A MINIMALIST CHICKEN BIRYANI

I BELIEVE I MADE THE COOLEST BIRYANI LAST WEEK!

All along I insisted Biryani is royal & there should not have any shortcut to it! But, I deviated from my stand a bit & wished to create  an all in one dish that we can cook any day, at any place without searching for the exotic spices that goes into a biryani! Later in the post you would see I have used regular kitchen staples in the making of this homely biryani; yet it yielded a good taste & I am happy; the cook's happiness matters! Okay, my family enjoys Biryani & Fried Rices, in this sense they are clean eaters! I am thinking of trying exactly this recipe of Biryani in my Kolkata home in few days! It's too hot there, I have to stay carefully, eat out less! I am trying to remember if I have sustained a 41-42* heat in Kolkata earlier! That I may have long back! Usually, I used to visit Kolkata with the son during the winters, T would join in every alternate year! After the son has joined the college, I go at a time when there is no rush & the air tickets are reasonable, I refuse to visit the Kolkata Markets before any occasion; Christmas, Eid, Durga Pooja, Bengali New Year! I just cannot roam amidst indisciplined crowd anymore! In fact, earlier too I used to shop for Pooja in the months of July-August to avoid the shopping crowd! People are talking about the heat there in a manner that I am fearing! Then, there is my brother who would pick me up from the airport; wants me to lock myself at home, order food from outside and then after a month he would leave me at the airport! I know it is hot, but I need to get repair works done, meet few people, do considerable amount of shopping! There is no point visiting Kolkata if I cannot go out! Also, those who work they are going out of home, right? Let us use umbrellas & take other precautions!

I AM EXTREMELY BUSY TODAY!

I am to cook a platter to offer our father, today is his 6th death anniversary! I just do not wish to do the mention of this occasion in different forums! I would definitely share there the food I offer him today but at a later date! I am to share an Eid friendly Biryani recipe tonight, the daddy did like biryani but not more than a "mach er jhol"! I am not cooking his favourite fish curry today! As told I am caught up with many things at this time! I am cooking for him & writing this blogpost simultaneously!Once offered, I would share the platter here! The platter today is small & simple! I have to go out in the evening for small buys & a standard walk! T is at home, he does not bother for anything but I have to serve him lunch at a decent time, though it gets delayed every weekend! Again today, I served T his lunch post 3 pm! But my men are too used to it, even the son never created a ruckus if food was served late! My child has to arrange each of his meals, mumma is sad about it!Even our daddy never shouted if the mother was late! He would just keep asking for food every five minutes! It is six years, he left us! I believe he would have lived a few more years had his hard earned money not gone into the drain; I would never ever vote for any political party in India! I cannot ever forget how a chit fund robbed him of his finance & peace! The fault is his, he easily trusted people; I never do, my brother never would!

The flowers here in this island do not please me; also the miser self do not spend enough on buying flowers & garlands of choice! Tomorrow, I would cook meat & fish but I just could not manage an elaborate cooking given my schedule for the day! I just made a small effort to make an offering with our father's favourite snacks! Okay, he loved beaten rice with milk & banana, mango but our home never made a "chirer payesh"! Today, I made a "chirer payesh" for the first time & it is good! I thought only Southern India eats this dessert, now I see even the Bengalis do! The rest are "luchi, aloo-potol er dalna, aam-kola-muri"! I would have them after sometime, T had "Luchi with Aloo-Potol er Dalna"!

WHAT IS THIS "A MINIMALIST CHICKEN BIRYANI"?

It is Hari Raya Pausa celebrations all over the island, actually Eid is to be celebrated all over the world, I enjoy being a part of any celebration that speaks of happiness & peace! I do not advocate celebrations where there is involved torture of man & the animal world! These should stop! I did not fix any specific recipe to share for the muslim world, including my close ones! But I cannot share something that they wouldn't be able to eat! As a food blogger, this share thing holds important! It is only last Saturday, after cooking & having a simple, homely meat-potato-egg biryani did I decide to share the recipe! It is a deviation from my stand that Biryani should be royal whose making should be laborious! But in this fast paced world, when quinoa biryani is doing the rounds, I would not hesitate to get A MINIMALIST CHICKEN BIRYANI; I too have to be a part of the race!

INGREDIENTS :

CHICKEN : 6-8 STANDARD SIZED PIECE

PLAIN YOGURT : 200-250 GM

POTATO : 2-3 MEDIUM SIZED

TOMATO : 1-2 MEDIUM SIZED

GREEN CHILLI : 6-7

FRESH CORIANDER : 2-3 SPRIG

EGG : 3-4

LONG GRAINED BASMATI RICE : 1 COFFEE MUG

ONION : 3-4 MEDIUM SIZED

GINGER PASTE : 1 TBSP

GARLIC PASTE : 2 TBSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TBSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TBSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CINNAMON POWDER : 1 TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1 TSP

CLOVES POWDER : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 6-7

CINNAMON STICK : 7-8 MEDIUM LENGTH

GREEN CARDAMOM : 6-7

CLOVE : 7-8

SALT : AS REQUIRED

ROSE WATER : 1 1/2 TBSP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

PROCEDURE : 

Chop the tomatoes, slit 3-4 green chillies; wash them! Clean & wash the chicken pieces!

Marinate the chicken pieces with cumin+coriander+red chilli+turmeric powders+beaten yogurt+salt+slitted green chillies+chopped tomatoes! Mix well & keep covered for an hour! 

Peel, wash & cut each potato half, marinate with some salt & keep aside for few minutes! Thereafter, add them to the chicken marination & mix well!

We are to cook the rice! Wash the rice well! Put for boil enough water & add to it half of the mentioned bay leaves, green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves, salt!

As the water boils hard, add to it the washed basmati rice & stir! Cook at medium heat until 60% done & pass through a colander! Let all of the water drain!

Peel, slice the onions & wash! Heat half small cup of oil & ghee in a wok, a bit flattened at the bottom! Temper that with the rest of the bay leaves, green cardamom, cinnamon sticks cloves!

Add the sliced onions & fry at low to medium heat until golden brown & crisp! If you fry them at minimal heat, they would become soft instead of been crisp! Take out half of the fried onions!

Add the marinated chicken & potatoes! Fold in well & cook at minimal heat, covered! In between, remove the cover & gently stir! Switch off the gas burner once they are 70% done! Transfer them to a bowl along with the curry!

Boil, peel, wash the eggs! Marinate with little of salt! Discard the roots; chop the fresh coriander & wash!

Grease the same but washed & dried wok with some ghee! Add half of the cooked rice & spread evenly! Add the chicken, potato pieces, boiled eggs & half of the curry!

Add half of the rest of the ghee & few green chillies[if you wish]!

Cover with the rest of rice & spread evenly! Sprinkle the rest of the ghee, the rose water, the fried onions, chopped fresh coriander! Cover it with a heavy lid!

Place a roti pan atop your gas stove & switch on! After about 5-6 minutes, place the covered wok full of rice & chicken in layers, cook in dum at minimal to low heat for 45-50 minute! Switch off the gas burner! We should be done! 

Keep covered for 10 minutes before serving & having! I was running out of enough yogurt for a raita! I prepared a salad with raw mango-peanuts-cucumber-olive oil! Though I am against aerated drinks, a Sprite bottle stays in the refrigerator regular, may be for other purposes!

 

SHUGANDHI MOSHOLA MIX

 

I am not the kind who prepares various spice blends and stocks at home. In fact, none in my family branches are in the habit of preparing dry spice mixture; they use "shil-nora", the Bengali style mortar & pestle / flat grindstone to prepare fresh spice pastes. Our mother still perhaps selects, washes and dries each kind of spice in the sun before stocking them in the container. They are then made into pastes in small amount each day as per the requirement. This has been the norm for many decades, they always got dried, whole turmeric, further dried it in the sun, then used after pasting at home. I cannot think of working myself up so much to get my curries reach the ultimate state of perfection. But I do not let myself get lazier, today I was to go for my monthly blood sugar check, I walked 6 km before that, reached there to find it closed for today. May be Dr. Chang & family wish to get high on Biryani today. Trivial things around are causing me irritation; they are not at fault but I am! People who could be a thing of joy for me, cannot get me happiness, comfort; the reason may be multifarious, justified too. I am not bothered, I am self centric, so I decide to move miles apart and get rid of whatever or whoever causes me pain. I better cook, read, eat. Reading is not happening at the pace as it should, another reason of my dissatisfaction. 

Later, we saw our mother buying dried turmeric and getting it powdered from specific shops. The father when alive used to get them done riding the brother's bicycle; getting the spices powdered from specified shops; get mustard oil from oil mills. That is how the mother wanted. In the recent years, the mother prepares Biryani Masala of her own and frequently uses it to make chicken biryani. I was never into this preparation of spice blends. When I prepare biryani, I blend together the spices required, in less amount. In case of Bengali "bhaja moshola" too, I prepare in less quantity; I have seen they tend to lose the aroma if stored for long. These days, Cristine prepares the cinnamon & cardamom powders required in my regular cooking in small amounts. I have stopped making cloves powder. Coming to this exotic spice blend SHUGANDHI MOSHOLA MIX, it will remain a once in a while affair in my kitchen, I fear damage of my blenders. 

So far biryani is concerned, Shan's works well. Everest's Biryani Masala I had tested just after marriage and it tasted like those non-Bengali tawa pulao, very spicy asking us to use yogurt too. Bengalis, I guess do not make their fried rice & pulao too spicy & hot, neither West Bengal it's biryani. I prepare various kinds of flavoured rice is a different issue. The main deterrent in the way of preparing dry spice blends at home is my fear of a spoilt blender, the same is the reason why I do not make sugarcane juice at home. I prepare the juice way better than any shop, adding jal jeera to ginger extract to lemon juice, etc. Yes; good idea, I can safely prepare my own jal jeera powder at home. The problem is there is always a risk of preparing this particular, vegetarian spice blend SHUGANDHI MOSHOLA MIX that has star anise, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg in it. This aromatic, exotic spice blend is made using green & black cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf, mace, black & white pepper, caraway seeds, star anise, cumin seeds. I think the dried java peppers is what I am missing here.

INGREDIENTS :

CINNAMON STICK : 11/2 TBSP

GREEN CARDAMOM : 1 TBSP

BLACK CARDAMOM : 4-5

BAYLEAF : 4-5

CLOVE : 11/2 TSP

NUTMEG : 5-6

MACE : 6-7

CARAWAY SEED : 1 1/2 TSP

BLACK PEPPER : 1 TBSP

WHITE PEPPER : 1 TBSP

CUMIN SEED : 2 TSP

STAR ANISE : 4-5 

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

USE DRIED JAVA PEPPERS / KEBABCHINI TOO IF THEY ARE IN SIGHT

PROCEDURE :

The spice blend I am going to make.

I took them on a heated pan, kept the heat at minimal. I dry roasted them at minimal heat, continuously stirring for about 7-8-9 minutes. We must be very careful to avoid burning.

Pour them on a plate and let cool.

Take a little at a time on your mortar and a pestle and break them further. This step is necessary, else the homely blenders may face a breakdown.

Once done, transfer half the amount to the blender. Blend at high for sometime definitely pausing every 30 seconds in between.

Add the turmeric & red chilli powders now and blend for 30 seconds. We should be done.

The commotion while blending generates heat, let the thing cool and then transfer it to an airtight jar. 

I suggest do it in small batch, longer storage does away with the aroma.

LANKAR ACHAR

I am back to the island this morning and all set to do what I love doing ..... weaving real life stories of which my recipes are a part. At times my stories are laced with melodrama, strong, silly emotions, even a little bit of exaggeration may be ..... but their source is from real life truths.... an account of how my life had / is been. How much I say I am just fine, I do miss my family .... the mother and brother. To give a goodbye hug to your bereaved mother is not that easy.... neither it is easy to look straight at the brother's sad face and get through the airport gate. I was telling my mom when I think of daddy, the first thing that comes to my mind is that my little brother lost his father so early. I did not take a single picture with my family this time, I want to see my brother's hair full grown, no frown on his face and that lost smile on my mother's face. 

All said and done I do not like going public with pictures of my family members, may be that is a mental block. I stay with an immensely positive person that helps me feel positive .... more so when I echo and agree to what my relatives told our mother .... you have two pillars of strength beside you .... the son-in-law and the daughter-in-law. The supremely active lady will never sit and cry for her husband all day, she is pretty busy in her kitchen, with her garden, visiting places of worship.... wet markets.... that makes me proud of her. The daughter follows her.... did everything from meeting people to a bit of shopping..... only the last picture taken of their father on 7th January 2017 to be precise haunts her.... the one that rests on our bedside table now... smiling at me 24/7.... I was scolding him asking him to smile generously.

The old man loved achar / pickle ..... more the typical Bengali sweet ones. The person who was missing his wifey and son for three long weeks also loves achar / pickle to be served with his lunch and dinner... mainly the North Indian types. Both these men have immensely influenced my life and I have seen a lot of similarities in their character traits. To blog about an achar / pickle was a personal choice after a three weeks of break. There are three big jars of pickle resting at our mother's home .... kul / ber / Indian Jujube, chalta / elephant apple and raw mango... all sweet and sour with a dash of chilli. The mother laments who will eat them now. The one who went off will never come back, let me prepare and share in the honour of someone who is kind of an umbrella in my life. I used chilli padi too in this achar besides the normal green chillies for the extra heat. If you are not that fond of too hot chillies, skip using the red chilli padi and use the normal green, big ones. Since we use a lot of oil in pickles, it over powers the heat from the chillies... the more we give sunbath to pickles, the more tastier it gets and stays for longer period without spoiling. Come let us do this quick and easy Lankar Achar / Chilli Pickle together and store them in tight jars.

INGREDIENTS :

Green Chilli : 100gm
Red Chilli [Chilli Padi] : 50gm 
Oil : 1 medium sized tea cup [mustard always for us]
Vinegar : 4tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 1tsp
Carom Seeds : 1/2tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1tbsp
Cumin Seeds : 2tsp
Mustard Seeds : 2tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : As Required

METHOD :

Wash the chillies gently and thoroughly rubbing under running water for a while. Dry them with a clean, soft towel.

Dry roast the fenugreek, carom, coriander, mustard, cumin seeds without burning them. Grind to a coarse powder.

Chop the chillies into smaller pieces.

Add the ground spices, chilli powder, salt, sugar and turmeric powder to the chopped chillies and fold  in well.

Heat the the oil, cool and add to the chillies & spice powders mix, also the vinegar. Fold in well. Keep the bowl under the sun for 2-3 days covered with a strainer.

Now we can transfer the achar / pickle to a clean jar. Give it a sunbath often.

MICROWAVE MUTTON BIRYANI

It goes  that Biryani has its origin in PERSIA and might have reached India through various routes.  Derived from the Farsi word 'Biriyan', meaning 'fried before cooking'. History says it could have reached India via Afghanistan to North India. It could have been brought by the Arab traders via the Arabian Sea. Then it was a royal dish for the nawabs and nizams. [wiki]

Legend say Timor, the lame brought it down from Kazakhastan via Afghanistan to Northern India. Another legend say Mumtaz Mahal conceived this dish as a complete meal to feed the army. Some other say it originated in West Asia where the nomads buried an earthen pot full of meat, rice and spices in a pit, eventually the pot was dug up and Biryani was made. [wiki]

I'll not go further  beyond this discussion because that will need deeper research on history. What I know is that the Islamic restaurants in Kolkata make fabulous Biryani, mainly the Awadhi one as it originated when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed to Kolkata by the British in 1856. Our love for Biryani is in fact legendary, specially the brother's. I am much in control now and he is not. I am so much in control now that I did not have it for a single day on my last visit to Kolkata in spite of the fact that we have 3 outlets of the famous Biryani makers in our neighbourhood. My brother is still going on. But I do prepare it at home, at times the most authentic way, sometimes in the microwave oven..... depending on how much time I have in hand, how hungry my family is, my energy level on that particular day.

Today's version of mutton biryani is a microwave made one, hence not authentic. Authentically it is slow cooked in dum in a handi with its lid sealed with a dough made of flour. My recipe is dedicated to the working mothers. I always prepare a Biryani masala powder and store it, that helps. We usually garnish it with caramelised onions, I skipped that day. Usually big pieces of meat are used in biryani but I do with small ones, in case of a mutton biryani.

INGREDIENTS [for the biryani masala] :

Cinnamon : 25gm
Green Cardamom : 25gm
Black Cardamom : 10 gm
White Pepper Corn : 10 gm
Cloves : 10gm
Mace : 5 gm
Nutmeg : 5gm
Star anise : 5gm
Tailed Pepper/kabab chini : 10 gm
Shahi Jeera : 15 gm
Bay Leaf : 5gm

INGREDIENTS [for the biryani] :

Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Mutton : 500 gm
Ghee [clarified butter]:3 tbsp + 1/4small cup
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Onion : 2
Plain Yogurt : 250 gm
Salt : As required
Cinnamon : 1inch piece 3
Green Cardamom : 6
Cloves : 6
Bay leaf : 4
Shah Jeera : 1tsp
Biryani Masala : 2tsp
Rose water or Kewra : 3-4 drops
Saffron : 6-7 strands[alternatively 2 pinches of yellow food colour]
Milk : 1/2 small cup

METHOD :

Dry roast all the ingredients of the biryani masala and grind them together to get a powder. Store in an air tight container.

We have to marinate the mutton overnight. Wash the mutton nicely and marinate with beaten yogurt, salt and half of ginger and garlic paste. Refrigerate in a airtight container. Next morning take out an hour before cooking.

Peel, wash and slice the onions. Heat the ghee in a wok. Temper with a bay leaf, 2 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1inch cinnamon. Add the sliced onions and fry till brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, fry until the spice mix separates from the ghee. Add the marinated mutton along with all the marinade, mix well and cover. We have to check every 5 minutes and stir. Put the heat at low.

While the mutton  is cooking, let us prepare the rice. Take a soft white cloth and put 4 green cardamoms and cloves, 3 bayleaves, 2 cinnamon sticks. Tie a knot tightly. Put it in the vessel used for cooking rice. Cook the rice in enough water along with the tied whole garam masalas and salt until 60% done. Drain the water and discard the garam masalas.

Check the mutton. When it is almost dried up, add 1tsp biryani masala and mix well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Once done, switch off. There has to be some gravy in it. Let rest it for 1/2 an hour. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk.

Take a microwave proof big bowl . Arrange some rice. Add one tbsp ghee, one tsp saffron milk, 2drops of rose water and sprinkle 3 pinches of biryani masala. Lightly mix with a fork. Over it place few pieces of mutton with the gravy. Repeat the process 3-4 times with rice at the topmost layer. Cover with a microwave proof plate and microwave at high for 5 minutes. It is done.

Serve with a salad and raita!