Chicken Biryani

Traditional Hyderabadi Biryani is rich and aromatic due to liberal use of exotic spices and ghee. But you can reduce the content of fat and modify according to your own requirement.

As I have said before, Hyderabad Biryani is simple to make, but requires a lot of experience.

All the variables have to be carefully balanced so that everything cooks together and comes out perfectly.

Ingredients:

For Rice:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 8-10 Mint leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1 Green chili
• 1” Cinnamon stick
• 4 Green cardamom
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste
  
  

For Chicken:

• 3 lbs chicken (cleaned, cut into medium size pieces)
• 2 cups yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
  
  

For Layering:

• 3 Big onion
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of saffron color
• ¼ tsp of saffron dissolved in 1 cup of milk
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 Cup oil
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  
  

Method:

1. Marinate Chicken: To the beaten curd add the chicken, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt to taste.Mix properly and set aside for one hour.
2. Fry Onions: Chop the onions lengthwise and sauté them in the oil on low heat till light brown. Remove the onions after draining away any excess of oil; spread over a large plate. This should keep the onions crispy. Once they have cooled, crush the onions with your fingers and add half of this to the marinated chicken mixture. Keep aside remaining half for later use.
3. Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil in which sliced onions were fried, in a pan. Add chicken pieces without marinade and fry till nicely brown on medium heat. Add marinade and cook till the chicken pieces are tender and the curry thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Boil Rice: In a large pan half fill with water and add salt, whole garam masala, mint and coriander leaves and one green chili. Bring this to the boil and add the washed rice and cook till nearly done. Remove it from the flame and then drain the rice in a colander. Keep aside for later use.
5. Layering: Grease heavy bottom saucepan with ghee and transfer half of the chicken mixture in to it. Sprinkle 5-6 chopped mint leaves over the chicken. Spread half quantity of boiled rice over the chicken. Garnish with half quantity of chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, garam masala powder and deep fried onions. Place the second layer of chicken over the rice and repeat the same.Pour 4 tbsp of oil, in which sliced onions were fried, on the edges of the layered biryani. Warm the milk and crush the saffron into it. Add saffron color in it. Pour the milk saffron mixture over the rice. Cover the saucepan tightly. It is better to seal the container with the dough and cook over high flame for 10 minutes in the beginning and then on low flame for at least 30 minutes later. Break the seal just before serving.
6. Garnish with boiled eggs and fried onions.
7. Serve Biryani with Mirch Ka Saalan and Dahi Ki Chutney.

Do You Know?

Basmati rice has been reported in India since the early days of the 19th Century though it may have been named differently.

'Bas' in Hindi language means "aroma" and 'Mati' means "full of" hence the word Basmati i.e.full of aroma.

This rice is different from other rice mainly due to the aroma and elongation post cooking. No other rice has this combined characteristic. The post cooking elongation of more than twice its original length, the aroma and its sweet taste has made basmati rice a delicacy.

Basmati rice is grown only in Northern India and in parts of Pakistan touching India.

Potato Cutlets

It is a quick and easy recipe to prepare crunchy Potato Cutlets. Shallow frying in ghee makes a difference. Serve with chholey, tamarind chutney and green chutney.

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 medium onion diced fine
• 2 green chilies chopped fine
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves chopped
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1 tbsp chat masala or amchur powder
• Salt to taste
• Ghee for shallow frying

Method:

• Wash, boil potatoes, peel and mash while still warm.
• Add all ingredients except ghee in the mashed potatoes and mix well. Divide into ten to twelve portions.
• Shape them into round flat cutlets.
• Heat a tawa/griddle and shallow fry the cutlets on both sides with ghee till golden.
• Drain onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve with chholey, tamarind chutney and green chutney.

Do You Know?

Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids, toxic compounds, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Cooking at high temperatures (over 170 °C or 340 °F) partly destroys these. Glycoalkaloids occur in the greatest concentrations just underneath the skin of the tuber, and they increase with age and exposure to light.

Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, and cramps and in severe cases coma and death; however, poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely. Light exposure also causes greening, thus giving a visual clue as to areas of the tuber that may have become more toxic; however, this does not provide a definitive guide, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other.

Chicken in Fried Onion Sauce

Fried onions give it a color and flavor which makes it special dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 2 medium onions sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Cut chicken into serving pieces.
• Put the chopped onions, ginger and garlic into the container of a food processor or blender. Blend until you have a paste.
• Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan (preferably non-stick) over a medium flame. When hot, put in the sliced onions. Stir and fry the onions until they are a deep, reddish-brown color. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon, squeezing out and leaving behind as much of the oil as possible. Put the onions in a plate and set aside.
• After removing the fried onions add blended paste in the pan. Stir and fry the paste until it is brown. Now add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder and chopped tomato. Put in 2 tbsp of the water, stir for about 3-4 minutes or until tomatoes become pulpy and sauce is formed.
• Put in the chicken pieces and stir them around for a minute.
• Pour in 2 cups of water and salt. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is close to tenderness.
• Sprinkle in the garam masala and the fried onions. Mix, cook uncovered on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or untl the sauce reduces and thickens.
• Serve with hot Tandoori roti or Nan and Salad.

Do You Know?

Spanish onions come in three colors: yellow, red, and white. Yellow onions are full-flavored and are a reliable standby for cooking almost anything. Yellow onions turn a rich, dark brown when cooked and give French Onion Soup its tangy sweet flavor. The red onion, with its wonderful color, is a good choice for fresh uses or in grilling and char-broiling. White onions are the traditional onion used in classic Mexican cuisine. They have a golden color and sweet flavor when sautéed.

Masala Dal

A combination of four lentils makes this lentil special.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dhuli moong dal (split skinned green gram)
• ¼ cup dhuli urad dal(split skinned black lentil)
• ¼ cup chana dal ( split skinned bengal gram)
• ¼ cup arhar dal (pigeon pea)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garam masala powder

Masala

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 1 brown cardamom
• 2 dry red chilies
• Pinch of asafetida
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 medium onions finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or oil

Garnishing

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• Sliced onion
• Dollop of butter

Method:

• Wash all dals together and soak for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, put dals in a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water, one tbsp of cooking oil, salt and turmeric powder. Cover the pressure cooker and set on high flame. After the first pressure release, turn off the flame and open the pressure cooker when it is cool.
• Stir the boiled lentils well to blend into a smooth consistency. If it is too thick, add some warm water and stir until the consistency is right.
• While lentils are being cooked, prepare masala for dal. Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering add dry red chili, asafetida, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamoms; fry for few seconds. Add onions and fry (stirring constantly) until golden brown.
• Now add ginger and garlic paste and fry till it is pink. Stir in chopped green chilies, tomatoes, red chili powder and salt; turn heat to low and continue cooking until the tomatoes turn into a mush (stirring constantly so that tomato mixture doesn't stick). Masala is ready.
• Pour this masala over dal. Put it on slow heat and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.
• Take out in a serving dish. Pour hot butter over dal.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve with hot crispy Tandoori Roti or Nan, Sabji, Raita and Salad.

Do You Know?

There are two causes of Flatulence (excess gas in the digestive tract): one is increased intake of gas (aerophagia), for example, from air you swallow; second is increased production of gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide, as certain undigested foods are broken down by harmless bacteria normally found in your colon.

Aerophagia can occur with improper swallowing while eating or even unconscious swallowing of air out of habit. Activities that cause you to swallow air include rapid drinking, chewing gum, use of tobacco products, sucking on hard candy, drinking carbonated beverages etc.

Foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another. Some common bacteria in the large intestine can destroy the hydrogen that other bacteria produce. The balance of the 2 types of bacteria may explain why some people have more gas than others.

Stuffed Aubergine / Eggplant

It is a delicious dish that tastes great when served with hot parathas.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized aubergine
• 1 big potato diced into small cubes
• ¼ cup green peas
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tsp garlic grated or chopped fine
• 1 green chili chopped fine
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 5 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Cut the top of aubergine like a cap.
• Make a vertical slit so that each aubergine is divided into two equal halves.
• Gently scoop out the center of the halves, leaving the shells intact. Dip these aubergine shells in salted water.
• Chop the scooped out center portion and keep aside to be used later for stuffing.
• Prepare stuffing: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onion until golden brown. Add diced potato, chopped scoop of aubergine and green peas; fry a little. Add now ginger, garlic, green chilies, red chili powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Add 2-3 tbsp water and cook until potato is soft and curry is completely dry. Add chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Stuffing is ready.
• Fill the aubergine shells with the stuffing. Leave extra stuffing in a plate for later use.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy wide pan over a medium flame.Add extra stuffing and 3-4 tbsp water, mix well.
• Now lower the stuffed aubergines, and cover the pan. Reduce heat, and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes until aubergines are just tender. Do not overcook.
• Garnish with tomato slices and chopped cilantro.
• Serve with hot paratha.

Do You Know?

Bt brinjal is a transgenic eggplant which has a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis inserted into it. This variety was designed to give the plant resistance against lepidopteran insects.

On 9 February 2010 the Indian Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, imposed a moratorium on the cultivation of Bt brinjal. His decision was made after protest from several groups responding to regulatory approval of the cultivation of Bt brinjal in October, 2009. Ramesh stated that the moratorium will last "for as long as it is needed to establish public trust and confidence".

Veggie Cutlets

It is another quick nutritive and colorful tea time snack. Boiled potatoes are mixed with vegetables (frozen or steamed) to prepare cutlets.

Ingredients:

• 2 big potato
• ½ cup chopped carrots (frozen)
• ½ cup chopped green beans (frozen)
• ½ cup green peas (frozen)
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 2 green chilies chopped fine
• 1 tbsp ginger grated
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped fine
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp chat masala
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup suji or bread crumbs for coating
• Salt to taste
• Ghee / Oil for frying

Method:

• Wash, boil potatoes, peel and mash while still warm.
• Add all ingredients except ghee/oil and suji/bread crumbs, in the mashed potatoes and mix well. Take a handful of the mixture and shape it with your palms in the desired shape.
• Coat them with suji/breadcrumbs and refrigerate them for 1 hour.
• Heat a tawa/griddle and shallow fry the cutlets on both sides adding ghee till golden.
• Drain onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve with ketchup, tomato chutney or green chutney.

Do you know?

Frozen vegetables have some advantages over fresh ones, in that they are available when the fresh counterpart is out-of-season, they have a very long shelf life when kept in a freezer, and that they often have been processed a step or more closer to eating. In many cases, they may be more economical to purchase than their fresh counterparts. Since they are already cooked, and will likely be cooked more once they enter the household, they are believed to be more sanitary than fresh vegetables.

Bread Pakoda

It is a common tea time snack in India. Bread slices are stuffed with potato peas mix and then fried. I prefer shallow frying.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of Bread (preferably white bread)
• Oil for shallow frying

For Filling:

• 1 big potato
• ¼ cup green peas
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp chat masala or amchur
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste

For Batter:

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• ½ tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• Pinch of asafetida
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Boil and skin potato. Cut it into small pieces.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.
• Add mustard seeds in the oil when it is hot. After they stop spluttering, add chopped onion in the frying pan and fry till it becomes golden brown.
• Add ground ginger and chopped green chili to the fried onion and fry for few seconds.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix properly.
• Add now chopped potato and green peas and fry for some time. Remove from the heat.
• Mix in chat masala, chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Stuffing is ready. Keep it aside.
• Put the gram flour in a large mixing bowl with the ingredients required for the batter. Add warm water, a little at a time; use a whisk to blend all together. The resulting batter should be like smooth and of medium consistency (thinner than the pancake batter). Batter is ready.
• Heat oil in a frying pan for shallow frying.
• Cut the sides of the bread. Put one slice on a flat surface. Cover this slice with the potato stuffing. Put now another slice on potato mix and press a little so that the potato mix sticks to both the slices.
• Dip the stuffed slices in the batter properly to cover entirely with the batter (do not leaves the stuffed slices long in the batter otherwise pakoda will absorb more water and will turn out soggy).
• Shallow fry it on medium heat until crispy brown from one side. Now with the help of a tong turn the bread pakoda and fry from other side too.
• Take out from the oil on a paper towel once it is done. Cut bread pakoda now in to two triangles.
• Fry other pakodas also in the same way.
• Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup.

Note: In the shops thick batter of besan is used, stuffed slices are cut into triangles before frying and pakodas are deep fried.

Do You Know?

• White bread is made from flour containing only the central core of the grain (endosperm).
• Brown bread is made with endosperm and 10% bran. It can also refer to white bread with added coloring (often caramel coloring) to make it 'brown'; commonly labeled in America as ‘Wheat’ bread.
• Whole meal bread contains the whole of the wheat grain (endosperm and bran). It is also referred to as 'whole grain' or 'whole wheat' bread, especially in North America.
• Whole grain bread can refer to the same as 'whole meal bread', or to white bread with added whole grains to increase its fiber content (i.e. as in "60% whole grain bread").