Chicken Biryani

The word Biryani itself makes me feel hungry!! Here in Kuwait we get various types of biryani's and they all taste so different. I do try various methods but the one mentioned below is a family favorite. My hubby doesn't like dry biryani so i try and make it a bit juicy, making biryani is a long procdure but the end results are delicious.So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 750 g
Rice - 2 cups
onions sliced- 2 to 3 medium size
onions chopped - 2 medium size
tomatoes chopped medium size
whole spices - 2 tbs (star anise, cloves, green and brown cardamom, mace, nutmeg, bay leaves,peppercorns & cinnamon)
dry fruit - some cashews + raisins
coriander finely chopped - generous amount
black cumin seeds - 1 tsp (shahajeera)
ginger garlic paste - 1tbs
mint leaves - handful
curd - 1 cup
saffron - 1 tsp ( press the saffron with your fingers and then soak in milk )
food color - optional
red chilli powder - 2 to 3 tsp (asper your intake of spice and the quality of chilli)
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
garam masala powder - 2 tsp
tandoori masala - 1 to 2 tsp
kevra essence - 1 to 2 drops optional
salt to taste
Oil or ghee

1. Marination
take a big bowl add the cleaned chicken pieces, half cup dahi (yoghurt), 1/2 tbs ginger garlic paste,tandoori masala, 1 tsp red chilli powder, a bit of turmeric powder, some mint leaves, chopped coriander & salt.Mix it nicely and keep in the refrigerator for minimum 30min. If you have time then keeping for an hour is good.


 2. Take a big vessel add water to it double the quantity of rice I just add plenty of water along with salt and dew drops of oil and the whole garam masala and shahajeera (black cumin) and let it boil.Immediately wash the rice and keep it for 15 min until the water gets boiled. Then add the rice to the boiling water be careful this is a very important step for a perfect biryani. Cook the rice till 3/4th done. Immediately strain it under cold water this prevents the rice to cook further.You can use a large colander and can keep the rice aside.Do not discard the whole masala.

3.Fry the sliced onions till golden brown and keep aside

By now the chicken must be marinated so the next step is to cook the chicken.

4.Take a cooking vessel, heat oil add the cashews and raisins as they turn golden immediately remove on a paper towel. In the same oil add the chopped onion along with a bit of salt to cook faster, once they turn pink add the remaining ginger garlic paste let it get cooked for a min or two then add the tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy add the remaining red chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala powder.Let it cook splash some water so that the masalas are not burnt.now add the chicken and fry for some time until it changes its color add salt if required and some water. Cover with a hollow plate with some water in it. (This is called vafevar sijawne in marathi). Cook the chicken till 3/4th done. remove the plate if you feel the water is more then cook it on high flame without covering the water will be dried.

5.Now the assembling
I always use my chapati pan (tawa) underneath the biryani. So now start heating the pan. take a heavy bottom vessel add a bit of ghee and spread it over now add the chicken layer top it with rice now sprinkle the fried onion some saffron which is soaked in milk,then add some cashews and raisins along with chopped mint and coriander leaves. Again follow the same method for layering the last layer should have rice on the top sprinkle some kevra essence along with the remaining onion, cashew, raisins, mint coriander and few drops of ghee. If you are using food color just sprinkle it in between the layers. Close the vessel with a tight lid seal it with kneaded dough or aluminium foil. And keep it on the Tawa for the first 5 min keep the flame medium high then lower the flame and cook for 30 min. Let it remain closed for another 10 min.Once open serve it with a Raita and papads. Enjoy!!