Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

After gathering information on how Dum Biryani should taste like from Bismillah Biryani, I decide to whip my my own version of Dum Biryani Hyderbadi style to celebrate Deepavali. Before my visit to Bismillah, I had google on the web and manage to find the cooking procedure for Dum Biryani at Vahrahvah.com.

Based on Vahrahvah instruction, the basmati rice need to precook to certain degree so that when you cook the meat together with the rice both will be evenly cooked. As Vaharahvah didn't specify how much you need to precook the basmatic rice, as a result my hyderabadi biryani didn't came out exactly as I wanted as the rice is not cooked well enough. In order to resolve this issue, I steam the rice over steamer for another 10mins and it came out pretty well.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

• 4 pieces of chicken thighs with bone
• 2 cups of basmati rice
• 15 strands of saffron soaked in hot water
• Chicken rassa
• 3 tablespoon of dry chopped red onions

 Marinade

• 60ml of yogurt
• 1 cup of fried dry chopped red onions
• 10 sprigs of coriander
• 1 packet of Shan Chicken Biryani Mix 50g
  
• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger
• 1 quart slice lime
• salt
• 1 tablespoon of oil
  

Marinate the chicken thighs with a pinch of salt, garlic and ginger. Squeeze a lime on the chicken and made sure the chicken thighs are evenly marinated. Mix 25g of Shan Chicken Biryani Mix with 60ml of yogurt, coriander, chopped red onions and oil. Apply to the chicken thighs and ensure all the thighs are even coated with the biryani mix. It is best if the chicken thighs are marinated overnight. 

Before you pre-cook the basmati rice, you need to soak it for at least 30 mins. After that, you boil a pot of boiling water with oil and adequate salt in it. When you add in the rice, the water will cease to boil. When the water start to boil, time the cooking for 5mins and drain the rice on colander. On thick based pot or non-stick pot, line the marinated chicken thigh with skin facing the cooking surface as the skin will help protect the chicken from over cook.

Start scooping the pre-cook rice on the chicken thigh to form a think layer, start sprinkle some fried chopped onion coriander and splash the saffron water onto the rice. Repeat for for the next layer until you have completely fill the pot with pre-cook rice. Use a wet cloth and seal the pot with the lid and cook under medium heat for 30mins until you can smell the biryani fragrance the you can start to serve it with chicken rassa. Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is at it's best when freshly cook so do not delay serving it.

Adult Themed Burger King - BK Whopper Bar (Clarke Quay)

After having a hearty lunch at Bismillah Biryani, we decide to go jalan jalan in the search of new food haunts. After traversing through Suntec City, we finally set foot at Clarke Quay and surprise to find a BK Whopper Bar that differs from the regular BK outlets.

Upon stepping into the BK Whopper Bar, we thought we enter a night joint as the interior is dimly lit with rolls of plush leather seats on one side (Link1) and round top tables and chair on the other side (Link2).    

As we move those the cavernous passageway, we are greeted with BK flash menu. You won't find your average BK Rendang or BK Fish Burger here. BK Whopper Bar had revamp their menu (Link) and even give you to option to customise your own burger with topping of your choice. The most significant difference you find in Whopper Bar is alchoholic beverage (Tiger & Heinenken Beer) is available making it a more adult theme fast food outlet and first of it kind in Singapore.   

One of the BK Whopper Bar menu offering caught my eye, Angry Whopper - jalapenos, onions with a splash of Angry Sauce. I'm a fan of hot sauce therefore I proceed to order Double Angry Whopper meal set with 500ml Heinenken Beer priced at $15.90. The burger was made fresh in big open kitchen behind the cashier counter giving me a visual eye candy.

When I take my first bite into Angry Double Whopper, my first impression is BK Whopper Bar beef patties are significantly thicker than other outlets. The Angry Sauce wasn't that tantalizing as the spicy level is not up to my mark yet but the jalapenos do pack a bit of punch. The major displeasure I had with Angry Whopper is the burger bun start to disintegrate as I take further bites as a result my hands are both drenched with the sauce. Luckily, the restroom is just next door for me to do a quick clean up. Overall, it is a valiant effort for BK to revamp their product line. But BK Whopper Bar need to do a lot more if they plan to compete with local and oversea burger house that are offering freshly baked (non-disintegrating) buns and localize flavour meat patties like tandoori chicken.       

Arguable Healthiest Biryani - Bismillah Biryani

I already plan to cook Hyderbadi Chicken Biryani on Sunday to celebrate Deepavali long weekend holiday. I'm no stranger to Dum Biryani. I had tried Biryani Xpress's Dum Chicken Biryani (which uses rose water to cook their biryani) at Geylang Serai Market. After reading ieatshootipost post on Bismillah Dum Biryani, I gather my 2 food kakis and decide to give it a go this Saturday and hopefully Bismillah Biryani can titillate our tastebuds.  

Boarding the MRT with my kakis, we start to worry if Bismillah will be open on Deepavali and whether it will be packed with customers. Thanks our lucky star, Bismillah Biryani is open for business.Contrary to what we believed, business was pretty brisk at Bismillah with just a tourist couple chowing down mutton biryani at one corner. Bismillah is a biryani shop without frills, so don't complain the sweltering afternoon heat if you cannot stand dining without air conditioning.

We proceeded to order 3 Dum Mutton Biryani since it is highly recomended by ieatishootipost. It took a while before the mutton biryanis were served to us. The mutton biryani served to us totally differ from the ieatishootipost's post (link). We are slightly disappointed as Bismillah serving is not consistent to what ieatishootipost post on their blog. The photos were taken with a PSP camera, therefore it might not be able to reflect Bismallah Biryani in it's full glory since ieatishootipost uses professional DSLR camera. However, I believe it is adequate for me since all my blog photos were taken with PSP camera.

Currently, there are 2 types of Biryani cooking style Pukka & Kaccha (link). For Pukka cooking style, the rice and meat is cook separately and layer during serving. It is predominantly popular in Muslim style biryani in Geylang Serai Market. As for Kaccha cooking style, the rice and meat is cook together which is predominate in Indian Biryani. Bismillah Biryani cooking style falls under Kaccha. Therefore, their basmati rice have a very strong infusion spices as it is cook on top of the marinated mutton. My first impression of Bismillah Biryani, it is the most healthiest biryani I ever eaten as you don't feel the over-powering ghee or butter that is predominant in Biryani. The mutton is very tender and not oily at all which surprising as it is first time I've eaten a biryani that don't feel jerlat (over-powering).

However the downside of Kaccha style, the basmati rice is drier than Pakka style which is reaffirms further after I tasted Bismillah & Biryani Xpress. For those prefer moisture content higher biryani, you might prefer Pakka style more. The rassa given by Bismillah wasn't enough to moisture the dry basmati rice. Most biryani, the mutton is heavily seasoned which you don't find it at Bismillah. For those who like strongly seasoned meat, you might want to avoid Bismillah as their mutton is lightly season. The tenderness of mutton is actually the saving grace for Bismillah. If the mutton is dry and hard coupled with the their pretty dry basmati rice, I will avoid Bismillah entirely.          

Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow

Today, I was "coerced" by my ex-colleague to join her for beef noodle dinner after work as it been quite a long while since we meet and she want to see my fruit of labor (the 9Kg I sheded in just 2 months without any special dieting or exercise). She manage to locate me in the crowd after much difficulty as she surprised how much weight I had shed. As it's pretty late, we cut short the greeting and proceed to the intended destination that is beef noodle.

I had no idea I will be having Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow along Purvis Street for dinner until my friend point it out to me. I had read quite a few positive review on Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow but I had yet taste it personally. So, I proceed to order $5 Dry Beef Kway Teow with the service staff. When the Dry Beef Kway Teow serve to me, I was quite surpise how "big" the serving is as I can get bigger portion at famous Scott Road Dry Beef Kway Teow at Orchard ION at comparable price. Portions aside, I decide to dig in and see how it fare against my favourite Zheng Yi Hainanese Beef Noodle.

Unfortunately, Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow dry version fail to impress me as similar to Scott Road the gravy have strong dark soya sauce aftertaste with just 3 beef slices. Much to my dismay, the beef slice is overcook and pretty tough. The only saving grace is the beef soup that accompanied the dry beef kway teow as the beef soup is comparable to Zheng Yi's beef soup in the herbs and beefy taste. However, Hock Lam's beef soup is more salty for those sodium intake conscious individual. For those going Hock Lam for their beef kway teow should forget about trying their dry version and order the wet version instead.

City Square Mall Revisit

After persistent badgering from my friend who wanted to go City Square Mall (since he got wind of the mall opening from Today papers), I decided to accompany him since he never set his foot on Little India before. After waiting for 10 mins at Farrer Park MRT, he finally arrive and we set off to City Square Mall. As we cross the road to City Square Mall, we are greeted by white wash Bread Talk Spin-off franchise - Toast Box. Toast Box seem to be severely lacking in customer if you compare to other popular outlet in Orchard road.

I have no idea City Square Mall got 2 basement level until my friend reported to me after he cannot find a freaking POSB/DBS ATM to draw money. So after we have KFC for lunch, we proceed to explore City Square Mall B2 further. When we reach B2, we surpised to find another foodcourt - Banquet operating there. City Square Mall can be consider as the only Mall to have the most foodcourt prior to the one I saw at Level 4. There is alot of shop spaces vacant, so we decide to end the trip early and proceed to Mustafa Centre.

As we cross the road we notice a strange procession across the road. We thought there is Thailand Red Shirt uprising(Link) in Little India as you see a group of people in red drag. But the majority difference is the guys are in red sexy lingerie or dress outfit remind me of the movie Priscilla, Queen of Desert LOL. We have no idea what statement this procession is trying to put through to the public. Seeing the participants so gungho especially the guys wearing sexy lingerie outfit is fairly sporty of them as I cannot anticipate myself doing that in the public. After the procession have passed, we move to Mustafa Centre and did some shopping and end the excursion by having dinner in Juz Acia Doby Ghaut.

Dahi Wali Machli - Dory Fish Yogurt Curry

Northern India cusine is not known for its fish dishes due to it geographical location. However, fresh water or river fishes are still available in Northern India. Dahi Wali Machli is North India fish curry dish that is not widely known until I found the recipe off a curry cookbook. I made some amendment to the original recipe so that it is more suitable for those health conscious without sacrificing the actual taste. For those who never tried before Dahi Wali Machli, it is a light, fresh curry with a tinge of yogurt taste that doesn't overpower your palate.

Dahi Wali Machli - Dory Fish Yogurt Curry

• 6 Pieces of dory fish fillet or sutchi fillet, cut into 4cm chunks.
• 1 Teaspoon of salt
• 1 Quarter slice of Lime
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon of ground turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon of chili powder

Curry Sauce

• 3 Tablespoon oil
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon cumin powder
  
• 1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 Teaspoon chili powder
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon of ginger puree
• 2 Green chilies slit
• 100ml of plain yogurt
• 250ml of fish stock
• 1/2 Teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves (can be found in Mustafa Centre)
• 1/2 Teaspoon of garam masala
  

Marinate the dory fish fillet with salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. Squeeze the lime on the fish and made sure the dory fish is evenly coated with chili and turmeric powder and set it aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil and add in the marinated dory fish and pan fried it for 2 to 3 minutes transfer it to paper towel dish to remove the excess oil. The reason to pan fried the fish is to firm up the fish and prevent it from breaking up when you add it into the yogurt curry.

Heat up the saucepan with 3 tablespoon of oil, add in the chopped onion and saute it until golden brown. Add in the cumin, turmeric, chili powder and saute until you can smell the spices begin to release their flavour. Adjust your heat to low so that you do not burn the spices and stir in the ginger and chili and fry it for another 1 to 2 minutes. Next, stir in the plain yogurt and made sure the masala is fully incorporate into the yogurt, stirring constantly to prevent the yogurt from splitting. Increase, the heat until the mixture boil.

Pour in the fish stock and stir it consistently to let the yogurt blend with the fish stock then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to reduce it to consistency of your liking. Now, add in the salt so that you can fine tune the curry in it final stage. Add in the pan fried dory fish and continue to cook over a low flame for another few minutes. Then stir in the fenugreek leaves and garam masala and cover and turn off the heat. After that you can serve with rice.

Mega Mug

During summer time, I always have insatiable thirst when I'm chilling off at home and the normal size drinking cup or mug doesn't cut it as I don't like to go to kitchen to refill my drink. Therefore, when I pass by major departmental store's, I always scan the kitchenware section for any mug or cup that can fulfill my needs. So far, the result is pretty negative and the closest I got was a 1 litre glass mug retail at $17.00 at few months back at CK Tang.

Due to fragility and weight of glassware, therefore I decide not to purchase the 1 litre glass mug. Upon chance my friend made known to me of a plastic Mega Giant Mug, he encountered in Simpang eatery that might be able to satisfy my need. I decide to resume my search and found the plastic Mega Giant Mug at Guan Huat Lee Household Appliances retailing at $4.50. The mug can hold up to 1 litre of beverage. The 1 litre mug capacity is more than enough to quench my thirst. As the mug is fabricated from plastic, it not arduous task to lift the mug even after it is fill to the brim with your favourite beverage. For those people who have similar insatiable thirst like me, this is a "must have" mug.