Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

For Chicken masala:
Chicken - 1kg
Basmati rice/ Kaima rice - 3 cups ( 750 gms)
Ginger, Garlic, Green chilly paste - 3 tbsp
Big Onions - 7 big
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1⁄2 tsp
Tomato - 3
Poppy seeds -1⁄2 tsp
Fennel seeds (Perum jeerakam)- 2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder / Biriyani masala Powder- 3 tbsp
oil- as required
Ghee - 2 tsps
Cardamom - 1⁄2 tsp
Cloves-1⁄4 tsp
Cinnamon sticks- 3
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp
Raisins- 1 tbsp
Boiled water - 6 cups
Mint leaves chopped -  1 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
Fresh lime juice - 1 tbsp
Boiled eggs - As needed
Salt as required

Home made biriyani masala ingredients:-
Cinnamon - 3, 1"sticks
Cardamom - 5-6
Cloves -5-6
Caraway seeds/sa jeerakam - 1⁄4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1⁄4teaspoon
Fennel seeds  -  spoon 1⁄4
Star anise - 2-3nos
Mace -1-2nos
Nutmeg -  1⁄2 piece

Bay leaves - 2 nos
             To prepare  home made biriyani masala  roast all the ingredients separately and make fine powder by grinding in a mixer all together. keep it in an air tight container.

Method:
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in cold water for 25 – 30 minutes.  Drain and keep aside. 

Add 2 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of oil to a large vessel. Fry cashew nuts and Raisins.remove from oil and keep aside.


Slice big Onions very thin and fry in the same oil till golden brown. Remove from oil and keep aside.

To the same vessal add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom and fry for a minute. Add the drained rice and fry for 5 - 10 minutes. Meanwhile, keep the water on another stove and let it boil. Add the boiling water and salt to the fried rice.

Cook the rice with the vessel closed with a tight lid. Also gently stir in between to make sure that the rice does not stick on the bottom of the vessel. Once the rice is done keep it aside.

Wash and clean the chicken pieces and marinate with 1 tsp Chilly Powder, 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp Ginger-garlic Paste, 1/2 tsp Pepper powder and Salt. Keep it aside for half an hour. 

Deep fry or shallow fry the chicken pieces.Take a pan and pour oil. Heat the oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces until golden brown. Keep this aside.If you dont want to fry chicken Add the marinated chicken to the masala and cook until done.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the sliced onions in oil until they become translucent. Grind green chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilly paste. Saute them well. Add 1 tsp coriander Powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp Red chilly Powder and 1 tsp garam masala and fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let it cook until mashed. 

Grind Snauf and poppy seeds to fine paste and add to the masala and cook well. Add  curd and give a boil. 

Add the fried Chicken once the gravy starts boiling. Let it boil for few minutes. Gravy should be thick and not watery. Add chopped corriander and mint leaves. And remove from fire. 

 Now we need to start layering for that, divide the cooked rice into three Portions. Chop coriander leaves and mint leaves. keep lime juice and garam masala ready. 

In a big wide open vessel start layering by spreading the first layer with rice. Sprinkle one pinch of garam masala, Roasted onions, cashew nuts, raisins, few tsp of chopped coriander and mint leaves on each layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 tsp of lemon juice also . On top of this spread chicken masala. cover this layer with cooked rice. 

 Again repeat the same layers. finally end with a rice layer. 

After layering we can either bake this in a preheated oven for 180 degree Celsius for 15- 20 minutes or keep in dum on a stove top method by heating a thava/dosa kallu, when it is really hot, place the biriyani vessel on top of that. Reduce the heat to the lowest flame & cook for 10 - 15 mins. Keep the heat at the lowest flame throughout, otherwise it might get burnt. Also place a pan of boiling water on top of the biriyani vessel at the same time.

When its time to serve remove the lid and  mix the rice well with the masala.To serve, on the plate keep the chicken pieces and cover with the rice. Garnish with fried cashew nuts, raisins and onion. Also place a boiled egg on top.

Chicken biriyani Ready...:) Enjoy with salad, Pickle,  Pappad, Dates Chutney and pudina Coconut Chutney. 

Recipe Courtesy : Mrs. Prassana Sugathan.

Fish Biriyani

Ingredients:

For fish masala:
Fish pieces - King Fish/ Ayakoora / Pomfret  or any other firm fish - 6 nos
Ginger, Garlic, Green chilly paste - 3 tbsp
Big Onions - 3
Small onions - 15 nos
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1⁄2 tsp
Tomato - 3
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Poppy seeds -1⁄2 tsp
Fennel seeds- 2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
oil- as required
Salt -as required

For biriyani rice:
Basmati rice/Kaima rice - 2 cups
Onion sliced - 2
Cardamom - 1⁄2 tsp
Cloves-1⁄4 tsp
Cinnamon sticks- 3
Boiled water - 4 cups
Refined Oil - 2 tbsps
Ghee - 2 tsps
Salt as required

For Garnishing and layering:

Onion sliced- 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp
Raisins- 1 tbsp
Garam masala- as required
Mint leaves chopped -  1 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1⁄2 tsp
Fresh lime juice - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in cold water for 25 – 30 minutes.  Drain and keep aside.

Add 2 tbsp of ghee to a large vessel. Fry the cashews, raisins and one finely chopped onion in oil until its golden brown in colour, one after the other. Keep them aside for garnishing and layering. Add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom and fry for a minute. Add sliced onions and saute again till they are soft.  Add the drained rice and fry for 5 - 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, keep the water on another stove and let it boil. Add the boiling water, 1/2 tsp turmeric Powder and salt to the fried rice. Cook the rice with the vessel closed with a tight lid. Also gently stir in between to make sure that the rice does not stick on the bottom of the vessel. Once the rice is done keep it aside.

Wash and clean the slices of fish pieces and marinate with Chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder, Ginger-garlic Paste,Pepper powder and Salt. Keep it aside for half an hour. 

Take a pan and pour oil. Heat the oil and fry the marinated fish pieces until golden brown. Keep this aside.

Grind green chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Keep them aside.Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the sliced onions and crushed small onions in oil until they become translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilly paste. Add coriander Powder,turmeric powder, Red chilly Powder and garam masala and fry for 5 minutes. 

Grind coconut and poppy seeds to fine paste and add to the masala and cook well. Add chopped tomatoes and let it cook until mashed to this and 1/2 cup water and boil. Add the fried fish once the gravy starts boiling. Let it boil for few minutes. Gravy should be thick and not watery. Be very careful not to break the fish while stirring.

Now we need to start layering for that, divide the cooked rice into three Portions. Chop coriander leaves and mint leaves. keep lime juice and garam masala ready. 

In a big wide open vessel start layering by spreading the first layer with rice. Sprinkle one pinch of garam masala, few tsp of chopped coriander and mint leaves on each layer of rice. Sprinkle 1 tsp of lemon juice also . On top of this spread fish masala. only two slices of fish need to be kept in each layer. cover this layer with cooked rice. 

Again repeat the same layers. finally end with a rice layer. 

After layering we can either bake this in a preheated oven for 180 degree Celsius for 15- 20 minutes or keep in dum on a stove top method by heating a thava/dosa kallu, when it is really hot, place the biriyani vessel on top of that. Reduce the heat to the lowest flame & cook for 10-15 mins. Keep the heat at the lowest flame throughout, otherwise it might get burnt. Also place a pan of boiling water on top of the biriyani vessel at the same time. When its time to serve remove the lid and carefully keep the fish pieces separately and mix the rice well with the masala. 

To serve, on the plate keep the fish piece and cover with the rice. Garnish with fried cashew nuts, raisins and onion. Fish biriyani Ready...:) Enjoy with salad, Pickle,  Pappad and Coconut Chutney.

Recipe Courtesy:Mrs Prassana Sugathan

Mushroom Biriyani ( Using Rice cooker )

Ingredients:

Cloves -2

Cardamom -2

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece

Onion - 3 big chopped 

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 10 pods

Green Chillies - 4

Tomato - 2

Coriander leaves - 3/4 cup

Mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Curry masala Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Basmati Rice - 3 cups

Button mushrooms - 500 gms

Oil - 3 tsp

Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

Water - 4 1/2 cups

Salt - to taste

Lemon  - 1/2 piece

Pepper-1 tsp

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai (or pressure cooker in case if you want to pressure cook) and add  cinnamon, cloves, slit cardamom and fry them for a minute. Add chopped onions and fry well. You can add a pinch of  salt to let onions become soft  faster. Grind ginger,garlic and green chillies and add to onions and saute well.

Then grind tomatoes and saute till raw smell leaves, Add Curry masala powder  or biriyani masala powder and saute till raw smell leaves. Once they turn slight brown in color add ground coriander and mint leaves and fry well until the masala does not stick to the Pan.

Clean and chop mushrooms into 4 pieces. Add mushrooms to the masala and saute for 2 mins until water leaves and it starts softening. 

In the rice cooker add water and switch on the rice cooker. when the water starts boiling add cleaned basmati rice and the mushroom masala and give a stirr. Add garam masala powder, salt and pepper powder. Give a stir and close the lid.

 (If you are using a cooker you can saute all the masalas in the cooker itself and add rice and water and  pressure cook for 1 whistle in high flame and one in low flame. Once pressure releases, fluff the rice with a fork carefully without breaking the rice.)

Do not  open the lid immediately after it is done. Leave it for 10 mins,this helps the rice to absorb all the flavors and stay fluffy. Squeeze lemon and gently mix the mushroom biriyani. If wanted add some ghee also.

Yummy Mushroom biriyani is ready to serve with raitha...:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Latha, Coimbatore.