Tasty easy yummy chicken biriyani

Finally I am back after a long one year gap from blogging..... Yes its almost a year and I couldn't post anything new in this blog. But I am amazed to see the number of visitors and lovely comments which forced me to start this blogging again :) So friends lets start this second phase of journey with a chicken biriyani, everyone's favorite and yummy... Lets start!!!!!!!!!!!

Biriyani is one of the easiest dish and most of us's favourite. So if you have guests at home or you want to make a special lunch on a sunday try this easy yummy recipe.. This is very easy variation of chicken biriyani which can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.


The main ingredients are as below.

Marination:

• 
  
• Chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2  tsp
• Pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Salt
• 
  

Masala for chicken

• Onion – 3 medium size, finely sliced
• Ginger & Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Green chilly – 6
• Tomato – 2
• Coriander leaves – a handful
• Pudina leaves - a handful
• Yogurt – 4 tbsp
• Biriyani Masala – 1 tsp
• Cloves - 2
  Cinnamon stick - 2
  Cardomom Green - 2
  Cardomom black - 2 (optional)
  Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
• Water – ½ cup
• Oil/Ghee
• Salt

Rice preperation

• Basmati rice – 2 cups
• Water – 4 cups (as per the rice)
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Cloves - 2
  Cardomom Green - 1
  Bay Leaves - 1 (optional)
• Salt - As required

  Oil/Ghee - 2tbsp / as required

Marinate the chicken pieces with the above mentioned ingredients and keep it aside. 

Cut onion into thin slices, tomatoes and keep it aside. I prefer to use green chilies as it is. If you like to cut the green chilies you can cut it and keep it aside. Grind ginger garlic and make a fine paste out of it. Also clean a handful of pudina and coriander leaves and keep aside. 

Method to prepare Rice:

Cook basmathi rice in water with  cloves,cardomom, bay leaf, salt and oil. Drain the water once the rice is almost 70% cooked and keep it aside.

Method to prepare biriyani Mix:

Heat kadai and pour oil/ghee in it. Add cashew and raisins to the oil and fry them. Keep it aside

Add onion slices to the oil and saute till they are brown and crispy. Keep them aside.

Once the onions are done we will prepare the masala for chicken. First add garam masala's like bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, Fennel seeds into the oil. Saute for a minute and then add the remaining sliced onion and saute till the onions are soft.

Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute till you get a nice aroma. 

Now add tomatoes and saute till its soft. Now add salt, biriyani masala and the marinated chicken pieces and saute for a minute. Now add a glass of water and cover the Kadai and cook for around five minutes.

Once this is ready add coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute. Stir it for a minute and add curd into this mix. Stir it continuously till the oil get separated from the masala. Check the salt. Switch off the flame once the gravy gets into a thick consistency.

Layering and Steaming the biriyani:

Now take a wide kadai and first pour some of above prepared chicken mix into it. Layer it with some of the cooked rice and sprinkle little bit powdered garam masala (I used Everest). Garnish with deep fried cashew, raisins and onions. Cut lemon and squeeze little bit on top. Now again layer with biriyani mix and then rice. Repeat this step until all the rice and biriyani mix gets over.

Optional Step:- Take a kadai lid and seal it with aatta on the edges in a way that when you cover the kadai with this lid the steam will not go out of the kadai. If you are in a hurry then just cover the kadai with lid and follow the remaining steps.

Now cook this on a medium heat for two minutes and then put a tava on the gas stove and keep this kadai on top of that. Cook in a low flame for 10 minutes and switch off. Remove the lid after five minutes and enjoy the tasty yummy chicken biriyani with your favorite raita or pappad.

Here is our biriyani picture.. Have a look :) 

Lunch box recipe - Vegetable rice with soya chunks | Vegetable biriyani

Its very difficult to prepare a complete meal on a weekday morning and also its not very easy to carry a big lunch box to office. Here is an easy and healthy recipe you can prepare in very less time and rush to office.


Ingredients:-

Soya chunks - A handful / As required
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Carrot - 1 small
Beans - 5
Gobi/ Cauliflower - A handful / As required
Green chilli - 2
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp (Optional)
Green peas - A handful
Curry leaves - 1 spring

Rice - 1 cup (Basmati / white rice) - I used white rice

Biriyani Masala - 2 tbsp (I use badshah/eastern vegetable biriyani masala)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As required

Water - 2 cup  / As required (General measurement is if you are taking 1 cup rice then take 2 cup or water, just double of the quantity of rice)


Preparation :-

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add onion into it. Saute onion till it is soft and add ginger garlic paste and green chillies to it. Add all the vegetables one by one and saute for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes also.

Now add the cleaned and drained rice to this and saute for 2 more minutes. Add biriyani masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and saute for a minute.

Add water to this and check the salt. The salt should be little more which will help to get the proper taste at the end.

Wait for 3 whistles and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips:-
You can use only soya chunks or vegetables to prepare this rice.
Add garam masala powder for better taste.

Easy Egg dum Biriyani

An egg dum biriyani is an excellent weekend meal with raita and pappd. The ingredients to prepare this dish is as below.

Ingredients:-

Basmathi Rice - 2 cup
Egg boiled and peeled  - 3
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Green Chilli - 4
Coriander Leaves crushed - 2 tbsp
Pudina leaves crushed - 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Curd - 1 cup
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Biriyani Masala - 2 tbsp (Optional)
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Lime - 1
Salt - As required
oil - 2tbsp / as required
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 2
Cardomom Green - 2
Cardomom black - 2
Dried Chillies - 3
Bay Leaves - 2
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

Method to prepare Rice:

Cook basmathi rice in water with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardomom, salt and oil. Drain the water once the rice is almost 70% cooked and keep it aside.

Method to prepare biriyani Mix:

Heat kadai and pour oil in it. Saute the remaining garam masala's like bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, Fennel seeds. Now add the chopped onion and saute till the onions are soft.

Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute till you get a nice aroma. Now add tomatoes and saute till its soft.

Once this is ready add crushed coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and Biriyani Masala powder(I used Everest biriyani Masala). Stir it for a minute and add curd into this mix. Stir it continuously till the oil get separated from the masala. Check the salt.

Peel the eggs and give small vertical cuts on all the sides of the egg and add to this mix. Cover the pan for a minute. Switch off the flame.

Layering and Steaming the biriyani:

Now take a wide kadai and first pour some of above prepared biriyani mix into it. Layer it with some of the cooked rice and sprinkle little bit powdered garam masala (I used Everest). Cut lemon and squeeze little bit on top. Now again layer with biriyani mix and then rice. Repeat this step until all the rice and biriyani mix gets over.

Optional Step:- Take a kadai lid and seal it with aatta on the edges in a way that when you cover the kadai with this lid the steam will not go out of the kadai. If you are in a hurry then just cover the kadai with lid and follow the remaining steps.

Now cook this on a medium heat for two minutes and then put a tava on the gas stove and keep this kadai on top of that. Cook in a low flame for 10 minutes and switch off. Remove the lid after five minutes and enjoy the tasty egg dum biriyani with your favorite raita or pappad.

Tips:-

Add fried raisins or cashews to the biriyani to make it rich.
The last step layering and steaming can be done in oven also. Instead of Kadai use an oven proof vessel.
You can scramble 2 eggs and mix it with rice while layering, this gives a very good taste.
You can cut the egg into half and add to the rice.