Chicken Dum Biriyani

Chicken Dum Biriyani

 

• ½ kg Chicken
• 450 gm Basmati Rice (washed & drained) 
• 3 Green Cardamoms (Elaichi) 
• ½ tsp Mace (Javitri)(ground) 
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg (Jaifal)(grated) 
• 3 Cloves (Lavang) 
• 1 Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) 
• 2 Whole Star Anise 
• 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder 
• 2 cups thick Curd (Yogurt) 
• 4 tbsp Tomato Paste 
• 1 big Onion (sliced) 
• 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste 
• 2 tbsp Chilly Powder 
• a pinch of Saffron (dissolved in 2 tbsp warm milk) 
• Salt to taste 
• 8 tbsp Oil 
• 2 tbsp Ghee 
• 6 cups water

 

Method

Take curd, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, tomato paste, chilly powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt in a bowl and mix into a paste.

• Marinate the chicken with the paste and keep it to the side for 3-4 hours.

• Put water in a pot and get it to boil.

• Heat ghee in a pan and crackle star anise, cardamoms, cloves & cinnamon.

• Stir in rice and fry it for 4-5 minutes.

• Add the rice to the boiling water, sprinkle a pinch of salt and cook until rice is ¾ cooked.

• Strain the rice using colander.

• Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onion until it is golden brown. Remove the onion and keep it to the side.

• Pour in the remaining oil into the pan and cook the chicken for 6-7 minutes or until it discharges oil.

• Mix in rice and add fried onion, ghee and saffron.

• Now cover the pan with aluminium foil and set the pan over another pan. Cook on high flame for 5 minutes.

• Reduce the flame to medium and cook for about 20 minutes.

• Take off the heat and serve hotcups Water.

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Pickled Beetroot

PICKLED BEETROOT (ബീറ്റ് റൂട്ട് അച്ചാര്‍ )

Ingredients:-

1 bunch beetroot, cooked (eg wash, place unpeeled in large saucepan, cover with water, bring to boil, simmer about an hour until tender)
Separately, simmer together for 5 mins:
2cm ginger, peeled and crushed
600ml vinegar,
200g sugar,
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
Then cool and strain, reserving the vinegar.

Method :-

Peel and slice or dice the beetroot. Pack into sterilized jars. Bring the vinegar to the boil and pour in to cover the beetroot. Seal.

These make yummy beetroot pickles, very much in the Australian style.

Note; beetroot can be set in a mould by warming 2 cups of this pickling liquid and mixing with 1 tbsp gelatine and poured over the beetroot.

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Beef Pickle

Ingredients:-

Bowl 1

Beef - 1/2 kg ( I prefer stew meat )
Meat Masala - 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric - a generous pinch
Ginger - Garlic paste - 1/2 to 1 tea spoon
Vinegar - 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste

To fry meat

Oil - 2 tablespoon
To make masala
Gingelly oil / Sesame oil - 2-3 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - a large pinch
Curry leaves - lots
Garlic chopped - 10 cloves
Ginger sliced - a thumb sized piece ( adjust ginger and garlic as per ur likes)
Green chili chopped - 3-4
Kashmiri Red chili powder - 1.5 tablespoon( if using hot chili powder 1 or 2 tea spoons would be enough)
Vinegar - 1 -2 tablespoons ( add more if you like more, I prefer 2 tablespoons of the normal white distilled one or red wine vinegar)
Whole Black peppercorns - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala - a pinch
Salt to taste

Method :-

Clean and cut the beef into bite sized pieces. Marinate with all in Bowl 1 and keep aside for 20-30 minutes. Pressure cook in a medium flame with 2 tablespoons of water , for 2-3 whistles or until done.

Drain in a colander and reserve the stock( 1/2 cup maximum)

Heat 2 tablespoons of any cooking oil in a non-stick pan and fry the beef pieces till brown.

Meanwhile , heat 2-3 tablespoons of gingelly oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop up add fenugreek seeds , fry for 10 seconds , followed by curry leaves, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Fry till the raw smell is gone. I love them to be a bit crunchy.

Make a paste with 1 tablespoon of reserved stock , vinegar and red chili powder and add to the pan and fry till the oil separates. Add the remaining stock , bring to boil and add the fried beef pieces along with any oil in the pan . Crush the whole black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and add to the pan , along with a pinch of garam masala. Simmer for a couple of minutes , stirring often , till it is thick or dry as you like it . Let cool , transfer to clean glass jars and keep in cool dark place or in the fridge.

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Prawns Pickle

Ingredients:

1 kg (just over 2 pounds) king prawns
750 ml white vinegar
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 dozen dry red chillies
4 tsps cumin seeds
A thumb-sized piece of ginger
15-20 cloves of garlic (one large pod)
7 tbsps oil
Salt

Preparation:

Wash, shell and devein the prawns. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

Mix salt to taste and the turmeric powder and rub into the prawns. Keep aside to marinate for an hour.

Grind the red chillies, ginger, garlic and cumin seeds into a thick, smooth paste in a food processor by adding a little vinegar at a time.

Heat 4 tbsps of oil on a medium flame and stir fry the prawns till golden. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool.

Fry the spice paste you made earlier with 3 tbsps ofoil, till the oil beging to separate from the masala. Now add the remaining vinegar (season if necessary) and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes more. Allow it to cool fully.

Place the prawns in a glass pickling jar and pour the cool spice mix over them.

Mix well and allow to 'rest' for a few days before eating.

Eat with rice and daal or just plain boiled rice.

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Carrot Pickle

CARROT PICKLE (കാരറ്റ് അച്ചാര്‍)

Ingredients

2 Cups Carrot pieces
4 tbsp Red Chilli powder
Salt to taste (or) 2 tbsp Salt
1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
Sufficient Oil (or) 1/2 cup oil
1/4 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Sliced Garlic (or) Minced Garlic

Roast & Powder

1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp Methi seeds (or) Fenugreek seeds

Tempering

1/4 tbsp mustard seeds
1/4 cumin seeds
2 red chillis
4/5 curry leaves
Preparation:


1. Peel and wash carrots, cut into small pieces.2. Roast Mustard and Methi/Fenugreek seeds, make a powder.
3. Mix well carrots, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, garlic, lemon juice, oil and mustard & methi powder.4. Tempare 1/4 tbsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 red chillis, 4/5 curry leaves with 1 tbps oil.
5. Mix and keep it aside overnight. Next day put it in Jar and store in Fridge.

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