Chicken Biriyani... Wish you all a wonderful New Year....!!

Ingredients:

For Rice:

• Rice 1 kg
• Water 7 1/2 to 8
• Lime juice of 1 lime
• Cinnamon 1 big piece
• Cardamom 1 to 2
• Cloves 2 to 3
• Ghee as rqd
• Salt

Wash the rice and drain it for 10 to 15 mins. Add 1 tbsp ghee, lime juice, crushed whole spices and salt into water and boil well. At the same time saute the rice in little ghee. When it starts to crack, pour the boiling water into the rice. Cover it and cook well. When it becomes void of moisture content, remove the rice and keep it aside.

For Garnishing:

• Cashew nuts 1/2 cup
• Raisins 1/2 cup
• Fried onion as rqd
• Rose water 1 to 2 Tbsp
• Corriander leaves as rqd
• Mint leaves as rqd

Fry thinly sliced onions in ghee till it turns golden brown. Fry cashews and raisins in the same ghee and keep it aside.

For Marinating Chicken:

• Chicken 1 kg
• Curd 1/2 cup
• Corriander 1/4 bunch
• Mint leaves 1/4 bunch
• Crushed ginger 1 big piece
• Crushed garlic 1 pod
• Green chilly 4 to 5
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Crushed pepper 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1/2 Tsp

Marinate the chicken pieces with finelly chopped mint and coriander leaves. Add the crushed ginger, garlic and sliced chilly along with turmeric pdr, chilly pdr and crushed pepper. Finally add the curd and mix well. Keep it aside for 2 hrs.

For Curry:

• Onion 6 to 7 med
• Tomato 3 to 5 med
• Green chilly 2 to 3
• Mint leaves 1/4 bunch
• Coriander leaves 1/4 bunch
• Ginger garlic paste 2 to 3 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Coriander pdr 1 Tsp
• Garam masala 2 Tsp
• Crushed pepper 1 Tsp
• Cashew paste 30 g
• Oil or ghee

Grind together coriander and mint leaves into a paste and keep it aside. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and sliced onion. Stir it till it turns light brown. Then add the turmeric pdr, chilly pdr, coriander pdr, crushed pepper corns and garam masala. Cook it well. Pour the above prepared coriander mint paste into the masala and stir it well. Now add the tomatoes and green chilly. Add the marinated chicken and mix well. When the chicken is half done, add the cashew paste. Add rqd amount of salt into it and cook well.

For Layering:

Add fried onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves on the top of chicken. Then add the rice and spread it with a spoon. Sprinkle little rose water and add the fried nuts, raisins and onion. Repeat the same process. Arrange the top most layer with rice and garnish it with fried nuts, raisins, onion and rose water. Cover it well and cook it or bake it for 5 to 10 mins.

View blog reactions

Melting Moments Cookie... Happy X'mas to all....!!

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour (maida) 1 1/2 cup
• Powdered sugar 1/4 cup
• Unsalted butter 1 cup
• Cornflour 1/2 cup
• Vanilla essence 1 Tsp
• Salt 1/4 Tsp

In a bowl mix together all purpose flour, corn flour and salt. Keep it aside. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the flour mixture into the butter and combine well. Cover and refrigerate the dough for minimum 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and keep it aside. When the dough is firm, form it into 1 inch balls and place it on the tray. Bake it for 12 to 15 min or until the edges starts to turn brown. Remove it from oven and cool it. When it cools completely, sprinkle powdered sugar on the top of the cookies.

[Recipe Courtesy: JoyOfBaking.com]

View blog reactions

Vazhakka Thoran

Ingredients:

• Raw banana (vazhakka) 3
• Shallots 5 to 10
• Green chilly 3 to 5
• Garlic 5 to 10 pods
• Coconut 1 to 1/4 cup
• Turmeric pdr 1/2 Tsp
• Pepper pdr 1 Tsp
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Peel the skin of the banana and cut it into medium sized cubes. Cook it with salt and little turmeric pdr. Drain the water and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the crushed shallots, garlic, green chilly, curry leaves, little salt and turmeric pdr. Saute till it turns light brown colour. Reduce the heat and add the grated coconut and pepper pdr. Stir it for a few minutes and add the cooked raw banana. Saute it till it becomes dry.

[Recipe Courtesy: From a cookery show.]

View blog reactions