Semiya / Vermicelli Biryani

Ask me which is the easiest and tastiest dish I would like to cook(and eat), the answer is the very famous biriyani...I have no other options if I have some guests, this is the only one I don't need to do any hard work and could finish my work within one and half hours including kitchen cleaning! It is more comfortable if you are using a food processor! Am not exaggerating, but once when you find how easy is making biriyanis you will not stop making it on weekends.I still remember when I prepared a chicken biryani for first time on a weekend before 11 years..It is really fun making it without any help for the first time especially when we are novice in cooking. Since the amount of masala was more than needed , the rice was little over cooked. But the aroma was much good! I still get that admiration from my better half and I believe that is the "secret ingredient" required for a happy life.. :)
This time biriyani is little different. I didnot know I can cook something different using vermicelli until I make biriyani and uppuma with it. Though I didn't like that "white beauty" (reason-sweetness), I thought that semiya is created for making payasams only.. :)



Ingredients used
Semiya / vermicelli 3 cups
chicken pieces (boneless) 1 1/2 cups
onions 2 big
tomato 1 small
garlic paste 1 tsp
ginger paste 1 tsp
green chilly 1 or as desired
pepper powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
coriander leaves chopped 1/2 cup
thick coconut milk 1 cup
ghee 2 Tbsp
salt



How to prepare
Boil water. Add salt and 1/2 Tb sp ghee. Put semiya in this and cook. When it is about to finish, drain. Don't over cook.
Heat remaining ghee in a pan. Saute chopped onions. When it is transparent, saute garlic and ginger paste with chopped green chillies and tomato.
Allow it to cook until the tomato is mashed by stirring it continuously.Then add all the powders, , salt and chicken with coconut milk. Mix well and allow to cook on a medium heat. Cook until chicken is done, and reduce water to make a thick gravy.Remove from fire.
Add the remaining chopped coriander leaves and cooked semiya into this. Mix slowly without breaking semiya, and keep the lid closed for 15 minutes. Do mix semiya with the masala soon it is taken from the stove, so no need to heat it again. Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins, which I usually dislike to do.. :)
Other Biriyani recipes of Salkkaaram,
Chicken Biryani
Arabic Biryani
Mutton Biryani
Egg Biryani
Fish Biryani
Vegetable Biryani
Prawns Biryani
Keema Biryani