My Crock Pot/Slow Cooker American Style Chicken And Vegetable Indian Biryani

Paparis, apas, achares e arroz biriani de frango, em Goa. Chicken biryani, Colva beach, Goa, India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hello, to all amazing blogging friends around the world!

As you may know I am one who just loves, loves, loves Indian style foods and so you might have guessed it that Indian Style Biryani is one of them! It’s tasty, amazing, nutritious and so delicious.

So I took a peek at a few Biryani recipes on the web and even glanced once again at one of my favorite cook books named “The Indian Slow Cooker” by Anupy Singla for some amazing tips so I could make a delicious Biryani at home and in a simple crock pot.

But unfortunately after looking at so many different ways to make a Biryani, I found “Garam Marsala” is always listed as one of the main and most important ingredients to making a good Biryani and the issue for me is that, my husband’s taste buds have always had a difficult time in trying to adjust to the strong flavor of the “Garam Marsala” spice. For even a little of it is a lot, so what can I tell you other then that being able to enjoy the “Garam Marsala” spice is an acquired taste for some. So what’s a girl like me to do? Here’s what I decided to do……..

So I decided to create my very own Americanized version of it. Yep! So here’s my recipe which is a little complicated as most Biryani recipes are and yes it’s still has a lot of the Indian spices in it, still cooked in layers, really very, very tasty, spicy, delicious and as my husband would say “finger licking good” but thankfully minus that strong “Garam Marsala” spice.

And since I have so many days in which cooking is just out of the question for me, this recipe provides an ample amount of suppers for us.

Of course I have to thank my amazing husband for taking the time to pick up some of the last minute missing ingredients for me and helping out in the running around in the kitchen for everything and for helping with the clean up.

So now perhaps out there in “blog-ville land” (LOL!) someone might appreciate this Americanized version too. So here it goes!

Kachhi Murgh Dum Biryani (plated) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My Crock Pot/Slow Cooker American Style Chicken And Vegetable Indian Biryani

Chicken & Marinade Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (cut into separate pieces, using only the thighs, wings, breast, legs)

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (that has been pre-soaked in olive oil)

Juice of one fresh squeezed lemon (small to medium sized)

1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of ginger powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red chili powder (if you like heat…add a little bit more, I do! LOL!)

1 Tablespoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or dried

4-5 heaping tablespoons of Goya cilantro sauce

2 cups fresh plain yogurt

3 Tablespoons of Ms. Dash seasonings

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon clove powder

2/3 cup chopped fresh basil or dried

1 4 inch piece of ginger root (put in sliced or grated in)

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other ingredients:

1/2 large yellow onions peeled and sliced very thin (leave raw)

4-6 Tablespoons coconut oil

A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

A few dashes of soy sauce or Braggs amino acids (optional)

1 Tablespoon of smoke flavor (optional)

~~~

1/2 large yellow onions peeled and sliced very thin (fried in oil and a bit of white sugar)

1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

 

RICE (Ingredients)

5 cups of seasoned hot boiling water (adding only just enough hot water to cover the rice)

3-4 cups uncooked basmati rice (rinsed, soaked for 30 minutes in cold water, washed then strained)

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf (to remove later)

1 or 2 cinnamon stick (to be removed later)

2 cardamon pods (to be removed later)

1 marble sized piece ginger root (to be removed later)

5-6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon of granulated white sugar

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil

1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

 

VEGETABLES (Ingredients)

1/2 -1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (about 3-5 cups)

1/2 bag of frozen or fresh cauliflower (2 cups-each one cut in halves)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup of tomato sauce

1 cup of tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon Goya cilantro sauce

½ teaspoon Ms. Dash seasoning

1 teaspoon of granulated white sugar

3-5 Tablespoon of coconut oil

 

Additional Ingredients: (for later use)

1/2 to 1 cup or more Raisins (soaked in either pure rum, brandy, cooking red wine or cooking white wine for about 2-3 hours then strain or not to strain is up to you.) (this is also optional)

1 Tablespoon of melted butter or ghee

1 teaspoon saffron strands, soaked in ½ cup of milk (optional)

2 Tablespoon of lite brown sugar

 

Cooking Utensils & Items Needed:

Oval shaped large sized crock pot

3-large spoons

1 large mixing bowl

plastic wrap

1 medium skillet

1 small skillet

2 quart sized pans

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DIRECTIONS:

First coat the crock/slow cooker with a little oil or spray it with non stick cooking spray or use a crock pot cooking bag.

Then turn the crock/slow cooker on to the warm setting allowing the crock pot/slow cooker to get a little bit hot before adding in all of the ingredients (that’s only if you’re done marinating the chicken as instructed below.)

Chicken:

Mix together ingredients in large bowl/container ginger root, ginger powder, fresh garlic, hot red chili powder, turmeric, teaspoon of salt, fresh or dried cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt and goya cilantro sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, Ms. Dash seasoning, clove powder. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat the chicken thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate at least two hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Turn the crock/slow cooker on high. Add raw onions to bottom of crock/slow cooker, pour in 4-6 tablespoons of the oil over the onions and then layer the marinated chicken into the crock/slow cooker. It might be a little tight trying to squeeze each piece of chicken into the crock but go ahead and do so laying the pieces side by side but it’ll work you’ll see. Pour in all the rest of the marinade over the chicken. Then shake a few dashes of smoke flavor, hot sauce and soy sauce/Braggs amino acids on top then cover.

Be sure to let chicken cook well done for up to three (3) hours.

Turn setting up to high for the first hour and then cook on low for the remaining hours.

**The reason why I prefer to cook on high setting at first is to allow the meat to get good and hot early on and to reduce some of the cooking time.**

Vegetables:

On stove top, add oil to a medium sized skillet on low to medium heat then add in mixed vegetables, onion powder, garlic powder, Ms. Dash seasonings, then stir fry the vegetables for up to five (5) minutes or until vegetables are slightly soft, then stir/mix in tomato sauce and ketchup, turn off heat. Set aside.

Onions:

On stove top, add oil and sugar to a small sized skillet over low to medium heat, stirring the sugar for one (1) minute then add in the onions, coating and allowing the onions to turn brown, then turn off heat, set aside.

Rice:

Pour the rinsed, pre-soaked, washed and strained rice into the first quart sized pan and set aside.

On the stove top, bring the water to a boil over medium to high heat in the second quart sized pan. Add one (1) teaspoon of salt, oil, cinnamon sticks, cardamon pods, bay leaves, ginger root, coriander seeds, sugar and whole cloves on medium to high heat. Let these spices continue to cook/boil on a low flame for up to 10-15 minutes, then remove and discard the bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger root, coriander seeds and cardamon pods from the boiling water.

Then pour this seasoned hot boiling water over the rice, adding only just enough of this water to cover the rice, no more, then bring it to a boil.

Allow the rice to simmer for up to only 3 to 5 minutes, at which point all of the water should have evaporated (check the rice that it is only half way done, because the rice is the important part of making a good Biryani)

Then every step of the way everything will be spooned into the crock pot/slow cooker in layers.

So spoon the rice into the crock/slow cooker, spreading evenly over the chicken and level the rice.

Next, drizzle melted butter over the rice and then drizzle the saffron/milk mixture over the rice (optional.)

Next, spoon the cooked vegetables over the rice evenly.

Then top the vegetables with the fried caramelized onions and then with soaked and strained raisins.

Sprinkle over the top the brown sugar (and you can even add some cashews or almonds on top.)

Next, cover the pot and let the rice finish off cooking on the low setting for up to one (1) or two (2) additional hours and………just enough time to let the flavors merge and seal in, allowing the sauce/gravy/juices/spices to quickly bubble up half way around the edges of the crock….. allowing the delicious aromas to circulate around the house therefore making the husbands/family/friends/ or you’re self…… become good and hungry (LOL!) letting the favors to continue to do their work. (LOL) Can you just imagine that?

And then finally, just go ahead and spoon out all of the rice and vegetables on top onto a platter, fluffing it all up a bit. Then spoon out the chicken left at the bottom of the crock onto a separate platter.

You may serve this amazing rice and chicken just as is……. or with a side of yogurt and a couple of slices of naan, fried flat bread or french bread. This has to be such a delicious combination of foods, so enjoy!

English: Indian spice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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