Prawn Biryani

As you all know I'm in India now and enjoying each and every moment here. It's Dusshera-Diwali season, so preparation is at its peak. But I still miss my daily routine there in USA. To be precise, I'm missing my hubby!

I believe, all of us have a similar daily morning routine. Waking up next to your sweetheart.. feeling the morning rays in your balcony.. breathing in the fresh air.. sipping your morning tea and hoping for a perfect day. We bloggers have some extra activities and they are logging into your computer/lappi to check your emails and going thru the comments for your last post.

Most of the time, I'll be reading those comments along with Sree and he will be appreciating me and sometimes pulling my leg for some thoughts present in those posts. I donno why but I'm missing those routines. So today, I thought to share my hubby's favo "Prawn Biryani" and I dedicate this recipe to him.

Well to be very honest, I'm not a die-hard fan of varieties of biryani. At the same time, yeah my hubby is!! But, prawn biryani was my choice. How can you resist to make use of those quality prawns? Prawns needs to be cooked with great care. If they are over-cooked, they will become hard, rubber-like. Also, the spices added in biryani makes prawns spicy, chewy and flavorful.

Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice
20-25 prawns (shells removed)
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1tbsp ginger mince
1 tbsp garlic mince
½ cup cilantro
½ cup mint leaves
2 green chillies
Oil for frying

Masala
1tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp chilli powder
1tbsp cumin powder
1tbsp coriander powder
2tbsp garam masala
4-5 cardamom pods
4-5 cloves
1tbsp whole black pepper
2-3 bay leaves
1 inch cinnamon stick

Garnish
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup cashew nuts
3 tsp ghee for frying nuts and raisins
1 tbsp fried onions
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
a pinch of saffron ( soaked in warm milk)
Method

Heat pot full of water. When the water boils add the rice into it. Take care that the rice is not fully cooked. The texture of rice must be like it needs to be cooked for another 5 mins. Remove from flame and drain water. Spread it gently so that they are not sticky.Meanwhile heat a heavy bottom pan and add the whole cardamoms, cloves,cinnamon,pepper and bay leaves. When they start to splutter add the chopped onions.Saute them and add minced ginger garlic.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook them on low fire till done.Add the masalas. Add prawns and saute them. Add ground cilantro and mint paste. Saute them for couple of minutes .Finally add some water and simmer till the gravy thickens and the prawns are half cooked. Meanwhile in a frying pan, saute raisins and cashew nuts in ghee/ clarified butter.

In a heavy bottom vessel with a lid layer the prawn curry, then rice and finally top them with ingredients for garnishing.Close the lid and simmer on a low fire for 3 to 5 minutes.

Enjoy and serve with raita .

Note: Ready made Biryani masala can be used instead of masala.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Kuwaiti Chicken Biriyani

Although I'm not perfect in biriyani, I've tried making it in number of ways. Cooking chicken and rice in layers, cooking both together, preparing in pressure cooker and this goes on. And everytime I find a difference in outcome. And yesterday I tried by cooking half cooked chicken and rice in layers. Believe me, this came out to be perfect. And when you accompany it with raita, pickle and green salad, it becomes "WOWY!!".

It's true that making biriyani yourself and eating it, is one of the most cherishing experiences in life.

I always suggest that whenever you're preparing biriyani or pulao, use good quality of basmati rice. This results in best flavor and appearance.

Ingredients:

For rice
2-1/2 cups of basmati rice, washed
3-1/2 cups of water

For chicken
500g chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, grated
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp chilli pwd
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp mint leaves, chopped
Salt, as per taste
Pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 1/4 cup of water

Whole Spices
2 bay leaves
4, 1 inch cinnamon stick
3 cloves and green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
3 tsp cumin seeds

Garnish
8-9 cashewnuts, fried
1 tsp chopped cilantro

Method:

Boil water in medium saucepan and when it boils add rice to it. Cook until rice is half cooked. Remove from heat and spread over large platter to cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan and add in all the whole spices. Saute for 1 min and add onion and saute until golden brown. Add garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant.
Now add tomato and all masalas. Cook till tomato becomes soft. Add chicken pieces and some water, stir until chicken gets almost cooked. Add salt and remove from heat.

In a medium pot, place half quantity of prepared rice and the chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and mint over it. Cover the top with the remaining rice.

Pour the saffron water on top. Cover firmly with pot lid and cook over low heat for 30 mins or until rice is cooked.

Garnish with cashewnuts and cilantro. Serve with raita and green salad. Enjoy!!

This entry goes to "Festive Rice" event by Torview.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

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Mutter Pulao

After a long weekend, I'm back with today's recipe... "Mutter Pulao"/ "Pilaf".. A very simple, yet delicious n aromatic dish.. I have few memories linked with Pulao.. One of them is during late fall this used to be one of the most commonly prepared dish by my mom.. But no one in family would get tired of eating.. Everytime she will make some variations in the spices and so the taste also varies as such.. When compared with Biryani, Pulao is quite forgiving, very easy to cook and yes yummy as well...

Ingredients
2 cups Basmati rice (soaked in water for atleast an hour)
1 cup green peas
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 green chilli (chopped)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 small cinnamon stick
A couple of cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Cilantro (to garnish)
1/2 tsp lime juice

Method:
Cook rice with excess water. Once cooked, drain the water and let it cool. Now, heat oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks, saute until the aroma of the spices has infused through the oil. Add green peas and chopped green chillies. Saute them for few minutes. Now add turmeric powder and if required, red chilli powder too. Once the peas are cooked, add salt and turn off the heat.
Add rice to the peas mixture and mix it gently. Add lime juice and garnish with cilantro

Yummy pulao is ready to serve with some raita..!!

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