Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

A royal recipe straight from the erswhile Nizami kitchen of Hyderabad :)

Ingredients:

For Chicken:

• 1 kg Chicken (leg and breast pieces)
• 2 medium sized onions sliced
• 1 cup curd
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• Salt---as per taste

For Rice:

• A small Muslin Cloth
• 2-3 Black Cardamoms, 2-3 Green Cardamoms, 2 inch Cinnamon Stick, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 nos. Mace
• Black Cumin seeds
• 2-3 tbsp Ghee
• 2 Cups Rice
• 1 tbsp Salt

For Garnishing:

• 1/2 cup Raisins
• 1 tbsp Saffron mixed in warm milk
• Fried Onions
• Coriander and Mint leaves (optional)
• Rose Water(optional)

For Dum:
A mound of dough


Method:

• Mix all the spices and curd with the chicken and referigerate the marinated chicken overnight
• Now heat some Oil in the Pan and cook the chicken till its half done. You will know its half done when you poke the chicken with a fork and the fork will go in easily but the flesh will not fall off the bone
• Now tie all the solid spices mentioned above in the muslin cloth
• Boil water in a Pan and add the muslin cloth , Black Jeera and Ghee and Salt in the water
• Add the rice and boil till the rice is also half done (Remember the rice should be soaked atleast 30 mins before boiling)
• Now Drain the excess water and keep the rice aside
• Now in a deep pan, spread evenly a layer of chicken Pieces and above it a layer of rice
• Sprinkle some raisins, Fried onions, Coriander and Mint leaves and a spoon of Saffron and milk and Rose water respectively.
• Now again put a layer of chicken above this and then rice and repeat the process until all chicken and rice is finished
• Now Put the lid on the Pan and cover it with dough and cook it on Dum for atleast 30 mins

Serve Hot with Raita :)

Kadhi Pakoda...

A staple food that is eaten at many households ideally with boiled rice.

Ingredients:

 For Pakodas:

• 2 large Onions sliced
• 2-3 Green Chillies evenly cut (optional)
• 4-5  tbsp Besan or Gram Flour
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tbsp Corn Flour
• Salt-- as per taste
• Oil--for deep frying

For Kadhi:

• 2 Cups Curd
• 4-5 tbsp Gram Flour or Besan
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 7-8 Curry Leaves
• 2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt--as per taste
• Oil--as per taste

Method:

• Mix all the spices in the Gram Flour and make a paste by adding water
• Add the sliced onions and chillies
• Heat Oil in a wok and fry the Pakodas. Set it aside
• Now mix the Gram Flour and Curd in a bowl and beat it thoroughly so that no lumps are formed
• Heat some oil in a Pan and add dry red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them splutter
• Now add the gram flour-curd mix in it and stir continuously
• Stirring continuously is very important so that no lumps are formed
• Now while stirring, add all the spices and Salt
• Bring the mixture to boil
• Now add the Pakodas in it
• Now as per your requirement add or do not add water to gain the required consistency
• Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt

Serve Hot with Boiled Rice :)

Murg Malai Boti

Can be consumed both as a delicious snack or a full fledged meal.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg Boneless Chicken cut into cubes
• 1 Cup Fresh Cream
• 1 tbsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt--as per taste

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients with chicken and referigerate for atleast 3-4 hours
• Roast the chicken on skewers on Tandoor or Oven till they turn Golden Brown

Serve Hot alone as a Snack or with Buttered Buns and Salad as a meal :)

Daal Bhara Paratha...

Another very tasty and nutritious recipe, very ideal for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 400 gms Chana Daal
• 2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1tbsp Mint Paste
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 Sliced Onion
• Ghee- as per taste
• Salt- as per taste

Method:

• Cook the Chana Daal in the Pressure Cooker by adding some salt and turmeric powder. Be careful while adding water, only add so much that will soften the Daal without making it watery
• Empty the cooked Daal in a bowl. Add rest of the spices and sliced Onion.
• Adjust the salt by tasting the mixture
• Roll the dough and make the Parathas in the normal manner by filling the Daal mixture

Serve Hot with Curd or Kheer :)

Chicken Handi...

Also known as Murg Handi. There are many variations of this recipe, but I cooked the one closest to the original one after a lot of research :)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Chicken
• 1/2 cup Curd
• 1/2 cup Fresh Cream
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tbsp Grated Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
•  1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1  Sliced Onion
• 1 Green Onion
• 2-3 Tomatoes
• Salt- as per taste
• Oil- as per taste

For Marination:

• Take chicken in a bowl
• Add the cup of fresh cream in the chicken,1 tbsp Garam Masala, 2 tbsp Lime Juice, a pinch of salt
• Mix them well with the chicken and referigerate for atleast 2 hours

Method:

• Heat Oil in a Pan
• Add sliced onions and Coriander Powder and fry till they turn golden brown
• Add tomatoes and rest of the spices and fry till the oil separates
• Add the marinated Chicken. Cover and cook for 5 minutes
• Add the Green Onions and stir fry until done

Serve with Roti or Rice :)

Garlic Paratha...

Very easy to prepare. Puts a new flavour and twist into the regular paratha and makes the meal even more delicious.

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour to make dough
• Garlic Paste (You can use the readymade paste or Mince fresh Garlic)
• Ghee
• Pinch of Salt

Method:

• Prepare the dough by adding the pinch of salt and a tbsp of ghee in the flour
• Heat some ghee in a bowl and add the garlic paste in it. Mix well
• Roll the dough into a paratha and coat the top layer with the garlic-ghee mix
• Now while keeping this layer on top initially, cook it like normal paratha

Serve Hot :)

Chilli Chicken Desi Style....

Although the original recipe is derived from Chinese, but the authentic recipe is very bland and wont appeal to the majority of Indian taste buds and therefore I have put a little desi twist here ( which is blink-and you-will-miss-it :P ) to make it palatable for Desi Janta.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 700 gms of Boneless Chicken
• 1 Egg White
• 2 tbsp of Pepper Powder
• 3 tbsp of Corn Flour
• 3 tbsp of Soya Sauce
• 1 diced Onion
• 1 diced Spring Onion
• 1 diced Capsicum
• 2-3 Green Chillies
• 1 tbsp of Chicken Masala Powder
• Salt- as per taste
• Oil- very minimal

Method:

• Cut the Boneless Chicken Pieces into small parts
• Add 1 egg white in it
• Add 1 tbsp of Pepper Powder
• Add 2 tbsp of Corn Flour
• Mix these well with the chicken and keep it aside for atleast 15 mins (You can even referigerate it)
• Now Heat oil in a Pan and fry the Chicken Pieces till they are cooked from both sides
• Dont deep fry them, they should only get tender so that they look white from both sides when they are done
• Keep the fried chicken pieces aside
• Now Drain the excess Oil or Heat about 2 tbsp of Oil in another Pan and add diced Onions, Capsicum, Spring Onions and Green Chillies in it
• Stir fry for a minute and then add 1 tbsp of Chicken Masala( this is the Desi twist...in original recipe its not added)
• Add 1 tbsp pf Pepper Powder and stir fry
• Mix 1 tbsp of Corn Flour and Soya Sauce in a bowl of warm water (You can also use Chicken Stock)
• Add this to the Pan, add salt and stir fry for a couple of minutes

You can serve it with Egg Fried Rice, Plain Boiled Rice or Noodles.