Malabar Chicken/ Lamb/ Mutton Biriyani

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofHoDg4-4cU&feature=channel_page
Serve-4

Ingredients

For chicken masala
3 pounds-Chicken,mutton or lamb.
4 big-Thinly sliced onion
2 or 3 no-Diced tomatoes
6-10(or to taste)-Green chillies
aprox-2 tbsp -crushed ginger
or aprox 2 tbsp – crushed garlic
2 tsp-Garam masala powder
3/4 tsp-Turmeric powder
1 tsp-Coriander powder
1 cup-Plain yogurt
2 Handfuls - Mint and CilantroChopped ½ cup
Lemon Juice ( Lemon juice of 2 lemon)
To taste-Salt
1 tbsp-Oil

Method
Add Onion,ginger ,garlic and green chillies in to a food processor. Give a pulse to make it into a coarse paste.
Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add sliced onion and saute until its transparent.
Then add ginger ,garlic and green chilly mixture. Saute until its aroma comes out.
Add Coriander powder and turmeric powder. Saute for another 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes . Stir well
Add salt, lemon juice, yogurt, mint and cilantro. .Check the taste and add salt if needed.Now you can add the chicken and garam masala. Cook on medium low heat for another 30 minutes till the masala get cooked and everything comes together .Now your masala is ready

For the rice

3 cupsBasmathi rice

1 tsp -garam masala

2 tbspGhee or oil

app 5 cups -Boiling water

To tasteSalt

Mehtod
Boil 6 cups of water.
Heat the ghee or oil . Add rice into the oil and saute until the rice turn opaque on very low flame.
Add salt and boiling water and stir well. Let the whole ice mix come to a boil and then lower the heat to medium and cover it.
Cook until the rice become soft.

Garnishing

1 no-Thinly sliced onion
Couple of -Cashews
Couple of -Raisins
Food color(red)-Optional
2 tsp oil or Ghee

Method
Pour oil in a pan and add the onion cashews and raisins. Fry until its dark brown.
Pineapple essence( should be dilute with 1 tbsp of water)
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.


Baking
In a ovenproof pan, Spread a little of the Chicken masala on bottom. Then spread the cooked rice over the chicken masala. Continue the same steps until you finish your rice and masala. Sprinkle pineapple essence and food color over it .
Then add a little bit of fried onion , cashew and raisins.
Cover the pan with aluminium foil.
Bake this for 30 minutes or until the steam comes out.

Tuna Rice

Serves 2
Ingredients

2 or 3 cups-Boiled rice
1 cup-Tuna (any kind of cooked fish)
½ cup-Corn
1 medium-Chopped onion
½ tsp-Garlic paste
A pinch-Turmeric powder
½ tsp-Coriander powder(optional)
A pinch-Black pepper
A pinch-Garam masala powder
To taste-Chilly flakes or cayanne powder
To taste-Salt
1 tsp-Oil

Method

1.Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add chopped onion & garlic. Saute until its transparent. Adblack pepper, turmeric powder, garam masala, chilly flakes and salt. Stir for 2 minutes.
2. Now add cooked fish and corn. Saute until the water evaporates.
3. Add rice and mix it very well with the fish. Stir the rice another 5 more minutes.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot!

Shrimp Biriyani

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lb -Shrimp
4 big -Thinly sliced onion
2 or 3 no -Diced tomatoes
6-10(or to taste) -Green chillies
1 big piece -Ginger or aprox-1 tbsp crushed ginger
10 pods -Garlic or aprox- 1 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tsp-Garam masala powder
1 tsp -Turmeric powder
1 tsp -Coriander powder
½ cup-Plain yogurt
6 or 10 nos -Cashews (optional)
1 tsp -Poppy seeds(optional)
½ cup -Chopped cilantro
½ cup -Chopped mint
½ cup-Lemon Juice ( Lemon juice of 2 lemon)
To taste -Salt
1 tbsp -Oil


Seasoning

1 -Thinly sliced onion
A few -Cashews
A few -Raisins
One or two drops-Food color (red) Optional
½ tsp -Pineapple essence (diluted with 1 tbsp of water)

Method

1. Soak the cashews and poppy seeds in a bowl of water for at least 2 hours. Make a smooth paste.
2. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies into a food processor. Grind (one pulse) to make a coarse paste.
3. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add sliced onions and saute until its transparent.
4. Then add ginger, garlic and green chilly mixture. Saute until the aroma comes out.

5. Add Coriander powder and turmeric powder. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes & stir well.

6. Now add cashews and poppy seeds paste, salt, lemon juice, yogurt, mint and cilantro. Cook on medium low heat for another 20 minutes till the masala get cooked and everything comes together.
7. Check and add salt if needed. Now you can add the shrimp and garam masala. Let the shrimp cook in the gravy for another 15 minutes.

Your masala is ready. This will now be used for layering your biriyani.



For the rice

3 cups -Basmati rice
1tbsp -Lime juice
2 tbsp -Ghee or oil
½ tsp -Garam masala (optional)
To taste -Salt

Method
1. Boil 6 cups of water. Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Stir rice into the pan and saute on low flame until the rice turns opaque. Add salt and boiling water and stir well. Let the whole rice mix come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cover it. Cook until the rice is almost done.

Layering the Biriyani -

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. In a ovenproof pan spread a little of the cooked masala paste over it.
2. Then spread the cooked rice over the shrimp. Sprinkle pineapple essence and food color over it.

3. Add a little bit of fried onions, cashew and raisins.
4. Continue layering until you are done with the masala paste & the rice.
5. Cover the pan with aluminium foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Serve hot with any curry or raita of your choice!

Tips

You can also follow "Ghee rice preparation" to make this rice. Make sure to avoid vegetables.

Ghee rice or Neychor (Butter rice)

Serves 4

Ingredients-
2 cups-Basmati Rice
4 cups-Water.
1” -Cinnamon stick
3 pieces-Whole cardamom
3-4 pieces-Cloves
1-2 -Bay leaves
1/2 tsp -Fennel seeds
1 tsp-Black Pepper corn
1 Big-Finely sliced onion
3 tbsp-Ghee,butter or Oil
5 pieces-Cashews
10 pieces-Raisins
To taste-Salt

Method
*Heat the clarified butter(Ghee) in a heavy bottomed pan in a low flame. Add onion and saute until transparent.

*Add all spices and saute for 2 minutes until its aroma drifts.
*Then add water and salt . Bring to a boil.

*Add rice and stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 20 minutes or till the rice is cooked well and all the water has evaporated.
*Keep another pan on the stove. Heat a little bit of oil and add cashews and raisins. Saute on very low flame. Fry until its brown.
*Garnish rice with fried cashews and raisins.

*Enjoy with chicken or egg curry!

Note
You can also add chopped carrots and green peas in to the rice to make it more colorful.

Rice in pasta sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp-Vegetable oil
2 or 3lb -Chicken thighs
1/2 tsp-Paprika
1/2 tsp -Dried thyme powder
½ cup-Chopped Onion
½ cup-Frozen green peas
4 tbsp-Pasta sauce
1 cup-Basmathi Rice
To taste-Salt
To taste-Black pepper
To taste-Hot sauce

Method
*Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sprinkle chicken with salt, paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Cook chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from skillet.
*Add onion and garlic to same skillet; cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken, pasta sauce, and water. *Cook for 15 minutes. Then add rice and green peas into the chicken mixture. Mix it very well. *Season to taste with hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil.
*Reduce heat. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink at the center and liquid is absorbed.
* Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve hot!