Its fireworks all around and so is ghostly and witchcraft figurine all over the place.Well autumn to be precise has the most mysterious colors in my opinion.I am doing a very special biryani today called as Apricot Poussin Biryani/Apricot Chicken Biryani.Well before I start writing down the recipe I wanted to introduce a new member of my family,he is my paternal uncle.Well he is my doctor,pamper-er,pot bellier and self made chef.I call him “Bab” !!
The very first time I ate authentic biryani was his own creation.I swear I have never eaten a more delectable biryani. I wouldn’t be writing down his biryani in this thread for sure…why to take away his secret.But yes he has inspired me a lot from his cooking methodologies. In my teens I never cooked I only ate and whenever I visited my uncle’s place.He took my passion for eating a little too personally.I would be gagged with all traditional recipes which I didn’t get to chance upon in university.He polished my sweet tooth with desserts.And he would make sure he cooks me his favorite biryani.
I just wanted to paint his story on my board today:
He would carefully slice each onion as thin as paper.Fry them to the right amount of rosy red color.
His pot belly would slowly jiggle to the next task.
He wouldn’t buy any ready made spice mixture.Each spice was ground fine in the pestle and mortar.I wondered why…well today I know why!
Dauntlessly he would fry the meat with ground and whole spices over high heat until we have the meat leave its oil,despite the sweat beads lining his forehead he wouldn’t flinch.NO slip shorts in his kitchen.
He would use expensive saffron as if he was a Nawab and it grew in his garden.
He kept stressing on one point the flavor.
My My My and after reading this do you think he was moderate with dry fruits no he wasn’t…each cashew and raisin was fried in oil for greater taste.
Now for his special “dum” parboiled basmati rice cooked with layers and ‘pakki” (pre-cooked) meat pieces with a piece of burning charcoal for the distinct smoky flavour. [When on ‘dum’, i.e., steamed in a sealed pot over slow wood fire or gas both rice and mutton will cook perfectly].
And no one can light up a kitchen as he does, laughing and chatting exuberantly as he puts together an excellent impromptu dinner.Very few have such a big heart and even bigger hand to spread lots of love and cheer through food.
There is a lot to learn from him.One can get a liberal panache to your everyday home style fare.Food can be labor intensive but no can mimic its flavors if its done right.If you read the book “Hundred foot journey” by Richard C you can smell a hint of Ismail merchant one of favorite chefs and I can also smell my uncle there too. 🙂
Interestingly,I get to my freewheeling way of cooking my biryani which is Apricot Possin Biryani/Apricot chicken biryani.
Dried apricots have an intense sweet-sour flavour and are high in fibre.
Poussin is a butchers term for a young chicken.The Poussin is naturally slow-growing, so you get meat that’s young and tender yet thoroughly flavourful. You can always use a baby chicken in its place.
- 200 gm basmati rice,soaked for 30 minutes
- pinch of saffron
- 20ml milk
- 11/2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 medium onions finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 6-8 semi dried apricots
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 plump fresh red chilli finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garam masala (or biryani masala)
- 1 kg skinless poussin/chicken with bone, cut into small chunks
- Salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- ghee or butter for greasing
- Cilantro for garnish
- Lemon juice for garnish
- Add the saffron strands to warm milk and set aside in a ramekin.
- Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil.Add a little salt and dash of oil.This prevents the rice from sticking.Then add basmati rice to the boiling water and let it cook for 5 minutes.It should be par-boiled.Then drain the water from the rice by passing it through a sieve.Spread the rice on a large platter with a fork.Each rice grain should be white and distinct.
- Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan and fry the chicken over medium heat for 3 minutes.Then transfer it to a plate.
- In the same oil fry the onions until lightly browned.Then add the garlic,ginger and red chilli and fry for another 3 minutes.Then add dried apricots and saute along for 1 minute.Then let it cool.
- Then grind the above mixture to a fine paste.
- Now add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and tip in the ground mixture.Then sprinkle garam masala or biryani masala and continue to stir.Add the fried chicken into the spice mixture and season it with salt and pepper.
- Then remove the pan from the heat.Add the whipped yogurt to the chicken in the pan. Mix it thoroughly with the chicken.This is done to prevent the yogurt from curdling.Now reduce the heat and let chicken cook for another 1 minute with the yogurt.
- In a deep bottomed pan or pot which is greased with ghee or butter.Add 1 tbsp of water after which carefully spread a layer of parboiled rice.Then spread a layer of apricot and yogurt curried Poussin/chicken.Then top it with another layer of the rice.
- Finally drizzle the saffron milk on top of the rice.Put the lid on and it should be tight.Another option is to seal it with kneaded dough.This prevents any steam from escaping the pot and the flavors are sealed into the Biryani.
- This should be placed on the hot plate over slow heat and cooked for 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve it with a Raita of your choice.You can garnish it with cilantro and a dash if lemon juice.
