Ingredients:
1 kg chicken (washed and drained)
2 large onions (sliced)
2C. Coriander leaves (chopped)
1T. Saffron
½ C. Luke warm milk
2T. Ghee (clarified butter)
5T. Oil
Salt
For marinating chicken:
¾ C. Thick curd/yogurt
8-10 green chili’s (slited)
1 ½ T. Ginger garlic paste
1T. Red chili powder
¼ T. Turmeric powder
¾ T. Coriander powder
½ C. Coriander leaves (chopped)
¾ C. Mint leaves
1 Lemon (juiced)
1 ¾ T. Salt
Biryani masala (make powder)
8 cloves, 1″ cinnamon stick, 4 cardamom, ¾ T. Jeera, 12 pepper corns
To cook rice:
4C. Basmati rice
6 cloves
3 cardamoms
1″ cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
10 mint leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 ½ T. Salt
Water
Recipe:
Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala powder. Keep aside for 4 hours or a min of 1 ½ hrs.
Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, sauté for 8 -10 minutes till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.
Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.
Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 table spoon oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high flame for 2 minutes. Add a table spoon of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a table spoon of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a table spoon of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a table spoon of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a table spoon of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.
Place lid and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 minutes. Remove the vessel from the stove and place an iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 minutes. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice
Manav Malik 