Topic: CA's Mushroom Pilau Rice + Chicken & Mushroom Biriani

[Cory Ander]

A Mushroom Pilau Rice and a Chicken & Mushroom Biriani I made earlier in the week:

Mushroom Pilau Rice:



Chicken & Mushroom Biriani:



Pretty tasty.

[solarsplace]

Hi CA

Great picture. Looks delicious.

Cheers

[Unclefrank]

That looks superb CA.
Any chance of the recipe as well.
Thanks.

[Stephen Lindsay]

I love mushrooms but g/f doesn't so I never get much chance to cook with them. Love a mushroom bhaji too!

[colin grigson]

Two more great looking dishes from CA .. that mushroom pilau looks as though it should be in a good food magazine ... perfect !!   

[Naga]

Looks very tasty indeed, CA! I'm with UF here - can you share your recipe with us?

[Cory Ander]

Hi UF and Naga,

In very much summary form (and as far as I recall!), I made it as follows:

Step 1 (Pre-Made Ingredients):

- Caramelise thinly sliced onions in some vegetable oil, butter, salt and sugar, until golden and crisp
- Dry roast some fine desiccated coconut and sugar, in a pan, until golden
- Hard boil some eggs and slice thinly
- Thinly slice some tomato
- Thinly sliced mushrooms

Step 2 (Mushroom Pilau Rice):

- Essentially using my pilau rice recipe here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1383.msg12185#msg12185
- Pre-wash and pre-soak basmati rice
- Heat mixture of oil and butter in a suitable pan
- Add whole spices (e.g. pinch of fennel seeds, pinch of cumin seeds, large pinch of mustard seeds, an ear or two of star anise, 1-2cm long piece of cassia bark, a medium Indian bay leaf, several crushed green cardamom pods) and sizzle for 30 seconds or so
- Add some garlic/ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds
- Add rice and some spice mix
- Tumble the rice to coat all grains with oil/spice/garlic/ginger mix
- Add excess water and milk and bring to a simmer
- Add salt (and a little sugar) to taste
- Add sliced mushrooms, caramelised onions, sultanas and some coriander leaves or stalks (as you wish)
- Simmer for around 8 minutes until rice grains are al-dente
- Drain rice through sieve
- Spread in baking tray
- Dot with food colouring (to your personal preference)
- Place in fridge to dry (and for colours to set)
- When cold, tumble to separate grains and distribute colours

Step 3 (Chicken Bhoona Madras):

- Essentially to my madras recipe (but drier - less curry base/more reduction - here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3830.msg34732#msg34732)
- Heat oil in suitable pan
- Add tomato paste/puree
- Add spice mix (plus salt, dried methi, chillies, etc)
- Add chicken pieces
- Fry until oil separates
- Add curry base, a little at a time
- Keep frying, and adding a little curry base, to retain a thick sauce
- Add coriander leaves or stalks (if you wish)
- Add some creamed coconut block and/or finely descicated coconut (if you wish)
- Add some sugar (if you wish)
- Adjust sauce to the taste and consistency to your liking (but the consistency needs to be quite thick)

Step 4:  Chicken & Mushroom Biriani:

- Grease a casserole/Pyrex dish with butter
- Place a thin layer of rice on bottom of dish
- Place a layer of Chicken Bhoona Madras on top
- Place a layer of roasted coconut, egg, fresh coriander, tomatoes and caramised onions (and roasted almond flakes, if you like) on top
- Place a thick layer of rice on top
- (or keep making layers of rice/curry/topping/rice/curry/topping, as you prefer
- Dot top layer with small knobs of butter
- Cover with foil and a lid and reheat in an oven, at around 180C, for around 40 minutes, until gently bubling and steaming
- Serve with cucumber raitha, mango chutney, naans, etc (or whatever else takes your fancy!)

However, I think a typical BIR biriani is generally a pilau (or special) rice with a vegetable curry to accompany it.

Sorry I haven't been too precise here; please message me if you wish me to elaborate.

Cheers,

[Naga]

Many thanks for providing your recipes yet again, CA! I'll be trying this out very soon!

[Unclefrank]

Cheers for recipe CA many thanks.
Will be trying it soon.