Chicken Chorizo Omelet

One would think that Omelets or Omelet is one of the most basic and simplest of foods available for mankind…. and they would be RIGHT! This basic recipe of beaten eggs, veggies and spices has taken many turns in the culinary world and carries quite a legacy. It can be as simple as ‘eggs sunny side up’ or as extravagant as omelets stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink. Hey!…I am not an omelet bigot. I will take it any way I get it.
This time I thought …why not try something new for our Saturday brunch (did I mention that we rarely wake up early enough to have breakfast?…hehehe guilty!). So, I went digging around in my freezer for some appetizing meat ideas and my bulging pantry for some spices to go with it. And what did I find…Chicken Chorizo! uuuumm uuuumm uuuummmmmm. Loaded with Chorizo, some aromatics and spices I am ready to cook. Shall we?

Ingredients
1/2 lb Chicken Chorizo
1 large green bell pepper sliced
1 medium onion sliced
8 oz packet of mushrooms (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Mexican Five cheese mix (optional) for garnish
handful sprigs of cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Eggs
3 tablespoon of milk
2 tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat a medium sized skillet or pan and added 1 tablespoon of oil. Break open the chorizo into the pan. Sauté the meat until it is cooked through and transfer to a bowl and set aside. Chorizo comes pre-seasoned so there is no need to season it further. But if it does not meet your taste then fell free to season it away. :-)
Now place the pan back on heat, add the remaining oil and add mushrooms with a pinch of salt and sauté until 3/4 cooked, then added onions. Sauté them together until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked through. Then add the green peppers. Season it with red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and oregano and sauté for couple of minutes. Make sure the green peppers are not completely cooked – there should still be a crunchy bite to it. Add the chorizo to the veggie mix and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set the stuffing aside and divide it into equal size portions. This is how the stuffing looks after it is done.

Place the pan back on heat. Beat 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of milk and a pinch of salt until well blended and pour into the pan. Tilt the pan and rotate so the egg mixture evenly coats the bottom. Cook on one side and carefully flip it to the other side without tearing the omelet. When both sides are done – spread one portion of the stuffing evening in the middle of the omelet and spread handful of Mexican five cheese mixture and cilantro on top. Fold the eggs in the middle and serve hot with toast!

Soy Chunks Biryani (Meal Maker)

How many different Biryanis can one in a life time? Chicken Biryani, Mutton Biryani, Egg Biryani, Prawn Biryani, Mushroom Biryani, Chicken Dum Biryani, Mutton Dum Biryani, Hydrebadi Egg Biryani and on goes the list. Now consider the fact everyone makes Biryani …well differently. So, if you were to count the countless types of biryanis available and the countless way people make them….can you keep count of it? I gave up counting long time ago…quite cheerfully, i might add!

My mom makes a heavenly Mushroom Biryani which I have yet to get a handle on and my MIL dishes out one of the best Chicken Biryani I have had. But not to be bested by both mom and mom-in-law I specialize in Soy Chunks Biryani. Here's how it goes..

 Ingredients

2 Cups of Basmati

1 1/2 cup mixed veggies (carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, peas) – cut to bite sized pieces
1 cup of Soy chucks (pre soaked) – I used Nutrela
1 medium sized onion – thinly slices
2 tomatoes - diced
3 tablespoons – ginger&garlic paste
1/2 tablespoon of biryani masala (homemade or your favorite brand)
Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon or according to your spice level
Salt to Taste
Yogurt – 2 tablespoons (optional)
Lime/Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
Whole garam masala spices – 3 cardamom, 3 cloves, 1” cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise
Mint – 12-15 big leaves
Cilantro – 10-15 sprigs
Butter – 2 tablespoons
Ghee – 1 tablespoon
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Water – 3 cups (rice: water  –  1: 1.5)

Method

Soak basmati rice for 15 minutes or just before you start preparing biryani. It should be soaked enough by the time you are ready for the rice part on the recipe.
Heat water in a medium sauce pan and soak the soy chucks until it doubles in size. Squeeze out the water and set aside. You may reserve the water to use it later for the biryani.
Heat butter and oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole spices. Then add the sliced onions and sauté well until golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and mix well and cook until it looses its raw smell. Then add the tomatoes and let cook until oil oozes on the sides. Now add chili powder, salt and biryani masala powder and mix well. Then add the veggies, the squeezed out soy chunks and the yogurt. Mix the veggies well and let it cook on medium for 5 minutes. Add chopped mint and cilantro leaves and mix well.

Now add the reserved water at rice: water  ratio of  1: 1.5. If you don't have enough reserved soy water then use regular water. Bring it to a boil and then the rice. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and mix well. Have a taste and adjust salt.

Tip: The liquid in the cooker should be saltier than your regular preference for salt. When the rice cooks and absorbs the moisture, the level of saltiness will drastically go down.
When the water is almost evaporates and the rice appears half cooked, closed the cooker lid and bring the heat level to Low. Let it steam cook for 15 more minutes and turn off the stove.
Tip: If using a electric stove, move the cooker to a different burner that is not hot, otherwise, your biryani will keep cooking (and burn) from the residual heat in the burner.

After the cooker has let our most of the steam, open the lid and add Ghee. Slowing mix the rice from the outside rim of the cooker. Take care as to not break the rice kernels.

Serve hot with raita.
Tip: If you don't have a pressure cooker, you make use a sauce pot with a tight lid or a dutch oven, in which case use rice to water ration of 1: 2