Indian rice varieties

Hyderabadi dum biriyani

This may not be an authentic hyderabadi biriyani, but this is the way I make it with a few variations. And this definitely is a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1. chicken- 1 kg

2.onions sliced lengthwise- 1 large

3.onions diced- 1 medium

4. tomato -1 or 2

5. a pinch of saffron and 1/4 cup milk

6. 2or 3 tbsp of melted butter or ghee

7.mint leaves

8.coriander leaves(cilantro)
9.ginger julienne(ginger cut into thin long pieces) of a 1 inch piece
10.garam masala powder-2 tsp
11.ginger-garlic paste-2 tsp

For marinating the chicken:

Turmeric powder -2 tsp

chilli powder- 2 tsp

coriander powder-2 tsp
paprika powder-1 tsp

salt

Marinate the chicken for 20 mts with the above ingredients.

For grinding:

A few
cardamom

cloves

fennel

star anise

cinnamon

bay leaf

pepper

cashews
Grind the above ingredients using little water and keep aside.

For the rice:

Basmati rice-2 cups
whole spices ( a few-to be put in the water while boiling rice.)
3 cups water and 1 cup milk (for boiling rice)
Soak the rice in wate for half an hour. This makes the rice fluffy when cooked.

Method:

step1


Heat oil and saute the length-wise cut onions till it is brown. Keep it aside. Keep the oil.

Step 2

In a pan or rice cooker, boil the 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk. you can use 4 cups of water also. Put some whole spices like black cardamom,star anise, fennel,cloves.bay leaves and some mint leaves. It will give a good aroma to the rice. once the water is boiled,add the soaked and drained basmati rice. Cook till the rice is done.

Step 3

In the same oil as you sauted the onions, saute the dices onions, till they become translucent. then add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a while. Then add the tomatoes and saute till it becomes soft. Add the chicken and mix well. Add salt. Add the ground paste and mix well. Cover and cook till the chicken is 3/4th done.(I cook till the chicken is almost done.)
In authentic hyderabadi style, they dont cook the chicken. But I prefer this way.

Step 4


Warm the 1/4th cup milk and put the saffron strands in it. It gives a good yellow color and a good flavor and aroma to the biriyani.
Now the main part comes. Take a thick bottomed pan(I used pressure cooker without the lid). Now we have to arrange the chicken and rice in alternate layers.
The first layer is the chicken. Take half of the chicken and spread at the bottom of the pan. Then take half of the cooked rice and spread it on top of the chicken.  Add half of the brown onions, saffron soaked milk,  ginger juliennes, mint leaves, little garam masala on top of the rice.

Repeat the chicken layer and rice layer one more time. Then cover the pan with a tight lid or seal with an aluminium foil. Take a tawa or an iron griddle and keep it in medium low. Keep the sealed pan on top of it for 20 to 25 mts only as everything is cooked well. This is called keeping in  'dum'. This allows all the flavors to mixed well. you can keep in very low flame till you serve so that biriyani will be warm.

In authentic hyderabadi recipe, raw marinated chicken is kept instead of cooked one. If you want to do that, you have to keep in 'dum' for 45mts to 1 hr.

When the biriyani is ready to be served, open the foil and mix the biriyani well and serve with onion raitha.

Palak Rice

Ingredients

1. Chopped spinach- 1 bunch( can use frozen spinach also)

2. Basmati rice        - 2 cups

3. Sliced onion         - 1 medium

4. ginger garlic paste-1 tsp

5. whole garam masala(few cardamom,cloves,star anise,cinnamom,fennel seeds,bay leaf)

6. yoguyrt/curd  - 1/4th cup

7. sugar              -1/2 tsp(to balance taste) 

8.corioander leaves

9.mint leaves

10.green chillies- 2 or 3

11. oil/ghee

12. few cashews

Method

Step 1

Take the chopped spinach in a microwave bowl and microwave for a 5 mts. Mix well and microwave again for 3 mts. The spinach would be almost cooked. Blend it well in a mixer and keep the spinach puree aside. Soak the rice in water for 30 mts.

step 2

Heat some oil or ghee in a pressure cooker and saute all the whole spices and cashews and saute for a while. Add sliced onions and saute till the onion turns pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a while. Add the sugar also. Add the coriander leaves, mint leaves and slit green chillies and saute for a few minutes. Add the spinach puree and saute for a while. Then add yogurt and combine everything. Then wash the rice and add and saute for a while.  Add 3 1/2 cups water and close the pressure cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Open and drizzle with some ghee and serve with raitha.

Variations

you can add fried paneer before closing the lid.

 

 

Tomato-Chilli Rice

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1.Basmati rice-1 cup

2.green chilli-2 or 3

3.onion-2

4.wholes spices(cardamom, fennel, cloves, star anise, etc.)-few

5.tomatoes-3

6.turmeric powder and garam masala-1 tsp each

7.lemon juice-1/4 cup

8.coriander and mint leaves-few

9.chopped ginger and garlic-little

 

 Method:
 

1. Soak basmati rice for 20 mts
2. Heat oil, add spices(cardamom, star anise, cloves, etc.) and sauté

3. Add chopped onions, ginger ,garlic, green chilli, mint leaves, coriander leaves,

4. Add chopped tomatoes, little garam masala, turmeric powder and cook till tomatoes are soft.

5.Add twice water, salt and squeeze fresh lemon juice.

6.When water boils, add the rice and cover and cook till water is absorbed.

7.Garnish with fresh mint and coriander leaves.