Maharashtrian Pithale

Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• A pinch of Hing
• 8~10 Curry leaves
• one small onion finely chopped
• 1 cup Besan
• Garlic-Green chili paste (coarsely ground)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Finely chopped Coriander leaves

Method:
• Heat up oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and let them pop up.
• Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Add hing, curry leaves and onion.
• Mix well and fry until onion gets light golden color.
• Take besan into a bowl and add water.
• Mix well to make paste. No lumps of besan should be formed.
• When onion begins to turn light golden add garlic-green chili
  paste, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Fry everything well for about a minute.
• You can use chopped garlic and green chili if you want.
• Add the besan mixture, salt and mix well.
• Cook on medium heat stirring continuously until it thickens up a
  little.
• Cover and cook on medium heat for about 7-8 minutes.
• Add lot of coriander leaves and mix well.
• Turn off the gas and pithale is already.
• Pithale goes well with any bhakari or rice and side dish.

Chicken Biriyani

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN BIRYANI 

FRIED ONIONS FOR BIRYANI

1. Heat the oil at medium high in a wide frying pan/kadai. The oil is ready for frying if you can feel the heat when you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of the oil. 
2. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the onions in about 3 batches, depending on the size of the pan. Fry until crisp light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
3. Marinade ingredients:
1. Ginger garlic paste 
2. Garam Masala
3. coriander-cumin powder
4. Chilly powder
5. Lemon juice 
6. Salt 

4. CHICKEN MARINATION

1. Combine chicken with all the marinade ingredients and 1/3 of the fried onions. Start with 1/2 cup of yogurt and increase as needed to 3/4 cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.Marinate for 3-4 hours max.

5. BIRYANI RICE PREPARATION 

   1. Basmati rice often has some fine starch powder on it. So, rinse the basmati rice 4 to 5 times in plenty of water until it is clear. Drain well. Soak  basmati rice in water for one hour. 
   2. Add few squeezes of lemon juice to cooking water .You wont even notice the taste of the lemon juice and end up with clump-less-rice that's still fluffy and easy to portion out.
   3. Take 2¼ cups of water in a rice cooker/deep sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoon olive oil and whole spices. Then add the  basmati rice and stir. Once the rice is half cooked ,drain the rice and keep it covered .It should be separated .Keep it aside 

   6.ASSEMBLY OF RICE AND CHICKEN LAYERS FOR BIRYANI

   
   

   
   

   

   1. Transfer the chicken with marinade to a 4 to 5 quart wide thick bottomed .Make sure there is not too much marinade around the chicken pieces and that it is not runny.
   2. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro, mint, half the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken/marinade. Then spread most of the remaining fried onions over the chicken.
   3.  Spread this raw rice over the fried onion layer. 
   4. Then layer all the cooked rice . Sprinkle, the remaining fried onions, lemon juice and saffron water. If preferred, sprinkle an extra tablespoon of ghee over the rice.

   FINAL STEAMING OF BIRYANI

   1. OVEN: Place one to two sheets of aluminum foil over the cooking pot and fit the lid tight over it. Bake the chicken biryani in a preheated oven at 350ºF for one hour, until the steam builds up well.
   2. STOVE TOP: Alternatively, this  Chicken Biryani can be cooked on a stove in a thick bottomed cooking pot. First, heat the biryani at medium high for 10 to 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to low setting and simmer for about one hour until the steam builds up well.
   3. Cool the biryani 5 minutes and gently mix the rice and chicken. Using a spatula mound the biryani on a serving plate, making sure to present the rice in various colors – white, yellow and brown. Place some chicken pieces on the top. Scatter browned onions, chopped herbs, extra saffron rice on the top.
   4. Enjoy the Biriyani with raita .