Kesari Chicken Biryani

Preparing biryani is always an elaborate affair at my in-law's place. The main dish should be accompanied with raita, green salads and an appropriate sweet dish. Here is the recipe for Kesari Chicken Biryani.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups / 400 gms basmati rice
• 1 kg chicken (cut into 8-10 pieces)
• 1/2 cup / 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 3 tbsp ginger paste
• 3 tbsp garlic paste
• 3 cups / 600 gms curd / yogurt
• 6 tbsp ghee
• 2-4 green chiili, chopped
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 5 cups water
• few strands of saffron / kesar
• 1/2 cup (100 ml) warm milk
• a pinch of yellow food colour
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp mint leaves / pudina patta, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves / dhaniya patta, finely chopped

Whole Spices:

• 2 bay leaves / tej patta
• 4 (1") cinnamon sticks / dalchini
• 10 cloves / laung
• 10 green cardamoms / chhoti elaichi
• 2 black cardamoms / badi elaichi
• 1 tsp mace / jawitri
• 3 tsp black cumin seeds / shahi jeera

Garnish:

• 2 large onions, sliced & fried
• 10-12 pieces, kashewnuts, fried
• 1 bunch corinader leaves, chopped
• 1 boiled egg, sliced

Procedure:

1. Clean and wash the chicken pieces. Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Beat the curd and divide into two equal portions.
2. Dissolve the saffron strands in warm milk. Add one portion of the beaten curd to the saffron-milk. Keep aside.
3. Take a deep bottomed handi / pan, add water and bring to boil. Reduce flame and add 1 bay leaf, 2 green cardamom and 2 cloves.
4. Add the drained rice to the boiling water and add salt to taste. Cover and cook until the rice is half cooked. Drain the rice. Apply yellow food colour to the rice. Mix and keep aside.
5. Heat ghee in a deep bottomed kadhai, add the remaining whole spices with black cumin seeds and fry on medium heat.
6. Add the sliced onions and saute until golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies, mint & coriander leaves and red chilli powder and fry for 1-2 mins.
7. Add the chicken and salt to taste and cook for a further 3 - 4 minutes.
8. Mix the second portion of the beaten curd with 1 cup water, add to the kadhai and bring to the boil. Reduce flame and simmer until the chicken is almost done.
9. Take a handi, grease with a little ghee and place about 1/3rd of semi-cooked rice in it.
10. Layer half of the chicken pieces on the rice. Sprinkle half of the saffron-milk & curd mixture over this.
11. Top with the second layer of rice, remaining chicken and sprinkle the remaining saffron-milk & curd mixture over this.
12. Finally make a layer with the remaining rice. Add the fried onion slices and kashewnuts.
13. Lid the vessel and make it airtight (put a layer of atta dough round the vessel top).
14. Put on high flame for 5 mins and then reduce to low flame. Wait for 2-3 min, turn the vessel (ensure that you do not shake the handi) and keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 15-20 min.
15. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the biryani from the bottom.
16. Garnish with boiled egg halves & chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with raita, chutney and green salads.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

I am back with a delicious Biryani recipe. I had Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, first time during my stay in Bangalore. What surprised me that they serve a gravy with the biryani dish along with raita / green salads. So when I prepared the recipe at home, I kept the gravy and served it along with the biryani.

Ingredients:

• 350 gms mutton, cut into cubes
• 200 gms basmati rice
• 2 large onions
• 4 medim sized tomatoes
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• 6-7 green chillies
• 4 tbsp white oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1-2 cups boiled water (as required for gravy)
• 4-5 strands saffron
• 2 tbsp milk

Whole Spices:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 green cardamoms, slit
• 3 black cardamoms, slit
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 1/2" cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves

Garnish:

• 2 large onions, sliced & fried
• 10-12 pieces, kashewnuts, fried
• 1 bunch corinader leaves, chopped
• 1 boiled egg, sliced

Procedure:

1. Clean and wash the mutton cubes. Keep aside.
2. Wash basmati rice and soak in 2 cups of water for atleast 1/2 an hour.
3. In a bowl, add curd, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, a pinch of turmeric & red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and salt and mix well. Marinade the mutton cubes in the curd mixture for 2 hours.
4. Peel and wash the onions. Slice 2 onions and finely chop the remaining 2 onions. Chop tomatoes and green chillies.
5. Heat white oil and ghee in a kadhai and fry the sliced onions till brown. Drain and keep aside.
6. In the same oil, add the whole spices, cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the chopped onions and saute till light brown.
7. Add the remaining (1 tsp) ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, coriander, cumin & turmeric powder and sliced green chillies.
8. Take out the marinated meat cubes, add to the kadhai and saute well. Add the curd mixture (in which mutton was marinated), mint leaves, boiled water and cook till mutton is half done.
9. While the mutton is cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Par boil rice with 1-1/2 cup of water with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer on low heat till half done. Drain the water.
10. Dissolve saffron in 2 tbsp of milk and add to a portion of the semi-cooked rice and mix gently. Keep aside.
11. Take a handi, place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of mutton cubes on the rice. (Keep the gravy aside for serving).
12. Top with another layer of rice and remaining mutton and finally make a layer with the saffron mixed rice. Add the fried onion slices and kashewnuts.
13. Lid the vessel and make it airtight (put a layer of atta dough round the vessel top).
14. Put on high flame for 5 min and then reduce to low flame. Wait for 2-3 min, turn the vessel (ensure that you do not shake the handi) and keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 15-20 min.
15. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the biryani from the bottom.
16. Garnish with boiled egg halves & chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with mutton gravy, raita, green chutney and green salads.