Chicken Biryani With Raitha

Biryani is a favorite dish of this region and it won't be wrong if I'd say, that it's the national dish of Pakistan! You'd find different types of 'Chicken Biryani' just in one town alone so imagine, what diversity this delicious dish holds in itself that you would find a different flavor, look and recipe of Biryani if you travel from one corner to the other of the same city! This dish of cooked meat and rice layered and simmered together was known as a meal of royals as it is a Mughali dish and was made for the kings but as the time passed on, it became a common man's food too. It is served at weddings and special occasions and religious festivities for its extravagance yet, for it being a complete meal, is prepared specially for the weekend dinner as well as during the weekdays. There are different types of Biryani that are prepared in every household and includes not just the different kinds of Chicken Biryani but Biryani made with lamb/mutton/beef, fish, mix vegetables, chickpeas/garbanzo beans as well that I shall share the recipes of all in my future posts, In Sha Allah (God Willing)
Growing up, I remember that Chicken Biryani was one of the family favorite meals prepared by my mother over the weekends but sometimes she even used to surprise us by making it for lunch during the weekdays. I remember feeling so happy after coming back home from school and discovering that we're having Chicken Biryani for dinner :D Oh, the little joys of life! Whenever we had Biryani on a weekend, for dessert it was always the classic Trifle that later I started helping my mother to prepare. I will share the recipe of that Trifle in my next post, In Sha Allah (God willing).
Raitha- a yogurt and vegetables dip is a must with Biryani as it's cooling characteristics really pairs well with the spiciness of this dish and enhances it's flavors too. It is something that we have a special taste preference for at my home so, I thought to share the recipe of it too along with this Biryani I'm sharing with you today. This meal i.e Biryani, Raitha and then Trifle for dessert is still continued to be prepared at ours and we all happily enjoy it with big smiles on our faces :D My Dad is not fond of chicken but likes Chicken Biryani for its delicious combinations of flavors and aromas. We sometimes pair Shaami Kebabs (lentils and meat kebabs) with Biryani to make it a perfect meal :)

The first Biryani I ever cooked was by using a spice mix available in the stores. My parents were out of country a couple of years back and we siblings were feeling quite low and sad missing them esp, our Mom and her presence. She had already cooked some meals for us and stored them in the freezer and the only thing we had to do was to reheat it after coming back from school but over one weekend, we terribly craved for Chicken Biryani and I decided to make it by using the mix as for the time zone difference, I couldn't ask my Mom the recipe of her special Chicken Biryani. The instructions were already printed on the Masala pack and by following them, I managed to make an acceptable yet palatable version of Chicken Biryani the recipe of which also called for adding some potatoes in it. I then regularly carried on with making Biryani by using the Masala (spice mix) pack even after my mother arrived back but as I got hold of the entire procedure of the Biryani making, I started adding the spices myself instead of using the pack. I modified the recipe too and totally made it my own which is entirely different from both my mom's and the classic way or the one I learnt by using the pack. I like to do things quickly and and try to make the procedures easy too. Time consuming recipes do not fancy me and the time constraints I face, doesn't leave me with the patience to stand in the kitchen for long and to go through the tedious methods of cooking classic dishes. The recipe of Biryani that I'm going to share with you is quite lengthy and uses loads of ingredients but believe me, its all worth it and much quicker than the regular recipe! It's my very own yet has all the flavors spices and aroma of the classic Chicken Biryani :)

Let's get some Biryani love Unleashed today, shall we? :D 

Chicken Biryani with Raitha

Ingredients:

For Chicken Masala

Chicken: 1 kg/2.20 lbs (skinless and cut into 12 pieces)

Yogurt: 2 1/2 cups

Onions: 5 medium sized (thinly sliced)

Tomatoes: 4 medium sized (chopped)

Ginger & Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp.

Green Chillies: 2 (finely chopped)

Salt: 2 tbsp.

Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp.

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp.

Cinnamon Stick: 1 

Black Peppercorns: 6

Cloves: 4

Nutmeg: 1/4 tsp. (freshly ground)

Mace: 1/4 tsp. (freshly ground)

Black Cardamom: 1 

Green Cardamom: 2

Star anise: 1

Dried Plums: 10-12

Potatoes: 3 medium sized (cut into thick wedges and soaked into some water with a pinch of Saffron yellow food coloring)

Fresh Coriander/Cilantro Leaves: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Fresh Mint Leave: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Oil: 1 cup

For the Rice

Basmati Rice: 4 cups (soaked in plenty of water for at least an hr before cooking) 

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp.

Cinnamon Stick: 1

Black Peppercorns: 6

Cloves: 4

Black Cardamom: 1

Green Cardamom: 2

Star anise: 1

Green Chilli: 1

Fresh Mint Leaves: 1/4 cup

Oil: 2 tbsp.

Lemon: 1 small sized (cut into slices)

Salt: 1 tbsp.

Water: 8-10 cups (to boil the rice)

To go between the layers

Ginger: 1 inch piece (jullienned)

Tomato: 1 medium sized (cut into slices)

Green Chillies: 2 (jullienned)

Lemon: 1 small sized (cut into slices)

FreshCoriander/Cilantro Leaves: 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Fresh Mint Leaves: 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Yellow/Saffron Food Color: 1/4 tsp.

Kewra Water/Essence: 2 tbsp water/2,3 drops essence

Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp.

Method:

1. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl and marinate it with the beaten yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, Garam Masala powder and all the other whole spices. Cover it with a cling wrap and let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.
2. Heat the one cup of oil in a large, heavy based pot. Take out the potato pieces from the water, pat them dry with a kitchen towel and fry till they are cooked and are of pleasant yellowish golden color. Take them out on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
3. Now fry the sliced onions in the same oil till they are golden. Take out half of them and spread on an absorbent paper.
4. Put the marinated chicken in the remaining oil and the fried onions in the pot along with all of it's yogurt marinade and add the chopped tomatoes to it too. Cover with the lid and cook over medium flame till the chicken is cooked and onions, yogurt  and tomatoes forms a thick, sort of dry masala/gravy and oil is separated. Use water if the chicken is not cooked and cook till its done.
5. Now add the chopped mint and cilantro/coriander leaves, dry plums, fried potatoes and sprinkle some more Garam Masala over the chicken gravy and mix everything together.
6. Boil 8-10 cups of water with the whole spices listed under the rice ingredients along with the green chilli, mint leaves, salt, the lemon slices and oil.
7. Once the water starts boiling, add the pre-soaked and drained rice into it and boil till they are half done. Drain out in a colander and keep aside but reserve 1/4 cup of water from the rice. 
8. Grease a heavy based pot, preferably the same in which you boiled the rice, with some oil taken out from the chicken masala and pour the reserved water from the rice into the pot before adding the first layer of rice to it. This will prevent the rice from sticking at the base while the Biryani simmers.
9. Spread one layer of rice in the bottom of the pot and top with the chicken gravy, some tomato slices, lemon slices, green chillies, mint and cilantro and some fried onions, repeat the layers (I normally make 5 layers; 3 layers of rice and 2 layers of chicken)
10. On the final layer, drizzle some yellow food color dissolved into a little Kewra water or dissolve the food coloring into some plain water and add the essence to it and mix well before using.
11. Sprinkle some Garam Masala on top and cover the lid with a damp tea towel and place it tightly on the pot. Place it over high flame for a min and then simmer for 20-25 mins. You can simply put the pot into a preheated oven (200 C/392 F/Gas Mark 6) instead for that final step but cover the lid with some aluminium foil instead of a damp tea towel. The pot should be oven proof otherwise you can spread the layers into a Pyrex/oven proof dish instead.
12. Once done, mix with a light hand and fluff the rice. Take out into a serving platter, garnish with some crispy fried onions and serve with chilled, thick Raitha and Shaami Kebabs if you like. 

Serves 6-8

Raitha

Ingredients:

Thick Yogurt: 4 cups

Milk: 1/4 cup

Cucumber: 1 large sized (finely chopped or grated)

Onion: 1 medium sized  (finely chopped) 

Tomato: 1 medium sized (finely diced)

Green Chilli: 1 (finely chopped. Optional)

Fresh Mint Leaves: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Fresh Coriander/Cilantro Leave: 1/4 cup (chopped)

Salt: 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp

Chaat Masala: 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method:

1. Put yogurt along with the milk, salt and half of the cumin seeds into a medium mixing bowl and beat well with the help of a hand-held whisk.
2. Add all the chopped vegetables to this beaten yogurt and mix well. Reserve some mint and coriander/cilantro leaves for garnishing.
3. Take out into a serving bowl and sprinkle some Chaat Masala on top (if using) the cumin seeds and the remaining mint and coriander/cilantro leaves.
4. Chill well before serving.

Serves 6-8

Notes:

1. All the whole spices, the Garam Masala and Chaat Masala and Basmati rice can be found easily at the ethnic stores.
2. The marination can be done a day ahead and even the chicken can be cooked ahead for convenience and to save time.
3. Leftover Biryani can be stored in an air-tight container and stays well up to 2,3 days if kept refrigerated. It can be frozen too up to a month. Just put in the fridge to thaw it completely before heating.  

Phew! That's all my dear readers! :) Seasonings/Spice level and the amount of the ingredients can always be adjusted according to your taste and desire. I hope you enjoy making and eating it. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please remember in your Du'as/prayers! :)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you! 

  

Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka/Tandoori Tikka

As a kid I hated chicken! Yes, you heard me right; I couldn't even stand the sight of it! And why was that? I had a fever once as a little girl and during that period of sickness, I started loathing this meat; the reason is not clear to me still but the thought of it used to give me a sick feeling. My parents put their utmost efforts to bring me back to liking it but, it was of no avail. It was after the umpteenth try that my Dad won the battle and what did he try feeding me that won my heart? Yep, you guessed it right! The scrumptious piece of Chicken Tikka; He put one morsel into my mouth and the burst of flavors got me hooked on it for life! So folks, that's how I found my love for chicken, by Chicken Tikka (if I don't sound like Ted from 'How I met your mother' :P)

The Chicken Tikka that my Dad fed me was barbecued but not every day you can fire up your barbecue grill esp. if you are living in the parts of the world where you don't get to see the sun often or the places where sun is too much in love with us (its 42 C in Lahore at the moment!) Therefore, we have used oven as a substitute to prepare this Tikka, whenever we wish to and made life easier for us. I can assure you that you'd not find any big difference in between the two ways of preparing this palatable chicken dish except that the one prepared over the coals would have that distinctive aroma and flavor that the oven-baked would lack. We can however overcome that 'foible' by simply placing a burning coal emanating the smoke, over the cooked Tikkas for a few seconds to infuse in that specific barbecued flavor and Voila, no one can say that these chicken pieces are baked and not BBQued.

This is one of my Mom's favorite dishes too and trust me she's very choosy when it comes to favorites. She won't admit it but she even applies the same rule while picking a favorite amongst her children. Although we very well know who that is but let's keep it a secret by saying all of us are her favorite (my mom's usual answer :P) So, on Mother's day I thought to specially prepare it for her along with Roasted Potatoes and for dessert I made Vanilla-Brownie Surprise cake (recipes will be in my future posts, In Sha Allah- God willing) 

She loved and all of us were delighted, Alhumdulilah (praise to Allah) :D

I used chicken cut into 16 pieces but you can use chicken cut into 4 or 8 pieces too to give that authentic Tikka look. The same marinated chicken can be prepared over the coals or the marinated boneless chicken threaded onto the wooden skewers can be baked instead, the choice is yours. So let me share with you my Mom's favorite Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka which is our family favorite and is certainly going to become your's very soon too :) 

Let's get some oven-baked bbqueing unleashed in your kitchens today! :D

Oven-Baked Chicken Tikka

Ingredients:

Chicken: 1 1/2 kg/2.20 lbs (cut into 16 or 8 or 4 pieces)
Yogurt: 1/2 cup (beaten)
Lemon Juice: 1/4 cup
Ginger Powder: 1 tsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger paste)
Garlic Powder: 1 tsp (or 1 1/2 tsp of fresh garlic paste)
Salt: 1 tbsp
Chili Powder: 1 1/2 tsp 

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Red Food Coloring: a pinch

Meat Tenderizer: 1/4 tsp (optional) 

Mustard Oil: 1/4 cup (can use vegetable or olive oil instead)

Onion Rings: for garnishing

Method:

1. Prick the chicken pieces with the help of a fork. If using 8 or 4 pieces portions, then mark deep slits on each chicken portion. Put them in to a wide mixing bowl.
2. Beat the yogurt and add all the spices along with the lemon juice and the meat tenderizer (if using) and mix well.
3. Pour the prepared marinade and the oil over the chicken pieces and mix well so that all of the marinade evenly coats over all the pieces.
4. Now cover the bowl with its lid or with the help of a cling film and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours prior to cooking. Overnight works best.
5. Take out from the fridge about 15-20 mins before you start preparing for cooking.
6. Preheat the oven at 200 C/392 F/Gas Mark 6.
7. Line your baking pan with an aluminum foil and grease it with the help of a greasing brush.
8. Place all the chicken pieces on the baking pan and spoon the marinade over all the pieces.
9. Place the baking pan in to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Turn over the pieces half way through cooking.
10. Once the chicken is cooked, all of the marinade dries but the chicken is still juicy, turn on the top grill of the oven and grill the chicken pieces for 8-10 minutes to give them that dark brown color.
11. Take out of the oven, dish out and garnish with the onion rings.
12. If wish to give the coal smoke to get that authentic barbecued flavor, aroma or the Tandoori effect, simply let the coal burn red hot over the stove. Once the Tikkas come out of the oven, put a piece of foil or stale bread in the middle of the Tikkas and place the burning hot coal piece on it with the help of a pair of tongs. Pour a drop or two of oil on that coal. Smoke will start releasing out of it. Cover the baking pan with a large lid or foil for a minute, NOT more than that. Uncover, take out the coal and the foil/bread piece and serve the Tikkas after garnishing.
13. Serve hot with fresh Naan, Salad and Green Chutney or Mint Raitha (dip).

Serves 4-6

Ingredients needed

Pour marinade and oil over the chicken pieces

Marinated pieces

Ready to go in to the oven

Baked Chicken fresh out of the oven :)

That's all barbecue fans! :) The spice level and the baking time can always be adjusted according to your taste buds and the type of your ovens. I hope you enjoy making and eating them. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please remember in your Du'as/prayers! :)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you! 

Punjabi Chicken Pulao

When you think of Comfort-Food what comes to your mind? To mine, a rice dish, specially at the time when hunger pangs don't leave me in solace; it certainly has to be Chicken Pulao! :D I'm sure most of you will agree with me. 

I'm literally obsessed with rice and if I could, I would've had rice everyday and this type of Chicken Pulao that's called Punjabi for its cooking style/origin, is most certainly on top of my all-time favorite dishes! So naturally my 1st post on a main course dish had to be of rice besides, my best friend requested for it so, Fayee, this ones for you :D

This one-pot meal was introduced to us by my Khala (maternal aunt) while we were vacationing in Pakistan during school holidays. To be honest with you, my mom always made different type of Pulao before in which she prepared Yakhni (stock) and cooked rice in it (I shall be sharing the recipe of my mom's Pulao in the future posts) so, when she prepared a large pot of Punjabi Pulao, and dished out steaming hot rice while I was witnessing her culinary skills in the kitchen, which is my favorite task, the aroma that filled the kitchen and entered my nostrils, was enough to make me salivate (the memory still managed to do the same at this very moment :D)

The dinner was served and that day onward, I got hooked on it! My Mom got the recipe from her and switched to cooking it her way. I learnt to make it from my Mom years later naturally and just by watching her and asking her questions like always, as she busily gets on with the cooking. She even succeeded in turning my Dad into a devout fan of this delectable dish who's not very fond of chicken meat. I hope that should be evident enough to prove that what a beautiful meal it is :)

This hearty meal is not only served at Dawats (dinners,feasts etc) but is widely prepared for regular everyday meal as well. The blend of good quality Basmati rice, juicy tender chicken pieces, some vegetables to prepare Masala and aromatic spices creates such an amazing flavor that it is almost impossible to not love this succulent dish! (have I achieved the desired aim of making you fall for it yet or not? hmmm let me try some more) 

Punjabi Pulao with chilled Raitha (a dip made by using yogurt and fresh vegetables) is simply an oh-so-divine combo! But it can be paired with some Salan (curry) or Shorba (thin gravy) preferably made with meat, such as, Koftay (meatballs-both cooked as Salan or Shorba) Palak Gosht (spinach curry made with chicken or mutton/lamb) Aloo Gosht (Potatoes and meat cooked in thin gravy) to turn it into a rather grand meal (don't worry, you will find the recipes of all the aforementioned dishes in my upcoming posts, just stay tuned)
Mm-mm I'm drooling now so shall we see how this luscious dish is prepared? :)
So here we go, Let the cook be unleashed! :D 

Punjabi Chicken Pulao


Ingredients: 

1 kg chicken pieces (without skin)
4 cups of Basmati rice (soaked for an hour before cooking)
2 large onions (sliced)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup yogurt (beaten) 
2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste 
2 Green chilies 
1 tbsp. salt 
1 tsp red chili powder 
1 tsp coriander powder 
1 tsp Garam Masala powder 
1 tbsp of whole Garam Masala (black pepper corns, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, bay leaf, star anise all mixed together)
1/2 tsp of nutmeg, mace and fennel seed powder (mixed) 
3/4 cup of oil. 
5 cups + 1/2 cup of water 
Fresh coriander leaves and chopped green chilies for garnishing 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and fry onions in it till light golden-brown. 
2. Add ginger and garlic paste and the whole Garam Masala and fry for a few seconds. 
3. Now add 1/2 cup of water and cook till onions turn pasty. 
4. Add chicken pieces to it along with half of the salt and fry well till the chicken changes its color to golden-brown. 
5. Keep on frying for a few minutes more and add chopped tomatoes, chopped green chilies and all the spices to the chicken and mix well. 
6. Now add the beaten yogurt, give another mix and let this cook, covered over medium flame for 10 minutes.
7. If chicken is not cooked after 10 minutes, add a little water to cook it completely. 
8. Add 5 cups of water and the other half of the salt after all the moisture has been evaporated, chicken is cooked, gravy is formed and the oil added has been separated. 
9. Once the water starts boiling, add the drained rice and mix gently. 
10. Let the rice cook covered for 5 minutes over medium flame. 
11. Check after five minutes and if the water has been partially evaporated, mix again gently and sprinkle some chopped coriander and green chilies on top and turn the flame to the lowest possible. 
12. Cover the pot with a tea towel, place the lid back on and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Once the rice is done, turn off the flame, fluff the rice very gently and take out in a serving platter. Serve with chilled Raitha
    
    Serves: 4-6

That's all my dear readers! :) Seasoning can always be adjusted according to your taste and desire. I hope you enjoy making and eating it. Until next time, keep sharing the goodness of this greatest blessing, that has been bestowed in abundance upon us the lucky ones, with the less fortunate ones.
Thank you and please remember in your Du'as/prayers! :)

*Not be duplicated, rewritten or published without permission- Thank you!