Kolkata chicken Biriyani

After I left my home town I missed Biryani like any other Bengali. Whenever I went to visit  my hometown kolkata and definitely try kolkata famous biryani from Siraj ,arsalan and aminia.. I am lucky that these three famous biryani outlet just few minutes distance from my kolkata home..My hubby is a die-heart fan of kolkata biryani but we live in Pune ,here we didn't get kolkata style biryani..so I have no option to other than learnt kolkata style biryani and make it at home..almost once in a month I have to make biryani and my biryani loving family enjoy it .
 There is a large variety of biryani in India and I found each one has different taste and flavour. As a bengali I love kolkata biryani most..

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Cook Time- 1 hr 
Serve - 5
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Ingredients:--

Rice - 500gms
Chicken- 700 gsm
Potatoes - 2 , cut into two pieces 
Onion - 3 large
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp 
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp 
Chili powder- 1/2 tsp 
Coriander powder- 1tsp 
Cumin powder- 1tsp 
Biryani masla - 1-2 tbsp
Salt to taste 
Bay leaves- 2
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick 
Green cardamom- 2
Cloves- 3-4
Rose Water- 3-4 tsp 
Kewra water- 2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Saffron - 1 tsp

Biryani masala:-
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Coriander seeds - 2tsp
Cumin seeds- 1tsp 
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick 
Cloves - 5-6
Green cardamom- 4-5
Black cardamom- 1
Caraway seeds / shahjeera - 1/2 tsp
Jaifol or nutmeg- 1/2 tsp 
Jaitri or mace - 1/2 tsp 
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp 
Bay leaves- 2
Kabab chini - 2/4 tsp 
Star anise- 1/4 tsp
 Dry roast everything till gets nice aroma .then grind to a fine powder. 

Method:--
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Soak rice for 30-40 mins
Heat a handi with enough water for cook rice. Add one bay leaf , 1/2 stick cinnamon,2 green cardamom,2 tbsp Salt and 1tbsp oil.
  Once the water starts boiling add soaked rice...cook till 80% done..then drain water properly..then spread rice on a broad plate or on a paper...let it cool

Marinate chicken with curd ,salt to taste  ,1tsp  black pepper 1/2tsp turmeric   1/2 tsp Chili powder,1/2 sugar for 1 hr or so..

Now soak saffron in a warm milk...keep aside..
If you don't have saffron then heat a pan with 1 cup milk ,add 1/2tsp turmeric  1tsp rose  1/2kewra water and 2 green cardamom. Boil for 2-3 mins.turn off Gas. Keep aside for future use.

Now boil potatoes in pressure cooker with turmeric and salt till cooked well. Then fry potatoes. Keep it aside.

Now heat a kadai .add 2 tbsp oil .add sliced onion .fry till well brown..then take out from kadai .place it on a paper towel..

 Then add ginger garlic paste and marinated chicken..stir it for 3-4 mins or till oil leaves the side of the pan.then add 1tbsp biryani masala and brown onion..stir well to coat the chicken with masala and onion  then add 1/2 cup water .give nice stir ..then turn down flame .simmer it for 20 -25 mins or the chicken cooked well.
When chicken become tender and gravy reduced. Add 1 tsp rose water and 1/2 kewra water.stir nicely...check seasoning..turn off Gas.

Now heat a heavy bottom pan. Add 1tbsp  ghee .now add 1/3 of chicken with gravy.then layering with rice .sprnkle 1tsp biryani masala  ,boiled potatoes. Spread 1tsp  rose water and 1/2 tsp  kewra water..Then layer with rice again. Sprnkle biryani masala ,1 tsp ghee.spread half of the saffron milk or flavour milk..then spread 2/3 of the chicken. Then final layer of rice .spread ghee .rest of the saffron or flavour milk

Now cover pan with lid and seal it with flour daugh..heat a tawa then place the biryani pan over it..slow down flame for 25-30 mins..

Sarse bhetki

A traditional yet tasty fish recipe from west Bengal

Cook Time -30 minutes
Serves -4

Ingredients---

 Vetki fish -4 pieces
Mustard paste - 2-3 tbsp
Green chilies- 2-3
Garlic paste- 1tbsp
Salt - as required
Turmeric powder--1tsp
Chili powder- 2/4 tsp
Onion seeds /kalonji - 1/2tsp
Tomato - 1 ,chopped

Method

Marinate fish with little turmeric and salt for 5 mins. Then fry it properly.do not over fry fish.

Soak 2 tbsp mastered seeds in water for 30-40 mins.then grind along with 1/2 green chili and little salt till smooth..

If you have sil Batta, please use it to make mastered  paste.

You can mustard powder as well. If using.  Soak 2 tbsp mustard powder with little salt for 10 mins.

Heat kadai with 3-4 tbsp mustard oil ,add onion seeds then add garlic paste,and stir it for a minute.
Then add chopped tomato and stir it for a minute.

Add mustard. Paste,turmeric and chili powder,salt to taste slut green chilies..keep stirring for 1 minute.

Now add a small cup of water and give a nice stir.cover kadai and continue cooking in a low flame for 5-6 minutes.
 
Then add fish and mix well with mustard gravy .

When starts to leave the side of the pan.that means it's done.check seasoning....keep gravy as per your desire consistency..........spread 1tbsp mustard oil over the gravy....

Serve it. With steam rice...

Bhuna chicken

Bhuna chicken
 Bhuna means where spices fried gently almost without water...In  one sentence you can say slow cooked chicken with flavourful spices..it comes out appsoluately mouthwatering with very little sause. ...
  Chicken- 1kg
Chatu/sattu - 1tbsp
  Curd-4-5 tbsp
 Onion- 4-5 big finely chopped
 Garlic paste- 11/2 tbsp
 Ginger paste- 1tbsp
Turmeric powder- 2rep
Chilipowder- 2tsp
Cumin powder- 1rep
Coriander powder- 2tsp
Salt- as required
Sugar- 1tsp
Green chili-- 1-2 chopped
Garom masala-- 1 tsp (2-3clove 2-3cardamom 1inch stick cinamon nutmeg n mace dry roaste and grind )

 Process
 Wash chicken thoroughly. .marinated the chicken with curd, sattu, ginger garlic paste turmeric  chili cumin n coriander powder  salt n sugar for 45mins- 1hr....
     Take a karai add 3-4 tbsp oil .heat oil add chopped Onion .fry it till gets Brown color.....then add marinated chicken .mix marinated chicken with onion properly in high flame for 3-4 mins...then sim the gas  cover with lid n keep it on gas for 10 mins - 15mins or till chicken cooked well....occasionally stir it.....Chicken will get cooked in its own juice....(as we do not add Water.) after 10 mins open the lid...when chicken gravy dried up almost 70% oil separates from spices means its done....add garam masala n coriander leaves...keep gravy as per your desire consistency.......though this chicken dish did not require runny gravy.. serve bhuna chicken with roti  or naan. ....

Loitya macher jhuri

Loitya macher jhuri /spicy bombay duck fried curry

  Loitya mach or bombay duck is known in different names in different places throughout theIndia....in west Bengal and Bangladesh it's called loitya /lotte .Mumbai ,pune it's called bombil or bombay duck.

  It's very soft and mushy fish....even no need of additional water when you cooked....

Ingredients:-

 Loitya mach or bombayduck--1 kg

 Oil - 3-4 tbsp

 Onion- 2-3 (big) thinly sliced

  Ginger n garlic paste-1 1/2tbsp

  Tomato- 1 big chopped

 Green chili-as per your hot taste/2-3 

 Salt-as required 

Sugar-2tsp 

 Chili powder- 1rep

 Turmeric - 2tsp

 Cumin powder- 1tsp

 Coriander powder- 2 -3 tsp

 Coriander leaves - 1handful

Process

 Wash n clean the fish thoroughly. ..take kadai or pan .put 3-4 tbsp oil. .add sliced onion..fry it till turns light brown...then add gingar n garlic paste .stir it continuously  .add tomato stir 4-5 mins and add loitya  fish along with turmeric  chili cumin n. coriander powder  Salt n sugar...stir all ingredients with fish properly. ...simmer the gas for 5-6 mins... no need to add water as fish will release enough water.....open the lid. .stir continuously until fish curry completely dry...oil gets separate from fish curry means it's prepared .. add coriander leaves ....check seasoning......serve it with hot steam rice...

Note:--- If you want, you can discard the fish bone, blunch the fish for 4-5 mins. Drain the water, make a slit and remove the centre bone..