Chicken Biryani -Kerala Style

  
Ingredients:

For Cooking Rice:

• Basmati Rice-2 cups(I use Tilda)
• Cinnamon Sticks-2-3 small 1/2''pieces
• Cardamom pods-4
• Cloves-5
• Bay leaf-2
• Water-4 cups
• Lemon juice-1tbsp,freshly squeezed
• Ghee-2tbsp
• Salt to taste 

 For Marination:

• Chicken-750gm,medium pieces
• Turmeric powder-a couple of pinches
• Chilly powder-1/2tsp
• Black Pepper-1/2tsp,crushed
• Garam masala-1/2tsp,freshly crushed
• Salt to taste  

For Masala:

• Onion-3,thinly sliced
• Ginger-1tbsp,crushed
• Garlic-1tbsp,crushed
• Green Chilly-10-12(adjust as per ur tolerance level)
• Tomato-2,big size,chopped
• Turmeric powder-a couple of pinches
• Coriander powder-2tsp
• Garam masala-1tsp
• Mint leaves-1/4cup,chopped
• Coriander leaves-a handful,chopped
• Lemon juice-1tbsp
• Oil/ghee-as required
• Salt to taste

Method:
For Masala Preparation:

• Clean and wash the chicken pieces.Drain out the excess water completely.
• Marinate the chicken pieces with marination ingredients.Keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces in oil,not more than 5 minutes,including both sides.Keep them aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add crushed ginger,garlic and green chillies.Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.Add sliced onion and saute till it turns light golden colour.
• Add chopped tomatoes and saute well.Add turmeric, coriander,garam masala powders and mix well with all the ingredients and saute until the raw smell of the spices disappears.
• Once the raw smell is gone,add the shallow fried chicken pieces,mix well .Add some water and cook covered in medium-low heat until all the water is absorbed and the chicken pieces are coated with the masala.
• Add chopped mint leaves,coriander leaves and combine well.Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala and add 1tbsp fresh lemon juice and mix well.Switch off the heat.

 

 For Cooking  Rice:

• Wash and soak the rice in water for20-30 minutes.Drain the water completely.
• Heat ghee/oil in a pan and add half the quantity of whole spices and add the rice.Saute the rice for few minutes.
• Boil the required amount of water in a vessel with the remaining whole spices,bay leaf,salt.Add the sauteed rice to this and cook covered till the rice is done and the water is completely dried.Sprinkle a few drops of  lemon juice over the rice.Allow to cool and keep aside.

• Take a greased vessel,spread the chicken pieces along with the gravy in the bottom.Now add a layer of cooked rice over this.Drizzle ghee and sprinkle  garam masala powder,fried onions and chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves in between the layers.Repeat this process 3 or 4 times,depending on the quantity of the rice and chicken.
• You can also bake this in a  preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.Cover the vessel with aluminum foil.
• Reserve some nuts,raisins and fried onions for final garnishing before serving.Mix thoroughly.

NOTES:

• Do not overcook the rice.Once it is cooked, allow it to cool by spreading it in a tray or big vessel.
• You may use  crushed shajeera along with your garam masala powder in chicken masala.
• Make sure that the chicken masala should not be watery.
• you may use ground poppy seeds while making the chicken masala.  

Serve hot with Raita,Pickle and Mint-coriander chutney.....

  

Chicken Stew Kerala Style

Stews are mildly spicy and creamy side dish which is very popular in Kerala.This dish is favourite among foreign tourists visiting Kerala.This dish is predominantly made by the christian community in Kerala.Others are also prepared  and they often prepare the veg version for breakfast or special occasions.
We can use mutton or beef to make this flavorful stew.It's perfect for cosy evenings when you want to catch up with friends and family and have a hearty bowl to go with.It's a perfect accompaniment for Kallappam,Palappam,Bread or Pathiri and I can say,this is a yummy combination to add to your party list and guests would love it and praise for your ''kaipunyam".

Here is the recipe for chicken stew
Ingredients:

1. Chicken with bones- 500 gm
2. Potato-1 large,peeled and cubed
3. Shallots/small onions-10-15,sliced
4. Ginger-1'' piece,finely chopped
5. Garlic-2-3 cloves,sliced
6. Green chilly-2-4,slit(As per the tolerance)
7. Curry leaves-2 sprigs
8. Cinnamon-a small piece
9. cardamom-4
10. cloves-2
11. Whole Pepper-1/2-1tsp,crushed
12. Fennel seeds- a small pinch
13. Bay leaf-1
14. Star anise-1/2 
15. Turmeric powder-a couple of pinches 
16. Thin coconut milk-1 cup
17. Thick coconut milk-1/2 cup
18. Vinegar-1/2tsp
19. Salt to taste
20. Lemon juice-1/2tsp
21. Oil-As required 

Method:

1. Wash chicken  and cut into medium size pieces.Keep it in a colander to drain excess water.
2. Marinate chicken with turmeric powder,crushed pepper,vinegar and salt for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a pan,splutter the whole spices.Add ginger,garlic,onion and saute till the onion becomes soft.
4. Add green chillies and curry leaves and stir for few minutes.
5. Add  turmeric powder and stir for few secs.Add chicken pieces and salt and stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Now add thin coconut milk and mix well and cook over medium-low heat stirring occasionally.Cook till the chicken is well cooked(add the potatoes when the chicken is half done).
7. When the chicken is cooked completely,add thick coconut milk and mix well.Adjust the salt.Sprinkle pepper powder and mix well.Do not boil.Just before  turning off the stove,add rest of the curry leaves for the flavor and fragrance.Turn off heat and add few drops of lemon juice.Keep aside for 30 minutes before serving.It tastes best the next day.
8. You can garnish with roasted cashew nuts in ghee also.

Notes:

• Marination is must.
• You can even add 4-5 pieces of carrot also.
• Use fresh coconut milk instead of canned coconut milk or milk powder.
• Use small onions instead of big onions. 
• This dish gains its taste and flavour as it rests.So you cook the stew at least 30 minutes before serving. 
• You can also make this in a pressure cooker in the same way.
• Do not cook with boneless chicken as the dish will lack the flavour and juices produced by bones while cooking. 

 

Serve with Palappam,Kallappam,Bread and Pathiri.Ideal with Chapati as well.
Happy Cooking!!!

  

CHICKEN CURRY WITHOUT COCONUT (KERALA STYLE)

This is my favorite chicken curry,and of course its my mom's style of preparation.This dish is one of the most common side dishes made in Kerala.It has amazing flavors emanating from the shallots,curry leaves,ginger,garlic and spices like cinnamon,fennel seeds,cardamom and cloves.It is a simple and very easy to cook curry that goes well with steamed Rice or with any Indian breads.

Here is the Recipe.
Ingredients:

• Chicken -1kg(cut into medium sized pieces)
• Small onion/shallots(sliced)-15
• green chilly-2 (sliced lengthwise)
• ginger crushed-1''piece
• garlic crushed-7-8 cloves
• bay leaf-2
• cinnamon-1'' piece
• cloves-2-3
• cardamom-2
• fennelseeds-1/2tsp ,crushed
• tomato-1,chopped(optional)
• curry leaves- 2sprigs 
• turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
• chilly powder-1.5tbsp(according to your spice level)
• coriander powder-2tsp
• garam masala powder- 1tsp
• vinegar/lemon juice- 1tsp
• salt to taste
• Oil-1-2tbsp  
  

Method:

• Wash and clean chicken pieces.Drain out water.
• Marinate chicken with turmeric powder,lemon juice,1/2tsp garam masala powder and salt.keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Make a paste of chilly,coriander and turmeric powders with 2-3 tbsp of water.
•  Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cardamom,cinnamon,cloves and saute for a minute.Add ginger,garlic and saute.Add sliced onion.Fry till golden brown on a medium to low flame.Add chopped tomato(optional) and curry leaves.Saute well.
• Now add the spice paste and saute well until the raw smell disappears and the oil starts to separates on the top. 
• Now add chicken pieces,salt and stir well for few minutes and then add half cup of hot water,cover it and allow the chicken pieces to cook well.
• Depending upon the consistency of the gravy,add water. Simmer it for 5 more minutes.Sprinkle 1/2tsp of garam masala powder(to get the aroma of spices)and adjust the salt.This slow- cook process will take 15-20 minutes.Switch off the heat.Allow it to rest for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes: 

1. Adjust chilly powder and green chillies as per your tolerance level. 
2. Use small onion instead of big onion to get the real taste.
3. Do not overcook the chicken pieces.Add less hot water while cooking.      

Serve hot with Plain Rice/       Chappati/Kallappam 

Happy Cooking!!!
 

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