Chicken Biryani

The most scrumptious Chicken Biryani you have ever had!! Try it out and you would find yourself making this more often! Well, provided you have the time & patience - Yes, you need lots of them!!

A caution though; all the cloves, red chillies & green chillies add a lot of spice & heat! When I say lots, I mean LOTS!! You would feel the heat at the back of your throat, for a long time....

This recipe is a three step process.
Step 1 : Make the curry
Step 2 : Cook the biryani rice
Step 3 : Layer the rice & curry and steam

Step 1 - Method
3 Lbs chicken (I use whole chicken - remove skin, cut & clean)

For onion/masala paste, grind the following together
1 big onion & 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 tsp each, coriander seeds & fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp poppy seed powder
4 garlic cloves
5 cloves (lavang)
3 cardamom (elaichi), skin peeled
1” piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
1” piece of ginger
Less than ¼ tsp nutmeg (jajikaya), crushed
Less than ¼ tsp mace (japatri), crushed

For seasoning:
2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
4 cloves (lavang)
curry leaves

turmeric, salt, red chillie powder – to taste
coriander leaves, chopped
3 tbsp oil (or more, as required)
water, as required

• Place chicken pieces in a heated pan, add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1tsp salt, 1 tsp red chillie powder. Mix well & let most of the liquid evaporate. Set chicken pieces aside
• Heat oil in a huge pan, add seasoning ingredients… reduce heat and add onion/masala paste
• Add turmeric, salt, mix & reduce the heat to slightly below medium. Cover & let fry until the paste loses its raw smell, takes some time.
• Add red chillie powder, mix well and add 4-5 cups water, Increase heat to medium
• Add chicken pieces, cover & cook until done
• Remove the lid, let all liquid evaporate, stir in chopped coriander leaves
• When done, you will see less gravy and more chicken pieces
  

Step 2 - Method
4 cups Basmati rice (lightly washed & drained)
7-8 cups water to cook the rice (use less or more water as per your preference)

For seasoning:
3 tbsp oil (or more, as required)
8 cloves (lavang), coarse powder
5 cardamom (elaichi), slightly crushed
5 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
4-6 dried Bay leaves
4 small onions, thinly sliced (lengthwise)
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp finely chopped ginger or 2 tsp ginger paste
15-20 curry leaves

Turmeric & salt, to taste
5 green chillies, slit lengthwise
Biryani masala powder to taste

• Start electric rice cooker on ‘Cooking’, add 3 tbsp oil
• When the oil is hot, add the seasoning ingredients, in the order listed above
• Fry until onions turn translucent
• Add washed & drained rice, turmeric, salt, green chillies & biryani masala powder
• Lightly mix & fry rice for 5-10 minutes, making sure the rice doesn’t break apart
• Add water, cover & cook until done
• When done, remove the lid & wait for 5-10 minutes
• Remove the rice into a large bowl or tray
  

Step 3 - Ingredients & Method
Curry from Step 1
Biryani Rice from Step 2
2 pinches of orange food color - mix in 4 tsp water, in a small bowl
2-3 cups of chopped coriander leaves
An oven safe, large tray or aluminium foil tray (for layering)
Melted butter to apply to the inside of the tray

• Apply a little butter on the bottom and all sides of the large tray
• Start layering in the following order:
  - spread biryani rice (an even spread)
  - sprinkle food color
  - layer chicken pieces (while layering chicken, make sure not to add too much gravy)
  - sprinkle chopped coriander leaves
• Start another layer, in the same order as above and continue until you finish the entire rice & curry
• Make sure you finish the top layer with rice
• Cover the tray with aluminium foil, steam for 8-10 minutes in a 250 degree preheated oven
• Remove from the oven, uncover & let sit for 10-15 minutes
• Mix lightly and transfer to a serving dish

You have the most delicious chicken biryani, ready to be eaten! Enjoy !!

Aloo-Jeera-Methi (Potato-Cumin seeds-Fenugreek leaves)

I normally use fresh methi leaves with aloo. This time I added kasoori methi (sundried fenugreek leaves) instead of fresh methi. Loved the aroma & flavour!

 

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet, add seasoning of 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1 1/2 tsp jeera, 2 garlic cloves (crushed) & curry leaves
• Immediately add finely chopped onion pieces (of 1 medium onion) Saute for a couple of minutes
• Add cubed potatoes (3 medium potatoes, skin peeled)
• Add turmeric & salt to taste, mix well. Cover and cook until potatoes soften
• I add some masala powder & red chillie powder, for some spice & heat.
• Lightly toss and sprinkle 2 tsp kasoori methi

A good side dish with samabar/rasam

Chicken

A simple chicken curry - Mom's recipe! Good with plain rice or fried rice.

Recipe

1 Lb chicken, diced (I used boneless, skinless)

For onion/masala paste, grind the following together
1 big onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp each, coriander seeds & fennel seeds
½ tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp poppy seed powder
3 garlic cloves
½” ginger piece

For seasoning:
2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
4 cloves (lavang) slightly crushed
curry leaves

turmeric, salt, red chillie powder – to taste
coriander leaves, chopped
3 tbsp oil (or more, as required)
water, as required

• Place chicken pieces in a heated pan, add ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp red chillie powder. Mix well & let all the liquid evaporate. Set chicken pieces aside
• Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning ingredients… reduce heat and add onion/masala paste
• Add turmeric, salt & let fry until the paste loses its raw smell
• Add red chillie powder, mix well and add 2-3 cups water
• Add chicken pieces, cover & cook until done
• Remove the lid, let all liquid evaporate, stir in chopped coriander leaves

Bell Pepper-Tomato

When I first tried to make Red Bell Pepper chutney, I tried a recipe from Indira's Mahanandi, with slight variations. Check Indira's recipe here. This time, I followed my usual method with ingredients.

Recipe
1 big red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
4 medium roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp each of urad dal & chana dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 dried red chillies
6 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
10 green chillies (reduce for less heat)
tamarind pulp, to taste
turmeric & salt to taste
1 cup coriander leaves
2 tbsp oil

• Heat oil in a saucepan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, coriander & cumin seeds. Lightly roast and add dried red chillies, garlic, curry leaves
• Add bell pepper, saute for a couple of minutes and add tomato pieces
• Add salt, turmeric & green chillies. Cover & cook until tomatoes soften
• Add tamarind pulp, let the liquid evaporate
• Let cool, add coriander leaves & grind to a slightly coarse paste
  

Enjoy with Idli/Dosa or Rice

Spinach-Asparagus

I saved some asparagus from earlier day thinking that I can try them in another recipe. Being not so adventurous, I decided to play safe and try with Spinach. The combo turned out quite good!

Recipe

1/2 Lb Spinach, chopped (I use baby spinach)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

10-12 Asparagus stalks, chopped into small pieces (about 3/4")

6 curry leaves

4 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 green chillies, slit lengthwise

turmeric & salt to taste

masala powder to taste

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp milk

• Heat oil in a skillet, add seasoning of cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves
• Immediately add chopped onion, saute until soft
• Add chopped spinach, turmeric, salt and green chillies
• Once the spinach wilts, add chopped asparagus and cook until asparagus turns soft
• Add masala powder, mix well
• Add milk, mix again and turn the stove off

Broccoli-Tomato

Recipe

3 cups Broccoli florets
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
salt to taste
turmeric
garam masala or curry masala powder, to taste
2 tbsp oil

• Heat oil in a saucepan and add seasoning of cumin seeds, urad dal, garlic, curry leaves.
• Immediately add onion, saute until soft.
• Add Broccoli florets, green chillies, turmeric & salt. Saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add tomatoes, cover & cook until tomatoes turn soft.
• Add masala powder and mix well.

Good with rice, chapathis/rotis.

Green Rice - All things green!

For dinner, I wanted to make something quick & different from the usual fare! As I was staring at my freezer, I wondered why not something with peas, lima beans & Indian beans..... so I had decided on rice with all these ingredients and thought some coriander paste would add some color & flavour! Thus emerged this green rice and the result was one tasty rice! Check this out!

Recipe

2 cups Indian beans, Lima beans & Peas
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 ½ cups rice – wash & set aside (I use the regular rice cup from electric rice cooker)
6 cups water to cook rice (less or more as per your preference)
coriander & green chillie paste (make a paste of 1 small bunch coriander leaves & 8 green chillies)
salt, turmeric, pulav masala powder – to taste
2 tbsp each of butter & oil
For seasoning : 4 cloves (lavang), ¼ tsp cumin seeds, 4 garlic cloves-minced, 8 curry leaves

• Start the electric rice cooker on ‘Cooking’ and heat butter & oil
• Add the seasoning ingredients and chopped onion. Fry onion until translucent
• Add beans & peas, salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes
• Add washed rice, turmeric, pulav masala powder, coriander & green chillie paste. Mix well.
• Add water, adjust salt, cover & cook until done

Note : Mint would be good too, instead of coriander or both together would be perfect!

Asparagus-Moong Dal (Pesara pappu/Yellow split peas)

I had tried Asparagus in Moong Dal at a friend's (Chithra) place and quite liked it! I thought that was a great way to eat one good, but rather bland vegetable! And so I tried it in my kitchen and discovered a new love for Asparagus. Thanks Chithra, for the inspiration!

Recipe

1 cup Moong Dal (wash & soak in water for 30 minutes)
1 bunch Green Asparagus (remove the tough end, cut into 1/2” rounds)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
salt, turmeric – to taste
1 tbsp oil
For seasoning : 1 dried red chillie – broken into pieces, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, 3 garlic cloves-chopped, 5 curry leaves

• Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning ingredients, chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes
• Add soaked moong dal, green chillies, a cup of water, salt & turmeric
• Cover and cook until dal is half cooked
• Add asparagus, add water if required, cover & cook until done
• When done, asparagus should be firm to touch, but tender (should not turn mushy) and the dal, at grainy consistency

Finally, I add a couple of teaspoons of ghee.... and it tastes divine with rice!

Kheema (Minced Lamb/Goat)

I cook kheema on its own.... I don't complicate it by adding potatoes or peas and we like it this way. Most of the times, we get lamb kheema, but sometimes we get goat kheema too! This time it is goat! I know there is lot of natural fat in kheema - but when triple washed, most of the fat is lost! I add lots of masala powder (home made or store bought), chillie powder and some spices too for that wonderful spicy aroma!

Recipe

1 Lb Kheema

1 big onion, finely chopped

oil, as required (Non Veg requires more oil)

coriander leaves - chopped

salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, masala powder - to taste

(Note : if it is store bought masala powder, check Kheema masala powders - they are good)

For seasoning : 2 dried red chillies - broken into pieces, 6 cloves (lavang)-coarsely crushed, 3 elaichi-slightly crushed, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 5 garlic cloves - minced, 10 curry leaves

• Heat oil in a pan (I start with 3-4 tbspns and add more later, as required)
• Add the seasoning ingredients, and add chopped onion. Fry onion until it turns translucent.
• Add washed kheema, salt, turmeric, red chillie powder, masala powder
• Cover and cook until done.
• Add chopped coriander leaves.

Try this simple method and you would love it! Ofcourse, the taste depends on the right quantity of ingredients - oil, salt, chillie powder, masala powder. Kheema is great with rice, also with chapathis/rotis.