Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

1 kg Basmati rice

3 tomatoes, chopped

Green Masala (make paste)

4 green chillies

1 bunch corriander leaves

2-3 strands pudina

1” ginger                                 
5-6 flakes garlic

1 onion

2 onions, sliced length-wise

2 Tejpatta, 4-5 pepper, 5-6 lavang, 1” dalchini (crushed)

Oil, Salt

Corriander leaves, for garnish.

For Chicken

2 kg chicken

1 tomato (optional)

2 onions
2 tsp chilli pdr

3 tsp dhania pdr

Ginger-garlic paste

2 tbsp curd (optional)

Lemon juice

turmeric, salt,  garam masala pdr

Wash rice & soak in water for ½ hour. Half-cook the rice adding, salt & turmeric powder. 

Marinate chicken with salt, turmeric, curd, lemon juice & ginger-garlic paste for one hour. Fry 1-2 onions in 2 spoon oil till golden brown. Add chilli pdr, dhania pdr, garam masala powder, mix well. Add tomato. Add chicken and cook well. Keep aside.

Now heat oil in kadai. Add tejpatta, pepper, lavang & dalchini. Then add 2 onions and fry till brown. Add green masala and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes are cooked. Keep aside.

In a large kadai, put 1 tsp ghee, one layer of green masala, one layer of rice,  one layer of chicken, corriander leaves. Repeat till chicken and all masalas as layered one after other. Close lid and keep the kadai on low fire for 10-15 minutes till aroma of chicken and rice blends together. Serve with Raita. 

Note: If you want to make the Biryani a little richer, then the rice can be cooked a little differently. Wash rice and drain the water. Heat oil in kadai, add whole masalas like tejpatta, lavang, dalchini, crushed pepper, sauté for some time then add some cashew nuts and sauté. Lastly, add some raisins and sauté. Now add the rice and fry for sometime. Add enough water (1 cup rice = 2 cups water), salt, turmeric, lime juice and let it boil for some time. Then close the lid. It will cook in its own heat after 10 minutes. Stir it in between.