Handi Biryani

"Handi" is a type of cookware used mainly in Indian & Pakistani cuisine. Handi Biryani, Handi chicken, etc., are the very popular dishes I have heard and seen. Personally, I don't eat meat so I don't know how it will taste; but I cook meat for my beloved hubby & kids. I cook biryani in the usual way everyone does. This time I wanted to cook biryani in a different method. While browsing the internet I came across the Handi biryani recipe & decided to try. But I didn't have Handi so I used my usual biryani pot to make this beautiful Handi Biryani.

Warning: please don't get scared off the lengthy list of ingredients & methods.

Ingredients: 

One heartful of love, peaceful mind, & willingness to cook are the key ingredients which will make your biryani extra special!

Biryani Masala

Green cardamom - 5

Black Cardamom - 1

Bay leaf - 6small or 2 big

Peppercorns - 1tsp

Cinnamon sticks - 1 big piece

Star anise - 2

Cloves - 5

Mace - 1tsp

Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4tsp

To Marinate

Lime juice - 1 small 

Yogurt - 2 tbsp 

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Mint leaves - one handful

Coriander leaves - one handful

Green chillies - 3 or 4 numbers

Oil

Salt - to taste

Chicken - 600gms

Rose Essence/water - 1/2 tbsp

Kewra Essence/water - 1 /2tbsp

Fried Onion - one handful

Saffron - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 tbsp

Basmati Rice - 1 and 1/2 cup

Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp

Water - 5 cups

Method:

Chicken Marination

1. Prepare powder using the ingredients mentioned under the Biryani Masala.

2. Chop roughly coriander & mint leaves. 

3. Grind the ginger,garlic and green chillies into fine paste. 

           When all the ingredients are ready, wash and cut chicken into big chunks.

4. Take the cut chicken in a bowl; to that add biryani masala powder, chopped coriander & mint leaves, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, yogurt, oil and salt. Mix well, cover & keep it in fridge overnight. Marinated chicken to be soaked in spices at least for 3 hours if not overnight.

5. Bring the marinated chicken to room temperature if kept in fridge before cooking biryani.

Basmati Rice cooking method

6. Wash and soak basmati rice for one hour before making biryani.

7. Soak saffron in warm milk.

8. Boil 5 cups of water add oil, salt, and shahi jeera. Check for salt and adjust as per taste.

9. Drain the excess water from the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water; cook until the rice is 65% done.

Switch off the stove & drain the water.

Biryani final stage cooking:

10. Take Handi or heavy bottomed cookware; place the marinated chicken at the bottom of the dish. 

11. Add semi cooked & drained basmati rice on top of the chicken and spread it evenly.

12. Evenly sprinkle fried onion; drizzle the saffron-milk, rose essence/water, kewra essence/water,  and ghee (if preferred) on top.

13. If you have chapathi dough, stick it on the sides of the Handi/cook pot lid to create a tight seal of the lid on the cook pot. If you don't have chapathi dough, keep a weight on top of the lid.

14. Cook the biryani on high flame/heat for 5 mins; reduce the flame/heat to very low & place the biryani pot/handi on top of a frypan. Let it cook for 30 mins. 

15. Switch off the stove, wait 10 mins for the biryani to set. Open the lid carefully, mix the biryani very carefully.

Yummy Handi Biryani is ready to eat.

It is a time consuming preparation process. Keeping things ready before starting the preparation, will reduce the hassle. You can use the store bought biryani masala but make sure you add some freshly ground masala to enhance the biryani flavour.

Hope you enjoyed the recipe. Don't for get to post your comments.

Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable pulao is slightly different from vegetable biriyani. Veg Pulao is an easy to prepare dish. It is one of the very ideal ways to get some veggies in our diet. My 4 yr old son loves the colourful veg pulao, the moment I serve him, I could see all the vegetables vanished from his plate (this means, he eats the veggies but leaves the rice behind). Ah well! He will learn soon to eat the pulao with rice.

There goes my recipe for veg pulao. Try it out and remember to share me with your experiences.

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 2 cups

Water – 3 cups

Green peas – 1/2 cup

Carrots – 3 (cut into 1" pieces)

Beans – ½ cup (cut into 1" pieces)

Potato – 1 (cut into 12 big pieces)

Tomato – 1 (chopped roughly)

Onion – 2 sliced

Green chillies – 5 slit

Ginger – 2 tsp

Garlic – 2 tsp

Mint leaves – 2 tbsp chopped

Cardamom – 3

Cinnamon – 2″ piece

Cloves – 3

Snauf – 1 tsp

Bay leaves – 2

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Ghee – 4 tsp

Cashewnuts – few for garnishing

Paneer – few for garnishing

Method

Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for at least 30 minutes. 

Grind cinnamon, snauf, cloves, cardamom, green chillies, mint leaves, ginger, and garlic to a coarse paste.

Heat the oil and 2 tsp ghee together in a pressure cooker, when its warm add bay leaves, the ground spice paste and fry for a minute.

Then add the onions and salt fry till the onions are light brown. 

Now add all the vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and ½ cup water mix well and let it cook for about 10 minutes in low heat.

Strain the rice and add to the vegetables.  Mix until rice is combined with vegetables but be very gentle as you don't want broken rice pulao.

Pour the remaining water over it, mix and check for salt.  When it starts boiling close the pressure cooker lid and let it cook for two quick whistles or one long whistle. Switch off the stove and let it cool.

While the rice cooking, add remaining ghee in a pan and fry cashew nuts and paneer until golden brown.

Garnish the rice with fried paneer and cashews. Serve it with capsicum raita or any side dish of your choice.

Paneer Pulao

Paneer capsicum pulao is one of the tasty dishes that could be done in a jiffy. Neatly cut cubes of paneer, sautéed to golden brown colour and cooked with rice and spices. It makes a good lunch box recipe for kids. Here I am going to share the method of making paneer pulao in pressure cooker. Don’t worry the paneer cubes do not break if pressure cooked hence venture to make this dish without any fear.

Ingredients


2 cups long grained rice (basmati)
1 tbsp oil
2 cups paneer , cut into 25mm. (1”) cubes
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
2 tsp butter
3/4 cup sliced onions
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp green chillies
1 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar
1/2 cup fresh curds

Method


Clean, wash and soak the rice in enough water for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Make a paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies and keep aside.
Melt butter in a pan & shallow fry the paneer until slight golden brown. Drain in the kitchen towels.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker; add the ground paste, onions and sauté on a medium flame till they turn light brown in colour.
Add capsicum mix well and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
Add the garam masala, salt and sugar and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring continuously.
Add the curds, rice, paneer and 2½ cups of hot water, mix gently and pressure cook on a high flame for 1 whistle.
Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
Serve hot with tomato sauce or any side dish of your choice.