Topic: Chicken achari biriyani

[Kashmiri Bob]

Probably my best rice dish to date.  Can't say I've experienced anything like this quality from a TA/restaurant biryani. Almost perfect.

Rob 

[loveitspicy]

Looks great - just up my street

Didn't see your recipe is there one? or is off the cuff?

best, Rich

[Kashmiri Bob]

Followed this one Rich:

http://www.masala.tv/recipes/achari-biryani/

Made a few changes, mainly to speed things up.  Had some roast chicken that needed using.  Pre-cooked boiled rice. I shallow fried/browned the onions quick-style, and then sieved off the oil.  Added a couple of cloves of thick cut garlic, bullet chilli, and a splosh of soy sauce.  Totally forgot the whole spices; would have gone with a little green cardamom, bay, cassia, and possibly a clove or two.  Would have been really fine then, but still a lot going on flavour-wise.  Used Jalpur Achar masala. If you click on the link to Chef Zakir there are many other interesting recipes, including a couple more biryanis.

Rob   

[George]

Followed this one Rich:

http://www.masala.tv/recipes/achari-biryani/

Made a few changes, mainly to speed things up. 

Does anyone know what "mixed pickled spices" are? Also called "pickled masala" in the recipe.

And is "100g plum" the fruit we know as plums or perhaps something else?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Does anyone know what "mixed pickled spices" are? Also called "pickled masala" in the recipe.

My jar is labelled "pickle masala" but as it's a home-printed label I can't be 100% certain that that is what the packet said (nor do I remember the brand for sure, although I think it is TRS).

And is "100g plum" the fruit we know as plums or perhaps something else?

Sorry, can't help there.  But it might be this.
** Phil.

[Gav Iscon]

Does anyone know what "mixed pickled spices" are? Also called "pickled masala" in the recipe.

A quick highlight, right click and search with google came up with this

http://www.simplysensationalfood.com/2010/02/achar-masala-pickle-masala.html

[George]

Phil,  Gav - many thanks for such rapid and helpful replies.

[Kashmiri Bob]

This is the masala I used.  Dalpuri recommended it for an achari curry.  I think it's a great product.  Also delicious in a biryani.  Just need to go easy with additional chilli in recipes though, as the main ingredient is red chilli.   






Some more blurb/pics of the achari biryani for anyone interested.


I basically halved everything for Chef Zakir's recipe. For the onions I used some service onions (chopped onions and green pepper) I had already.  Plenty of oil here, but this is sieved off later.  This is how the current chef at my local TA starts off a wok biryani.  He "borrows" the oil from the deep-fat fryer.  Doesn't brown the onions as much as I have done here though.








After draining the onions I "started" the dish again, with just under 1 cs of sunflower oil.  Essentially just like doing a curry now.  Hot pan style. Make sure the spices are cooked properly (no base gravy).  Then add the chicken, etc.





Bung the cold rice in.  Max heat.  Add kewra water.  Stir fry for a minute.  Trying to avoid mixing in all the white rice fully (tricky) gives perhaps a more authentic (traditional) finish, a bit like the more elaborate layered biryanis.  This is just quick and tasty.  All the biryanis I've seen made in TAs seem to just with mix powder and, it you're lucky, a pinch of GM.  They are still quite nice I suppose, but this is better, I think, especially with additional whole spices (e.g. green cardamom), which I forgot.





Been making quite a few biryanis lately, cutting down on the mid-week curry feasts.  I don't feel these biryanis need the usual small tray of curry/veg sauce, which invariably comes with them from a TA/restaurant. Wouldn't do any harm though.  All good fun.

Rob 
 

[George]

This is the masala I used.  Dalpuri recommended it for an achari curry.

Many thanks for the extra information - most helpful. Is that Jalpur spice pack fairly readily available, do you know?

[DalPuri]

This is the masala I used.  Dalpuri recommended it for an achari curry.

Many thanks for the extra information - most helpful. Is that Jalpur spice pack fairly readily available, do you know?

I'd say so George.

When i was searching for the Jalpur GM, i must've tried nearly 20 shops before i found it. The two masalas that they all had(and in most cases, only) was tea masala and achar masala, so it must be popular.