HYDERABAD KHAN BIRIYANI

Ingredients

  750 gms of chicken cut into big pieces
  basmathi rice -750gm
  bay leaf -4
  chilli powder 2tbsp
  coriander leaves 1 bunch cut into small
  coriander powder 1 tbsp
  200gms of curd
Dry garam masalas 8-9(includes cardomon,
  1 tbsp black pepper corns
pinch of yellow food color
garamasala powder 1 tbsp
  ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
  1 lemon
  2 bunches of mint leaves chopped
  oil 4 tbsp
  2 Onion chopped fine and long
  salt to taste
  1 tsp Turmeric powder
  4 pieces of black cardamom
10 cloves
  6 cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)
  5-6 bay leaves
  10 cashew nuts
  15 raisins
  10 almonds soaked for 1 hour and then cut into 2 pieces each
  Ghee 200gms
  200gm of yogart/curd
  1 tbsp jeera
atta dough

Procedure

Take a Bowl, Add chilli powder,salt,turmuric,garamasala powder,coriander powder,ginger garlic paste,lemon jucie,oil, mix well and add chicken rub the chicken well with this masalas and pour curd do not mix the curd, keep in fridge for over night or for 4 hours.If you are in a rush then 2 hrs is fine.

In a muslin cloth add all the spices and wrap it and keep a side.I am sometimes very lazy to do this. So i directly put the masalas in the chicken and rice.
Now in a thick bottomed pan, add ghee and then add chopped onions, salt, cook till slight golden brown colour once it is done then remove.In the remaining ghee, fry cashewnuts,almonds,raisins. Remove these and keep aside.
Boil water and add salt,cardomums,bay leaves,jeera,2 tbsp oil,rice and cook it till its more than half done.Most important part of cooking good biryani. Rice needs to be strong and long.If its mashed then the biryani doesnt really taste that great.
Now spread the half of the fried onions and pour the marinated chicken and spread it equaly, and put the wraped masala dry,now spread the rice on top of the marinated chicken in the pan,add coriander leaves,mint leaves then add rice on top of this layer.Remaining fried onions ,cashewnuts,raisins,almonds can be added on the top of the rice.

Finely sprinkle the yellow color and close it with a lid but the steam should not come out for this take a chapati dough and make a thread and put around the dish and close it with the Lid and put some weight on top of the lid to avoid the steam to escape.Cook for 45 min. First 5 mints of high fire, next 15 mints of medium fire,next 20-25 mints of low fire.Hyderabad Khan Biryani is ready to eat along with raita or kurma

ROASTED SPICY PEPPER CHICKEN

Ingredients

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
  1 cinnamon stick,1 cardamoms,2 cloves
  7-8 whole pepper corns
  10-12 curry leaves
  2 large onions, finely sliced long
  1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  3-4 green chillis, slit
  1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
  1 tsp freshly ground pepper pwd
salt to taste
2 tbsps oil
Kasuri methi or fenugreek dry leaves

Roast and make a paste:
5-6 curry Leaves
3 shallots or a small onion, sliced
1/2 cup grated coconut
10-12 pepper corns
3/4 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cloves
2 cardamoms
1″ cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

1. Heat half a tbsp of oil in another cooking vessel, add curry leaves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and saute for 3 mts on low flame. Next add the sliced onion shallots and saute for 4 mts till golden brown. Add the grated coconut and saute on low flame for 4 mts. Turn off heat and cool. Grind to a paste without adding water.
2.Heat one and a half tbsps of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and pepper corns and saute for a few secs. Add the curry leaves and saute till crisp.
3. Add the sliced onions,salt and saute till transparent, approx 5-6 mts. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 4 mts. Add turmeric pwd and pepper pwd and combine well. Add the chicken and cook on high for 4 mts. Reduce flame to medium , place lid and simmer till chicken is almost cooked.
4. Add the paste(from 1st step) to the three fourth cooked chicken and combine well. Add few tbsps of water if the curry is too dry. Otherwise there is no need to add water. Place lid and cook for 5 mts. Now increase flame, and toss the contents for 2-3 mts. Lastly sprinkle some kasuri methi, combine well and turn off heat.
5. Serve hot with rotis or rice.And goes very well as starter.

PRAWN PULAO

Ingredients

750gm of Basmati Rice
  10 cashewnuts
  8-9 Raisins
  1 cup of mint leaves
  1 cup of coriander leaves chopped fine
  2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
  Garam masala(2 bay leaves,2 cinnamon stick,1 star anise,3-4 cardomum,5-6 cloves,1 tbsp of peppercorns)
  1 onion cut into long pieces
  2 onions cut into small pieces
  2 tbsp of oil(olive oil preferred)
  2 tbsp of butter or pure ghee
  1/2 tbsp of chilli powder
  1 tbsp of garam masala(optional)
  Salt to taste
  3 small green chillies
  1/4 tbsp turmeric.
  1/2 tbsp chilli powder
400gm of prawns

Making the prawn stir fry:
Cleanup the prawns,devien them and keep aside.. Take 2 tbsp oil in a flat bottomed vessel, add cut onions,salt and saute for 2-3 mints. Add ginger garlic paste,cut green chillies and saute for 3 mints. Now add turmeric,chilli powder.Cover the lid and cook for another 5 mints . Cook till the onions are transperent. Now add the prawns and mix well with the above. Observe that lots of water will start oozing out from the prawns.Prawns cook very fast. So when they are 3/4 done,add cut coriander leaves and garam masala. Cook on a very low flame for 5 mints.Make sure 90% of moisture or water is absorbed. Take off from the stove and keep aside.Make sure that you take out the prawn pieces aside leaving along the gravy in the vessel.

Procedure

Clean the rice with water 2 times and soak it for 30 mints. See that you dont cleanup too many times as there is a danger of breaking the rice.
I have taken a rice cooker.I have put 1 tbsp of oil and added jeera. Once the jeera started spluttering ,add the bay leaves,cinnamon,cardomum,star anise,cloves.cashewnuts,raisins and saute in oil for about 3 minutes & let it cool. Add cut onions and add little salt.Saute for 4 mints .Now add coriander leaves,mint leaves and mix all the ingradients nicely. Now add the soaked rice into the above mixture and mix well.
Now add the prawn stir fry gravy to the above and mix well.Adjust the salt.Make sure the salt is in right quantity or else the pulao doesnt taste good.
It should not be too salty nor too bland..Switch On the rice cooker and let it cook till the rice is cooked 3/4. Now add the prawn pieces and let the rice cook till its completely done.
Leave the lid on the cooker for atleast 10 mints after the rice has cooked.Mix the prawns properly but see that you dont smash them and rice.
You can eat this with raita or vegetable kurma.. You can do this in a flat bottomed thick utensil also. Dont forget to put the exact quantity of water.I generally use 1 glass of rice to 1 1/2 glass water. Since the rice was soaked for 30 mints, i would reduce 1/2 glass of water. Overall i would reduce 1 to 1 1/2 glass water of the original quantity of water to avoid the rice getting over cooked.

 

Courtesy:  Akkisetti Shyam

TOMATO PALAK DAL

 

Ingredients:

  1 cup toor dal/chana dal
  1 pinch turmeric
  1 onion cut into long pieces
  1/4 tbsp jeera
  1/4 tbsp mustard seeds
  1 tbsp oil(olive oil preferred)
  5 cloves of garlic
2-3 dry red chillies
  1 pinch hing(optional)
  1 bunch of spinach or palak or thota koora
  1 and half large tomatoes
  4 small green chillies
  1 spring curry leaves and coriander leaves
  Salt to taste
  1/2 tbsp of sugar

Procedure:

Boil dal and keep aside.
Heat oil and add red chillies, mustard,cumin seeds, add sliced garlic and cut onions.Add salt.Saute for 2 mints.Add turmeric,hing,curry leaves ,chopped chilli and saute for another 3 min.See that the onions are transperent.Add cut tomato pieces and cook till they are half cooked.Add spinach ,butter and cook for 2 mint.Add daal ( dal which has been cooked well) ,sugar to the above.Here you have to be carefull when cooking spinach as it cooks with in 2-3 mints. So dont close the lid while cooking spinach.Check the salt and if required adjust salt and stop it when the dal is having smooth texture. Its really yummy..You would love to just eat it without mixing.Best eaten with rice,rotis or chapatis

Courtesy: Akkisetti Shyam

ACHARI CHICKEN

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 (500 gms), cut into small or medium pieces
Onions - 3 sliced fine
Tomatoes - 2 chopped fine
Kalonji - 1 tsp (Onion or Nigella seeds)
Methi dana - 1/2 tsp (Fenugreek seeds)
Whole Zeera - 1 tsp (Cumin Seeds)
Saunf - 1 tsp (Fennel seeds)
Bhuna Zeera Powder - 1 tsp (Roasted Cumin Powder)
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Yogurt (curd) - 3 tbsp/thick
Haldi - 1/2 tsp (Turmeric Powder)
Green chilies - 2-3/ to taste
Lemon Juice - of 1/2 lemon
Yogurt (curd) - 3 tbsp/thick
Fresh Coriander (Hara Dhania) to garnish
  Cut ginger into long for garnishing
  Cut Long the long chillies for garnishing
  Salt to taste
  1 tsp of mustard seeds.

Procedure

1) Heat oil in a heavy based pan on medium heat. Add onions,little salt and fry (stirring occasionally)until golden brown.Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell is gone.Now add tomatoes and saute until they are well soft and till the oil separates.
2) Add in the chicken pieces, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix and cover pot and let it cook on low heat until the chicken is half done.Now add beaten yogurt to the half cooked chicken and let it cook for 5 minutes.
3) Separately put a frying pan on stove on medium heat and roast the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Methi seeds,jeera seeds,fennel seeds and kalonji seeds(nigella seeds) in a dry pan. (Do not use oil) Roast these seeds until the cumin turns brown.
4) Take 2 teaspoons of this roasted mixture and set it aside.Take 1 tsp of oil and saute for a minute and Keep aside .This is used for tempering. Grind the rest of it in a grinder to a fine powder. Make it into a thick paste by adding the lemon juice.
5) Add the paste to the chicken and further cook the chicken until it is well done.
6) Add the tempering ingradients to the chicken.Garnish with cut ginger pieces,coriander leaves,cut pieces of long chillies.

Note: I cooked this dish yesterday night for the first time and enjoyed to the maximum..Its got very special strong pickel kind of taste to it..You will not be dissappointed at all.

 

Courtesy : Akkisetti Shyam

RIDGE GAURD WITH DRY SHRIMP STIR FRY / PEERKANKAAY WITH DRY SHRIMP

Ingredients
150 gm ridge gaurd, chopped into small pieces
  2 small green chillies cut into small pieces
  50gm dry shrimps
  1/2 tbsp of chilli powder.
  pinch of turmeric powder
  salt to taste
  1 tbsp oil(oilive oil preffered)
  10-12 curry leaves for tempering
  1/2 tsp mustard seeds for tempering
  1/4 tsp cumin seeds(jeera) for tempering
1 tbsp garam masala(if you want on spicier side)
  1 tbsp coriander leaves(optional)
  1 big size onion cut into small fine pieces
  1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Procedure
Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and let them pop.Once they turn slightly red, add cut onions,small green chillies and salt(dont put too much salt at this point of time as dry shrimps are little bit salty). Saute for 2-3 mints.Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another 3 mints.See that the onions are cooked well and are transperent.Close the lid. Remove the lid and add chilli powder,turmeric and mix well.Cook for 5 mts on low flame by covering the lid.Remove the lid and add the cut ridge gaurd pieces to the above mixture and saute for 5 mints on medium flame.At this point of time add the dry shrimps/prawns and mix well with the above. Let it cook for 10 mints on medium flame.Check if the oil has oozed out.If not continue till the oil has come up.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: Remember,never cover the lid when you have added ridge gaurd or else the dish will become watery.
Serve with rice or chapati. Never over cook this dish. You have to enjoy the juices of the vegetables when you eat this dish along with dry shrimps.This time i did not do completly dry dish.I left little bit of moisture to mix well with rice or eat with rotis.
This is one of my dad's favourite dish .Its unbelievable and yummy.Taste it to believe.

Courtesy: my friend Akkisetti Shyam

 

BREAD PAYASAM / KHEER

Its very creamy and yummy. Kids would love it along with all the adults with sweet tooth.

Ingredients

  1 lit fresh or full cream milk.
  1 loaf of bread(10)
  Sugar(200gm)
  2-4 tbsp of pure ghee
  7-8 cardimom
  10-12 pistachio
  10-12 cashewnuts
  10 -12 raisins.

Preparation

Cut the edges of the bread pieces and toast it dry or you can fry in ghee till it gets golden brown color. If you fry in ghee,you will get better taste. Now boil the milk in a deep skillet and add sugar.

Now add the bread pieces to the boiling milk. Add sugar and mix it well. Cover the lid and let it cook at low flame till the milk gets dried out. My suggestion would be eat this dish after 1 day keeping in the refrigerator. It will serve as a very nice dessert. Sugar level can be adjusted to your taste.

In a seperate skillet,add 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashewnuts,pistachio for 5 mints till the golden brown color comes. Now add raisins and fry them for 1 mint since raisins burn very fast.Be carefull and never fry the raisins for long.Add the above to the cooking milk with bread pieces.
Never make this dish on high flame after adding the bread pieces.

Courtesy: my friend Akkisetti Shyam

 

DRUMSTIK WITH PEANUT N SESAME PASTE ALONG WITH TAMARIND SAUCE

Ingredients

 2 drumsticks cut into small sizes

 2 onions (large) cut into long size

 3 green chillies cut into small

1/2 tsp Tumeric powder

 2 tbsp red chilli powder

 10 curry leaves

 3-4 tbsp of oil (preferably olive oil)

 1/2 tbsp cumin powder

 1 tbsp of coriander powder

boiled cold milk - 1 cup

 2 tomatoes cut into small pieces

salt to taste

1 tsp mustard seeds

 1 tsp of jeera

 100gms roasted peanuts made into powder

 50gms sesame seeds made into powder

3 tbsp of tamarind sauce

 1 glass of water

 1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds

Procedure:

Heat a pan, add oil.Once heated,add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,fenugreek seeds,green chillies,onions,drumstik pieces and salt.Once the onions become transparent,add tomatoes and turmeric.Add some water.Cook till the oil seperates.Now add the coriander powder,cumin powder,chilli powder,peanut powder and sesame powder to the above and mix well.Add milk and tamarind sauce to the above.Let it cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.Adjust the spice and salt accordingly.Garnish with curry leaves.Eat with rice or chappatis.It should get very tangy taste with hot n sweet combination.

Courtesy: my friend Akkisetti Shyam