Chicken Biryani

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Rice is a main meal in the Middle East, we usually have it for lunch. I have never posted any recipes yet because I usually make white rice, with other side dishes. However I thought of posting one of the methods of making chicken biryani, It is quite simple. I guess every household does it a bit differently, I change it sometimes as well and this is one of the ways.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg chicken (marinade: 5 garlic gloves mashed, 1 tbs ginger mashed, red pepper (or black), salt)

2 cups of basmati rice, washed and soaked for at least one hour

2 garlic gloves mashed

1 tbs ginger mashed

2 medium sized potatoes cut into cubes

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced into small pieces

2 medium sized onion diced

1 tsp cinammon powder

1 tsp cardamom powder (plus seeds, optional)

1/2 tsp cumin powder (plus seeds, optional)

1-2 tbs tomato puree

few coriander leaves, chopped

one small onion for garnishing 

3 cups boiled water

3 tbs oil

deep oil fry for chicken and potatoes

pepper i use

• Marinate your chicken, fry the potatoes in deep oil till golden, remove from heat and fry chicken till fully cooked- set aside

fried chicken and potatoes

• In a deep pan (low heat), add the 3 tbs oil, add onion, fry till soft and add garlic and ginger, fry for few minutes

• Add your spices, cinammon, cardamom, cumin, salt, pepper/chilli and cook for few minutes
• Add the diced tomatoes, and tomato puree, if it seems a bit dry add around 1/4 glass of water and cover for 5-10 minutes

• add the coriander leaves, chicken and potatoes, cover for a couple of minutes

• add boiled water (around three to four cups)
• Add the rice, increase heat but watch continuously so it won't get burnt (you might need to add more water), cook uncovered in moderate to high heat till water is almost dry

• Now decrease heat to the lowest, cover the rice and cook for around 10 minutes
• A tip: if you feel you can't control the water/cooking time, you can cook the rice separately. Boil it in salted water till cooked, sieve and add it to the tomato/chicken sauce and cover in low heat for 10 minutes. 
• Garnish with fried onions.

Chicken with coriander and dill

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A simple chicken dish, but with lovely scent and flavour.

Ingredients:

450 gram chicken

6 garlic cloves, mashed

1 tbs mashed ginger

1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon

salt, pepper

coriander and dill leaves, amount as you like

3-4 tbs lemon juice

• Marinate the chicken with garlic, ginger, cinnamon,salt and pepper.

• Cook covered in low heat, add water whenever it gets dry
• Chop coriander, and mix together with the lemon juice.
• when chicken is cooked, remove from heat, and put in a baking dish.
• Cover the chicken with the coriander, dill and lemon juice

• bake uncovered for ten minutes in 180 degrees Celsius
• serve

Chicken Stew

بسم الله الرحمـــن الرحيم

Yes, I managed to get some light to shoot this picture..which makes me feel satisfied..:)

Ok, I've to ramble a bit about the dish I am posting, chicken stew is one of the essential dishes in our immediate family, and by that I mean my house, my parents' house and my in-law's house :)...

It is also one of the main dishes that woman who just gave birth will have..almost everyday,,but with extra pepper in...alone or with rice..

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken (preferably fresh and with some fat in)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into four pieces

1 tomato, peeled and cut into small pieces

8 garlic gloves, mashed

1 tbs mashed ginger (by now you'd notice that ginger and garlic are essential in my kitchen:D)

1 spring onion, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp black pepper (preferably freshly grounded)

1 carrot (you can also add cauliflower, I didn't have it)

salt

chili (optional)

coriander

3 tbs lemon juice

water for cooking

كيلو دجاج

حبتين بطاطا مقطعة مكعبات

حبة طماطم مقشرة ومقطعة لقطع صغيرة

8 فصوص ثوم مهروسة

ملعقة طعام زنجبيل مهروس

بصلة (spring onion) مقطعة قطع صغيرة

نصف ملعقة شاي فلفل اسود

حبة جزر

ملح

فلفل

اوراق كزبرة

عصير ليمون

Method:

• add mashed garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper to the chicken in a pan
• add water to the chicken, an amount that just covers the chicken
• cook over medium heat, and add the potatoes
• cook for around 10 minutes covered, then add tomato, and cover for five minutes
• add carrot/and any other vegetables you like
• add the spring onion, lemon juice, chili and then coriander leaves
• cool and serve

Grilled Chicken Skewers

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I love this dish, really love it. It is easy to make, takes short preparation time, and it is delicious. Em, maybe I wouldn't be able to convince you till you attempt making it yourself :)..

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken breast, cut into squares

to marinate the chicken you need:

1 garlic, around 8 cloves, mashed

1 tbs ginger mashed

salt+ pepper+ and chili (which is optional)

2-3 tbs lemon juice

2-3 tbs olive oil

Two medium tomatoes cut into four pieces

Two onions cut into four pieces

One sweet pepper cut into medium pieces (I didn't have it this time but I always use it)

short wooden skewers

Method:

• Marinate your chicken, you can let it rest for a couple of hours, but it is up to you

• thread on skewers your chicken pieces and the vegetables

• grill in OVEN on moderate to high degree for around 30-40 minutes, turning them around every often.The method is shown on the picture

• Serve with humus (which am going to share the recipe with you soon inshalla), salad, and Arabic bread

Chicken with vegetables

بسم الله الرحمـــن الرحيــم

In our culture, heavy fried spicy food is popular and you get hundreds of recipes which include oil And loads of oil. I remember I had one of my husband's cousin with her family in my place, and she couldn't believe that this dish can be tasty without adding all the spices and frying all the ingredients, but she was convinced afterwards.

Personally I can't cope with really spicy food although occasionally I'd have some.

This is a very easy dish (I like easy dishes) and it is great with rice or bread (who can live without these two= that won't be me).

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken (a whole chicken or any part, I used thighs here)

To marinate the chicken you need: 8 garlic cloves mashed+1 tbs mashed ginger+salt+ pepper

two medium potatoes cut into squares

1 onion

1 carrot

1 tomato diced

1 small sweet pepper

(I always add tomato and potato, the other vegetables go in if I have them)

The juice of two lemon

Coriander

المقادير:

كيلو دجاج

لتتبيلة الدجاج:

8 فصوص ثوم مهروسة+ ملعقة طعام زنجبيل مهروس+ ملح+ فلفل

حبتين بطاطا

حبة بصل

حبة جزر

حبة طماطم

حبة فلفل حلو

عصير ليمونتين

كزبرة

Method

• Marinate the chicken, mix with the potatoes and put it on a pan over a law heat and cover the pan.
  

• keep checking it and if it gets dry, add little bit of water
• when it is nearly done, add tomato, carrot, green pepper and cover
• when it is done, add lemon and coriandar
• if you would prefer it dry, bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes or so