Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Biryanis are a favorite in my home. Since we discovered Shaan - Bombay Biryani, we haven't tried any other recipe. So in the last year and a half we haven't cooked any other biryani recipe. It's the easiest biryani recipe ever and once we stumbled upon it, didn't try anything else till I ate this awesome Hyderabadi Biryani, that my friend Sudha cooked. 

This is our new favorite and will be yours too. 

Biryanis are a combination of long grained rice layered with meat cooked in spices, and potatoes. It is natural to get intimidated with the laundry list of spices that go into cooking the meat. However what I did to get over it, was organize the list of ingredients into manageable chunks, and then it didn't look so scary anymore. That's the reason I have organized the list of ingredients into three marinades. In fact it has helped me memorize the recipe too. Now when I cook this biryani, I don't need to look at the recipe. :-)

Potatoes are optional and many recipes do not include but since we are so fond of it, I end up adding it to all my biryanis. So you can completely skip potatoes. Also at times we may not have shahijeera, star anise and black cardamoms readily available in the kitchen. It's ok to skip them too. 

Recipe credit : Sudha J

Ingredients for rice:

1. Basmati Rice – 500 gms
2. Oil – 1 tbsp
3. 6 peppercorns 
4. ½ tsp shahijeera 
5. Salt to taste

Chicken – 500gms

4 large onions (sliced, deep fired till dark brown)
**The recipe my friend shared, requires the onion to be deep fried but I shallow fry the onions, and this has not altered the taste of the biryani in any way.

Marinade 1

1. 3 black cardamoms
2. 4 small cardamoms
3. ½ tsp shahijeera
4. ½ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
5. 5 cloves
6. 3 bay leaves
7. 2 star anise
8. 2 inch cinnamon stick

Coarsely grind the above.

Marinade 2

1. ¼ cup mint leaves
2. ¼ cup coriander leaves
3. 4 green chilies (adjust according to spice tolerance)
4. 5 cloves of garlic or 1 tbsp of paste
5. 1 inch piece ginger or 1 tbsp of paste

Grind to a fine paste using little water.

Marinade 3

1. 200 ml yoghurt
2. 1 tsp chili powder
3. ½ tsp turmeric powder
4. ½ tbsp coriander powder
5. Juice of half a lemon or one lime.

Garnish:

1. A few sprigs of coriander and mint leaves chopped finely
2. Food color (Red, yellow, green) – dissolve color as required in milk
3. 1/4 of the fried onions.

Method for rice:

1. Wash and soak the rice for half hour before you cook it.
2. In a pan big enough to cook the rice, add water so that ¾ of the pan is full. Put this on the stove.
3. Bring the water to a boil and add the rice.
4. Into this water add, salt, a tablespoon of oil, ½ tsp shahijeera and 6 peppercorns.
5. Cook till the rice is ¾ cooked, and drain the excess water using a colander.
6. Keep aside.

Method for chicken:

1. In the pan you wish to cook the biryani, add the washed and drained chicken, add marinade 1, marinade 2, marinade 3, salt, two tablespoons of oil and ¾ of the fried onions.
2. Mix all the ingredients well and let it rest for one hour at least. Marinate longer for better results.
3. When your ready to cook the biryani, layer the cooked rice on top of the marinated uncooked chicken.
4. Put your garnish on top of the rice. I also add a tablespoon of ghee on top of the rice. This is purely optional.
5. Seal the pan, and put it on the stove.
6. Now cook the biryani on high flame for 10 minutes, next cook on medium flame for ten minutes and finally on low flame for the last ten minutes.
7. After you put off the stove, let the biryani rest for at least half hour before serving.
8. Serve with cucumber raita.

                                      

You can add fried potatoes while layering, but ensure that the potatoes are cooked well. I used two large potatoes and par boiled them before pan frying for a few minutes and adding them to the chicken. I did this as the chicken was marinating.

One of the reasons the biryani is easier to cook, is cause it eliminates the whole process of cooking the chicken separately, layering and cooking on dum. It also works well since you are not using too many utensils so the cleaning process after cooking is much simpler too.

Curd and Pepper fried Chicken

I was back home in Mumbai for a few weeks in March. The trip wasn't planned so it didn't pan out as I would've liked it too. But being home is wonderful and now that I look back it seemed to have gone by so fast. I had a lovely time meeting my family and friends and taking turns to stay with them. Our stay got extended due to some unavoidable reasons but we weren't complaining.

Alex and I had completed one important task before leaving for Mumbai, made a list of restaurants that we wanted to eat at and a list of dishes we'd like to eat at home. From the time we got there each meal was planned. Mostly. ;-)

After getting back in April, I was trying to get back into the mood of blogging but the vacation hangover just wouldn't subside. And after much mental workout and persuasion, here I am posting one of my all time favorites. In fact its one of the family favorites.

Today's post is a dish I prepared many years ago trying to imitate a fried chicken prep from a local restaurant. I have the fondest memories associated with this dish as it was an instant hit with everyone, every time. I don't know of anyone who has eaten it and not loved it instantly. And the best part is like most of my recipes, this one is so easy to put together, it might actually surprise you.

                                              

Ingredients:

1. Chicken on the bone - 500 gms
2. Curd - 1/2 cup
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
4. Pepper - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - as required
6. Oil - as required

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except oil. Let the chicken marinate for minimum two hours.
2. Pour oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken pieces till its done.
3. After all the pieces are fried, pour the remaining marinade into the pan. When the marinade turns brownish in color, take it off the flame and pour over the chicken pieces.

Notes:

I personally prefer to use chicken legs and thighs for this preparation. I would suggest, avoid using boneless chicken for this dish.

Use pepper as per your spice tolerance.

Chicken Stew - straight from Kerala

Cooking, according to me should be a simple affair. I am not a fan of food that needs hours of labor. Of course I go the extra mile on special days and that could be once a year. But mostly I prefer cooking that is hassle free, before and after meal. Today's chicken stew is just that a simple chicken dish that will melt in your mouth with every bite. Very delicate flavors with a blend of whole spices, garlic, ginger and onion.

The recipe I share with you today was something my elder sister - Anita, cooked on special occasions. Well if you count me visiting her special. She cooked the same recipe with mutton as I personally prefer mutton and so does everyone in my family. However, my husband is not fond of mutton and hence whenever I make this stew it is always made with chicken. Let me assure you if you prefer mutton, then please try this recipe with mutton, it will be just as delicious if not more. This is a family winner!

                                                                              

Ingredients:

1. Chicken /Mutton - 1 kg
2. Potatoes - 3 medium sized
3. Oil - 3 tbsp
4. Onion - 2 large
5. Garlic - 2 tbsp
6. Ginger - 1 inch piece
7. Green chilly - 3 nos.
8. Curry leaves - two sprigs
9. Coconut milk - 200 ml
10. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
11. Salt and Water - as required

Spice Mix:

1. Peppercorns - 1/2 tbsp
2. Cardamom - 5 nos
3. Cloves -6 nos
4. Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
5. Turmeric

Method:

1. Wash and cut the meat into curry pieces. Keep aside.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. Soak in water till they are ready to be used.
3. Chop onions, slice garlic and grate/slice ginger. Chop the green chillies.
4. In a pan heat oil, add the spice mix except turmeric. After about a minute add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry till the onions are soft and light brown. Add the chillies.
5. Add the chicken and let the meat fry till it is browned. 
6. Add the potatoes, vinegar, salt and turmeric. Mix well Add half a cup or 100 ml of hot water. 
7. Cook on slow flame with a lid for about 15 minutes or till the meat is done.
8. Lastly add the coconut milk, once the gravy starts boiling check for salt and consistency. Adjust if required and turn off the flame.

Chicken stew goes well with appams, and dosas. For those of us who don't have appams or dosas, well we'll make do with pulao.

Andhra Chicken Pulao

I tried this pulao after watching it on Food Food, it was presented by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I don't think it needs any further prodding. The pulao looks appetizingly red and tastes YUM! I made some minor changes to suit my palatte. It's one of the best pulao's I've tried. 

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1.2 kg
Basmati rice - 3 glasses ( 3/4 kg) [Wash and soak the rice prior to cooking the dish.]
2 cups coconut milk
3 chicken maggie cubes or 4 cups chicken stock
Tomatoes - 4 nos chopped

Make a paste of the below ingredients:
Kashmiri red chillies - 8 nos
Garlic cloves - 30 nos
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Heat a pan, add 4 tbsp of oil and fry the below ingredients :
Cinnamon - 4 inch stick
Cloves - 8 nos
Cardamom - 6 nos
Star anise - 2 nos
Curry leaves - a few
Onions - 6 medium (sliced)
Green chillies - 5-6 long ones(chopped)

Method:

1) Fry the onions well, let them brown, add the chicken and salt. Mix well and let it fry for two mins.
2) Then add the ground paste, and mix well and saute for two more mins.Now add the tomatoes
3) Add the rice, chicken stock or cubes, and coconut milk. If your using cubes use 4 glasses of water.
4) You can use the juice of one lemon, so that the rice grains remain separate and long.
5) Check for seasoning and when the rice is almost cooked, turn off the gas and keep the lid on for atleast 20 mins for it to cook on its steam.

Pulao's ready for lunch. You could serve this with raita and or green salad. The pulao turns out wettish and hence can be eaten on its own without any curry or sauce.

Spicy Chicken Gravy (Green)

Chicken is the most cooked dish in my house. Simply because Alex and I are not fish eaters and off late we are trying to avoid red-meat. In fact red meat has a dubious reputation for increasing the risk of heart disease, and hair loss. Well at least I’m aware of only these two reasons but I’m quite certain medical science can give you plenty more. Since Alex prefers not to have a full vegetarian meal, chicken automatically is meat of choice.

Chicken is also extremely easy to cook, and is popular for its versatility. The simplest ingredients and cooking methods can turn your dish into a delicacy. And the best part is you don’t have to try too hard. In my experience you can never go wrong with chicken. On that note I bring to you a simple chicken gravy dish that goes well with pulao or pao.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg

(Apply salt, ½ tsp turmeric and juice of 1 lime and keep aside while you get your other ingredients ready.)

Grind the below ingredients to a paste with little water:

1. Coriander leaves – 1 cup
2. Green chillies – 6 nos
3. Garlic – 6 flakes
4. Ginger – 1 inch piece
5. Tamarind – a small lime sized ball
6. Peppercorns – 10 nos
7. Jeera – ½ tsp
8. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
9. Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
10. Methi seeds – 1 tsp
11. Onions – 2 medium

Tempering ingredients:

1. Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
2. Tomatoes – 2 medium, finely chopped
3. Bay leaf – 2 nos
4. Oil – 1 tbsp

Garnish :

A handful of chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

1. In a pan, pour oil, add the bay leaves and onions. Add some salt and fry well. Please note you have already used salt in the marination, please use salt accordingly. Add the tomatoes when the onions turn translucent.
2. Fry till the tomatoes become pulpy and oil leaves the sides of the pan. Now add the ground masala and fry till the rawness of the masala goes away.
3. Next add the chicken and let the masala coat the chicken well. Add a cup of water and let the chicken cook.
4. Once the chicken is cooked check for seasoning, gravy consistency and lastly garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Chicken Biryani

I am a hardcore rice eater, I guess everyone in South India is. If I could help it, I’d eat rice for breakfast too. All forms of rice preparations are welcome in my kitchen; so pulaos, biryanis, khichdi, phodni bhaath, etc are looked forward to.

Today I share with you an excellent Chicken Biryani recipe. I have copied this recipe a long time ago, 12 years to be precise, so I can’t remember where I took it down from. Needless to say, I have tweaked the recipe a bit, mostly in the preparation phase to suit my needs. So here goes !

Serves 12 – 14 people

Ingredients for Rice:

1. Basmati Rice – 1 kg (4 glasses)
2. Oil – 2 tbsp (Use oil as much or as little as you want)
3. Bay leaves – 4 nos
4. Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
5. Onion – 1 no (small, sliced)
6. Maggie cube – 4 nos
7. Salt – to taste
8. Water – 6 glasses (use the same glass used to measure rice)

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for fifteen minutes before the rice preparation.
2. Put oil in the pan, add the onions and bay leaves, sauté for a minute and add the ginger garlic paste, fry well.
3. Add the water, Maggie cubes and wait for the water to boil.
4. Wash away the excess water, and add the rice into the pan. When the rice starts boiling, lower the flame and let the rice cook for 5 minutes.
5. Check for salt, and ensure that the rice is 3/4^th done.

Ingredients for the chicken gravy:

1. Chicken – 1.5 kg
2. Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
3. Onions – 6 medium (Sliced)
4. Tomatoes – 6 medium (Sliced)
5. Turmeric – 2 tsp
6. Coconut milk – 1 cup
7. Yoghurt – 1 cup
8. Ghee/ Butter – as required
9. Salt – to taste

I) Make a paste of the following:

1. Green chillies – 6 nos (Increase or decrease depending on your spice quotient)
2. Coriander leaves – 1 cup
3. Mint leaves – ½ cup (optional)
4. Kashmiri Chillies – 10 nos (soak in hot water and keep for at least 10 mins)

II) Dry roast on a tava/ flat pan and powder the below ingredients:

1. Cardamoms – 4 nos
2. Cloves – 8 nos
3. Cinnamon – 4 inches
4. Peppercorn – 1 tsp
5. Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
7. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Method for gravy:

1. Heat a pan, add oil, fry the onions till they are brown, add salt, and the ginger garlic paste, fry well.
2. Add the chicken, and brown it on high flame for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the roasted powdered spices, turmeric and tomatoes, and mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the ground paste and mix well. Let all the masala fry and blend well. Cook till the chicken is almost done.
5. Lastly add the yoghurt and coconut milk and mix it into the gravy. Let it cook for about 3 minutes. Put off the flame.

Garnish:

1. Onions – 4 medium (Sliced and fried in oil till dark brown, almost black, and kept aside.)
2. Potatoes – 6 medium (Either halve or cut lengthwise, ensure they are not cut too small. Par boil in salt water and fry till golden.)
3. Food colour – a pinch of yellow, green, orange (soaked in 2 tbsp of milk each)
4. Or Saffron – a few strands soaked in milk.

Finally the Biryani!

1. Take a big handi (saucepan), put in generous portion of melted ghee or butter. Grate nutmeg about ½ tbsp and move the ghee/ butter to all parts of the handi/saucepan so that it is well coated.
2. Now, make the first layer with rice, put half of the coloured milk, arrange the chicken and gravy and then put the fried onions, and potatoes.
3. Repeat this process one more time. There will be three layers of rice and two layers of chicken curry.
4. Finally seal the handi or sauce pan with dough. Place a tava/flat pan on the gas, and the biryani handi/sauce pan on it for 45 – 50 mins.

Chicken biryani is ready to be served. Tastes yummy with raita, specially boondi raita.

* Adding salt when frying onions is said to aid the process of browning the onions and also less oil is absorbed.

* If using salted butter, use salt accordingly in rice and gravy preparation.

* Garnishing is completely optional, you could use either of the ingredients mentioned or none at all. It's your choice but I gotta say, fried potatoes and onions taste awessssoooommmme with biryani!

Coconut juice chicken curry

When I was a working professional (not too long ago :-)), I was always on the look out for recipes that could be cooked in minutes and were not too complicated to follow. My MIL (mum-in-law) is an excellent cook and has been an inspiration to me in more ways than one. She always made cooking seem an easy, effortless and enjoyable experience. I can certainly say this is the first recipe I borrowed from her after I got married and realized that I'd have to cook at least on weekends. How long could one live on take aways ! 

This chicken curry is simple to make, has delicate coconut flavors and is mildly spiced. This dish has a specific garam masala powder that comes in handy while cooking other stuff as well, specially meat. More recipes to follow that will have this garam masala powder.

Goes well with pulao or pao.

Garam Masala powder:
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Peppercorns - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 4 inches
Cardamom - 6 nos
Cloves - 15 nos
Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Grind to a powder.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1 kg
Onions (Large) - 2 no (sliced finely)
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam masala pwd - 1 tbsp * (from above)
Green chillies - 2 nos (finely chopped)
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Garnish: (optional)
Chopped coriander leaves

Method:
1) Cut the chicken into medium pieces. Wash the chicken, apply salt and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in a pan, fry sliced onions till brown. Add ginger garlic paste, fry well.
3) Add the chicken pieces, fry on high heat till the water evaporates. This rids the chicken of the raw taste.
4) Add the garam masala powder, and fry well.
5) Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook on slow flame till the chicken is cooked.
6) Add two slit green chillies, and vinegar. Lastly add coconut milk. Simmer for two mins, check for taste and spice. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Chicken Cafreal

Goa is the smallest state in India. But it has so much to offer. It is a culturally rich state with a lot of Portugese influence in its food, music and architecture. Goa was a Potugese colony up until 1961. 

I'm yet to meet a person who is not charmed by Goa.... the magic of the sun, sand, wine and  food....everything about Goa is quintessentially enthralling.  Chicken cafreal is a classic Goan dish. Since my extended family is from Goa and my mum is a pro in Goan cuisine, I borrowed the below receipe from her and have tried it... I promise you, you won't be disappointed.... do let me know how it turns out.


Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg

Spices & herbs to be ground using water:

1. Green chillies - 6 nos
2. Coriander leaves - 1 cup
3. Mint leaves - 1 cup
4. Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
5. Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
6. Cinnamon - 1 inch
7. Cloves - 6 nos
8. Green cardamom - 8 nos
9. Cumin - 1 tsp
10. Peppercorns - 10 nos

Salt - as per taste
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Oil - As required
Onions - 2 medium sized


Method:

1. Make a paste of ingredients from 1 to 10.
2. Slice onions finely.
3. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces.
4. Marinate the chicken in the paste, add salt to the marinade and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours.
5. In a large pan, heat oil, fry the sliced onions.
6. Place the chicken pieces, increase the flame and dehydrate the chicken. Dehydrating the chicken rids the chicken of the rawness.
7. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, reduce the flame.Add the vinegar.
8. Add 2 cups of water and cover with a lid.
9. Cook for 20 minutes on slow flame. Check for taste and seasoning. The chicken will be cooked by now. Adjust the consistency of gravy as required. The gravy ideally should be not much and is mostly served as a dry dish.
   
10.  Put off the flame and it's ready to be served.

Tastes best when served with pao or pulao.