Chicken biryani

Chicken Biryani

         Preparation time :15 minutes

         Marination time:45 minutes

        Cooking time:60 minutes 

           Level: moderate

 Biryani is a Mughlai cuisine. It comes from the word" Bri an" which means to fry before cooking and "Biriang" the Persian word for rice. 

"To fry rice before cooking."

 It is now a very popular cuisine of the Indian subcontinent.

There are many types of Biryani and it is the most loved and sought after cuisine. Each state has its version Hyderabadi, Kolkata, lucknavi, Sindhi, Dindigul.

It is an aromatic rice cooked with a combination of meat of your choice.  

Mutton, egg, potato, vegetable Biryani is also very popular in the indian sub continent.

Historically we find that in 1398 Timur, the Turkish Mongol brought Biryani to India, it was his daily food.

But there are so many stories of its origin.

There are two most popular types of cooking biryani. 

Dum pukht or cooking over a slow charcoal fire

is the most widely used method

 Vkacchi biryani where all ingredients are raw and these are cooked in steam over a charcoal fire.

The other the "pakki yakhni " where the mutton /chicken and the rice is semi-cooked, and then it's layered,  in a large container, sealed and cooked in steam over a charcoal fire.

Both variations are equally enjoyed.

Now moving to the recipe

Ingredients 

• 750 gms chicken with bone
• 4 cups of basmati long grain rice
• A few strands of saffron soaked in 1/2 cup milk

Spices A

Biryani masala:

• 1 stick cinnamon
• 6 green cardamon
• 2 back cardamon
• Half nutmeg

• Small piece of mace
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaf
• Peppercorn
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds 
• 1-star anise

Dry roast all the above and grind into a fine powder.

Spices B

• 2 large onions finely sliced
• 3 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• Salt to taste
• 3/4 cup hung curd
• 3/4 cup ghee

Spices C (Additional)

Keep aside : ( for tempering)

•  3 green cardamon
•  2 cloves

• 1 black cardamom 
• 1bay leaf

• Mint leaves
• Cilantro

Method

Step 1:

• Fry the onion slices till crisp and golden brown.

•  Wash & Soak rice for 45 minutes 

Step 2:

Marination

• Use a large bowl
• Add washed chicken
• To this put the curd
• Add 2 tbsp of ground biryani masala in (spices A)
• Add a handful of fried onions
• Ginger garlic paste
• Salt and chilly powder
• Mint and cilantro 
• Mix and marinate for 30-45 minutes 

Step 3:

Cooking the rice

• In a large cooking pot boil lots of water, add 2-3 tsp of salt and two cloves, 1 bay leaf and black cardamon.  Add soaked rice and boil for 3-5 minutes or till  80% cooked, strain and keep aside.

Step 4

Cooking the chicken

• In a handi or large heavy bottom pan 
• Heat ghee, to this add cumin seeds
• Let it splutter 
• Add the ginger and garlic paste fry till colour changes
• Add the chicken pieces, (save the marinade)
• Fry till the raw smell changes to roasted aroma
• Add the marinade.
• Cook till80%

Step 5

Dum pukht

• In a heavy bottom pan
• Add ghee
• Add cumin and Bay leaf
• Layer rice and then 1 layer of chicken
• Handful of fried onion, mint and cilantro and pinch of  biryani masala
• Repeat till you reach the brim
• Pour saffron milk and last handful of fried onion.

• Cover with a fitting lid
• Cook over a slow flame for 15 minutes
• Remove after 15 minutes
• Put some ghee , cover and let it rest for half-hour.( during this wait resting period the flavours enhance )
• Dish out and serve