Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• Chicken(500gm,medium size)
• Long grain/Basmati Rice(2 1/2cup)
• Onion paste(5tbsp)
• Ginger paste(3 tbsp)
• Garlic paste(4tbsp)
• Fried onion(2cup)
• Lemon juice(3tsp)
• yogurt(1/2 cup)
• Cinnamon sticks(3-4)
• Black Cardamom(2,whole)
• Cloves(5-6)Black peppercorn(8-10)
• Cashew nut(10-12)
• Turmeric pdr(2tsp)
• Red chili pdr(1tsp)
• Coriander pdr(2tsp)
• Biryani masala pdr(1-2tsp/optional)
• Saffron(1tsp)/Yellow food color(2 pinch)
• Mint leaves(2tbsp,optional)
• Kewda water/Rose water(2 tsp)
• Salt to taste
• Oil(Sunflower/mustard)
• Water as needed

Preparation

Cooking The Chicken

1. Wash the chicken properly. Rub the lemon juice and salt on the chicken pieces. Let it sit for 10-15 min.
2. Now add turmeric,yogurt to the chicken.Keep it for 2 hours.
3. Heat oil in a large pan, add black cardamom,cinnamon stick,cloves and black peppercorn.
4. When it starts to sizzle,add onion paste,cook till onion becomes brown.
5. Add ginger paste,garlic paste,red chili pdr,coriander pdr,salt.
6. Add chicken to the pan. Toss everything together.Add biryani masala.Add cashew nut.Cook till chicken is perfectly cooked and oil ooze out.Add little water.The gravy should not be very thick or not very thin.
7. Now your chicken is ready.

Cooking The Rice

1. Wash the rice till water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for 30 min.
2. Now Heat suffient amount of water in a big pan.Let the water to boil.
3. Add the soaked rice to the boiled water.Add salt to the taste.
4. Cook the rice about 90% and drain the excess water or strain the water by a strainer.

Combining The Chicken and Rice(Final Cooking or Layering)

1. Combine the saffron in warm water and keep it for 5-10 min.(If you have not saffron ,then you can use yellow food color)
2. Take a thick bottomed pan with a tight lid.
3. Put one thin layer of cooked chicken,add a layer of cooked rice over the chicken layer.
4. add some fried onion and some mint leaves(you can use dry mint leaves).
5. Make 2-3 layers of chicken and rice followed by fried onion and mint.The top layer must be rice layer.
6. At last add saffon water or yellow color over the top layer.Add kewda water/Rose water on the top layer.
7. Close the lid tightly.Leave the pan on the stove at lowest heat and cook for 15-30 min.
8. Now you Chicken Biryani is ready. Serve hot with yogurt raita or salad.