Chicken Pulao

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces – 1 lb
Cinnamon stick – 1 + 1
Cloves – 4-5
Black Cardamom – 2-3
Bay leaf – 1
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin – 1 tsp
Black peppercorns – 1 + ½ tsp
Onion – 1 small (quartered) + 1 large (thinly sliced)
Ginger – 1 inch piece (crushed) + 1 tsp paste
Garlic – 4-5 cloves (crushed) + 1 tsp paste
Green chili – 4-5 (slit)
Basmati rice – 1 cup (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
Saffron – pinch (soaked in warm milk)
Salt – to taste
Nutmeg
Oil/butter/ghee

Procedure:
Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water. To the water add the following:
•1 cinnamon stick
•coriander seeds
•cloves
•cardamom
•bay leaf
•cumin
•1 tsp whole peppercorns
•crushed garlic
•crushed ginger
•quartered onion
Bring to a boil. When water starts boiling add the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken is tender.

With a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

Strain the stock. Discard all the spices, retain the stock.

In a separate pot heat oil. You can use a combination of oil and ghee or oil and butter or use only ghee or butter. I used only oil.

To the hot oil add ½ tsp peppercorn and the green chilies.

Next add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown.

Now add the ginger and garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.

Add the chicken pieces and fry until they start browning.

Now add the basmati rice and gently turn to coat the grains with the masala.

Put in the saffron strands.

Add 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil on medium high heat. (If there is less than 2 cups of stock, you can use water or use a boxed one.)

When most of the liquid has dried up switch off the heat, cover with a lid and let sit until all of the liquid has dried up and the rice has cooked perfectly. The rice will cook in the steam.

Add a dash of grated nutmeg and fluff up the rice with a fork before serving.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or mint. (optional)

Serve hot with raita.

Tandoori Fish

I had plans of making this dish on Monday. Problem was I was going out on Sunday and wouldn’t be back until Monday evening which wouldn’t leave me much time for marinating the fish to make it ready for dinner. So I marinated the fish on Sunday before I left without the lemon juice as keeping the fish in the lemon juice for a long time would disintegrate it. After I came back I added the lemon juice and marinated it for 30 minutes. Worked out well.
Ingredients:
Sea bass steak – 1 lb
Grated ginger – 1 tbsp
Garlic cloves – 2-3 (minced)
Lemon – 1 (juiced)
Curry powder – 1tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Salt & pepper – to taste
Olive Oil

Procedure:
In a nonreactive mixing bowl mix together ginger, garlic, curry powder, red chili powder and 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Season the fish with salt and pepper and then put it in the marinade.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add the lemon juice and marinate for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400F.

Arrange the fish on an oven proof dish and drizzle oil on top.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, turning the fish after 15 minutes.

Next, set the oven to broil and broil on high until the edges are charred to your liking (8-10 minutes approx in my oven). Watch the fish carefully as it might burn very easily while broiling.

Serve hot with pickled onions and lemon wedges.

For pickled onions, soak onion slices in vinegar for an hour.

Alu Bhaja -- Fried Potatoes

For a backstory see Mastering the art of alu bhaja

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 5-6 (peeled and cut into long strips)
Onion – 1 large (thinly sliced)
Green chili – 3-4 (you can use more or less)
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – for frying

Procedure:
Wash the potatoes in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Add a teaspoon of turmeric and season with salt. Toss the potatoes to coat well and put in a colander. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a pan with enough oil for frying the potatoes.

When the oil starts to ripple add the potatoes.

Turn the potatoes every now and then so that they don’t stick to the bottom. If they start sticking add a little oil.

When they are done halfway make a hollow in the middle of the pan.

Add a tbsp of oil and then throw in the onion and the green chili. Fry it for 2 minutes in the hollowed out space.

Then mix the onions with the potatoes and keep frying, turning very frequently. Be
careful not to break them.

Keep frying until the potatoes are fully cooked and the edges start to turn brown.
Remove from heat and serve.


Enjoy with rice and lentils or roti/ luchi/paratha. You can even have this as an evening snack with muri (puffed rice).

Note: You can garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Looks nice as well as gives a fresh taste.

Goat Biryani

I had a fair amount of leftover goat meat, so I decided to make use of it in the form of biryani. Watching the sunset and having biryani on the patio – Friday night dinner couldn’t have been better.

Ingredients:
Goat meat – 1lb
For goat meat ingredients and recipe see kosha mangsho
Basmati rice – 1 cup (washed and soaked for half an hour)
Onion – 1 large (thinly sliced)
Green chili – 3-4 (chopped)
Bay leaf -- 1
Cardamom -- 2-3
Clove –3-4
Cinnamon stick – 1
Nutmeg
Saffron – 1 tbsp (soaked in warm milk)
Whole black peppercorn -- 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil

Procedure:
To a pot of water add the bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and peppercorn and bring to a rolling boil.

Now add the soaked basmati rice and cook until rice is al dente. Drain very well and keep aside.

Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In an oven proof dish arrange a layer of rice. Sprinkle some of the fried onions and saffron milk. You can add a drizzle of oil or ghee (I do not.) On top of the rice arrange a layer of meat. Now repeat the process again. Finish it off with a layer of rice and fried onions on top. Add a dash of grated nutmeg. You will have two layers of meat and three layers of rice.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in oven for 50-55 minutes.

Mix meat and rice and serve hot with raita.