the same brand, but I don’t find the perfect biryani flavor in any of them but the one I linked, so use others at your own risk (some are much heavier on the spice or salt, some lack the proper floral notes, etc.)
if using cooked chicken, shred and add it at the end, along with the cheese in step 9 to avoid overcooking
suggest experimenting with a lower cook time and longer natural release to leverage passive cooking…something like 3 minutes high pressure, 5 minutes natural release (untested)

cheeses

Any melting cheese will work well here. I have used/tried and enjoyed:

mozzarella, shredded
provolone
pepperjack
jalapeno havarti slices
shredded pizza cheese blend

You can also sandwich a slice of cheese between layers of portioned pasta (the cheese pull in the picture is from a slice of provolone layered between pasta in the bowl)

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe

better than takeout ○ chicken ○ desi ○ freezer friendly ○ fusion ○ italian ○ meat ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ pakistani ○ photo

Caprese Cheese Dip

December 17, 2025
Ingredients

All amounts are to-taste, so use as much (or as little) as you like.

amount ingredient
— cheese
— tomatoes, cherry
— balsamic vinegar
— basil, fresh
~1 T olive oil

Process
1. spread cheese out in low bowl or shallow plate
2. in a dry pan on high heat, add olive oil and toss in tomatoes, toss to coat and spread oil around evenly
  - the high heat will cause a little bit of smoke; nothing to worry about, but consider opening a window or running a fan
3. once the tomatoes have charred and some or most have popped, pour them directly over the cheese plate; the heat will melt and soften the cheese
4. drizzle balsamic vinegar on top
5. snip fresh basil directly over the plate with scissors (easiest way to do it)
Notes
- can add other toppings such as parmesan cheese, additional herbs, red pepper flakes, etc.
- serve with toasted bread
cheese recommendations

Any fresh cheese will probably work for this recipe, such as:
- boursin
- burrata
- cottage cheese
- fresh mozzarella
- ricotta
I would not recommend cream cheese here (untested).
Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ italian ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

amount	ingredient
—	cheese
—	tomatoes, cherry
—	balsamic vinegar
—	basil, fresh
~1 T	olive oil

Lemon Parmesan Chicken Bites

May 2, 2025

Ingredients

All amounts are arbitrary and to-taste. Sorry.

For the Marinade

amount	ingredient
2 lbs	chicken breast, cubed
—	lemon juice, fresh
—	black pepper
—	taco seasoning
—	chili powder^* ^**
—	garlic powder
—	salt
a lot	Parmigiano-Reggiano, blended or shredded
1-2 T	oil (optional)

^*a smokey blend of spices (Mexican), NOT a single-pepper powder like cayenne
** see notes

For the Sauce

amount	ingredient
6 T // ¾ stick	butter, salted
1 tsp – 1 T	garlic, fresh, crushed into paste or minced (optional)
—	Parmigiano-Reggiano, blended or shredded
~½ cup	cilantro, fresh, chopped
1	lime, fresh, juice of^*
—	hot sauce
—	honey

^*or lemon should be fine, too

Process

add lemon juice to chicken and mix until well-coated
add remaining ingredients for marinade and mix until chicken is evenly coated
marinate in fridge for ~2-3 hours

Preheat oven: 425º F
Bake: 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken

in a small pot, heat butter and garlic (if using) gently on low heat until garlic loses its sharpness and butter is infused
take off the heat and add remaining ingredients for sauce; set aside
when chicken is done cooking, take out and brush with sauce

Notes

for the chili powder, use whatever you have on hand; I didn’t have it and subbed with a burger seasoning; it’s chill, get creative or just leave it out
I didn’t use oil in the marinade and chicken still came out juicy and tender (see photo); might get more browning if you use it
if you don’t have a brush for applying the sauce, just spoon it over or dunk the pieces to coat

Suggested uses

eat as-is
on a salad (you can try adding more lemon juice and maybe balsamic to the sauce leftovers for a quick dressing)
over rice (use the sauce more liberally)
in a sandwich or wrap
with pasta in a white sauce

Mains // Oven // Recipe

better than takeout ○ chicken ○ italian ○ marinade ○ meat ○ photo

Alfredo Sauce

April 27, 2025

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
2 T	butter
1 clove or ¼ tsp	garlic or garlic powder
1 cup	heavy cream
1 cup	Parmigiano-Reggiano, blended or shredded
to taste	salt
to taste	black pepper
to taste	red pepper flakes^*
1 handful	arugula or spinach, chopped^*
5	sundried tomatoes, chopped^*
1	lemon juice, fresh^*

^*optional

Process

in a saucepot on the stove, gently melt butter and add garlic; cook until fragrant, a minute or two
add heavy cream and parm
add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes; simmer gently as sauce thickens
add greens and sundried tomatoes
when sauce thickens to desired consistency, turn off heat, add lemon juice and stir

If adding to pasta, set pasta to boil before starting the sauce and add it to the saucepot along with a little bit of pasta water once done. Stir to coat thoroughly and serve.

Notes

if the sauce is too thick, thin with milk or water (whatever you have on hand)
can also use milk or half and half if you don’t have cream, but may have to cook down longer to thicken

optional add-ins

Add whatever you have on hand, like:

parsley (fresh or dried)
white pepper
arugula
spinach
kale, finely chopped
sundried tomatoes

Base Ingredient // Recipe // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian

Asian Chicken Marinade

April 26, 2025
Credits

Recipe adapted from RecipeTinEats.

Ingredients

amount ingredient
3 lbs chicken breast
2 T ginger garlic paste
3 T soy sauce
2 T ketchup
1 T orange chicken sauce^*
3 T Sriracha
1 tsp oil^*
^* see notes

Process
1. thin the chicken breasts either by pounding with a meat mallet or slicing; your butcher may also be able to do it for you when buying
2. mix marinade ingredients together in a bowl (or zip top bag) and add chicken, mix until the chicken is completely coated
3. if using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is actually touching the chicken so it doesn’t dry out; if using zip top bag, push excess air out and seal
4. let chicken marinate in fridge for ~1 hour and up to overnight
Cooking the chicken

Stovetop
1. set dry pan over medium heat; once hot, add a thin layer of oil
2. gently lay chicken into the oiled pan in a single layer; do not flip chicken until a nice crust forms on the first side down
  - do not overlap chicken
  - do not overcrowd pan; you will have to do multiple batches
3. flip when chicken releases easily from the pan and the first side is mostly cooked through, shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes, and may take less
4. cook the other side for a few minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken is no longer pink
5. remove from pan and place in serving plate; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm as you cook the rest of the chicken
bake in the oven
```
preheat oven: 450º F
```
1. line baking pans or sheet with aluminum foil and place chicken breasts on it in a single layer
  - do not overlap chicken
  - make sure to shake off excess marinade so chicken isn’t “wet” going into the oven
2. Bake chicken in oven for ~8-15 minutes; check at the earlier time so as not to overcook; assess done-ness by slicing into the thickest part to make sure it’s cooked through
Because this is a wet marinade, the chicken will kind of steam in the oven a bit. Still delicious, but you don’t get much of a maillard reaction. You could try broiling it instead, but I haven’t tried this and am not sure how well it would cook the chicken all the way through (probably be fine though).

The major benefit of baking vs other methods is its pretty hands off, despite the large amount of chicken, so you’re not tied to the stove. It’s also less messy, with easier clean up since there’s no oil splatters or smoke.

grill
1. fire up the grill and heat to medium
2. oil the grates and place chicken breasts over indirect heat, cook until one side is mostly cooked through and gets nice grill marks
3. flip and cook the other side just until cooked through
Sous vide
1. preheat sous vide bath to 150-155º F (or whatever your preference for chicken breast))
2. shake off excess marinade from chicken and place in a silicone or zip top bag in a single layer
3. submerge in bath for ~1 hour
Notes
- orange chicken sauce: I just pulled whatever “Asian” sauce was in the fridge…if I was in my own kitchen, I would probably use oyster, fish, or hoisin sauce; maybe a combination
  - don’t think too hard about this one and use whatever you have on hand
- sesame oil is best, but I only had olive oil on hand so that’s what I ended up using
- chicken breast is easy to overcook, especially when thin-sliced, so keep a close eye on cook times (sous vide is the most forgiving)
  - err on the side of less cook time
  - you can remove chicken from the heat just when cooked and cover with foil so that the carry-over heat will gently finish it perfectly
Freezing tips

The marinade itself can be frozen in ice cubes, or you can freeze the chicken after covering it in the marinade. This is especially useful if you’ll be sous viding it afterwards, since you can take it from the freezer directly into the water bath.

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Suggested uses
- on salads (especially with an Asian sauce like a Thai peanut dressing and fried noodle croutons)
- in sandwiches
- on pastas and noodle bowls
- eat it alone for a great, protein-rich snack
- shred it in tacos or burritos
Grill // Mains // Oven // Recipe // Sous Vide // Stovetop

asian ○ chicken ○ freezer friendly ○ marinade ○ meat

amount	ingredient
3 lbs	chicken breast
2 T	ginger garlic paste
3 T	soy sauce
2 T	ketchup
1 T	orange chicken sauce^*
3 T	Sriracha
1 tsp	oil^*

Strawberry Caprese Salad

April 24, 2025

Credits

Recipe adapted from Heartbeet Kitchen.

Ingredients

Makes 3 generous servings

This recipe was completely eyeballed, so all amounts are estimates; adjust to your tastes and preferences. If unsure, start with a little and add more if needed. Don’t be scared, it’s not that serious.

amount	ingredient
1 cup	strawberries, fresh, sliced
~15	mozzarella balls, fresh, small
2-3 T	basil pesto
to taste	salt
to taste	black pepper, fresh cracked
drizzle	olive oil
to taste	lemon juice, fresh
1 bag	spring mix
handful	arugula
2 T	balsamic vinaigrette

Process

Add all ingredients up through lemon juice into a bowl and mix thoroughly
In a separate bowl, mix the spring mix, arugula, and dress lightly with balsamic vinaigrette
To plate, fill individual salad bowls with salad greens and top with the strawberry caprese mix

Notes

toasted walnuts (or any other nut you prefer) would go great here
can pair with chicken breast as well for a protein boost
You can use any fresh mozzarella you want, I just had the little balls on hand, so that’s what I used; I tore them in half and squished them a bit

No Cook // Recipe // Salad

better than takeout ○ cold ○ low effort ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Banana Peanut Butter Oat Bars

December 31, 2024
Credits

Recipe adapted from Sammi Brondo.

Ingredients

Makes 9 square bars

amount ingredient
3 bananas, very ripe
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla paste
1¼ cup oats
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup chocolate chips

Process
```
preheat oven 350º F
```
1. grease a loaf pan (with butter, spray oil, or regular oil) or trim parchment paper to fit
2. mash bananas, add peanut butter, vanilla; mix
3. add oats, salt, baking powder; mix
4. fold in chocolate chips
5. pour mixture into prepared pan
```
bake ~30 minutes
```
1. let cool, then cut into bars
Notes
- I used natural peanut butter, but you can use whatever you have on hand
- quick cooking or rolled oats work best
- could try swirling through some jelly/jam (untested)
Oven // Recipe // Sweets

baking ○ better than takeout ○ dump and go ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

amount	ingredient
3	bananas, very ripe
¼ cup	peanut butter
1 tsp	vanilla paste
1¼ cup	oats
¼ tsp	salt
½ tsp	baking powder
½ cup	chocolate chips

Chicken Pakoray

September 21, 2024

Credits

Recipe adapted from Flavour of Desi Food and Kun Foods.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
500g	chicken breast, bite-sized pieces
1 T	lemon juice
1½ tsp	cayenne pepper
1½ tsp	chaat masala
1 tsp	cumin seeds
1 tsp	coriander seeds
1 tsp	salt
½ tsp	black pepper
2 T	cilantro, chopped
1 tsp	ginger garlic paste
½ tsp	green chilies
as needed	yogurt
as needed	gram flour (besan)
as needed	oil for frying

Process

First, prep the ingredients which require it. I like to go in such an order that the meat is last so I’m not stuck chopping veggies on a nasty board or having to wash in between.

crush cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar & pestle
- you can use a mini food processor, spice grinder, or a small, sturdy glass and the hilt of your knife (carefully)…use whatever you have on hand
- no need to crush to a fine powder; some texture is good
chop cilantro
mince chilies or blitz in a processor (it’s handy to have this already in the freezer)
cut chicken into bite-sized pieces

Add all the ingredients except the besan to the chicken and mix thoroughly so that all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for ~1 hour.

Remove chicken from fridge and add enough gram flour (besan) to the mix to make a thin coating on the chicken. You don’t want it too thick either in consistency or coating. Adjust yogurt and besan amounts to achieve this result. You can thin the mixture with the liquidy parts of the yogurt, milk, or water.

Fry a couple pakoray and taste for seasoning; if all is good, fry the rest of the chicken in batches.

Notes

don’t be scared of the spices but also, if you don’t have a couple, you can leave them out
marination time is an ideal, not a requirement
use water to wet the batter instead of yogurt if you don’t have it; traditional pakoray batter is made with water, the yogurt just helps to tenderize the meat

Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ chicken ○ desi ○ meat ○ pakistani ○ photo

Chana Pulao

July 5, 2024

Credits

Recipe adapted from Tea for Turmeric.

ingredients

amount	ingredient
300g	rice, basmati
2 cups	water
40g // 3 T	oil
1	onion, medium, sliced
1	tomato, small, quartered (optional)
2½ tsp	salt, divided
3 cloves	garlic, minced
⅓ piece	ginger, minced
2	bay leaves, small
½ tsp	black peppercorns, whole
1″	cinnamon stick
1	cardamom, black, small
5	cloves, whole
1 tsp	cumin seeds
½ tsp	black pepper
15oz	chickpeas, cooked (chanay)

process

wash rice, set aside to soak 30 minutes

mode: sauté
heat: high

add oil, onions, bay leaves and 1 tsp of the salt; brown the onions
add ginger, garlic; sauté 2 minutes until fragrant (deglaze with a splash of water, as needed)
add tomato, removing skins as they come loose (optional)
add whole spices along with the rest of the salt, mix well; add chickpeas
drain rice, add to instant pot along with the 2 cups of water

pressure: high
time: 5 minutes
release: 5 minutes natural release

open pot, fluff rice; serve

notes

optional additions / changes

can add peeled and chopped potatoes at the same time as the chickpeas
can add ½-1 green chili like Serrano, slit several times
can use 15 oz of cooked and frozen chickpeas, or a 15oz can, drained

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe

better than takeout ○ desi ○ freezer friendly ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ pakistani ○ rice ○ vegetarian

Credits

Ingredients

process

Stove top

Instant Pot

notes

Biryani Masalay

Ingredients

Process

Notes

cheeses

Ingredients

Process

Notes

cheese recommendations

Ingredients

For the Marinade

For the Sauce

Process

Notes

Suggested uses

Ingredients

Process

Notes

optional add-ins

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Cooking the chicken

Stovetop

bake in the oven

grill

Sous vide

Notes

Freezing tips

Suggested uses

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

ingredients

process

notes

optional additions / changes