[Aroy]

For those who like Roast Chicken

I prefer chicken with skin. Take two leg pieces, rub in some salt and chilly powder (to taste). If you like you can mix these spices in a bit of curd to make a thick paste. Leave it to marinate for an hour or so.

The cooking time depends on the weight of the chicken pieces. So experiment a bit to get it perfect.

Put the legs in a microwave safe covered dish (I use corning dish with cover). Microwave at half the heat (I use 400, where the max is 800), for 15 min. Test the chicken, if still not ready give it another 5 min at a time (should not take more than 25 min for 1kg piece). A lot of water should be release while cooking, so after it is tender open the lid and cook for another 2-3 min to dry it out, and get a crisp skin.

The recipe works best with fatty chicken (about 2kg or more). In case there is no/little fat, mix a bit of butter/ghee/oil and insert it under the skin to get a melt-in-the-mouth chicken.

VARIATIONS

1. In case you have big enough microwave you can even roast a whole chicken.

2. Another variation is to use the rotisserie to cook the whole chicken, but then you have to use one with skin, else it would dry out.

3. If you are having whole chicken, you can put a table spoon full of rice in the cavity toll get chicken flavoured rice.

4. If you have a big gas oven, you can cook at least four or five 1kg chicken at a time for a party. In that case prepare a large batch of marinade with a lot of spices, and coat the chicken inside and out thoroughly. Then either put them all in a pot or cover each piece in aluminum foil. That will retain the moisture.

NOTE. If roasting a whole chicken, Truss the legs, wings and neck (fold them over the chicken and tie with a sting, so that the cavity is closed and no portion flaps around.

[bblost]

@Aroy: love it.

I am going to try the chicken in microwave recipe the next time I get some chicken.
Since I don't buy it with skin, is there something I need to do.

Like maybe rub in a little butter or something?

[Wolfheart]

Ok Guys I'm a huge fan of th food in Hyderabad. Can someone share the following recipes (with pictures if possible):

1. Hyderabad Mutton Biryani with Mirch ka Salan
2. Chicken 69
3. Mutton Haleem

Thanks!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

1. Hyderabad Mutton Biryani with Mirch ka Salan
2. Chicken 69
3. Mutton Haleem

I reckon you mean the Chicken 65. It's not a hyderabadi speciality but, is made quite well out here in most of the places.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

... food in Hyderabad ... Chicken 69 ...

Originally Posted by mobike008

... you mean the Chicken 65. It's not a hyderabadi speciality ...

For a moment I thought Hyderabad must have progressed so much beyond Bengaluru that it has got a Chicken 69 as opposed to the poor Chicken 65 that we get here.

[Wolfheart]

Sorry, I meant Chicken 65. But I do remember ordering a Chicken 69 at some place. Every restaurant that I have been to in Hyd dishes out awesome Chicken 65!!!

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

Ok Guys I'm a huge fan of th food in Hyderabad. Can someone share the following recipes (with pictures if possible):

1. Hyderabad Mutton Biryani with Mirch ka Salan
2. Chicken 69
3. Mutton Haleem

Thanks!

I had posted recipe for Hyderabadi Biryani (posts 413, 428) in detail. Sorry no pictures as yet. My method is slightly different from the ones shown on TV in the sense that it takes around 3 hours cooking time.

You will need a vessel with a tight lid. The spices (green chillies, nutmeg, cinnamon etc) are to your taste, but the leaves (coriander and mint) are essential to the aroma. The curd gives the moisture, so adjust the curd (and/or water) to the condition or half coked rice.

Please feel free to clarify any doubts.

(you can get basic idea of the Hyderabadi Biryani on Youtube -

YouTube - Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

For a moment I thought Hyderabad must have progressed so much beyond Bengaluru that it has got a Chicken 69 as opposed to the poor Chicken 65 that we get here.

D_A, Hyderabad has progressed way beyond Bengaluru. Apart from popular Chicken 65, there are many other poor cousins of 65-version called Chicken 666, Chicken 69, Chicken 555, Chicken 999 etc.

But, all of above versions are found on menu of some non-descript dhaba outside of hyderabad and not in a decent restuarant in city

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

Sorry, I meant Chicken 65. But I do remember ordering a Chicken 69 at some place. Every restaurant that I have been to in Hyd dishes out awesome Chicken 65!!!

Then you must have visited some dhaba or a small place where just to create a long menu (adding the 666, 555, etc) and impress the unsuspecting guest

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

Ok Guys I'm a huge fan of th food in Hyderabad. Can someone share the following recipes (with pictures if possible):

1. Hyderabad Mutton Biryani with Mirch ka Salan
2. Chicken 69
3. Mutton Haleem

Thanks!

Here you go

Mutton Dum Biriyani

* 1 KG Tender Mutton (cut in 40 gm pieces)
* 500 grams of Basmati Rice (Preferably pre-soaked for atleast half an hour)
* 4 medium Onions (thin sliced and fried onions)
* 3 Cardamom Pods (Choti Ilaichi)
* 2 Cinnamon Sticks (Dal Cheeni)
* 4 Cloves (Loung)
* Lime Juice ( acc to taste)
* 1 tsp. Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
* 1 tsp. Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
* 200 grams of Plain Yogurt
* 1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder (Pisi Haldi)
* 1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
* 1.5 tsp. Coriander Powder (Pisa Dhania)
* ½ tsp. Cumin Powder (Pisa Zeera)
* ½ tsp. Cumin Seeds (Saabut Zeera)
* A few Saffron Strands (Zafran) (soaked in 5 tablespoons of cold milk)
* A handful of Ready Fried Onions (for garnish)
* A bunch of Fresh Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania) (chopped - for garnish)
* 100 ml Cooking Oil


1. Marinade the mutton pieces with the plain yogurt ,Lime juice,turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and cumin powder and Coriander Leaves .Add ¾ fried onion and salt and mint to the marination, Marinate for at least 2 hours. Please try to use a nonstick kadai with wide base.

2.In boiling water add 2 tbsp oil,3 tbsp of salt, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds and boil the rice until it is half cooked. Add the rice to the meat. Pour a little oil and saffron water on rice and the remaining fried onions and cook the rice on dum (cover the lid with a wet cloth and then with aluminum foil.) For about 40-45 minutes on sim flame until done.

3. Serve hot with Raita.

[rohanjf]

Awesome thread. Why didn't I notice it before? I am one of those guys who doesn't like anyone else entering his kitchen. I don't like anyone else helping me in the kitchen. I tolerate those who wanna watch, but even if someone offers me the most trivial help (such as, peeling an onion), I get irritated.

My favourite vessel for cooking is Prestige Omega Die-Cast Casserole (Omega Die-Cast Casserole 200 mm with Lid [omega-die-cast-casserole-200mm] - Rs.909.00 : Prestige TTK).
When you use this vessel, you need not add water at all (unless the recipe requires it). At a moderate flame, the vegetables or meat cook with the water they already hold.

I recently tried chicken ghee roast. I roasted 4 red chillis and a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander seeds. Then I ground them with some ginger and garlic. Then I fried this paste at full flame in a lot of cooking butter (you can also use clarified butter/ghee) and added the chicken. Once the outer part of the chicken got cooked (that is, the escape routes for the juices inside the meat pieces are closed), I reduced the flame to minimum, added salt and let it cook for some 15 minutes with closed lid.

In the same fashion, you also fry certain vegetables, such as cauliflower or eggplant.

[Wolfheart]

@Aroy and Silverwood - Thank you very much guys. I'll try my hand at this and will hopefully post some pics if it turns out well.

I do have a few questions though:

The Hyderabadi Biryani has a distinct flavor from the dum Biryani that we get here in Mumbai. Is it the rice or the mixture of spices? Also what is the best part of mutton to use for the Biryani? Is it the back leg, shanks, shoulder ribs etc?

Does anyone know where to purchase a good quality, long grain, fragrant Basmati rice in Mumbai?

How do you make the Mirch ka Saalan with the Biryani?

@Mobike - Chicken 666 sounds so evil!!! I would love to try it!!

Does anyone have a recipe for Chicken 69 Hyderabad style?

[pjbiju]

Poached Egg



Not sure how many of you have had poached eggs for breakfast. Poached eggs are great to have with bread slices or all by itself or in combination with a lot of other stuff like salami, bacon etc.

Making a poached egg is quite a simple but delicate task.

Ingredients

• One egg
• I tbsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of vinegar
• Black pepper powder
• Salt as required

Method

• Break the egg gently into a glass bowl/ceramic bowl without breaking the yolk
• Take one wide deep flat bottomed steel vessel and add water to fill it upto the half level
• Bring the water close to its boiling point but make sure the water is not boiling
• Add 1 tbsp of salt (add salt depending on the quantity of water)
• Add the vinegar
• Stir the water along the edge of vessel in a circular motion to form a whirlpool kind of motion
• Slowly slide the egg from the glass bowl along the direction of the water flow into the water
• You can gently fold the white over the yolk if needed using a fork (this is actually not required)
• Cook for around 2.5 to 3 minutes
• Take the egg out with a slotted spoon
• Sprinkle salt and black pepper powder over the egg (you can add other spices if needed)
• Serve over a slice of toasted bread or a bed of salami/bacon.

When you cut open the egg, the yolk should flow out and spread over the bread slice. There you have it, a perfect poached egg. If this is cooked too much, the yolk would harden. And that is not considered a perfect poached egg.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

. Tropical countries that risk is obviated by using acidic 'cold cooking' methods.

As in Tuna tartare?

Originally Posted by V-16

I would best eat tuna raw as sushi (not recommended at home) or as a salad which can be put in between bread as a sandwhich

separate the tuna blob with a fork prong and mix all together and put between slices of bread. If for as salad, dice the vegetables in a thicker, bigger cube.

We get something called 'Tuna Melt' in our cafeteria. Shredded tuna with melted cheese and the whole thing is put into a pannini press. I can also taste the mayo in it. YUMMY! ..but I'm not sure where the shredded tuna comes from.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

@Aroy and Silverwood - Thank you very much guys. I'll try my hand at this and will hopefully post some pics if it turns out well.

I do have a few questions though:

The Hyderabadi Biryani has a distinct flavor from the dum Biryani that we get here in Mumbai. Is it the rice or the mixture of spices? Also what is the best part of mutton to use for the Biryani? Is it the back leg, shanks, shoulder ribs etc?

There are two parts to the unique taste of "Kachi Gost ki Biryani"

1. The cooking of meat with rice, ensures the aroma infuses in the rice.

2. The spices. When you add the mint, coriander leaves and fresh green chillies, it not only imparts an aroma, but also keeps the biryani moist, in contrast to most of the ready made biryanis which are dry.

The rice has to be boiled with spices to impart it with its own flavour. When the meat and rice are mixed before serving both the flavours interact.

The best pieces are large 50-80 grams (about 4-6 cm across and thick). A judicious mix of meat and bone is called for. What I use is

1. Front leg
2. Ribs and spare ribs if they are thick and meaty
3. Neck

The beauty of Dum cooking is that even tough parts are cooked perfectly, as it is the time and not so much the heat which is required to cook meat perfectly.

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

The Hyderabadi Biryani has a distinct flavor from the dum Biryani that we get here in Mumbai. Is it the rice or the mixture of spices? Also what is the best part of mutton to use for the Biryani? Is it the back leg, shanks, shoulder ribs etc?

The Biriyani you get in Mumbai is NOT actually Dum Biriyani, it can be called semi dum biriyani because the mutton is semi cooked before leaving it for dum, the same case is with biriyani served in Bangalore.(They add tomato and potato)

Hyderabadi dum biriyani has a unique flavor because the entire biriyani is cooked on Dum.All the kaccha masala including marinated mutton at the bottom is cooked on dum and the aroma of each and every spice gets mixed up with the semi cooked rice on top.

Mirchi ka Salan Recipe.


Ingredients

8 or 10 medium sized green chillies (Dont use desi mirch)
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp sesame seeds (white thil)
1/4 cup coconut flakes/desiccated coconut/copra
2 tsps coriander seeds (dhania)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup fresh yogurt
1 tsp sour cream
1 tsp tamarind paste/pulp (I use Laxmi brand natural tamarind concentrate)
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish
Oil for making the curry

Method
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander seeds and cumin seeds - one at a time in a pan.
2. Saute the onion in 1 tbsp of oil until transparent.
3. Make a paste of the sesame seeds, peanuts, coriander and cumin seeds along with the sauteed onions and coconut.
4. Slit the green chillies and saute them in a little oil and set aside. You can remove the seeds from the chillies to reduce the heat. I used big green chillies, so I just chopped them into big pieces.
5. Set the chillies aside and in the same pan add some oil and sauté the ground masala paste along with the ginger garlic paste and tamarind concentrate for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Next add the yogurt, sour cream and salt and mix well till the yogurt is incorporated in the masala.
7. Add water to reach the desired consistency. Make sure you boil the masala well after adding water.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander.