Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!

After a long time, I am posting one of my favorite recipe. Hope you all enjoy this recipe by following my step by step procedure. I know everyone of us, longing to make it perfect, don't worry if it fails ; just try it one more time, because this is my third attempt. So, finally I made it into success. Here is the recipe Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!
This biriyani is the special one (king of biriyani), which is easy to prepare on one pot. The difference is, where the raw poultry / meat blend with all spices & sourness of thickened yogurt, placed at bottom of the large pot and layered with half cooked rice, saffron milk - which gives great aroma & bright yellow color (appetizing to our eyes), hand full mint & cilantro leaves and fried onions makes the dish more exquisite.

Marination Time : 30 minutes / overnight
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Recipes Cuisine : South India
Ingredients:
Chicken Marination:
Chicken (thighs) – 500gms
Oil – 2 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon – 1 large stick
Cardamom – 5 nos (crushed)
Star anise – 2 nos
Black pepper – ½ tsp (crushed)
Cloves – 5 nos
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Mace / javintri powder – ½ tsp
Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Poppy seeds – 1 tsp
Shahi jeera – 1 tsp
Anise seeds – 1 tsp
Fried onion – 2 tbsp (http://mysouthernflavours.com/2013/11/22/fried-onions/ )
Curd / yogurt – 1 cup (thick)
Salt – 2 tsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Ginger – garlic paste:

• Ginger – 1 large pieces
• Garlic – 7 cloves
• Green chilies – 2
• Cilantro – 3 strand

Rice preparation:
Basmathi Rice – 500 gms
Salt – ½ tsp
Shahi jeera – ½ tsp
sombu / anise seed – ½ tsp
Cardamom – 2 nos
Cinnamon – 1 small stick
Cloves – 2 nos
Garnishing:
Saffron – pinch (mixed in milk)
Cilantro & mint leaves – handful
Fried onions – ½ cup (homemade)
Method:
Step 1:
Marinating Chicken:
 

• First clean the chicken & remove the moisture by using paper towel.
• Start to mix the all spices, yogurt / curd, fried onions, salt & oil in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken to the mixture and marinate it for atleast 1 hour / overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2:
Rice Preparation:

• Soak the basmathi rice for 30 minutes with enough water.
• Boil the water in a large pot, add shahi jeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & salt.
• Now drain the water from the soaked rice & add to the boiling water.
• Turn off the flame, when the rice half cooked ; drain water & wash the rice in the cool water for a minute (prevents rice from over cooking)

Step 3:
Layering the Dum Biriyani:
   

• In a heavy bottom pan / nonstick, first arrange the marinated chicken & add cubed butter on it.
• Now layer with the half cooked rice, pour saffron mixture over the top.
• Final layer with handful of cilantro & mint leaves, fried onions and cover it with tight lid.
• Cook it on high flame for first 10 minutes.
• After that cook it on dum, for another 15 – 20 minutes on very low flame.
• Serve it hot & enjoy with onion raitha & brinjal curry.

Hints:

• For dum biriyani use heavy bottomed utensil / nonstick.
• Don't worry if you are not having tight lid, cover the pan with news paper / muslin cloth & close it with lid [or] keep heavy vessel over top of the lid (this helps for perfect dum, without releasing pressure).

Karaikudi Chicken kozhambu / Spicy Chicken curry !!!

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Recipe Category: side dish

Recipe Cuisine: South India

Ingredients:

Onion (large) - 1

Tomato (large) - 1

Ginger-garli paste – 2 tbsp

Tumeric powder – ¼ tsp

Green chillies - 4

Karaikudi Masala – 2 tbsp( refer  this link 
http://mysouthernflavours.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/karaikudi-masa…ry-roast-grind/)

salt to the taste

Chicken Marination:

Chicken – 500 gms

Curd (yogurt) – 2 tbsp

Chilly powder – ½ tsp

Tumeric powder – ¼ tsp

Tempering:

Gingelly Oil – 3 tbsp

mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Pepper corn – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – few

   

Method:

• Heat gingely oil in a pan, add mustard, fennel and curry leaves.
• When they begin to splutter, add finely sliced onions and saute till it turns brown (caramelization enhance flavour & taste) and crisp. Add ginger – garlic paste and tumeric saute till the raw flavour goes away. Now add the chopped tomatoes, cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
• Add turmeric powder& salt stir well, after that add the marinated chicken and stir for 2 minutes.
• Add the karaikudi masala and mix well. And add some water, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
• When the chicken is cooked, leave it on low heat for a 3 minutes, add curry leaves and coriander leaves for garnish.
•  Serve this Karaikudi Chicken with parathas, chappathi, dosa or rice and enjoy it.

Classic South Indian Chicken Curry / Country Style Indian Spicy Chicken curry !!!!

It's been heavy snow fall outside, makes me feel lazy...So I planned to make a hot & spicy curry for this weather, to boost up my metabolic rate.

So here, I thought to share a Classic South Indian Style Chicken curry, which is easy & simple to prepare. In South India, while preparing non-vegetarians, spices are the main key ingredients, which helps to blend and gives more aromatic to curries. Browning the chicken, helps juicy and tender to it.

But it's so prefect, when we prepare this curry using clay pot. Don't worry about the spices that I used in this curry, it was easily available in Asian & Pakistani stores.

Sesame seeds & oil is one of the most important ingredients in South Indian curries, not only helps to increase its taste and flavor, but also to make good health, especially for women.

On those days food always links with our Life, Love & Nature... But now ??? P.S give your thoughts & comments.

Ingredients:
Chicken (with bone) – 500gms
Red onion – 1 no. (chopped finely)
Tomato – 1 no. (chopped finely)
Ginger – garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Dry Roast & Grind:
Groundnuts – 1 tbsb
Cloves - 3 nos
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Whole dry red chilies – 4 -6 nos
Whole dry coriander – 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
Pepper corns – 2 tsp
Tempering:
Gingelly / sesame oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds / jeera – 1 tsp
Aniseeds / sombu – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Garnishing:
Cilantro & mint – handful

Method:

• First dry roast the red chilies, coriander seeds, pepper corns, sesame seeds, cinnamon, cloves, groundnuts and grind it into paste by adding some water.
• Heat the oil on the low flame, splutter the mustard seeds, aniseeds seeds, cumin seeds / jeera & curry leaves.
• Now add the finely chopped onions & ginger-garlic paste, sauté until the raw flavour goes off.
• After that add the chicken & roast it until brown on both sides.
• And then add the finely chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes / until mushy.
• Now add the grounded paste, add enough water & cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken gets tender.
• Garnish it with hand full of cilantro & mint.
• Serve it hot and enjoy it with dosa, idly, steamed rice & chapathi!!!

Korean Egg Rolls / Gyeran Mari / Asian Egg Roll !!!

I am so happy, one of my favorite Korean egg roll came out well. I love Korean food, it looks really fresh, colourful and appetizing to our eyes. Every time when I get free, I love to watch Korean cookings on youtube and these are my favourite websites http://eugeniekitchen.com/ ; http://www.maangchi.com/ & http://aeriskitchen.com/ .

Specially kids Love it & it is really easy for the lunch box menu.
Here, I have also presented the  Valentines special egg roll (heart shaped), it looks so cute & also easy to make it. I learned this technique from Aeris kitchen. Thank you Aeris..
Hope you all enjoy the Korean egg roll / Gyeran Mari (hard to pronounce.. haa haha) with your family & special ones.
Bon appetit (Enjoy your meal) !!!

 

Ingredients:
Egg – 3 nos.
Carrots – 1 tbsp
Spring onion / chives – 1 tbsp
Red bell pepper – 1 tbsp
Yellow onion – 1 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 tbsp
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Hot sauce (Frank's) – 2 – 3 dash (as per taste)
Soy sauce (low sodium) – ½ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp (as per taste)
Oil – to grease pan

     

Method:

• First crack 3 large size room temperature eggs in a bowl, add salt, pepper powder, dashes of hots sauce, soy sauce & beaten lightly with fork and keep aside (don't over beat).
• Now start chopping the ingredients carrots, red bell pepper / red capsicum, green onions, yellow onions & cilantro finely.
• After chopping, add all the ingredients to the egg mixture & mix it well.
• Now heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium heat & grease with a little oil.
• Now pour about ½ cup of the egg mixture on the pan and spread it thinly by tilting the pan.
• Once it’s half done, roll the egg to the middle & pour another ¼ cup of mixture to the side and roll it with the flat saptula to the corner.
• And repeat this step until the egg mixture runs out (don't over cook the omelette, it won't stick while rolling)
• Once the egg roll gets cool down, cut it into ¼ inch thick / bite size.
• Serve it & enjoy with steamed rice.

For Heart Shaped Egg roll;

   

• First cut the egg rolls diagonally .
• Form heart shape with the two cut pieces.
• Dip the heart shape into reserved egg mixture (helps to stick).
• Apply little oil on non stick pan & fry the egg rolls on low medium heat on both sides.
• Looks yummy!!! you got heart shaped egg rolls.