Sometimes I find it extremely difficult to start my posts. Some days, I love the flow but most of the times, my mind acts stuck and slow. I am feeling exactly that way today. Maybe when I am in a position to write more, I may jot in down. It has been more than 13 years since I have had a part of my family living with me, whether it’s my parents, and after that my brother and his family. Very soon, I am going to be without having any of them around – just the four of us. I am somehow feel odd. You get into a literal comfort zone when you have somebody of your family with you, whether it is leaving the kids at home or making meals. Life takes a little of a lazy approach, and I have been that way for a long time now. It is not that I haven’t had those times where I have worked on my own, but sometimes I have felt it has been limited. Anyway, life is supposed to be always volatile and we need to take on when things come our way, isn’t it? We are just sad that my niece won’t be around, but then since they are staying just a street away, it is a relief that we can always hop in…
I have mentioned time and again how picky my girls are. Even though they like biriyani, they don’t want anything to be biting in it. So this biriyani, which has a boiled and ground masala, clicked instantly with them. Even though the list of ingredients is very similar to how we would make a biriyani, the reason I call it “Easy” is because there is no tedious process of slicing onions, chopping tomatoes and waiting for the masala to get done. You can basically concentrate on other matters while the whole thing is happening. And if you have kids just like mine, then maybe you will see this on repeat on your menu. Hehe… Another thing is that this recipe is that very little ghee is used, so that you don’t feel guilty about having more of it. Somehow, I do agree that biriyanis with more ghee always tastes best, but too much of anything isn’t recommended any way, so if you are in a mood for some biriyani during the week but don’t want it to just sort out your cravings, then this recipe is for you. Off to it…
Easy Chicken Biriyani
Ingredients
- 3 cups of rice
- 1 ltr water
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp oil
- FOR CHICKEN:
- 1 kg chicken
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- FOR MASALA:
- 3 large onions roughly cubed
- 2 medium tomatoes roughly cubed
- 3 green chillies
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
- FOR REST:
- 2 heaped tbsp ghee
- 1 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste
- Garam masala powder as required
- Coriander and mint leaves for dum
- 1 tbsp rose water
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Add all ingredients for the chicken and mix well to marinate. Leave aside for 30 minutes.
- In a saucepan, add the ingredients for the masala. Bring it to boil. Cook for about 10 minutes till soft. Allow to cool. Blitz into a smooth paste.
- In a large pan, heat the ghee. Fry the ginger garlic paste. Add the chicken along with all the marinade - add some water in the bowl to rub off all the marinade and pour into the pan. Cook on low flame.
- Once the chicken is partly cooked, add the masala.
- Cook, stirring occasionally till done. Add 3/4 tsp garam masala powder and mix well. Adjust seasoning.
- Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a pan along with the salt, turmeric and oil to cook the rice. Once the water is boiled, add the rice and allow it to come to a rolling boil. Keep the flame to bare minimum and cook till the rice absorbs all the water. The rice would be cooked with a slight bite.
- To start the process of dum, keep a tawa to heat and keep the saucepan with the chicken masala on top. Sprinkle in some coriander and mint leaves. Layer the rice on top. Sprinkle in some garam masala powder, some more coriander and mint leaves and the rose water. Close the lid tight and cook on dum for 20-25 minutes. Switch off.
- To serve, open and toss the rice well. Serve warm with raita and pickle.
These are simple and fast to prepare and everyone enjoyed them!Thank you so much for the recipe!