Chicken Biryani - My Style

There was a small get together over the weekend at my place. Get to gather and good food sets the mood of the party. The menu had variety....  In starters we had Potato Cheese Shots, Chicken Skewers (recipe coming up shortly), Garlic Sauce (recipe already there on the blog), Main course was Chicken Biryani and Dhaba Chicken (recipe already on the blog). Desert was Aam ras and pieces of mangoes over vanilla ice-cream had my guest hogging on all this delicious delicacy.

Chicken biryani is cooked in quiet different variation. I like the version that my mom cooks. It’s yummy and tastes awesome. I have tried many different variations of biryani   but my favorite remains this one. Today I am sharing with you this recipe which has been passed on thru my grandmother to my mom and from my mom to me :)) 

  

Ingredients

Chicken - 1.1/2 Kg 

Basmati Rice - 1 Kg

Onion

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Haldi

Red Chilli Powder

Green Chillies

Coriander Powder

Whole Garam Masala (Cinnamon Sticks, Black pepper, Green Cardamon, Black Cardamon Clove (lavang)

Coriander Leaves

Salt

Ginger garlic paste

Yogurt

Kewra Water

Hara Masala - (Green Chilies, Ginger, Garlic, Cumin seeds, Haldi, Garam Masala, Coriander Leaves and little salt) – We usually keep this masala stored in our fridge, apart from biryani this masala can also be used in other preparations. 3-4 Tbsp if masala is required for the biryani.

Again it all depends on the quantity of the biryani. 

Ingredients will vary as per the quantity of the Biryani. If you are cooking Mutton Biryani then it will be 1 Kg Mutton and 1 Kg Basmati Rice. 

Method:

.  Marination: Marinate the chicken with salt, Hara masala and yogurt. Keep it aside for at least 1-2 hrs.

               

 .   Potatoes:

Cut potato in round circles, it should be 1/2 “inch in thickness, add little salt & keep it aside for an hour and later drain the water completely and shallow fry the potatoes.

·         Onions:

  Take lot of oil in a cooking vessel, once hot fry the finely sliced onion. While frying the onions put two pinch of salt so that onion will not soak much oil.  Once the onions are light golden remove it in a flat plate spreading it across so the golden color remains intact.

·         Rice:

 Take little oil in a pan, add little garam masala (Kali Mirchi, Laung, Tikki,Brown cardamon (1-no) and Green cardamon(3-4 nos) Add rice leaves. Saute for 2 – 3 seconds & then add water and salt. Wash basmati rice thoroughly & add to the pan. Keep water more so that once rice is done you can drain the excess water.  The rice should be cooked ¾ (once you break the rice it should break in ¾ size ¼ should be yet to cook).

·         Biryani

  Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add tomatoes cover the lid for 3-4 min so the tomatoes are     smashed well later uncover the lid and sauté well so that the tomato water gets dried, add slit green chilies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, hara masala, salt and drain the entire curd from chicken marination and add to this preparation and sauté well so that the entire water is drained and the gravy starts separating oil. Later add marinated chicken and sauté well for 5-7 minutes and add the fried onions and mix it well. 

Masala should look this way once ready for layering

Keep aside from the gas, add lots of finely cut coriander leaves, fried potatoes mix well. Put the second layer of boiled rice on top of the dry gravy garnish it with coriander and fired onions. You can add color to the biryani if you want by mixing it in a bowl of milk and then spreading it over the rice, thou I don’t prefer adding color as it’s not good for health. Add Kewra water few drops.  Cover it with a foil paper and keep it on the gas above Tawa, and let it cook initially on high flame for 10 minutes and later for 15- 20 minutes on a very low flame. 

Layering of the Biryani

This is how the Biryani should look once you are done with layering

 When you open the lid there should be enough steam flowing out. That means your biryani is ready. 

Serve hot with Raita.

Few Tips while making the biryani

• Making biryani is an art, everyone can’t make it perfect. Timing and judgment plays an important role.  

• The onions should be perfect golden brown if it gets fried to darker brown, your biryani might turn sweeter.

• When you boil the rice it should be cooked three forth. One fourth gets cooked in the steam when you keep the biryani for Dum on Tawa.

• When you put tomatoes make sure along with the masala it is well sauteed and there is no water left or else your biryani might not have that royal taste.   

 Enjoi !!!! 

Do you like Biryani?? Then you must try this recipe. Stay tuned for the next recipe on the blog.

 Next Recipe - Chicken Skewers