Chicken Biryani

 

This is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions.It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it.

Chicken Biryani

* Prep. Time : 30 minutes
* Cook Time : 90 minutes
* Serves : 8

Chicken:

• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 250 gm tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1 kg chicken, cut into medium sized pieces
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 large black cardamom
• 5 cloves
• 8 whole black pepper
• 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp red chillies powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 10-12 dried plums

Rice :

• 1 kg rice
• 1 large cardamom
• 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 5 whole black pepper
• salt, to taste
• water, as required

Layers:

• 2 tomatoes,cut in round slices
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 2-3 tbsp ginger, julienne cut
• 4-5 whole green chillies
• 1/4 cup milk
• Orange food color
• 1 tsp kewra water

Chicken:

• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan.Add onions and fry until brown.Remove from oil.
• Blend tomatoes,yogurt and browned onion to a fine paste in a blender .
• Add ginger garlic paste and chicken pieces to the oil.
• Cook on medium to high heat and fry the chicken until it changes its color.
• Add green cardamoms,large cardamom,cloves,black pepper,cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
• Pour the blended mixture and mix well.
• Add red chillies powder,coriander powder and salt.Add dried plums.
• Cook on medium heat until chicken is done and only a thick gravy is left.Set aside.

Rice:

• Soak rice for 30 minutes in enough water to cover; then drain.
• Boil water, add cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper and salt and boil rice till 2/3 rd done.
• Drain the water off in a colander.Leave in the colander for a few minute, for all the water to drain out.

Layers:

• Add half of the remaining 1/4 cup oil in the pan to coat the base.
• Spread 1/3 of the rice in a layer at the base of the pan.Now layer with 1/2 of the chicken with gravy.
• Next, layer with half of remaining rice.Place tomato slices,mint leaves,ginger and green chillies on top.
• Now spread remaining chicken as a layer.
• Finish with the remaining rice layered on top.
• Pour remaining oil and orange color dissolved in milk and kewra water(This gives you a few dark orange colored rice grains interspersed in the rest of the rice. It looks very nice when served).

• Cook on a very low flame, with the lid tightly closed. This will take 20-30 minutes.
• Serve hot with fresh salad and Yogurt raita.

 

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy!!!