Chicken Biryani

Lots of spices are used in this dish but it is worth it to take some effort to make it.

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include ghee (clarified butter), nutmeg, mace, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, onions, and garlic nuts, resins but the main ingredient is saffron... my favorite one :)

This dish can be made with vegetables, chicken,meat, shrimp, pork, or even only with nuts. Biryani is served with yogurt, paratha, naan, boiled eggs, raiyta, curry, or korma.

So what are you waiting for? Lets start!!!!

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredient: (serve 7-8)



3 cups Basmati Rice  
1 kg Chicken (chicken thigh or drum stick) 
1/4 Teaspoons Turmeric  
Salt  To Taste
1 Tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste 
1/2 Tablespoons Cumin Powder  
1/2 Tablespoons Coriander Powder 
2 Tablespoons Red Chilly Powder 
1/2 cup Fried Onions (I used Exotic brand) 
2-3 pieces Mace  
2 Teaspoons Shahi Jeera  
5-6 Green Cardamom  
4-5 Cloves  
2 pieces 2" long Cinnamon Sticks  
2 Bay Leaf 
1 Cup Yogurt
1/2 cup Coriander Chopped  
1/2 cup Mint Chopped  
4-5 Green Chilly lengthwise cut  
1/2 Cup Oil  
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Clarified butter(ghee) 
8-10 strands Saffron 
2 Tablespoon Milk 

OR 

If you want to make Vegetable Biryani:

Use Listed Ingredients above with these vegetable or your choice of vegetables.

1/3 cup Carrot cut in small pieces 
1/3 cup Potatoes cut in small pieces 
1/3 cup Coli flower small floaters 
1/4 cup Red Onion julians  
1/3 cup Green Peas 
1/3 cup or less Golden Raisin
1/3 cup Cashew nuts (I used Costco's salted cashews) 



Procedure:

1) First make a powder of all the spices (shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf) by roasting them at low medium heat for 6-7 

2) Take a bowl, add chicken pieces and add ground spices powder , chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, coriander powder, curd, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, fried onions, green chilly, lime juice, oil, and mix it well, and put it in the refrigerator over night.

3) Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Heat water in a vessel and let it come to a boil add oil, salt,    Shahi jeera, bay leaf and add basmati rice 

4) Cook the rice till it is 3/4 cooked. Don't cook them fully.

5) Heat non stick wide pan at medium heat. Add layer of marinated chicken, spread it          evenly in pan.

6) Make layer of 70-75% cooked rice on top of the chicken. Make sure some of the water      should come with rice to cook chicken. Don't drain all of the water from the rice.

7) Sprinkle fried onions.

8) Add dissolved saffron strands in milk , then add ghee (optional) and put the lid on to cover pan tightly.

9) First cook it on high for first 4-5 minutes then reduce the flame to low, And cook it for 25 to 30 min and switch off the flame.

10) Never mix the biryani just check it by removing the top layer of rice and check if chicken is cooked properly.

11) Serve hot with coriander as a garnish.

OR

If you want to make Vegetable biryani:

1. Follow the same procedure and marinate all vegetables instead of chicken and keep them in refrigerator for 2-3 hrs.
2. When you heat the pan add 1/2 tablespoon ghee and add rasins and cashews and saute them until raisins get puffed. Then add a marinated vegetables layer then a rice layer.
3. Sprinkle half fried onions, coriander and chopped mint, 1 tablespoon ghee, then make another layer of vegetables then rice and sprinkle fried onion, coriander and mint.
4. Add rest of the ghee on rice and cover with lid and cook for 20 mins until vegetables cooked.
5. Serve hot.

Fruit Cake

I'm finally back to home sweet home!! Missing my parents and all my family members badly:( I can't believe how fast these 2 months have gone by with all love,car,heat,sweat,spicy food and mangoes in India. Summer in India is killer I tell you,so now I would prefer to go in the winter.

I met many street food venders and shopkeepers who were fantastic and kind enough to help me and teach me so many good food tricks. I will share with you soon so don't forget to visit my blog! My dearest mom taught me and give me tones of homemade spices to use here. Oh God...at the age of 76, she is so active and still makes such delicious food. I'm definitely missing my Ma and my wonderful father.

How awesome is it to have a family who loves me like crazy. I am so lucky to have world's best brothers who still love,care and treat me as a small baby! What else do you expect from family...just love love and love. Nothing else.

I'm sharing this yummy recipe with you all, so enjoy! Hope you all will share love and spread love amongst others too and be kind:) Until next time!

Ingredients(serves 6-8):

3/4 cup candied glazed fruit mixed peel

1/2 cup unsalted butter,room temperature

1/2 cups granulated white sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon  pure almond extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat over for 350 degrees. Keep oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. In a bowl combine the glazed fruit mix.
3. In separate bowl, whisk the flour,ground almonds,baking powder,salt together.
4. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in separate bowl with hand mixer or stand mixer
5. Add eggs,one at a time,beating well after each edition.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Add almond extract and beat.
8. Add candied peeled and beat until incorporated.
9. Beat in the half flour mixture just until well mixed, then add remaining flour,milk and beat until mixed well.
10. Spray or butter loaf pan (9x5x3)inch.
11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and decorate the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
12. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan.