Shrimp Biryani/Prawn Biryani

Today I am going to share with you something special ..it is one of our favorite dish: Biryani.Here I prepared the Shrimp biryani. This is very easy to prepare one and no need to prepare any side dishes (curry poriyal etc) for this. We can prepare a tasty & delicious dinner without much effort. 

It is a very common in our menu. During our last grocery shopping I bought the shrimp. I used some of them for the fry and some for the curry. There were still some shrimps in my freezer. Today i was confused what to prepare for dinner then i saw these cute shrimps at the freezer and finally decided to prepare  this biryani. i already mentioned it is very easy one but while cooking make sure that you have nicely sauted and cooked the shrimp before adding the rice and also the rice-water ratio should be in right propotion otherwise biryani becomes payasam(Yes, It happened to me when i was in my cooking nursery school:)). Here i pressure cooked the biryani.If u r cooking the rice in pressure cooker the rice water ratio is 1:2 (its for basmati rice)

We always prefer to buy the fresh shrimp so we usually buy it from one of the intrnational market here called Jungle Jim's.The best shop I found here in OH. We get any kind of food items from all over the world and the arrangement is really good.For each country has separate sections and they display one  or the other items which are unique to that country..Our Indian section there is an Autoriksha and Elephant. I always love to go to this shop because I can buy so many new stuffs from there.

About the biryani: The fresh shrimp will give nice taste but we have to cook thoroughly and also we have to peel the shell off and clean it.. but that's not a big deal.Let me share the recipe..hope u will try this.. If you are so busy but love to cook something at home just try this.sure it will be good hit in ur  family.

Cost of the item :10.99USD/pound
Ingredients
Shrimp: 20 nos
Basmati Rice: 2 cup
Oil : enough
For marinating the shrimp
Ginger: small size
Garlic: 2 cloves
Chili powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp
Salt: to taste
For biryani masala
Pepper corns: 3 nos
Cardamom: 2 no
Cloves: 5 nos

Cinnamon: 1 medium sized 

star anise: 1 star
Onion: 1 big size

Tomato: 1 no
Green chili: 2 nos
Garlic: 2 cloves
Ginger : small size
Green Chili: 2 nos
Coriander leaves:little
Curry leaves: 1 spring
For Garnishing
Cahew nut: 10 nos
Raisins: 10 nos
Ghee: 1 tsp
Preparation
Step1:

• Clean the shrimp -peel the shell off and wash it with Lemon juice.
• Make a nice paste of ginger and garlic.
• Marinate the shrimp with all the ingredients in the listing and keep it aside for 30 -1 hour
• slice the onion ,cut the ginger garlic and green chili into small size(cut  lengthwise )
• Cut the tomato into 8 pieces
• Soak the rice for 15-30 minutes

Step2:

• Heat oil in kadai ..Add the whole spices(Pepper corns,Cardamom,Cloves,Cinnamon,star anise) and just saute it for a minute or less.
• Add the 3G's(ginger garlic and green chili) and saute for some time then add the sliced onion..saute onions until becomes transparent
• Add the Tomato,fry it for sometime then add the Turmeric,chili and coriander powders and mix well.

Step 3: 

• Add the marinated shrimp into the spice mix..Cook until shrimps color changes.
• Add the soaked and drained rice,chopped Coriander leaves and curry leaves into the cooked shrimp mix.Mix all together and fry for 4-5 minute

Step4: 

• Transfer the content into a pressure cooker.Add 4 cups of water(use the same cup used for measuring the rice).Cook until 1 whistel..then switch off the heat let the Rice to cook to cook for sometime.

Step5: 

• Meantime heat ghee in a pan.just shallow fry the cashews and raisins.
• Pour the gheed mix to the biryani and also decorate with some cilantro

The Delicious shrimp biryani is ready to have.Have it with raitha.

Raitha

Ingredients
Cucumber: 1/4 portion of 1 medium sized one
Tomato: 1 no
Red onion:1/2 portion of a small sized one
Green chili: 1 no
Curd: 1/2 cup
salt : to taste
Pepper Powder:1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves:little
Preparation

• Cut them into very small pieces.and mix all together with curd ..serve along with shrimp biryani..Enjoy

Cook's Tip

• You can also use the cooked, frozen shrimp.
• If u r using the cooked shrimp not necessary to cook it again.just fry it in the masala for 2-3 minutes in medium heat.
• If u like u can make the shrimp masala and rice seperately and mix together and bake for sometime that also taste good.
• Be careful add the double amount of water of rice for cooking..use the same cup for the measurement.
• Add more spices according to ur taste.

Chicken Biriyani/Kozhi biriyani

Chicken biriyani -everyone's favorite dish.We can prepare the biriyani in different ways.One of the popular method of cooking biriyani is  Dum method.This is a slow cooking process.Half raw cooked rice and meat is cooking together in low medium heat.Actually slow cooking will give more taste to the food.Especially the food is  getting cooked in the steam.

Today i prepared chicken biriyani.Most of the people think preparing biriyani is a very difficult process.I think for  the first time you may feel its quiet difficult.once u started doing it 3 or 4 times ,u feel it is just as simple as preparing the  rasam.Experience is the best teacher.

Biriyani is our favorite dish.I used to prepare this biriyani in special occasion and weekends.Last month we celebrated my hubby's birthday so the special was my Chicken biriyani...Nothing better than home made food right...The best biriyani i always remember  is at Azad hotel at our native place-TVM. Oh my god!  i can still feel that taste...My dad used to bring us to that hotel frequently..Really waiting for our next visit to native and sure we will go there and have the delicious biriyani...and also my cousin sister,she is an expert in Biriyani cooking.Her recipe is quiet simple and we can prepare it with in minutes.Anyhow i will post that recipe in future....

Hope u will try this recipe...I will try my level best to give a detailed description of the cooking steps...

Its a 3 tier process.If you follow  each step properly you can also prepare a delicious biriyani. The three steps are:  First, marinate and  prepare the chicken masala Second, prepare rice and Third, make the dum (by making  intermittent layers of chicken masala and rice)...The delicious biriyani will be ready to serve..Don't waste your time, go and try it now...

Cooking time : 45 minute - 1 hr

 

Ingredients:

For the chicken masala

Chicken : 15 medium pieces

Lemon juice : 2 tbs

Butter/Ghee : 4 tbs

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder : 3 tbs

Chili Powder : 2 tbs

Ginger : medium size

Garlic : 4 pods

Green chili: 4 nos

Cardamom : 3 no

Cinnamon: 2 medium piece

Cloves : 5 no

Aniseed : 1 no

Nutmeg : 1 small

Cumin seed : 1 tsp

Fennel seed : 1 tsp

Coriander leaves : little

Mint leaves : little

Curry leaves: little

Curd: 2 tbs

Onion : 2 medium

Tomato : 1 big size

For the rice

Rice : 2 cup  

Water : 3 cups

Cardamom : 2 no

Cinnamon:small piece

Cloves : 4 no

Aniseed :1/2 portion

Nutmeg : 1/2 portion of one medium size

Onion : 1 no

Milk :1/2 cup

Saffron : a pinch

Ghee/Butter : 3 tbs

For garnishing 

Ghee: 1 tbs

Onion : 1 small

Cashew nut : 7 nos

Raisin : 10 no

Pineapple : medium size 

Boiled egg : 2 no 

Cilantro - 1

Prior to cooking

For Chicken masala

1. clean the chicken, marinate it with lemon juice and keep aside.
2. cut the onion into thin slices and tomato into 8 pieces
3. Make a nice paste of ginger,Garlic,Green chili,Cardamom,Cinnamon,Cloves,Aniseed,Nutmeg,Cumin seed,Fennel seed  and mix it with Chili powder,coriander powder and turmeric powder

For Rice

1. Soak the rice for 30min -1 hour
2. Make a nice paste of  Cardamom,Cinnamon,Cloves,Aniseed,Nutmeg and keep aside
3. Boil the milk with saffron for about 2 minute and keep aside.

For Garnishing

1. Heat ghee/butter in a pan add the sliced onion fry until dark brown(donot spoil ) keep aside and fry the cashews and raisins in butter/ghee for about 2 minutes...
2. Cut the pineapple pieces into very small size.

Preparation

Step1 : marinate the chicken with the curd,masala paste (refer the prior to cooking -chicken masala section),Curry leaves,mint leaves and coriander leaves and keep aside for 30-1 hour.

Step2:Heat oil in a pan,add the sliced onion ,once it get saute add the tomato,once the tomatoes get cooked add the marinated chicken into it and mix well.Let it boil for about 15- 20 minutes in medium heat.

Step3: By the time heat another pan add the ghee/ butter then add the spice mix into it(refer the prior to cooking -For Rice cooking section),once the raw smell goes off add the diced onion into it fry until golden brown.add the soaked rice into it fry for 5- 10 minutes in medium heat...once the rice get translucent(the rice become transparent,its in a medium fried form) add the water into it .Let the rice to boil...

Step 4 :In another vessel just add the butter and then add the cooked rice in the next layer add the chicken and then add the rice make the layers according to the amount you have .the top layer of rice add the cashew nuts fried onion  raisins and pineapple pieces...Cover it with a foil paper .

Step 5 : Preheat oven about 300F for 5 minute and switch off the oven then keep the biriyani vessel inside...Just keep it there for 20-30 minutes... 

Step 6: Remove the biriyani vessel from the oven and  move the contents into another serving bowl...Garnish with coriander leaves and an egg and a papad

The delicious biriyani is ready to eat, serve it with raitha...

Points to ponder 

• If you are not confident about rice cooking do one thing .. Just cook the rice with enough water and strain it and do the rest of the cooking(Refer For Rice cooking)
• If you want to make the chicken spicier add more green chili and red chili powder when marinating the chicken
• If u doesn't have a oven just layer the rice and chicken in a cooking vessel and just give low heat for 5-10 minutes .close the vessel tightly during cooking.
• Just pour some ghee on the top layer of the biriyani just before dum cooking.

Mushroom Biriyani

Today i thought of preparing something special for dinner..Usually we have rice wih curries .I was in a confusion what to cook finally i found a box of mushroom in my refrigerator..finally i decided to make the quick n easy dish Mushroom biriyani...My husband really loved the mushroom so i am sure he will love my mushroom biriyani ...Today i am sharing my biriyani recipe with all of my friends...Actually its a quiet easy aswellas nutritious dish..This mushroom is known as Vegetarian's chicken i think its because of its texture.....You can find this product in almost all grocery shops...

The cost of the item - $1.50 - $2.00  /8 oz box

Cooking time : 25 minutes

Ingredients:

To make the Mushroom masala

Mushroom  - 8 oz box

Onion - 1 number

Tomato -1 number

Garlic - 2 pods

Ginger - small portion

Chili powder - 1

Cinnamon- 1 inch stick 
Cloves - 4 number  
Cardamom - 2 number
Fennel seed - 1 tsp 
Star anise  - 1 number
Bay leaves - 1 leave
Black pepper - 4 -5 number 

( make the powder of all the above )

Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves

For Rice 

Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste 

Water - 2 1/2 cup

Bay leaves - 1 leave

Cloves - 3 nos

Cardamom -1/2 portion

Butter - 2 tbs

Preparation:

Mushroom masala

Step 1 : Heat oil in a pan add the curry leaves & onions, once the onions get sauteed add the garlic ginger paste

Step 2 : Add the tomato to the browned onions.Add the chili powder and garam masala powder to it...stir continuously.Add salt to taste

Step 3: Add the washed and cleaned mushrooms into the mixture.stir well.no need to add any water....

Step 4.Close the lid and let the mix to cook for almost 10 minutes in a low heat.Stir in between

Step 5: After few minutes the mushroom will be cooked and the masala is ready to use...

For the Rice

Step 1 Soak the rice for about 10 minute

Step 2 Add the butter in a pan add the bay leaves,cloves and cardamom then add the drained rice into it

Step 3: Saute it for 3-4 minute and add water....usually the proportion of water will be depends upon the type of Basmati rice..What i usually do is i add more water once the rice started boiling check the consistency of rice ,once its cooked  drain the water and keep it aside

Making the biriyani

Step 1.In a pan make the layers of rice and mushroom masala...first add the layer of rice then the mushroom masala again the rice ....

Step 2 : Pre-heat the oven in 300 degree for 5 minute and keep the layered biriyani for about another 5 minute....just add some coriander leaves for garnishing...If you do it ,biriyani taste good...

Now the Mushroom biriyani  is ready to serve....Have it and enjoy...

Points to ponder

• Do not add the water for the mushroom masala cooking...
• Usually rice water proportion is 1 - 11/2  follow that otherwise follow whatever i did...
• According to Ur taste you can add green chilly and more chili powder....
• If  you don't like the layered method just add the rice into the mushroom masala and stir well..that's also delicious and simple method too..