Tuesday, November 08, 2005
what's cooking? 
I read their method of cooking and consulted my mom. She said she will cook the briyani for me but I told her I want to try. So we decided, I will cook for my friends and she will cook for my relatives. One packet of briyani can serve up to 6-8 persons. I washed the chicken pieces; marinate them with the chicken tikka masala early morning. My mom came over to my place to cook for my relatives. She waited for me to finish cooking for my friends so that she can take over the cooking. I tasted the chicken masala and found it too spicy. Mom was fasting so she could not taste but she asked me to add more onions. I added few more chopped onions and little condensed milk. After cooking the chicken masala, I washed the rice, and add salt to it. Once the rice was cooked, I drained the water from the rice. In a new pot, I poured a layer of chicken masala and then add the briyani rice on it. I add coriander leaves, fried onions, 'rose' water and 'sprinkled' condensed milk over the rice. I had to repeat the steps until all the rice is transferred to the new pot. I had to cook it once more in slow heat for awhile. I was so glad the rice was not too moist or dry and I fried the rest of the chickens that I did not use for the chicken masala. It was little spicy though and I think Shan masala are supposed to be that spicy. My DH likes his food spicy and all so he enjoyed his briyani I cooked for him for the first time. But I think the credit goes to my mom too for overlooking my cooking and guiding me along. But she really did not think it will turn out delicious because I did not add any chilly paste or chilly powder to my chicken masala in her opinion. I told her all spices are added in the shan masala itself so we don't have to add in our cooking. My mom cooked more briyani for my relatives using her own briyani masala and she cooked mutton curry to go with it. But she did not mix the rice and mutton together like I did. Finally when it was time for iftar, my cousins and my mom had the briyani and they finished the last bit and the rest of them who came later ate my mom's briyani and they enjoyed it too. The only difference between my mom's cooking and my method of cooking briyani is that I don't have to add any salt or spices because it is added in the shan masala packet itself.
I will not say my briyani is the best but for a first try, I think I did well. Harp tried my briyani. Hopefully she enjoyed it. Did you harp or do I need to bribe you to praise my cooking hahaha.
Jaycie was right to point out shan packets make cooking easy.
I promised my friends I will cook briyani for eid this year and, I did it and the most important person to judge my briyani was my DH. He gave it thumbs up and simply enjoyed them. I was ecstatic after hearing it from DH. I shall now reveal the secret to my success in cooking a nice briyani. That is SHAN BOMBAY BRIYANI. DH bought a big packet of shan Bombay briyani that has the briyani rice packet and masala packet in it. He bought a shan chicken tikka packet as well.
I read their method of cooking and consulted my mom. She said she will cook the briyani for me but I told her I want to try. So we decided, I will cook for my friends and she will cook for my relatives. One packet of briyani can serve up to 6-8 persons. I washed the chicken pieces; marinate them with the chicken tikka masala early morning. My mom came over to my place to cook for my relatives. She waited for me to finish cooking for my friends so that she can take over the cooking. I tasted the chicken masala and found it too spicy. Mom was fasting so she could not taste but she asked me to add more onions. I added few more chopped onions and little condensed milk. After cooking the chicken masala, I washed the rice, and add salt to it. Once the rice was cooked, I drained the water from the rice. In a new pot, I poured a layer of chicken masala and then add the briyani rice on it. I add coriander leaves, fried onions, 'rose' water and 'sprinkled' condensed milk over the rice. I had to repeat the steps until all the rice is transferred to the new pot. I had to cook it once more in slow heat for awhile. I was so glad the rice was not too moist or dry and I fried the rest of the chickens that I did not use for the chicken masala. It was little spicy though and I think Shan masala are supposed to be that spicy. My DH likes his food spicy and all so he enjoyed his briyani I cooked for him for the first time. But I think the credit goes to my mom too for overlooking my cooking and guiding me along. But she really did not think it will turn out delicious because I did not add any chilly paste or chilly powder to my chicken masala in her opinion. I told her all spices are added in the shan masala itself so we don't have to add in our cooking. My mom cooked more briyani for my relatives using her own briyani masala and she cooked mutton curry to go with it. But she did not mix the rice and mutton together like I did. Finally when it was time for iftar, my cousins and my mom had the briyani and they finished the last bit and the rest of them who came later ate my mom's briyani and they enjoyed it too. The only difference between my mom's cooking and my method of cooking briyani is that I don't have to add any salt or spices because it is added in the shan masala packet itself.I will not say my briyani is the best but for a first try, I think I did well. Harp tried my briyani. Hopefully she enjoyed it. Did you harp or do I need to bribe you to praise my cooking hahaha.
Jaycie was right to point out shan packets make cooking easy.
6:23 PM |9 comments
