Biriyani is a mouthwatering complete meal in itself from lunch to dinner and is perfect for all occasions. It is a hot pot of flavourful rice with aromatic spices and herbs. It can be found throughout the country with little variations from region to region, from dum style to the handi biriyani, and prepared with mutton, fish or chicken or the simple vegetarian one. It is believed that it has been introduced to India by the Mughals and the South Indian variety by the Arabs.
Ingredients
For marination
1. Chicken – 500 gm
2. Mint – ¼ cup
3. Curd – ½ cup
4. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
5. Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 Tbsp
6. Coriander powder – 1 Tbsp
7. Ginger garlic paste – 1 Tbsp
8. Salt
For cooking Rice
1. Basmati rice or kaima rice – 3 cups
2. Cinnamon – 2 inch
3. Black cardamom – 2
4. Cloves – 6
5. Star anise – 1
6. Bay leaf – 2
7. Mace (javitri / jathi patri) – 2 strands
8. Green cardamom – 2
9. Fennel seed (saunf) – 1 tsp
For Biriyani Masala powder
1. Cinnamon - 2 inch
2. Cloves – 6
3. Green cardamom – 6
4. Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
Other Ingredients for Biriyani
1. Ghee / oil – 2 Tbsp
2. Onion sliced – 2 big
3. Ginger garlic paste – 1 Tbsp
4. Chopped pudina – ¼ cup
5. Chopped coriander leaves – ¼ cup
6. Ginger strips – 1 Tbsp
7. Butter – 1 Tbsp
8. Saffron – few strands (soaked in ¼ cup milk)
9. Fried cashew nuts, raisins and onions
Preparation
1. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned and refrigerate overnight or at least 2-3 hours.
2. Wash and soak rice for 30-45 minutes. Strain and keep aside.
3. Boil enough water in a pan with whole spices (for cooking rice) and add the rice and cook till ¾th done. Strain and keep aside the rice.
4. For making the Biriyani Masala powder dry roast all the spices and powder it and keep aside.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp ghee or oil in a pan/cooker, add onion sliced and sauté till light brown and add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes. Add the marinated chicken and half of biriyani masala powder and cook till done.
6. In a pan or cooker grease some ghee at the bottom. Spread 1/3rd of the rice. On top of it spread half of the chicken, little biriyani masala powder, some chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger strips, fried onions, nuts, raisins and saffron shreds and sprinkle little melted butter.
7. Similarly make further layer of rice and chicken. The top layer should be rice.
8. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and close tightly with the lid and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes..
9. Serve hot garnished with fried nuts, raisins and fried onions and serve along with raita, pickle and pappad.
Tips
1. The whole spices for cooking rice can be tied in cloth (make potli) and put in the water while cooking the rice and removed later.
2. It can be baked at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes instead of cooking over fire.
3. If you are keeping marinated chicken in fridge overnight take it out one hour before cooking.
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