Main course – Page 2

Tamilnadu Chicken Biriyani

My comfort food. This aromatic blend of herbs, spices and rice blends in your mouth and tantalises your taste buds. There are 4 or 5 different types of biriyanis in Tamilnadu, Chennai style, Ambur style, Dindigul style, Kongunadu style etc , the Ambur biriyani being the most popular. I learnt this version of the Chennai style of biriyani from my mother in law. We also make another version of the Chennai biriyani at my mom’s house with only green chillies, which is equally awesome. Will update the re’cipe soon.

In this recipe, I have used the spice’ kalpasi’ or ‘dagad phool” , (pictured below). This spice enhances the flavour of the biriyani. But make sure that you use only 1 or 2 pieces/flowers of the same as it has a strong flavour. You may also chose to omit it from the recipe, if you do not have it n your pantry.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 3 cups

Water – 1 cup + 3 1/2 cup

Curds – 2 tbsp

Pudina/Mint leaves – 3/4 cup

Coriander leaves – 3/4 cup

Onions – 4 big + 1 onion

Tomato – 3 small or 2 medium

Chicken – 1 Kg

Garam masala powder – a pinch (optional)

Cloves -6

Cinnamon – 2 inch stick

Small Cardamom – 4

Big black cardamom – 2

Bay leaf – 3

Dagad phool /Kalpasi/black stone flower – 2 pieces

Sauf – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 8

Red chillie powder – 1tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Ginger and Garlic paste – 1 tbsp heaped

Coconut milk powder – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cashewnuts and raisins fried – 8 pieces each

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp turmeric and curds/yogurt for 1 or 2 hrs. Soak rice for only 20 minutes before you start cooking the rice. After 20 minutes, pass the rice through a colander and keep the rice aside.

Grind 5 green chillies with little water in a mixie coarsely. Keep aside. Slice the onions (5) thinly.

Heat a wide thick bottomed vessel. Add oil and ghee and heat it. When it becomes hot, add a pinch of the garam masala powder, the cloves, cinnamon, small cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, saunf and dagad phool. Then, add sliced onions and 3 green chillies slit lengthwise and saute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell goes away. Now add the green chillie paste, coriander leaf, pudina leaves and tomatoes and saute for 3- 4 minutes. Then in goes the 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, chillie powder 1/2 tsp and salt. Saute again and add in the marinated chicken. Add 1 cup water and close the lid and cook the chicken.

In a pan, heat 3 1/2 cups water. When it starts to boil, add the prepared chicken masala and the coconut milk powder to it and stir. Adjust the salt. When the water starts to boil, add the rice to it . Close and keep on high for 3 -4 minutes and when the water has been almost absorbed and the rice comes to the top, reduce the flame to the minimum on a small burner and keep the vessel covered and cook for 20 minutes. (or you could also place the vessel on an iron griddle/tawa, on very low flame for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai and deep fry 1 big sliced onion until brown in color. Also, fry the cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.

Serve the biriyani garnished with fried onions, raisins and cashewnuts.

Vaangi Bhaath

Rice

A speciality of Karnataka made of rice and brinjals. Vangi is a term used for brinjals and bhath is rice. U can also use the same spice powder for making Capsicum rice, if you do not like brinjals. For vaangi bhath, preferably the long green brinjals are used. Papads and raita or plain curds can be served alongwith this rice.

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small

Rice -2 cups

Water – 5 cups

Brinjals – 2 long

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped

Lemon juice

Green chillie – 1

Cashewnuts roasted for garnish

For the vangi bhath powder

Udad dal -1 tsp

Chana dal – 2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 2 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 5-6

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Clove – 1

Khus khus – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Copra – 1 tbsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Peppercorns – 3 or 4

Fry asafoetida and dals separately with very little oil. Keep aside. Fry red chillies separately and take it off. Then add cinnamon, cloves, pepper, jeera, coriander seeds and khus khus. Lightly fry copra separately and add it to the dal mixture and powder all together.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Chana dal – 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Boil rice with water and salt. When it is cooked, drain the rice in a colander and keep it aside. Chop brinjals lengthwise and put them in a bowl of water to prevent it from discolouration. In a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add the green chillie which is slit lengthwise and finely chopped onions and saute well. The add the green brinjals slit lengthwise and fry for some time. Add 1/2 tsp spice powder (home made or store bought vaangi bhath powder) and cook the brinjals, taking care not to make it too mushy. Sprinkle some water, if required to cook the brinjals.

Heat oil and add the items listed under “seasonings” and keep it aside.

Now add the cooked rice to the brinjals, 2 tsp of the vaangi baath powder, the seasonings, chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp of lime juice. Mix well and adjust the salt. If you prefer it more spicy, you may add more spice powder. Also, some of them prefer to add tamarind juice to the brinjals while cooking but I usually prefer lime juice.

Garnish with roasted cashewnuts.

Peas Rice with coconut milk

Rice

A quick rice recipe loaded with flavours. This rice is also known as “Birinji” which is served on occassions. It is a lunch box quick fix and perfectly combines well with a raita.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Onions – 2 sliced

Green chillies – 4 sliced lengthwise

Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Saunf – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf -2

Tomato – 1

Frozen or Fresh Peas – 3/4 cup

Pudina – 1 sprig

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Thick Coconut milk – 1 cup

Water – 2 1/4 cups

Ghee- 1tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

In a kadai, heat oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, saunf and bay leaf). Add the onions sliced lengthwise, ginger garlic paste and saute well until the raw smell dissappears. Then, add green chillies , tomato and saute again for some time. Now add the mint leaves and coriander leaves and the peas to it. (If you are using fresh peas, you will need to cook it separately). When the peas has been cooked, add water and the coconut milk to it. Adjust the salt and close the lid and let it cook for 7 -10 minutes, depending on the rice quality. Open and check if the rice has been cooked and all the water has been absorbed. Serve hot and garnish it with fried cashews and coriander leaves. You can also add a few chopped pieces of fried coconut as garnish.