Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

By: Ritesh Charitra

Since I was little, food has always played an important role in my life. Coming from a big family there has always been gatherings at my house. When I was young, I remember everyone would come over and my mom and aunts would cook a variety of dishes while the men hung out and the kids played outside. The delicious smell of spices and curries roamed throughout the house. My mom is a great host, and always went far and beyond in making everyone feel at home. One of those delicious dishes that always reminds me fond childhood memories is Chicken Biryani. In simple terms “Chicken Biryani” is chicken with rice mixed together. The secret in making this dish is using fresh farmed chicken rather than the frozen ones you can find in your local grocery store.

Many people believe “biryani” is a dish indigenous to India. The name biryani is “derived from the Persian word Birian, which means ‘fried before cooking’ and Birinj, the Persian word for rice. While there are multiple theories about how biryani made its way to India, it is generally accepted that it originated in West Asia.”  (Pal, 2016)The are many different legends of how biryani was created but the most “popular story traces the origins of the dish to Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s beautiful queen who inspired the Taj Mahal. It is said that Mumtaz once visited the army barracks and found the Mughal soldiers looking weak and undernourished. She asked the chef to prepare a special dish that combined meat and rice to provide balanced nutrition to the soldiers – and the result was biryani of course! At the time, rice was fried in ghee, without washing, to give it a nutty flavour and prevent it from clumping. Meat, aromatic spices, and saffron were added to it before cooking the mix over a wood fire.”  (Pal, 2016)

Many different cultures have some type of chicken and rice mixture. Colombians for instance have Arroz con Pollo. The mixture of chicken and rice is a classic combination which uses a mixture of carbs and protein.

In “biryani”, spices play a very important role in making it delicious and there are a variety of recipes which use either meat, chicken or only vegetables. Vegetarians and vegans can make Biryanis without any meat or animal products by substituting meat with veggies and potatoes. Many restaurants in India don’t serve meat and for religious reasons incorporate a vegan diet. “The evolution of biryani spans many centuries, many cultures, many ingredients and many cooking styles. From an army dish to a dish fit for royalty, the biryani today is a pan-India culinary favourite. Its many varieties reflect the local tastes, traditions and gastronomic histories of their regions of evolution. (Pal, 2016)

In my household, chicken biryani has been a staple food and we use a recipe that is quite easy to follow. Although we use the Shan’s Sindhi Biryani spices mix, we do not follow the directions on the back.

Let’s start with the ingredients you will need:

-2 lbs. of your choice of meat. (You may use boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs with bone-in, chopped in small pieces. Omit if you are vegetarian)

-3 cups of long grain brown rice or basmati rice

-2 medium onions

-3 medium tomatoes

-handful of garlic cloves

-3 one-inch pieces of fresh ginger

-1 Serrano chili pepper

-3 tbsp. olive oil

-Salt and black pepper to taste

– 1 box of Shan Sindhi Biryani

Photo by: Ritesh

-1 large pot

– 4 cups of water

-1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Step 1: Wash the chicken and prep it by chopping in small pieces. If you are using bone-in chicken cut in small pieces including the bones. Add light amount of salt and black pepper.

Photo by: Ritesh

Step 2: Mince the garlic, ginger and chili pepper. Once minced add to the chopped chicken pieces and mix well. Set aside.

Photo by: Ritesh

Step 3: Peel and chop the onions into small pieces. Set aside.

Step 4: Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

Photo by: Ritesh

Step 5: Rinse the rice three times and then put it in the rice cooker with enough water to cover the rice up to two inches. For 3 cups of rice, you would add approximately 3 cups of water as well. Sprinkle a tsp of Shah’s mixture and mix the rice. Place to cook.

Photo by: Ritesh

Step 6: Pour oil in hot pot and add the chopped onions

Step 7: Once the onions are golden brown, add the chopped chicken and chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle the package of Shah’s Sindhi Biryani and mix all ingredients in the pot well.

Step 8: Add 1 cup of water to the pot, cover and let cook over medium heat

Step 9: After 10 mins, uncover pot and mix chicken around to ensure it cooks evenly. Let the chicken cook until the water has dried out. Approximately 30 mins.

Step 9: Once the chicken is cooked and the water had dried move pot aside.

Step 10: Grab the cooked rice and throw on top of the cooked chicken. With a spoon mix the rice and chicken together until the ingredients have mixed together well.

Step 11: Serve your portion of Chicken biryani and garnish on top with chopped cilantro.

Photo by: Ritesh

Enjoy!!

References

Pal, S. (2016, July 6). The better India. Retrieved from The Story of Biryani: How This Exotic Dish Came, Saw and Conquered India!: https://www.thebetterindia.com/60553/history-biryani-india/

Coconuts

I choose coconut as my topic of presentation because growing up in the Fiji islands there were many beautiful coconut trees while playing in the farms. Our Islands have very rich soil with unique minerals making the coconuts some of the best I have ever tasted. Coconuts are widely known to have originated in the India-Indonesia regions. They can be found in many countries such as India, Philippines, Haiti, Maldives, Hawaii, Australia and South America. The coconut tree is a large palm that grows up to 98ft tall.

Many do not know that the coconut tree is also known as the “The Tree of Life” in some parts of the world. To the islanders, they are a precious gift from earth because the coconut provides them the basic needs to survive. Coconuts are high in fiber, contain zero cholesterol and are rich in vitamins. Coconuts also contain potable water which are full of electrolytes, enzymes, minerals and simple sugars. There are many uses for coconuts and they are the most versatile fruit. The husk is used to make pots to cook. While the shells, can be made into bowls, handicrafts and musical instruments. The Coconut leaves are used to make brooms, baskets, mats and roofing. Coconut water also has many health benefits such as fighting fatigue and restoring energy, aiding in weight loss, detoxifying the body, lowering blood pressure, improving digestion and is great for skin.

Coconuts remind me of the simple days growing up in the islands and just being a kid, with no worries. I have many childhood memories going on road trips with my family on my school breaks. The western part of the island is known for agriculture and my uncles had a large farm with many animals such as goats, cows, chicken, horses etc. As a kid I would always want to take them all back home, but my mom would never let me. I remember crying and pleading with my parents to let me take a baby goat home. I would wake up super early in the morning to go horse back riding on the farms and milk the cows. There were so many different exotic fruit trees on the farm. My dad would climb up the coconut tree and get me fresh coconuts to share with my brother and sister. I remember my mom always putting coconut on her hair. She had endless long black hair to her waist. When we would get back from a long day at school, my mom would massage my head with coconut oil. It was very relaxing, but I would despise the smell at first. It’s quite ironic because now I use coconut oil on my body everyday to stay moisturized. I also use the cooking spray to cook my meals and consume shredded coconut with my oatmeal, yogurt and toast. Coconut products can now be found everywhere like Trader Joes, Sprouts and Ralphs.

I recommend everyone to incorporate coconut products into their regular lifestyle whether it be drinking the water, eating the flesh or using coconut products to cook.

ENJOY!!

 

 

 

Chicken Marsalaaa pasta!

Good evening ! My name is Ritesh and my major is IDS with an emphasis on Global Studies. I am currently a senior and will be graduation this May. Can’t wait ?

My food selfie is my delicious homemade Chicken Marsala with Tortellini pasta with a side of Cesar  salad and garlic toast. I don’t eat out much because my girlfriend and I usually cook at home. We enjoy trying new recipes so I’m looking forward to learning a couple from the class.

I love all kinds of foods but my favorite is Italian food. I can eat pasta and lasagna for days. I also enjoy eating seafood and curries. I’m a sucker for deserts especially cream brulee ,tiramisu and anything with dark chocolate ?. 

I also enjoy traveling and fast cars .