Chicken Briyani

A world without a friend, what would it be? It would be like a world without water, something you need. Friends are like glass, once broken, they are hard to fix. Keep your friends, as you would keep your water."

Many people crosses our life every day but only few chooses to stay back and will be a part and parcel of our life. A part from family friends are someone one who is always with you when the entire world rejects you. The true friend is like a mirror who reflects a real you to you. If we observe our children, they share their feelings, things and thoughts among themselves without any inhibitions.


Most of us tend to think that friendship blossom when u enter into kindergarten.In kindergarten our idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one. As time flies our mind and soul changes.When we reach a certain age, we will be busy in marriage and taking care of kids and their education. But we need somebody to meet and share our ideas and need suggestions from friends. In my life many have passed thru but very few still holds my hands when I'm down.

As many of you know that I have lived my entire life in Singapore and got married and moved to India. I really got a very difficult time adjusting.then we went to USA. Another different world..totally different where you have to do everything by yourself.I was blessed with many good friends but only few choose to stay back with me. One such friend was Danalakshmi. Then we shifted back to India and here too I got many close friends. One particular friend that stands out in the crowd is no other than Krithi.Very cheerful and caring bubbly girll whom I'm quite close with. The following recipe happens to be her aunt and she gladly prepared them for my kids esp my son Arvin who just love briyani very much.

Ingredients for the briyani masala:
10 garlic clove
lime size ginger
5 black cardamon pods
1/4 nutmeg
1 small cinnamon stick
5 green cardamon pods
5 cloves
3 dried chillies
1tsp nutmeg peel
1tsp poppy seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
1tbsp coriander powder
water
Grind the all the ingredients into very smooth mixture and keep aside.

3.5 cup rice soak for 30 minutes
1/2 kg chicken
3 large red onion chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
5 green chillie slit
chopped coriander leaves
chopped mint leaves
a stalk of curry leaves
4tbsp ghee
4tbsp peanut oil
1/4tsp turmeric powder
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seed
1 small cinnamon stick
5 green cardamon pods
5 cloves
bay leaves
Preparation Methods:
Heat the pressure pan on medium flame and pour the ghee and oil. Once the mixture of oil and ghee heated add the green chillie. Once the chillie splits open add the bay leaves,cumin seeds,mustard seeds, curry leaves,clove,cardamom, cinnamon-saute them till the aroma of the spice are released and then followed by turmeric powder,chopped onions and tomato.Once the onions become tender add the chicken. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Finally add the rice and 5.5 cups of water and the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Add enough salt and increase the flame to high. As it starts to boil press cook for just 1 whistle. Once the press is release transfer to a serving plate with cumber and onion pachadi....