at 23:29

Fast Track Chicken Pulao

Ingredients

1.    1-small sized chicken, cut into pieces

2.    2-Onions chopped properly

3.    1-teapsoon garlic paste

4.    1-teaspoon ginger paste

5.    1-teaspoon cumin powder

6.    ½-teaspoon red chili powder or paprika powder

7.    ½-cup yogurt

8.    ½-cup milk

9.    2-green chili, slit length wise

10. ½-cup green peas (optional. I used peas to eat some vegetable)

11.  2-inch stick of cinnamon

12. 3/4-Cardamom

13. 2-bay leaves

14. 1-piece mace

15. 5/6-cloves

16. 10-balck peppercorn

17. 300g-Basmati Rice (I did not use any proportion of rice to chicken. I just used my instinct because we wanted to eat well and lots of chicken)

18. 3-tablespoon oil (use ghee if you like. I do not like ghee in my food so I avoid using ghee. Ghee makes me feel so heavy after the food, which I do not like)

 Method:

1.    Marinate chicken with ginger, garlic, chili, cumin powder, yogurt and keep aside

2.    Wash and soak the rice

3.    Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, cardamom, mace, bay leaves, clove, black pepper and fry for two minute

4.    Add the chopped onion and fry until they are soft and little brown

5.    Add chicken onto the onion, add salt and cook until oil separates

6.    Add milk and green chili and cook the chicken until almost done

7.    Cook the rice 80% and drain the water

8.    Add the rice with the chicken and close the lid. Cook until rice is totally done so as the chicken.

9.    Using a fork fluff up the rice and let it cool down a bit. Once cooled it would be very fluffy in case it was sticky before ( it happens to me very often as I never measure and all water or milk as much as I like depending on my mood, hahaha!)

10. Warm it up again and serve with raita

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at 23:07

Couscous Tindora Pulao (Couscous Ivy gourd Pulao)

After a terrible day in my office, I want to cheer myself with something nice to eat. But my fridge is empty, I have no vegetable and no chicken to make soup. In addition, I am not in a mood to take soup tonight. I want something NICE and different. All I am left with, in the fridge is a packet of frozen Tindora or Ivy gourd and some couscous. I have one onion and two small potatoes.  So I decided to make a Pulao with whatever I am left with.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10mns

Cooking time: 20mins

 

Ingredients

300gm Tindora or Ivy gourd

100gm couscous
1onion, cut into small pieces
2 small potatoes, cut into small pieces
3 pods of garlic, thinly sliced
½- teaspoon cumin powder
½- chili powder
½- black pepper powder
½-turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon powder
Salt to taste
1-tablespoon oil

 

Method:

1.    Heat the oil

2.    Add the sliced garlic and fry for 1 mins, do not make them golden

3.    Add onions and fry for 3/4 mins

4.    Add the potatoes and fry for 5/6 mins

5.    Mean while take the couscous in a bowl and add boiling water. Water should be ½ centimeter above the level of the couscous. So the couscous will be cooked well and remain fluffy

6.    Add the Tindora or Ivy gourd to the frying potatoes

7.    Add salt, cumin, black pepper, red chili to the Tindora

8.    Cook until Tindora and potatoes are cooked well. Sprinkle water in case it sticks to the  bottom

9.    When vegetable is cooked sprinkle little cinnamon powder all over it

10.  Add the couscous and cook for another 2/3 mins. don’t stir too much so that couscous remains fluffy

11.  Serve hot with raita

 

at 18:14

Chingri Malaicurry Polao (Prawn Malaicurry Pulao)

                              Chingri Malaicurry Polao (Prawn Malaicurry Pulao)

Want to make a one-pot dinner that is surely going win everyone’s heart yet not wear you out in the kitchen? Try this one! I made it out of sheer desperation and wow is  the result
Nothing more to say, as I will be doing just the same!

 Preparation time: 20mins

Cooking time: 30mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

300gm king Prawn

400gm Long grain Basmati Rice, washed and soaked
250gm coconut milk (low fat will also do, as I used)
50gm grated coconut
2inch-Ginger
1-green chili
2-red chili
3-cardamom
2inch cinnamon
½-teaspoon cumin
½-teaspoon Fennel
2inch Mace
1- teaspoon turmeric
2-tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
Water (as much as needed)

For Raita:

2-cups Yogurt
3inch Cucumber, cut in small pieces
½-onion cut into small pieces
Pinch of red chili
Pinch of Cumin Powder
Salt to taste

 

Method:
1.    Take Ginger,  green chili, red chili, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, mace  and use a blender to make a paste of the spices

2.    Clean and de-vain the king prawn. Marinate with salt and little turmeric
3.    Heat oil and fry the marinated prawn for 2/3 mins
4.    Add the spice mix with the prawn and fry  properly
5.    Add the grated coconut and fry for 3-4mins
6.    Add the washed rice and fry. Add little more oil if needed. Add little turmeric if you want the rice to look golden yellow. Add salt according to taste
7.    Now , to make pulao/polao I use water and rice in 2:1 ratio
8.     Mix water and coconut milk in equal quantity and add to the fried rice and let it cook

9.     If the rice becomes too dry before being totally cooked add more coconut milk. I am not giving the quantity of the liquid as it varies depending on where you are cooking- cooker, microwave or electric rice maker. So adjust the coconut milk+ water mixture accordingly

10. Do not to stir too often as it might break the rice. If rice is cooked well but you still have liquid, then put the pan on a tawa and let the water dry. Fluff the rice with fork.

11. Serve with raita

Raita:   Mix, yoghurt, cucumber, onion. Salt, chili and cumin powder and chill before serving with Chingri Malaicurry Polao (Prawn Malaicurry Pulao)

 

at 23:54

Kolkata styled Eid walla Mutton Biriyani/ Mutton Biryani –a little healthy but no compromise on taste recipe (Trust me on this!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Eid walla Biriyani for my dearest friend SS

Growing up in North Africa, celebrating Eid was part of my childhood. My brother and I got new dresses, my mother cooked lovely food and family friends visited our home.  We went to visit L aunty, Y and S’s house ritually for all Eid. Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja etc were part of our life even then, but it was only after moving to Kolkata we realised what Durga Puja was and what being in Kolkata meant around that time.  Durga Puja, Kali Puja governs our life now but we still celebrate Eid and my mother still cooks lovely Eid food for us.  

Both my parents are religious. As for me, I am not sure. I automatically close my eyes when I go to Belur Math but I also automatically close my eyes when I go near sea or smell the first raindrop on parched land. I hate the temple near my house in UK as the ‘pujari’ (priest in a Hindu temple) is irritating and believe that it is through R that all my prayers can be heard. How much more stupid can he be?!!  I hate temple, which has water everywhere, dirty and too many people.  What does that make me? Religious or non-religious? Well, I am not too bothered about knowing it too.  When I close my eyes in front sea, or when it rains or seeing  the peacocks of Leads Castle or in front of a temple that is clean,  all I know is, I  thank the universes for being so beautiful,  for being alive, happy, independent and having the ability to appreciate the beauty in my own way. When we celebrated Eid as children or celebrate Durga Puja now, none of this choices/celebration was/are religious for us. We celebrated what everyone near us and our friends celebrated. We celebrated the spirit of the festival. We celebrate the beautiful life.

My friend SS requested “Eid walla Biriyani” in my blog.  This is for her. My kolkata style Eid walla Biriyani: for the spirit of Eid and to beautiful life around us.

Eid Mubarak!

Mutton Biriyani Recipe:

Serves: 4 Adults foodies and 2 kiddo foodies

Preparation Time: 15 mins for Biriyani Masala, at least 1 hour marinating (longer the better, they say. I believe too. However, some time I make without marinating and it does not make much difference to be honest. So adjust the timing depending upon how much time you have and the occasion you are cooking for. I am cooking for Eid. So it is going to be elaborate).  2 hours for cooking.  

Ingredients that I use for Biriyani/Biryani Masala: 10- Cardamoms 2-inch Cinnamon 10- Cloves 2- Bay Leafs 1-Tablespoon cumin seed 1-Tablespoon Caraway seed (Shah Jeera) 4- barks of Mace (Javetri) ½ teaspoon of Nutmeg powder 10- Black pepper corn ½-teaspoon fennel 1 teaspoon of red chili powder

   

My Biriyani Masala

Making my Biriyani masala:

1.  Dry roast cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, Bay leafs, cumin seed, caraway seed, mace, fennel, black pepper corn on a low heat until the spice gives a aroma and also starts to spatter.

2.  Grind all the dry roasted spices  until smooth powder

3.   Mix chili powder and nutmeg powder and grind again to mix well

4.   Store in a air tight jar ( I used my little jam jar that I brought back from my hotel  in Venice )

Ingredient for Biriyani/Biryani 700gm Basmati Rice (I used Kohinoor that was not good by the way) 1kg mutton  fat free shoulder, cut in to small pieces 6 -Eggs 6 -Potatoes  ( small to medium) 4- Onions   (Optional: Add 1- more Onion for deep-frying and spreading over the Biriyani as final touch) 2 Bay leafs 8/10 Black Paper corns 2inch Cinnamon 5/6 Cardamom 5/6 Clove 1-tablespoon ginger paste 1-tablespoon garlic paste 1-cup milk 1-cup yogurt 2- Tablespoon Kewra Water (When I cook for my mother I do not use it. She hates the smell) 1- Pinch Saffron ( soaked in little warm water) 8- tablespoon oil 2 tablespoon low fat spread Salt to taste

Methods for making the Biriyani/Biryani

Step 1: Preparing the Mutton

1.       Wash the mutton properly and cut away all the remaining fats

2.       Marinate the mutton with yogurt and 3-tablespoon of my Biriyani/Biryani Masala

3.       Add little salt and keep in fridge for 30 mins

Step 2:

1.       Slice 4 onions

2.       Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a non stick Karahi and add the onions

3.       Fry the onions until golden brown

4.       Let the fried Onions cool down

5.       Once cool, make a paste of the fried onion in a grinder

Step 3:

1.       Add the fried onion paste, ginger paste and garlic paste to the marinated mutton

2.       Fridge for another 30 mins

Fried Potatoes

Step 4:

1.       Boil the eggs, de-shell the boiled eggs.

2.       Boil the potatoes until they are 70% done. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan and fry the boiled potatoes until they are golden brown and well done. Mine was a little dark in color as I used just 1 tablespoon of oil.

3.       Keep both eggs and fried potatoes aside

Step 5: Cooking the mutton

1.       Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a non- stick pan (I used my pressure cooker). Add 2 cardamom, bay leaf and fry until it leaves faint aroma

2.       Add the marinated mutton and cook for 15 mins

3.       Add   1 more tablespoon of Biriyani Masala. Adjust salt to taste. Add this stage you can add more chili in case you like hot food.

4.       Cook the mutton on slow heat until well done and the gravy has dried up. I cooked in pressure cooker. Careful not to make the consistency of the gravy to too dry or too watery.

Cooked Mutton

Step 6: Cooking the Rice and deep-frying Onion

1.       While cooking the mutton, soak the rice in water

2.       Dain water from the rice

3.       In a deep vessel heat water. I use rice to water in 1:2 ratio. As I have 700gm of rice, I used almost 1.5 liter of water, if not more. Do not worry about water as you are going to throw it anyway. So a little extra will not harm.

4.       Make a cloth pouch-containing bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and clove. Add the pouch the boiling water. This will give a nice aroma to the rice.

5.       Add the rice. Add salt and 2 tablespoon of oil

6.       When the rice is 70% done, drain the rice.

7.       Place the rice in plates/white paper (not news paper please) and let them air dry.

8.       Take a little bit of rice and add to the soaked Saffron to make yellow/orange rice

9.       While the rice is being cooked, thinly slice 1 onion. Deep-fry them until brown and crisp. You will need half a cup of oil for this process. I did not do it, as I wanted my Biriyani to be light.

Drying the cooked  rice

Step 7: Layering the Biriyani/Biryani

1.       Take a deep bottom vessel. Rub the low fat spread all over the vessel.

2.       Make a layer of rice. Top it up with a layer of cooked mutton. Sprinkle some milk and Kewra water.  Sprinkle some of your orange/yellow rice as well.

3.       Then on top of the layered mutton, add another layer of rice. Repeat the process. Remember you last layer or the top layer should be rice not mutton.

4.       Remember: do not make too thick layer as this will interrupt with cooking the rice. Remember to sprinkle milk, which will prevent the rice from sticking at the bottom as well as help in cooking with vapor from milk. Add Kewra water in all layers in case you want your Biriyani to smell like the shop Biriyani. Otherwise, do not add this at all.

5.       On the top layer of rice arrange the fried potato and sprinkle the deep fried onions  ( if you are using)

The final Layered Biriyani

Step 8: Final Cooking

1.       Close the vessel. I used a sealed vessel. If you do not have a sealed vessel, seal the vessel with a flour dough so that the vapor remain trapped in the vessel which will induce pressure cooking

2.       Oven Method:  Add water to the oven tray. Heat the oven in 200c and heat the water. Place the sealed vessel on the hot water. Cook for 45 mins. Bring the vessel out. Give a proper shake. Real good shake so that rice, mutton and spices mix well and they are fluffy. You can use spoon to fluff them up. But careful not to break the rice.  Close the vessel again and cook for another 20 mins.

3.       Gas method: Place a big tawa on the lowest flame and add water. Place the vessel on the water-filled tawa. In case you cannot add water to tawa, you can place the vessel directly to heated tawa. However, this will mean that some rice will stick at the bottom. Give a proper shake. Real good shake so that rice, mutton and spices mix well and remain fluffy. You can use spoon to fluff them up. But careful not to break the rice.  Close the vessel again and cook for another 10 mins.

Step 9: Serve NOW!

1.       Serve with raita. Put fat free yoghurt in a bowl. Add chopped cucumber, tomato, onion, rock salt and cumin power. And mix well and serve with your Biriyani