Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

This recipe is dedicated to the most adorable women in my life - Neelam & Poonam. This is their recipe which has been modified a little and a couple of ingredients added, to give an additional flavor & aroma to it. I sincerely thank them for this great recipe. Love you both!!

1. Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in Hyderabad, India. To make Hyderabadi Biryani the meat and the rice are cooked in an air tight pot on very low flame, so that the rice is cooked in the flavours of meat and gets the aroma of the meat. The meat gets the direct heat from the flame and the rice is cooked with steam generated by the air tight method of cooking also know as Dum method.
I have fallen in love with this authentic and elegant delicacy now for a very long time . It is worth spending time to make this at home and watch your loving ones relish the dish.

Ingredients: For Marination (Marinate chicken overnight)
Note: Please adjust the marinade ingredients according to your spice levels
1Lb Chicken skinned, washed and cut into cubes. Boneless chicken can also be used but I prefer to use whole chicken with bones. Make sure you drain all the water after washing the chicken.
1/2 Packet Shaan Bombay Biryani Masala
2 Tbsp Shaan Tandoori Masala
2 Tsps Garam masala
2 Tbsp Chilly Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsps Dhania Jeera powder
2 Tsps Ginger Garlic paste
3/4 Cup Yoghurt
4-5 Green Chilly & 10 Springs Coriander Not too fnely pasted
10 Springs Finely Chopped Mint Leaves
1 Big Lemon juice
2 Pinches Saffron - Soaked in 1/4 Cup Milk
Salt to taste
1 Onion – finely sliced and deep fried till dark brown or can also use the ready made fried onion available at the Indian Store.

For the rice
Basmati rice – 2 cups.
Whole green Cardamom – 4
Cloves – 3
Black cumin seeds (Shahi jeera) – ¾ tsp
Bay leaves – 2
Black pepper corns – 4
Butter/oil/ghee – 1 tbsp
Salt – 4 tbsps
Water for boiling
Half cook rice with all the above mentioned ingredients and keep aside.

For cooking in layers
Oven tray
Pinch of red, orange color dissolved in 2 tbsps milk
Alluminium foil to cover the pan.

Now that you have all the ingredients ready lets start layering the biryani.
In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients till well combined. Cover and let it rest overnight. This would let the chicken absorb all the flavours of the spices and enhance the taste of your biryani. Take a n oven tray and spray it with little ghee or oil, now arrange the entire marinated chicken at the bottom of this pon. This is your first layer. Then arrange the half cooked rice on top of the chicken. This is going to be your second and last layer. On top of the rice, add about 2 - 3 tbsps of oil, pour in the red orange color around in the center, springle some fried onins and cashew. This would give your rice the restaurant style look with some of the rice grains looking orange in color. Who would’nt want to surprise their guests with such looks!!!
Now seal the pot with an alluminium foil, pre heat the oven at 400 degrees and let the sealed biryani cook at this tempreture for one hour. Just before serving open the lid, gently mix in the chicken at the bottom with the rice. serve it hot with raita and enjoy.
This is one recipe you can never go worng impressing anyone especially your husband. Rememeber a way to mans heart is through his stomach.

Well I do hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Dont forget to give your comments.


2. Cucumber Raita

Cool and fresh tasting, this Middle Eastern side dish and condiment helps to balance the intensity of meats seasoned with chile peppers, curry or similar spicy ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber, unpeeled and chopped fine
1 Carrot Peeled and chopped finely
2 cups plain yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method:
Chop cucumber and carrot very finely and keep aside. Combine yogurt, mint leaves and cumin, blending all ingredients together with a whisk. Add chopped cucumber & carrot to the mixture and stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Place all ingredients in a covered container and chill in the refrigerator before serving. When served, garnish with cayenne pepper and cilantro, if desired.

Note: All the ingredients mentioned in the recipes above are easily available at the Indian Grocey Store.

Holi Hai!! The Beautiful Festivals of Colors.

I would like to wish all of you a Very Happy Holi and a Life full of Colors.

Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'. Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings and love to dear ones.

With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it's time to come out of our cocoons and enjoy this spring festival. Every year it is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and ` glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. The new crop refills the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for this day of colors.

1. Puran Poli

Puran Poli can be easily associated with Maharashtra and is its most popular dish. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit. The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli. The puran is made by boiling chickpea lentils with a pinch of turmeric for color. When the lentils are cooked and soft, the broth is removed and kept aside. Jaggery or gur is added to the chickpeas and cooked till they are soft. Then the stuffing is removed and sieved through a utensil made specifically for puran to achieve a smoother consistency. Saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg is added for additional flavor. The outer cover is made by making a dough by mixing refined flour, milk and ghee. Equal number of balls are made of the dough as well as the stuffing. The puran is stuffed inside the dough and then rolled out flat using a rolling pin. The poli is then coked on a hot griddle and served with ghee

Ingredients:

1 Cup Chana dal
1 Cup Jaggery
1 Tsp Cardamom
1.5 Cups Maida/Plain flour
A Pinch Turmeric
1 Tsp Oil

A Pinch Salt

Method:

Cook Chana dal in pressure cooker. Drain all the water. Cook dal mixed with jaggery for 10min. Grind without using water. Add cardamom and mix well with hand to get a smooth mixture. Mix flour/maida with, turmeric, salt, add water,oil and make a dough. Cover and keep aside for 1hr. Take a ball of dough and spread with hand. Keep a ball of chana mixture and cover with the dough and seal the ends. Apply oil to a plastic paper, keep the ready ball on it and roll it like chapathi (The plastic and oil prevents it from sticking). Cook on hot tava till it gets golden brown color. Serve hot/cold with ghee.

Some tips Use milk instead of water for making the maida dough to make pooran polis very soft. Use Toor dal along with chana dal to make them more thin and soft.

2. Makki Di Roti & Saron ka Saag (Indian corn bread with mustard green)

What a lovely combo ! This is one of my most favorite dish on the Holi Day. They truly complement each other very well. The recipe is so simple and tastes so great. Sarson is called as Mustard greens here in US is widely available in many Indian and American Grocery stores. It is known for it's distinct pungent, horse-radish mustardy flavor and is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Because of it's pungent flavor it is usually cooked with milder greens like spinach.

Ingredients for Makki Ki Roti

2 cups maize flour

1 fistful plain flour

1 tbsp. Oil

1 Tsp Red chillie Powder

salt to taste
Method
1. Mix maize flour, plain flour, oil and salt. Knead in a soft pliable dough, adding very little warm water at a time. When the dough is very smooth and soft, bread a lump,Shape into a ball, flatten and pat with palm, to make a thin roti. Use dry plainflour to help or roll with a rollint pin. Place on a heavy iron or earthen griddle and roast till crisp. Repeat on both sides. Cover and line with napkins to keep warm. Drizzle with ghee or butter if desired. Serve hot with sarson ka saag and slice of onion and lime.

Ingredients for Saron ka Saag

1 bunch sarson greens

1 bunch spinach

1 Cup Cabbage

1 onion chopped

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1/2 tsp. each garlic grated

3 green chillie

2 tbsp. ghee

1/2 tsp. garam masala

salt to taste
Method
Chop both greens, wash, drain. Boil water in a large vessel, along with some salt and had the greens along with cabbage, green chillies and cook till the greens are nice and soft and properly cooked, As soon as it is cooked leave the greens under cold water so they dont loose their nice green color. Blend it in the food processor roughly.

In a pan heat some ghee, add chopped garlic along with chopped onion, saute till brown, add tomator puree, garam masala and chillie powder if needed. Stir well and cook till oil separates. Serve hot with makki ki roti, or paratha.

3. Lassi

Lassi is a cold yogurt drink from India. It can be sweet or savory. The most simple are flavored with salt or sugar or various spices.

Ingredients for Sweet Lassi

1 cup of yogurt

½ a cup of water
½ a cup of ice cubes
3 to 5 teaspoons of sugar
A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing
Method:

Blend all the ingredients at high speed till frothy. Add a dollop of fresh yogurt on top.
Makes two to three glasses of Lassi.

Ingredients for Salty Lassi
This Salty Lassi is spiced with cumin and is a great refreshing drink in the summer.
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup chilled milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of ice cubes
A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing
Method:

Dry roast the cumin seeds for a few minutes until you start getting a wonderful aroma. Cool and grind to a coarse consistency. In a blender blend all the ingredients. Top it up with a dollop of yogurt. Serve chilled.

Ingredients for Mango Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mango pulp (fresh or canned)
1 cup crushed ice
3 table spoons sugar / Use sugar substitute if desired
Method:
Blend all of the above. Add a little water if the consistency is too thick. Keep refrigerated. Serve chilled.

I really hope that all of you will enjoy cooking these dishes as much as I enjoyed writing it for you and also hope that this Holi and Spring brings lot of happiness into your life...