HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients:

·        400 gms whole chicken

·        2 cups basmati rice

·        4 onions sliced

·        2 tomatoes chopped

·        2 cups fresh yogurt

·        2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

·        5-6 green chillies chopped

·        1 tsp red chilli powder

·        1/2 tsp turmeric powder

·        2 tsp coriander powder

·        1 tsp green cardamom powder

·        1/2 tsp garam masala powder

·        1/2 fresh lemon juice

·        A pinch of saffron

·        2 tbsp milk

·        1 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped

·        2 tbsp fresh mint leaves chopped

·        4 tbsp ghee

·        Vegetable oil

·        Salt to taste

Whole garam masala:

·        1 bay leaf

·        1 black cardamom

·        2-3 peppercorns

·        1/2 inch cinnamon stick

·        1/2 tsp carom seeds

·        2-3 cloves

·        1 dried red chilli

METHOD;

·         In a big bowl, cut the pieces of chicken in big chunks, wash and clean thoroughly.

·         Combine yogurt, the ground masala paste, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and lemon juice.

·         Mix well. Add the pieces of chicken, also add 2 tsp oil.

·         Keep this marinated chicken aside for about 2-3 hours.

·         Heat sufficient oil in a pan, deep fry the onion and take out immediately after it turns into golden brown in color. Keep aside to cool.

·         In a blender combine half of the fried onion, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, garlic, mint leaves and coriander leaves.

·         Blend to make a smooth paste.

·         Soak the saffron in the milk and keep aside, as it will be used later.

·         Wash the rice thoroughly in water, soak for about 10 minutes.

·         Boil the rice in plenty amount of water, add little bit of salt and whole garam masala.

·         When the rice are 3/4th done then drain and keep in the sieve.

·         Remove out the whole garam masala ingredients, as they were just for flavoring rice, which is quite done.

·         Heat the pan or kadhai, melt 2 tbsp of ghee.

·         Now place half quantity of marinated chicken with its whole marination.

·         Then cover the chicken with the layer of rice.

·         Sprinkle some fried onions, half of the cardamom powder, chopped coriander.

·         Also add the remaining ghee.

·         Again repeat the same procedure and arrange the remaining chicken, rice and other ingredients.

·         Cover the pan with the tight lid.

·         Leave to cook for about 20-22 minutes on low flame.

·         Check twice in between and fluff up with a fork.

·         Check the tenderness of chicken, if it is cooked fully, then turn off the gas.

·         Serve hot with raita or as it is.

 

CHETTINAD CHICKEN FRY

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Chicken  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder  • 6 tbsp Oil  • 2 cup Onions, chopped  • ¾ cup Tomatoes, chopped  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds  • 14 Red Chilies, broken into pieces  • Salt, to taste

Method:

• Clean the chicken to ward off unwanted material from it and then cut it into pieces. • Now, rub the chicken with a paste of salt and turmeric and keep it aside. • Heat oil in a pan and put fennel seeds in it. When the seeds start to crackle, put red chilies and onion in it and fry well. • When the onion turns brown, put chopped tomatoes and chicken in it and fry well again. • Sprinkle hot water on it as required in small amounts so that the chicken does not stick to the pan. • Remove from the fire when the chicken is cooked and serve hot.

CHETTINAD CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces with bone - 3/4 kg (750 g)
Basmati rice - 4 cups (740 gms)
Onion large sized (sliced) - 3 nos
Tomato large sized (chopped) - 3 nos
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/4 bunch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Fried cashewnuts - 20 nos
Water - 4 cups
Bay leaves - 2 nos
Oil - 5 to 6 tbsp

Masala to grind:

(Grind below ingredients to smooth paste)
Green chilli - 10 nos
Ginger chopped - 2 pieces
Garlic cloves - 8 nos
Cinnamon stick - 2 piece
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cloves - 6 nos
Water - 1 tsp

Method:

•  Marinate chicken pieces with ground masala paste, chopped mint leaves and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
• Mix 2 cups of coconut milk with 4 cups of water.
• Soak basmati rice in coconut milk and water mixture for half an hour.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan with lid, when oil is hot add bay leaves and onions. Saute onions until they are slightly browned.
• Now add the marinated chicken along with masala & mint leaves to the sauted onions and fry until the chicken turns pale in color.
• Next add the chopped tomatoes, curd, red chilli powder and rest of turmeric powder to the pan.
• Saute well until tomatoes are cooked, add few tbsp of water to the pan, stir well everything.
• When light gravy is formed, reduce heat, cover pan with tight lid and leave chicken to cook in gravy for 10 mins.
• After 10 mins add coconut milk & water mixture from soaked basmati rice and required salt for making biryani to the gravy.
• Turn the heat to high and bring the biryani gravy to boil.
• When gravy starts boiling add soaked basmati rice to the pan and stir well.
• When 1/2 of water is absorbed by the rice, reduce heat to low, cover pan with tight lid and cook biryani rice until tender.
• Finally garnish chettinad chicken biryani with coriander leaves and fried cashew nuts.
• Serve hot with onion raita, plain salna and boiled egg.

CHETTINAD SPICY CHICKEN MASALA

Ingredients

1. Onion    1 large (finely chopped) or 10 pearl onions
2. Tomato   1 no. (chopped)
3. Garlic    5 fat cloves (chopped)

For Marination

1. Chicken   500gm or 1.2 lb
2. Red Chilli Powder    1 tsp
3. Chicken Masala Powder   1 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder   1/4 tsp
5. Yogurt   1 tbsp
6. Ginger Garlic paste    1 tsp

To Wet Grind

1. Ginger       1/2" piece
2. Small onion    6 or 7 no.s
3. Garlic      3 cloves
4. Green chillies    2
5. Chillie powder    1/2 tbsp
6. Coriander powder    1 tbsp

For Coconut Paste

1. Coconut     2-3 tbsp
2. Poppy seeds    1/4 tsp
3. Fennel seeds    1/2 tsp

To Temper

1. Oil    1-2 tbsp
2. Fennel seeds   1/4 tsp
3. Clove    3 no.
4. Cinnamon   1/2" 
5. Cardamom    2 no.
6. Bay leaf   1 small
7. Mint leaves    1 tbsp copped
8. Curry leaves    1 sprig

Method

• First wash chicken pieces thoroughly then drain excess water and take it in a bowl and add all the ingredients under the heading "To Marinate" and mix well and set it aside for 30 minutes.
• Then grind all the ingredients under the heading "To Wet Grind" using couple of tablespoon of water and grind it to a smooth paste and keep ready.
• Like wise Grind coconut paste using little water to a smooth paste and keep aside.
• Now heat oil in a kadai or pan, when it gets heated add the tempering ingredients one by one and saute it.
• Then add finely chopped onions, garlic and saute until onion turn light golden brown.
• After that add finely chopped tomatoes and saute until it turns soft and mushy.
• And then add the ground onion-chilli paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add marinated chicken and saute for another 2-3 minutes and add 1/4 cup water, enough salt and cook till 3/4 done.
• And then add the ground coconut paste and saute well and cook til the raw smell leaves and chicken gets cooked well.
• Spicy Chettinad Chicken masala is ready to serve hot and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Notes:

Adding coconut paste is optional, if u don't like you can skip it. If using it, instead of poppy seeds you can also use cashew nuts - 2 tbsp.

I make it as a semi dry masala, if u want u can roast it high flame till all the moisture dries.