Biryani for you

I firmly believe that one of the best things that happened when Mughals conquered most of India  is – Biryani!!! As you would have guessed it, I am a non-vegetarian. But the sad part is I can’t stand the smell of flesh while eating flesh. The good part is- chicken biryani doesn’t smell of chicken. It only smells of tasty food! 😀

Btw my brother loves Biryani (so does my father but he never quite admits it) and so there is an added incentive to make it at home.

This is a quick and safe preparation, a “pakki biryani” and you cannot go wrong with it – EVER!

Chicken Biryani

The ingredients Required-

Chicken (with bones) – 6 leg pieces

Onions – 4 (sliced)

Tomato – 2 to 3

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Bay leaves- 4

Green Cardamom- 4

Cinnamon sticks- 3

Black peppercorns – 15

Caraway seeds (shahi jeera) – 3 tsp

Curd- 3tbsp

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic- 6 cloves

Green chillies- 4 to 6 (depending upon taste)

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida- 1 pinch

Garam Masala powder – 1 pinch

Basmati rice (or long grain fine rice) – 1 & 1/4 th cup

ghee or butter – 1 tbsp

Saffron (optional)

Coriander leaves – a few

Mint leaves – a few (optional)

Salt- as per taste

Water- as required

Cashew- 10

Raisins- 15 (but only if you like a bit of sweetness in everything, like a true bong 😀 )

Method of preparation-

Marinated Chicken

Wash the chicken pieces well. Marinate in a deep bowl with turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, shahi jeera, a few peppercorns, curd, lemon juice and 1 tsp ghee/oil.

Marinate for an hour or so.

Grind 1 onion with garlic, ginger and green chillies. Make a paste of tomatoes.

Deep fried Onions

Chop two onions and deep fry them. Keep Aside.

Heat oil (about 2tbsp vegetable oil) in a wok/pan and add a pinch of hing, 2 bay leaves, shahi jeera, black peppercorns, 1 whole garlic,  2 green cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick (pounded). Fry for 30 seconds. Add onion-ginger-garlic-chilli paste, salt and fry till golden brown. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli or kashmiri mirch powder and a pinch of garam masala powder.  Mix well.

Add tomato paste. Keep stirring.

Finally add the chicken pieces. Keep stirring. Cook for another 15 mins or till chicken are soft.

preparing chicken for pakki biryani

Now the second part of making Biryani is very important. Wash rice properly and soak it for 30 mins.

Heating water for rice

Choose only the best quality rice. Boil water with two cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, shahi jeera, black pepercorns and 1 tsp ghee or butter.

Once it comes to a boil, add the washed and soaked rice. Add salt according to taste. After a few minutes, add cashew and raisins.

Almost done rice

Cook till rice is almost done.  Sieve water and set aside.

Now in a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed, top-covered vessel add chicken and rice in layers.

Layering in a Biryani

Layering in a Biryani

Layering in a Biryani

First put a tsp of ghee/butter. Followed by the chicken curry prepared, a bit of rice and then chicken pieces and chicken curry followed by rice…

Finally top it with fried onions and mint and coriander leaves. Sprinkle saffron water on top.

Cook on low flame for about 5 mins. When all the steam is out , open the lid and serve hot.

Biryani with Raita

Biryani tastes best with Raita. Raita is made of curd (with salt, sugar, crushed and powdered black peppercorns with seasonal fruits).