Cucumber Pachadi - Cucumber with yogurt-coconut gravy

I am sharing a post of a side dish for biryani i.e cucumber pachadi..It is made with grinded coconut and yogurt mixture and chopped cucumber is added on top..Its common dish in our area..We mostly had it with the combination of biryani..I had the combination with fried chicken biryani    last friday..As I said earlier,we are going to vacation tomorrow, I will be busy like packing, cleaning etc..I don't have have much to say..Do make this pachadi as a side dish for biryani..Its a tasty side dish..Do make it for your family,I am sure they will love it..Lets go straight to the recipe :)

    Ingredients

• Coconut shredded - 1/4 cup

• Yogurt - 2 tbsp + 1/4 cup

• Green chillies - 2 no.s

• Garlic chopped - 2 cloves

• Ginger chopped - 1 tsp

• Coriander leaves,chopped - 1 tbsp

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

• Cucumber,diced small - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

• Salt - to taste

     Method

• Grind all the ingredients in a blender,except yogurt..

• Then add 2 tbsp of yogurt and blend again..

• Then pour this grinded mixture into the bowl..

• Add remaining yogurt,salt and diced cucumber and mix well..

• Serve cold with the side dish for biryani..

Malabar Fried Chicken Biryani

Dear readers, I won't be posting recipes for 2 months, as we are going to our hometown to Kerala tomorrow..I will be busy these days..This is my last post before going to vacation...I am posting two recipes: Fried Chicken Biryani, and also side dish Cucumber pachadi..Earlier I shared another version of Malabar Chicken Biryani...Today, I am sharing different variation of biryani, i.e fried version of chicken biryani...I don't have much to say..Do make this biryani and impress your family..Lets go straight to the recipe :)

   Ingredients

     To marinate:

• Chicken, cut into medium pieces  - 1200 gm

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Vinegar/lime juice - 2 tsp

• Thick Yogurt - 1 tsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 2 tsp

• Salt - a pinch

      For Masala:

• Onions,thinly sliced - 5 large or 6 medium sized

• Garlic - 1 & half whole

• Ginger - size of middle finger

• Green chillies - 10 large or 15 bird eye chillies ( depends upon your spice level)

• Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup for decorating

• Chopped mint leaves - 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup for decorating

• Tomatoes,sliced - 3 large or medium sized

• Garam masala pdr - 1 tsp + few for sprinkling

• Salt - to taste  

• Lime juice - 1 tsp

      For Ghee rice :

• Basmathi rice / Jeerakashala (kaima rice ) - 5 cups

• Ghee - 1 tbsp

• Oil - 2 tbsp

• Cardamon -  3 no.s

• Cloves -  5 no.

• Cinnamon - one large, broken

• Bay leaf - 1 ( optional)

• Water - 8 cups ( 1 cup of rice = 1 3/4 cups of water)

      For Garnishing:

• Onion,thinly sliced - 1 large or 2 medium sized

• Cashew nuts - 10 no.s

• Raisins - 7 no.s

• Saffron - a pinch mixed with 2 tbsp milk and set aside for 15 mins ( optional )

• Rose water - few for sprinkling ( optional)

   Method:

• Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.  If using jeerakashala rice,ignore this step.Wash the rice thoroughly with 2 to 3 couplets of water,drain rice in the colander and keep aside.

• Wash the chicken and drain in colander. Marinate chicken with ingredients mentioned in " To marinate ' and keep aside for 15 to 30 mins..

• Make a paste of ginger +garlic+ green chillies and set aside.

    For making masala

• In a deep fry pan, fry the marinated chicken till light brown..No need to fry fully,cook for 80 percent,rest will cook on masala..Drain and keep aside..

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add sliced onions with salt and saute till translucent.

• Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste and saute for few seconds.

• Add sliced tomatoes and saute till mushy.

• Add chopped coriander + mint leaves and saute for few seconds.

• Add garam masala pdr and saute till raw smell goes away.
• Add little water and pressure cook for 5 whistles..Don't add fried chicken in this stage..

• When the pressure releases,add fried chicken and mix well thoroughly.Close the lid and cook at low flame..Add salt and lemon juice and mix well..

• Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes at  low flame till chicken cooks..Don't use whistle...Can stir in between slowly...Don't make it too dry as there should be moisture left for dum..Gravy should not be too watery...It should be of semi-thick consistancy..Off the flame and set aside.. 

       Making of ghee rice.

• In a large wide non-stick casserole/biryani pot , heat ghee + oil for few seconds.

• Add thinly sliced onions and saute till light brown. Adding few pinches of sugar will caramalise onion faster. Drain and keep aside.

• Add cashewnuts and raisins and saute till cashewnut turns light brown and raisins puffed up. Drain and keep aside.

• In a same vessel,add all the whole spices mentioned and saute for few seconds.

• Add water and let it boil till the bubbles comes.

• Add salt and sprinkle few lime juice to prevent sticking of rice.

• Add drained basmati rice into it,mix gently and close the lid.

• Keep at high flame for few minutes till the water evaporates.( Be careful not to get burnt)

• Immediately reduce the flame to low and turn the rice from bottom to top on all sides and gently level the rice.

• Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 mins..

• Rice should be 80 percent cooked, remaining it will cook on dum..Off the flame and keep aside with lid closed.

     Layering the rice and dum

• Divide the chicken masala and rice into two qual parts..

• Transfer the rice into another big plate..In same biryani pot, spread one part of chicken masala in circular motion.

• Take another part of rice and pour on top of masala,covering everywhere. Level it with a back of large spoon,sprinkle few garam masala powder and few chopped mint-coriander leaves on top of the rice..

• Then pour another part of chicken masala and repeat the step.

• Top part should be covered with rice..Sprinkle remaining garam- masala pdr and herbs like how you layered on rice earlier..level it with large spoon

• Sprinkle caramalised onions, cashews and raisins sparingly on top of it.

• Sprinkle saffron-milk  and rose water sparingly on top of rice ( optional)..

• Cover it with aluminium foil on top of the vessel as shown in the picture below (optional)..Close it with lid on top of that..It is mainly done to tight the lid,so that steam will not escape while on dum..It will retain flavour and aroma of biryani..As a substitute, you can stick wheat dough on  top sides of a vessel in circular motion and cover it with a lid on top of it..

• Place tawa or steel platter  ( It is done to avoid burning at bottom during dum) and place biryani pot on top of it.

• Keep at very low flame and cook for 30 to 40 mins...

• At the time of serving,remove the foil and serve it on a large plate...  

• Serve warm with the combination of your choice like pickles, raita etc.

   Notes:

• Cutting,chopping and pasting of ingredients can be done previous night to save time for making biryani..

• If you have guest, make biryani masala previous day and refrigerate..Next morning, make ghee rice and layer it for dum..

• It is better to reduce water for biryani ghee rice than normal ghee rice, as it will prevent rice from getting mushy while on dum..

Chatti Pathal / Chatti Pathiri - Layered Chappati ( Indian flat bread) with Meat fillings ( Malabar version)

Chatti Pathal/Chatti Pathiri is a Malabar snack which is slow baked in a wide pot..Its filling can be either sweet or savoury..Its procedure is similar to Italian Lasagne..Chatti pathal is made with layering of egg dipped thin chappati( Indian flat bread) or thin dosa ( crepes) which is sandwiched with savoury fillings like chicken,beef or prawns and slow cooked in wide pan...It may also use sweet filling like eggs,nuts,raisins,cardamom and coconut.. In our area, we make it with thin chappati layer and we prefer savoury fillings..we don't prepare it with sweet fillings...
My mom is expert in making this dish..She used to make this with chappati layer with chicken fillings and prepared mostly for iftar...I followed her method...Some area prepare two fillings like egg masala and chicken masala..They layer one part with egg masala and other layer with chicken masala and so on...But we prepare only one fillings..Traditionally, it uses more eggs for dipping the layer..But I reduced the usage of eggs..For me, making chappati layer is quite easy than crepes layer...My hubby didn't know this dish till he marries me..This snack is not common in his place..When my mom makes it for him for snack, he loves its taste very much..After 2 or 3 days of marriage ( 5 yrs before)he got 2 chatti pathal which is prepared by my relative..Its common in my area to give homemade snack to the newly wed grooms,when they come to meet him..Among them, he loves a chatti pathal which is prepared by my dad's aunt, who is a excellent cook..It tastes super delicious...After many years,my hubby still remembers its taste, he used to say it often whenever I prepared it for him :) ...
I made this snack on Iftar, I couldn't post this recipe earlier due to lack of time..I made this in a hurry, I am worried that whether it will taste good or not..To my surprise, it turns delicious and my hubby likes it very much..I made this with chappati layer with chicken masala filling.. I could not call it as snack as it is indeed heavy:)..For some people it may sound difficult..But believe me,if you plan it earlier so it is easier to prepare i.e prepare dough and meat masala earlier and assemble these for cooking later..If you make all together, its difficult for you... Leftover can be refrigerated and can be warmed in a microwave before serving...Do make this dish..Its a delicious one and I am sure your family will love to have it..Ok, lets go to the recipe..

Recipe Source : Umma

   Ingredients:

   1) For layer:

    I am mentioning two types of layers...One is chappati layer and other is dosa layer..Follow any       one of the method.

     For Chappati dough:

• All purpose flour/ Maida - 1 cup

• Salt - adjust accordingly

• Water - required for kneading

     Or 

      For dosa layer:

• All purpose flour/ Maida - 1 cup

• Salt - adjust accordingly

• Water - required for the batter

    2)  For Masala

• Chicken breast - 200 gm,shredded ( cooked with pepper pdr, turmeric pdr and salt)

• Onions, chopped - 4 large no.s

• Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp

• Chopped green chillies - 2 no.s

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Garam masala pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Chopped curry leaves - 2 tbsp

• Salt - to taste

• Ghee - 1 tsp ( for greasing pan)

     3)  For dipping layers

• Small eggs - 3 no.s

• Milk - 1/2 cup

• Pepper pdr/ Green chilly chopped - 1/2 tsp

• Salt - to taste

     Method

      1) For layers

        Chappati layer:

• Mix all the ingredients mentioned for 'chappati layer' and make into smooth dough..Don't make into stiff dough,else its difficult to roll....Keep aside for 15 minutes

• Divide the dough into 5 equal gooseberry sized balls..

• Take one ball,dust a flour in your work surface and roll into thin round shape ( exactly like samosa dough)..Roll it into equal size according to your sauce pan...

• Continue the steps till all the dough is used up..Keep it aside..

• Heat a fry pan, place one chappati sheet and warm both sides one second each..No need to puff up or have a brown spots..Just warm,that's it...

• Repeat the steps till all the chappati sheets are warmed in a fry pan..

• Transfer this into plates and keep aside..

     Or 

      For Crepes layer ( dosa)

• Mix all the ingredients mentioned 'For dosa layer' and make into watery-thin batter than normal rice dosa batter..

• Heat a fry pan, take one ladle and swirl the pan immediately...

• Make it into thin crepes..No need to have brown spots or flip other side..

• Continue this steps and make 10 thin dosas of equal size according to your sauce pan..

• Transfer these to the plates and keep aside..

    2)For Masala:

• Heat a fry pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and add onions sprinkled with salt and saute till pink..

• Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onion and chopped coriander leaves and saute till raw smell goes away..

• Add all the spice powders mentioned and saute till raw smell goes away..

• Finally add cooked shredded chicken  and mix well.

• Adjust salt and pepper if needed..

• Cover and cook for 2 mins at medium flame..

• Add chopped curry leaves and mix well..Off the flame and set aside to cool..

     3) For Egg batter:(For dipping)

•  In a blender, blend all the ingredients mentioned in 'For dipping layers' and transfer it into bowl..

    Preparation

• Take a non-stick wide pan, heat ghee at low heat and grease all the sides...

• Take a chappati or dosa and dip it in egg-milk mixture on all sides and place this on pan ( Make this process fast).

• Take handful of chicken fillings and spread sparingly with your hands..

• Dip another chappati or dosa in egg -milk mixture again and sandwich it on top of chicken masala..

• Spread another handful of chicken fillings and spread sparingly..

• Continue the process till all the fillings and layer is used up..Top should be covered with chappati or dosa layer..

• Pour remaining egg-milk mixture on top..Pour this in sides too,so if there is any gap it will close the fillings...

• Close it with lid and turn it into low flame..Can place tawa on bottom of the pan to prevent it from getting burnt at bottom.

• Cook for about 15 to 20 till sides and bottom is brown in colour..

• Off the flame..Cover a plate on top of pan and flip it carefully..

• In a fry pan, add half tsp ghee and swirl it...

• Cook the other sides for 5 minutes at medium flame, till light brown in colour..Be careful not to get too crisp..

• Off the flame and flip it into plate...

• When it cools down slightly, cut it into wedges or squares..

• Serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee..

    Notes:

• Do not overcrowd the fillings as it may break while taking a slice by hand..

• Do not make thick layers,as it may affect the taste of chatti pathal..Do make thin layer of chappati or dosa..

• Instead of chicken, you can make it with beef or prawns..

• Leftover can be refrigerated..Make sure to thaw and microwave at the time of serving..