Chicken Pulao

Chicken Pulao is a South Indian Dish in which chicken is cooked along with rice. In Kerala, we make only Chicken Biriyani in which the chicken is prepared separately and then rice and the chicken are arranged layer by layer and then put on dum or baked. I learnt to make Chicken Pulao only after coming to Bangalore. In fact, it is quite easy to prepare and tastes really good. I have used Saffron Essence in this dish. You can substitute it with Saffron strands soaked in little milk.

This is my entry for the Think Spice : Saffron event being hosted by Sunita of Sunita's World.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice -2 1\2 cups
Chicken -1 kg
Onions -3 sliced
Tomatoes -2 chopped
Green chillies -3 slit
Ginger - garlic paste -2 tbsp
Coriander leaves -2 tbsp chopped
Mint leaves -2 tbsp chopped
Biriyani masala powder -2 1\2 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1\2 tsp
Bay leaf -1
Cinnamon -1" piece
Cardamom -3
Cloves -3
Curd -1 cup
Water -3 cups
Salt -to taste
Ghee -3 tbsp
Oil -4 tbsp
Cashewnuts -2 tbsp
Raisins -2tbsp
Ghee -1 tsp
Saffron essence -1 tsp
Juice of half a lime

Method:

Clean and cut the chicken into big pieces. Wash the rice and soak in 3 cups of water for 20 minutes. Heat ghee and oil together in a pressure cooker. Put the bay leaf and whole spices. Add the onions and green chillies. Fry till the onions turn golden brown. Add the ginger - garlic paste and fry for a minute. Now add the biriyani masala powder and turmeric powder. Fry for few seconds. Add the tomatoes and salt. Fry till the oil separates. Add the chicken pieces and chopped coriander and mint leaves. Fry for 5 minutes till the chicken is half cooked. Add the curd and mix well. Then add the soaked rice along with the water. Finally add the lime juice and saffron essence. Mix gently and close the lid. When the first whistle comes, reduce the flame to low. Cook for 4 minutes and put off the fire. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan and fry the cashewnuts and raisins. Keep aside. Once the pressure is gone, open the lid of the cooker. Keep it open for 10 minutes and transfer the pulao to a serving dish. Garnish with fried cashewnuts and raisins. Serve hot with tomato salad, pickle and pappads. Enjoy!

Pachoru

Pachoru is an ancient Christian delicay. It is usually made during Church Festivals. In olden days, when one's wishes come true, people used to make Pachoru and take it to the church and distribute it to the devotees, on the festival day. It is served with melted jaggery and can be eaten as a snack or a dessert. Kids will love it too!

Velankanni is a famous pilgrim centre in Tamil Nadu. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Health. It is one of the most visited pilgrim places in India. The festival is celebrated on September 8th every year. Mother Mary is lovingly known as 'Annai Velankanni' throughout Tamil Nadu. You can read more about Velankanni here.

What you need:

Raw rice -1 cup
Grated coconut -1 cup
Water -6 cups
Cumin seeds -1 tsp, crushed
Salt -as required
Melted jaggery -as required

Method:

Cook the rice along with 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 7 minutes. Grind the coconut to a fine paste. Open the cooker and add the ground coconut paste, salt and 2 cups of water. Mix well and simmer it for about 5 minutes till it is thick. Finally add crushed cumin seeds and mix well. Transfer it to a serving dish and let it cool. Cut it into pieces and serve topped with melted jaggery. It can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Mexican Rice

This is a very tasy dish. Mexicans use lots of chillies in their recipes. I got this recipe some 15 yrs ago, when I first bought my rice cooker. A cookery expert showed us how to make Mexican rice in the rice cooker. Ever since, I used to make it often at home. You can reduce the amount of chilly powder, if you wish to do so.

Ingredients:

Jeera samba/ Basmati rice -2 cups

Onions -2 chopped

Tomatoes -2 chopped

Red, green and yellow capsicums -1\4 cup each sliced

Garlic -3 minced

Chilly powder -2 tsp

Cumin powder -1\2 tsp

Veg/chicken stock cubes -2

Water -3 1\4 cups

Salt -as required

Oil -2 1\2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and drain the rice. Keep it aside. Heat oil (olive oil is the best) in a non stick pan, add garlic, onions and capsicums. Fry till onions turm pink. Add rice, tomatoes, chilly powder and cumin powder. Fry on medium flame for 5 minutes. Transfer it to the rice cooker. Add water, crushed veg/ chicken stock cubes and salt. Cook till done. Tasty Mexican rice is ready!