Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients
Jeera Rice - 1 KG
Chicken – medium pieces , 1 kg
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Salt- As required
Sunflower oil - table spoon
Ginger - grm 50
Garlic - 15 large cloves
Green chilli - 10 nos
Big onion - 5
Tomato - chopped 2
Carrot - chopped 1
Corriander leaves - chopped

For biriyani masala powder

Roasted fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch
Cloves – 6
Cardamom – 5
Grind above to fine powder

Steps

Marinate chicken pieces with turmeric powder and salt for at least 1/2 hour.

Crush ginger, garlic, one tomoato and green chilies to a coarse mixture

Heat oil and ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add ground ginger – garlic-green chilly mixture and cook for a minute. Add sliced onion, salt and saute for 7 – 8 minutes until the onion turns translucent. Add turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Add chicken pieces. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup hot water and mix well.Cover and cook for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally until chicken pieces are done and gravy is thick. Add 2 tsp ghee, and switch off.

While the chicken is cooking, cook ghee rice. Heat a large 5 liter pressure cooker or any heavy-bottomed vessel with 3 – 4 tbsp ghee. Add drained rice. Stir for a few seconds. Add double the water of rice quantity , enough salt, cardamom 5 to 10 PCS and bring to a boil. Taste-check for salt, the water should be slightly salty. Cover with lid and cook until steam starts to come out profusely. Bring down the heat to low and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Switch off. Open the lid after 10 – 15 minutes. Fluff the cooked rice gently using a spoon.

To layer – In a heavy-bottomed vessel , spread half of the chicken masala in the bottom. Top it with half of the cooked ghee rice. Sprinkle fried onion, cashews, raisins, chopped mint, Spread the remaining chicken masala on top followed by remaining ghee rice. Sprinkle fried onion, cashews, masala powder, carrot etc. Heat a large tawa at low heat. Place the biriyani pot and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Switch off. Let it rest

Click here for the video

BIRDS OF KERALA AND MORE