Ingredients:
- Chicken - One& half kgs
- Basmati Rice - One and half kgs
- Oil - 600 gms
- Ginger Garlic Paste - 300 gms
- Chilli Powder - 50 gms
- Green Chillies - 15 pieces (medium sized)
- Tomato - 500 gms (Ripe Nattu Thakkali)
- Mint - 1 small bunch
- Coriander - 2 small bunches
- Cloves - 8 pieces
- Cinnamon - 1 medium sized stick
- Cardamon - 5 pieces
- Onion - 250 gms
- Lemon - 2 nos.
- Curd - 1 ltr
- Salt
Preparation:
- Cut onion lengthwise. Divide into halves.
- Cut tomato into 4 pieces.
- Extract lemon juice and keep aside.
- Strip pudina leaves. Wash, cut and keep aside.
- Strip coriander leaves. Wash, cut and keep aside. Optional to include tender coriander stems.
- Wash chicken, drain water completely and keep aside.
Method:
- Place the bigger vessel on the stove. Allow the bottom of the vessel to be heated well.
- Add oil. Put cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamon pieces. Wait for few seconds and as it splits add half the quantity of onions. Add full quantity of ginger, garlic paste.
- Simmer and allow the onions, ginger and garlic paste to cook. This should take
- less than 10 minutes.
- Add chicken. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt and mix well. Add the remaining onions pieces.
- Close the vessel with an aluminum lid. Continue to cook in low flame. Using a ladle, stir the contents of the vessel. Allow it to cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid. Add chili powder, green chilies, tomatoes, coriander, pudina, lemon juice and curd.
- Stir well, close the lid and allow the contents to cook well. Continue to cook on low flame.
- Occasionally stir the contents slowly. After about 20 minutes you may notice the oil separate.
- Wash the Basmati rice and let it remain soaked in water for not more than 10 minutes.
- At this juncture place the other vessel on the stove. Add water, 4 times the quantity of rice.
- 11. Allow the water to boil, add salt to taste. Remember you have added salt for the chicken gravy.
- As the water starts to boil, transfer soaked rice. Close with a perfect lid. Cook on low flame.
- When the rice is half cooked, without delaying quickly drain out water. Do not throw the drained water.
- Immediately, transfer half cooked rice (sprinkle kesar powder over rice if required) to the chicken gravy. Slowly mix the contents. Ensure rice doesn’t get smashed.
- Put a dosa tava on the stove and place the vessel. Take a neat newspaper and place it on top of the vessel and then keep the lid. On top of the lid, place the drained water. The vessel is now airtight.
- Simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes. Wait for few minutes and open lid. The aroma of biryani would confirm that the cooking is completed.
- Serve hot with onion raitha or brinjal tamarind gravy.
Note:
- Preferably, use aluminum vessels for cooking authentic chicken biryani. Two aluminium vessels, one for cooking basmati rice (2 Kgs) and another for cooking the gravy (3 kgs) is required.
- The ingredients are the same for one to one and half kgs of chicken and equal quantity of basmati rice. This quantity serves 7-8 people.
- For Mutton Biryani, use mutton and follow the same method.