Wishing you all a very Happy Onam!!!

Here is the recipe for an easy Payasam using Aval (Flattened/Beaten Rice). You can make this Paysam quickly without much effort.

Aval Payasam (Beaten Rice Dessert)

Ingredients

1. Aval (Flattened/Beaten Rice) – 2 cups
2. Milk – 3 cups
3. Sugar – 6 tbsp (Adjust according to desired sweetness)
4. Powdered Cardamom (Elakka) – 1 tsp
5. Condensed Milk – 4 tbsp
6. Ghee – 2 + 1 tbsp
7. Cashews – 10 to 12
8. Raisins – 8 to 10
9. Salt – a pinch

1. Wash the Beaten Rice thoroughly. Drain and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan and add the beaten rice. Lightly roast it for a few minutes until it becomes crisp.
3. In a wide pan, heat 2 cups of milk. Add the roasted beaten rice, sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Keep stirring so that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a pinch of salt to balance the taste.
5. Cook the beaten rice for around ten minutes until it has softened.
6. When the Beaten Rice is cooked, add 1 more cup of milk. Simmer the Payasam for a few more minutes stirring frequently.
7. Reduce heat and add condensed milk. Keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the Paysam from stove top.
8. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Throw in the cashews and raisins and fry until the cashews begin to brown. Add the fried cashews and raisins to the Payasam.
9. Serve this yummy Aval Pyasam hot or cold.

Spicy Chicken Bites

Ingredients

1. Skinless & Boneless Chicken Thighs – 1 kg/2.2 lbs
2. Diced Onions – 1 large
3. Finely Minced Ginger – 1 tbsp
4. Finely Minced Garlic – 2 cloves
5. Curry Leaves – A large sprig
6. Hot & Sweet Chilly Sauce – 2 tbsp (Alternatively, you can use 2 tbsp Red Chilly Sauce and 2 tsp sugar)
7. Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
8. Black Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
9. Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp
10. Chilly Garlic Sauce – 1 tbsp (Optional)
11. Salt – to taste
12. Water – as needed
13. Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

For the Marinade

1. Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
2. Chicken Masala Powder – 1 tbsp (I used Eastern Chicken Masala Powder)
3. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp (Alter according to your Spice Tolerance)
4. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
5. Black Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
7. Salt – to taste

Shrimp Green Curry

This Curry goes perfectly with Rice and Rotis. It has a perfect balance of sweet, sour, spicy & salty taste.

Ingredients for Green Curry Paste

1. Indian Green Chillies – 4 or 5 (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
2. Garlic – 3 cloves
3. Chopped Shallots – 1/2 cup
4. Fresh Galangal/Ginger – 3 thin slices
5. Fresh Kaffir Lime Rind  - 1 thin slice (I used Lemon rind/zest)
6. Cilantro Leaves (Separated from a small bunch) – 1/4 cup
7. Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp
8. Shrimp Paste – 1/2 tsp
9. Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
10. Coriander Powder – 1/2 tsp
11. Fresh Lemongrass (thinly sliced) – 2 tbsp ( I skipped this)
12. Water – as needed

Preparation Method

1. Blend all the ingredients for the Green Paste with a few tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the green curry paste and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Throw in the curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add 4 tbsp of Coconut Cream and stir fry until the paste is lightly browned.
5. Reduce heat to low and add fish sauce, tamarind paste, brown sugar, lemon rind and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.
6. Stir and bring to a  simmer for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and taste for a balance of flavors. Add salt only if needed since the fish sauce is salty.
7. Stir in the shrimp and cook on medium-low heat for around 20 minutes until it is soft and cooked through (In Kerala Cuisine, Shrimp is cooked for a longer time compared to other Cuisines).
8. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can cook the shrimp gently for 3-5 minutes until the shrimp just turns opaque.
9. If using kaffir lime leaves, tear it up and scatter these and the basil leaves over the top of the shrimp before serving.

Indian Chicken Kheema Curry

Ingredients

1. Ground Chicken (Kheema) – 1 lb
2. Diced Tomatoes – 1 medium
3. Diced Onions – 1 large
4. Finely Minced Ginger – 1″ piece
5. Finely Minced Garlic – 4 cloves
6. Ginger Garlic Paste -1 tbsp
7. Curry Leaves – A sprig
8. Chopped Cilantro/Coriander leaves – A few
9. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
10. Chicken/Meat Masala Powder – 2 tbsp ( I use Eastern brand)
11. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
12. Red chilly powder – 1 tsp (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
13. Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
14. Homemade Garam Masala Powder – 1 to 2 tsp
15. Salt – to taste
16. Vinegar or Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
17. Water – 1 cup

Preparation Method

1. Marinate the ground meat (kheema) with ingredients listed from 3 – 15 and refrigerate it for atleast 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the marinated meat mixture and the chopped tomatoes into a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of water and more salt if needed.
3. Pressure cook on medium heat for around 10 minutes or for 2-3 whistles.
4. When the pressure subsides, open the pan and stir the minced meat breaking up any pieces sticking together. Saute on medium heat for 5 more minutes so that the gravy thickens.
5. Alternatively, you can slow cook the ground chicken in a covered non stick pan for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve this Spicy Chicken/Meat Kheema along with any Bread or Rice.

Note

• Ground Beef/Lamb takes more time to cook. It is better to slow cook Beef/Lamb for around 45 minutes so that the flavors are well absorbed.

Biriyani or Biryani - the rich festive food made with rice, meat, vegetables, eggs, fish and spices, has become a common Indian household dish. With most of the ingredients available readily, making Biryani is no longer a difficult task. I remember my childhood days when Briyani was made by my mother only on very special occasions, probably twice or thrice in a year. We used to enjoy every bit of it and looked forward for the next special occasion. Now it is made almost every week or atleast once in a month by most of us.

Kerala Chicken Biriyani

The other day I was reading the difference between Biryani and Pulao. While Pulav is made by cooking all the ingredients together, rice is cooked separately and mixed with meat or vegetables for Biryani. Well that was a revelation. There are so many regional variations for Biryani. Some of the well known ones are Hyderabadi Biryani, Sindhi Biryani, Awadhi Biryani, Malabar or Kozhikode Biriyani and so on.

I usually make Kerala Style Chicken Biriyani but I never had the patience to post the recipe. After receiving several requests from my readers, well finally, here is my recipe for Chicken Biriyani.  Kerala Style Biriyani is aromatic and flavorful. The addition of Fennel Seeds (Perum Jeerakam) and tomatoes make Kerala Style Biryani taste out of this world. Additionally, Coconut Milk is often used in South Indian Biriyani and the taste gets even better. One ingredient which is sometimes left out while making Kerala Biriyani is saffron.

This is the recipe for Layered Chicken Biryani which is baked in the oven. Though I have tried making one pot Biriyanis, it has never come out well.

Ingredients

For the Rice

1. Long grain Basmati rice – 2 cups
2. Oil – 1 tsp
3. Biriyani Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Water – as required
5. Salt – to taste

For Garnishing

1. Thinly Sliced Red Onion – 1 big
2. Cashew Halves – 1/4 cup
3. Raisins – 1/4 cup
4. Almonds – 1/4 cup (optional)
5. Sugar – 1/2 tsp
6. Salt – to taste
7. Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp

For the Biriyani Masala Gravy

1. Thinly sliced Red Onions  – 2 large
2. Diced Tomatoes – 2 large
3. Potato (peeled and diced) – 1 big (optional)
4. Slit Green Chillies – 4
5. Cinnamon – 1″ piece
6. Cloves – 4
7. Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp
8. Bay leaves – 2 to 4
9. Curry Leaves – A small sprig
10. Chopped Cilantro (Malliyilla) – 1/2 cup
11. Chopped Mint leaves (Pudhina) – 1/2 cup
12. Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Methi/Uluva) – A few
13. Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tbsp
14. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
15. Kashmiri Chilly Powder – 2 tsp (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
16. Chicken Masala Powder – 2 tbsp (Any brand, I used Eastern Chicken Masala Powder)
17. Home Made Biriyani Masala Powder – 1 to 2 tsp
18. Yogurt – 1 Cup
19. Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
20. Salt- to taste
21. Ghee/Cooking oil – As required

For the Chicken

1. Whole Chicken (medium sized pieces) – 1 lb
2. Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
3. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
4. Chicken Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
5. Kashmiri Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
6. Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
8. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
9. Salt – to taste

Oven Baked Layered Chicken Biriyani

Method

1. Soak Basmathi rice in water for around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Wash and clean the chicken pieces thoroughly and soak it in water along with 1 tbsp lemon juice for around 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
3. Make a marinade using the above ingredients and rub it nicely on the chicken pieces. Keep it aside for atleast 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil/ghee in a nonstick pan and fry cashews, almonds and raisins until the cashews and almonds are lightly browned and the raisins become plump. Drain and keep aside.
5. To the same pan, add the thinly sliced onions kept for garnishing and saute them on medium heat until they are fried and caramelized. This will take atleast 20 minutes. Keep on stirring occasionally so that the onions are not burnt. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar while frying the onions to enhance the taste.
6. Fill a big pan with 3/4th water and bring it to a rolling boil. Wash and drain the soaked Basmathi Rice and add it to the boiling water along little salt, 1/2 tsp biryani masala and 1 tsp oil. Cover and cook the Basmati rice for around 8-10 minutes till each grain is separate and 3/4 cooked but not fully cooked. Add more water if needed, so that the rice doesn’t stick together. Drain excess water and keep the rice aside.
7. Heat a big non stick pan or wok and add 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee.
8. Throw in fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves. Saute for 2 minutes.
9. Then add onions,slit green chillies, curry leaves, dried fenugreek leaves, chopped cilantro and mint leaves and saute till the onions begin to brown.
10. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two.
11. Throw in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are pulpy and mashed.
12. Reduce heat and add 1-2 tsp of biriyani masala powder, 2 tbsp chicken masala powder, 2 tsp kashmiri chilly powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric and salt to taste. Saute the powders for a minute.
13. Blend 1 cup of yogurt with little water and add it to the pan along with salt and mix well. Allow it to simmer for a while.
14. Add the marinated chicken and diced potatoes to the masala gravy and mix gently. Cover and cook on medium heat for around 20 minutes till the chicken has been cooked thoroughly. Keep the masala gravy aside.
15. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit (175 degree Celsius). Apply some ghee or oil on a baking pan/dish or line it with aluminum foil to prevent the Biryani from sticking onto the pan. Layer it with the semi cooked rice and the chicken pieces and masala gravy alternatively. Sprinkle lemon juice in between. Garnish with fried onions, cashews and raisins.
16. Cover with an aluminuim foil or tight lid and bake for atleast 30 minutes.  Allow it to cool thoroughly and then mix the biriyani gently. It’s best to keep the biriyani for a few hours before serving so that all flavors are absorbed.
17. Serve the Chicken Biriyani with Raitha, Pickle and Pappad.

Note

1. You can add coconut milk instead of yogurt for a better flavor.
2. If you are in a hurry, you can use any good brand of Ready Made Biryani Masala powder (Eastern, Saras, Melam etc.) instead of Home Made Biriyani Masala Powder.
3. It’s always better to use Whole Chicken while making Biriyani.
4. If you do not have a Conventional Oven at home, then you can layer the Biryani and cook it on stove top. Take a heavy bottomed pan and layer it with Rice, Chicken and Gravy as mentioned above. Cover the pan with a tight lid so that steam does not escape. You can also seal the lid with Chappathi dough. Cook the Biryani on very low heat for around 20 minutes.
5. To prevent the Biryani from burning at the bottom layer, it is better to cook it over indirect heat. Immerse this heavy bottomed pan in a bigger pan filled with little water and cook it on low heat for 20-30 minutes approx. You can also place the heavy-bottomed pan over a Tava or Frying pan instead of keeping it directly on stove-top and then allow it to cook over indirect heat.