Tag: chicken curry
Chicken Curry Biryani
I made the chicken curry and had a lot of it leftover. What should I do with it? I was very tempted to come up with a new dish to eat and post.
I thought of making a biryani. My favorite Indian recipe book came to mind- Prasad. It is a compilation of recipes written by the top chefs in India. The recipes are from all over the country and can be quite labor intensive- but they are all delicious.
I have made many dishes in the past and have never been disappointed. One dish in there is a sofyani biryani- cooked with saffron, yogurt and mint. It is the most delicious biryani I have ever had. I decided to replicate it using the chicken curry I had in the fridge. I made a mixture of mint, cilantro, saffron and yogurt. I then layered it with the rice and the chicken- just like the recipe.
This is so simple yet so flavorful- it came out delicious! My daughter and husband both loved it. I will definitely make it again. This is especially good for company because you can make this in advance and make a huge quantity of it. It is a huge crowd pleaser. Give it a try…
- 2 cups prepared chicken curry
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 3 cloves
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups chicken broth
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds. Saute for a minute and add the basmati rice. Saute the rice on medium heat for a minute and add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and cover half way. Let the rice cook till bubbles form on the surface. Lower the heat all the way and cover completely. Cook for about 15 minutes or till the rice is almost cooked. Take out in a large platter to cool and separate the rice. Yields about 4 cups of rice.
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon saffron mixed with 2 teaspoons warm milk
Mix the yogurt, cilantro, mint and salt and saffron. Keep aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a square 8 X 8 serving bowl add the chicken curry at the bottom. Add ½ cup of the yogurt and spread on top of the chicken. Spread 2 cups of rice on top of the yogurt mixture. Add the remaining ½ cup of the yogurt on top of the rice. Add the remaining rice, spreading it carefully. Place a wet cheese cloth, covering all parts of the bowl. Place aluminum foil on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve with raita.
Chicken Curry
Who doesn’t like a deliciously cooked chicken curry? So, when my husband said to me, “how come you never cook chicken curry?”, I didn’t have an answer. I was speechless (yes it does happen to me once in a while).
I thought about it and realized I have never made a simple chicken curry before. I usually make chicken with vegetables like spinach, etc but never just chicken curry.
So, I was ready for the challenge! I started thinking of the chicken curry my Mom used to make. It was usually a very lengthy process and I was definitely now up for that.
I decided to use the same process I have in the past to make channa masala or mattar paneer. I used my magic, secret ingredients- the baked or fried onions and chicken broth. Both give the dish a long cooked flavor- and that is exactly what I am looking for.
The dry spices give this curry great flavor- you will not find at any restaurant- so make this at home. Finally, the dried fenugreek is de piece de resistance! It finishes this dish off beautifully. My family loved it- and I did too. I wonder why I never made it before- my guess is because I always thought chicken curry as quite boring- well, there is nothing boring about this recipe…
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 inch piece ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lemon
Marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of garlic, ginger, salt and lemon juice for 2-3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup baked onions
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
- ¼ cup kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
In a processor, add the onion. Process till chopped fine. Keep aside. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and sauté for a minute or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion and sauté on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the baked onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook stirring consistently for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well. Add the chicken broth. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium low heat. Add the kasuri methi. Cook on high heat till reached the desired consistency (it should be between a soup and a stew). Check for seasonings.
