Chicken Biryani Recipe - Secrets of Making a Perfect Biryani

If I ask you, "which is your favorite Indian rice recipe"?, I am sure your topmost answer will be "a biryani". Even in biryanis the most liked of all is a chicken biryani.

So here is a recipe for you to make a perfect biryani.

Ingredients required

Ingredients for marinating the chicken

* 1 Kilo Chicken on the bone cut into 12-16 pieces
* 1 cup of curd
* 1/2 Teaspoon turmeric powder
* 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
* 1 Teaspoon of coriander powder
* a little salt

Mix all of the above ingredients and let the chicken marinate for 6-12 hours, more the better.

Herbs, spices and condiments used are as follows

* 8 cloves
* 1 Cinnamon stick
* 6 green Cardamoms
* 2 Bay leaves
* 1/2 Teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
* a few pinches grated nutmeg and mace each
* 1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
* 1 Teaspoon red Chili powder (to taste)
* 5-6 Tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
* 2-3 chopped green Chilies
* 4-5 chopped Tomatoes
* a whole bunch of fresh coriander leaves

For fried onions

About 8-9 medium size onions

Other Ingredients
* 500 g good basmati rice
* Oil for deep frying and 3-4 tablespoon for cooking
* 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
* 1/2 cup of milk
* a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
* Desi ghee (clarified butter) about 6-7 Tablespoons
* Cashew nuts ( a few or as many as you want)
* Raisins and almonds are optional
* Salt to taste

Deep fry the onions
While the chicken is marinating, slice the onions very thin. You can use a food processor for this or a slicer. Now heat oil and fry these sliced onions in batches. The heat should be medium. Definitely not high, otherwise the onions will get burned.

Stir the onions continuously for uniform browning. When they become light brown, drain them on kitchen paper. Keep them aside. They will get nice crispy as they cool down.

Cook the Chicken

Take a deep, wide mouth vessel and heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in it. In this add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, little bit of shahi jeera and allow to crackle. Now add a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and stir a little. Now tip out all the marinated chicken and the marinade. Cook on a high flame so that the water gets evaporated quickly. Add the chopped tomatoes, mint, green chilies, all dry powders(coriander, chili), and salt. Cook till the chicken is cooked and the gravy (masala) is not watery. Add one third of the fried onions. Mix well. Keep aside.

Parboil the rice

Boiling rice is one of the most important part of cooking a biryani. The rice needs to be parboiled. Meaning, it should be three fourth cooked. The rest of it gets cooked on dum (when we layer the chicken and rice, seal it and put on a very slow fire).

To boil the rice take a big deep wide mouth vessel, add lots of water (at least 10 times more than rice). Add ample salt (this is very important because the rice needs to be salty when cooked). Also add a cinnamon stick, a couple of green cardamoms, a few cloves and the rest of caraway seeds (shahi jeera), for flavoring the rice.

Now boil all this for a few minutes on a high flame (7 minutes or so). This is how to check if the rice is done. Without burning your fingers, take a few grains of rice (use a clean spoon to take some out of the boiling water), break a grain, if it breaks into 3 parts easily, your rice is done.

Strain the rice and spread it on a clean surface ( a tray or something), so that it cools faster. If you want to pick out the whole spices which you added, you can do that now. Or else just let them be.

Keep all these ready

Now that the rice and chicken are cooked. Fried onions are ready. You just need to get a few more things organized, so that the layering can be done.

* Chop the coriander leaves
* Boil the milk and add crushed saffron in it. Give it a stir.
* In desi ghee, fry the cashew nuts till golden brown. Also the almonds and raisins, if using. Keep aside.
* Keep some melted desi ghee aside.

Layering the biryani

Take a heavy bottom pan with a lid (non stick is best).

Take some melted ghee and grease the bottom of the pan with it. Then

* Put a layer of rice,
* Then a layer of chicken
* followed by a layer of fried onions
* then a layer of chopped coriander.

Repeat and finish off with the rice layer. Lastly, sprinkle the leftover fried onions (if any), cashews and other nuts. Pour the saffron milk on top. Also pour some desi ghee down the sides of the pan and some on top of the rice. It will trickle down with the heat.

Yep, you are done. Seal the lid by sticking it with some chapati dough or simply fix a big foil before placing the lid. The idea is to restrict the steam from escaping. Place this pot on a very slow flame. Ideally place this vessel on top of another flat pan or tawa, so that the bottom of the pan doesn't come in direct contact with the heat source.

Leave for one hour. When you open it, what you get is the magical, flavorsome and aromatic chicken biryani. Please dig in. Don't forget to prepare a riata while your biryani is cooking. Enjoy hot biryani with a cold raita.

A Fun Child Cooking Activity Includes Making P.B. & J. Muffins

A child cooking activity includes a lot of fun in the kitchen. Cooking with kids opens the door for learning opportunities such as math, science and nutrition with the end result being something yummy to eat. There are lots of simple recipes to use when cooking with kids. Since kids love peanut butter and jelly, I have included this Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffin recipe for you to try with your child.

Before beginning a cooking activity review some health and safety tips with kids. It is important that they wash their hands before, during and after handling food. This reduces any food borne bacteria (germs) being transferred to the food they are going to eat. Review safety tips on using knives, electric equipment such as mixers and blenders, and basic kitchen rules such as not running or participating in any horseplay during this activity. Provide aprons for the kids to wear and tie any long hair back off the face.

Now you are ready to begin a cooking activity with your child. Pick an easy recipe to begin with and go over the recipe with the child or the group. Set out all the cooking tools that you will need. This is a perfect time to review math concepts such as measuring, fractions, time and temperatures. You can also discuss science concepts of how certain ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, and egg whites can effect the properties of food.

These Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins are a wonderful snack, breakfast treat and school lunch box item.

Tools needed to complete this child cooking activity:

• Mixing bowls in small, medium and large sizes


• One to two spatulas or large spoons


• Measuring spoons


• Dry-ingredient measuring cups


• Liquid measuring cups


• Muffin pans

Ingredients needed are:

• 2 cups flour


• ½ cup sugar


• ¼ teaspoon salt


• 1 tablespoon baking powder


• ½ cup peanut butter


• 1 cup milk


• 1 egg


• 2 tablespoon melted butter


• 1/3 cup jam (any flavor)

Instructions to make your muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin pans with a nonstick cooking spray.

2. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, peanut butter, egg and melted butter.

4. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the flour disappears. Do not stir too much or the muffins will be tough.

5. Fill the muffin pan wells half full with batter. Top each with ½ teaspoon of jam, then spoon more batter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Store any leftover muffins in a resealable plastic bag or container. Kids will have some much fun with this cooking activity that they will be asking to cook all the time!

8 Rules For Making the Best Homemade Pickles

There are two types of pickle families, those made by using the quick process method and those made during the brine curing method. Most people now use the quick process method to save on time. Using the quick process method, you cook the fruit or vegetable in vinegar and spices to preserve it.

When using the brine curing type method, you keep and hold the fruit or vegetables in a brine for about a month. The next step is to soak them in cold water to remove any excess salt. After the excess salt is removed, you add vinegar, sugar and spices to make pickles. This can be a lengthy process, but people who use this method swear by it. It usually makes crisper pickles than the quick processing method, although many quick processed pickles are delicious.

No matter which type of pickles you decide to make, there are a few rules you should follow for success. You should keep them in mind when making homemade pickles.

1. Use fresh fruits and vegetables as soon as possible after picking them. Store them in the refrigerator if you can't make pickles with an hour or two after picking them. Don't wash them before placing in the refrigerator.

2. Use fruits and vegetables that are free of any bruises or blemishes. If the have to cut out blemishes, cut deeply to make certain all damaged flesh is removed.

3. Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables to remove any dirt which may cause spoilage. If you are using cucumbers to make your pickles, be sure to remove the blossom end as well. It has an enzyme in it which may also cause your pickles to spoil.

4. Use a vinegar of at least 5% acidity. Check the label for acid content. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Homemade vinegar isn't recommended as one can't be sure of acidity level. White vinegar makes for clearer pickles, but apple cider vinegar will lend more flavor to your pickles.

5. Use canning or pickling salt when making pickles. This is mandatory when using the brine curing method. You can use table salt in quick process pickles, but don't use table salt with iodine added. It may darken the pickles.

6. Use the freshest spices available for the best flavored pickles. Whole spices work well. Tie them in a cloth bag so they can be removed from the brine easily. If left in the brine when poured into jars, the spices will darken the pickles as they age.

7. Use white granulated sugar. Only use brown sugar if the recipe you are using calls for it.

8. Use fresh water. If you are using city water, or water that has been chemically treated, boil the water and let it cool completely before using it for pickle making.

There are all sorts of pickle recipes. You can find recipes for sweet pickles, dill pickles and even hot pickles. There may be recipes in your cookbook, but if not, the internet is a great resource for finding pickle recipes.

You can pickle many types of fruits and vegetables. Pickled cucumbers and cauliflower are some of the more common ones. Find a pickle recipe that you would like to try, and keeping these steps in mind, you will soon have your own delicious homemade pickles to enjoy.

Secrets to Making the Perfect Cookie

If you've wondered about the secret to baking perfect cookies, keep in mind that there are several factors that contribute to making a cookie turn out just right.

First, begin by making sure you have all the ingredients asked for in your recipe and that you understand all the terms.

Be sure you have all the ingredients called for and that you understand the recipe clearly.

Get all your pots, pans and equipment assembled in one place. Clear out a work area or a portion of the kitchen counter before you start work. Baking demands accuracy in measurement as well as method. Makes sure you use standard measuring cups and spoons.

While measuring liquids like oil, water and milk use a clear glass or plastic measuring cup. To measure the level of liquid in a measuring cup, place it on the counter and bend down to check the liquid at eye level.

Check the expiration dates on both the baking soda and baking powder. Sift the baking powder and baking soda along with the flour before you add in any of the wet ingredients. This way the baking powder and soda will spread through the cookie dough evenly and you will not end up with cookies with large gaps in them.

Makes sure you do not use more baking soda than asked for in your recipe. Too much baking soda results in cookies that have a salty, chemical-like flavor. If you are cooking at a high altitude, leave out the baking soda completely. The lower pressure at high altitude areas makes the cookie dough spread automatically so the additional baking soda is not required.

Use the exact kind of flour specified in the recipe. Cake flour, all-purpose flour and bread flour all work differently. While measuring flour, make sure you use level off the top using a spatula so that your measurements are exact.

Before adding in nuts, smell as well as taste them to see they are fresh. Nuts contain oil that can leave a rancid smell if stored for too long.

Check that the eggs are within the expiration date. Ensure that you use the right size of eggs. If the recipe calls for large size eggs, don't substitute medium sized eggs.

To make a good cookie dough, you should ensure that the butter is at room temperature. Do not melt the butter in the microwave, as it will turn too soft. Take the butter out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to start getting the rest of your ingredients together. If you are short on time, cut up the butter into smaller pieces or grate the butter. This will increase the surface area and help the butter melt faster.

In case you are using shortening, make sure it smells right. Many of the newer trans-free shortenings tend to have a very short shelf life and give out a bad smell. So make sure all your efforts do not go waste due to foul smelling shortening.

Hearty Soup Recipes: 3 Keys To Making Soup That Heats Up The Mind, Body and Soul

As the winter season approaches it's now time to think about cooking hearty soup recipes. If the winter season has already found you without the necessary skills to prepare wholesome great tasting soups, read on. It's my opinion that nothings beats a steaming hot cup or bowl of hearty soup.

Are you reminiscent of the old days, when grandma or your mother warmed your belly with your favorite soup? If your experience were similar to mine, you'd give anything to get those days back. Cooking soup may have seemed difficult back then, but in fact making homemade soup is quite easy.

There are basically three key ingredients to making soup that satisfies the soul as well as your belly.

First, you can't rush perfection. Good soup is worth waiting for so don't cheat the process. Cooking soup is more than just tossing all the ingredients into a pot of water and bring the water to a boil and cooking as quickly as possible. Great attention should be paid to preparation such as cutting and adequate time should be given to slow cook your soups. If anybody try's to tell your otherwise say "Hogwash".

Second, the best soups use fresh ingredients. Many people will tell you that great soups can be made with leftover food ingredients. Just go to any upscale restaurant with a reputation for great tasting soup and see how many of their soup dishes feature leftover ingredients. It just doesn't happen. Take the advice of the professionals and always use the freshest of ingredients, NO leftovers.

Third, if you really want your hearty soup to stick to your stomach, use a base other than water. Milk and cream soups with potatoes and beans or a combination of the two work best. You could also use a tomato base, beef or chicken base depending upon what type of soup you're into.

There you have it, three key ingredients that all of your hearty soup recipes must have. Now the only thing left for you to do is find a couple of soup recipes and get to work cooking up some hearty soup.