Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani ... A world-renowned rice dish made with boiled rice and a thick chicken curry, flavored with spices. Both rice and chicken are cooked separately, then layered and cooked over low heat until fully done. Enjoy this masalay dar biryani!

Chicken Biryani
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Ingredients :

For Chicken :

• 1/2 cup cooking oil / ghee
• 250 gm.  onions, sliced
• 250 gm.  tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp.  cumin seeds
• 1 kg.  chicken, medium sized pieces
• 2 tbsp.  ginger garlic paste
• 4 green cardamoms
• 2 large black cardamom
• 4 - 5 cloves
• 8 - 10 whole black pepper
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp.  nigella seeds
• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp.  red chillies powder
• 2 tbsp.  coriander powder
• 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp.  salt
• 8 to 10 dried plums ( sour prunes / sookha aloo bukhara )
• 6 to 8 tamarind pieces, washed

For Rice : 

• 700 gm.  Sella rice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, to taste
• Water, as required

For Layering :

• 1/4 cup cooking oil / ghee
• 2 tomatoes, cut in round slices
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 2 tbsp.  ginger, julienne cut
• 4 to 5 whole green chillies
• 1/4 cup milk
• Orange / yellow food color
• 1 tsp.  kewra water
• 1/2 tsp.  garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp.  nutmeg & mace powder

Method :

• Soak the rice in enough water to cover, for half an hour to two hours, depending on the variety of rice you are using.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan. Add onions and fry until light brown. Remove from oil.
• Take tomatoes, yogurt, cumin seeds and fried onion in a blender and blend to a fine paste.
• Reheat oil in the pan. Add chicken and ginger garlic paste to the oil. Fry on medium heat until the chicken changes its color.
• Add green cardamoms, large cardamom, cloves, black pepper, star anise, cinnamon stick and nigella seeds. Fry for few seconds. 
• Pour the blended mixture and mix well. Add red chillies powder, coriander powder, salt, dried plums and tamarind.
• Mix well and cook on medium heat until chicken is tender and a thick gravy is left.
• While the chicken is cooking, boil rice with cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, salt and plenty of water in a separate pan until the rice is 3/4 done.
• Transfer them in a colander to drain off all the water.
• When both curry and rice are done, add little oil in the pan  ( you used for the rice ) to coat the base.
• Spread 1/3 of the rice in a layer at the base of the pan, following with 1/2 of the chicken layer.
• Place tomato slices, mint leaves, ginger and green chillies on top.

• Repeat this process of layering rice and chicken. Finish with the remaining rice layered on top.
• Dissolve food color in milk, add kewra water. Mix and sprinkle over the rice.  
• Sprinkle garam masala powder, nutmeg and mace powder. Pour remaining oil.

• Cook on a very low flame, with the lid tightly closed, for about 20 minutes until the rice is fully done. Mix it gently to slightly mix the layers.
• Serve hot with Yogurt Raita and salad.

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Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoy the recipe!!!