Chicken Biryani

Ingredients for marinating the chicken
* 1 Kilo Chicken on the bone cut into 12-16 pieces
* 1 cup of curd
* 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
* 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
* 1 Teaspoon of coriander powder
* a little salt
Mix all of the above ingredients and let the chicken marinate for 6-12 hours, more the better.

Herbs, spices and condiments used are as follows
* 8 cloves
* 1 Cinnamon stick
* 6 green Cardamoms
* 2 Bay leaves
* 1/2 Teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
* a few pinches grated nutmeg and mace each
* 1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
* 1 Teaspoon red Chili powder (to taste)
* 5-6 Tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
* 2-3 chopped green Chilies
* 4-5 chopped Tomatoes
* a whole bunch of fresh coriander leaves

For fried onions
About 8-9 medium size onions

Other Ingredients
* 500 g good basmati rice
* Oil for deep frying and 3-4 tablespoon for cooking
* 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
* 1/2 cup of milk
* a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
* Desi ghee (clarified butter) about 6-7 Tablespoons
* Cashew nuts ( a few or as many as you want)
* Raisins and almonds are optional
* Salt to taste

Deep fry the onions
While the chicken is marinating, slice the onions very thin. You can use a food processor for this or a slicer. Now heat oil and fry these sliced onions in batches. The heat should be medium. Definitely not high, otherwise the onions will get burned.
Stir the onions continuously for uniform browning. When they become light brown, drain them on kitchen paper. Keep them aside. They will get nice crispy as they cool down.

Cook the Chicken

Take a deep, wide mouth vessel and heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in it. In this add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, little bit of shahi jeera and allow to crackle. Now add a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and stir a little. Now tip out all the marinated chicken and the marinade. Cook on a high flame so that the water gets evaporated quickly. Add the chopped tomatoes, mint, green chilies, all dry powders(coriander, chili), and salt. Cook till the chicken is cooked and the gravy (masala) is not watery. Add one third of the fried onions. Mix well. Keep aside.
Parboil the rice

Boiling rice is one of the most important part of cooking a biryani. The rice needs to be parboiled. Meaning, it should be three fourth cooked. The rest of it gets cooked on dum (when we layer the chicken and rice, seal it and put on a very slow fire).
To boil the rice take a big deep wide mouth vessel, add lots of water (at least 10 times more than rice). Add ample salt (this is very important because the rice needs to be salty when cooked). Also add a cinnamon stick, a couple of green cardamoms, a few cloves and the rest of caraway seeds (shahi jeera), for flavoring the rice.
Now boil all this for a few minutes on a high flame (7 minutes or so). This is how to check if the rice is done. Without burning your fingers, take a few grains of rice (use a clean spoon to take some out of the boiling water), break a grain, if it breaks into 3 parts easily, your rice is done.
Strain the rice and spread it on a clean surface ( a tray or something), so that it cools faster. If you want to pick out the whole spices which you added, you can do that now. Or else just let them be.
Keep all these ready
Now that the rice and chicken are cooked. Fried onions are ready. You just need to get a few more things organized, so that the layering can be done.
* Chop the coriander leaves
* Boil the milk and add crushed saffron in it. Give it a stir.
* In desi ghee, fry the cashew nuts till golden brown. Also the almonds and raisins, if using. Keep aside.
* Keep some melted desi ghee aside.

Layering the biryani

Take a heavy bottom pan with a lid (non stick is best).
Take some melted ghee and grease the bottom of the pan with it. Then
* Put a layer of rice,
* Then a layer of chicken
* followed by a layer of fried onions
* then a layer of chopped coriander.
Repeat and finish off with the rice layer. Lastly, sprinkle the leftover fried onions (if any), cashews and other nuts. Pour the saffron milk on top. Also pour some desi ghee down the sides of the pan and some on top of the rice. It will trickle down with the heat.
Yep, you are done. Seal the lid by sticking it with some chapati dough or simply fix a big foil before placing the lid. The idea is to restrict the steam from escaping. Place this pot on a very slow flame. Ideally place this vessel on top of another flat pan or tawa, so that the bottom of the pan doesn't come in direct contact with the heat source.
Leave for one hour. When you open it, what you get is the magical, flavorsome and aromatic chicken biryani. Please dig in. Don't forget to prepare a riata while your biryani is cooking. Enjoy hot biryani with a cold raita.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1635092

Cilantro Mint Chutney

Ingredients

Yields: 1 pint

 
2 green bell peppers
2 jalapeño green chili peppers
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped
5 cups cilantro, chopped
juice of half a lime, freshly squeezed
Chat Masala – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
1 tablespoon jaggery or sugar, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
3/4 teaspoon salt
¼ cup water

Directions

Using a paring knife, cut the chiles and bell peppers in half. Remove some of the seeds to make the sauce slightly less spicy. Finely chop the peppers and set aside. Note: remember not to rub your eyes after touching chile pepper seeds.

In a small saucepan, dissolve the jaggery with lime juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Allow to cool completely.

In a blender (or in a large mortar and pestle), combine the green bell peppers, 2 jalapeño peppers (or more to taste), the ginger garlic paste, tamarind concentrate, chopped mint leaves and cilantro. Add ¼ cup of water (or more) for a smooth flow. Add the jaggery. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

It's great as a snack with Indian-style savory fritters, fish or meat dishes.

Mattar Paneer

FINAL RECIPE!!!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 Tbsp garlic, grated
• 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp corriander powder
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar (use just 1/2 Tbsp if using coconut cream)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup paneer, cubed
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup cream or cocunut cream (diluted in hot-water)
• 1 tsp kasoori methi (optional)

Instructions

Fry the paneer first in little oil on non-stick pan!

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over high. Add oil then cumin seeds, then onions and sauté until dark golden brown.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the garam masala, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and salt, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the paneer and cook another 5 minutes.
6. Add the peas, yogurt and cream. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until the peas are just cooked.
7. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional). Serve immediately.

Another great version: http://www.yummyoyummy.com/2011/05/mattar-paneer-with-cumin-rice.html

Pork Stir-fry with Hoisin and Orange Sauce

(serves 2-3)

a wok or a large frying pan
a glug or two of peanut oil (ground nut) for stir frying
450g Pork fillet - sliced into thin strips

To make the marinade - mix together in a medium bowl:

1 teaspoon cornflour
1/2 a tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 garlic clove - very finely chopped
a pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 a tablespoon Sake (Japanese rice wine)
1/2 a tablespoon of Mirin (optional)
1 tablespoon of runny honey

To make the sauce mix together in a small bowl:

juice of one orange and the zest of half the orange
2 tablespoons of soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon of Mirin
1/2 a tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 heaped tablespoons of Hoisin sauce (like Mirin and Sake this is available in a jar from any good supermarket)
2 tablespoons of water

You will also need:
1 red chilli - de-seeded and very finely chopped
1 red bell pepper - de-seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 medium red onion - thinly sliced
1 carrot - sliced thinly using a speed peeler or just cut into thin matchsticks
2 spring onions - sliced into strips

How to do it:

Add the thinly sliced pork fillet to the marinade, cover in cling film and leave as long as possible - over night in the fridge is good or at least an hour.  Whatever, remove from the fridge at 20 minutes before cooking.
Drain the marinade from the pork and heat up a glug of oil in your wok. Tip the pork in and stir fry for just a couple of minutes.
Remove the pork and set aside - don't fuss if it isn't cooked, it will be in a moment.
Wipe the wok clean with kitchen paper and heat up another glug of oil.
When it's piping hot, add the chopped chilli, sliced peppers, red onion and carrot.  Stir fry for just a minute or two. 
Now add the sauce and cook for a minute before adding back in the pork.
Stir till the mixture starts to thicken slightly - but remember you do want a little sauce so don't let it dry up!
Now add the sliced spring onion - keeping a few bits back to garnish.
Serve immediately with some nice rice.