Chicken Biryani recipe

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INGREDIENTS:

For Chicken:

  • Chicken breast - 2
  • Ginger garlic paste - 4 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder - 8 tsp
  • Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Curd or plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil -1 1/2 tbsp
  • Onion - 1 (large)
  • Tomato - 4
  • Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
  • Bay leaves - 2
  • Cloves - 12
  • Cinnamon stick - 1
  • Cardamom - 4
  • Green chili - 1
For Rice:
  • Basmati rice - 2 cups
  • Salt as needed
  • Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
  • Cloves - 7
  • Cardamom - 2
  • Cinnamon stick - 2
  • Water - 2 cup

For Garnishing:

  • Onion - 1
  • Cashew nuts - 10
  • Raisins - a handful
  • Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
  • Ghee - 1 tsp
  • Oil - 1/2 cup

For Coloring (optional) :

  • Orange and yellow food coloring
  • Water - 4 tbsp

PREPARATION:

Chicken:

  1. Wash and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.
  2. Add salt, 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 3 tsp chili powder and mix well.
    Marinate overnight for very good result (or marinate at least for 1 hour).
  3. Pour 1 tbsp oil in a hot pan and coat the whole bottom. Add the marinated chicken.
  4. Brown both sides.
    Remove from flame.
  5. Chop the onion coarsely. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Slit the green chili into halves. Chop the cilantro finely.
  6. Add the remaining oil to the pan. When heated, add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick.
  7. Once it splutters,
    add onions and green chili and mix well. Cook in low flame sauteing occasionally.
  8. When the onions become translucent, add 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste and mix well.
    Cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell is gone.
  9. Add the browned chicken
    and mix well.
  10. Add 1/4 tsp coriander powder. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 5 tsp chili powder and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
  11. Add curd or yogurt and mix well.
  12. Add cilantro and mix.
    Cook for 2 minutes.
  13. Keep stirring so that the bottom of the pan doesn't get burnt. Add the tomatoes,
    mix well
    and cook sauteing occasionally until the tomatoes become tender and the gravy thickens.

Rice:

  1. Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes.
  2.  Add the rice, water, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves in a pan and cook it in the rice cooker.

Garnishing:

  1. Chop the cilantro finely.
  2. Pour ghee in a hot sauce pan, add the cashew nuts and roast till golden brown. Remove from pan.
  3. Add raisins and roast them and remove from pan.
  4. Cut the onions into thin slices.
  5. Pour oil in a pan. Once heated, add the onions in batches.
  6. Fry until golden brown.

Coloring (optional) :

  1. Heat the water and add each food color in 2 tbsp of  water and mix well.

Layering and Baking:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degree F.
  2. Take an oven safe pan. Grease with 1/4 tsp of ghee. Add a part of the cooked chicken.
  3. Add a part of the rice on top. Pour little of the coloring on the rice.
    Add another part of the chicken,
    then a part of rice. Pour coloring.
  4. Add the last batch of chicken
    and then rice. Pour coloring.
  5. Garnish with the fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins
    and cilantro.
    Pour 1/2 tsp of biryani essence (optional).
  6. Cover with aluminum foil.
    Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven.
    Mix gently.
P.S : In case you do not have an oven, do the layering in a thick bottomed pan. Cover with a lid. Turn ON the stove in low heat. Place a tawa on the stove. Place the pan where you have done layering on the tawa. Let stay for 20 minutes. Turn OFF the stove and mix gently.