Chicken Biriyani

                                   

Serves: 4

You need:

Chicken – 400grams

Basmati Rice – 2cups

Onion – 2 (sliced)

Green chillies – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 1tbsp

Curd – 2tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼tsp

Red Chilli powder – 1tsp

Coriander powder – 1tsp (optional)

Garam masala powder – 1tsp

Chicken masala powder – 1tsp

Few mint leaves

Few coriander leaves

Water – 3cups

Salt – as needed

Oil – 4tbsp

Ghee – 2tbsp

Spices you need for seasoning:

Fennel seeds – 1tsp

Cinnamon – 1’inch piece

Cloves – 3

Cardamom – 1
bay leaf - 1

Preparation:

Soak basmati rice for 20minutes.

Cooking:

Heat oil + Ghee in a pressure cooker.

Add the spices given in the seasoning list when the oil is hot. Saute for a minute.     

Add sliced onions and green chillies. Saute well till the onions are cooked.

                                      

Now add chicken, ginger garlic paste and half of the salt to cook chicken. Cook for 2minutes.

                                      

Add curd, chopped coriander and mint leaves to the chicken. Cover and cook for some time so that chicken leaves water. Add all the powders.  

Mix well. Once again cover and cook for few minutes in low flame.

                                                     

When you see oil leaving the sides, add soaked basmati rice. Fry well so that the rice is well coated with oil.

                                      

Add water. Add remaining salt.

                                      

Check for salt. Pressure cook for 2whistles in medium heat. 

Serve hot with onion raita and brinjal gravy! 

Mushroom Biriyani

Heat oil [1tbs] and ghee [1tbs] in a pressure pan. Fry cloves[4], cinnamon [1], cardamom [1], bay leaf [1] and slit green chillies [3 long ones].

Add sliced onions [1 big one], few mint leaves and few cilantro leaves for a minute. 

Add ginger garlic paste [1tbs], mushroom pieces [about 100 grams], curd [3tbs], cumin powder [1/4tsp], garam masala powder [1/2tsp] and salt. Cook for 2minutes.





Then add rice [Use basmathi rice or Samba rice] - 1cup. Fry for a minute until the rice is well coated with oil. Add coconut milk and water in equal ratio [3/4cup + 3/4cup] --- Since I used Samba rice I added 1.5cups of water + coconut milk to 1 cup of rice. Pressure cook for 2-3whistles. 

Mutton Biriyani

Slice onions [3] and chop tomatoes [2]. 

Slit green chillies [3]. 

Soak basmathi rice [3cups] for 15minutes.

Heat oil [2-3tbs] in a pan. Add the basmati rice [no water...just the rice] and fry for 3-4 minutes. Keep it aside.

Heat oil [4-5tbs] in a pan. 

Fry *whole garam spices and green chillies. Add sliced onions and fry till it turns pink. 

Then add Mutton pieces [1/2kg], ginger garlic paste [2-3tbs], curd [4-5tbs] and turmeric powder [1tsp]. Fry for 3-5minutes till water from Mutton separates.

Now add chilli powder [1tbs], coriander powder [1 ½ tbs], garam masala [2-3tsp], few mint leaves, chopped tomatoes and salt. Pressure cook for 8minutes - 2whistles.

Add the basmathi rice, salt and water [4.5cups]. Check for salt and spice. 

Garnish with cilantro leaves/mint leaves and pressure cook once again for 10minutes - 2whistles.

*Whole garam spices: Cinnamon [1], bay leaf [2], cloves [6-7], cardamom [2-3] and fennel seeds [1tbs]

Goes well with Brinjal Masala and Onion Raita

Optional: You can add Biriyani masala powder [1tbs]

Brinjal Masala (Made for Biriyani)

POWDER:

Dry roast and powder the peanuts [3tbs], cumin seeds [1 tsp], white sesame seeds [1tsp] and fenugreek seeds [a pinch] together. Keep it aside. 

MASALA:

Grind tomatoes [1big one] coarsely. 

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the cut brinjals [6] and saute them till the brinjals are almost cooked. Set them aside.

In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add mustard seeds [1/4 tsp] and wait till it splutters. Add the curry leaves, red chilli [1], cloves [2] and cinnamon stick [1]. 

Sauté for a minute and add ground tomato paste to it. Let it cook till the raw smell of tomatoes goes off. Add the fried brinjals. 

Add chilli powder [1tsp] and tamarind juice [1cup: Use gooseberry sized piece]. Add salt to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add the ground peanut powder mixture and cook till it thickens to gravy form. 

Serve with hot Biriyani! 

Vegetable Biriyani

After experimenting many recipes, finally I got a tasty recipe for vegetable biriyani from my friend.
I love it and am going to stick to this recipe.

Soak basmathi rice [1cup] for 15-20minutes.

Heat oil [3tbs] in a pressure cooker.
Saute cloves [2], cardamom [1], bay leaf [1], fennel seeds [1/2tsp] and cinnamon [1] for few seconds.
Fry sliced onions [1] and slit green chillies [1 long one] and wait till the onion cooks.
Add ginger garlic paste [1tbs] and fry until raw smell goes off.
Add chopped tomatoes [1 small one], chilli powder [1/2tsp], turmeric powder [1/4tsp], garam masala [1/4tsp] and salt. Cook until oil oozes out.
Add thick curd [2tbs] and chopped vegetables [1cup - I use carrot, beans, peas and potatoes]. Mix well.
Add water [1.5cups], few mint leaves and coriander leaves. Cover and cook for 3-4minutes in low flame.
Add soaked basmathi rice [1cup]. Adjust salt and pressure cook for 2whistles.

Serve hot with onion raita.