RICE RECIPES (5)

PEPPER RICE WITH LEMON OLIVE CHICKEN:


INGREDIENTS:

• 250 gms. basmati rice
• 1 red pepper, halved and cored
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• juice of 1 small lemon
• leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 350 gms. skinned, boneless chicken breasts
• 600 ml. stock or water
• 3 spring onions, sliced thinly
• 3 tbsp. fresh chopped coriander or parsley
• handful black olives stoned
• slices of avocado to garnish
• salt and ground black pepper.

METHOD:

• Heat a grill until very hot, then grill the pepper halves, skin side up, until blackened.
• Cool, then peel off the skin. Slice the peppers in thin strips and toss in one tablespoon of oil.
• Mix two teaspoons of oil with the garlic, lemon juice and thyme then spoon into a large polythene bag.
• Cut the chicken into strips and pop into the food bag, rubbing the marinade in well. Chill for an hour.
• Simmer the rice mix with the stock and salt to taste in a medium saucepan, covered for 20 mins.
• Allow to stand for 3 mins. before uncovering and forking through the remaining oil.
• Mix in the pepper strips, spring onions and the chopped herbs.
• Mound on to a platter and cook the chicken strips about 3 mins. each side until well browned and cooked.
• Serve with the rice garnished with fresh herbs, olives and avocado.

QUICK CHICKEN BIRYANI:

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken pieces (4 chicken legs)
• Rice (Soak the rice before hand) 2 cups
• Coriander leaves
• Ginger/garlic paste
• Powdered masalas
• 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
• 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Dhaniya powder
• Salt to taste

WHOLE MASALA:

• Cloves 2-3
• Badi elaichi (Big cardamom) 1/2
• Pepper corns 7-10
• Jeera (Cumin seeds)

METHOD:

• Boil the chicken. When boiling, add 1/4 tsp of haldi, cloves, badi elaichi, peppercorns,a green chilli cut in two, etc.
• Once boiled, de-bone the chicken.
• In a pressure cooker, heat some oil, throw in the whole masalas.
• Once they start spluttering, add some ginger/garlic paste.
• Almost immediately, add the powdered masalas and a little water for the masala to cook.
• Keep stirring every couple of minutes.
• Add the boneless chicken once the water in the masala has evaporated.
• Add the rice and mix well with the chicken.
• Add some water, and close the cooker.
• Take off the heat after 3 whistles.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
  

BAKED CHICKEN PISTACHIO RICE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 gms rice cooked in salt watee
• 50 gms pistachio paste
• 1 cup chicken, boiled and shredded
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups spring onion chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 3-4 chillies, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp ajinomoto
• Carrots for garnishing
• Few pistachios chopped

METHOD:

• Heat butter and saute 1 cup onion.
• Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add flour, saute till light brown.
• Add the pistachio paste, saute for 1 minute.
• Gradually add milk, stock, chillies and 1/2 cup spring onion.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes season with salt, pepper and ajinomoto and remove from fire.
• Fry remaining spring onions in oil, add rice and remove from fire.
• Grease an oven proof dish, spread half the rice, spread the sauce over it and cover with remaining rice.
• Sprinkle some chopped pistachio on the rice and knobs of butter.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Decorate with carrot petals.

GINGER PRAWN FRIED RICE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups cooked rice, refrigerated for 2-3 hours. For best results, overnight.
• 2 tbsp. ginger, grated
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 cup prawns, shelled and cleaned
• ½ cup spring onion leaves
• 1 tsp. red chilli paste (optional)
• 1 tbsp. soya sauce (optional)
• 3 tbsp. oil
• salt to taste.

METHOD:

• Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok and saute ginger for 20 seconds.
• Add prawns and saute for 2 mins.
• Add egg and stir vigorously to scramble. Remove from wok.
• Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in the wok and add the red chilli paste, soya sauce and salt.
• Stir in the rice and saute for a minute.
• Add the prawn egg mixture and the spring onion leaves. Saute for 30 seconds.

FISH BIRYANI:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 mins

For Bouquet Garni :

• 10 black pepper corns
• 2" stick cinnamon
• 3 brown cardamoms
• 10 cloves
• 4 bay leaves, mace, a generous pinch
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt

Powdered together :

• ½ tsp carum seeds
• 4 green cardamoms
• 6 clove
• 400 gms yoghurt
• 4 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• ¾ cup clarified butter (ghee)

For the fish:

• 1 kg. fish pieces
• make a paste with a little water: 2 tbsp. gram flour (besan), 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. lemon juice.
• (Smear the fish with the paste and keep aside for 30 mins. Wash fish and pat dry).
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp. green chillies
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder

METHOD:

• Boil the rice in water along with salt, bouquet garni and lemon juice. Cook till 90% done and drain.
• Discard the bouquet garni. Heat ½ cup clarified butter in a pan.
• Saute bay leaves and fry onions till pink.
• Now add the ginger, garlic paste and green chillies. Saute till brown.
• Add the coriander and red chilli powder and saute for 15 seconds.
• Add the whisked yoghurt and caraway seeds, cardamom and clove powder and cook for 5 mins.
• Now slide in the fish pieces and cook for about 5 mins.
• Remove from heat. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and 1 tbsp lemon juice on the fish.
• Layer the fish on the rice.
• Pour the balance melted clarified butter evenly over the rice.
• Close with a tight lid and seal with dough.
• Place the pan on top of a griddle on very low heat and cook for 6-8 mins.