I am in a mood to go back into my shell. A butterfly never goes back to its cocoon, right? But sometimes, everybody likes to retreat into its own self. Many a times, people like me who love to talk and be around people all the time do not realize the importance of having some quality time with self - absolutely going to say, some serious soul searching. It shocks me beyond words as to how your closest people can get you out-rightly wrong and think about you in a way which you could never ever have imagined. It gets me thinking then, either they are taking me wrong or I have projected myself in a wrong way. As I look forward to Ramadan to get into some internal assessments and modifications, even though I have no intention of changing the way I am, maybe a little more polishing of my internal thought process is what I am looking for. I only pray that Allah gives me the patience to go through it all... I have always felt, that nobody in this world will ever understand you completely, not even the people who you call or call themselves as your "soulmates", except the One who has fashioned you, and indeed He understands, completely....
Off to another biriyani recipe before we close into a week where Ramadan may start, InShaAllah... I have already published a pressure cooker version before, which is really simple. This does take some time to make, but still not as much time as a complete normal biriyani would take. What I loved about it was the ground masala, which gives an awesome flavor to this jhatpat biriyani. Let's have a look at the way it is made...
Off to another biriyani recipe before we close into a week where Ramadan may start, InShaAllah... I have already published a pressure cooker version before, which is really simple. This does take some time to make, but still not as much time as a complete normal biriyani would take. What I loved about it was the ground masala, which gives an awesome flavor to this jhatpat biriyani. Let's have a look at the way it is made...
Pressure Cooker Chicken Biriyani ~ Version #2
Serves 4
Adapted from here
Ingredients:
800 gm chicken, cut and cleaned
2 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
For paste:
3/4 cup packed, coriander and mint leaves, combined
2 green chillies
2 cardamom
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
For masala:
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 large tomato chopped
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp whole masalas (cardamom, peppercorn, cloves, star anise)
1 bay leaf
1 small pc cinnamon
900 ml warm water
Salt to taste
Method:
2 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
For paste:
3/4 cup packed, coriander and mint leaves, combined
2 green chillies
2 cardamom
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
For masala:
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 large tomato chopped
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp whole masalas (cardamom, peppercorn, cloves, star anise)
1 bay leaf
1 small pc cinnamon
900 ml warm water
Salt to taste
Method:
Grind the masala into a smooth paste by adding little water. Add to the chicken along with yogurt and turmeric and marinate for ten minutes.
Fry the onion till brown in the ghee. Drain the onion and reserve the ghee.
Heat a wide saucepan. Add the oil. Add the chicken with marination, fried onion and tomato with some salt and cook on closed lid on medium-high flame for 5 minutes. The stock will ooze out. Now increase the flame to high on open and cook till the water is completely evaporated and masala coats the chicken. It is not necessary that the chicken is fully cooked.
In a pressure cooker, add the reserved ghee. Fry all the whole spices for a minute, then add the drained rice. Saute for a minute. Add the chicken masala and water. Adjust the salt. Cook on high flame for 1 whistle, reduce the flame and cook for another five minutes.
Switch off and allow the pressure to go by itself. Fluff up using a fork and serve hot with raita and pickle!