Kanpur Ki Murgh Biryani

Lucknow food is inspired by Nawabs and only for the ones who have tasted the food know what a great taste the Nawabs had. Its the “Tehzeeb” or the culture and traditions of Lucknow that has us all enjoy the delicious cuisines even more. Kanpur has a lot of influence from the Lucknowi cuisine as well, specially for the Non vegetarian food.

The Nawabs of Lucknow were also ruling and settled in areas of Kanpur and therefore, after them the Khansamas also moved and settled in Kanpur. The good thing about moving to a new place is that you get to be more innovative with your recipe and the new ingredients helps you be more creative.

I believe food can be made with a lot of work, love, passion but, what makes the mark is the presentation of the dish, the words that describes the dish and most of all the person who cooks and serves. Nawabs have always been a people of nazakat and nawazish, and it flows in their cuisine.

This Biryani recipe is pretty simple and is great for beginners. The recipe is made in ghee which can be easily substituted with any oil you like. The recipe is rich, like most Nawabi cuisine.

Hyderabadi Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani

I came across an article once, which was based on the Nizams of Hyderabad. Hyderabad has witnessed a great variety of food thanks to the Nawabs and Nizams, who ruled Hyderabad at different times. The food was inspired from the Mughlai cuisine, but the additions that the Nawabs made to the cuisine made the dishes outstanding. A result of that is the great contribution of Hyderabad to the food world.

As I have mentioned in a lot of other recipe introductions as well, that Hyderabad has contributed more than a 100 variety of Biryanis, each distinct and equally delicious as the other. And, as much as its hard to understand how they are different, you will either have to cook or try the variety. The spices, the other ingredients and the process of cooking changes the complete flavor of a dish.

Kacche Gosht ki Biryani from Delhi is pretty popular too, but the recipe differs a little. This Biryani is made with partially cooked rice being layered on top of marinated meat which is ‘raw’ and is then ‘dumm cooked’ till the meat and rice come out perfectly cooked. But this dish is still considered to be the ultimate measure of a chef’s skill.

In Olden days, Hyderabad had special Khansamas, who cooked this Biryani in the  Nizam’s Bawarchikhaana. Later, these Khansamas were called on special occasions to high class families to bring back the taste of authentic Biryani.

I read that the fine art of making kachche gosht ki biryani is almost lost, as it was becoming surpassed by poorer versions. A classic kachche gosht ki biryani requires patience. Its like a love story, that needs what we call zaaiqaa and mohabbat, and there are still plenty of those  emotions in the hearts of Biryani lovers like me.

I believe as the years have passed, people seem to be losing their love for really good, slow food, that is cooked with genuine expertise, and with that they are sadly also losing the taste of authentic food.

Most of these chefs who are still cooking authentic food ended up dying penniless. What a shame for us all, because not only did we lose the art of cooking this dish properly, we also lost a genuine knowledge base and mentoring. But, I believe people like me still exist around the world who are accepting the new quick fixes but, also still cling to the genuine recipes and authentic flavors and love to share and pass along.

 

Since I do not have the complete authentic Biryani recipe, I did make sure I try and follow the steps and make it as close to the authentic recipe as possible.

Puraani Dilli Ki Kacche Gosht ki Biryani

Food and Purani Dilli go hand in hand. No person in this world can enter purani Dilli and come out hungry. The hustling Jama’a Masjid area or the area connecting to Chandni chowk or Sadar Bazaar offer food for all. whether you are a vegetarian or a non vegetarian, whether you are in mood for parantha or just a plate of kebab or plain simple juice/tea…You find them all.

Its a place where only the brave hearts can survive. I still remember my time in Purani Dilli as a kid and I used to hate being on the cycle riksha. It takes major skills to survive sitting on those small seats with bags and get through without falling each time the rikshawala applies break, which is just around 20 times a minute…LOLzzz. But, trust me, the food is worth more and you will find the trip an amazing experience.

If you do ever visit, do try the awesome non vegetarian restaurants opposite Jama’a Masjid and also ask the riksha wala to take you to paranthe wali gali. The lane has almost every parantha that exists and is a parantha heaven for every foodie.

Coming back to this Biryani. I believe the original recipe for this Biryani is definitely the Mughals trying the initial ways of cooking Biryani. My reasoning is comparing this dish to many rice and meat based dishes cooked in  the Middle east, where in a similar manner the meat is 50% cooked and is tenderized using raw papaya or Vinegar and then the rice, which is only 20% cooked, is layered on top of the half cooked meat and the steam generated from cooking the meat cooks the rice. The recipe is pretty hassle free and simple.

If you still are confused with any step or would like to learn how to cook this dish, feel free to contact me.

Hyderabadi Korme ki Biryani

Hyderabad is popular for its food, especially for the Biryani. But did you know that Hyderabad itself offers at least 100 varieties of Biryanis. And trust me, each Biryani is completely different in taste from the other. The cooking style, the spices and different times of adding the spice changes the complete taste and to understand that better, you have to be a Biryani lover like me.

This recipe is among one of my favorites, honestly I think they all are and it gets really hard to choose between them. My younger one loves the idea of having potatoes in his Biryani. I have no idea which side he gets it from because me or Mr. Parveez are strictly “meat lovers only” when it comes to our Biryanis and as much as my younger son loves Potatoes, he wouldn’t ever eat vegetable Biryani to save his life. Yupp!!! Its quiet funny . So, this Biryani is one of his favorites.

Korma is essentially , a yogurt based curry to which musk melon seeds, poppy seeds and cashew nuts have been added. It is to this curry that rice is added making the flavor amazing.

Its always worth trying a new flavor. Just make sure you read all the instructions and follow the steps strictly to enjoy the same taste as we did. You can always contact me if you miss out something or need help.

Chicken Hyderabadi Dumm Biryani

Hyderabad is very popular for its Non vegetarian food, mainly Biryani. Hyderabad is the first place that comes to our mind when we think of good Biryani. When I started researching more about Biryanis, I found out the numerous  Biryanis that Hyderabad offers, which are not just Non vegetarian but also vegetarian.

I have tried a variety of Hyderabadi Biryanis and each one is delicious and completely different from each other. The recipes also has “Baghare Baingan”, an eggplant dish cooked with peanuts and tamarind and “Khatte Baingan”, another recipe of eggplant, where eggplant is cooked with tomatoes and tamarind. Biryanis are served with different sides including Raita and Dalcha too.

 

Belgaum Biryani

This Biryani is a signature dish from Belgaum, cooked with baby potatoes and flavored with saffron and cream. Belgaum is a place in Karnataka and I have a sister in law who belongs to that region, but this isn’t a recipe from her though. In fact, in my family no one makes chicken Biryani combined with any vegetables.. Yupp!!! you got that correct, They are hardcore non vegetarians specially when it comes to Biryanis. Bengaluru does have the tradition of cooking meat or chicken Biryanis with carrots and peas but it still isn’t something that is seen very often or is enjoyed much either.

Coming back to Belgaum Biryani, its great for people who prefer their Biryani a little creamier with the spice and also if you like the flavors by Coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilies but don’t like the texture between your bites. Blending them adds the flavor without you having to be cautious between your bites to not bite on that chili… The potatoes add their own crisp flavor and its beautiful in its own way.

I can give out more options to cook this Biryani completely vegetarian or with meat or fish. Contact for more details.

Awadh Ki Biryani

The Non vegetarian recipes of Awadh are influenced from the Nawabs of Awadh, who were rulers of the Persian origin and settled in India. The dishes were always rich in nuts, saffron, spices and ghee. With time, the Persian rulers, just like the Mughals developed liking for chilies and a few other spices in India and developed new flavors and dishes. In modern times, the famous Awadhi Murgh Musallam, kebabs and Biryani are a gift from those ancient times.

Awadhi recipes are not only different from Hyderabadi cuisine but also different from the Lucknowi cuisine. Very few people understand that Awadh and Lucknow could be names of the same region, even then the recipes are very different. Awadhi recipes are more ancient and depict the flavors from Persia more than the Lucknowi cuisine.

One thing that holds a very distinct flavor, is the idea of using whole spices, as opposed to the use of a ready made masala. The masala used in Awadh Biryani has to be grounded just before you start cooking, to keep the flavor and fragrance intact. The original Lucknow Biryani does not require you to grind the spices, they keep it whole.

The Awadh Biryani can also be made in Vegetarian style and hopefully, I will try it soon and post it as well.

KFC Masala fried Chicken

We live in New Jersey and its a land of snow storms and regular snows that go up to 5-6 inches, and we get stuck at home. To most people, snow days are boring but, for us its a fun day at home. My boys love demanding for warm soups and breads and sometimes they even join their mom in the kitchen and we cook together.

So one such day, we were surprised by day off at school due to snow. I believe it was the prayer before bed that my boys made…LOLzzz. Its funny how much they love school but more than that they love the surprise holidays due to snow. Anyways, so my boys wanted some wanted some nice kebabs and then they came up with how much they miss eating KFC in India and the spicy chicken wings in India are their absolute favorite comfort food.

So, we got down to making everyone happy. Its a snow day and you are stuck, you cant step out and we all need something to warm up our heart and soul 😉 . So while, boys go out to play in the snow, I started marinating the chicken and preparing the powder to the best of my ability to make it taste close to KFC if not better.

See, KFC in India serves halal food. I do not know about other places but the one in Bangalore definitely does. They have improvised the recipe by adding spice to the chicken and the flavors are fabulous. So when you have boys who are blessed with awesome taste buds, it gets pretty competitive for a mom, trust me and the fact that Indian moms are always trying to prove to be super cooks to their children and I am no different.

After playing in the snow for a couple hours when my tired and hungry boys came in to grab a bite, they were not just surprised but also very satisfied and loved this dish. Its a must share for all those of you like me who are far from home and need the kick in your regular fried chicken.

Chicken Tenders

This recipe was made when I once thought of making fried chicken for a play date. The children whom we were expecting didn’t consume too much spice. This recipe has moderate spice, easy to handle by kids and its super crunchy.

Once upon a time, we did get frozen chicken tenders or chicken nuggets. This was around 11 years ago, me a new mom trying to have my son taste everything out there ..I have no idea why I never wanted to try cooking things on my own with a fear that all these “gora khana” or “American food” cannot be tried at home. I believe its the motherhood, when new does not let you pay attention to other things that you might enjoy exploring. Funny, right but that’s a reality. Ask any new mom, its Baby, Baby and Baby and times when you get to breathe for yourself, all you want is your Pj’s and a cup of coffee, or wait a warm plate of reheated noodles, store bought, left overs from the restaurant or anything.

My older son suffered from reflux and believe it when I say, that I was ready to feed him anything that his body would not convert to vomit. It’s sad but a fact that store bought chicken tenders were preferred over home made Biryani, and I felt that my cooking skills were so bad that he prefers store bought. It took me a while to understand that being a little child finger foods made him happier and that helped him keep the food down. So, during those days, to keep my sanity I would buy anything that my son enjoyed eating. After around 2 years, once the home food made its place in his taste buds, I started feeling that the frozen chicken nugget is too much junk and I stopped bringing them in altogether. By the way, all along Mr. Parveez always told me to give up bringing in all the garbage from the frozen section. My husband has always been against frozen food.

So, years later, the play dates started increasing and it was getting hard to satisfy the little tummies with sandwiches and cheese toast so, I finally came up with my own version of chicken tenders and if you try this recipe, there will be no looking anywhere ever. Its easy to make and never met a kid [or even an adult] who didn’t take seconds.

Shwarema Roti

The Jordanian / Palestinian Shwarema is served with thin bread. This is the recipe for the thin roti for chicken shwarema. If you enjoy your juicy chicken and less of the the bread, this is for you.