Simple Chicken Biryani

This is a simple chicken biryani recipe where the biryani is cooked in the pressure cooker.  After experimenting with a lot of recipes I have come up with this recipe and find it works beautifully. So when I don't feel up to making the elaborate biryani, I go for this and find most people like this as much as the layered more elaborate biryani.

Ingredients

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Chicken - 1/2kg (cut into medium size pieces)
• Onions -4 sliced
• Tomato -4 chopped
• Curd/Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Mint leaves - 1/2 a bunch
• Coriander leaves - a bunch
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala  powder- 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 4
• Green cardamom - 4
• Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste - 4 tsp
• Cashew nuts -10
• Poppy seeds - 1tbsp
• Ghee/oil- 1/2 cup
• Green chillies -6 chopped
• Eggs - 4 boiled
• Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in curd/yogurt, salt and garam masala powder for atleast 1hr (preferably overnight).
2. Pressure cook chicken for 1 whistle and then let it cook for about 7 minutes on low heat. Keep aside.
3. Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes. Then drain and keep aside.
4. Put non-stick pan on the fire, add about 1tbsp of ghee and fry the drained rice till dry.
5. Heat oil/ghee in a non-stick pan, add spices - cloves, cardamom, cinnamon powder. Add the onions and fry till onions start to turn golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomato, chopped green chillies. Fry till tomato is cooked. 
6. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, turmeric powder, chilly powder and fry till oil separates.
7. Grind together cashew nuts & poppy seeds. Mix the cashew nut and poppy seeds into the frying masala.
8. Add the partially cooked chicken to the masala and mix for a few minutes till chicken is well coated.
9. Transfer contents to pressure cooker.
10. Add the rice and  salt.
11. Add 4 cups of water to the cooker contents.
12. Cover the pressure cooker and cook until you hear one whistle.
13. Remove the pressure cooker from the gas and let it cool before opening. The cooker needs to cool for atleast 30 minutes before opening. This is to ensure that the rice cooks well. The rice cooks with the steam trapped in the cooker so it is important to let it cool with the weight on and the steam trapped inside.
14. Place 4 eggs in a saucepan filed with water. Once the water starts to boil, lower the flame and let the eggs cook for 10 minutes.
15. Take pan of eggs off the fire and plunge eggs into cold water.
16. When the eggs cool, peel and slice in half and sprinkle with salt.
17. Once biryani is ready decorate with sliced eggs and serve!

Chicken with chorizo & potatoes

This is one of my favorite oven recipes. This recipe is inspired by Nigella Lawson's Spanish Chicken recipe. I have modified her recipe since I found the original a bit bland. It is super easy and I usually make this when I've had a long day and don't want to spend too much time cooking in the kitchen. All the ingredients go into a baking pan and then it cooks happily in the oven while you relax and wait for it to get ready! It really doesn't get better than this! Tastes delicious too! You can serve with garlic bread or pasta.

Ingredients

• Olive oil - 3tbsp
• Chicken - 600 gms ( legs or thigh pieces preferable)
• Chorizo or spanish sausage - 250 gms sliced
• Baby potatoes /new potatoes - 500 gms
• Onions - 2 sliced
• Oregano -2 tsp
• Cayenne pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Chilli flakes - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - To taste

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in cayenne pepper powder, chilli flakes, salt and 1tbsp of olive oil. If you don't like too much spice you can avoid the chilli flakes. Ensure you make cuts on the chicken so that the marinade seeps into the chicken. Also do not remove the skin as this gets really crispy in the oven and makes the dish even tastier.
2. Pre-heat oven to 220 Deg C. In case oven has fan, then heat to 200 Deg C. 
3. Put 2 tbsp of  olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil, then turn skin-side up.
4. Chop up the chorizo sausages and the baby/new potatoes and put it around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle salt on the potatoes.
5. Cook for 1 hour in the oven, but after 30 minutes, turn the chicken pieces over so the other side cooks well too. The chorizo will give out orange colored oil/juices as it cooks. Baste the contents with the orange-coloured juices. Keep an eye on the chorizo slices when you are turning the chicken over, in case they are getting overcooked and becoming too dry and crispy remove them and you can add it again while serving.
6. Once the chicken and potatoes are golden brown it is ready to eat! 

Egg Masala

Eggs are versatile and can be used to enhance a dish such as fried rice, biryani etc or it can be the main ingredient in a dish. I love eggs and egg masala is one of my favorites! Best with chapathi's or paratha's but can also be eaten with basmati rice.

Ingredients:

• Eggs - 3 or 4
• Onions - 4 large sliced
• Tomatoes - 2 chopped
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper powder -  1/4 tsp
• Salt - To taste
• Oil -5-6 tbsp
• Parsley or Coriander - To decorate & garnish

Method:

1. Place eggs in a pan full of water and once the water boils, lower heat and let it cook for 10 minutes.
2. Take pan of eggs off the fire and plunge eggs into cold water.
3. When the eggs cool, peel and keep aside.
4. In a non-stick pan put oil and fry the onions till light brown colour.
5. Then add the masala powders in the order given above.
6. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add tomatoes.
7. Once tomatoes are cooked add the boiled eggs.
8. Mix well and pile the onions on top of the eggs. Fry for a few more minutes.
9. Decorate and garnish with parsley or coriander.
10. Egg masala is ready to be served.

Chilly Hing Potato

When my sister and I left home after college to work in a different city, my mum took the trouble to write a book full of easy to follow recipes for us so that we would not starve. This recipe is one of them and always brings back fond memories.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 3 large
• Hing or Asafoetida - 1/4  tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 4-5 tbsp
• Coriander or Parsley - To garnish

Method:

1. Put the potatoes in a pressure cooker with water. Initially let the flame be high, once the cooker whistles, lower the flame and pressure cook the potatoes for 10 minutes on low flame.
2. Peal and cube potatoes.
3. Place non-stick pan on fire and add oil. Don't let it get too hot.
4. Mix the powders- red chilly powder, turmeric powder, hing and salt in a small bowl and keep it ready.
5. Add the mixed powders to the oil and immediately add the boiled potato cubes.
6. Fry till the crumbs become crispy.
7. Add coriander or parsley to garnish.
8. Serve with chapathi's or rice.