TRADITIONAL MALABAR CHICKEN BIRIYANI

TRADITIONAL MALABAR CHICKEN BIRIYANI

ചേരുവകള്‍

1. കോഴി വലിയ കഷ്ണങ്ങളായി മുറിച്ചത്‌- 1 കിലോ
2. ബിരിയാണി അരി- 1 കിലോ 
3. വലിയ ഉള്ളി നീളത്തില്‍ മുറിച്ചത്‌- 1/2 കിലോ
4. നെയ്യ് അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ റിഫൈന്‍ഡ് ഓയില്‍- 250 ഗ്രാം
5. പച്ചമുളക്- 100 ഗ്രാം 
6. ഇഞ്ചി- 50 ഗ്രാം
7. വെളുത്തുള്ളി- 50 ഗ്രാം 
8. കസ്കസ്- 1 ടീസ്പൂണ്‍
9. തൈര്- 1 കപ്പ്
10. അണ്ടിപ്പരിപ്പ്‌ രണ്ടായി മുറിച്ചത്‌- 20 ഗ്രാം 
11. ഉണക്ക മുന്തിരിങ്ങ- 20 ഗ്രാം
12. മല്ലിയില- 1 കെട്ട്
13. പൊതീന- 1 കെട്ട്
14. ചെറുനാരങ്ങ- 1
15. പനിനീര്‍- 2 ടേബിള്‍സ്പൂണ്‍
16. മഞ്ഞക്കളര്‍ അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ കുങ്കുമം- കുറച്ച്
17.  ഗരം മസാലപ്പൊടി- 3 ടീസ്പൂണ്‍ 
18. തക്കാളി നാലായി മുറിച്ചത്‌- 100 ഗ്രാം
19. ഉപ്പ്- പാകത്തിന്

പാചകം ചെയ്യുന്ന വിധം‌ 

വെളുത്തുള്ളി, ഇഞ്ചി, പച്ചമുളക് ഇവ ചതച്ചെടുക്കുക. കസ്കസ് മയത്തില്‍ അരച്ചെടുക്കുക. മല്ലിയില, പൊതീന എന്നിവ ചെറുതായി മുറിക്കുക. ചുവട് കട്ടിയുള്ള പാത്രത്തില്‍ പകുതി എണ്ണ ഒഴിച്ച് ചൂടാകുമ്പോള്‍ മുറിച്ച ഉള്ളിയില്‍ പകുതിയിട്ട് ഇളക്കുക. ഉള്ളി അല്‍പ്പം നിറം മാറിത്തുടങ്ങുമ്പോള്‍ ചതച്ച മസാലകള്‍ ഓരോന്നായി ചേര്‍ത്ത് തുടരെ ഇളക്കുക. നല്ല വാസന വരുമ്പോള്‍ കോഴിക്കഷണങ്ങള്‍ ചേര്‍ത്ത് നന്നായി ഇളക്കുക. ഇതില്‍ തൈര്, കസ്കസ്, തക്കാളി, ഉപ്പ് എന്നിവയും അരക്കപ്പ് വെള്ളവും ചേര്‍ത്ത് ഇളക്കി പാത്രം മൂടി ചെറുതീയില്‍ വേവിക്കണം. കോഴി വെന്ത് വെള്ളം വറ്റിയാല്‍ ഇറക്കി വയ്ക്കുക. അരി കഴുകി വെള്ളം വാരാന്‍ വെയ്ക്കണം. ഒരു പാത്രത്തില്‍ ബാക്കിയുള്ള എണ്ണ ഒഴിച്ച് ചൂടാകുമ്പോള്‍, ബാക്കി പകുതി ഉള്ളി ഇട്ട് പൊന്‍ നിറമാകുന്നത് വരെ പൊരിക്കുക. അണ്ടിപ്പരിപ്പും, മുന്തിരിങ്ങയും ചേര്‍ത്ത് ചുവപ്പിച്ചെടുക്കുക.ഇതേ എണ്ണയില്‍ അരിയിട്ടു തുടരെ ഇളക്കി, അരി അല്‍പ്പം പദം വരുമ്പോള്‍ അരി വേവാനുള്ളത്ര വെള്ളവും പാകത്തിന് ഉപ്പും ചേര്‍ത്ത് പാത്രം മൂടണം. ചോറ് വെന്ത് വെള്ളം വറ്റിയാല്‍ ഇറക്കിവെയ്ക്കുക.  വെന്ത കോഴിയില്‍ അല്‍പ്പം ഗരം മസാലപ്പൊടി വിതറി അതിനുമീതെ മൂന്നില്‍ ഒരു ഭാഗം ചോറ് ഇടുക. ചോറിനു മീതെ പനിനീരില്‍ കലക്കിയ മഞ്ഞക്കളര്‍ കുടഞ്ഞ്, അതിനും മീതെ കുറച്ച് ഗരം മസാലപ്പൊടി, പൊരിച്ച ഉള്ളി, അണ്ടിപ്പരിപ്പ്, മുന്തിരിങ്ങ എന്നിവയും ഇടണം. ബാക്കിയുള്ള ചോറും ഇതേപോലെ ഇട്ട് കനമുള്ള മൂടികൊണ്ട് പാത്രം അടച്ച് മീതെ കുറച്ച് തീക്കനലിട്ട് ചെറുതീയില്‍ പത്തു മിനിറ്റ് വെയ്ക്കുക. ചൂടുള്ള ഓവനില്‍ അല്‍പ്പനേരം വെച്ചാലും മതി. ബിരിയാണി പാത്രത്തില്‍ വിളമ്പി കുറച്ച് പൊരിച്ച ഉള്ളി വിതറി ചൂടോടെ ചട്നിയോ തൈര് ചട്നിയോ കൂട്ടി ഉപയോഗിക്കാം.

Fragrant Ghee Rice — Neychoru

Fragrant Ghee Rice — Neychoru

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

4 ½ cups hot water

2 tablespoon ghee (or butter) and 2 tablespoon oil, combined

6 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

4 x 1 ½ -inch cinnamon sticks

1 bay leaf

6 cloves

1 onion, halved and finely sliced

2 large mint leaves

salt, to taste

For garnish

2 tablespoon ghee

¼ cup cashew nuts

¼ cup sultanas (golden raisin)

1 onion, halved and finely sliced

Directions

Rinse the rice in several changes of water to remove the excess starch. Soak in cold water for a minimum of 20 minutes; drain.

Melt the butter-oil mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat. Don't overheat as the spices and onion may scorch in the fat and the rice will lose its whiteness. Add spices to saucepan; cook and stir about 30 seconds or until aromatic. Throw in onions and cook, stirring gently, until soft and transparent but not browned, about 10 minutes. Then stir in rice and gently toss for 2-3 minutes or until the edges turn translucent. Add water, mint leaves and salt; bring to boil. (Remember that water should taste a bit salty than normal). Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 12 minutes until rice is done and studded with steam holes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Then remove lid, let rice sit for 3 minutes to lose the wet texture and dry up. Gently fluff grains with a fork and remove and discard the bay leaf and mint leaves.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoon ghee over medium-low heat. Gently stir-fry the sultanas until they plum up; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add cashews; cook and stir until golden brown. Remove cashews with a slotted spoon, set aside. Now add the onions and stir-fry until they turn crisp and golden brown, taking care not to burn them. Feel free to add extra fat to speed up the frying. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Reserve a few for garnish and mix the rest of the cashews and raisins with the rice. Serve hot topped with the fried onions, cashew and raisins. Kerala pappadams (crispy thin Indian flat bread), kachumber (raita) or ulli surka (onion and tomato relish), meat curry and parippu curry (lentil curry) are perfect complements to the ghee rice. Enjoy!

Onion and Tomato Relish — Ulli Surka

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, finely sliced

½  medium tomato, finely sliced

1-2 small green chilies, sliced

3 tablespoon vinegar

4 tablespoon water

salt, to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients with your fingers, crushing the chilies as you do. Chill for an hour or two until the color of the onion runs into the vinegar mixture.

Yogurt Dish with Chopped Vegetables 

Ingredients

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

¼ red onion, diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1 medium green chili, sliced

2 cups plain yogurt

salt, to taste

pinch red chili powder, for garnish

Directions

Whisk the yogurt and salt together until smooth, and then thrown in the diced vegetables and mix well. Scrape into a serving bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving. Serve sprinkled with a pinch of chili powder, if you like.

Ghee Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice (long grain rice)

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 small Cinnamon stick

2-3 Cloves (lavang)

1 Green Cardamom

1/2 teaspoon Black Peppercorns

1 small Bay Leaf

4-5 Cashew Nuts

3-4 Raisins

1 teaspoon crushed Ginger-Garlic

1 Green chilli, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Ghee (Clarified butter)

2 cups Water

Salt

Directions:

1. Wash rice grains 2-3 times in water to remove excess starch. Soak them for 20 minutes. Washing them will also prevent them from becoming sticky while cooking. After 20 minutes, drain soaked rice.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker (approx.3-5 liter capacity steel/aluminum cooker). Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns and a piece of bay leaf and sauté for few seconds.
3. Add chopped onion and sauté until it turns light brown.
4. Add cashew nuts, raisins, crushed ginger-garlic and chopped green chillies and sauté low flame for a minute.
5. Add drained rice in pressure cooker and stir-fry for a minute.
6. Add salt to taste and 2 cups water. Mix them properly and close the lid. Pressure cook on low flame for 2 whistles.
7. Turn off the flame and let pressure come down naturally. It will take approx. 5-8 minutes to come down. Open lid carefully and fluff rice with fork to separate rice grain.
8. Transfer it to serving bowl and serve.

Soya Chunks Pulao (Soya Rice) Recipe

Soya beans needs no introduction as there is no other legume which packs more protein than it does. While there are many ways to gorge onto its proteins, the best one is to use soya chunks which are protein rich, easy to cook and has a great taste neutrality which means it can be combined with any food to make it protein rich without affecting its taste. In this soya bean pulao recipe, nutritious soya granules and rice are sauteed in ghee with fresh vegetables and spices and then cooked like a normal pulao making it a well balanced meal in itself.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Long Grained Rice (basmati rice)

1/2 cup Soya Chunks (dried)

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrots

1/4 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

2-3 Black Peppercorns

1 small piece of Cinnamon Stick

2-3 Cloves

1 medium Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green Chilli, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder, optional

1¼ cups Water

Salt

1 tablespoons Oil or Ghee

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves, for garnishing

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak rice in water for 15-20 minutes.
2. Rinse and soak soya chunks in hot water for 15-minutes.
3. After 15-minutes, chunks will increase to almost double in size. Drain excess water and again rinse them 2-3 times in water to remove raw smell.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a non-stick pan (with lid) over medium flame. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves and allow cumin seeds to sizzle. Add sliced onion and green chilli and sauté until onion turns transparent.
5. Add chopped carrot and green peas and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6. Drain the excess water from soaked rice and add them in the pan. Add drained soya chunks and turmeric powder. Mix everything well and sauté for couple of minutes over medium flame.
7. Add 1¼ cups water and salt to taste; bring it to boil over medium flame.
8. When it starts to boil, reduce flame to low and cook covered (cover pan with a lid) for about 10-minutes. Do not open the lid in between as steam will escape and rice will not cook properly and become sticky.
9. After 10-minutes, turn off flame and keep it over hot stove-top for at least 7-8 minutes. Now, remove the lid and fluff the cooked rice with fork.
10. Soya bean pulao with vegetables is ready. Transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• You can also cook pulao in a pressure cooker instead of cooking in a pan. Follow the same method, same amount of ingredients and cook in a 3-liter capacity aluminum/steel pressure cooker for 3-whistles over medium flame.
• Do not add turmeric powder if you want to make a white colored soya rice.
• If you are preparing this recipe for kids then do not add green chilli and black peppercorns. Give this in your kid’s lunchbox as a stomach filing and healthy dish.

Taste:  Mild spicy

Serving Ideas:  Serve it with cucumber raita or plain yogurt or as an alternative of steamed rice with meal.

Vegetable Pulao Recipe 

Vegetable Pulao (Veg Pulav) is a spicy rice dish prepared by cooking rice with various vegetables and spices. In this recipe, assortment of spices, veggies and rice are first sautéed in oil and ghee and then cooked in pressure cooker as you would cook plain rice. However, the uniqueness of this easy mixed vegetable pulao recipe lies in use of bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves which provides nice and complex 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Basmati Rice (long grained rice)

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 small Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup Green Peas (mutter), fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons finely chopped French Beans

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrot

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

1-inch piece of Cinnamon

2 Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves

2 tablespoons Oil

1 teaspoon Ghee

1 cup Water

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash rice and soak it in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside until needed.
2. Heat ghee and oil together in a pressure cooker (2-liter capacity, stainless steel cooker) on low flame. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion and sauté until it turns light brown or for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped tomato, green peas, french beans and carrot.
4. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
5. Add soaked (drained) rice, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
6. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup water and mix well.
8. Close the lid and cook over medium flame for 2 whistles. When 1st whistle is completed, reduce the flame to low and cook until another whistle. Turn off flame.
9. Let it cool at room temperature until pressure inside cooker comes down naturally. Open the lid carefully and fluff the rice wit a fork.
10. Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• We have used 2 liter capacity stainless steel cooker in this recipe. However, you can use larger size of cooker as well but you need to determine how many whistles and what flame intensity will be required to cook it properly. If you are using pressure cooker made of aluminum then cook it for 2 whistles on medium flame.
• You can prepare it in large quantity in larger pressure cooker. Just use rice and water in 1:2 ratios. i.e. for every one cup rice two cups water should be added.
• You can also prepare equally delicious mixed vegetable rice pulao in a pan with a lid. Use same amount of ingredients as mentioned in this recipe, cover pan with a lid and cook it on low flame for 8-10 minutes. Do not open the lid in between while cooking. After turning off the flame, open the lid after 7-8 minutes. However, cooking in a pan may require more water as steam will escape easily, hence add 1/4 cup more water for given recipe.

Dates Chutney Recipe – Eethapazham Chutney Recipe

Dates Chutney Recipe – Eethapazham Chutney Recipe

Dates chutney reminds me about traditional marriage functions in Kerala!!! This side dish is part of traditional wedding party and taste awesome along with mutton biriyani and chicken fry. Try it!!!

Ingredients

• Sweet dates with seeds removed - 250 grams
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• Ginger - 2 tbsp very finely chopped
• Curry leaves chopped - 10
• Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind pulp - 6 tbsp
• Sugar - 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

First step is to soak the dates in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes. Remove seed and chop very lightly in a chopper.

Step 2

Second step is to heat oil in a clay pot (Chatti in Malayalam language) splutter fenugreek seeds first and then mustard seeds.

Step 3

Then fry the ginger, curry leaves and green chilli. Once the ginger starts turning color to brown, add Kashmiri Chilli powder and sauté for a minute more or until the chilli powder turns dark red. color.

Step 4

Fourth step is to add chopped dates to above gravy and mix well.

Step 5

Fifth step is to add tamarind pulp, water and sugar. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Step 6

Last step is to allow the dates chutney to boil until extra water is evaporated and the chutney thickens. Dates chutney is served as a side dish with Biriyani and ghee rice.

Prawns Biriyani – Chemmeen Biriyani Recipe

Prawns Biriyani – Chemmeen Biriyani Recipe

Biryani means a dish where rice and a curry of meat or fish cooked separately, then brought together and layered. This gives the dish a contrast of flavored rice and intensely flavored meat or vegetables.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 2 cup
• Water - 4 cups
• Cardamom - 3 nos
• Cinnamon - 2 pieces
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Onion - 1 (sliced)
• Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Big prawns - 4 nos (deveined and washed)
• Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Ginger garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Ghee - 5 tsp
• Onion - 2 nos (Sliced)
• Green chillies - 5 nos
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
• Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
• Coconut oil - 1/2 cup
• Curd - 1 cup
• Tomato - 1 no (chopped)
• Cashew nuts - 10 (fried)
• Raisins - 10 (fried)

Method

Step 1

Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Boil 4 cups of water.

Step 2

Heat a pan and add ghee, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, sliced onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add the drained rice and saute well. Add boiled water and salt to the rice and cook for 10 minutes. Sprinkle lime juice to it and stir well. The rice is ready.

Step 3

Clean the big prawns and marinate with 1 tsp red chilly powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and salt. keep it for half an hour.

Step 4

Heat oil in a pan shallow fry the big prawns for 5 minutes.

Step 5

In the same oil sort the sliced onion for 3 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies add stir well.

Step 6

Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, tomato, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curd and mix well. Add fried big prawns, salt and cook in low flame for 5 minutes. Prawns gravy is ready now.

Step 7

Take another big vessel for stacking layers for biryani. Spread some prawns gravy first. Now spread some rice enough to cover the prawns gravy.

Step 8

Again spread prawns gravy, then rice, again ghee, mint leaves, fried cashews and raisins. Repeat the same process, until gravy is over and finish it up with rice on top.

Step 9

Cover tightly with a heavy weight and cook about 25 mins on slow heat. Prawn biryani is ready.

Step 10

Serve hot prawns biryani with salad.

Fish Biriyani Recipe –Malabar Style Fish Biriyani Recipe

Fish Biriyani Recipe – Malabar Style Fish Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients

• To fry fish :
• Cleaned king Fish - 1/2 kg
• Lime juice - 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry fish
• To make Biriyani Masala :
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Onions chopped - 3 big
• Tomato chopped - 1 big
• Green Chili - 8
• Coriander leaves - 10
• Mint leaves - 10
• Lime juice - 7 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Chili powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• To make ghee rice :
• Rice - 1/4 kg (2 and 1/2 glass rice)
• Water - 5 glass
• Ghee - 5 tbsp
• Sunflower oil - 5 tbsp
• Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 5 piece
• Cardamom(Elakka) seeds - 5 piece
• Cloves(Grambu) - 5 piece
• For seasoning :
• 1 big onion chopped
• 12 cashew nuts
• 12 dried grapes

Method

Step 1

First step is to marinate the fish for 1/2 an hour by coating the fish with 2 tbsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tbsp pepper powder, 1 tbsp turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Step 2

Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish. Donot deep fry, but have to be fried moderately.

Step 3

By the time your fish is getting fried you can make the rice. Rice has to be washed in advance and kept drained to get dried for atleast 1/2 an hour.

Step 4

Heat oil and ghee mix in a thick bottomed bowl. Add Cinnamon(Karugapatta), Cardamom(Elakka) seeds, Cloves(Grambu) and fry for 1/2 a minute. Then add dried rice and fry it until rice gets separated from each other. Please take care that the rice should not get brown color when you fry it.

Step 5

Mean while, boil water by adding adequate salt required to cook the rice.

Step 6

Once the rice is fried, add boiling water to the rice and check salt. Then stir well and cook the rice in low flame with lid closed. Once rice is cooked switch of the flame and keep aside.

Step 7

Now the third step is to make the masala. Before we start masala preparation, we can fry the seasoning items (onion, cashew nuts and dried grapes) and keep aside.

Step 8

In the same oil in which we have fried the seasoning items sauté ginger and garlic paste first. Put onion to this and sauté onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Step 9

Once this is sautéed well add lime juice, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt to taste.

Step 10

Sauté for 5 more minutes and slide fried fish to this gravy. Add 2 to 3 spoons of water and slowly mix the gravy and fish.

Step 11

Allow to cook for 10 minutes in very low flame with lid closed. Your Biriyani masala is ready!!!

Step 12

In a thick bottomed vessel greased with ghee, layer the ghee rice and fish masala adding some fresh coriander leaves in between the layers. On top add the fried seasoning and a spoon of ghee. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and serve hot with dates chutney.