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COCKTAILS 

 

3 onions, sliced, divided

5 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided

6 bay leaves

5 cloves

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon black cardamom seeds

2” piece cinnamon

1 T chopped garlic

1 T chopped ginger

4 tomatoes, pureed

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1.Cook 2 onions in 3 teaspoons oil until very brown, almost burned. Remove onions, leaving oil in pan.  Blend onions in blender or chop by hand.  Set aside.

  2. 2.Cook remaining onion in 2 teaspoons oil over low heat until crispy.  Set aside on paper towels.

  3. 3.Add bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, black cardamom seeds, and cinnamon to oil.  Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.

  4. 4.Add ginger and garlic and continue cooking for a few minutes.

  5. 5.Add chopped (or blended) onions, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, garam masala, coriander, green cardamom, and meat masala.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

  6. 6.Add chicken and cook over low heat until chicken is almost cooked through.

  7. 7.Add yogurt, cream, and tumeric and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes.

  8. 8.Cook rice according to your favorite recipe.  Or use left-over rice.

  9. 9.Combine with chicken mixture, then add rum.

  10. 10.Top with reserved crispy onions and cilantro and serve.

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

3 green cardamom pods

1 teaspoon meat masala

¼ cup whole milk yogurt

2 Tablespoon heavy cream

6 chicken legs or breasts (in large chunks if using)

2 cups rice, cooked until almost done in 4 cups of water

½ teaspoon tumeric

2 teaspoons rum (optional)

cilantro for garnish

Derived from the Persian word for “fried” or “roasted,” Biryani is a common sight in Indian restaurants the world over.  Typically it’s a combination of rice, meat or fish, and spices.  You can use left over rice if you’ve got it--which makes for a nice alternative to fried rice.  You can replace the chicken with beef, pork, venison, shrimp, hardboiled eggs, or you can leave out meat all together and go purely vegetarian.


This version is a modified Hyderabadi-style Biryani.  Serve it with yogurt into which you’ve put some salt, pepper, and paprika.

Yield

Enough for 6-8 people.