Hydrabad Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

1. Chicken – ½ kg
2. Basmati rice – ½ kg (cooked)
3. Curd – 1 cup
4. Onion – 1 finely sliced
5. Lime juice – ½ of the lemon
6. Ghee – ¼ cup
7. Ginger – 1 inch piece
8. Garlic - 3 flakes
9. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp or to taste
10. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
11. Garam masala – 1 tsp
12. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
13. Saffron – ¼ tsp
14. Bay leaf – 2
15. Cardamoms – 3
16. Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
17. Cloves – 4
18. Cashwenuts – 10
19. Coriander leaves – ¼ cup (roughly chopped)
20. Mint leaves – ¼ cup (roughly chopped)
21. Salt – to taste

Method:

Marinate the chicken with curd, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt for 1 hour.

Cook the basmati rice with enough salt, till half done and drain the water and keep it aside.

Make a paste with ginger, garlic and keep it aside.

Soak the saffron strands in 1 tbsp warm milk and keep it aside.

Take a pan and heat with ghee.

Add cashewnuts, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

Sauté for few mins.

Then add onins and ginger garlic paste.

Saute till the raw smell disappears.

Then add marinated chicken pieces and garam masala.

Mix well and fry well till the curd is absorbed.

Add enough water and cook till the chicken pieces are tender.

Now divide the cooked rice into two portions.

Take few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.

Place half of the semi cooked rice in the heavy bottomed vessel.

Then spread half of the chicken gravy.

Sprinkle some coriander and mint leaves.

Again spread by a layer of remaining rice.

One more layer of remaining chicken gravy.

Again sprinkle remaining coriander and mint leaves.

Close the vessel tightly and cook on low flame for 30 to 45 mins.

Remove from the heat.