Garam Masala (Suvir Saran, VIJ)

- You can cook the spices directly into the dish
- Add garam masala at the end since you don't want to burn it
- Garam masala imparts a mild but very fragrant flavor

Experiment, there is no unique garam masala recipe. Garam masala is best when prepared just before cooking.

Toast : (quantities are for wholescale / one dish)

A. (These are usually common for all garam masala recipes)

Cinnamon - 1 Stick / 1 inch
Cardamom Pods - 6 / 3-4 (Use only seeds)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup / 1-2 tsp
Cloves - 2 tsp / 4-5

(B) Additional :

Bay Leaves - 2 / 1
Coriander Seeds - 1/3 cup / 2 tsp - 1tbsp
Black Peppercorns - 6-10 / 3-4
Red Chili - 1 / 1/2 tsp chili powder

Grind in spice grinder, add some mace.

How to use garam masala :

To cook vegetables north Indian style :

Oil : Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves , peppercorn (some or all of the above)
Cumin seeds
Red chillies
Ginger / Green Chillies / Garlic (if required)

Vegetables (raw or boiled)

Base - Use either tomatoes or yogurt - evaporate and concentrate

Add garam masala only at the very end.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

(Taken from myspicychicken )

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani - Meat and rice are cooked in an airtight pot on very low flame so that the rice is cooked in the flavors of the meat and gets the aroma of the meat. "Pakhi" = meat is pre-cooked. For chicken, its not required

Marinade :

Chicken - 2 Lbs (bone on meat)
Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Garlic, Ginger - a few cloves, around 1/2 inch stick to get 1 tbsp paste
Chilli Powder - 2-3 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2-3 tsp
Chillies - 12 (small)
Mint Leaves - 1 cup (chopped)
Cilantro - 1 Cup (chopped)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : To make, Grind :
Peppercorns - 10
Cloves - 10
Cardamom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp (use black cumin ?)
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Lime Juice - 1
Salt

(You can mince the chillies, ginger, garlic to make a fine paste)

Marinade overnight (preferably).

To oik, fry :

Onion - 1 Large, Sliced.

Soak Saffron in hot milk (If no milk, add saffron as is)

In a big pot, bring water to a boil. Add :

Cardamom - 6
Cloves - 3
Bay Leaves - 2
Bay Flower - 1 (optional)
Cumin - 1 tsp (black cumin if you have it)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - about a fistful (enough for the 4 cups of rice)

Mix well. Add the
Basmati Rice - 4 cups ( I usually use 5)

Continue to cook till you get a "boil" - the rice should roll over with the boiling water (about 2-3 min). Drain the rice and keep aside.

(At this point, the rice has absorbed a lot of the moisture)

Arrange the chicken and rice in layers. From bottom to top :

Oill - 1/2 cup
Chicken pieces
Oil to sprinkle
Boiled Rice - 1/2 of the portion above
Oil to sprinkle
Fried Onions - 1/2 of the portion above
Saffron Milk - 1/2 of the portion abobe
Boiled Rice - 1/2 of the portion above
Oil to sprinkle
Fried Onions - 1/2 of the portion above
Saffron Milk - 1/2 of the portion abobe

Seal the container and make it airtight using aluminum foil. Put a heavy object on top of the lid if required so that the steam doesn't escape easily.

Cook (time is important, as the chicken is raw - you dont want to overcook it)
8-10 minutes on high (I use 10 min)
20 min on medium low

Let it sit for 10 min before opening it. Taste for salt. Add Lime if you like.

My Variation :

Prepare Amma's Masala (D)
Add this to the onion layer. Since there are already tons of green chillies in the marinade, reduce the number of red and green chillies in Masala D. This also gives the biryani a brownish color.