Chicken Biryani

Ingredients :

• Basmati rice : 4 cups
• Water : 6 cups
• Cloves : 6 nos
• Cardamom pods/Elakka : 8 nos
• Cinnamon stick/Karuvapatta : 1 inch pieces
• Bay leaves /Tejapatta : 1 no
• Lemon Juice : 2 tsp (freshly squeezed)
• Salt to taste

For Garnishing :

• Cashew nuts : 100 gms
• Raisins : 100 gms
• Ghee / Butter : 5-6 tbsp
• Onion : 1/2 cup (thinly sliced)
• Coriander leaves : Handful

For Chicken:

• Chicken : 1 kg
• Onion : 7 medium (thinly sliced)
• Tomato : 3 medium (chopped)
• Green Chillies : 15-20 nos (chopped)
• Ginger : 1.5 inch Piece
• Garlic : 8-10 cloves
• Biryani masala : 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
• Coriander powder : 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
• Corainder leaves : 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Oil /Ghee /Ney : 4 tbsp

Preparation Method, Chicken Biryani  (South India : Kerala Style)

Chicken Masala:

1. Clean with pinch of turmeric and cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and drain the water well.
2. Grind ginger, garlic, green chillies to coarse paste and set it aside.
3. Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Red Chilli powder, 1/2 cup Yogurt, 2 tsp Biryani masala and Salt to taste for 1 hrs at room temperature and shallow fry it.
4. Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add thinly sliced onion saute until it is translucent, add the ginger, garlic, green chillie paste, saute until brown color, add chopped tomatoes and saute for few seconds.
5. Add the briyani masala, turmeric powder,red chilli powder, coriander powder, combine well and saute untill the raw smell goes.
6. Add the chopped corainder and mix well.
7. Add the shallowed fried chicken and cover & cook on medium flame for about 10 mins add water if needed and adjust salt.

Cooking the Rice:

1. Soak the rice for 30 mins and drain the water completely.
2. Boil the required water, with half of the whole masala ( cardamom, cloves & cinnamon ) and add little ghee/butter & salt.
3. Heat ghee in a pan & splutter whole masala. Add the cleaned & drained rice, when the rice starts cracking add it to boiled water and cook uncovered the rice for 8-10 mins.
4. When rice done drain the excess water immediately spread the rice on a tray and sprinkle the lemon juice.

Preparing for Garnish :

1. Heat ghee and fry the thinly sliced onion till golden colour and crispy for 15 miutes, remove and drain on to the paper towel.
2. Now fry cashews and then raisins until they turn golden colour, drain and remove on to the paper towel and keep it aside.

Layering the Biriyani:

1. Apply Ghee/butter to the heated baking dish.
2. Put one layer of masala in the dish. On top of that spread another layer of rice, repeat the process until the masala and rice is finished. Sprinkle coriander leaves in between. The top layer should be rice.
3. Garnish the biriyani with fried cashews, raisins, onion and coriander leaves. Serve hot with pickle, salad and pappad.