Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Biryani! Doesn’t that word conjure feelings of joy and comfort? Who doesn’t love this pampered, fragrant, rice delicacy that reigns supreme as the world best one pot meal?

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

For many of my dear readers, today’s post is a long awaited one. At last I got to blog the recipe of the quintessential ‘home style’ Chicken Dum Biryani from the royal kitchen of the Nizams. A dish that calls for an elaborate process and requires lots of TLC aka ‘tender loving care’ while preparing unlike the quick pressure cooker biryani. There are two versions, Kachha (raw) and Pakki (cooked) Biryani. Today’s recipe is basically a Hyderabadi kachha style of biryani where marinated raw chicken and partially cooked basmati rice are layered and cooked on dum, over low heat. I prepared this biryani a couple of times, the recipe is perfect and has never failed me. Once the biryani is cooked on dum, as you open the lid, the kitchen smells fragrant, rich with the reassuring aroma of pure ghee and saffron and the chicken cooked to melt in the mouth tenderness.

Chicken Dum Biryani

A few things to keep in mind while preparing biryani. Use best quality aged Basmati rice, good quality chicken and the best saffron available. Marinate chicken for at least 4-6 hrs and if running out of time then two hours will do. No short cut methods and all the ingredients listed below are a MUST, in other words, there are no substitutes for the mentioned ingredients.

Marinated Chicken ~ Partially cooked basmati rice

Caramelized Onions ~ Saffron Milk

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe

Marination: 4 hrs Prep & Cooking: 1 hr

Serves 6-7 persons

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Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely

2 large onions, finely sliced

2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp saffron

1/2 cup luke warm milk

salt to taste

2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil

For marination:

3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt

8-10 green chillis, make a small slit in them

1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

3/4 tbsp coriander pwd

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

3/4 cup pudina leaves

juice of 1 lemon

1 3/4 tsps salt

Biryani masala, make pwd:

8 cloves

1″ cinnamon stick

4 elaichi/cardamom

3/4 tsp shah jeera

12 pepper corns

Ingredients to cook rice:

4 cups Basmati rice

6 cloves

3 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

1 marathi mogga

1 star anise

10 mint leaves

1 tbsp oil

1 1/2 tbsps salt

water as required

1 Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala pwd. Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs. While the chicken is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation.
2 Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
3 Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.
4 Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.
5 Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
6 Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramalized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.
7 Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mts. Remove the vessel from the stove and place a iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 mts.
8 After 10 mts, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

Our Sunday meal ~ Chicken Dum Biryani, Nilgiri Chicken Korma and Raita

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 60 min

Yield: 5

Main Ingredients: ricechicken

Biryani! Doesn’t that word conjure feelings of joy and comfort? Who doesn’t love this pampered, fragrant, rice delicacy that reigns supreme as the world best one pot meal?

Oats Ponganalu

Oats Ponganalu with Coconut Coriander Chutney

Oats Ponganalu

It has been a busy yet fun filled holiday season for me and my family this Dusshera. If its quiet here at my blog space, you now know why.  I have a few Indian style oats recipes in my drafts that I want to post this week before I move on to some festive recipes for Diwali that is round the corner.

You can find an authentic traditional Andhra style Ponganalu recipe at Kids Zone. An absolutely tasty, healthy Indian style breakfast recipe, Oats Ponganalu, is a variation of the same using oats and chana dal. Another variation that you can try when you have less time on hand is to mix left over idli or dosa batter to a mixture of oats powder and yogurt (omit the soaked dals) and follow the rest of the ponganalu recipe.

Oats Ponganalu – Indian breakfast recipe

Use a Ponganalu/Paniyaram pan aka Aebleskiver pan to make the

Oats Ponganalu Recipe

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 15 min

Yield: 3

Main Ingredients: oats dal

Ingredients

• Black gram dal - 1/4 cup (minappa pappu/urad dal) dal, soak for 2 hrs
• Bengal gram - 1/4 cup (senaga pappu/channa dal), soak for 2 hrs
• Oats powder - 1 cup (grind quick cooking oats to a fine powder)
• Rice flour - 3 tbsps
• Thick Buttermilk - 1/2 cup (or thick yogurt)
• Onion - 1, chopped (small)
• Green chilli-ginger paste - 1 1/2 tsps
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - pinch
• Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely chopped
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig, roughly tear
• oil for shallow frying
• salt to taste

Method

1. Soak urad dal and chana dal for 2 hrs. Strain and grind the soaked dals to a fine thick paste adding very little water.. Add salt to taste and mix well. (Alternately you can use left over dosa or idli batter)
2. Add chopped onions, green chilli-ginger paste, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, rice flour, oats powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves to the batter and mix well. Add buttermilk and mix. If required add a little water for a thick batter consistency (similar to thick dosa batter).
3. Keep aside the batter for 10-15 mts.
4. Pour two drops of oil into each depression of the ponganalu penam. Place flame on medium high for a mt. Pour approx 2 tbsps of batter into each depression and allow to cook with lid for 4-5 mts undisturbed and cook on low to medium flame. It will cook to a golden brown shade. Flip over with help of a spoon or fork and allow to cook for 2-3 mts without lid.
5. Remove onto serving plate and serve warm with chutney or pickle of your choice.

Tips

• Grated carrot or shredded coconut can be added to the batter for added flavor.
• Vegans can omit yogurt/buttermilk and use just water .

Oats Masala

Oats Masala ~ Healthy Breakfast

Oats Masala

When the temperature comes down, I tend to crave for comfort food which is quick to make yet super tasty. And its also important that I include nutrient-rich vegetables to make it healthy. Its been pouring cats and dogs the past few days with no sign of any sunshine. On one such cold and rainy morning, I prepared Oats Masala which is close to Oats Upma recipe that I blogged earlier.

Oats Masala basically is nothing but inclusion of oats in Masala Upma recipe. I reduced the amount of semolina and included dry roasted instant oats, mixed vegetables and a generous amount of ghee. Oats and garam masala go well with each other and when they come together in the form of an upma it exudes warmth and spice. Be sure to serve Oats Masala warm and garnished with fresh coriander. I like to eat this oats recipe with home made tomato pickle.

Oats Masala

Oats Masala Recipe

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 25 min

Yield: 3

Main Ingredients: oats vegetables

Ingredients

• Oats - 1 cup, dry roasted for 3 mts
• Semolina - 1/2 cup, dry roasted for 5 mts
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Onion - 1, sliced
• Green Chilies - 2, slit
• Carrot - 1, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• Potato - 1, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• Capsicum - 1, chopped into small pieces
• Tomato - 1, finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Green Cardamom - 1
• Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely chopped
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a tbsp of ghee and oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom and clove. Allow them to sizzle and add the curry leaves, green chilies and sliced onions. Saute for 4 minutes.
2. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another 4 mts. Add chopped carrots, potatoes and capsicum and saute on medium flame for 5 mts. Reduce flame, place lid and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Add salt and garam masala and mix. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and slowly add the roasted semolina while constantly mixing. Keep mixing on low to medium flame for 3 minutes.
4. Add the oats at this stage and half a tbsp of ghee and mix. Cook on low flame for 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice and mix.
5. Remove onto a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips

• Vegans can omit ghee.
• Sprouts can also be added along with mixed vegetables.

Vankaya Nuvvula Masala ~ Brinjals in Sesame Sauce

Andhra cuisine has a vast array of brinjal recipes. Today’s Vankaya Nuvvula Masala or brinjal curry is a classic Andhra vegetarian recipe that is prepared on special occasions and can be considered for a party vegetarian menu. Quite a few Andhra vantalu (dishes) call for the use of sesame seeds be it a spiced Nuvvula Podi or a calcium rich Indian sweet like Nuvvula Unda (sweet sesame balls) or a curry like brinjals in sesame sauce. Sesame seeds lend a nutty flavor and body to the dish.

Vankaya Nuvvula Masala – Brinjals in Sesame Seeds

I receive quite a few requests for Andhra Vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes. Hopefully I should be able to post more such recipes for the benefit of my readers. Brinjal curry in sesame seeds sauce is a vegan dish that goes well with rice or rotis.

Vankaya Nuvvula Masala Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 50-60 mts

Serves: 4-5

Cuisine: Andhra

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Ingredients:

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash, make + quarters with stalk intact

1 1/2 – 2 tbsps oil

1 large onion, sliced

3-4 green chilies

1 tbsp khus khus/gasagasalu/white poppy seeds, dry roast for 3 mts

2 tbsps nuvvulu/til/white sesame seeds, dry roast

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

few fresh curry leaves

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1/4-1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/4 tsp cumin pwd

pinch of roasted methi/fenugreek/menthi pwd (optional)

salt to taste

1 Place the brinjal with + quarters and stalks intact in salted water and keep aside for 10 mts.
2 Add 1/2 tbsp of oil in a cooking vessel, add the brinjals and roast them till brown, approx 7-8 mts. Remove and keep aside.
3 In the same vessel, add the green chilies and sliced onions and saute for 4 mts on low to medium flame. Remove and cool.
4 Grind the onions and green chilies to a fine paste. Remove.
5 Grind the lightly roasted khus khus and sesame seeds to a fine paste, adding 2 tbsps water. Remove.
6 Add the remaining oil in the vessel, add cumin seeds and as they splutter add the curry leaves and onion paste. Saute for 3 mts. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another 3 mts.
7 Add the khus khus paste and cook for 3 mts. Add turmeric pwd, red chili powder, coriander powder, methi powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
8 Reduce flame, add the roasted brinjals and allow to simmer for 8-10 mts and the curry thickens. Adjust salt. Turn off heat
9 Serve Vankaya Nuvvulu Masala or brinjal curry with flavored rice or rice or roti.

Vankaya Nuvvula Masala ~ Brinjals in Sesame Sauce Recipe

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 40 min

Yield: 5

Main Ingredients: brinjals sesame seeds

PAAL PAYASAM

PAAL PAYASAM 

  

 
   Paal payasam, the south Indian Rice Kheer, until Jeyashri told me the recipe, I have never tried on my own. Now I have tried this 4-5 times so far and love this a lot. This is rich and exotic dessert recipe. Perfect for this Gokulashtami / Krishna Jayanthi. When I wanted to post here in my blog, coincidentally, Vj asked me make last weekend. So I made and clicked. I clicked the bowl of payasam on my kutti Krishanan’s hands. The recipe is so simple and easy to make too.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4-5)

Milk	4 cups (1 litre)
Rice (raw rice or basmati)	2 tblsp
Ghee	1 tsp
Sugar	1/2 cup*

*Adjust as per your taste from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. We need our payasam to be sweet so I added 1/2 cup sugar

Optional Garnish
Chopped and fried nuts of your choice, saffron, elachi powder

Method

Roast rice in a pan with ghee in medium flame. Powder it to a coarse powder (just break the rice). Take a pressure cooker(I used 3.5 litre pot shaped cooker) and grease it with few drops of ghee. Add milk and bring to boil, add the powdered rice and pressure cook for a whistle.(I add a small plate to avoid burnt bottom) After a whistle, keep the flame in lowest possible and continue heating for 10 minutes. After that open the cooker and add sugar and continue boiling in low flame for another 10 minutes until you get a thick consistency.

          Garish if you desire to, we like it as such with the full flavour of milk and rice, divinely!

Notes

You can add 1/2 pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness. When cools down, the payasam thickens, so switch it off accordingly. After opening the lid of the cooker and boiling, stir in such a way you mash the rice to make the payasam thick. I used full cream milk.

Paal Payasam / Rice Kheer |

Paal Payasam / Rice Kheer |

Paal payasam is a special treat meant for special people. Not the express kind that we make these days, adding the 3-4 ingredients in a pressure cooker but the traditional, slow-cooked paal payasam made with the raw red rice that's quintessentially Keralan called unakkalari in Malayalam - but you can also use Rose Matta rice or any other non-sticky rice for the paal payasam.

Paal payasam made traditionally will have a pink hue from the rice used. Ok, don't look for the colour in my payasam picture because we used regular rice this time.

Onam is always a nostalgic time for me because Kerala is at its best then. There's the smell of fresh coconut oil being heated for all the banana chips, banana leaves gleaming in the sun, the rains just checked and the heat manageable, flowers everywhere and athappoo designs being planned, women walking around in the traditional Kerala set sari days before and after the day, school vacation after first term... I could go on.

So let me shut up for now and give you the Paal Payasam Recipe already!

Paal Payasam Recipe / Rice Kheer Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes 
Cooking time: 1 hour 
Serves 4-6
Recipe source: amma (payasam in picture made by bedhamma, her sis)

Ingredients:
500 ml (2 cups) of milk 
1/2 cup of sugar (adjust to taste) 
1/4 cup of unakkalari / raw rice (or any non-sticky rice like basmati)

How It's Made:

1. Add 2 cups water to the milk and bring to boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the milk boils, add the sugar and simmer until it reduces to half.

2. Add the washed rice and continue to cook on very low flame, stirring frequently until the milk thickens further and the rice is cooked soft.

3. Remove and serve warm / chilled.

Notes:

- for a quick paal payasam (rice kheer), just add all ingredients (don't add water) to a pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles. When the pressure leaves, open the lid, add 2-4 tbsp of condensed milk and bring to boil before removing from fire and serving. Adjust sugar accordingly since the condensed milk will make it too sweet if you use the same amount of sugar used otherwise
- adding anything else to the payasam like cardamom pods or cashew nuts will distract you from the actual flavour that's meant to be pure milk so keep it simple folks