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I have been on hunt to replicate Biriyani done by Tamilnadu Bhais – finally found recipe which is satisfied me the most. I have tried 10+ styles but this is the most I liked.

The original recipe is here in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3OAwnhZNUQ

Ingredients:

1. Chicken 1Kg
   
2. Basmati Rice 1Kg (Soak in water for 2hrs)
   
3. Onion -400g
   
4. Tomato-400g
   
5. Oil -200g
   
6. Pattai -1g / Cloves1g / Eleachi 1g (Full, don’t grind them)
   
7. Cilantro- 1/2 Bunch (Chopped)
   
8. Mint -1/2 bunch (Chopped)
   
9. Green Chili -3Full (don’t cut them)
   
10. Kashmiri Chili Powder-2Tbsp
    
11. Ginger -100g & Garlic-50g (Paste them in mixer)
    
12. Curd -200ml
    
13. Salt -2Tbsp
    
14. Water -800ml
    

For Marination (Optional)

1. Ginger Garlic Paste – 4 Tbsp
   
2. Red Chilli Powder – 2Tbsp
   
3. Curd – 200ml
   
4. Salt – 1Tbsp
   

Chicken Marination Preparation

Mix Ginger Garlic paste, Chilli powder, Curd & Salt into bowl. Add Chicken into bowl and marinate for 4hours. Marination will ensure all flavors goes inside the chicken and tastes slightly better. This is optional step

Rice PreCooking:

1. Boil 3 liter water with 1Tbsp salt
   
2. Once water started boiling. Don’t add rice before water starts boiling.
   
3. Add Rice and boil only for 2mins or max 3mins – depending on rice (this is good enough to start dum process)
   
4. Drain water and keep the partially cooked rice. Also keep the water for Dum process
   

Biriyani Cooking Method

1. In big sauce pan (see picture) add oil and onions and fry them till brown.
   
2. Add Cilantro and Mint and continue to fry them. Sauté for 1min.
   
3. Add full green chilli & add Salt. Sauté for 1min
   
4. Add Red chili power now, to get better coloring and the colors will spread evenly via oil. Continue Sauté for 1min
   
5. Add ginger garlic paste and continue sauté for 1min
   
6. Add curd and continue sauté for 1min
   
7. Add Tomato and continue sauté for 1min
   
8. Add Water (800ml)
   
9. Close it with Tight lid
   
10. Keep it in low flame for 5mins slow cooking. Now start the rice precooking process
    
11. Add chicken now and cook for 2mins
    
12. DUM Process: Add Precooked rice (instruction below) and boil for 15mins in low flame (slow cook process). Close it with Tight lid and add weight on top.
    
13. Open and check whether rice is fully cooked. Add 5mins, if rice is under cooked.
    

Notes: I find biriyani taste even better the next day morning.

Aloe vera oil is known for aiding skin conditions, hair growth, wound healing etc. In our home we mainly as moisturizer and for hair growth.

Items Needed

1. Aloe vera (Gel)– 1 Cup
2. Virgin Coconut Oil – Cold Pressed– 1 Cup
3. Karunjeeragam / Kalungi – 1 Tbsp (For Hair Oil only)
4. Vendayam – 1 Tbsp (For Hair Oil only)

Steps: Aloe Vera Oil

1. From Aloe vera – remove the white part
2. In a blender grind the white part and make Aloe Vera juice – 1cup
3. In a pan pour the coconut oil and start heating it in gas stove.
4. In about 10mins coconut oil will be heated enough.
5. Pour the Aloe vera gel from blender, very slowly into pan.
6. While pouring oil will start splatter, but should be manageable.
7. For about 15mins, splattering will continue until all the moisture evaporates
8. Towards end splattering will stop & also the Aloe Vera remains will start turning into brown – this is the time to stop cooking (refer video)
9. Keep the pan aside for cool down, about 1-2hours – then store in bottles
10. Now Aloe vera oil is ready. Surprisingly it might smell like ghee!

Steps: Aloe Vera Hair Oil

1. Add 1Tbsp Karunjeeragam & Vendayam into blender and grind it to powder.
2. Once Aloe vera oil is cooled down, keep it in steel container (with lid)
3. In a cooking pan add water and bring water to boiling stage
4. Keep the steel container (with lid) into boil water. The coconut oil will get the heat from boiling water and start melting
5. After 5mins we can stop

Video:

I have been trying to replicate my favorite Pizza hut Chicken wings and this is the closest I could replicate. I prefer oven baked rather than oil fried as oven baked is relatively healthier. This is a simple recipe and can be done in 30-40mins. I have used the masala powder available in our kitchen and will try to add equivalent of what I have used.

Items Needed:

1. Chicken Wings – 2 Pounds
   
2. Siracha – 2 Tsp
   
3. Paprika – ½ Tsp
   
4. Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Tsp
   
5. Aachi Fish Masala – ½ Tsp
   
6. Mexican Chilli Powder / Tajin Classic Seasoning – ½ Tsp
   
7. Lime – 1 No (or 2 Tsp juice)
   
8. Hot Sauce – ½ Tsp
   
9. Wing Sauce (Optional)– 2 Tsp
   
10. Salt – 2 Tsp
    

     

Marination Preparation

Mix all above items in a bowl and apply marination evenly on the chicken wings. It’s recommended to keep the chicken marinated for 4hours in fridge – however if you are in hurry or planned last minute, you can keep it only for 30mins and start cooking.

Cooking

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F in bake mode
   
2. Apply oil in cast iron griddle and place chicken wings
   
3. Bake one side for 10mins and flip the chicken wings
   
4. Apply/Spray oil and cook for another 10mins (total 20mins baking).
   
5. After 20mins of baking, spray oil and start broil. Broil chicken 5mins each side (total 10mins broil).
   
6. Sometime broiling will be done in 6-8mins depending on the moisture left, so monitor closely while broiling.
   
7. Now chicken wings ready to eat as is.
   
8. Optional Final step: After broiling is done, move chicken into mixing bowl and add 4Tsp of Wing sauce and mix it evenly and serve hot.
   

Fish fry in oven baked is healthy alternative to fully oil fried and get almost same taste. Salmon has lot of health benefits – rich in Vitamin-D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, several sources of Vitamin-B, Potassium.

Total Time: 10 Mins Prep + 30 Mins Cooking

Items Needed:

1. Salmon Fillet – 1.5 Pounds
   
2. Ginger Garlic Paste– 2 Tbsp.
   
3. Siracha Sauce– 2 Tbsp.
   
4. Coriander Powder– ½ Tbsp.
   
5. Dried Green Chili Powder – ½ Tbsp.
   
6. Aachi Fish Fry Masala – 2 Tbsp.
   
7. Olive Oil – 2 Tbsp.
   
8. Salt – as needed
   

Preparation

1. Mix all items into bowl and prepare marination. Add half cup of water so that Marination is not so thick
   
2. Marinate Fish for 2 hours (minimum 30mins)
   
3. Preheat oven for 375 Degree
   
4. Apply olive oil into cast iron girdle and place fish fillet
   
5. In oven, cook one side for 15mins (in bake)
   
6. Take out after 20mins and apply olive oil on and flip/turn the fish
   
7. Cook for another 10mins
   
8. Take out after total of 30mins of cooking, and apply left over marination on both sides for broiling.
   
9. Broil each side for 2 or 3 mins each side, depending on your roast level preference.
   
10. Note: With total cooking time of 30mins + 6mins, the fish will be ‘well-done’, if you prefer medium cooked – try reducing to 20mins+6mins broiling
    

Fish after Marination

    Veggie noodle soup is healthy recipe since lot of fresh vegetables are part of this and it’s our family favorite. The preparation is very simple. There are two variations – this can be taken as soup or with noodles depending on your preference and need. Preparation time 30-40mins.

Items Needed:

1. Bok-Choy – 2 Cups
   
2. Mushroom – 2 Cups
   
3. Carrot – 1 Nos
   
4. Beans – 2 Cups
   
5. Jalapeno Chili Dried – ¼ Chili (Yes, don’t add full – just a quarter)
   
6. PF Chang Hakka Noodle Packet
   
7. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tbsp.
   
8. Spring Onions
   
9. Egg Whites (Optional)
   
10. Veggie Soup Mix (2 Tbsp.)
    
11. Salt – as needed
    

     

Noodle Preparation

Add Noodle and salt and Boil in container for 10-15mins. Once it’s cooked strain water and add cold water so that noodle is not over cooked.

Veggie Soup Preparation

1. Cut all veggies in medium size (Radish into 4, beans cut into 5-7, mushroom by 4)
   
2. In container add water, veggies and salt – boil for 15mins
   
3. Now add ginger garlic, dried Jalapeno and Veggie soup mix powder and boil soup for another 10mins
   
4. When soup is almost done, optionally, pour egg whites directly into boiling soup and egg will cook in the soup in few mins (2-5mins)
   
5. Now soup can be taken as is, or with Noodles.
   
6. If you want Noodle soup, just add the prepared noodles

Marination Preparation:

1. Lamb or Goat Chops – 1 and ¼ Pounds
   
2. Red Kashmiri Chilli Powder – ½ Tbsp
   
3. Ground Paprika – ½ Tbsp
   
4. Dried Parsley – 2 Tbsp
   
5. Siracha Sauce – 2 Tbsp
   
6. Coriander – 1 Tbsp
   
7. Cumin – ½ Tbsp
   
8. Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp
   
9. Lime Juice – 1 Lime Big
   
10. Tabasco – 4 Drops
    
11. Salt – 2 Tbsp
    
12. Oil – 4 Tbsp
    

Add all powders into bowl with Lime Juice & Tabasco and mix well as paste. No need to add water. Add Lamb chops ensure paste is applied evenly thorough the meat. Keep meat in Fridge for 2hrs – 4hrs for marination.

Baking:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree
   
2. Apply oil in Cast Iron griddle or Baking tray and place marinated lamb chops and apply oil again on the top of the meat. I prefer Cast Iron instead of baking tray – because the heat is maintained after cooking.
   
3. Bake the Lamb Chops for 20minutes
   
4. Turn the meat to other side.
   
5. Bake for another 15minutes
   
6. Typically Lamb Chops will be done in 35minutes total, but always check before starting broiling. Cook time, depends upon the size. Thickness of Chops I used is half inch.
   

Broiling:

1. Apply left over marination paste one top of the meat and apply oil.
   
2. Broil one side for 3-4minutes and take it out for applying paste on other side.
   

   Note: Broiling time depends on the thickness of meat. Sometime will be done in 2mins, keep checking via Glass door to ensure it doesn’t burn.
   

3. There will be paste on the grill/pan which is roasted well & cooked, feel free take and apply them in meat along with broil paste. Do this step only if the paste on the cooking grill is not burned.
   
4. Turn all meat to other side, apply left over marination and spray oil
   
5. Broil another side for 3-4minutes.