Pepper Chicken Biryani

I love Biryani. Biryani is basically a (famous Indian/Pakistani recipe) , a rice (Basmati) based dish made with different aromatic spices,butter/clarified butter(Ghee) and either egg/mutton/beef/prawn/fish/Vegetables/Chicken mainly and since I believe in ,"Variety is the spice of life ". Biryani just fits the bill thereby. It's a dish that doesn't really need a side dish for it's self-sufficient. There is rice, then there is either vegetable for vegetarians or meat/seafood for non-vegetarians covered with flavorful spices and all mixed together to form one helluva lip smacking main course/meal of the day.

Needless to say,I love making different versions of biryani's .One such Biryani I made is Pepper chicken biryani .Myself and my hubby love spicy food and what's more spicier than pepper .So,Pepper chicken biryani is a mildly spicy biryani ,one pot meal made with pepper chicken masala and Basmati rice .To balance the heat of the pepper and other spices ,I used peas ,carrots and pure maple syrup (Yes,you heard it right ..trust me it's awesome it just blends with all spices and just disappears balancing the heat of the spices without compromising the flavor in any way thereafter,infact it works like honey here but better substitute sugar content wise & that's why I called it mildly spicy and is healthy too and so I realized it's just not for the pancakes & waffles anymore,there is more to it ) .Let's just say I wanted to make a healthy quick Biryani here.The Indian spices + the vegetables +the Chicken+ little pure maple syrup = one Super food as every one of them are loaded with their own medicinal values and the result...A yummy healthy Biryani .Moreover though the typical biryanis are time consuming ones,this one is made in a pressure cooker.So,it's an instant biryani as well.What more could you ask for? Did you say ,"The recipe" ?.. Well, here it comes:

Pepper Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

For marination

Chicken - 750 gram

Pepper powder-1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

For Masala

Big red onion, sliced - 1 no.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Medium size Tomato, sliced - 1 no.

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Red Chili powder - 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

Garam Masala powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Pepper powder - 2 tablespoon

Pure maple syrup - 1 tablespoon (Optional)

Peas - 1/2 cup

Carrots , sliced matchstick size - 1/2 cup

Butter/oil - 2-3 tablespoon

Cinnamon stick - 1'

Cloves- 4 nos.

Cardamom- 4 nos.

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Water - 2 1/2 cups

Butter-1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Preparation

• Marinate the chicken with pepper powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and salt and refrigerate it for 30 minutes- 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in the pressure cooker and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom (low flame) for a minute.
• Add onions and keep sauteing until they are transparent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, saute till the raw smell disappears.
• Add tomato , turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, pepper powder , garam masala powder and salt.
• Cover the cooker so that the tomatoes gets mushy and all spices mixed well on low to medium flame. Do check in between so that they don't get stick to the bottom and get burnt.
• Once everything looks like a paste , add the pepper marinated chicken and keep sauteing.
• Cover it again so that chicken is partially cooked on a low - medium flame.
• Wash and drain the Basmati rice and add to the chicken masala above.
• Give a stir for a minute or two so that everything is nicely mixed.
• Add peas and carrots.Stir well.
• Add water, butter and stir.

• Pressure cook for 5-7 minutes on medium flame.
• Once the pressure inside subsides, allow it to rest for 5 additional minutes , now open the cooker carefully and use a fork to fluff the rice slowly to avoid breaking the rice and mix everything together once again.
• Pepper chicken Biryani is ready to eat just like that or with a yogurt sauce or salad by side.

Notes:

• Garam Masala is a blend of ground spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mace, fennel seeds etc.. Ready made garam masala powders are easily available in Indian stores or can be prepared at home .For this recipe (Dry roast and grind Cinnamon stick - 1', cloves - 3, cardamom - 3 , fennel seeds - 1/4 teaspoon).
• Adjust the pepper and red chili powder as per the spiciness desired. If more add little pure maple syrup again to adjust.
• I used a US cooker here. For Indian cooker , the rice and water ratio will be 1:2 and cook for 3 whistles or until they get cooked.
• This was for a contest to prepare a one pot meal with pure maple syrup .Instead of that syrup honey can be used otherwise.

Bon Appetit

Proud participant of Pure Canada Maple Syrup

Spinach Rice

I think if there is any leafy vegetable from the vegetable kingdom that screams "Go green" that should be the Spinach leaves.These green leaves are the powerhouse of multi-vitamins,minerals ,fibre,proteins,even plant derived Omega fatty acids.So nutirent rich,low in calorie and so good for health.Right from our brain,eyes,heart,stomach,blood,skin ,hair and what not it keeps tip to toe,inside out of a human body healthy and going.With its antioxidant properties it keeps the deadly cancers especially prostrate cancers in check.In short a 5 star super food it is and must have in our daily menu. Moreover, so easy and fast to cook .

Inspite of all these benefits lectured by my parents when I was little,I somehow liked it,ate it but still hate it for a very funny reason.

Since my mom is very fair and lovely lady and myself with a wheatish complexion,I often complained that I didn't get my mom's fair complexion.The main culprits were my relatives and other near and dear ones from my native place,Kerala .Whenever we visited Kerala during school vacation (from North India ) ,all my relatives at my mom's place would say ,"Oh sweety,u look like your dad cutchicoo"..some would say,"Sweety,what happened to your complexion,u look dull and dark?" and at my dad's place everyone would be like ,"Awww..she is so cute (I was kinda South Indian child actress,Baby Shalini's look alike they said) BUT not like her mom,her mom used to be more fairer than she is now ,just like a doll " . .Well,it's always nice to hear about my mom's beauty ,very proud :) but why do they have to compare always..In my mind it was like ,"Look who is talking,u non-fair racist "..Moreover, to add fuel to the fire,they would say ,"Your brother is just like your mama,very fair". .You know,during childhood days small sibling rivalries,jealousy etc used to be there but not anymore though but yeah once there was and it irked me more then.Phewss... .Whatever ! Really??

Nope it wasn't. I approached my parents especially mommy dearest with my heart and skin felt concern.She with her warm lovely smile that can melt anyone's heart in a second said,"My beautiful daughter ,they are just kidding and you should be proud that you look like your father,Isn't your father,a very handsome man? " 

(<- mom blushing !!). I was like,"Ofcourse mom,my dad is and I am very happy to be my handsome daddy's little girl".BUT STILL !

Mom would come up with second explanation.Since your birth star (astrological stuff..phew) and Lord Krishna's star are same,look at his unique lovely complexion baby :).She would step ahead and say,"You are afterall God's fave child dear "! . That didn't sound that convincing to me and I overruled saying mom no wonder why even Lord Krishna once complained the same and we both were singing the song from the old Hindi flick,"Satyam Shivam Sundaram" ,"Yashomati maiya se bole nandalalaa,Radha kyu gori mein kyu kaala " (Lord Krishna asked hs mother ,"Why is Radha fairer than me"? ) ...to this we all .

However I didnot yet forget my question ..Didn't get the root of my problem.So,I still bothered my mom.As I grew up .Thanks to Biology classes hehe ;). I asked my mom ,"Amma what exactly did you eat while carrying bhaiya/brother and me? I mean anything you ate more,unusual while you were expecting me ..huh?...To which she replied,yeah her Ob/Gyn suggested her to amp up the iron level and she did !!

Guess what she ate a lot.....The culprit i believe and I blame her that made me not fair like mom and my bhai jaan..."SPINACH THE GREAT" !!! .

I still pull my mom's leg for the same :D .She would just laugh it off saying,"You are my Golden precious little girl". You know like "SU" nehriii from the Hindi movie ,Dhoom 2 ;D :P.
My mom would say,"Always be grateful to God for what he gave you,for you are blessed ".Keep your heart pure and white always ,for God resides there,that matters :).

Though I know that spinach might have played a tiny role because of the iron content but then there are many other factors like gene related etc that contributes to skin color,texture etc.It's still fun you know :D.All such silly teeny weeny incidents makes life more interesting and later memorable I believe.

I do eat Spinach ,I didn't give up on it .Afterall,how can I forgot my parents also taught me never to give up on anybody/anything ,value everything.

What I like the most about spinach are that they are so quick to make,kind of melts and blends fast, as a healthy juice,hot soup,an easy yummy side dish or one pot meal like the one I usually make ,The Spinach rice.

Time to wake up people.Hope you didn't sleep after reading my lifestory :D.Hellooo...wake uppp..
Here is the recipe for you :

Spinach Rice

Ingredient

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup

Water- 1 1/2 cup

Salt - To taste

Cinnamon - 1' piece

Cardamom- 2 

Clove- 4

Bay leaf- 3

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Spinach ,pureed - 1 cup

Onion,chopped - 1/2 cup

Tomato,chopped (small/medium) - 1

Green Chili - 4 nos.

Potato,cubed- 1/2 cup

Toor Dal- 1/2 cup(Optional)

Garlic minced- 2 nos.

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut powder- 1/2 teaspoon(optional)

Preparation Method :

• Heat ghee in the pressure cooker and put cumin seeds,cinnamon,cardamom,cloves ,coconut powder and Bay leaf and stir for a sec or two.

• Add chopped onion and green chili and fry until onion becomes translucent.

• Add minced/pressed Garlic and stir lightly until its raw smell disappears.

• Add tomato and let it become soft and mushy.

• Add Garam masala powder.Give a stir.

• Add cubed potato pieces,toor dal and pureed spinach and stir for a few minutes until raw smell of spinach disappears.

• Add the rice ,salt and water.Stir everything.

• Pressure cook for two whistles (my cooker's cooking time,adjust yours) or until it is cooked.
• That's it Spinach Rice/Pulao/Pilaf is ready to be served.
• Enjoy it with a simple raita/yogurt sauce and pickle or any curry of your choice.

Note:

1. Did you know that when you cook spinach ,it's nutrient level increases unlike other vegetables ?
2. Always buy "ORGANIC" spinach as the other ones are laden with pesticides which don't clear out simply by washing under water.
3. Toor Dal is optional .I add it to make it more healthy and I love spinach and potato combo. That's why the potato is there. You can omit it. You can even try with ginger-garlic paste.The taste will vary. Similarly,instead of garam masala,even sambar powder or any curry powder can be used.The taste will be different but good ofcourse.

Bon Appetit ,

Tomato Rice/Thakkali Sadam

This is that (pic's) red rose recipe.No no noo not a flower recipe. In fact a tomato recipe called Thakalli sadam or Tomato rice .It is basically a South Indian recipe ,a Tamil Nadu special .South Indians are known for their immense liking towards rice .Lunch and dinner are considered incomplete without rice.So ,it led to the creation of different varieties of Rice and this sadam,which literally means cooked rice in the language Tamil made specially with Tomato is one among them .Very easy breezy tasty one pot meal it is.Honey P loves it especially the aroma during and after it's preparations.He says it's kinda magnetic and irresistible.Good for him and good for me as it is a quickie recipe :)

It reminds me of my hostel days as I got the redden ..oops,I mean golden (got carried away by the red tomatoes i guess ,excuse me :P ) opportunity to taste this delicious recipe when I was doing my masters in Coimbatore .Well,needless to say,I hated hostel days especially hostel foods .Those foods possessed the magical powers to make one lose weight like a snap.Well ,yeah at least that was the bright and the only right side of it (for me ) rest should be just left.Oh there was one more bright thing about it that it made me value my momma's handmade foods more,the way she insisted to have more those vegetables,fish,meat etc and how I would make a big fuss about it then."No vegetables,more snacks please " used to be my motto .However at hostel I craved for anything everything mom made.SIGH!!

Anyways, long story short,the only food that was yummyliciously edible and lingers in my memory  was/is "THAKKALI SADAM".I used to look forward to this dish which unfortunately they used to make once in a while.That certainly used to make my day.I used to gulp it down as if I was starving since ages .This rice is not made at our place so never got a chance to learn from my mom.Thanks to the internet and my all in all,Mr.Google guru who helped me to unearth and recreate this recipe successfully. I usually make it in couple of ways ,sometimes with or without garam masalas/Indian spice mix or any other masala powder.

This recipe is my ultimate version and my man's fave .As I said before, for him even the aroma is edible he says.So,here goes the recipe for "THAKKALI SADAM/TOMATO RICE RECIPE".

Ingredients:

Tomatoes ( Ripe) - 3 medium

Onion - 1 medium

Green chilies - 4

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 table spoon

Red chili powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Shan's Biryani spice mix - 1-2 tablespoon 

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cup

Ghee - 1-2 teaspoon

Salt- As needed

For tempering:

Canola oil /any cooking oil - 2 tablespoon

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Cardamom - 2

Clove- 4

Cumin - 1/4 teaspoon

Bay leaves - 2

Cilantro leaves (optional)

Curry leaves(optional)

Preparations :

1. Clean the Basmati rice gently until it looks clean and clear .It makes the rice clean and starch free.
2. Soak the rice for 20-30 minutes (For making fluffy and not mushy rice ) and then drain.
3. Meanwhile , chop the tomatoes into cubes and slice the onions , green chilies lengthwise.
4. Heat oil in the pressure cooker (I usually make it in my pressure cooker as it saves time ) and put everything under tempering section above in a medium flame.
5. After a minute ,sprinkle some salt and add the sliced onions and green chilies.
6. Saute them until onion becomes transparent.
7. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears.
8. Add the chopped tomatoes at this time ,saute till they become mushy.
9. Add the SHAN Biryani spice mix (any) & other powders to it and saute,cover and  wait till everything looks saucy.Like this :
   
   
   
   9. Finally add drained rice to it,saute for 1 minute.
   10. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to it ,then ghee,salt (taste if it's enough) and mix.(like the 3rd picture in the collage)
   11.Now,cover it and pressure cook for 3 whistles .
   12.Once the pressure subsides in the cooker wait for another few minutes or be careful to open it.
   13.Fluff it with a fork/spoon or ladle slowly and there you go,yummy quickie Tomato rice is ready to be served :).So that's how my rose (a.k.a tomato) rice is made :)
   
   
   
   
   
   The beauty of a tomato.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Note:-
   
   
   1. The Shan Biryani spice mix has a very unique taste .It takes this simple tomato rice to a new level.If you have it or gonna buy it , add 1-2 tablespoon to make it spicy otherwise less would be better just for flavor sake. It can be substituted with Garam Masala/Indian Spice mix , use  like 1/2 teaspoon. Or omit any masalas for non spicy version.
   
   
   2.I Have an American pressure cooker which doesn't blow whistle (Good boy!!) , it takes 5-6 minutes to cook it in a medium flame but in Indian cooker as my friend told me would probably  take approx 3 whistles which I am not personally sure of as I never cooked in those cooker yet. So, do double check it for sure.
   
   
   3. Since mine is a spicy version I only have raita/yogurt sauce and pickles with it.If it's not that spicy or if you wish you can have it with any curry as well.
   
   
   4. That rose is as you may or may not know is made up of tomato's skin.
   
   
   
   
   Have a nice time.
   
   
   
   Participating in Walking through the memory lane by Avika & Walk Through Memory Lane - August Announcement by Gayathri

Egg Quinoa

Quinoa is one of the healthiest food gaining popularity slowly but steadily.They are seeds but considered to be nutrient rich wholegrain.They are full of fiber,protein packed,have healthy fats ,loads of anti-oxidants ,amino acids with anti-inflammatory properties and and ...well,wondering what else is left ?? ...sounds like a perfect food to me like a multi-vitamin squeezed into these tiny powerful seeds...I am trying my best to incorporate into my menu these days and who wouldn't like to ??

So here goes my Egg Quinoa recipe :-

Ingredients

     1 cup cooked quinoa (I used Eden organic Quinoa whole grain)

      2 tablespoon Sesame oil or any cooking oil or butter

      2 Eggs

       1 tsp of minced garlic & ginger/ginger garlic paste

       1 medium onion diced

       ½ cup of any mixed vegetables –peas,carrots,corn,beans,mushroom

       ½ deseeded & diced red bell pepper (optional)

      1 table spoon Soy sauce

      1 tablespoon of cashew nut and raisin (optional)

       Salt & pepper ,to taste

Preparations:

1. Wash Quinoa in cold water and add 1 cup of Quinoa to 1 1/4 cup of boiling water.
2. Cover,reduce heat,and simmer for 12 minutes.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes , and let it fluff. (Click to see -How to make perfect Quinoa in 15 minutes )
4. Steam the mixed vegetables .
5. Heat oil in a pan or wok on medium heat and stir fry diced onion.
6. Once onions are translucent ,add minced or ginger garlic paste and stir until fragrant.
7. Mix steamed vegetables and stir fry for a minute or two.
8. Add bell peppers and stir fry for 5 seconds.(if you want it to be crunchy or 1 minutes to soften it )
9. Push these stir fries to the side of the wok and add the two eggs and scramble it ,adding salt n pepper .
10. Once eggs are scrambled mix everything well and push aside and fry cashews & raisins for a second .
11. Now add the boiled Quinoa and mix with everything .
12. Finally Stir in soy sauce  and give a final mix and voila healthy Egg Quinoa is ready to serve.
13. Enjoy !!!