Chicken Dum biryani

I must admit recently I have started losing my touch at making nonveg dishes :) even my DH has made that clear to me.I was all geared up to prove that i haven't lost and what better way to impress folks than a chicken biryani.

This is an old post that I'm redoing because of an email i got which i totally didn;t understand.

Chicken Kozhi Varuval/Roast - no Onion no tomato recipe

Two weeks ago, we had a potluck in our building i had to make a cake and i wanted to keep lunch simple as i had to bake after lunch.So this is what i put together in like about 20 minutes.And the result was super yum!

Chilli sausages

We came to know about sausages sometime when I was in high school.I used to be really wary of eating new meats even though we used to buy only chicken sausages it took me a while to like it. Mom used to chop it finely and pan fry it and sprinkle lemon juice and pepper powder to finish it off.We still love our sausages that way . Recently I started making curry dishes like so to go with our chapathis for dinner,this is one such trial and it was very good, all loved it.

Chilli sausages are inspired from the famous chilli chicken recipe except that it calls to fry the chicken pieces in egg coated marinade which i have skipped in this sausage recipe.

 You need

sausages chopped into inch size pieces 2
Onion 1 large chopped lengthwise
Green chilli 1
Capsicum 1 small chopped lengthwise into thin strips
Oil 2 tablespoon
salt to taste
Chilli powder half tsp
pepper powder half tsp
Chopped garlic 1 tsp
Spring onion 2 springs optional

Sauces
Soya sauce 1 tablespoon
Tomato ssuce 1/2tsp
Corn flour or maida 1 tsp
vinegar 1 tsp
water 2 or 3 tablespoon

• Heat oil in a pan, fry the sausages until crispy.Keep aside.
• In the same oil add garlic, chopped chillies.Once the raw smell goes away add onions and capsicum slices.
• Fry until onions go transparent.
• Mix all the items under the sauces and adding enough water make a smooth lumpless sauce.
• Add this to the pan and stir well.This forms the sauce for this dish.
• Add salt to taste and mix in thr fried sausages.Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.

• Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with fried rice or chapatis.

Chilli sausages

We came to know about sausages sometime when I was in high school.I used to be really wary of eating new meats even though we used to buy only chicken sausages it took me a while to like it. Mom used to chop it finely and pan fry it and sprinkle lemon juice and pepper powder to finish it off.We still love our sausages that way . Recently I started making curry dishes like so to go with our chapathis for dinner,this is one such trial and it was very good, all loved it.

Sujitha;s Ginger Chicken fried rice

I've been waiting do do this guest post for a while.First of all because Suji is my bestest friend in the world. We've been together since we started school, stayed in the same building and then been connected through the technologies!Thank God for technology.

There's not a single birthday or special occasion when we both haven't wished each other.Those special days aren't complete if you don't get those special wishes...for me Suji is one such super special person.She's a super bubbly person and a mother of two lovely kids set up in Canada now.I can keep going on and on about her.

I remember her mom used to be a great cook and I know Suji is a great cook too.I'm glad she found time to send me over this simple yet flavourful rice recipe.

How Suji makes her fried rice..

Ingredients:
Basmati rice 2 cups,
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Salt to taste
800 gms chicken thighs,
1 bell pepper,1 carrot,
Grind ginger(finger size) ,2 pcs garlic,1 green chilly

• Cook rice separately
• Clean and cut chicken in long thin pieces,marinate ginger garlic chilly paste with chicken.Keep aside
• Stir fry carrot with salt.Add bell peppers and stir until both vegetables are crisp.
• Fry the chicken in a table spoon oil until golden brown.
• Add the stir fried vegetables into chicken,mix well,add celery salt and teaspoon of soya sauce if required.
• Add in the rice and keep warm for 10 min.
• Ginger chicken fried rice is ready to go now.

Sujitha;s Ginger Chicken fried rice

I've been waiting do do this guest post for a while.First of all because Suji is my bestest friend in the world. We've been together since we started school, stayed in the same building and then been connected through the technologies!Thank God for technology.

Chicken fry with coconut milk

We have a Restaurant that has a large grill outside it and everytime we pass it we were tempted to buy until last week we tried it.Yuck it was the worst grilled chicken ever!My LM who is an absolute chicken lover hated it.Until i made this for her the next day as promised I was scared she'll detest chicken after having that grilled one!

This dish tastes best with an easy dal and rasam just an everyday lunch can be taken to totally different levels with this chicken fry.This is a the first time I tried adding coconut milk to a dry chicken dish and it was one winner of a recipe.

You need 

Chicken 250 gms
Potato 2 small

Marinade
Crushed ginger 1/2 inch piece
Crushed garlic 5-6 pods
Green chilli 1
Curry leaves 5-6
Aniseeds/Saunf/perumjeerakam 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp



Crush all the above in a mortar and pestle and add it to the chicken.And rub it onto the chicken and leave it in the refrigerator over night.

To make the gravy
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Onion 1 large sliced finely
Tomato 1 small
Coconut milk 1/4 cup
Roasted and crushed whole spices (2 cardamoms,cloves,cinnamon and one petal of a star aniseed)

• Heat oil in a wide kadhai/wok, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, now add the onions.
• Add the chicken once the onions go transparent.
• Let this cook in its own juices don't add any water.Add the tomato and cover.
• Add the potatoes once the tomato is all broken down.
• Cover and cook until chicken is tender and soft.
• Check for spices if you want it more spicy add half a spoon of garam masala to this.
• Add the coconut milk at the end once the chicken and potatoes are done.
• Cook on low heat until the coconut milk is all soaked up by the chicken.
• Serve hot with sambar, rasam and cabbage kootu like i did!

Enjoy creamy delicious chicken fry with less oil :)

Sending this to Side dish mela  ,

Motions and Emotions Event ,

Chicken fry with coconut milk

We have a Restaurant that has a large grill outside it and everytime we pass it we were tempted to buy until last week we tried it.Yuck it was the worst grilled chicken ever!My LM who is an absolute chicken lover hated it.Until i made this for her the next day as promised I was scared she'll detest chicken after having that grilled one!

Chicken Fry - A friendly Guest post

I had decided to do a guest post each month.Last month it was an Onam special this month its this chicken dish. Vidya was my neighbour when i used to stay in Bangalore three years ago.We are still sms friends :) and we are hoping to discuss our kids' weddings via sms too :) I used to wonder why these mobile phone operators gave sms packs now i know its for people like us.We easily send around 100 sms each day good work outs for both our fingers and the mobile phones :D

Vidya was my second neighbour after i got married. I'm usually not a very outgoing person but still i can shut up and sit inside so one day when my DH told me theres a tamil family next door and they have a baby too i went knocking on their door and little did i know i found the friend - mentor- soul sister call her anything but she's been a part of me ever since.We used to speak to each other daily over the intercom then chat at nights being next door.We used to chat and take long strolls with our babies.What a beautiful time we had and now both of us often miss those times.Oh and i forgot to mention how we used to exchange food :D yum the best part.We both used to try food and exchange it!I still miss having a good neighbour like her and i know noone can take her place ever.This is one such recipe from Vidya's kitty and she's one enthusiastic girl when it comes to cooking especially nonveg dishes!

Here's how she makes it :

Ingredients : 
Curry leaves few sprigs
Coconut milk quarter cup
Green chillies 2 slit
Coriander leaves to garnish
Lime juice of half a lime
Oil 2 tablespoons

Marinate chicken with all of the below spices  for half hour or more :

Chicken 250 gms 
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Dhaniya powder 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder 1/2 tsp
Corn flour 1 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Curd 1 tablespoon 

• To marinate with chilli powder ,dhaniya and jeera powders, turmeric powder, corn flour, ginger garlic paste and garam masala with curd and salt.Allow to rest for half hour. 
• Shallow fry the chicken until done.
• Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves, green chillies and add quarter cup coconut milk and add chicken and cook until it becomes dry.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze lime juice.

Serve hot with ghee rice or roti or parotta :) 

Thank you for the lovely recipe my dear Vidya.

Chicken Fry - A friendly Guest post

I had decided to do a guest post each month.Last month it was an Onam special this month its this chicken dish. Vidya was my neighbour when i used to stay in Bangalore three years ago.We are still sms friends :) and we are hoping to discuss our kids' weddings via sms too :) I used to wonder why these mobile phone operators gave sms packs now i know its for people like us.We easily send around 100 sms each day good work outs for both our fingers and the mobile phones :D

Crunchy peanut Chicken fry

I keep trying different versions of chicken fry just so that we don't get bored no we never get bored of chicken do we!?This is a similar version to the dish we get at a caterer in our place its their signature dish except that I didn't deep fry everything.

This dish goes very well with lime rice or any everyday curry or sambar. The peanuts fried in coconut oil gives this dish an extra flavour.

You need

Chicken 250 gms
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Oil 2-3 tablespoons(or some more)
Green chilli 2
Ginger crushed or sliced very finely

Onion 1 medium sliced finely

Coriander powder 2 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Lime juice 2 tsp
Yogurt beaten 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Aniseeds/Sombu/Saunf  powder 1/2 tsp

To fry :
Coconut oil 2 tablespoons
Peanuts roasted 2 tablespoons crushed
Curry leaves 2 sprigs

• Marinate the chicken with the coriander powder,chilli powder, lime juice,salt and pepper and aniseed powder.let this rest for half hour or more.
• Heat oil in a pan, add green chillies, curry leaves and onions fry well.
• Add the marinated chicken and give it a stir and cover.
• Cook until the chicken is soft and tender.Please don't add water let the chicken cook in its own juices.
• Add beaten yogurt once the chicken is done.Add turmeric powder.Check for salt.
• In an another pan, add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, fry the curry leaves, ginger and the crushed peanuts until crispy and brown.
• Add the fried peanuts to the chicken mix well.
• Serve hot with lime rice or rotis.

Crunchy peanut Chicken fry

I keep trying different versions of chicken fry just so that we don't get bored no we never get bored of chicken do we!?This is a similar version to the dish we get at a caterer in our place its their signature dish except that I didn't deep fry everything.

Pasta with cheese and lime chicken

, 

Its been  while since we had pasta, so i made it for breakfast this weekend.Since i had some chicken in hand so this is what i whipped up and it was a wonderful breakfast a break refreshing break from our everyday southindian fares or breads.

 

 I usually make plain pasta for my lil one and she doesn;t like any spices except in her chicken.So since the pasta had chicken it was a great weekend treat for her and us all alike.My laptop charging wire is broken and so i had to sit on this desktop of ours and compose this and its taking forever!finally i'm glad atleast i can post something after a week.We all know how addictive blogging can be ;)

 

 You need

Pasta any shape cooked 1 large cup

To make the sauce

Onion puree 1 large onion

Tomato puree 2 medium tomatoes

Garlic pods minced 4 5

Capsicum  half a medium sized one chopped finely

Carrot 1 medium chopped finely

Garam masala 1 tsp

Pepper powder 1/2 tsp

Tomato sauce 1 tsp

Oil/Butter 2 tsp +2 tsp

Salt to taste

Cheese cubes 1

To prepare the chicken

Boneless chicken pieces chopped in to small pieces half a cup

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Lime juice of half a medium lime

Oil 1 tsp

Heat oil in a pan, add the chicken and fry until done.Keep aside.

• In a pan heat 2 tsp oil, add the chopped vegetables and saute them well.Keep aside.
• Heat oil in same pan, add oil, add the chopped garlic and saute well.
• Now add the onion puree and fry well until the oil leaves the sides.
• Add the tomato puree and tomato sauce and cook well until both are well combined.
• Add the garam masala and pepper powder.
• Add the cooked pasta and mix well.Check for salt.
• Add water if you want it a little loose.
• Mix in the sauteed vegetables and lime chicken.
• Add chopped cheese cubes.

http://foodssrilanka.blogspot.sg/2013/03/cook-like-celebrity-chef-5.html

Sending this to Bon Vivant:Kids Delight, One pot meal

Pasta with cheese and lime chicken

, 

Its been  while since we had pasta, so i made it for breakfast this weekend.Since i had some chicken in hand so this is what i whipped up and it was a wonderful breakfast a break refreshing break from our everyday southindian fares or breads.

 

Fried Chicken and apple pineapple salad

Everyone loves fried chicken!Winter is the time for lovely fresh fruits and so this easy combo with fried rice for a easy weekend lunch came up.

These are pictures i clicked back home while i was resting after my delivery.I thought it wouldn't be too tough managing too kids and not neglecting my blog.But now its difficult to cook everyday lunch itself with the baby.So until i can get back to proper cooking i have to make do with these pictures lying in the draft.

For the salad :
You need : Apples,cucumber, pineapple roughly chopped.
For the dressing : in a jar, mix olive oil,pepper,salt and lime juice and give it a good mix now pour over the cut fruits and mix well.

For the fried chicken :
You need :

Chicken 1/4 kg
Salt to taste
Curd 1 tablespoon
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder/dhaniya powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp

• Mix all the above with the chicken and let it rest for half hour.
• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry until chicken is done.

• Serve hot with fried rice or as a starter with any sauce of your choice.

Fried Chicken and apple pineapple salad

Everyone loves fried chicken!Winter is the time for lovely fresh fruits and so this easy combo with fried rice for a easy weekend lunch came up.

Chicken fried Rice - Chinese style

I'm taking a vacation of sorts for the next 2 months and will try to make a post once in a while whenever i can.I'll be bored without visiting blogs and commenting on those yummy recipes.
I made this rice for our wedding anniversary and it was a hit even my daughter who picks out vegetables from everything successfully had some of this rice.

This is a very easy dish and even though i have added meat to this, vegetarians can casually leave it out and make a vegetarian version of the same.

 I have used a small sized aromatic rice we are familiar in Chennai as Jeera rice but it would taste good with any long grained rice too.

You need

Cooked rice 2 cups

Vegetables finely - carrots, beans, cabbage, capsicum and spring onions(whites) about a cup

Spring onion greens 2 tablespoons

Oil 2 3 tablespoons
Soya sauce 1 and half tsp
Chilli sauce 1 tsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Vinegar a tsp
 Garlic 2 pods
Salt to taste
Boneless chicken a cup

• To prepare the chicken - marinate the chicken in salt and chilli powder and let it rest.
• Cook the marinated chicken in a pan and shred into desired sized pieces.
• Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan, add oil, add the garlic pods crushed, add the vegetables(except spring onion greens) and saute well in the oil until cooked. 
• Once the vegetables are almost done add the sauces and vinegar and let it simmer well.Add pepper powder to this.Check for salt now.
•  Mix the cooked rice along with the vegetables and add the cooked chicken to this.

• Mix everything well and serve hot with any tomato sauce or any spicy curry of your choice.

Chicken fried Rice - Chinese style

I'm taking a vacation of sorts for the next 2 months and will try to make a post once in a while whenever i can.I'll be bored without visiting blogs and commenting on those yummy recipes.
I made this rice for our wedding anniversary and it was a hit even my daughter who picks out vegetables from everything successfully had some of this rice.

Chicken Biryani - with home ground spices

Is anyone ever satisfied that they have the perfect biryani recipe.....until i made this biryani, i was always trying to better my biryanis but i think i have reached my perfect biryani recipe with this one!

I usually think that making freshly ground spice powders are a bit tedious.But recently i can definitely see the difference the freshly ground spices make to the dishes.
Hence forth, i know I'm not going to be using any ready made powders for my biryanis in a while :) or ever!

Home made garam masala powder

For the ground spice mixture : roast the following in a pan and grind to a fine powder
Cinnamon 3/4 large pieces
Clove 10/12 numbers
Cardamom 6nos
Aniseeds/saunf 1tbsp
Star anise 2 pieces
Pepper 1tsp
Dhaniya seeds/Coriander seeds 1 n half tsp

For marinating the chicken: 

Chicken half kg and a little more 

Yogurt 2 tablespoons

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp each ground separately

Chilli powder 1tsp

Above spice powder 1tsp

Salt to taste

• Marinate the chicken for about an hour(or atleast for half hour) in the above marinade.Refrigerate until you cook it.
• Add about 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the marinated chicken with the marinade and cover and cook until the chicken is soft.

To make the masala/wet gravy for the biryani
Ghee/oil 3 tablespoons
Onions 2 large
Tomato 3 medium/2 large
Ginger garlic paste 1 tablespoon
Green chillies 2 slit at the tops
Generous Hand full each of coriander leaves and mint leaves chopped finely
Lime juice of half a medium sized one
Saffron few strands soaked in quarter cup of milk
Yogurt 2 tablespoons
Ground spice powder 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Basmati rice 3cups soaked and drained after half an hour
Water 5 and half cups

• Heat oil/ghee in a wide mouthed vessel, add one or two pieces each of cinnamon and star anise and then add the onions and let it fry until a deep brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
• Add the tomatoes and let it cook completely until mashed well.Add the yogurt to this and mix well.Add the chopped mint,coriander leaves and green chillies let them fry well.
• Add the cooked chicken with the oil and juices all from the pan into this and let this cook well.
• Add the basmati rice and saute well until dry and then add the ground spice powder.
• Add enough water for the rice to cook and add the saffron soaked milk.
• Add salt to taste and if you feel the spices are less add more of the ground spice powder.
• Add lime juice and cover and cook for about 11-12 minutes until all the water gets absorbed and the rice is nice and fluffy.Garnish with chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot chicken biryani with raitha and pickle.

Note:

1. you can use hard boiled eggs instead of chicken and make an egg biryani using the same above steps.Just skip the marinating the chicken part.
2. I have added a little more of ghee and oil as this keeps the biryani nice and juicy and moist.You can reduce the quantity as per need.
3. If you need a more spicy or hot biryani you can add more green chillies or chilli powder while adding the ground spice powder.

Sending this to

Chicken Biryani - with home ground spices

Is anyone ever satisfied that they have the perfect biryani recipe.....until i made this biryani, i was always trying to better my biryanis but i think i have reached my perfect biryani recipe with this one!