Daring Cook's Chicken Biryani

Grace, one of our talented non-blogging Daring Kitchen members, was our Daring Cooks’ August hostess who shared with us some of her family’s tried and true Bengali Biryani recipes – all of them delicious and all of them prepared fresh from our own kitchens!

Well I have a limited supply of computer battery as well as internet connection so I'll make this short! (And I'll also be posting a photo later.)

I hope to make chicken biryani again sometime soon but didn't get around to re-doing it before the challenge time was up.

This is the 1st attempt

I definitely made it wrong--it was too sloppy and strong tasting.

But I had lots of leftovers, so after I added more rice to it, it was significantly better and very tasty!

looked and tasted much better with extra rice!

I also tried it with fresh tomatoes and scrambled eggs to make it like fried rice biryani and that was very yummy as well.

Here's what I put in it, but I'll also include the correct ingredients instructions that I will be following next time.

1 c. rice
3 c. water
1 1/2 - 2 onions
1 1/2 tomato
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbs coconut oil and 1 tbs olive oil
8 chicken tenders
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tbs ginger

*I was told to follow the directions on the biryani spice box ONLY if I wanted a lot of food for a lot of people!

Chicken Biryani:

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2 small cinnamon sticks
2 cardamom pods
3 tablespoons (45 ml) (1½ oz) ghee
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch (2½ cm) ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 tomato, skinned and chopped
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon biryani powder
1 chicken, cut into 8 parts
3 cups (750 ml) (550 gm) (19½ oz) basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (½ oz) (15 ml) plain yogurt
Fresh coriander, chopped
Green chillies, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the ghee in a medium sized saucepan. Fry the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom in it until fragrant.
2. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, and salt. Cook on medium high heat while stirring for 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown.
3. Add the cumin, coriander powder, curry powder, and biryani powder. Cook for another 2 minutes and add the chicken. Cover the pan, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add the yogurt. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add coriander and chillies and remove from heat.
5. Boil the rice in 6 cups (1½  of water for 5 minutes or until half cooked. Drain any remaining water. In a large saucepan, alternate layers of rice and chicken starting and ending with a layer of rice. Cover the saucepan tightly and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes or until the rice is done.

Costa Rican Tilapia with Rice and Beans

Well I don't have much to say right now except I want to praise the Lord for His provision in getting me a job which will hopefully be a great experience for me! It sounds like it will be.

And why was I so worried all those months ago about having a good job? I know He will provide. Yahweh Yireh--It's what Abraham named the mountain where God provided a ram for him to sacrifice. 

Daily He provides us with delicious food to sustain us. This Costa Rican Tilapia is just one more reason to praise Him. I will likely make this one again. (And that's saying a lot considering I rarely make things twice!)

Costa Rican Tilapia-adapted slightly from We heart food

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 tilapia fillets, about 5 ounces each
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1 cup chopped onions
3 tbs orange juice
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the tilapia marinade, combine lime juice, 2/3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro,  3/4 teaspoon garlic, 1/3 teaspoon salt, and sugar in a shallow dish. Add tilapia and marinate 15 minutes, turning once.

To prepare the bean and rice mixture, cook the rice according to package directions and keep warm while the tilapia is marinating. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large, high-sided skillet or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add remaining garlic and onions; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, oranges, tomatoes, beans, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, uncovered, until hot, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer hot rice to a 9 by 13 inch or 2-1/2 to 3 quart baking dish. Spoon the bean mixture on top of rice and gently blend. Slightly overlap tilapia fillets on top and scrape marinade over fillets. Bake until the flesh of the tilapia just begins to flake at the nudge of a fork, 16 to 20 minutes. Be sure that the bottom of the tilapia is also flakey and cooked well. (this might require a messy flip of the tilapia fillets.)

This tilapia serves, and there will be rice & beans to spare--which is just what I wanted. Mmm leftovers! :) 

Notes:

-Cut the rice & beans either in half or do 2/3 of it if you're not interested in leftovers.

-If serving 6, just make a bit more marinade for two more fillets and serve with the same amount of rice mixture.