Wannabe housewife!

A rainy Saturday morning like today stirred up some serious thoughts in my mind - I cant cook for nuts! For years I've been pretty much sure that I have been genetically imbibed by my mum's cooking skills that are possibly lying dormant in me. Yes, Ive seen my eldest sister carry them into our generation, but now I can certainly say that they don't seem to have moved any further. So here I am - a wannabe cook shaking up my sleepy cooking skills.

After a few experiments in my kitchen I can safely say that cooking Rice is my forte - therefore my recipe for the day is An Easy Chicken Biryani. I have spoken, questioned and wondered at length about the easiest way to romance spiced chicken legs & breasts with basmati rice. With inputs from my friend in the cab, colleague at office, sister in the U.S. and Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana I present my Recipe De Chicken Biryani.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice
Curd - 1 cup
Ginger- garlic paste - I prefer the homemade version
Green Chilies (Optional)
Biryani masala - Chicken masala works well
Onions - 3 big onions sliced
Garam Masala - Cloves, Peppercorn, Javitri, Cinnamon sticks, jeera, elaichi, bay leaves
Red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder
Mint & Coriander leaves
A few strings of saffron added to a spoon of milk for color

How to Cook:
1. Soak the Rice for about 30 mins
2. Wash and clean the chicken. Make deep cuts for it to marinate well.
3. In order to marinate the chicken, add salt, chili powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, crushed choti elaichi, coriander powder, some of the mint and coriander leaves. Mix well and keep aside for an hour.
4. To boiling water, add salt & rice. Some cinnamon powder will add to the flavour.
5. Now, watch the rice boil and take it off the heat just before fully cooked. Timing is super important.
6. In a deep heavy bottomed pan, add oil and all the garam masala. To this add the sliced onions and fry. Once the onions are brown, remove some for garnishing.
7. To the remaining onions, add the chicken marinade and cook well. A little water can help.

The skill actually lies in cooking the chicken and rice together.
8. Spread a little oil in a deep handi.
9. Now add a layer of chicken, then rice and the fried onions. Repeat the layers.
10. The finishing layer should be rice. Spread some coriander and mint leaves. Finish by adding the spoonful colored saffron milk.
11. Cook on indirect flame (put the handi on a tawa) for 15 - 20 mins on medium to low flame.
12. The handi must be tightly covered!
13. Serve hot with onion - tomato raita & green chutney.

I hope to post a pic of my Easy Chicken Biryani by evening today!