Easy Chicken Dum Biryani

Servings : For 4 people
Skills: Beginners
Prep Time: 30 mins but wait time is 1 day
Cooking Time : 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 KG of chicken cut in large chunks. 
• 4 cups of rice. (1 cup per person). 
• 3-4 potatoes 
• 1 cup of coriander, finely chopped. and some for garnish. 
• 1 cup of mint, finely chopped. 
• 2-3 green chillies 
• 1 cup of curd 
• 3 tablespoon of Ghee 
• 4-5 tablespoon of oil. 
• Food color of your choice 
• Milk (to mix the food color) 
• Wheat flour to cover the vessel lid. 
• 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri red chili powder. 
• 1 tablespoon of jeera powder. 
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. 
• 2 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste. 
• 2 tablespoon of Biryani masala (remove the whole spices, if any) 
• Whole spices/गरम मसाला - Not necessary you should have it all. Very basic garam masala is enough. 
• 2 Black cardamom (काली इलायची/मोठी वेलची) 
• 4-5 Peppercorns (काली मिर्च/काळी मिरी) 
• 4-5 bay leaves (तेज पत्ता/तमालपत्र) 
• one stick of Cinnamon (दालचिनी) 
• 4-5 Cloves(लौंग/लवंग) 
• 4-5 Green cardamom (छोटी इलाइची/वेलची) 
• 1-2 Mace (जावित्री/जायपत्री) 
• 1-2 Star anise(चक्र फूल/ बदल फुल) 
• Salt 

Recipe

• Initial Prep: 
1. Wash the chicken thoroughly. 
2. Add mint, chilies, coriander , ginger garlic paste, oil and spices powder (Please do not add any garam masals/whole spices) 
3. Mix it 
4. Add curd and 1 tablespoon of ghee 
5. Add salt and mix it. 
6. Now add Biryani Masala and again mix it 
7. Keep the mixture in the fridge overnight. 
8. Next Day, remove the mixture and keep it for room temperature. That should take 2-3 hrs. 
9. Also, keep soak rice in water for 2-3 hrs. 
• Main Recipe 
1. Add pinch of food color in milk. Keep the food color ready. Using food color is optional. For yellow color you can use saffron(केशर). 
2. Cut the potatoes in circle and in a large vessel, create a first layer of potatoes. 
3. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee. 
4. Add 1/2 the chicken and create a second layer. 
5. In separate vessel, Add 5-6 cups of water. Add whole spices/गरम मसाला 
6. Cover the water with lid and bring water to boil. This will extract all the whole spices flavor in water. 
7. Remove the spices as you do not want your guests to eat them ;). You can leave bay leaves if you want. 
8. Now add 1 tablespoon of Ghee and salt. Stir water 
9. Add the soaked rice in it. 
10. Do not leave your vessel unattended now. 
11. Stir rice 2-3 time. 
12. After 1-2 mins the rice should be 3/4th cooked. (For those who can not predict, make sure that the rice will expand in size and it will taste 1/2 cooked 1/2 raw.) 
13. Now quickly use strainer and put 1/2 the rice in other vessel above the chicken layer (in step 4). Make sure that NO WATER should be added in the chicken. The chicken and rice will get cooked in its own steam and water released from chicken itself. 
14. This should be your third layer. 
15. Now add rest of the chicken above it creating fourth layer. 
16. Strain water from remaining rice and add above the chicken to create your last layer. 
17. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee 
18. Add food colors. 
19. Cover it with lid. 
20. Now close the lid with wheat flour so no steam should escape. 
21. Put the pan below this vessel and cook the biryani on low flame for 1 1/2 hrs. 
22. At end, garnish it with coriander and serve it with boondi raita or plain raita

Simple PavBhaji

Servings : For 2 people

Skills: Beginners
Prep Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time : 3o mins

Ingredients

• One medium sized capsicum, finely chopped.
• Two medium sized Tomatoes, finely chopped.
• One medium size onion, finely chopped.
• 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Garlic paste.
• 2 cup of Boiled-smash potatoes & cauliflower, any vegetables can be added.
• 3 Tea spoon of Butter.
• ½ tea spoon of turmeric powder.
• 1 tablespoon of  Kashmiri red chilli.
• 2 tablespoon of PavBhaji Masala.
• 1 tablespoon of Jeera powder.
• Salt as per taste.

Recipe

1. Heat the pan and add butter, capsicum and little water. 
2. Stir them till capsicum gets tender. (Since I do not have big pan, I cook it in two parts, one in big cooking pot and one in pan)
3. Add Tomatoes.
4. Add ½ tea spoon of turmeric powder.
5. Add little water, about 2 teaspoon.
6. Cook it till the time tomatoes gets cooked.
7. Add the smashed vegetables.
8. Add two tablespoon of butter in pan.
9. Add two tablespoon of butter in pan, melt it
10. Add onions
11. Add  ginger garlic paste
12. Add 1 tablespoon of  Kashmiri red chilli, 2 tablespoon of PavBhaji Masala,1 tablespoon of Jeera powder,Salt as per taste
13. Add little water and cook all till onion gets cooked.
14. Add the onions in smashed vegetables.
15. Add little water and mix it well.
16. Add green peas.
17. Cover it and cook on low flame for 30 mins.
18. Garnish it with butter and chopped onions.
19. Serve it with bread.

Quick & Easy Vegetable Fried Rice - Indian Style

Servings : For 2 people
Skills: Beginners
Prep Time : 15-20 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

Ingredients

• 5-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped.
• 1 inch of ginger finely chopped.
• 1 small onion finely copped.
• 2 medium size carrots cut lengthwise.
• 1 bowl of french beans cut little slanted.
• 1 bowl of spring onion (कांद्याची पात)
• Soya Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Vinegar, Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 bowls of rice, semi -cooked.

Other ingredients which can be used are as below.

• 1 bowl of cabbage cut lengthwise
• 1 bowl of capsicum cut lengthwise
• any vegetables but try to avoid using cauliflower and peas, its more for pulav :)

Recipe

1. Boil water in a vessel
2. Add rice and cook it till it gets semi cooked.
3. Boil carrots and french beans for 2-3 mins separately.
4. Heat the oil in the vessel.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste.
6. Saute it.
7. Add onion and saute it for 1 min.
8. Add all the vegetables saute it for 3-4 mins. Make sure you don't add any water.
9. Add 1/4th spring onion.
10. Add 2 tablespoon of soya sauce.
11. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
12. Add 1 tablespoon of chill sauce.
13. Add black pepper.
14. Mix it well.
15. Add rice and mix it well.
16. Add salt as per taste.
17. cover the vessel and steam the rice on low flame for 2-3 min.
18. Serve it hot.