Malabar Biriyani

My friend Noora who is from Kozhikode makes excellent malabar biriyani. Following is the copy paste of the recipe she gave me. Though the preparation is time consuming the final results are very much worth the effort.

For marinating Chicken (full chicken cut into medium size pieces)

1. In a vessel add 3 sliced onions,3 chopped tomatoes, 1 sprig curry leaves,20 chopped green chillies,6 cloves of garlic chopped,3 cm ginger chopped, coriander leaves and mint leaves.Mix thoroughly with hand.

2. Add chicken,3 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.

3. Heat cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon in medium heat and grind. 2 tbsp of this powder is required.

4. Add 1 tbsp of the above spice powder, 3tbsp yogurt and 1 tbsp lemon juice.

5. Mix with hand thoroughly for 5 minutes – Keep it aside for 10minutes.

For Garnishing

6. Add ghee/oil in pan

7. Fry cashew nuts and raisins.Drain and keep aside

8. Deep fry 2 big onions sliced very thin in same oil, till it becomes brown (add a pinch of salt for taste).Drain and keep aside.

Cooking Chicken

9. Take a pan and add 3 tbsp oil.

10. Add the marinated chicken, close with lid and cook the chicken on low heat.DONOT add water.(This will take 30 to 45mts)

Preparing ghee rice

11. Add 5 tbsp ghee to a hot pan.

12. Add a pinch of jeera, a pinch spice powder from step 3,salt and 8 cups of water.

13. When the water boils add 4 cups of washed and drained basmati rice and cook till rice is done.

Final layering

14. Layer half of the chicken in a big vessel.

15. Add the cooked rice on top of chicken

16. Layer with fried onion and sprinkle spice powder from step 5.

17. Garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves, fried cashew nuts and raisins

18. Repeat from step 14 till the rice and chicken is over.

19. Cover it with aluminium foil and keep aside for 30minutes before serving.

Coconut Rice

Thenga saadam or coconut rice is something that can be made in just 10 minutes if you have some leftover cooked rice at home. It doesnt require much ingredients. So if you have some guests coming home for lunch at short notice this would be the perfect rice dish to make.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked rice

1 cup grated coconut

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 whole dried red chillies broken into pieces

2 tbsp chana dal

5 split cashews

1 sprig curry leaves

1/2 tsp asafoetida(optional)

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,red chillies and chana dal.

2.Stir fry till chana dal turns light brown. Add cashews and wait till it turns light brown.

3.Add curry leaves,asafoetida,coconut and cooked rice. (Add salt at this point if rice was not cooked with salt).

4.Mix well and serve.

Paneer Rice

Paneer is the most common form of cheese used in India. Paneer can be easily made at home by curdling heated milk with lemon juice. Paneer can be used to prepare wide variety of dishes ranging from curries to desserts. 

Ingredients:

2 cup Basmathi rice washed and drained

1 Onion chopped

4 spoon chopped ginger-garlic

5 green chillies chopped

1/2 cup coriander and mint leaves chopped

3 cup water

1/2 cup milk 

2 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

For Garnishing:

200 gm Paneer cut into small pieces and fried in ghee

1/4 cup fried onion

1/4 cup roasted cashew nut and raisins 

Preparation:

1.Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan.

2.Add the chopped onion and stir well for 2 mins.

3.Throw in the ginger garlic and green chillies and mix well for 2 minutes. 

4.Add the coriander and mint leaves and stir for some time.

5.Add the water and let it boil.

6.Add the milk and salt to taste.

7.Add the rice when the mixture boils.Stir well. .

8.Cook unti rice is done.

9.Garnish with fried onions,fried paneer,roasted cahews and raisins.

Puliyogare(Tamarind Rice)

We had been for a Niagara trip this weekend. Amma made tamarind rice for the trip. My friends were all praises for the rice and that made amma happy.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice/white rice

1/4 cup thick pulp extracted from tamarind

4 tbsp peanuts

1 tbsp chana dal

2 green chillies

2 whole red chillies

1/4 spoon mustard

1/4 spoon fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp curry leaves

1 pinch asafoetida

1 pinch turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tbsp chilly powder

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

2 tbsp sesame seeds (roasted and powdered)

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

1.Cook the rice.

2.Heat a pan and add oil.Add whole red chillies to the hot oil.

3.Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.Add fenugreek seeds,chana dal and peanuts and roast well.

4.Add green chillies,curry leaves,asafoetida and saute for 1 minute.

5.Add coriander powder,turmeric powder,chilly powder,cumin powder and sesame powder.

6.Add the tamarind paste and salt.Boil for 5 minutes.

7.Mix the cooked rice to the paste and serve.

PS: This paste can be prepared and stored in fridge in an air tight container for months.Mix it with cooked rice when required.