Chicken Biryani...

The recipe for the day is Chicken biryani. It is an Indian delicacy where the mildly spiced chicken pieces are layered with herb favoured rice and served with raita.

I got this recipe from one of my colleagues... In the first sight, I was kind of disappointed with the long list of ingredients and numerous steps.. But believe me...its easy to make and definitely worth it...

Ingredients You need :
For marinating Chicken
Chicken - 1 Full
Big onions 3nos (Finely Chopped)
Tomatoes 2nos
Green chillies 20nos
Garlic 6nos
ginger 3cm
3-4 curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Pudina leaves
Corianderpowder - 3tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Lemon juice -1tsp
Curd - 3tsp
Salt - To taste

For the spices powder
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Cloves
Cinnamon

For Rice
Basmati Rice - 4 cups
Oil - 3 tsp
Ghee - 1tsp
Jeera - a pinch
Water - as reqd
Biriyani masala - 1tsp (optional)

For Layering
Big Onion 1no
Cashes and Raisins - as reqd
Oil -1tsp
Ghee -2 tsp
Pudina leaves
Coriander leaves
Spices powder

PreparationChicken Gravy

• Heat all the spices (Cardamom, Nutmeg ,Cloves, Cinnamon) and grint them into a fine powder for the masala.
• Chop the green chillies, garlic and ginger in a chopper and keep aside
• Take chopped onion, tomatoes, crushed green chillies,garlic and ginger in a big vessel and mix thoroughly. Tomato juice should mix properly.
• Add chicken to this and mix thoroughly.
• To this add coriander powder , turmeric powder, lemon juice and curd and mix.
• Put one spoon of the ground spices powder to the marinade and mix well.
• Keep the marinade aside for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes take some oil in a pan and heat.
• When its hot add the marinated chicken to this and cook on low heat till the chicken is cooked. No need to add water.

Ghee Rice

• Wash rice and keep aside
• In a pan heat oil and ghee
• Add a pinch of ground spices powder and biriyani masala(optional) when oil is heated
• Add pinch of jeera
• Add double the amount of water for the rice to cook.
• Add some salt.
• When water boils, add the washed rice and keep on low flame till the rice is cooked and keep aside.

For Layering

• Slice 2 big onions – very thin
• Add oil in pan and 1 spoon ghee. Fry cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside
• Deep fry the onions in same oil, till it become brown and keep aside(add pinch of salt for taste)

Final Layering

• Preheat the oven to 375 degree
• In an oven safe container, spread a layer of chicken gravy.
• On top of that spread a layer of rice.
• Over that place a layer of deep fried onions, a pinch of spices mix, finely chopped coriander and pudina leaves, fried cashew nuts and raisins over the rice layer
• Pour the chicken gravy and repeat the layering process till all the rice is over.
• Close the container with an aluminium foil and keep in the oven for 30 mts.

Serve the biriyani with raita, pappad and pickle..

I am sending this Biriyani over to Ravishing rice recipes event hosted by Nags and started by Meeta

Check for more Biryani Recipes at Foodista..

Kungpao Chicken...!!

My first tryst with Kung pao chicken happened long back, during my first visit to T.G.I. Friday's. My order of main entree, low carb Dragon fire chicken, came with a grilled chicken breast glazed with Chinese Kung Pao sauce served with brown rice and broccoli. I fell in love with the Kungpao sauce at the first bite.. I became a big fan of their mashed potatoes as well..

After my last visit, I seriously thought of trying it at home. So this weekend we had a chinese day in with egg fried rice and Kung pao chicken.

Inredients You need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon rice cooking wine (bought it from Shaw's super market)
2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon oil ( i use corn oil)
8-10 whole dry chili peppers (if longer, cut in half)
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste

11/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water

For the Marinade:
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 egg
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons oil

Preparation

• Cut the chicken breast into small pieces and keep aside
• Mix all the marinade ingredients.
• Add the cut chicken pieces into marinade,mix well and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Make a mixture of rice wine, soy sauce and water and set aside.
• Heat wok. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat well.
• Remove chicken from marinade and add to wok. Stir-fry quickly for 2 minutes.
• Remove chicken and drain well.
• Now to the same wok add some oil, and add dry chili peppers. Stir-fry until they darken.
• Add green onions, ginger, garlic and crushed red chili pepper and stir-fry 15 seconds.
• Now add the chicken to wok, stir soy sauce/wine mixture and add; stir until sauce boils.
• Then add cornstarch mix to thicken. Stir and cook until ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the chicken pieces are cooked.

Baked Chicken in gravy..

Today's recipe is Baked chicken in gravy. It is a combination of many recipes that i have come across on the net. It goes well with chappathi or nan or poori...

Ingredients You need:

Chicken Drumsticks - 5 nos

One medium Potato

For Marination

chilli powder- 1 tblspoon
coriander powder- 1 tblspoon
ginger paste - 1/2 tblspoon

garlic paste - 1/2 tblspoon
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
garam masala - 1/4 tsp

chicken masala - 3/4 tsp
lemon juice
Butter
salt to taste

Make a marinade of the above items and marinate the chicken and keep refrigerated overnight or atleast for 4-5 hrs.

Ingredients for gravy

1 Medium onion

1/2 of a medium tomato

Green chillies - 2nos (optional)

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

garam masala - 1/2 tsp

chicken masala -1/2 tsp

fennel seeds - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

• Cut the potato into thin long strips same as the way we cut for french fries.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree Farenheit.
• In an oven safe bowl put the marinated chicken drumsticks and the cut potato pieces. Drizzle some oil over the chicken and the potatoes and bake the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes.
• After 15 mins take the chicken out, flip the pieces, baste it with some oil and bake it again for another 15 minutes. Mean while you can prepare the gravy.

For the gravy

• Heat some oil in pan, add the fennel seeds and saute. To that add the thinly sliced onion, green chillies and saute well.
• To the sauted onions add all the remaining powders and fry well.
• Now put in the cut tomatoes and stir well till the oil separates.
• Now add some water to this and boil to get the gravy. Dont forget to add salt.

After the intial half an hour of baking, take the chicken out, pour the above gravy over the chicken and bake it again for 30 minutes, flipping the pieces after 15 minutes.