Horns honking constantly. People everywhere. Crazy tuktuk rides. The smell of spices in the air. Bright colors everywhere. Ankles and shoulders must be covered at all times. Power outages are a normal thing. Hindu temples all over. Water buffalo walking down the middle of the street. Women don’t look men in the eye or smile at them.
Indian culture is the first on the WR that is so different from everything back home. My team and I are loving it! On our days off we get the chance to get out and explore more of the country and culture we are in for that month. Our first day off in India was spent learning to cook a traditional Indian dish; Chicken Biryani. With the help of our contacts wife; Debbie and our translator; Kathy we set to work.
1) Boil the chicken. Add salt and turmeric powder. Once the chicken is cooked reserve it to the side till later. Do not drain the extra water.
2) In a separate pan heat a small amount of oil, add onion. Give them time to saute.
3) Now for all the spices!! Add cinnamon, vanilla, anise, salt, clover, bay leaf and a ginger/garlic paste. (The ginger garlic paste can be made by blending the two in a food processor.)
4) Add green chili peppers, tomatoes and blended carrots.
5) Now you add 10 cups of water, and 4.5 cups of rice. Add mint leaves and bring it to a boil.
6) Once it is boiling add your chicken to it. Add cilantro. Let it cook until the rice is tender.
7) Now it is ready to eat!! Remember to only eat with your right hand.
Note: They didn’t teach us to make it really spicy because they know that American’s can’t handle the spice like they do. To make it spicy like they do you would add chili pepper at the same time as all the other spices.
