Green Chicken Biriyani

 

 

 

Ingredients (Serves 3)

For the gravy

1. Chicken - 1/2 - 3/4 kg

2. Cilantro - 3/4 - 1 cup

    Mint leaves - 1/4 cup

    Pearl onions - 2 - 3

    Ginger, chopped - 2 - 3 tsp

    Garlic, chopped - 2 - 3 tsp

    Green chilies - 6 - 7 (Adjust according to your spice tolerance)

Grind the ingredients numbered 2. Clean and cut the chicken into medium pieces. Marinate them with the above mentioned ground mixture for at least 4 - 5 hrs in a refrigerator.

3. Onion - 1 medium-small, thinly sliced

4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp

    Coriander powder - 1.5 - 2 tsp

    Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

    Biriyani masala powder - 3/4 - 1 tsp

5. Salt - To taste

Method

Heat oil in a deep pan. Saute sliced onion until golden. Add the masala powders numbered 4. Saute until their raw smell is gone. Add the marinated chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken pieces are done, about 35 - 40 minutes. There is no need to add water as it will ooze out from the chicken but if the gravy goes very dry you can add a little water.

 

To cook rice

Basmati Rice - 1.5 cup

To cook rice you can either follow the draining method or make ghee rice. Click here for the ghee rice recipe. Draining method - Soak the basmati rice for around 30 mts. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns- 10, cloves – 6, cardamoms - 2, bay leaves-2, cinnamon - 2, fennel seeds – half tsp, star anise- 2 and mace - 3). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency. Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

To Garnish

   Fried onion – 1/2 medium, thinly sliced. Fry it in hot oil stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain on to a     paper towel and set aside.

   Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped

   Cashews – Around 1/4 cup, fried in oil until golden

   Raisins - 3 tbsp, fried until plump and drained

Layering

For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe. Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, fried cilantro, cashews, raisins, mint leaves and chicken. Now add the rice and repeat the process. You can sprinkle a little fennel powder or biriyani masala and ghee on each layer. The top-most layer should be that of rice with the items under garnish. Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 20 - 25 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are using stovetop, double-boil or keep it at low flame for around 10-15 mts. Serve hot with raita, pappad and lemon pickle. This biriyani is mildly spiced compared to the traditional biriyani but it has a great flavor from cilantro and mint.

 

Click here for the Traditional Kerala Style Spicy Chicken Biriyani Recipe with step pictures..

 

Recipe Courtesy - Heney Padavathil

Kappa Biriyani / Tapioca Biriyani / Kappa Erachi

 

 

Ingredients

For the meat curry

1. Beef /chicken / lamb /  pork / - 1/2 kg, washed and cubed (I used beef)

2. Ginger - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1.5 tsp

Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - To taste

3. Water - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Marinate the meat pieces with ingredients numbered 2 for at least 1 hr.

To prepare kappa

3. Kappa / tapioca - 3/4 kg, peeled and cut into medium cubes

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - To taste

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)

To prepare the biriyani

4. Pearl onions - 15 - 20, thinly sliced or 1 small savola/big onion

5. Green chillies - 3 - 4, slit

6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1.5 - 2 tsp

7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

8. Salt - To taste

9. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

For the seasoning

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Mustards - 1/4 tsp

Dry red chillies - 2

Pearl onions - 2 - 3, thinly sliced

Curry leaves - A few

Method

1. Pressure cook the marinated beef pieces adding 1/4 - 1/2 cup water for 3 whistles or until done. Set aside.

2. Cook the tapioca pieces in enough water to cover them, adding salt and turmeric powder. When they are done, switch off, drain the water completely and set aside.

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the thinly sliced pearl onions. When they start turning brown, bring down the heat to low and add turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder. Saute for 8 - 10 seconds and add the prepared meat curry. Boil for a few minutes and add the mashed tapioca and a few curry leaves. Mix well. Taste check for salt.

4. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a small pan. Splutter mustards and fry dry red chilies. Add a few curry leaves and sliced pearl onions and saute until the pearl onions turn brown. Pour this over the prepared tapioca biriyani. Serve hot.

 

Prawn / Chemmeen Biriyani

Ingredients ( Serves 3 - 4)

 

Marinade

1. Prawns - 30 - 35 ( Around 400 g)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - As required

For the masala

1. Onion - 1 large, thinly sliced
2. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
3. Fresh ginger-garlic paste - 2 - 3  tsp
4. Green chillies - 7 - 8, seeded
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 2tsp
8. Garam masala - 1.5 tsp
9. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
10. Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
11. Salt - To taste
12. Oil - As required

Method

1. Clean and wash the prawns. Marinate the prawns with the ingredients under marinade for at least 2 hrs in a refrigerator. Shallow fry the marinated prawns in oil until done. It won’t take more than 3 - 4 minutes on each side, at medium-low heat. Drain on to a paper towel.

 

 

2. In the same pan, add thinly sliced onions. Stir-fry until they turn light brown at medium heat. Now add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Stir fry for a few more minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir-fry for a few seconds and add the chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes get mashed up. Now add 1/2 cup water and mix well. Bring to a boil and add the fried prawns. Cook for a minute and add the chopped cilantro and mint. Taste check for salt. Switch off.

 

Cooking Rice

Basmati rice - 2 cups

    To cook rice I usually follow the draining method. Soak the basmati rice for around 30 mts. Drain and keep aside. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns- 10, cloves – 6, cardamoms - 2, bay leaves-2, cinnamon - 2, fennel seeds – half tsp, star anise- 2 and mace - 3). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency. It will take around 15 - 20 mts at medium heat.  Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

To Garnish

Onion - 1 medium, sliced very thin and deep fried in oil/ghee till brown

Cashews and raisins - 1/4 cup deep-fried in oil / ghee

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Mint - 1/2 cup

Layering

For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe.

Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, cilantro, cashews, raisins, mint leaves and prawn masala. Now add the cooked rice and repeat the process. You can sprinkle some fennel powder or biriyani masala and a little ghee on each layer. The topmost layer should be that of rice with the items under garnish.  Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 10 - 15 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are planning to keep it for long, cook the rice only till it is 95% done or so. If you are using stovetop keep it at low flame for around 5 - 10 mts. Serve hot with boiled eggs, biriyani chammanthi, raita, pappad and lemon pickle. This recipe serves around 3-4 people.

Hara Bhara Biriyani (Vegetable Biriyani)

   We are back with yet another biriyani recipe....and trust me, the recipe is surely gonna find its way to your recipe collections, if you give it a try! This biriyani is simple to make, it’s nutritious and tastes yummy!!! The method is different from the usual biriyanis and has no time-consuming steps like layering or baking. Being an ardent lover of chicken biriyani and other non-veg biriyanis, I have never before tried the veggie version. But this simple recipe won my heart and am sure you guys will love it too!  

Ingredients (Serves - 4 - 5)

1. Basmati rice - 2 cups
2. Ginger - garlic paste -1 tsp
3. Tomato puree - 2 tbsp (You can seed and grind one small tomato)
4. Onion - 2 small, finely sliced
5. Paneer - 1/4 kg, cubed
6. Carrot - 2 small, cubed
7. Cauliflower - 3/4 - 1 cup, cut into small florets
8. Frozen green peas - 1/4 cup
9. Cilantro - 3 tbsp, chopped
10. Mint -3 tbsp, chopped
11. Whole spices - (Bay leaves - 2 - 3, Cinnamon stick - 2, Cloves - 6 - 7, Cardamom - 3 -4 , mace - 2 - 3, whole pepper - 5 - 6)
12. Garam masala  powder - 1 tsp
13. Cumin powder - 2 pinches
14. chilly powder - 1/ 4 tsp
15. Raisins - 3 tbsp
16. Cashews - 3 tbsp
17. Salt - To taste
18. Oil/ ghee - As required

Method

1. Wash the rice well and keep aside to drain.

2. Heat enough oil (around 1/4 - 1/2 cup) in a deep pan and fry the raisins, then cashews. Drain on to a paper towel. Add in the sliced onions and fry until brown.  Drain on to a paper towel. Now fry the paneer cubes until lightly browned. Drain on to a paper towel and keep aside.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed vessel and fry the whole garam masala for a few seconds. Now add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a minute and stir in the tomato puree. Saute until oil separates. Add the garam masala powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, little salt and the vegetables (cubed carrots and cauliflower pieces). Saute for 4 - 5 minutes and add the drained rice. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes.  Mix in some of the fried onion, chopped cilantro and mint.

 

4. Add around 4 cups of water to the pan. Adjust the salt. The water should be slightly salty. When the water starts boiling, add the frozen green peas. Cover and cook at low heat until the rice is done. (I usually transfer the rice - veggie mixture to a pressure cooker after step 3 and add around 4 cups hot water (in which enough salt has been added). Add frozen green peas. Mix everything well and check for salt. The water should be slightly salty. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid. When steam starts coming out continuously, put on the pressure cooker weight. Cook for one whistle at medium-high heat. Now bring down the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from fire. Keep aside for five minutes. Open the pressure cooker. The rice would be cooked to the right consistency). Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Stir in the fried paneer cubes, remaining fried onions, cashews, raisins, chopped mint and cilantro. Mix well. Serve with raita, pickle, chutney or any spicy curry.

 

Tips:

1) You could also cook this biriyani in a rice cooker after step 3.

Lamb Biriyani and Biriyani Chammanthi - Our 100th Post

 

Finally, finally….we have reached our 100th post….hoorrraaaayyy! We are so so excited. Its been 5 months since we started our blog. We genuinely thank fellow bloggers, readers, friends & family for their support and encouragement without which we would not have reached here. Climbing up till here was fun, although the process was quite difficult. Blogging helped us know the different cuisines and we made a lot of friends too. We have tried  many great recipes from other blogs and our family loved those dishes. We are listing a few of them here. You could also try them sometime since they were so delicious. We tried dates-almond balls, pentagon chicken, chicken mughlai and okra stir fry from pazham pappadam payasam, oyster mushroom kuzhambu and prawn varuval from life is beautiful, Moru kachiyathu from collaborative curry, cucumber pancakes from Foodelicious, stuffed buns from Marias Menu, Fruit Cake from My treasure My pleasure to name a few. Hope to try and taste more of your yummy recipes soon!
  You all might have noticed that we kind of slowed down a bit and that was because we wanted to post a special recipe for our 100th post. So finally, after a long debate, we both decided that the special recipe got to be Lamb Biryani, which is an all time favorite of both of us!
  Also posting the recipe for raita and biriyani chammanthi/chutney. My mother used to prepare normal puli (tamarind) chammanthi for biriyani. I tried this interesting  chammanthi from Sarah's vazhayila and totally loved it with biriyani. We are always look forward to trying different biriyanis. So, If you have some biriyani recipes posted in your blog, which are way different from ours, please do share!

 

 Ingredients (Serves 4 )

   Marinade

 

1. Mutton/Lamb - Around 2 lb cut to medium-sized pieces (I used 2 packets of lamb shoulder chops)
2. Fresh ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Coriander powder - 1tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1 tsp (See recipe below)
9. Yoghurt - 1 tbsp
10. Salt - To taste

 

Marinate the lamb with the ingredients under marinade for at least 2-3 hrs or overnight if possible. 

 

For the lamb curry

 

Ingredients

 

1. Red Onion - 2 small sliced thin (If you are using pearl onions you will need around 15 - 20)
2. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
3. Garlic - 4 chopped
4. Green chillies - 7-8 (It might be too spicy for you so reduce the number if you wish)
5. Tomato - 2 small chopped
6. Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Biriyani masala powder - 1.5 tsp
12. Whole spices - (fennel seeds - 10-12, whole pepper corns-  10-12, cloves - 8-10, cardamom- 2, bay leaves- 2-3, star anise- 2, Cinnamon stick- 2, javitri/mace - 3)
13. Salt - To taste
14. Oil - As required

Method

 

1.  Pressure cook the marinated lamb for 3 whistles at medium heat adding very little water(1/4 cup water).

2.  Heat oil in a deep pan and add the sliced onion. Saute until it turns light brown.

 

3. Coarsely grind ginger, garlic, green chillies, 1 sprig curry leaves and the whole spices.  When the onion turns  brown, add in the coarsely  ground mixture and saute for a few minutes.  Now add the tomatoes.

4. When the tomatoes are cooked, add the turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and biriyani masala. Saute for a few minutes and add the cooked lamb and its gravy to the pan. Mix well  and cook for around 10-15 mts at medium heat till it has a really thick gravy and switch off the stove after checking for salt and masala. 

 

 

 

Cooking Rice

 

Basmati rice - 1.5 cup

 

    To cook rice I usually follow the draining method. Soak the basmati rice for around 30 mts. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns- 10, cloves – 6, cardamoms - 2, bay leaves-2, cinnamon - 2, fennel seeds – half tsp, star anise- 2 and mace - 3). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency. It will take around 15 - 20 mts at medium heat.  Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

To Garnish

Onion - 1 medium, sliced very thin and deep fried in oil/ghee till brown

Cashews and raisins - 1/4 cup deep-fried in oil

Cilantro - A handful chopped

Mint - Half a bunch

 

Layering

 

For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe.

Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, cilantro, cashews, raisins, mint leaves and lamb masala. Now add the cooked rice and repeat the process. You can sprinkle some fennel powder or biriyani masala and ghee on each layer. The topmost layer should be that of rice with the items under garnish.  You can pour some gravy over it. Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 20 – 25 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are planning to keep it for long, cook the rice only till it is 95% done or so. If you are using stovetop keep it at low flame for around 10-15 mts. Serve hot with boiled eggs, biriyani chammanthi, raita, pappad and lemon pickle. This recipe serves around 3-4 people.

 

 

Tips:

1. You can add coconut milk (2 tbsp) to the lamb curry.

2. Try using fresh home-made garam masala and biriyani masala for this biriyani.

Recipe for Garam Masala (Yield - Around 3 - 3.5 tbsp)

1. Fennel Seeds (Perumjeerakam)-  2 tbsp
2. Cloves (Grambu)- 13 - 15
3. Cinnamon stick (Karuvapatta) - 2  inch
4. Cardamom (Elaikka) - 3 - 4
5. Star anise (Thakkolam) -  1
6. Whole pepper (Kurumulaku) -15 - 20
7. Poppy seeds (Kus Kus) - 1 tsp (optional)

Dry roast all the ingredients lightly in a pan at medium heat for about 2-3 mts. When they cool down, grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Store in an airtight container. It will  be flavorful even if you do not dry roast them.

 

Recipe for Biriyani Masala (Yield - 1.5 - 2 tbsp)

1.  Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

2.  Cloves - 4-5

3.  Cardamom - 1-2

4.  Cinnamon stick- 2 inch

5.  Star anise - 1/2 flower

6.  Whole pepper corns - 10

7.  Poppy seeds (Kus Kus) - 1/2 tsp

8.  Bay leaves - 1 leaf

9.  Mace (javitri) - 2

 

Dry roast all these spices lightly and grind to a fine powder.

 

 

Raita and biriyani chammanthi

 

 

Raita

1. Onion - 1/2 chopped
2. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
3. Cucumber - 1/2 (optional)
4. Green chillies - 2 - 3 chopped fine
5. Yoghurt - 1/2 - 3/4 cup or as needed
6. Salt - To taste

Beat the yoghurt well in a bowl and mix it with the other ingredients.

Biriyani chammanthi

1. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
2. Mint leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
3. Cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
4. Green chillies - 2, seeded
5. Garlic - 1 small
6. Yoghurt - 2 tsp
7. Salt - To taste

Grind everything except yoghurt in a mixer to a coarse or fine mixture depending on your  preference. Transfer to a bowl and add beaten yoghurt. Check for salt.

Spicy Kerala Style Fish Biriyani

    I was always reluctant to have fish biryani until one day I tasted it in my husband's aunt's place for our virunnu after wedding. It just shattered my belief that fish biryani cannot compete with the taste of other biryanis. So here I am sharing a fish biriyani recipe. The recipe is somewhat similar to that of the chicken biriyani recipe that we posted here. Although fish biriyani tastes best with king fish, I tried this biriyani with salmon which is our favorite fish. This recipe serves around 5 people.

Ingredients

 

1. Fish - Around 3/4 - 1 kg, cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces

2. Basmati Rice – 3 cups

 

Marinade

 

3. Chilly powder – 1.5 tbsp

4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

5. Pepper powder - 1 tbsp

6. Coriander powder - 2 tsp

7. Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

8. Fennel powder - 1.5 tbsp

9. Yoghurt - 2 tbsp

10. Salt - To taste

 

For masala

 

11. Onion - 2 large, sliced (Use pearl onions(20 – 25 no.) to make the gravy more tasty. Crush  them along with ginger, garlic, green chillies and the whole spices)

12. Tomato - 2 medium-small, chopped

13. Green chilies - 6

14. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

15. Garlic – 5 – 6 cloves

16. Ginger -  1 inch piece

17. Whole Spices – Cloves - 8-10, Whole pepper corns - 8 - 10, Cinnamon Sticks - 2, Cardamom – 2 - 3, Bay leaves - 2, Mace – 3 - 4, star anise - 1, fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp)

18. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

19. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

20. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

21. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

22. Biriyani masala powder - 1 tbsp ( I usually use home-made garam masala but for this recipe I used bombay biriyani masala powder available in the stores here. I have also tried it with double horse biriyani masala powder. Also I add fennel powder, if I do not use my home-made masala since its flavor predominates my masala powder.)
23. Fennel powder – 1.5 tsp

24. Salt - To taste

25. Oil - As required

To garnish

26. Fried onion – 3/4 cup (Slice the onion very thinly and shallow fry or deep-fry in oil)

27. Cilantro - 1/2 cup, chopped

28. Mint - 1/2 cup, chopped

29. Fried cashews and raisins – 2 – 3 tbsp each

 

 

Cooking Rice

To cook rice I usually follow the draining method. Soak the basmati rice for around 20 mts. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns – 8 - 10, cloves – 6, cardamom - 2, bay leaves - 2, cinnamon stick – 2 small pieces, fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp, star anise- 2 and mace - 3). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency, takes about 15 – 20 minutes. Switch off. Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

 

Method

1. Marinate the fish pieces with the ingredients under marinade for at least 4 - 5 hrs. Keep it in the refrigerator.

2. Shallow fry the fish fillets in 2 – 3 tbsp oil and keep aside.

 

3. Crush together ginger, garlic, green chilies and half of the whole spices mentioned under the ingredients for masala.

4. In a wide pan (you can use the same pan that you used for frying the fish pieces for an extra taste), heat oil and add the remaining whole spices. Saute for a few seconds and add sliced onion and salt. When the onion turns brown add the crushed ginger-garlic-greenchilli-whole spices mixture and saute for a few more minutes or until their raw smell is gone and they are slightly browned.

  

5. Now add the chopped tomatoes, curry leaves and cook until the tomatoes are all mashed up. Lower the flame and add the masala powders (numbered 18 – 23) mentioned under the ingredients. Saute for a minute or two until their raw smell and taste is gone. Now add 1/2 cup water. Boil the gravy. Now add the fried fish pieces to this masala and coat them well. Cook for  1 – 2 minutes at low heat. Switch off. Keep aside.

 

 

 

Layering

    For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe. I usually use a stainless steel stock pot to layer the rice and chicken since it can be used for both purposes. The biriyani can also be served in it. OR you can use a shallow pyrex glassware which is oven-safe.

    Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, chopped cilantro, mint, cashews, raisins, and the fish pieces with some gravy. Now add the rice and repeat the process. The topmost layer should be that of rice with the items under garnish.  You can pour the gravy over it. Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 25 - 30 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are planning to keep it for long, cook the rice only till it is 95% done or so. If you are using stovetop keep it at low flame for around 10-15 mts. Serve hot with boiled eggs, raita, pappad and any pickle of your choice. This recipe serves around 5 people.

 

 

 

 

Kerala Spicy Chicken Biriyani

 

Ingredients

 

1) Chicken - Around 10-12 medium pieces or 2 Cornish game hen (Around 3/4 kg)

Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients under marinade for at least 4-5 hrs.

Marinade

2) Chilly powder - 2 tsp

3) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

4) Fresh ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp

5) Coriander powder - 2 tsp

6) Pepper powder – half tsp

7) Garam masala powder – 1 tsp ( If your garam masala powder does not have fennel powder as an ingredient you can also add 1 tsp fennel powder since it gives a nice aroma and flavor to meat preparations. Find the recipe for home-made garam masala below.)

8) Biriyani masala powder – 2 tsp (Find its recipe below)

9) Yoghurt – 1 tbsp

10) Salt - As required

11) Rice - Around 2.5 cups of basmati rice

Cooking Rice

  To cook rice I usually follow the draining method. Soak the basmati rice for around 30 mts. Boil water in a deep vessel. To the boiling water add ghee – 2 tsp, whole spices (peppercorns- 10, cloves – 6, cardamoms - 2, bay leaves-2, cinnamon stick - 2, fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp, star anise - 2 and mace - 1 - 2). I usually add lots of whole spices. Add enough salt. The water should be slightly salty. Now add the soaked rice and cook it to the perfect consistency. Drain the water and allow the rice to cool.

 

Chicken preparation

Ingredients

12) Onion – 2 red onion medium sized, thinly sliced and chopped to halves

13) Tomato – 1 medium sized, chopped

14) Ginger – 1 inch piece

     Garlic – 6-7

     Thai green chilies – 10 (Adjust the chilies and spices according to your spice tolerance)

     Pearl onion – 5-6 (optional)

     Whole spices – cardamom – 2, Cloves – 5-6, cinnamon stick – 1-2, bay leaves – 1-2 , pepper corns – 5-6, mace -1, star anise -1

15) Curry leaves – 1 sprig

16) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

17) Coriander powder - 1 tsp

18) Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

19) Oil - 2  tbsp

20) Salt - To taste

Method

1)Coarsely grind the ginger, garlic, pearl onion, green chilies and the whole spices in a mixer.

2)Heat around 2 - 2.5  tbsp oil in a deep pan. Add the sliced onions and little salt. When the onion becomes light brown, add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Stir well for a minute and add the coarsely ground mixture mentioned above, few curry leaves and stir well for a few minutes or until the oil starts appearing. If it starts sticking to the bottom, bring down the heat and add little oil.

 

 

3) Add the chopped tomato and cook until it gets completely mashed up and oil starts appearing, about 5 - 7 mts.

 

4) Now add the marinated chicken, mix everything well and cover it with a lid. Do not add any water as water will ooze out from the chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes at medium flame. Bring down the flame to medium-low and cook covered until the chicken is done, stirring once or twice in between. It will take at least 45 mts  for the chicken to be properly cooked. When the chicken is done, check for salt and masala. You can add 1 - 2 pinches of fennel powder or garam masala if you wish. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

 

 

 

To Garnish

I usually fry the cashews, raisins and thinly sliced onions first and then use the same oil ( around 2 tbsp) for cooking chicken.

 

1. Fried onion – 1 small, thinly sliced. Fry it in hot oil stirring occasionally, until browned, takes about 20 minutes. Drain on to a paper towel.

2. Cilantro – 1 bunch chopped and fried till crispy (It will take only around 5-7 mts and it will be crispy and deep green in color). You can use fresh chopped cilantro if you wish.

3. Mint leaves – Half bunch, chopped fine

4. Grated carrot – 1 medium

5. Cashews , Raisins – Around 1/4 - 1/2 cup each, fried in oil and drained

6. Julienned ginger – 1 inch cut lengthwise and very thin

7. Pineapple – Around 1/4 - 1/2 cup (I usually use canned pineapple tidbits)

8. Tomato - 1, Seeded, sliced lengthwise and then fried until cooked and lightly browned. It is optional.

 

Layering

For layering you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe. I usually use a stainless steel stock pot to layer the rice and chicken since it can be used for both purposes. The biriyani can also be served in it.

Smear the base of the cookware with ghee. Then add the fried onions, fried cilantro, cashews, raisins, mint leaves, grated carrot, pineapple, julienned ginger, fried tomato and chicken. You can pour a little gravy over the chicken pieces. Now add the rice and repeat the process. You can sprinkle some fennel powder or biriyani masala and ghee on each layer. The top-most layer should be that of rice topped with the items under garnish. You can pour any left-over chicken gravy over it. Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with its lid and bake it at 350 F for around 15-20 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are planning to keep it for long, cook the rice only till it is 95% done or so. If you are using stovetop keep it at low flame for around 10-15 mts or you can double-boil it. Serve hot with boiled eggs, raita, papad, biriyani chammanthi and lemon pickle. You will never go wrong with this recipe :-) This recipe serves around 6-8 people.

 

Recipe for Garam Masala (Yield - Around 3  tbsp)

1. Fennel Seeds (Perumjeerakam)-  2 tbsp
2. Cloves (Grambu)- 13 - 15
3. Cinnamon stick (Karuvapatta) - 2  inch
4. Cardamom (Elaikka) - 3 - 4
5. Star anise (Thakkolam) -  1
6. Whole pepper (Kurumulaku) -15 - 20
7. Poppy seeds (Kus Kus) - 1 tsp (optional)

Dry roast all the ingredients lightly in a pan at medium heat for about 2-3 mts. When they cool down, grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Store in an airtight container. It will  be flavorful even if you do not dry roast them.

 

Recipe for biriyani masala (Yield -  Around1.5  tbsp)

1.  Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

2.  Cloves - 4-5

3.  Cardamom - 1-2

4.  Cinnamon stick- 2 inch

5.  Star anise - 1/2 flower

6.  Whole pepper corns - 10

7.  Poppy seeds (Kus Kus) - 1/2 tsp

8.  Bay leaves - 1 leaf

9.  Mace (javithri) - 2

Dry roast all these spices lightly, cool down and grind to a fine powder. (Dry roasting is completely optional).

Tips:

1. You can sprinkle some saffron in coconut milk while layering. It gives an extra taste and color.
2. Cooking the chicken in ghee instead of oil will give an extra taste though it isn’t recommended health-wise.
3. If you deep/shallow fry the chicken after it is cooked, the chicken will remain firm and more tasty.
4. Adding cashew paste ( of around 10 whole cashews soaked in water for 10 mts or so) and/or coconut milk (around 3 - 4 tbsp) also gives an extra taste to the chicken gravy.
5. You can use store-bought fried onion for garnishing.
6. Use pearl onion (Around 25 - 30) instead of big onion to make the chicken gravy more tasty.  You can crush it along with the green chilies, garlic, ginger and whole spices.

 

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