Chicken Biryani

Traditional Hyderabadi Biryani is rich and aromatic due to liberal use of exotic spices and ghee. But you can reduce the content of fat and modify according to your own requirement.

As I have said before, Hyderabad Biryani is simple to make, but requires a lot of experience.

All the variables have to be carefully balanced so that everything cooks together and comes out perfectly.

Ingredients:

For Rice:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 8-10 Mint leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1 Green chili
• 1” Cinnamon stick
• 4 Green cardamom
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste
  
  

For Chicken:

• 3 lbs chicken (cleaned, cut into medium size pieces)
• 2 cups yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
  
  

For Layering:

• 3 Big onion
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of saffron color
• ¼ tsp of saffron dissolved in 1 cup of milk
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 Cup oil
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  
  

Method:

1. Marinate Chicken: To the beaten curd add the chicken, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt to taste.Mix properly and set aside for one hour.
2. Fry Onions: Chop the onions lengthwise and sauté them in the oil on low heat till light brown. Remove the onions after draining away any excess of oil; spread over a large plate. This should keep the onions crispy. Once they have cooled, crush the onions with your fingers and add half of this to the marinated chicken mixture. Keep aside remaining half for later use.
3. Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil in which sliced onions were fried, in a pan. Add chicken pieces without marinade and fry till nicely brown on medium heat. Add marinade and cook till the chicken pieces are tender and the curry thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Boil Rice: In a large pan half fill with water and add salt, whole garam masala, mint and coriander leaves and one green chili. Bring this to the boil and add the washed rice and cook till nearly done. Remove it from the flame and then drain the rice in a colander. Keep aside for later use.
5. Layering: Grease heavy bottom saucepan with ghee and transfer half of the chicken mixture in to it. Sprinkle 5-6 chopped mint leaves over the chicken. Spread half quantity of boiled rice over the chicken. Garnish with half quantity of chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, garam masala powder and deep fried onions. Place the second layer of chicken over the rice and repeat the same.Pour 4 tbsp of oil, in which sliced onions were fried, on the edges of the layered biryani. Warm the milk and crush the saffron into it. Add saffron color in it. Pour the milk saffron mixture over the rice. Cover the saucepan tightly. It is better to seal the container with the dough and cook over high flame for 10 minutes in the beginning and then on low flame for at least 30 minutes later. Break the seal just before serving.
6. Garnish with boiled eggs and fried onions.
7. Serve Biryani with Mirch Ka Saalan and Dahi Ki Chutney.

Do You Know?

Basmati rice has been reported in India since the early days of the 19th Century though it may have been named differently.

'Bas' in Hindi language means "aroma" and 'Mati' means "full of" hence the word Basmati i.e.full of aroma.

This rice is different from other rice mainly due to the aroma and elongation post cooking. No other rice has this combined characteristic. The post cooking elongation of more than twice its original length, the aroma and its sweet taste has made basmati rice a delicacy.

Basmati rice is grown only in Northern India and in parts of Pakistan touching India.