Biryani, is a mixed rice dish from the Indian and Pakistani Subcontinent. It is made with spices, rice and meat or vegetables.

Chicken BiryaniBiryani is the most loved food by people all over the world.

You can easily make it at you home.

Chicken Biryan Recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken pieces cut into chunks 1.5 kg
Vegetable oil 4 tbsp
Onions, chopped 2 large
Minced ginger 1 tbsp
Ground black pepper 1/2 tsp
Ground cumin 1 tsp
Tomatoes 2 medium
Mint chopped 2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick 1
Potatoes 4 small
Garlic cloves, minced 2
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Ground turmeric 1/2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Plain yogurt 2 tbsp
Ground black cardamom 1/2 tsp
For Rice:
Basmati rice 1/2 kg
Onion, diced 1 large
Small Cardemom 5 pods
Cinnamon stick 1" piece
Chicken stock 4 cups
Vegetable oil 2.5 tbsp
Saffron powder 1"
Cloves 3
Ground ginger 1/2 tsp
Salt 1.5 tsp

Cooking Directions:

Add 2 tbsp oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion are soft and golden.
Fry potatoes until brown in 2 tbsp oil, drain and reserve the potatoes.
Add chilli, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes.
Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick.
Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp.
It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture.
Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, for approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking.
If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
For Rice: Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil and fry the onions until they are golden.
Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice.
Stir continuously until the rice is coated with spices.
In a medium size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt.
When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well.
Add chicken mixture and potatoes, gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil.
Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes.
Delicious chicken biryani is ready, serve with raita and salad.

Beef Biryani

 

 

Ingredients:
1 whole Beef / 2 lbs Beef,
1 kg Basmati rice / 2 lbs rice
1 cup thinly sliced onions,
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste,
3 tsp chilli powder,
½ tsp turmeric,
100 g cashew nuts,
4 or 5 bay leaves,
4 or 5 cloves,
2 cm long cinnamon sticks,
3 or 4 cardamom pods,
1 or 2 tsp shah jeera,
2 cups mint leaves,
1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro),
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 lemon,
1 ½ tsp salt (according to taste),
1 cup ghee (clarified butter),
½ cup yogurt,
1 cup oil,
few strands of saffron,
2 cups finely sliced onions,

Preparation:
1. Make deep incisions on the Beef deep enough for spices to get absorbed but making them too deep could render the pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the meat flesh and let marinate for an hour.
2. Heat about 100 ml of oil. Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, depoded cardamom, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally add onions(2). Wait a couple of minutes to add mint leaves. When onions turn slight brown, add marinated beef and cook for about 20-30 min. It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage; add garam masala and coconut powder and turn off flame when about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, beef pieces should look roasted.
3. Meanwhile, while the beefis still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less than the volume of the rice itself so that its only half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
4. You will need a utensil of about 12" (300 mm) base. Place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of beef on it again topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining). One more layer of remaining beef, finally with layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-beef layering stage.
5. Heat oil and deep fry half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight (but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents by a shake/jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at the bottom.
6. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy. Rightly and carefully made, its an epicure's paradise.