Kerala Muslim Style Chicken Biriyani

It was a lazy sunday morning when both of us got the starnge craving for good Biriyani!! But instead of going to Paradise(a famous outlet in Secunderabad for Biriyani's) we decided to make it at home. Everyone says that being in Hyderabad why do you have to cook biriyani?? Whenever you feel like eating one, hop on to the nearest joint and you can get a decent one!! But very ironically the so much hyped Hyderabadi Biriyani didnot please neither my hubby's nor my taste buds!! After trying out from the best places here, my search for Biriyanis in this city's restuarants ended!! Thus I started my endeavor with lots of hope to recreate the taste of the Chicken Biriyani from my own homeland, Kerala!! The taste of the sumptuous Chicken Biriyani of Sagar Hotel in Calicut (which I had a decade ago) or the modest Kaikka's Biriyani from Mattanchery made me search the internet for the most authentic recipe.. In such a search I stuck against Mishmash's recipe!!
http://kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com/2007/09/chicken-biryani-indian-rice-flavored.html

It was this recipe on Shn's blog which enticed me to try it out no matter how much ever hard work I had to put in!! With almost half the quantity of rice and chicken it took me long 3 hours in the kitchen!! Was wondering how much time Shn took :D. Anyways, Shn, thanks a ton for sharing this recipe..

With certain minor changes in the procedure and ingredients I recreated the taste which I have been lingering to have!!

I started with the cooking of rice using the traditional stove top method and for the first time I got the most perfectly cooked basmati rice. The chicken kurma had the perfect color it should have had, I guess!! And the very instance I tasted the kurma, I became so sure that the Biriyani is going to be a hit!!

I did the closing ceremony by using the dum method as Shn had mentioned that it is a better way of making biriyani. For which, I greased a large vessel with lots of ghee (do not use steel vessel – the biriyani might get burnt). Randomly placed some chicken pieces along with gravy in the bottom of the dish; then spread some cooked rice, and sprinkled some ground aromatic masala mix; some fried cashew, raisins, fried onions and finely chopped coriander leaves, some ghee and some beaten curd.(Adding ghee and curd made it moist.) Repeated this layering process until the chicken kurma and rice got over. The layering should end with rice which should be topped with fried nuts, raisins, fried onions and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Then sealad the lid with the atta dough and cooked over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Once the gas was turned off I let it remain unopened for around 1 hour.

But the tragedy was that, by the time I was done with the Biriyani my hubby got all impatient and hungry that we pounced on to it and I forgot to take the end products picture. The picture which I have uploaded was the left over which I reheated and had the next day!! Hope to upload a pic next time I make it.. For then, Eat loads and enjoy!!

Spicy Mixed Noodles & Dry Chilly Cauliflower

I think I have mentioned innumerable times about my liking towards Chinese food and how much my husband and I keep visiting restaurants (but obviously Chinese) time and time again. There have been times when we decide purposefully to go to a non-Chinese restaurants and end up eating a fried rice or Chinese starter or at least a Chinese soup. So without wasting too much of time lets jump to today's menu : Spicy Mixed Noodles and Dry chilly cauliflower(very Indian way - Microwave cooking)

Spicy Mixed Noodles:

Ingredients:

• 1 pack - Hakka Noodles(generally available in supermarkets)
• 1 tsp - Oil
• 1 - Carrot, thinly sliced
• 10-12 - Beans, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/4 cup - Cabbage, sliced
• 1/2 - Capsicum, sliced
• 2 - Eggs (optional, omit if Vegetarian)
• 1/4 cup - Chicken, cooked and shredded (optional, omit if Vegetarian)
• 1 tsp - Tabasco sauce (generally used for Barbequed dishes, but this adds a peculiar taste to food and adds a lot of heat)
• 1 tsp - Chilly sauce
• 1 tsp - Soya sauce
• Pepper (according to taste)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp - Oil

Method:

• Cook and strain the noodles with a teaspoon of oil and let it cool for an hour.
• Add a 1 tsp of oil and heat a wok or deep kadhai. Scramble the eggs with some salt and pepper and keep aside.
• Add 1 more tsp of oil and saute the shredded chicken with salt and pepper and keep it aside.
• Add the rest of the oil and add the beans and carrot and saute for 2 minutes and add the cabbage and capsicum and saute for another 2 minutes. The veges should not be overcooked but crunchy.
• Once done empty the noodles into the wok and mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add all the sauces and mix well. If required add pepper powder and salt. For extra heat(spice) you may add Dry red chilly flakes.
• Serve hot.

Dry Chilly Cauliflower:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - Cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp - Oil
• 1 - Onion, diced
• 1/2" piece - Ginger, chopped fine
• 2-3 flakes of Garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp - Soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp - Vinegar
• 4-5 -Green chillies, slit
• 1 medium sized - capsicum, diced
• 1 tbsp - Cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp - Sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a microwave proff dish, add the oil, onion, ginger, garlic, soya sauce and cauliflower. Mix and microwave covered for 5 minutes on high.
• Add all the remaining ingredients. Mix and microwave uncovered for 3 minutes. Mix and serve hot.