Madras Biryani

This Madras Biryani is one of a kind, rich in taste, enhanced in flavors and so tempting. This particular recipe is from one of my dear friends who is an expert in making this and I have a bunch of fans for her biryani at my place.  The measurements have to be exact and she advice us to use India Gate brand rice to get a flawless one. While cooking the rice, it is better to stay by the stove and keep a close watch because here even a minute will let the rice over cook which might result in over cooked biryani. So keep watching, the rice should not have an al dente bite to it but also not fully cooked too. I have given almost exact times. Depending on the brand of rice used, it might take an extra minute.
Also the time it takes to cook the meat varies and she advises that the flavors are well preserved if we do the cooking in a pan rather than a pressure cooker. Though it is a little time consuming, it's worth the effort.
The process as such is very simple for such a scrumptious outcome.
Always try pairing with tomato jam, raita and fried pappadam.

INGREDIENTS:

41/2 Cups (1kg) Basmati rice

21/4 lb (1kg) Goat meat

2 4" Piece Cinnamon

10 Green cardamoms

10 Cloves

1 Big Bay leaf

3 Big (500gms) Onions

3 Big (500gms) Tomatoes

10 Green Chilies

15 Tblsp (200gms each) Ginger and garlic paste

2 Cups (1 bunch) Chopped coriander leaves

2 Cups (1 bunch) mint leaves

4 Limes

1 Tsp Red chilly powder

1 Tsp Garam masala powder

1/4 Cup Oil

Water as needed

Salt to taste

METHOD:

To make curry:

Clean and cut the meat into somewhat large pieces.

Chop onion and tomatoes and slit the green chilies. Clean and peel the skin off the ginger and garlic and make a paste out of it. Squeeze the juice out of limes.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot enough, add the dry spices and fry for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and fry until the color becomes a little brown. Then add the slit chilies and then the ginger and garlic paste. Give it a nice stir and let cook until the raw smell is gone. Add the cleaned meat to this and mix everything for a minute. Then add the chopped mint and coriander leaves. Fry them until they release the flavor. Finally add the tomatoes, give a quick stir and then goes in the lime juice. Stir them together just to combine. Check for enough salt and add enough for this curry.
If cooking the meat in a pressure cooker add a little water, maybe less than 1/4 cup, close lid and cook on medium high heat for two whistles. Then reduce the flame to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes and switch off flame and wait until the pressure subsides. Open lid and see if the curry is well cooked but not falling apart. Also this amount of time varies according to the freshness of meat.
So you might want to reduce the simmering time to 5 minutes and check in between once to make sure the curry is not over cooked.
If you prefer cooking on pan, reduce the amount of water to half and on medium flame cook the meat. Check often giving a stir and adding water to keep from burning. Do not add too much water because we don't want the curry to be runny.

To make rice:
Clean and soak the rice for about 30 minutes.
Simultaneously boil water in a 10 quart pan or a big pan to cook and drain one kilo or two pounds rice.
Add a tablespoon of oil and enough salt to cook the rice.
Once the rice has been soaked, drain them and add to the briskly boiling water. The boil subsides once rice is added, and again when the water comes back to a boil set the timer for six minutes. When timer goes switch off stove and drain the water immediately.
Now layer the rice and meat on alternate layers in a wide mouthed pan coated with ghee.

Dumm:
You can do the dumm over the stove or in the oven. If using oven its 350 degrees(F) pre-heated oven for 30minutes.
If doing it on stove top, heat a thick iron tava, place the biryani vessel over this, reduce flame and leave it for about 10 mins.You can keep a weight on top or a pan of boiling water or seal the sides with wheat dough. Put off flame and leave it undisturbed for 30 minutes.
When done, the rice and curry should be mixed together and voila! the Madras biryani is ready to be served.

Wheat Rava Biryani

Wheat rava biryani is very authentic to our own place. A festive food you could say, very flavorful, rich, and a most welcome dish. Most or all wedding meals begin with this as the breakfast. In most gatherings or functions, wheat rava biryani is the non-vegetarian version of breakfast served with fried chicken, banana, and hot tea on the side.

This biryani can be served as breakfast or dinner. Making it for lunch is your choice.

The rava used is mostly a fine variety of white or brown wheat. 

INGREDIENTS:

11/2 lb Goat meat

21/2 Cups wheat  rava

5 Cups water

3 Tblsp oil

2+1Tblsp ghee

1 Bay leaf

2" Cinnamon stick 

4 Cardamoms 

4 Cloves

2 Big onions

2 Medium tomatoes 

4 Green chilies slit

2 Tblsp ginger garlic paste 

1 Tblsp curry powder 

1 Tsp red chili powder

1 Tsp garam masala powder

1/2 Cup chopped coriander leaves

20 Nos mint leaves

2 Tblsp lemon juice 

Few drops pineapple essence (optional)

Salt to taste

Garnish:

1 Tblsp ghee

10 Cashews broken

2 Tsp raisins 

METHOD:

  Chop onions and tomatoes lengthwise. Slit green chilies.

Clean the meat and cut into medium sized pieces.

Heat a pressure pan/cooker over medium heat. Add the oil and 2 tblsp of ghee into the pan. When it is slightly hot add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Let their flavor infuse the oil, about two minutes. Take care not to burn them.

Then add the chopped onions along with a pinch of salt. The salt helps the onion to wilt quickly and bring out the flavor.

Once it starts to turn slight brown, add slit green chilies and give it a minute. Then add the ginger garlic paste. Mix well and add the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Fry them for few seconds and add tomatoes. Once tomatoes get cooked add the spice powders and mix well. Finally add the meat.

Stir everything together add salt and cover and pressure cook the meat for two whistles, reduce flame to medium low and cook for 10minutes. You can either add a little water to cook the meat or if the meat it fresh the natural fluid will help. Just make sure there isn't much liquid left in the cooked meat. Switch off the stove and wait until the pressure subsides. 

Open the pan and check if the meat is done.

If there is gravy, just strain the liquid and reserve it.

Add the rava to the meat and fry for about 2 minutes. 

If there is any reserved gravy measure it along with water, make it to 5 cups( reduce water quantity) and add to the rava meat mixture, stir together, add lemon juice and the pineapple essence if using, check for salt and bring it to a boil. When the water gets obsorbed you can see bubbles on top, add the remaining ghee at this point, give it a stir, close the lid with the whistle, simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Switch off flame and let the pressure subside.

Fry the cashews and raisins in the ghee.

Once you open the cooker, add the fried cashews and raisins,stir everything together. Serve hot.

P.S: 

 You can also fry the rava separately in ghee and once the meat is cooked you can add water adjusting the quantity according to the amount of gravy left. The water should be double the measure of rava.

Garnish is a must.

I prefer to fry the rava along with the meat so the flavor comes out really well.

Pineapple essence is optional.

I prefer serving with fried chicken as side. 

If you like raita go for it.

Nawabi Biryani

       This Nawabi biryani is a rich flavorful dish. I have tried this dish long back during my early days of cooking when one of my Hyderabadi friends gave me the recipe. But maybe because I haven't learned certain techniques or didn't know to differentiate flavors like something between jeera and shahi jeera, I missed the real flavor of this dish even though it came out really good. But again the meat didn't get that soft, fall-apart texture from the dum cooking. So I always had the fear of ending up with hard meat and never tried this recipe again. But later, I found out it needed this secret ingredient which is the meat tenderizer or the more natural papaya paste. And one more thing I missed was Shahi Jeera, which gave the biryani a unique flavor. So recently when I happened to watch a show by Chef Venkatesh Bhatt, I finally reinvented my recipe and as a result, got this flavor rich biryani. Don't get put off by the number of steps. This is mess free cooking! Such a grand dish with easy cleaning. Do try and your comments are greatly appreciated.

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice         - 1lb
Coriander Leaves  - 1/4 cup chopped
Mint Leaves          - 1/4 cup chopped
Green Chilly         - 1 split
Shahi Jeera           - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom           - 4 nos
Cinnamon            - 3 inch piece
Cloves                 - 4 Nos
Water                  - As needed

Mutton           - 2 lbs
Onion             - 3 big
Papaya Paste  -2 tsp
Yogurt            - 1 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tblsp
Turmeric Powder    - 1tsp
Chilly Powder         - 2 tsp
Shahi Jeera              - 2 tsp
Coriander Leaves    - 1/4 cup
Mint Leaves            - 1/4 cup
Salt

METHOD :

            First, thinly slice the onions and deep fry them in oil until golden brown. The onions should not be burned or the whole dish will get a bitter taste. After slicing the onions give them a squeeze to make sure the strips are well seperated. The onion should be added in medium high oil at first. Once they turn translucent, reduce the flame and keep stirring often to ensure all the onion strips are cooked and let it brown. Once it turns color remove them from oil into paper towel lined plates and let them turn crispy.
              Clean the mutton and  marinate it in papaya paste for about 15 mins. After 15 mins, add 3/4th of the golden fried onions, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder, shahi jeera, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt and mix them well. Marinate this mutton for at least 45mins. You can even marinate overnite if you plan to make ahead, but make sure to bring it to room temperature at least 30 mins before making the biryani.
        Now make the rice. Clean and soak the rice in room temperature water for 30 mins. In another big pot bring water to a brisk boil. When the water is boiling, add the soaked and drained rice along with the whole spices and green chilly, coriander leaves and mint leaves and add enough salt along with two tsp ghee. Bring this to a boil and set the timer for just 7 mins. When its time drain the water. Make sure all the spices and leaves stay with rice.
       Meanwhile, get the tava ready for the dum process. On medium high flame heat a big tava. In a heavy bottomed pan or deep pot brush little ghee and add the marinated mutton(Its not cooked) to the pot and spread it out. Above this spread the half cooked rice and over the top dot with ghee and sprinkle enough salt and saffron strands. Cover tightly and leave it on medium flame for about 25mins and then simmer for about 10 mins.
      Switch off the stove and leave it for 15 mins. Transfer the biryani to a serving tray and garnish with the reserved 1/4 part of golden fried onions and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with tomato jam.