Chicken Biriyani - in Pressure Cooker

Do you get food dreams? Yes, you read it right, I did mean food. I get them...quite often. It happens usually when I don't get to eat something that I badly want to. In this case it was Chicken Biriyani. So much so that I could see the fluffy rice, tender chicken pieces and caramelized onions...sigh. Being in that part of the world where an Indian take out is not at all an easy option, I had to either make it myself or ask someone else to make it for me. 

Disclaimer: For those looking for the authentic biriyani recipe, this is not the one. This recipe is with the normal white rice and made in a pressure cooker. 

Serves: 4

What you need:

• Rice: 2 cups
• Water: 2 1/2 cups (the rice I use needed less water)
• Medium sized Chicken pieces: 1kg or less
• Eggs: 4 nos, boiled
• Red Onions: 1 big or 2 small - thinly sliced
• Small/pearl onions: 5 nos
• Green Chilly: 3 small ones - randomly chopped
• Ginger-Garlic paste: 1 tsp
• Turmeric: a pinch
• Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala/Chicken Masala: 1 1/2 tsp
• Finely chopped coriander: 2 tbsp
• Ghee/Oil
• Salt

Whole spices:

• Cloves: 6-7 nosCinnamon - a medium piece
• Cardamom: 3-4 nos
• Bay leaf: 5-6 medium sized leaves
• Fennel/Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp

To Marinate:

• Turmeric: a pinch
• Red Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala/Chicken Masala: 1/2 tsp
• Thick curd: 1 tbsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp

Marinate the chicken with these ingredients and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.

How to make:

• Wash and soak the rice.
• In the pressure cooker, heat 1 tsp oil/ghee and fry the whole spices for a minute.
• Add the small/pearl onions and fry then in medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Mash them slightly.
• Add 3/4th of the sliced onions and the green chillies. Saute for a minute.
• Add the ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell goes and onions are golden brown in color.
• Add the masala powders, mix well. Add a few tablespoons of water and mix again.
• Now add the marinated chicken pieces to the cooker and mix, ensuring that the onion masala coats it well.
• Add enough salt. Check the taste and add more salt/ masala powder if necessary.
• Cook the chicken in medium heat till it is half done - it takes about 5-6 minutes.
• Now, drain the soaked rice and add it to the cooker. Add 2.5 cups of water and mix well. If you feel the water is less when compared to the quantity of the rice and chicken, add half a cup more.
• Check the salt and masala again and add if necessary.
• All 1/2 tsp ghee to this and mix well. 
• Once this boils, turn down the flame to low and close the cooker with the lid.
• You now have two options - Either put the whistle on and cook the biriyani for two whistles. Or do not put the whistle and cook the biriyani with the lid on for 20-25 minutes.
• While the biriyani is getting cooked, take a pan and fry the remaining sliced onions in a tsp of ghee till it is caramelized.
• Once the biriyani is ready, take it out of the cooker and place it in a serving bowl. Cut the boiled eggs into two and place it over the biriyani. Garnish with chopped coriander and the caramelized onions.
• Serve with curd or onion raitha.

Roasted Veggies

This is an ideal dish for me when I'm in one of those lazy moods but still want to cook and not order takeout. This dish has endless options. You can use any vegetable of your choice. I only had some fingerling potatoes, sweet peppers and carrots so that's what I used. I love garlic and always have it at home, so added a good amount of garlic too.



What you need:

1. Medium sized Sweet Peppers - 5 nos
2. Fingerling potatoes - 8 nos
3. Carrot - 1 or 2
4. Garlic - a small bulb or 5-6 cloves
5. Parsley - a sprig or two finely shopped
6. Olive Oil
7. Salt & Pepper

How I made it:

• Chop the veggies into any shape you like. I cut them all in roughly the same size except the garlic.
• Cook the potatoes for about 3-4 minutes separately with some salt over the stove. Instead you can microwave it for a minute or two if that's what you would prefer. Or skip this step altogether.
• Mix the potatoes, chopped veggies, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. If you are not so health conscious, be generous with the oil.
• Take a roasting pan and cover it with foil. I have roasted without the foil too, but had some foil handy so used it. If you do not have a roasting pan, use any oven-safe flat pan.
• Dump the mixed veggies on to the pan, spread them a bit so that they are in a layer.
• Sprinkle some more salt & pepper on top if you feel like it.
• Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F and roast for about 30 minutes. Check once in between and mix them again if required (The time varies depending on your oven and veggies, so keep checking at intervals).
• Take the veggies out of the oven. Toss with the chopped parsley and serve hot.

P.s. Any leftovers are good as a cold salad the next day. Add some grated cheese, give it a mix and enjoy.