Shrimp Rice Pulao and Chicken Curry

Usually I dont go out of the way to prepare some signature dishes.I try to cook what ever I have in pantry and in stock, so it's kind of making the best what you have in hand.
So,usually I dont like to add saffron/Kewda essence or even rose water to enhance the flavour of a Biryani or a Pulao or even in chicken curry. Another thing which comes to my mind is ,can someone throw some light on the difference between a Pulao and a Biryani.I have been trying to figure out but I have no clue regarding this.
Anyways Garam masala is what I prefer ,and that I always stock up in pantry and like to add in non-veg curries whenever I am making it.
But again I am not entirely against using them.I also cant even name a simple chicken curry as something "Rose-water infused garlic based chicken gravy",quite a long name ,to me chicken curry is yeah a Chicken Curry what else.
I will start writing the recipes now without much now..


Chicken curry
1 kg chicken
5-7 medium size onions
6-8 garlic pods
1 and ½ inch ginger
2-3 tsp of coriander powder
2 tsp of cumin powder
4 tsp of red pepper powder
2 green chilly slit in between
Salt as per taste
1 tsp of sugar
½ cup of yogurt
2 tsp of garam masala
For tempering
4-5 black pepper
Half inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cardamom pods
Few strand of mace
2-3 bay leaf or tej patta
½ cup of mustard oil

Method
Wash the chicken pieces in little warm water ,if you wish trim the excess fat from chicken pieces.
Now wash your hands thoroughly with soap+ water.
Now marinate the entire chicken pieces with yogurt,little turmeric powder,2 tsp of red pepper powder.Let it sit there for few hours if possible.
Heat up a saucepan/kadhai, add mustard oil, temper it with tej patta, black pepper, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, mace and add in sugar also.
Now add in garlic/ginger paste first let it brown evenly
Now add in the onion paste ,fry it for 5-6 mints till the rawness of onion is gone.
Now add in all the dry ingredients turmeric ,red ,cumin, coriander powder and little bit of water ,stir it well .
Now add in salt.Fry the ingredients till the spices are evenly cooked and the colour of gravy changes to somewhat little bit dark.
Add the marinated chicken pieces ..fry some more time till the oil separates out from sides.
Transfer the entire content to pressure cooker and add in 2 tsp of garam masala powder and 1 tomato chopped.
Cover the pressure cooker, one whistle at high flame and then quickly lower flame ,cook it for 10-12 mints at low,now let the pressure subside and then you open the lid( the chicken without bones usually don’t required to cook in pressure cooker , stir/fry well and coat with spices, cover by adding suffiecient water and lower the flame ,let it cook for half an hour )

Note-

1.Alternately you can cook the chicken in kadhai or dekchi ,add in 2cups of water,tomato garam masala powder ,cover it and cook at low for 1hr,stirring in between.

2.You may add in some fried Potato pieces , amust in bengali way of preparing mangsho(meat/chicken).

3.The chicken curry taste much more better the other day , just store in refrigerator and reheat at low the other day ,whenever you want to eat it.This brings out the flavour most.
4.You may add in 3-4 green chillies/serrano peppers to give in a distinct flavour but it's absolutely optional and more it depends on how much you can handle the hotness ,right.






Chingri pulao (shrimp pulao)

serves 5
3 cups of basmati rice
2-3 tbs of ghee
Some cinnamon stick
Few cloves
Few cardamoms
Few cashews
Few raisins
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of sugar
For making spicy shrimp
2 tbs of mustard oil for frying + 1tbs for preparing the spicy fry
Turmeric powder
Red pepper powder as per taste
Salt
Clean the shrimp devein it from back (remove the purple thread like thing from back)
Tear n open the head and remove the upper portions that would look somewhat pale-yellowishto bright yellowish. wash it thoroughly in water.Often the Frozen Packets are cleaned and deveined so there is no need then.Fresh Chingri(Shrimp) has much more flavour and is soft also.

Marinate them in 2 tsp of turmeric powder and salt.
Heat up the saucepan, add oil, add in marinated shrimp, and don’t overcrowd them while frying, TIP-it’s better to fry them in batches if you have plenty of them.Fry them till they change the color only ,over frying will make them hard which I am sure you don’t want.
Now when all the shrimp is fried, add in little approx 1/4 cup of water to the saucepan,add in red pepper powder and some more mustard oil say about 2-3 tsp/1 tbs to it and cover the saucepan, cook them for few mints.
Take out in a separate bowl.
Now to the making of Pulao
Simple and short-cut method
Clean the rice and cook them, drain the water after cooking, keep it uncovered in a vessel. You may cook it in rice cooker also .
Add in the cooked shrimp to it, mix it gently.
Now in a saucepan, add in ghee, temper it with cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, cashews, raisins and sugar very little salt if required, but taste the pulao before you add it.
Temper the rice with the above ingredients and mix well.Keep it in a hot pot.
And of course there is this another way round for making this pulao , a little lengthy I guess but that also taste good.
Temper the rice with all the ingredients and then add in water TIP-to every cup of rice ,add equal amount of water .Cover it and then cook it.when half done add in spicy fried shrimp to it, cover it again and cook at low for half an hour or till rice is evenly coated with spice and cooked to tenedreness.
TIP- if required to add water,always add little warm water . All the measurements are approx ,please follow your instinct while preparing the dishes from here.

The chicken curry goes to The Potluck -Chicken at Viki's Kitchen , visit there to know more about the event details.

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" The trees, the leaves, the flowers
talk to me…
they say please leave us alone
under the care of the Almighty we were born,
we smile through the sun’s glistening ray,
and play with the naughty wind all day,
We dance in the rain and shiver in the snow
but not for once we let our happiness go…
Please leave us alone and leave us bare
all we need is a little love, a little care,
we blossom and we bloom
with colors so splendid, we wash away all gloom
we make the air fragrant and fresh
and brighten your day with liveliness!
We grow tall and stand proud
with branches laden with fruit and flowers spread out!
We never complain of the mighty sun
or the stormy winds
what we fear are the thoughts so mean
that go behind ideas so scary
they rob our mother,
and make her oh! so weary…
****************************
One day not too far from now
when oceans take over land
and we all are gone,
shall you repent and pine
your own inventions then will be called crime!
Being thoughtless and careless doesnt pay in the long run
but there is still time to learn, a new world has just begun
Let us live in joy, harmony and peace
for it is wise to know, love is all there will be, love is all there IS…!”

and also dont forget to send in your contributions to Save The Earth ,event ends on 31st May.

Happy Cooking Friends