Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients

• Chicken                                                :               1kg
• Onion                                                   :               4 cups (thinly sliced)
• Ginger Paste                                         :               1 ½ tsp
• Garlic Paste                                          :               2 ½ tsp
• Tomato                                                 :               3 large (thinly sliced)
• Garam Masala                                      :               ½ tsp
• Biriyani Masala                                     :               ¾ tsp
• Coconut Milk                                       :               2 cup
• Green Chili                                           :               2 Nos (thinly sliced)
• Mint and Coriander leaves                    :               1 handful (finely chopped)
• Turmeric                                               :               ½ tsp
• Chili powder                                         :               ½ tsp or as per your taste
• Salt                                                       :               to taste
• Whole Garam Masala                            :   1 tbsp. (Black Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mace, black              pepper, nutmeg a very small pc.)
• Oil                                                         :                 3tbsp
• Basmati Rice                                         :                 2 cups

Method

Clean the chicken and keep aside.

Clean and wash the rice and keep it in a colander to drain all the water. Bring the water to boil (almost 4 times the rice, as we need to drain the water out so no need to be precise about the water.) Once the water starts bubbling away add the rice and let it cook till almost done. Just make sure it’s not smash. Drain the rice and spread it on a big plate or tray so that they stay separated.

Now in a thick bottom vessel heat the oil and add the whole garam masala. Let it splutter. Add the sliced onions and fry till they are golden brown. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and reduce the flame so that the mixture cooks slowly. After 5 minutes of frying add the turmeric, chili powder, and salt and garam masala. Cook for further 2 mins and add the chopped green chili. Fry the mixture and add the sliced tomatoes. Mix well and cover the vessel and let the mixture cook in the juice of the tomato for few minutes. Open the lid and stir occasionally. Keep doing this step till you see the oil floating. Now add the Coconut milk (I use the store bought you can also use home made) and mix well. Cook it further for 5 minutes. Now add the chicken pieces and increase the flame. So that the chicken is coated with the mixture and not braised. Once all the chicken pieces are coated with the masala. Cover it and cook for few for minutes till the chicken is cooked. It will leave its own water so please do not add water. If at all your chicken is totally dry and you feel it might get burnt add few tea spoons of water do not add too much of water.

Once the chicken is cooked sprinkle it with finely chopped mint and coriander and the drained rice. Cover the vessel once more but no need to seal. After about 7-10 minutes uncover the vessel and stir very lightly ensuring the rice is not smashed but the bottom of the vessel is also sticking to the chicken gravy. Do this once or twice and then shut the heat off and let the Biriyani stand in its steam for 10 minutes.

Serve it hot with some raita (curd and salad) or chicken Kebabs.

Beef Pepper Fry

This dish I am sharing today can be made for snacks or can be eaten as dinner too.

It is very easy and yummy!!!!

You can replace the beef with mutton or chicken.

Ingredients

Beef (boneless)                                                           :               1 kg

Onion Sliced lengthwise                                               :               2 large

Curry Leaves                                                              :               1 cup

Green Chili (Slit lengthwise)                                         :               4-5

Garlic paste                                                                :               1 ½ tsp.

Ginger Paste                                                               :               ¾ tsp.

Turmeric                                                                    :               1 tsp.

Salt                                                                            :               to taste

Oil                                                                             :               2-3 tbsp.

Masala

Black Pepper                                                              :               2 tbsp.

Fennel Seeds                                                              :               2 tsp.

Cumin Seeds                                                              :               1 tsp.

Method

Clean the beef and cut into bite size pieces. Put it in a cooker add little salt and turmeric and pressure cook it for 15-20 minutes or till the beef is just cooked. Add very little water as the beef will leave water too and we want this dish to be little dry and not gravy. Do not make it tender at this point.

While the meat is getting cooked in a separate tawa/griddle roast the pepper and fennel till you start getting the roasted pepper smell. Once its almost done but not burnt add the cumin and give a final roast. Let it cool and dry grind the masala and keep it aside.

In a wok/kadai add oil .When the oil heat up add the onion fry till they turn slightly pink. Add the slit green chilis and ¾ cup curry leave and fry till the onion just starts to turn brownish. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for few more minutes. Now add the boiled beef and add little more salt ...you might need it .Taste and check. Start frying, if you have excess water in the cooker add them little by little and keep stirring the beef at high heat. When you see most of the water is absorbed add the grinded masala and stir for another few minutes to incorporate all the masala.

Add ½ cup water and the rest ¼ cup curry leaves and cover it. After 10 minutes almost all water will be absorbed and you should have a blackish dry gravy.

Enjoy this with Appamg or Idli. You can also have it with Malabar Paratha.

Thanks

Arpita

 PS: If you are doing this with chicken, do not pressure cook but follow all the other steps

                                                                                                                                                                

Chicken Kheema

Hi All

I am back after a long time… hope you guys are enjoying…today I am going to share a very simple but extremely tasty recipe. This is all time favorite of my daughter, husband and my nephew and many friends.

You need just few ingredients and it’s the dish you can die for.

Its Chicken Kheema. Please note that the kheema /Mince that you buy should be reddish/pinkish in shade. The white ones will turn very dry and tasteless. I use Venky’s chicken kheema rolls but if it not available, just ensure that the color of mince/kheema is Pink/red

Ingredients

Chicken Kheema/Mince                                                    : 500 gms.

Finely Chopped Onion                                                      : 1 Cup

Garlic Paste                                                                     : 1 ½ tsp.

Ginger Paste                                                                    : ¾ tsp

Tomato Paste                                                                   : ¾ cup (freshly grinded)

Salt                                                                                 : as per taste

Chili powder                                                                     : as per taste

Green Cardamom                                                              : 3-4 nos.

Oil                                                                                   : 1 tbsp.

Method

Heat the wok/kadai, add oil . When the oil is heated up crush the green cardamom and put it in the oil. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn pink. Add the ginger garlic paste and put the heat on low and fry for 5-7 minutes. Now add the freshly grinded tomato paste, chili powder and salt. PLEASE NOTE: NO TURMERIC POWDER. Cover the wok/kadai and let it simmer for some time. Stir in between. When you see oil starts leaving add the kheema/mince. Mix it well and cover. Do not add water. Kheema/mince will leave water on its own. Break the mince block in between and let it simmer for 10-15 mins. After 15 minutes just remove the cover stir well and let the water evaporate. Again you will see the mixture is leaving fat. Turn off the gas and enjoy this with Paratha, rice, etc.

You can use the same mixture for Kheema Paratha , Sandwich or cutlets.

Love

Arpita

Bengali Mustard Fish curry

Hi All

Have been away for some time, hope you all are trying out my dishes. Today I am going to share Bengali fish curry…which is my personal favorite and lots of my friends who are non-Bengalis they like it too. Though I am using Eel (Baam) here you can cook this with any sea fish like seer (Surmai), catfish (Ayer), Muller (Sole)

This dish is made with mustard seeds. There are two types of mustard Bengalis use one is black and the other is yellow. I prefer the yellow one since it’s less pungent and tastes better.

Today I do not have photograph, will post once I get it.

Ingredients

Fish                                                                : 500gms

Mustard seeds                                                  : 2 tbsp.

Kalonji (onion seeds)                                         : ½ tsp.

Oil                                                                   : 3 tbsp.

Turmeric                                                          : 1 ½ tsp.

Salt                                                                  : as per taste

Green Chili                                                        : 2-3 split lengthwise, 1 whole.

Onion Chopped                                                  : 1 tbsp.

Garlic                                                                : 1 pod finely chopped (if small then 2)

Method

Clean the fish thoroughly, marinate with ½ tsp. turmeric and salt and keep it aside for 5-10 minutes.

Soak the mustard seeds for ½ hour and then grind it in a grinder with the whole green chili. Add little water while grinding so that it gets a thick paste consistency. Make the mustard paste smooth. Remove it from the grinder and add little more water so that the paste can be sieved. Keep the strained liquid aside and throw the residue.

 Now heat the oil in the wok, add the kalonji (onion seeds) let it splutter then add the chopped onions and garlic let it fry but do not let it turn brown. Add the fish and let them turn opaque, now add the strained mustard liquid, add turmeric and salt. Let it fry at high heat. Keep stirring gently so that the fish does not break. This way water evaporates and the oil leaves. Add water but not too much …you can add approx. ½ cup water, add the slit green chili and get it to boil on simmer. Once it’s boiled. Remove it from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Note: If you want to try with Rohu, Katla, Tilapia or any freshwater fish just omit the onion & garlic and follow all the other process.

Padval Jhinga

Hi All

Today I am going to share a Bengali prawn recipe. There is a myth that Bengali food is all about Kosha Mangsho (mutton in dry gravy) and prawns malai curry (prawn cooked in coconut milk), etc. There are lots of forgotten or lost recipe of Bengal which I am going to share. These recipes are simple and cooked with very less spices but extremely tasty. Since Bengalis eat lots of fish, they do include vegetables in them to make it wholesome.

Today I am sharing a recipe called Parwal Jhinga (Snake gourd with prawns.)

Ingredients

Padval (Snake gourd)                                                    : 500gms

Potato                                                                          : 1 large

Prawns (medium size)                                                   : 300gms

Onions                                                                         : ½ cup sliced

Turmeric                                                                      : ¾ tsp.

Chili powder                                                                 : as per taste

Salt                                                                              : as per taste

Oil                                                                                : 2 tbsp.

Green Chili                                                                    : 3-4 Nos.

Method

Peel and slit the snake gourd lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into semi circles not very thick. Please refer to the photo.

Peel the potato and slice them as thick as the snake gourd.

Clean the prawns and devein them.

Now take a wok/Kadai and put the oil. Once the oil is hot add the potatoes, once they get slightly wrinkled and edges turn slightly brown add the onions. Put the flame low and fry till the onions become soft. Now add the snake gourd, turmeric, chili powder, salt and green chilies slit length wise. Stir well and keep the heat low and cover the wok/kadai. After 5 minutes you will see that snake gourd, has left water, if not then add few table spoons. Once the potato and snake gourd is almost cooked add the prawns and cover it for another 7-10 minutes. You will see the prawns curling up and turning white. Mix well in the mixture. Put the flame off but keep it covered for 10 minutes as a standing time for the prawns to cook thoroughly in its own heat.

This dish is supposed to be dry but can be enjoyed with steamed rice or chapatti.

Enjoy your meal and see how easy and soothing to eat as the spices are minimal.

Note: 

• You can avoid splitting the green chili, if you do not like it hot. You can add it without slitting and by only removing the stalk. Green chili gives a very fresh flavor.
• I use fresh prawns and they taste better than the frozen ones, but you can use the frozen ones.

Love
Arpita